The Day After

Dad's funeral was so nice.  It was good to see the family, all the cousins and my aunts and uncles and friends. It really does make you feel so much better. The hoar frost was beautiful, and the sun came out. It was wicked cold though! I think some of the smaller cousins got a little hypothermic during the color guard and taps. Luckily there was plenty of food (including the beloved Mallaney fried chicken!) to warm everyone up, thanks to Mar. She took care of everything to do with the food, we didn't have to give it a thought, and her lovely sisters brought it over and gosh it is good to have friends like that.

Cousins Bobby and Denny spoke of Dad and it was lovely. They knew him before I did, back before he knew mom even. Denny is older. :)

When I remember Dad, at least what pops into my head most often these last few days . . .

How Mom took such good care of Dad. It was because of Mom that we had Dad at home since the dementia. Love is patient, love is kind. Love is work sometimes! LOL 

How Dad, in his 80's, went to the top of Starved Rock (and mom and Joe couldn't make it)!

How Dad would lie on the floor to watch TV or read the paper, or just snooze, and he could get up by pushing himself to both knees, then standing right up, not leaning on anything! Try it . . . and then remember to try it again when you are in your 80's! LOL

His hatred for the Cubs. I'm not sure what he enjoyed more . . . rooting against the Cubs or rooting for the White Sox!

His love for family, kitties, Notre Dame, fried chicken, beer, "scrimp", and french silk pie.

How much fun he had down at the bars with his buddies. And how lucky he was! He was always winning a raffle or a prize on the tip board. I drank a lot of beer Bernie won! LOL

How much he loved to take rides and go visiting, and never mind if no one was home! He would raid refrigerators and gardens and candy dishes and leave his calling card if no one was home . . . an empty beer can and candy wrappers! LOL  And he brought home lots of pilfered garden produce! LOL Thanks Uncle George!

How strong his faith was. He would say a deck of the rosary for any family or friend who needed it.

How he and Mom would always be on front porch, waving goodbye whenever one of us hit the road!


How Dad carried two full 5-gallon buckets of rain water out to the garden for me, in his 80's! That is heavy folks.

How one time Mom got Dad new jeans for work, and they were a different cut, and Dad came home from work and told mom he would not wear those jeans again! Mom asked him why and Dad replied, "All the guys called me John Revolta!" 

All the talks we had on our rides, by the old farm, down to the river to watch for a barge and feed the "pigeons", and driving through the cemeteries. Dad loved it.

And one more time . . . beer! I think my love of beer is genetic. I got it from Bernie!

I don't know what I will write about on here now, without the Exploits of Bernie! Gosh.

Dad's dementia was no fun, I will not lie, but Dad came around, he eventually recognized us as family again, and there were still good times to be had and we had them! I have lot of good memories of the last couple of years. Life is good even when it isn't perfect.

It's fun to think of dad back with "the gang", his brothers and beloved cousin, Robert, and his folks and sisters.

I can't believe the funeral was just yesterday!

That's all for now.

Kay :)

Dad

Dad 12/12/19 - 01/10/2015. Rest in peace Bernie.

Bernie

We got a call Saturday night that Dad was going to be transferred from rehab back to the hospital. The pneumonia was back. It's been all downhill from there. He started having trouble swallowing and I think his body is just worn out. Yesterday Dad was transferred back to the rehab center, and is now under hospice care. He has remained unresponsive for the past couple of days. Mom spent a lot of time with Dad today and met with the hospice caseworker.

I just left him, he is resting comfortably. He had a tiny smile on his face and seems very peaceful. He is definitely closer to heaven today than he was yesterday.

When I walked back into Park Pointe today I couldn't help but remember New Years Eve.  It was before the pneumonia came back. Mom and I went to visit Dad and we couldn't find him at first. Seems he was down at a New Year's Eve Party. We walked down there to find him enjoying chocolate candy and drinking a beer and enjoying the live music! LOL  We had a fun visit that day.

Later on New Year's Eve I was going to my friend's house for a small party. I didn't want to drink too much, wanted to be home early, so I decided I would take 4 beers with me. That would be plenty. And I remembered seeing an open 12-pack of Busch in the shed. I figured I would just use that up instead of buying anything else.

At the party, after I finished my 5 beers (oops how did that extra beer get in there!?), I resisted my friends' urgings to have "just one more", sticking to my self imposed limit (sort of), and telling them that I wanted to get home safely and didn't want to get pulled over or anything. 

Fast forward to this a.m. . . . I reached down to relocate that 12-pack box, it still had a couple of cans in it, and I'll be darned if I didn't ration my beer intake on New Year's Eve with the non-alcoholic beer I bought Bernie to take to the reunion in August! LOL  I told Dad that story tonight too, I know he would get a kick out of it.

I guess I'm lucky I made it this far in my life without going through anything like this. Lots of my friends have already been through it with both of their parents!

Things sure change fast. I have a pile of things here I was laying by for when Dad was able to come home from rehab! ARGHHHHH

That's all for now.

Kay :)

Merry Christmas & Flashback Post

I know I know . . . it has been a long time! LOL  Dad wasn't feeling well, and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia last week, December 17th. He also had an eye infection. Scary stuff! He was in rough shape. He got transferred to rehab on Tuesday, and is still there. Doc said maybe 3-4 weeks! Holy shit! That is a long time. So no Bernie at home for Christmas. We still had a good day, at least we faked it pretty well. I made a kick ass brisket, colcannon, corn casserole and roasted cauliflower.Mom and Joe have been visiting in the mornings; Mom goes back in the afternoon, today John (Pat lol) went with her; and I go at night. Dad continues to improve. He is on oxygen, but he looks pretty good for a 95 year old!

I'm flashing back to things I thought about blogging about, but never did!

Funny Kay/Norene/Bernie conversation while Dad was in hospital (in bed, on oxygen, in a hospital gown!):

Bernie: I hope I don't have to milk tonight. Or take a shower! They won't make me take a shower on my first night here, will they?

Kay/Norene: I think you are safe Bernard. No work for you!

Bernie:  Good! I'm old and gay.

Kay/Norene: What!? (giving Bernie The Look)

Bernie: I'm old and gay.

Kay: (laughing laughing) Gay?!

Bernie:  GRAY GRAY!

lololol

Flashback to last weekend; annual cookie baking at Mar's.

Mark, Mar's twin bro and Donna's hubby. If you see him . . . RUN!

It's all about the ass . . . I mean the BASS!

The Rileys. We missed Jackson this year, he was under the weather, darn it!

Awww Mar and Kristi get prettier every year! Thanks for the cookie day again Mar!

 

Flashback to December 12, 2014, Bernie turns 95! But Bernie wasn't feeling too good . . .

Bernie feeling punk. But really, Bernie never looks that great when he is sleeping! LOLOL

Even further back . . . we had a good Thanksgiving, turkey extravaganza, and I gave Midge her Christmas present early. She's been wanting some space of her own, you know, so  . . .

Midge inside . . .

And Finn on top!

introducing the Kitty Club House? Hmm I just made that up. I need to think of something more sassy. It's outside now, so the kitties can get out of the wind should they choose!

That's it. Peace Out.

And I left Bernie a note today on his wardrobe . . it says EAT SLEEP EXERCISE - GET BETTER! We want him home!

Kathleen

Veteran's Day

What a blustery Veteran's Day! The parade was canceled yesterday because of the weather forecast. Too bad, Dad loves that celebration. He never did go to the ceremony when it was held indoors, just the outdoor ceremony on courthouse lawn. He doesn't even really know he missed it, but I do. I would have taken him for sure.

What does a girl do on her day off in the middle of the week? Took a surprise ride with Donna to Bolingbrook and had lunch at Portillo's, then came home and made the Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas for supper, with green chile rice on the side. Yikes! LOL The trip to Bolingbrook was a surprise, I certainly would have picked a different dinner lol, something lighter to be sure, but the wheels were already in motion . . .

Everybody should make enchiladas at least once, but given the ingredient list, the labor, the clean-up, the mess, the quantity, next time I'm going to Chiles! These were delicious, to be sure, and I have lots of leftovers.

Dad has recovered from his flu bug, his color is better and his appetite is picking up. Whew! So far mom is OK too. I was not successful in fighting off John's cold bug, and had a nasty cold for a few days. My Kleenex stockpile took a hit!

I moonlit, moonlighted, worked for Mar at a catering job Sunday and my knee held up very well. Perhaps I should pick up the activity a bit and quit being a baby babying it so much.

We celebrated Mom's birthday with supper out and a coconut cream pie. Dad's 95th is coming up next month.

My kitties are not liking the cold so much. I commissioned a vacation house for Midge. It is being decorated now, photos to follow. She has been wanting one, what can I say? I'm a Crazy Cat Lady.  Midge and Finn kind of hesitate at the door, waiting to see if I'm coming out, maybe to rock on the patio or pull some weeds, but they are gonna have a long wait. I feel bad shutting the door on them. I miss summer already.

TBCCP (Throwback Cute Cat Pic?)

Kay :)

November

Happy Halloween! Be on the lookout for this new alien vegetable . . . Midge was terrified! Or I suppose it could have been partly the mixer going. She is awful skittish with loud sounds.

It does look sort of predatory . . . and . . . well, you know . . .

Dad had a flu bug. Vomiting, diarrhea! Yikes. It was a rough one. Quite worrisome. Mom got quite a workout, he was in the bathroom quite often. I know that is TMI. Because I am his sister I get out of the bathroom thing (whew), cuz it's OK for your wife to be in there . . . but not your sister! Whew! LOL  But he is remarkably sturdy, and is coming out of it very well. His color looks a lot better, he was quite pale.  His appetite is still pretty absent though. At his last VA check-up he had lost 11 pounds in 6 months. Doc wants him to drink a couple Ensure or Boost every day. He's doing OK, having one a day. He still eats, just not enough, not like a Morris Mallaney! He can always handle a doughnut though . . . even if he won't finish his supper!

 I am praying Mom won't get sick, and so far, so good. Her birthday is the 7th, she'll be 77! Yikes! 

I was afraid I'd never get Bernie out of the house after work for a ride now that it is dark so early, but he went tonight and we saw a huge barge and 2 boats down at the river. He was tickled. Of course he doesn't remember it now, but I do. He was happy. I liked it too. I told Bernie it was going to be one long ass winter if we didn't get out at night once in a while! LOL  He doesn't think he wants to drive though (praise Jesus!), and he is going to give me some money for gas . . .

I went to John's this weekend. We did some freezer cooking to help mom out a little bit. Isis apparently wanted me to hurry up with this recipe business, that little scamp . . .

I was making Martha Stewart's Spicy Cheese Dip for election day at work. Election day is a county holiday every other year (woo hoo), and I'm moonlighting at the  Clerk's office tomorrow. It's fun to be around the courthouse on election day, very interesting and kind of exciting. I like it. Everybody brings in snacks and there is usually sandwiches and pizza and stuff. I made my cheese dip and a lemon cake. You should see the staff handle that election. They are like a well-oiled machine. It is so impressive to me, the organization and efficiency. Kudos to the staff at the County Clerk's Office, they bust their asses!

John's sweet kitties barely let him get out of his recliner before they claim it! They like the warmth. He throws a blanket over top of them and they snooze away! It's very amusing.   John did have the heat on this weekend . . . all the way up to 59! Woo hoo!

I don't want to leave Finn out of this post . . . it wouldn't be right.

Finn is still doing his yoga and meditation. Good boy!

I was exposed to Dad's flu bug, and while at John's he seemed to be coming down with a cold. I am sure I will successfully defend myself from these invaders!

Kathleen :)

Fall is here

Three years ago today I woke up in the hospital absent a large ovarian mass and with a colostomy! How time flies! LOL And I know I have said it before, but one more time . . . thank God for colostomy reversals! Woo hoo!

Been busy ripping up the garden beds, pulling down morning glories, washing windows, getting things ready for winter.  My friend at work, her parents are predicting a rough winter due to thick woolly worm coats! I hope they are wrong! Summer sure flew by. I did find a surprise zucchini whilst ripping up the garden though. My zucchini plants sometimes die right after I pick the first zucchini; the plants have always seemed so delicate. Well this one plant of mine, I felt bad killing it to get ready for winter! Picked it up by the roots to put it in lawn bag and there was a good size zucchini there, 12-14 inches. I'm looking forward to that summer taste one more time. I cut back the catnip, it had nearly taken over. Midge and Finn were snoozing away in the house, and 3 of the neighborhood strays (some very well-fed, fat strays in this neighborhood lol), came to call. Kind of fun. I threw some catnip cuttings over the fence in driveway for them. I think they are still coming by because every once in a while Midge urgently scratches to come in, and she rushes in and has a very fat tail, which amuses me to no end.  Nowhere for Midge to hide now, the little stinker, now that those packed beds are emptied. Just one to go, the flower bed. It still looks pretty, from a distance at least! Nice to have a little color out there still.

Pretty quiet around here. Bernie isn't too anxious to go for a ride, it has been a dark, dreary stretch here. Weather has been kind of blustery.  Bernie likes sunshine. Supposed to be back up in 70s for the weekend though, I'll get him out then. Had Dad up to the VA clinic last week for a blood draw; this week he'll get his exam. He's doing well, worries about his bowels and milking the cows mostly. And church of course! Bernie cannot miss church. I wish I had his dedication. I got him a new rosary, one with St. Patrick on it, and shamrocks etched on the beads. Dad, like most of the family, likes all things green.

The dementia clock is still a popular item! Bernie loves it. Mom loves it. Money well spent! LOL

Mom's birthday coming up in November (77) and then Dad in December (95), and they both seem to want the thermostat up way too high, so I ordered them some heated throws. If the folks don't like them, I'm sure Midge and Finn will gladly take the hand-me-downs! LOL

I do not like putting away the summer clothes and getting out my long pants and real shoes again! I guess there is no way around it. Midge and Finn love the cooler weather, have been frisky as hell. Too bad I'm such an old fart. LOL I've been fighting the urge to bake cookies, and have been making soup and stew.  That is the part of fall I like!

That's all.

Boring Kay :)