Here we go again

My mother in all her grace managed to break not one, but both of her ankles. She was walking down a small little tiny set of stairs and on the last step she fell off, landed funny and down she went.  Her right ankle was broken in 3 places and her left one had a hairline fracture on one of the bones.

The orders read, "No weight bearing on the left foot for 4 weeks or the right foot for 6 weeks."

Well... shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit...

She has been placed back in the nursing home where she was when she was recovering from her colon surgery.  I had visions of her wasting away in bed for 6 weeks but they have her in physical and occupational therapy for two hours a day.  They are building her strength for everything above her knees so she will be able to support herself on a walker and rebuild the strength she loses in her calves.

I'm really proud of her especially because she is completely focused on her recovery.  She said, "I want to walk out of here."  One, she wants to get the hell out of there.  Two, she wants to walk again.

I visit her at least once daily.  I try to bring her popsicles. We may watch the news. We may just sit and talk.  Sometimes Charles is with me and he will sit and visit with her too.  It makes me happy that he is supportive of her recovery too.

The sad bit about all this is that we had to give up the dogs.  We both love the dogs but the potential for them to cause her to fall again is too high. I gave them to Westie Rescue.  They know what they're doing and will find them a good home.

My heart  breaks when I walk in the door and they aren't there to maul me. It's weird because they drove me crazy.  They ate my couch.  They destroyed every carpet they ever encountered. They cost us thousands of dollars in destroyed apartments, vet bills and grooming expenses but they were worth it. In time I will forget the couch. I will forgive the messes and the bills.

The lessons I've learned include:

• Be satisfied with loving other people's dogs.
• Use the accessibility entrance to the apartment building.
• Self-care is by far the most important skill anyone can ever learn. If you don't take care of yourself you can't care for anyone else.
• Be thankful every day for the support network you've spent your life developing.

I am most thankful that this is not a life or death scenario.  While it is still very painful and inconvenient she'll survive and carry on to raise hell another day.  (Yay Mom!)

Moved!

I'm still living with my Mom. I moved her with me.  We're just in a newer and better apartment.  

The complex isn't as nice but I was never going to use the bocce ball court or the 9 pools or the state of the art gym with all the meat heads.  I did get drunk and get into the hot tub with Charles one night.  But that was once and luckily no one noticed us.  

Besides that? I had bed bugs, my car was vandalized and the management treated us like shit.  When I turned in the keys, because they were holding our deposit hostage, I said nothing though she deserved the full force of my personality. I didn't call her a bitch and I didn't punch her in the face.  Be proud.

The new apartment is SO much nicer.  It's smaller and we'll have to squeeze ourselves in there.  The amenities include, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and wood laminate flooring.  I think the laminate flooring was the main selling point.  I do not want carpet ever again. 

This is why:

Bad & Badder

 Besides the laminate flooring looks a lot nicer.  

I think we'll be happy here. Mom is still sort of reluctant about Charles moving in and Charles is still a little edgy about moving in but it's just because they're intimidated by each other.  He should be a little intimidated of her but he's really laid back and she has nothing to worry about.  

She lived with Ian and he was bossy and aggressive.  He intimated both of us on more than one occasion with his opinions and his temper though he will deny it.  When you're 6'4" and you bellow, no matter how hard you try not to be, you will intimidate your audience.  

Charles is more like a hobbit.  He's shorter with giant, yet surprisingly elegant, feet and a very kind and sweet disposition.  

He says he likes my feisty personality.  He doesn't mind that I'm bossy because he won't mind anyway.

We are opposites in many ways but we balance each other out.  He gets passion, spirit and enthusiasm while I get sweet, gentle and stable.  We are equally intelligent and capable of communicating on the same level.  

My mom is an older version of me.  She is calmer because with age comes wisdom and dismantled give-a-shit.  It is obvious though that I was raised at her knee to learn how to be just like her.  Fortunately Charles is laid back enough to handle both of us with grace and charm and kindness.

This will work out well.

And now for a little bit of cute

This is the cutest picture I've seen in a long time. It makes me happy in spite of what the stupid legislative body is or rather isn't doing. So have a happy on me.