My wild and Crazy Mother!

Jul 14th, 2009

I keep getting email updates from my sibs about my mother and her amazing journey to move into assisted living with my dad.  She’s 89  and he’s 86.  She just orchestrated a two-day garage sale–sold their new king sized bed, the guest bedroom suit, a whole room full of Ethan Alan furniture, cleared out the overstuffed attic (with hired help), bought a 10 year old Cadillac in excellent shape (she and my dad don’t drive!)  She just wants to have it parked outside their assisted living apartment.  And did you catch it that she’s 89!

Reports are that she’s flying high.  My sister wrote, “She is so giddy and footloose.”  This statement means more when you realize that she’s been a committed packrat and paper hound her entire life and wouldn’t let anybody throw anything out–I mean she’ll fiercely defend her stuff.  Clutter has been on ongoing battle between my mom and dad for their 65 year-long marriage.  Mom always won.  They’ve never parked their car in the garage.  It was stacked 10 feet high with boxes.

My sister and I spent 8 days decluttering (10 hour days) and mom said that really jumpstarted her (plus the recent stroke) and she’s on a fantastic roll.  Help is coming to her from every corner.  When that happens, you know it is meant to be.

We had hired a moving company at $125/hr to move them but she somehow came upon an Army crew that will do it for free because they’re both World War II vets.  She says that 60 Army men and woman are going to show up at their house on Wednesday morning 9am (tomorrow!) to move them to assisted living.  But we secretly wonder if it’s really 16 and she didn’t hear it right.  She lost her hearing aids so….. we question it.  She also broke off one of her front teeth recently so to look at her, you might discount her as helpless and hopeless.  Well….you’d have to think again because she’s an amazing powerhouse.

We’ve even spent way too much time worrying about them (meds, the move, decluttering, getting an apartment, moving their utilities, getting them off junk mail lists, etc.)  But we need to stop questioning her because she has managed to single handedly mastermind this amazingly complex move.  She’s so busy with the various crews that she doesn’t have time to talk to me without scheduling it!  I just called her and she sounds fabulous – youthful, energized, happy, and powerful!  And that makes me love her even more.  In fact, tears are just now springing to my eyes I love her so much!  I want them to have a chance to kick back and enjoy the newfound freedom (without the clutter) in their new apartment.  I hope it brings them joy and peace and opportunities to be fully who they are.

I need to get going to my women’s group….and as I wind this story down I’m thinking….Is this story stranger than fiction or what?  My sister wrote “Who is she and what have they done with Freda Miller???”   You’d have to know her to really see what a transformation is occurring.  My mother has been stubborn, resistant, demanding and more….but this stroke really changed her.  I think it made her more powerful, not less.  She’s really in the game.  She’s truly powerful!  She’s totally in command of her life and it’s inspiring.  I wish I was there to see it in person.

My dad has been the powerhouse until now and my mom quietly spaced out in the background reading, watching HGTV, and putting together slide shows of their trips to Israel, Australia …. to name a few.  Now my dad has dementia, has weakened physically….and my mom is reversing her role as the driver of the family.  I guess this is why we do marriages and partnerships.  We need the help when life takes a turn.  Isn’t this just a grand scheme of things!  I’m high too just thinking about the human spirit.  Aren’t we great!

OK I better quit before I have to get a Kleenex.  I think this is why they say honor your parents … because you never know, really, who they are.

Seated Stretching Routine

Jul 14th, 2009

When you get tired and a little stressed, what do you do?  Do you walk to the vending machine?  Or do you get physical?  You can save a lot of stress-related calories if you do something physical.  You don’t have to worry about time because you can pep up or calm down in just a couple of minutes. 

Here are 7 stretches that reduce stiffness and tension . . . and you can do them while seated at home or in your office. 

Drop the Fatitude to Lose Weight

Jul 14th, 2009

You might enjoy this great article about weight loss at SparkPeople.  It’s about changing your thoughts in order to lose weight. 

If you aren’t a member of SparkPeople you may have to register to read this article….or you can just read this one without registering.

Back into Fitness (again!)

Jul 11th, 2009

Sometimes you just need to keep committing to something.  That’s how it was for me and strength training … until I made the one decision that it was important for my health and well-being and that I would commit to doing it – even if I didn’t particularly like it.

After a month off (traveling to NC to help my parents get situated for their move into assisted living), I didn’t have to decide again to do a strength training program – because I had made the one decision.  I just needed to decide when to start back – big difference.

It’s much easier to stick with a fitness program once you’ve made the BIG decision that it’s a life-long commitment for you.  Getting back into it after a long or short break becomes MUCH easier if you don’t have to make the big decision each time you head off to the gym or mountainside or dance studio. 

And now my day is going much better because I feel really good – about myself and about my life.  I have more energy and I’m happier.  If I had made the decision to put off going to the gym, I know my day wouldn’t have taken a turn for the better so sharply. 

Doing what I say I’m going to do is my antidote to negative self-talk.  It gives me a proud feeling, a wee bit virtuous.  Try it!

Comments Please.  Have you experienced this feeling?  Tell us about it at the comment link below.

New Fitness Routine

Jul 1st, 2009

You have probably noticed that I haven’t posted in a while.  I’ve been in North Carolina helping get my parents ready to move nto a nursing home facility.  Sounds strange to even say that! 

My mother just had a stroke and is finally ready to move into independent/assisted living.  We’re all really relieved to have them in a safer environment with more support and care giving.  My dad has dementia and is definitely winding down.  It was good to see them but also difficult.

My mother comes from  a long line of pack rats so it was serious work going through every drawer, cabinet, closet, and bookcase in their home so that it wasn’t obvious that I’d thrown half of the contents out.  My new fitness routine was sitting on the floor sorting and tossing, bending and lifting, and dragging heavy garbage bags of paper out to the car and eventually to the dump.  I was disappointed that their city doesn’t  have recycling for mixed paper. 

Next came the heavy lifting – the garage.  I’m going to need to sleep for a few days before I have the energy to tell the rest of the story……

Until then, stay young….exercise!