Grizzly of Ember
Dec. 17th, 2025 07:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismoVisiting Madame hits hard this time of year. Or maybe it's the season that she's in that hits, and would at any time. But if it were summer, at least I could walk out into the world of life and green. She had a trip to the clinic yesterday to have an iron infusion, because her hemoglobin is so low. I had a feeling that it wouldn't be wise for me to take her out again so soon. I took coffee and cake with me--a caramel brulee latte and some lemon cake from Starbucks. Back when I first knew her, she didn't like things with sugar in them, but that has changed! We sat and talked, and as I had hoped, the idea of going out did not come up. The staff brought her lunch to her room so she could eat and talk with me. When I was sure she wouldn't eat any more actual food, I brought out the cake, and this was a success. I tried to get her oriented in time a little bit, and by the time I left, she was aware that Christmas was coming soon. However, I am aware that by tomorrow, she will have lost her place in the week again. She has one of those video screens that tell you what day, date, and time it is, but she says she's tired of looking at it!
When I was getting ready to leave, she wanted to get up, but she couldn't push herself up out of the chair. That's a new one. She used to be pretty good at grabbing the handles of her walker and levering herself up. The first time, I tried to help her, but that was a mistake. I did not do it the way she wanted, and she got agitated. The second time, I let her do it herself, but she fell back into the chair and started crying out. I suggested we call one of the staff to come and help, which she agreed to. They actually had heard the commotion and came in on their own to assist her. Once the cavalry had arrived, I said I was going to go now, and that was okay with her. The staff said they'd be coming back shortly to invite her to music therapy, which she likes. This whole process confirmed my guess that today was not a good day to go out. I think no day is going to be a good day to go out until she gets a wheelchair, and have written to Mademoiselle to let her know this is my plan. It is a pity, because I enjoyed going places with her, and it added interest to her life, but we are past that now.
Today we had a warmup, and the day was punctuated with pleasant sounds--icicles crashing off the roofs and tinkling on the ground, meltwater running across the slushy roads. I hear we're having a flash freeze tomorrow night, so we should make the best of it. When I got home, I commenced the work of disassembling the giant turkey we bought post-Thanksgiving and cooked so we'd have readymade protein for when our guests are here. I'm boiling the bones now for a giant pot of broth to make Tron's favorite soup with. I also cooked up a bag of brussels sprouts that were waiting. I steamed them a little with some carrots, then tossed them with a nice olive oil and some salt and pepper, herbs de provence, onion salt and grated garlic. I added half a bag of cranberries, just for fun, and baked them in the oven along with a couple of potatoes. Maybe it just happened to be what I wanted, but I thought this was a very tasty mix. I ate just potatoes and brussels sprouts for dinner, and didn't even want any of the abundance of turkey now stashed in the refrigerator.
When I was getting ready to leave, she wanted to get up, but she couldn't push herself up out of the chair. That's a new one. She used to be pretty good at grabbing the handles of her walker and levering herself up. The first time, I tried to help her, but that was a mistake. I did not do it the way she wanted, and she got agitated. The second time, I let her do it herself, but she fell back into the chair and started crying out. I suggested we call one of the staff to come and help, which she agreed to. They actually had heard the commotion and came in on their own to assist her. Once the cavalry had arrived, I said I was going to go now, and that was okay with her. The staff said they'd be coming back shortly to invite her to music therapy, which she likes. This whole process confirmed my guess that today was not a good day to go out. I think no day is going to be a good day to go out until she gets a wheelchair, and have written to Mademoiselle to let her know this is my plan. It is a pity, because I enjoyed going places with her, and it added interest to her life, but we are past that now.
Today we had a warmup, and the day was punctuated with pleasant sounds--icicles crashing off the roofs and tinkling on the ground, meltwater running across the slushy roads. I hear we're having a flash freeze tomorrow night, so we should make the best of it. When I got home, I commenced the work of disassembling the giant turkey we bought post-Thanksgiving and cooked so we'd have readymade protein for when our guests are here. I'm boiling the bones now for a giant pot of broth to make Tron's favorite soup with. I also cooked up a bag of brussels sprouts that were waiting. I steamed them a little with some carrots, then tossed them with a nice olive oil and some salt and pepper, herbs de provence, onion salt and grated garlic. I added half a bag of cranberries, just for fun, and baked them in the oven along with a couple of potatoes. Maybe it just happened to be what I wanted, but I thought this was a very tasty mix. I ate just potatoes and brussels sprouts for dinner, and didn't even want any of the abundance of turkey now stashed in the refrigerator.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 04:35 pm (UTC)We get the same weather systems I believe.
Our drive will be iced over by the end of the day. I'm glad I don't have any plans to leave the house. This is the joy of retirement.
Reminder: I always enjoy your writing. My wish for you is good health.