It is extremely quiet around here today. Mom has been gone since yesterday, and I have to say, it is really boring without her.  I mean really boring, more than normal.  I have been busy checking into things that we need though, so that has eaten up a lot of time.  I had a lot of calls to make, so that really took some time.  People have been very helpful through this entire process, it is unbelievable.

I am sad without her though, I worry about her, how is she doing, is she fine, is she talking or just sitting.  If you don't speak to her she won't speak to you.  She doesn't always know to ask something so you have to do the asking.  She was up 3 times last night Tillie said.  She sleeps on one side only and I think she wakes up because her hip hurts her.  I am going to be giving her something for the pain before sleep when she comes home.  I get her back tomorrow morning!  Yeah!  I get Mom back!  I want my Mom!

I got some sleep last night, but when I went to take a nap, my other cousin, Hayley, arrived to pick up her box.  She is just passing through on her way home from vacation.  She said the had a great time, so that is very good.  She got some more craft stuff in the mail.  She is very very very very talented, I don't think she realizes how talented she is.

Well, with all the cleaning out it was bound to happen, one of my formal skirts went to the donation box along with a couple of Mom's good blouses.  I am very sad about this, and yes, upset because had I seen what was going, I would have stopped these things from being in the donation bag.  Now I have to get another formal skirt for the wedding and Mom a formal outfit for the wedding since her formal suit is now gone.  She looked very cute in the outfit too.  They found some money in Mom's room and that is what we are going to use since we can't afford to use our monthly money, these things cost a lot of money, but we need to have the outfits for Elyse's wedding this June.  I am not putting her in a t-shirt, dress pants, and a jacket.  The pants and the jacket would be alright if it wasn't a formal wedding but definitely not a t-shirt.  That is just tacky.  Besides, it is a formal wedding.  I can't wait for it.  It should be a lot of fun.  Mom is looking forward to it too, at least when I remind her about it.  She smiles a lot about Elyse getting married.

Pain is slightly higher today because of the rain.  My left arm, shoulder, and wrist are sore.  It is rather annoying if you ask me.  I have a bigger headache because of the weather too.  Ugh, that is all I can say about that.

It down poured this morning but now it has stopped raining and will hopefully not start up again until after my lessons.

I hope it is sunny where you are and nice and warm too!

Mom is gone for a few days.  It is so boring without her.  I am supposed to enjoy this, but I am not.  I want Mom here with me.  She entertains me, I entertain her, we entertain each other all day long.

I ended Easter Sunday with a tummy ache.  Yup, a tummy ache and a bad one.  Not a happy camper about that let me tell you.  I still am not feeling 100% today on top of being lonely without the Mom person around.  When I am not feeling well she is very sympathetic.  I need some sympathy today, I really don't feel very well.  My head is bad and so are my legs.  I need a new body.  Know what I mean?  I know some of you do know this very well.

This will be short.  I will stop whining now.  It is beautiful out today!  Nice and sunny, wish I was enjoying it!  I hope your day is better than mine!!

I cooked the Cornish hens for dinner and they turned out okay.  I should have taken them out of the freezer on Thursday though because they were still slightly frozen on the inside.  I followed most of the directions, cooked at 350 degrees but because they were frozen, I cooked them for 2 hours instead of the hour and fifteen minutes.  We still had to microwave them for 3 minutes though so I wasn't happy about that.  I cooked the scalloped potatoes in the crock pot for about 2 hours and they were good.  You are supposed to cook them in the oven, but we have only one so how was I supposed to do that?  We didn't have a veggie because we also had really good rolls that we baked after the Cornish hens were done.  It was a nice dinner.  I am a bit bored right now because there isn't anything to do here and I want to take Mom out shopping for new jeans.  Hers are so big on her it is pitiful.  They look terrible too.  Tillie found some money in Mom's room that I am going to use for new shoes for the both of us and new jeans for her.

Tillie is leaving tomorrow morning.  I have to teach early so I will be leaving before they will.  I have to be at the Muglia's by 11 am.  I am glad I have them tomorrow!  I have them once a month and just love them.  They are really nice girls.  The whole family came for cake and ice cream for Mom's birthday yesterday.  It was a really nice party and I am glad so many were able to come to celebrate Mom's birthday.  Who knows what next year will be like and what shape she will be in.

I have come to a conclusion about Mom and long term health care.  I am going to keep her with me as long as possible.  I don't want her in a home unless she absolutely needs it.  I can get people to come in and help with care when we need it, but that is my final decision.  She is going to have to get really bad before I place her in a home.  It is best for us.  She likes being with me and going to lessons, when she can't I will get someone to stay with her for the short time I am away.  As long as the medications are working properly, that is all I need for her.  I have made some other decisions about her too that will be implemented later this week after I get the info I need.

It has been such a busy week in the house, I don't mean necessarily busy for me, but our house was in a tornado because it was being cleaned.  It is so beautiful now.  I talked to my cousin Maia, and asked her if she would come and vacuum once a month for us and I would pay her.  She said sure!  I would rather pay someone I know because I know she could use the money too and it helps us at the same time.  Maia and I will be good friends, I can feel it, not just cousins, but friends too.  I like most of my cousins but I am friends with a few of them too, you know what I mean.

I dread tomorrow night without Mom.  I will leave a light on downstairs again so I can sleep.  I don't particularly like sleeping in the house alone, but I will do it since, well, Mom won't be here she will be with Tillie having a good time.  (I hope anyways!)  Tillie has to go to the library this week and she is taking Mom, Mom loves libraries even if she doesn't read much anymore, she just likes the library.  I think it is because she has such good memories of going with us as kids.

Pain in the legs is kinda bad today, don't really know why.  My arm is sore too.  I dread dressing the next couple of days too because pain is going to be really high because no one will be here to help me and that will be bad.  I am bringing a change of clothes with me on Wednesday so I can have some help from Mom.  It is such a drag to have trouble dressing!

I hope your Easter was wonderful and filled with joy and love and that the Easter bunny left you something nice!  The Easter bunny left us M & M filled eggs (two of them) and a bag of nestle eggs and Mom got a little stuffed bunny!!!!!!

Happy Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am cooking today!!!!!!!!!  Write this down in history!!!

It's Mom's second birthday party!  I know she doesn't really remember the first, but that is okay, I remember it for her.  I have the camera ready and everything for it.  I only forgot pop so Tillie had to go out so she is going to get some.  I am excited about this like I was for the last one.

Mom's room is half done, I'd say more than half, but Tillie says half and she is in charge so she would know!  I am only an innocent bystander in this project.  Our dining room no longer looks like boxes everywhere and stuff all over.  Our table has the spring table cloth on it.  Basically, everything looks wonderful like a whole new house.  hard to believe what we have been living in.  So nice of cousins to come and help!  I really appreciate it because I just couldn't have done what they have done.  Not at all, I just couldn't.  You know what it is like with fibromyalgia and how you can only do things in baby steps.

I almost forgot to put the roast on for dinner!  Fortunately, I remembered and it is cooking now.  I love the pork roast kits you can buy, all the veggies are there and a nice cut of pork.  We are having Cornish hens (I think I have already said that) tomorrow and I am excited to cook them.  With the kitchen as nice as accessible now, I want to do more cooking.  It is a scary thing, Heather wants to cook again!  We have a freezer full of frozen food I have to finish first.  I love my crock pot too!  It is so easy to do.  I just sit at the table and cut up the veggies, then I toss them in the pot add a bit of water and bam! it is done and in a few hours we have our dinner.

I will be by myself for a couple of days.  Tillie wants Mom to go home with her so she is going to go with Tillie.  I will miss Mom, but as it is a Monday and a Tuesday, I will be busy with teaching.  I may even do a craft or two!  I will be at Tillie's early Wednesday for Mom's appointments.  She has a doctor and her bath appointments.  Thursday she is getting her picture taken at Walmart.  Since it will be right after the bath, she will be spiffed up.  I think I am putting her in a pink sweatshirt she  was wearing yesterday.  It is really pretty and she looked very nice in it.  Today she has a green one on.  She now has about 10 hoodies in her collection, we (they) found some when they were working on her room.  She looks very cute in hoodies.  I will post a picture when we get them so you can see what I mean.  I know everyone thinks their Mom is the cutest, but really, I have the cutest little old lady for a Mom.  Really.  I do.  She is the best even if she isn't all there anymore.  What is left of her is wonderful.

Well, off to teaching!  Have a great Easter and wonderful Saturday!!!

Today was a slow day.  Took a nap, got the ice cream, spoons, and plates for the cake and ice cream party.  We pick up the cake tomorrow morning before lessons.  

The living room is empty except for the 2 pianos and furniture.  It looks great.  They did a real nice job.  The only rooms left are finishing Mom's room and the family room.  We took the stereo out, I am going to donate it.  They moved the DVDs to the dining room and put a book shelf in the living room that now has the toys and the pirate ship and soldiers.   The pirate ship is a collectible and only for looking!  No one gets to play with them because they are pewter pieces and pewter breaks easily.

We went out to eat and I think I ate too much.  Oh my!  It was really good though.  We go to this little restaurant up the street from our house.  Tillie treated us.

I will end this now as I don't have much to say.  Looking forward from tomorrow though!  Mom's second party.

Our tornado is almost over in the house.  Most of it is almost clean, I am glad it is almost done.  I can't wait to see the finished product.  The only room in the house that hasn't been touched is mine and it doesn't really need it.  I am missing one of my hoodies though.  It is probably in the bottom of the dirty clothes basket.  I will look after all of this craziness.  Then I will do all my laundry and put it away where it belongs and then I will be able to walk in my room!  What a concept.

Pain is a bit high right now in the legs and head.  I guess it is just the way things are going right now.

Not much going on right now.  More tomorrow.

Mom had her bath today and her hair washed.  She is all spiffed up.  She looks so nice.  Tillie is here and Maia was here earlier.  They are working on the family room because they can't move anything out of the living room without redoing the family room.  It looks like a tornado hit it but when it is over it will look nice.  

Hayley is stopping by tomorrow morning to pick up her order.  Only one of the boxes is in so I don't know when the others will be arriving.

Tillie and Maia have found some strange stuff downstairs.  Old school papers of mine from high school, mom's old papers from college and a couple of things from Andrew.  How funny.  So far they haven't found anything of Richard's.  Who knows what they will find tomorrow.  It is a scary thing going through the house, you never know what you will find!

Mom did well during her bath and her hair wash.  She works well with Teri, her personal care worker.  Next week, Mom is going home with Tillie for a couple of days, I will miss her and am not sure I want her to go.  I like having Mom with me a lot, not all the time, but a lot.  I don't like being all alone at night in the house and 2 nights of it just doesn't sound like too much fun.  I don't mind being alone during the day, but not at night.  I will leave the kitchen and dining room lights on again like I did last time.

I have a personal dilemma that unfortunately, I can't really discuss, although I would love to.  How do you know if you are doing the right thing?  My stomach has been in knots for weeks now over this and I don't know what to do.  I don't know if I am doing the right thing.  I have a few more weeks before I make the final decision, but it is killing me.  I have panic attacks again over this.  I feel like I am not doing right, but I don't really know how to go and fix it.  It is that crazy over here right now.

So far, it has been an alright day despite the tummy knots that I have.  I hope your day is going well and everything!

Tillie and Maia are on their way or at least, should be.  They will be here in about an hour.  That's how long it takes to get her from their house.  

I just paid the car payment.  Woo, it's paid for the month of February, yes, I know, it's March.  We are a bit behind on it.  I hope to catch up before too long.  It's hard to do when you have things that are tight, as some of you know very well.  I have to mail in my health insurance payment tonight along with some other store stuff.  I can't believe I am still dealing with store stuff almost 2 years later.  Hard to believe, but I am.  Speaking of which, I need to pay the sales and use tax payment of the month.  I am on hold.  I don't mind too much because I can write while I wait!  

It is so nice out right now.  The sun is shining and the weather has improved greatly!  Even Mom was a bit warmer in the car, we had the windows part way down.

Not much going on today, we did our usual, Tim Horton's this early afternoon, and then I have 2 students this evening.  I should have both of them today, haven't heard any different.  Next week they are all on vacation so I am not sure who I will have.  I know of 2 who will be gone and hopefully having fun.  It used to be that I cancelled most lessons because most of the kids were gone during Easter vacation.  Now, many kids are home, so I don't cancel, plus, I only have a few to begin with.  Since I am not as busy as I used to be, I need to teach when I can and I love it.

Just paid the payment.  Wow, my bank account is going to hate me!  2 bills in one day!  I am doing much better in keeping up with bills now that the house payment has been lowered.  Thank God for that!  Between us, we are doing alright, tight, but alright.

Mom is having her second birthday party on Saturday.  I can't wait!  It is the friend's party.  We will have about 30 people in our house, and we don't have enough chairs!  Oh well, kids can sit on the floor and others can stand.  I have to remember to buy ice cream and plates and spoons.  We have forks, but we don't need them with ice cream.  I am to pick up the cake at 11 am on Saturday morning.  We will have to do it on time because Aggie will be having her lesson at 12 noon and I don't want to be late.  You know how I feel about being late.

Well, this has been a random post, going here, going there!  I hope your day is going well, mine is so far and we are expecting company!!  yeah!  Cousins!  Also!  My older brother will be coming for a visit soon, he said in a month or two, not sure when, but soon.  I can't wait, I miss the older brother!  I just adore both my brothers!  Simply adore them!

Here is the weekly link to the online magazine at NFA.  hope you enjoy the magazine.  It's the only one just for us out there that I know of.  If you find another, please let me know!!!

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/fma/fibromyalgiaaware_2009winter_v2/ 

Back to work day.  I don't mind, I love teaching.  I had one lesson and I will have three more this afternoon.  Mom is a bit more tired today than usual, probably the excitement of yesterday catching up on her.  I am too, a bit more tired because of yesterday.  Well worth the extra tiredness though.  We had a good time.

Tillie isn't coming today, something is wrong with her car so she is coming tomorrow.  Whatever day works for her works for me.  Our schedule isn't that busy.  Wednesday we will be over her house anyway. 

Not much going on right now, Mom is dozing as usual and I am waiting for a student.  He should be here any minute now. 

It is sunny out and I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures later in the week!  Can't wait for warm weather so we don't need so many layers on Mom.  Spring has sprung!  I love spring and fall best.

I hope you are having a good day.