Category: Uncategorized
Grandpa’s Guitar
G . . . F . . . E . . . D . . . C . . . E . . . A . . . G. The notes slide down the scale, clear and sharp, except where I flub it.
I’m learning the guitar. If you had asked me four, or maybe even [...]
Grandpa’s Birthday
Today is Grandpa’s birthday. He was born the last day of December 1927. Today he is 81 years old.
Since today is his birthday, I will tell you the story of his actual birthday, 81 years ago.
Grandpa is the sixth of ten children. Grandpa’s brother Doug is about five years older than Grandpa and what I [...]
A Little Sick
Holidays are a balancing act with Grandpa. There is always the ever-present thought that this one may be his last, and so there is the desire to have him where everyone can see and enjoy him as much as possible. You want those happy final memories. But then there is the present reality that Grandpa [...]
How to Clean Carpet
We need to back up a bit for this story. The days of yester-year when I took Grandpa to the bathroom are now mostly behind us. He uses the toilet for maybe 1/3 of his bowel movements, and rarely when he pees. Not only is his limited mobility a problem, but his awareness is also [...]
Tractor Rides
Another trip down memory lane today . . .
While I grew up Grandma and Grandpa lived in the country. They lived on the Pennsylvania-New York border, and to reach their house you had to drive along a road titled—fittingly enough—“State Line Road.” Grandma and Grandpa’s old house was at the end of a dead end [...]
The Indian and The Canoe
Grandpa made things. I am sure growing up during the Great Depression taught him to be frugal, but making things was part of who he was. I think I share some of that with him. I look at things and think, “I wonder what I could make from that.” I face a problem and ponder [...]
Pressure Sores
Last Saturday while I was drying Grandpa off from his shower I discovered two pressure sores on his bottom. They were in mirrored positions on the bottom of his buttocks–clearly the result from sitting in one place too long. It was a depressing discovery.
The sores themselves were not that bad. They were each maybe a [...]
Hanging in There
I got a very kind comment today, which reminded me of my shortcomings. Reader Pam said:
Rundy,
Are you managing to hang in there, dude? I keep you in my prayerful thoughts. It’s been so long since you’ve posted anything that many of of worry about your well-being, as well as Grandpa’s. Those of us who share [...]
The Search
“Mr. Johnson has a severe case of Alzheimers. Not only do we not know where he may be going, or which way, but he doesn’t know either.”
How many times are words like that spoken all over the country? Wandering is a common and constant danger with Alzheimers patients. Sometimes the search has a happy ending, [...]
The Gross Post
Caregiving is not for the faint of heart, or weak of stomach. It is a bit like motherhood in that regard. One gets to become intimately familiar with all the bodily functions and fluids of the one entrusted into your care. Faced with some of the grossest situations in life, there is the option of [...]
