Traveling in the Fog

Mother Connie is very blessed to have special guys in her life.  The fellow above is Michael Birdsong.  Another, Andy Baum, is pictured below:

These two dear characters live together in an Extended Family Home, where they are cared for with love and concern by a precious family who could easily be poster children for "How to Be the Ideal Family." Twice yearly we gather with their Teams of caretakers, Work Site leaders and each of their Service Coordinators to evaluate their activities, program progress, and quality of life.  This past week their semi-annual planning meetings made for our travel destination.

The trip began early in the morning.  The sun was almost up as we began our trek; we could see that the fog hovered above the crops in ribbons of white froth.  It put me in mind of wedding finery with a veil that trailed after the bride! The aroma of fall was in the air; the leaves were changing colors and we marveled at the progress of the corn and soybean crops.  We sipped our coffee and chatted as we traveled, thoroughly enjoying one another's company.

First up: Andy Baum's meeting.  His new Service Coordinator had arrived before we did and we were pleased to meet her for the first time.  It was clear from the outset that Joan already enjoyed having Andy on her case load.

Much of his meeting consisted of the Caretakers sharing a very long list of Andy's activities.  We all giggled as mention was made of his being photographed with the drummer from STYX; we were delighted to see that Andy sported new glasses, a new watch and guy jewelry around his neck and on the watchless wrist!  *This is a very new wrinkle for Andy Baum!

Andy kept close track of the time and when the hour was up, he announced that he was finished and he would ride the van to his house.  This was vintage Andy.  He likes his routine.  (Don't we ALL?)

When it was time for Michael Birdsong's meeting he appeared wearing his new blue shirt, smiling widely and looking very stylish.  Each of the boys has a personal shopper--another of the many perks of living with Al and Deb--and they have become more concerned with their appearance.

There was a long list of Michael's activities, too.  These guys do not have the same interests and their networks of people are varied.  Their desires and dreams are regarded with serious consideration.  It was fun to learn about the dancing partner, the birthday parties, the people whose lives were touched by this man.  His biggest thrill was getting to deliver a drink sack to the recipient's door when Meals on Wheels was on the agenda. 

Michael Birdsong will celebrate another birthday next month.  Since we won't get to see him on the actual date, we toted a few goodies for him.  To honor his Cheyenne Indian heritage, we found some tipi and canoe kits; a headdress, and a paper file for some of the greeting cards he loves to send to his pals.

Every one of Michael's birthdays has been a miracle.  When he arrived in this world, they were sure he would not survive the first night.  I have been told that his doctors met the evening he was born to ascertain how to proceed.  The opening in his spine was carefully closed and they declared that if he lived to age 2, it would be another miracle.  Before that second birthday he received a shunt to accommodate spinal fluid and they were absolutely convinced he would not see his 13th birthday.  Well, Michael Birdsong had things to do and people to meet and he has reached the ripe old age of 48. 

Michael and I spar every year over his age.  I INSIST he should be 18 because I am "33"...I always argue that it doesn't look good for a woman my age to have a son his age.  But I do concede that he is adopted...It gives us a good laugh and reassures him that he has a family or two who really, really care about him.

I find it interesting that this mother should be so invested in two guys when she was not in the delivery room with either of them.  Ya.  That's how love works; it just spills all over people.

Connie Baum

Tea Parties Because Mother Connie Sez

The little hand painted tea set shown here attended a great many tea parties...

When Mother Connie was a very tiny child tea parties were a staple.  Mommy provided the perfect setting and tasty treats for two as we celebrated life around the tea table.

This tradition continued over many decades...While Mommy made her home with The Normanator and me we had impromptu tea parties.  Sometimes we'd invite imaginary guests; we had ladies from church; we even had a Teddy Bear Extravaganza, where stuffed animals were "served" with us.  When Mommy's age and health brought her to a nursing facility that only reinforced the tea partying.

Arrangements were made for use of the facility's formal dining room.  Special guests were our #1 daughter and any guests Mommy cared to invite.  The time that worked best for the visiting daughter was evening, so it was decided this tea party would be a "Come In Your Jammies" affair.  Those nursing home folks are tucked in around 7:30 in some places, after all!

We arrived, picnic basket in tow:  there was a thermos of  hot tea, Mommy's own sugar bowl and creamer, her silver utensils, and pieces of her good china.  Also included were napkins and tablecloth from her linen drawer. Of course, the centerpiece was her very own teapot.   Mommy ooohed and aaahed as the treasures were lifted from the basket and arranged on the dining table.  Her guest, also her roommate, was wide eyed.  She declared she had never seen such beautiful things.

The memory of what we served escapes me after all these years.  I do remember the sense of wonder that filled that dining room with three generations of ladies and the guest who felt so honored that she could be a part of this event.  Just thinking back, it makes me smile.

We had our jammies on, as mentioned earlier.  And our robes.  As the party was going on Mommy asked if I'd bring something from her room.  I traipsed down the hall toward Mommy's room and heard someone call out, "Harriet?  Mrs. Pieper?  Do you want your pills now?"  Because of our matching nightwear a nurse had mistaken me for my mother! 

You may have heard all of us laughing when I related this case of false identity to the party goers!    

This party went so swimmingly that we re-booked the room for a follow up affair.  This time we'd have afternoon tea, replete with all the accoutrements of the pajama tea party but we'd meet in the formal dining room after everyone's nap time.  AND WE WOULD WEAR HATS.

This was the event that was attended by residents of the home and I invited some of my peeps.  We all looked pretty snazzy in our hats, sipping tea from  those 1950s  era china teacups.  

I asked Elsie if she were enjoying herself.  Elsie was the room mate who was so wide eyed at the first party.  Elsie straightened up on her dining room chair and her wide brimmed hat shifted as she spoke.  "OH, YES.  I've never been in a room this fancy before!"  

As we enjoyed our spread, we couldn't help noticing that other residents and staff made a great many trips by our dining room...they just "happened" to peek in as they passed.  We also noticed they were grinning at what they saw. 

Do YOU have a tea party story to share?  Mother Connie would love to hear about it...that's what the comment box is all about!

~Connie Baum 
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AH-hh...Foot Massage!

Oh, wouldn't this feel wonderful right now?

A foot reflexology session would feel heavenly today.  Foot reflexology was the first thing I learned before committing to doing Massage Therapy back in the day.  Now my #1 daughter is proficient and certified in the art of it but she lives half a continent away...

I have learned to use a bar of soap as I relax in a tub of hot water to work the same points and gain comfort from that.  My shiny  make that RADIANT--friend, Wendi, even gave me a lovely sugared oil to smear on my feet and that is divine but sometimes a person just needs someone else to pamper them and fuss over them.

That was one of the greatest sources of satisfaction when I spent my days in the massage room.  To offer soothing comfort and pain relief for sore, achy, injured and aging bodies was immensely gratifying to me.

Now that I have evolved into this stage of my life I look for other ways to get that sort of "high" from life.  One of my pursuits is to enjoy Tuesday morning breakfasts where the Seniors gather each week.  There is a good bit of camaraderie there and some great friendships are blooming around the breakfast table.  Not only that--the food is as good as the freely flowing coffee and the price is right:  $1.25 for the meal and $.25 to tip the cook!

Other mood elevators for me include Book Lovers Club and the new book club at the Assisted Living Facility.  Those sweet ladies in both groups have taught me so many things about books, life, hobbies, friendships, and food that sometimes I must pinch myself to be sure it's not just a dream!

Bloggers from all around the globe delight my heart, too.  I feel connected to men and women who share my varied interests from nearly every state in the union and in countries I have never visited!  Facebook connects us, as it connects me with friends and acquaintances from locations where I've lived or other personal history.  When I see status updates from people I went to school with or family members who live afar, I feel the warmth of a connection, even if it is virtual!

Toastmasters, International has a special place in my heart;  even though I am no longer attending meetings, I continue to nurture connections with those who are active and participating in club life somewhere.

Still, there is no good substitute for a good foot reflexology session!  

Do YOU yearn for a foot or body massage, too?  If so,  you know exactly what this is all about!  Here's hoping someone in your life is there to pamper YOU. 

~Connie Baum  

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Mother Connie Sez, "Are You Being Served?"

There is a Britcom by the name, "Are You Being Served?"--this is not that.

Mother Connie has been AWOL for far too long.  First it was this, then  it was that, which kept her away.  At times there was nothing to rant or rave about.  Sometimes she was too busy or too far under par or-she hates to admit this-SHE WAS LAZY.

She and The Normanator  had a long, loud discussion about what would happen on Martin Luther King Day.  Mother Connie INSISTED there would be no mail and no banking.  The Normanator was adamant that life would go on as if it were any other Monday.

She won a cooky over that, just as soon as we saw the sign on the bank, announcing that they'd be CLOSED on Monday, January 21.

Now, what the bank employees do on their time off is none of my business.  But I need to consider what I'll be doing.  It is suggested by the Powers That Be (Who ARE those powers,  anyway?) that people use that day for service to others.

Hm...there are so many ways to be of service it's dizzying:

Might I volunteer at the Action Center and help prepare food for the Seniors?

Should I go to the nursing home and help with recreation?  **Nope.  They are under quarantine because of illness there. 

How about calling some of my elderly acquaintances and ask if they need help with their cleaning? 

What if I offered to bring a meal to one of my older peeps OR invited them to eat with us? 

Do they need help at school? 

Does my shiny friend need help with her children? 

Maybe one of my elderly pals needs help trimming their nails?  .

Might  the Librarian need help? ** Well, she might, but the Library will be closed that day; she'll probably be sleeping in and shopping!

Here's the thing:  If you know of some way Mother Connie can be of service on Monday, January 21, 2013, just put a comment in the comment box and she will seriously consider your idea.

By the way, what are YOUR plans for service on that day? We'd love to hear your plans; just put them into the comment box.  THANK YOU.

Connie Baum
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Stephanie's First Communion

Lovely as this dress is, it does not match the beauty of Stephanie's...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The excitement was building. On SATURDAY this is how it went:

I had  been making every effort to catch up to the little neighbor girls when their folks were home ALL WEEK...finally Norm saw they were all home so I got dressed - I had already gone to BED! - and traipsed over with Stephanie's little gift. She was on the sidewalk with her PINK roller blades.  She stumbled around getting up to the front door, where Latina Mama Cruz met me/us...The family insisted I sit at once...Stephanie was so engrossed in her roller blades that she did not appear to notice the pink package I had for her.  The WHOLE FAMILY gathered and I asked if it was OK for her to have her gift now; I did not want to interrupt their dinner. Her eyes just popped when I read for her the note on the Pocket Cross,  the candy, and the First Communion Greeting Card. 

Then Daddy told Diana to invite us to THE DINNER tomorrow.  I accepted,  of course.  Then I asked if I could see the First Communion DRESS!  Oh MY, out they trotted--the "bridal" dress, the shoes-HIGH HEELS, NO LESS!-the earrings, the veil, and all the pretties for all the family.  EVEN GOODIES for THE BABY,  WHO IS NOW WALKING, even though his first birthday is months away.

Next thing I knew, Daddy disappeared into the kitchen.  I presumed he was cooking.  No.  He brought out a GINORMOUS sack of organic chicken, skinned and boned!   He told me how to prepare it using mustard.  AND there was a package of sweet chicken sausage, also organic!  Now as if THAT were not enough, he INSISTED I take a $20.00 bill for "all you have done for my children"...I just sat there and wept.

This dear, dear family is moving to another house and the girls BEGGED us to take them to school from the new address.  I told them that if we did that, we would just bring all 3 kids to our house and they could sleep in the extra bedroom.  They just laughed.  Especially when I added that "then when your folks get home from  work, we will kidnap THEM,TOO!" 

Well,  tomorrow should be interesting.  Authentic Mexican food, photo shoots, a can of beer and three generations of a family who has invaded my heart!  WOW.  How could it get any better than THIS?

SUNDAY...

We had been told there would be a phone call when the food was ready.  They thought it would be 1 PM.  Good, because that gave us time for a much needed nap prior to the festivities.

At 2 PM the phone rang.  There were fresh instructions about where to go for the party, which had been moved for reasons not mentioned.  We grinned,  grabbed the cameras and off we went. We were told to watch for the crowd on 3rd Street and to listen for the Mexican music.  It would have been hard to miss.

We were welcomed with hugs and kisses and seated at the dining table.  A HUGE, overflowing plate of beef, beans, rice and salsa was presented to each of us, along with an adult beverage.  Oh, but that food was delicious!

There were two little girls with white dresses, high heeled shoes, and veils.  They showed us the gift they had received at church that morning and told us about the cake and cookies at the reception.  They were giddy with excitement.  

We made every effort to take proper photos but the camera was as cranky as a couple of the babies who needed naps.  We deeply regret that those photos are NOT available.  

The next door neighbors of our host family also came to share a meal.  These were Gringos so we could communicate but my Spanish is pathetic.  I think there was communication but not in words...it was more like the language of love.

We ate til we nearly burst and then made the rounds of the room with hugs.  The Grandma, who is visiting from Chihuahua, Mexico, kissed both my cheeks and squeezed me til I squeaked.  I think she is happy to know that her daughter and family have good friends.  I squeezed her back because I love her so.

As we walked to our car, someone called out to us.  Mario was hurrying our way with a GINORMOUS platter of food for us to take home.

The love, the generosity, the fun we enjoy by living next door to this dear and precious family feels wonderful.  I would wish this for anyone anywhere. 

Now we eagerly await the summer birthday parties for these three youngsters!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly