Beginning the Caretaker’s Path

  So...yes, I know it’s been a few days since I’ve blogged. It’s been busy around here and I just have not taken the time - although it seems like I’ve been fooling around just reading on Facebook. Robert is taking a “few days off” which means that since he no longer accrues vacation time, no extra money is coming in, and much as I hate to say it, he’s underfoot all the time, in a manner of speaking. I’m in my home office finishing my second cup of coffee...with sweet cream, of course, and I could be busy at something, but I am simply enjoying the silence right now - or was.  Robert slept in this morning, and his first words upon awakening, were “oh, shit...” Always a negative, be it that it’s foggy and cloudy outside (today), or he slept longer than he wanted to, or, or, or...but it’s always a negative beginning in his world.  He needs to have something to do. He wandered into the living room and began yelling at me immediately, because one of the bird feeders had been k...

  0145 on Friday morning and I’m awake, much to my chagrin.  I was in bed by 2300 after a long day.  I know this is more like a whine novel instead of a blog, but I tend to detail things out - mainly for my own self to remember later. Robert was home today. We are in the midst of trying to replace a tree from the derecho, and found out that we needed the old tree actually excavated, instead of just having the stump ground since the new tree needs to go in to the approximate same place as the former one. I called the nursery back, and told the manager that utilities had not been marked yet, nor had the stump been taken care of.  About an hour later, he called back; Robert took the call, and then we began searching for an excavator.  Some seemed to be out of business, messages left with others and none have called back.  Will see what tomorrow brings.  I suggested Robert make the calls since he had talked to the nursery about it.  He did so, grudgin...

The day began with the morning ritual.  Feed animals, pour coffee, take temperature, etc.  The next step would be making the bed, and of yet I have not gotten to that yet. Soon. I was reminded twice to make sure I called Iowa One to get the lines marked so we can proceed with the tree stump removal. Do I mind doing it?  No, since I’ve always done those things around the house and am familiar with them.  Resentful?  Yes, in a way. Why can’t he try to do these things? No matter how much I do, it’s never enough, and it’s exhausting. Anyway, that call has been made. Lines are scheduled to be marked by end of day on Friday, but I suspect they will be finished long before that.  It seems to me that Iowa One used to be the company that did it all...but now it seems that they are just the notification agency to make sure all utilities get notified. Perhaps I’m mistaken. As long as it gets done.... My next call will be to the city.  Double checking that the com...

  There’s not much to tell here, right now. Most evenings are pretty much the same, night after night. We eat supper. Tonight, once again, it was leftovers sure to give both of us heartburn. There was only one leftover in the frig that wouldn’t likely give it...leftover pepper steak.  When it came time to eat supper, I said I wasn’t hungry right then and that R should go ahead and eat, knowing he would then eat the pepper steak with some rice.  Eventually, I finished it as he had left just enough either for me or for a second helping.  It was nice that he did, although I still have heartburn due to the current inflammation I’m carrying. Now, I want to make clear the differences in our eating habits. This is why both of us are overweight. I’m a traditional eater.  I like, at the very least breakfast and dinner.  Lunch is a variable...a sandwich or some fruit. R, on the other hand gets up, is at work by 8. He does not eat breakfast. He does not take a break a...

I am adding a second blog. My other, started years ago gets revisited periodically.  This one will be mainly private unless someone discovers it accidentally.  My goal is to follow myself for a year and a day; also to have a place to talk about what my life feels like to me. Day One means I should tell you where this world is at.  Midwest USA is still in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic - we have been on “lockdown” of sorts since March 17 or so.  I have been locked down for much longer - a fall on the ice in January resulted in a concussion and traumatic brain injury, and recovery from that blended right in to the pandemic lockdown. We have been able to open up into the land of people occasionally. Some have been let into our “bubble”, although infrequently.  That means that we don’t wear a mask (at the current time) around our kids and grandkids, because they are following cautionary measures as well.  However, masks are always nearby if non-family ar...