Don’t worry. I’m not writing this post from my bathtub. No, I’m well-covered up in comfy clothes (including a wool cardigan), preparing another post of this and that and the other thing. Sigh. Where do I begin?
I sometimes think I should write my blog posts one thought at a time.
A while ago I wrote that I was knitting a lap blanket for my 96-year-old mother and was afraid I wouldn’t finish it before she left for Florida (yeah, she’s one of those snowbirds). You can read about my anxiety here. Well, as things have turned out, she’s still in New York for another six weeks at least.
My mom’s trip got derailed because she got a UTI. She wound up in the hospital only because one of my cousins insisted (and I quote from another cousin) that “it wasn’t normal for her to be in bed at 4:30” in the afternoon. My mom loves her bed, but, hey, there’s a limit.
Turns out my mom had had the UTI for awhile, but because she wasn’t in pain, she didn’t see the need to seek medical help. My mom would argue that her longevity and good health is due to her deliberate effort to avoid doctors. Her argument didn’t pass muster in this case. So she wound up in the hospital feeling lousy and thinking that this might just be “It.” She’s 96, I remind you, and she’s buried most of her siblings and two husbands.
The good news is the UTI got cleared up, her mood perked up, and she’s back in her double-wide, wondering what the fuss was all about. I called her the day after she came home.
Me: Hi, Mom! How are you?
Mom: I’m fine. (Pause). Who am I speaking to?
Me: Marie. Your daughter. (Pause). Remember me?
Mom: Vaguely.
I almost fell off my chair laughing. That’s my mom’s sense of humor. Smart-ass. Wise-ass. Wise-cracker. Whatever you want to call it. She thought I was being a smart-ass for asking if she remembered me, so she gave me one back.
The bad news is she still plans to come down to Florida. No, I’m not happy about that. The only reason why she got this UTI cleared up was because she’s heavily monitored visited by my cousins and my sister in New York.
In Florida, she stays with my other sister … eh, let’s just say my mom wouldn’t have the same network of support in south Florida that she has in New York. I’m about a six-hour drive from where she stays and that’s when traffic is light and the weather is perfect.
But let’s look on the bright side: I have more time to finish the lap blanket. I panicked last week because the instructions called for the border to be knitted separately and then sewn on. Sounds like one of my worst nightmares. Not to fear, though. I figured out I could knit the border while picking up a stitch along the edge, securing the border without sewing. Yay! Life is good! Now I just have to go on a knitting marathon to finish the blanket before the end of the year.
This is the last lap blanket I’ll ever knit. I mean that.
While all this was going on with my mom, I was taking every opportunity to get out and walk and find solace in nature, especially during my work week. In no particular order, here are some scenes from the nature walk that feeds my heart and soul.
By the way, for those of you who might be wondering about my often-talked-about novel … you know, the one I’m supposed to be working on right now for NaNoWriMo … well, I’m still working on it, but in a musing kind of way. You can read about my musing on Medium, in this article: Turning a True Crime Story Into Fiction. I’m sharing the Friend Link so you can read without subscribing.
Thank you for reading. To show my appreciation, here’s a gratuitous photo of Junior. I did not pose the cat pillow nor the cat.
For extra fun, here’s what I think of when I hear “Splish, Splash”:
1 Write Way 
I’m sorry to hear about your mother, Marie. UTI’s in the elderly can be so dangerous. I’m glad she’s doing better. About two months ago, Derek’s mother had one. She ended up having seizures and was convulsing. Like your mother, she didn’t know she had an infection. After three days in the hospital, which she doesn’t remember, she’s been in an assisted living ever since. Love the shot of Junior!
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Oh, Jill, I’m so sorry to hear about Derek’s mom. I suspect if my mom had been left to herself, she would be so much worse off. She’s quite hardheaded and my sisters and I are more likely to defer to her than my cousins are. Which is another reason why I would prefer her to stay in NY since that’s where all my cousins are. You know, she listens to them more than to her own children too. Family dynamics 😉
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Glad to hear that your mother is feeling better. UTIs in the elderly are tough. Good luck on your novel – that’s hard work. I did the nanowrimo a few times, but I did them in July each year, so I was pretty much alone in the process!
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Thanks, Barbara! I’ve been barely present in NaNoWriMo this time … oh, well, I had good intentions 😉
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I’m glad you mom kicked the UTI. Not a fun thing at her age. Junior looks like he is living large.
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Thanks, John! Junior is definitely living the good life 😉
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UTI’s can be wicked for older women. And I def. understand why you wouldn’t want her in Florida. But to the more serious not of your lap blanket… can you not pick up the stitches and knit it as you go? I’d try that, or better still, forget the border! 🙂
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Thanks, Kathy! I seriously thought about skipping the border, but I’m doing as you suggest with picking up stitches at the edge as I go. So far, so good 🙂 I know I won’t be knitting this blanket again 😉
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My mom has been tested for a UTI a couple of times–I didn’t realize they can be so asymptomatic. I’m glad your mom is feeling better now and still so full of energy and wit. Good luck with the writing, musing, knitting–and enjoy those walks!
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Thanks, Merril! I’m needing some luck … again I’ve taken on too much 😉
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Well. . .good luck! 🙂
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Glad your mom is feeling better. I love her sense of humor! Great photos. Hope we will see the blanket when it’s completed.
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Thanks, Cheryl! Yes, I do plan to take pictures of it before I send it off.
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Those UTIs are horrible in older adults. So glad she’s better. She has a great sense of humor. I hope she’ll enjoy that lap blanket!
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Thanks, Linda! I have a feeling she’ll ask why I’m giving her something when she’s trying to get rid of stuff. That’s when I’ll tell her it’s the thought that counts and, since it’s a gift, she can gift it to someone else. I just hope I do finish it before January 🙂
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