Taking Care of Mom at Home

The Summer of the Ice Cream
By Guest Blogger: Henry Peter Gribbin

I am a home health care giver. I left my job and my life to take care of my 88 year old mother. She is riddled with arthritis and dementia, but she is a fighter, and over the course of these many months we have dodged many bullets. We are a team, and we manage.


Our main enemy is time. I try to fill in the hours the best I can. I try to overcome her sense of uselessness by devising little projects she can do. We also go for long rides whenever we can. For instance, every Sunday at 1 p.m. the two of us head out on the road. We started doing this in late spring of last year, and at the start we tried to go to the highest ground across the city trying to find the best views. As summer came on we changed our mission to find the best ice cream stand the city had to offer. I called our quest the "Summer of the Ice Cream."

But these little projects can only fill so much of the day. Like I said time, or too much time, is our enemy. We are lucky in that we have a big front porch. Our house sits atop a busy roadway so in the spring, summer and fall we utilize it to its full extent. Neighbors and family sometimes drop by to visit, not often enough for my liking (everybody is so busy these days, or so they say). But it is the winters that weigh down on us, and Pittsburgh winters can be long and hard. One can only do so many puzzles. One can only read so many books. But like I said, we are a team, and we manage. My only hope is that the next winter is a mild one.

After the Party

Following a fundraiser that featured polo matches, all that is left of the party at one of our local parks are white chairs and tables, waiting to be picked up. Gone are the ladies with their de riqueur garden hats, and the men in -- well, whatever it is that men wear to polo matches.

I walked by these party remnants today and thought they added a nice architecutral air to the otherwise rolling green hills at the park. I am guessing that as soon as these items are stored away that the county workers will begin installing the huge light displays for the annual light show at the park. Millions of lights will glow into the night from November to January to the delight of carloads of people. The holdiays seem like a long way away on this beautiful fall day.

Hangin' with My Buddies

These sea gulls look pretty relaxed as they each take a fence post to rest on at the beach. I have a feeling they are talking about how soon the warm weather will be gone and they will have to fight to keep themselves warm.

Our weather lately went from 95 and hot on Saturday to being in the 50s on Monday and Tuesday. Big change, but then big changes are coming. It's been raining off and on for four days with more to come. Can't help feeling that the last hot days are gone and we are headed into the cool part of the year at a runaway pace.

Fall Can't Be Far Behind

First Fall Colors

Well, there's no denying it. Fall is on the horizon. I saw these vibrant leaves, the first of the season, at our local park this morning when I was walking.

I love fall, but it seems to me that it has come very quickly this year. We used to joke when our kids were in school that once school started, Halloween was just around the corner, followed immediately by Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whew. The only time of year that seems to go slowly is January and February, and I think I like them more all the time!

A Colorful Spirit

Love the Many Brilliant Colors of Your Spirt  ~ Laurel Burch

I bought this Sun spirit tote bag this past weekend at the Shaker Woods Craft Festival, Columbiana, OH. We have gone to this festival for years, being that it is located just a little more than an hour from home.

My husband Larry actually spotted this gem and pointed it out to me. It was colorful and had this beautiful thought etched on it, the perfect size for lots of toting.

The bag was hand-crafted by Laurel Wagoner ((Down Home Leather, Mt. Vernon, OH), who loves the designs created by the designer who shared her first name.

Laurel Burch died about four years ago. But thanks to her prolific artistic history, her work will live on and on because of its beauty and message.

Spotted Beautiful (but quick) Blue Herons

While walking today at a local park, I spotted three blue herons at the edge of the lake. There were also three fishermen near them, so I thought I could sneak up and shoot a photo. No such luck. So I borrowed this photo to show you how amazing they looked.

The regal birds flew away from me and off towards the boathouse, where I stopped on my way home but they were no longer there.

Soon, I hope to have my own photo of these beauties. Until then, enjoy!

Mums on Sale Already. Really?

Caught a quick shot of these mums on sale at a discount store today. Today being only August 11, and very warm, it doesn't seem right that these beauties are on sale already.

I was thinking of getting some to replace my dying annuals (there was an aphid attack, I swear) but couldn't bring myself to admit that it was time to plant mums.

I'll go back when the weather cools a little more, and the NFL starts playing again. Wait, that's tonight!

I'm not going to let mum-sellers and sports media rush the seasons for me. How 'bout you?

For more on enjoying these great remaining days of summer, visit my Yeasty blog.