Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Out of the Mouth of Babes; HOLDENISM and A Little Bit of This and That

HOLDENISM

Out of the Mouth of Babes

July 1982, a month before I went to nursing school. Busch Gardens.

In my lifetime I have had the privilege of spending time with 3 small children during their toddler years.
Two of those children were my own of course and the third is my grandson Holden.
As a mom we all realize that we don't always spend as much time listening to our little ones when there is work to do, and if we work out of our home even more time is lost with them.
I suppose if I thought hard enough I might be able to remember some of the cute things my children said, but in reality, I remember the actual things they did more than the things they told me.
That saddens me. I look back on those years and it was most definitely the happiest time of my life. I was so blessed to be a stay-at-home-mom right up until the day my youngest started kindergarten and I started my first day of nursing school.
That year was the most difficult. I spent that entire year studying. My children discovered there was no Santa. They found unwrapped Christmas presents because both my husband and I didn't have the time to wrap them yet. The clothes got washed but most times they were still in the clothes dryer and not in the closet or drawers where they should be. My husband bought us our first microwave. The kids ate a lot of nuked food like hot dogs. The three of them went all kinds of places without me. I was left behind sitting at the kitchen table with my nose in school books on nutrition, anatomy, fundamentals in nursing, pharmacology, and the books that described laws and nursing practice. There were drug cards to do and nursing care plans to write out.....and there were always 1-2, maybe 3, tests the next day, so what do you study first? I basically neglected my family. Had it not been for my husband cheering me on I would have quit, plain and simple. I wondered just what the hell I had gotten myself into that first day as I carried the huge box of books down a long flight of steps to my car. What fresh hell had I gotten myself into anyways?


Then years passed and my children grew up. They went to college. Then came marriage. And as time went by we finally got our first grandchild, a boy.
I spend a lot of time chatting with this child and he chats back to me. He is a joy and he is funny. I should have written down some of those things that have made me laugh and have vowed to do just that from here on in. So, from time to time I will share those funny little things he says to me or anyone else in the family.
Face it, little children are truthful, humble and most of all innocent. Keep in mind he turned 3 in March.


Last week he and I are watching cartoons. A commercial comes on for all things but Fungi Nail medication for toe nail fungus:

Holden: "Mamaw, do you have toe nail fungus?"
Me: "No Holden, I do not have toe nail fungus."
Holden: " I bet that would hurt."
Me: "Yes Holden, I'm sure it would."

Earlier that week his mommy is spraying weed killer on a patch of stones where they had 3 pine trees removed. He was made to stand away from the spray out in the yard:

Holden: "Mommy, what are you doing?"
Mommy: "I am spraying weed killer to kill these weeds."
Holden: "Mommy you shouldn't do that. You shouldn't kill things God made."
***

This past week my mother returned to the nursing home by ambulance from Toledo.
The orthopedic surgeon there managed to pop her new hip back in place without doing surgery. They kept her for a couple days just to make sure everything was going to be okay.
She came back with 2 different devices to prevent her from moving that hip causing further damage. Basically they are both considered immobilizers, one made of thick foam that rests between the legs and is fastened to the legs with velcro straps. That one is for bedtime. The other is a more hard copy actual brace for the left leg that has a bar and a heavy plastic plate that rests against the stomach. That one is to be worn during the day and when she is up. She does not like them. Face it, none of us would want either one of those contraptions. She asked me how she got in such shape in the first place. I reminded her that she got that way, and to quote her because her words verbatim, " I am very careful." that is what you said mom. In reality she was just the opposite, she refused to use either walker or cane when she was at home (she has both). Picture, Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down, well this Weeble fell down. It was only a matter of time. She refused a Life Alert to be worn around her neck in case she fell. She refused her $6,000 hearing aides. She refuses to answer her phone. She refuses to eat nutritious foods. Her foods of choice were junk and sweets. She complains about her bottom being sore, and there is a bit of skin breakdown that a wound nurse is attending to. She is restless and up and down constantly. I sometimes wonder if her lack of appetite is because she is starving herself to die. For anyone who doesn't know, the #1 way the elderly commit suicide is by refusing to eat. Her Living Will clearly states, "No feeding tubes."
***
Then this week my good friend Barb (and her family) in Fort Myers are dealing with Hospice being called in for her husband. Her husband and mine were in Vietnam together and that is how she and I became friends. Both our men were exposed to Agent Orange along with the other thousands of troops. Her husband got sick about 10 months after mine was diagnosed with the cancer. It has been a hard time for them because they were well under way building a new home when they found out he was sick. They had also just moved back to Florida after selling another home they built in North Carolina. I know what she is going through. I have walked that same path, wearing those same shoes and it is so hard to watch a strong man reduced to what cancer does to the body and spirit. My prayers are not enough to bring a miracle, but maybe God can bring comfort to this family and peace to their loved one.


I have found some free time in the evening to knit. This was my next to last project. A stash buster scarf of all colors left in the RH stash. Some rows were more rows than others, no definite color scheme. The pattern was cast on 20 stitches on size 6 knitting needles, then knit 2 rows then the next 2 rows were knit 2, purl 2 across. Repeat those 4 rows for entire scarf pattern in length desired. 


I still have the ends to weave in and no, I did not use all the yarn up yet.


I made up a quick diagonal stitch baby blanket because I wanted to use up a skein of worsted weight pink. As my luck would have it I ran out and had to make a trip to Joann's to get more. I will donate this. I have one project, another skull cap, on my circular knitting needle. It is my on-the-go-project. I have packed the rest of my yarn away and do not plan to get it out again until maybe well into this winter. I want to play around with my stash of fabric and finish up some of my sewing projects I have started. I am burned out on the yarn.


It is that time of year again. I stopped at the fruit market last Friday with the prime intention to get a few salad veggies and ran across a lug of Roma tomatoes. That led to buying 3 pounds of onions and some banana peppers. I had garlic bulbs at home. I have made my own spaghetti sauce for almost 43 years. The recipe can be found on my September 3, 2012 post. I got 13 quarts total. 


The sweet corn was just too pretty to pass up so I bought a dozen ears. I blanched them and put 10 ears in the freezer. I figure you can guess what happened to the other 2 ears. 

I never thought the time would come when I would be saying I miss the garden my husband use to put out every year. It was so easy to walk out there and pick fresh veggies right off the plants. When I saw the price of that lug of tomatoes was $20 I about flipped. When I got done doing my shopping I had spent close to $40. When we had our children at home I use to can and freeze everything I could get my hands on. Nothing in the garden went to waste because we both came from parents who had made it through WW2 and the Depression. We heard about people starving and waste not, want not. One year I had a goal to fill every canning jar and every freezer container we had, and I did exactly that. We always bought a 1/4 of a beef and half a hog for the freezer too. We hardly went out to eat. When you are married to a meat and potatoes guy you better learn to cook. Life is so different now. Cooking for one person is a whole new ball game. I hardly cook at all.
***

12 comments:

  1. A cherished family photo. Holden is a gem and fun to all the family. Caring baby is great as they're thriving day by day. Yet caring aged is challenging and day by day we worry a lot but it's life. Nice to read you blog just like I'm going with you the years. Wish you enjoy days ahead and relax doing whatever you like. Love

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never canned, but watched my great-grandmother do it religiously every year. And we had such good food all winter. Oh, what I'd give for those wonderful jars of food now! With my 17 month old grandson Andrew, I spend more time. But you have to remember: Mom does the diapering (or at least I let her do it!) and we get the "good" times!
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was asked to take on a job as the executive director of a non-profit corporation when my youngest was in kindergarten. I did not plan to get a job but to stay home with the kids.. I took the job and it was great, but I often regret not staying at home for the kids. Life is difficult to know what is best for everyone. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. OH.. PS.. I was happy to see you changed your blog list to have the ones who post more often at the top. I scrolled down and many of those on your list haven't posted for a year or more. I have a feeling those people have stopped blogging. I delete those on my list if they haven't posted for over 6 months. Just some thoughts for you. Your friend in Oregon..

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a very difficult decision as to whether you go out to work or stay at home. I certainly don't think there is any right or wrong sometimes it comes down to circumstance. As adults I doubt very much that our kids would be concerned either way as long they were safe warm and loved.

    ReplyDelete
  6. YUMMY! Your spaghetti sauce is GREAT! I am one of the few who can say I've had it. You have been busy. Glad they were able to help you Mom whether she wants it or not. Poor thing. I can't even begin to know how she must feel, but I can imagine. Sorry to hear about your friend's husband. It's so sad. I'm glad you have some things to keep you busy, and you also have that beautiful grandbaby to spend time with and enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I stayed at home for a long time, maybe too long and that is why working now just drains me. But I like what I do and with two kids in college it is no longer an option to not work. I love the Holenism's.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think it's a great idea to write down the cute things Holden says because it's impossible to remember everything. Your knitting looks lovely and that sauce looks delicious, homemade is so much better than sauce from shops.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this! Recovered my password 😉

    ReplyDelete
  10. He's such a gorgeous little boy, I'm smiling at his thoughts and words :)
    My granddaughter started nursing school this week her BS/RN I'm glad she hasn't started her family yet, I'm afraid studying will consume her.
    Sweet post.
    ~Jo

    ReplyDelete
  11. We do our best when our kids are growing up. Time just flies by and we wonder if we did all we needed to do but I'm sure we did. You've sure had some challenges this year. I'm keeping you in my prayers sweet friend. Hugs, Diane

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey there - I accidentally hit the wrong button when approving comments on my blog and yours disappeared! I'm so sorry! Feel free to leave a new one if you want. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
~WRITE IT ON YOUR HEART................
THAT THE ONES YOU LOVE ARE LIFE'S MOST PRECIOUS GIFTS~