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WitchHazel of Bluster
Feb. 12th, 2025 10:38 pmAlthough I was not feeling all sparkly this morning, I determined to visit Madame before the snow set in. We're having the usual prediction vacillations. Will it be a lot of snow? Yes it will! No it won't! Well, MAYBE. . . Okay let's compromise on four inches? Who the heck knows. At first, the snow was supposed to begin around noon, so I thought I'd better not take Madame out. I didn't really want to be stuck driving her home in a blizzard. It started snowing at 11, but this proved to be a false start. It slacked off again. I stopped at the Starbucks in the grocery store to get her some coffee. They were having problems with their water supply. A harried young woman told me they couldn't make me any coffee. I got us two hot chocolates and some pumpkin bread. I had figured out how to fit a cardboard drink carrier into a handy thermal bag we have, so the drinks wouldn't get utterly cold en route.
Madame was quite glad to see me, although she hadn't been expecting me. I've given up on calling ahead, because she never picks up. She sees that I called later--sometimes days later--and then calls me back at inconvenient times, thinking it's an urgent recent message. I was happy to see her looking much better than last week. Her arm is healing, and she says it doesn't hurt much except when she bumps into something. She still had a lot of trouble getting up to walk, so perhaps it was for the best that we didn't go out. She enjoyed her cocoa and cake quite a lot, though I'm afraid I spoiled her lunch. When they brought it in, she didn't want it. She told them to take it away, but they explained they are required by the state to bring it, even if she doesn't eat it. So they cook her food she won't eat and then throw it away--but they get to check the box that says they gave her lunch. The bureaucratization of care is infuriating. I wouldn't have eaten it either, honestly. It looks more like middle school cafeteria food than anything that would be appropriate for an older woman who has trouble chewing and needs nutrient-rich nourishment. Her daughter has provided her with enriched drinks and protein bars, but she doesn't eat them. This is a losing battle. I went through it with my mother.
Anyway, we had a nice visit for a couple of hours. She loved my orange scarf, which I wore with her in mind, because she likes bright colors. It started snowing in earnest about 2:30, an hour after I got home. We are firmly committed to not going anywhere. My poor sister the Duchess was driving home from a post-cancer diagnosis mammogram. I'm overjoyed to report that it was utterly normal and didn't show any sign of cancer. I assume she survived driving home! Since the Sparrowhawk couldn't go to the gym, we decided to take a nap. Both of us got up too early today. Afternoon naps are just the greatest luxury. I had a chicken sandwich for dinner, and the Sparrowhawk had a mixture of beans and sausages of his own devising. And now we're going to go to bed again, and worry about the extent of the snowfall tomorrow. How delightful!
Madame was quite glad to see me, although she hadn't been expecting me. I've given up on calling ahead, because she never picks up. She sees that I called later--sometimes days later--and then calls me back at inconvenient times, thinking it's an urgent recent message. I was happy to see her looking much better than last week. Her arm is healing, and she says it doesn't hurt much except when she bumps into something. She still had a lot of trouble getting up to walk, so perhaps it was for the best that we didn't go out. She enjoyed her cocoa and cake quite a lot, though I'm afraid I spoiled her lunch. When they brought it in, she didn't want it. She told them to take it away, but they explained they are required by the state to bring it, even if she doesn't eat it. So they cook her food she won't eat and then throw it away--but they get to check the box that says they gave her lunch. The bureaucratization of care is infuriating. I wouldn't have eaten it either, honestly. It looks more like middle school cafeteria food than anything that would be appropriate for an older woman who has trouble chewing and needs nutrient-rich nourishment. Her daughter has provided her with enriched drinks and protein bars, but she doesn't eat them. This is a losing battle. I went through it with my mother.
Anyway, we had a nice visit for a couple of hours. She loved my orange scarf, which I wore with her in mind, because she likes bright colors. It started snowing in earnest about 2:30, an hour after I got home. We are firmly committed to not going anywhere. My poor sister the Duchess was driving home from a post-cancer diagnosis mammogram. I'm overjoyed to report that it was utterly normal and didn't show any sign of cancer. I assume she survived driving home! Since the Sparrowhawk couldn't go to the gym, we decided to take a nap. Both of us got up too early today. Afternoon naps are just the greatest luxury. I had a chicken sandwich for dinner, and the Sparrowhawk had a mixture of beans and sausages of his own devising. And now we're going to go to bed again, and worry about the extent of the snowfall tomorrow. How delightful!
