Friday, February 10, 2012

No Rhyme or Reason

No Rhyme or Reason
Tonye Phillips calls her liberated log cabin blocks Log Jammin'.  I am made this log cabin quilt for AAQI and thought a lot about the log jam in my mom's brain caused by Alzheimer's.
How can someone who doesn't want to shower or clean decide that a free luncheon is a good thing?! Our church takes the widows out around Valentines Day. She received an invitation in the mail and decided she wanted to go. Here is the person I can hardly get out of the house this winter- I guess she knows a free lunch when it's offered!!  I am taking her to the salon today where they will do an old fashioned wet set- my mom thinks it is a perm and wonders why it only lasts a couple of days.
Lately she has been drinking non dairy creamer with her coffee. It must be 1/4 cup coffee, 3/4 cup creamer. If you'd like to know the ingredients you can check at Labelwatch. Thankfully Darigold has come out with one with 4 simple ingredients.
Living in a small town has its perks. One of our grocery stores takes phone orders and delivers- no charge! It is a service to the elderly and housebound. The deliverers put 2 and 2 together and finally figured out it was my mom they were delivering to.  It is a good thing I have a sense of humor- when it comes to my mom my sense of humor has been harder and harder to find.

Oh wow, what a little rant......sorry. I'll let you know when the quilt gets put up for sale.

PS, there is an AAQI auction going on right now. Go take a look and bid generously!! I've got my eye on one myself!

32 comments:

  1. Keep smiling Lori, you are a wonderful daughter.
    Cheri

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  2. I love those bright colors, brighten my day! The weekend is almost here, maybe a nice long ride in the countryside (and a stop at the nearest quilt store)will help....

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  3. A gorgeous quilt for a great cause. Have you heard about the Liberated Amish Challenge on the Lib-Quilters Yahoo group? It's run by Michele and is now in its 3rd year.

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  4. Sorry - I meant the Liberated AAQI Challenge! Brain is frozen!

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  5. I love the cute wonky blocks. I want to make a quilt soon with my crumbs! My mom passed away about 4 years ago, but oh, do I remember the intense dislike of showers! I sort of smiled for you and cried. My mom was always ready for an outing or social event for sure, but shower. We (the 4 sisters) used to think maybe in Minnesota where our mom grew up in the cold winters, in the old days, a weekly or biweekly shower was good enough,lol! My heart goes out to you with a prayer for your strength and humor while caring for your dear mom.

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  6. What happy blocks and the name is perfect. Just perfect. Thank you for sharing the real life. We all need some of that so we can pull together and lift one another up in prayer and hope and love and all that supports. We all need to be infused with real bright colors, too!!!

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  7. I feel your pain. I lost my Mom to Alzheimer's, and therefore I 'lost' her long before she passed away. My Dad was a saint and cared for her to the very end. Hang in there and know that there are many of us that understand and care about YOU. I bought one of your AAQI quilts in memory of my Mom. Blessings to you!

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  8. My heart is with you, Lori, and so are my prayers. Sounds like you have your Mom full-time now? I didn't realize that. May the Lord make you equal to the task!

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  9. All you can really do is keep your sense of humor. Pre guild meeting dinner last night a group of us were talking about the very subject of our elderly parents not wanting to shower. I know that was never the way my Mom was before the dementia started. My friend said she thought it was because her Mom doesn't know how much time has passed; a week is the same as a day to her. I lost my Mom in December to an accident so I'll not be going through the ending stages of the disease. I still have mixed feelings about that because I miss her but I miss the person she used to be the most. I just try to keep in mind I was very lucky to have her for as long as I did. Keep the faith Lori and I love the little quilt you made for the AAQI.

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  10. Your logjam is great! And holy cow....Darigold milk.....I haven't heard that in 30 years! :o) It's such a hoot to me to hear about brands that are regional, grew up on them, but I've totally forgotten about them. I'm know....I'm such a dork! lol

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  11. Love the quilt - very expressive! Your mum will surely enjoy the outing...

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  12. I think it is wonderful to have grocery delivery service and for free. It helps keep someone independent a while longer. A friend was working for a grocery and drug delivery service in Ohio for a while but there was a charge for the grocery delivery part. And the guy who owned the business was losing money on the grocery part and stopped.

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  13. Wonderful little quilt...sometimes a rant is necessary...no need to apologize! (it is your blog after all!)

    A few years ago I went home to spend Christmas with my Mom. We got her all dressed up and served her tea in the living-room while we waited for guests to arrive. I thought she was doing really well until she asked if tickets were still available for the housetour and offered to buy the painting over the fireplace...she had lived in the house for 45 years and she painted that picture.

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  14. Great quilt for a wonderful cause. They are so swett on the wall too.
    Sending you good thoughts and peace w/your mom.
    Hang in there.

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  15. Love your sweet log jammin! The colors are wonderful and bright.
    I'm sending cyber ((hugs)) to you. I had the same problem yesterday trying to find my sense of humor...and just tried to hide the trouble I felt. It is hard to feel like 'enough' when the challenges are great. Bless you for trying so well to do the right thing for your mom.

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  16. Cute cute cute! And I know how my manic bouts of piecing have gotten me through some really hard family times too. You are loved girl! Keep that sense of humor, Lord knows we need it more and more the older we get...

    When I saw you piecing with brights...I got the same "WOW..that's different!" you got when you saw me sewing with big florals and yellow....different is somethings a good thing to throw ourselves into when we feel a bit out of sorts...I hope the brightness brightens you!

    *hugs*

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  17. The quilt is beautiful. I hope you are able to keep your sense of humor.

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  18. Oh my.. Got a chuckle from you and some of your readers. I remember the dreaded shower too. I use to put my mom in a chair with rollers and roll her down the hall to the shower. Then carefully place her in a plastic patio chair in the shower and suds her up. What an ordeal, as she screamed the whole time that I was trying to kill her. Once bathed and dry and smelling good, we were okay. Still miss her with all my heart.

    Terry

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  19. Love the Log Jam, I think that you've made a good analogy. Seeing the list of ingred reinforces why I don't ever use that stuff, but I'll check out the Darigold one for my dad. Off to the aaqi site to check out the offerings.

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  20. What a great little quilt! If you need to rant go right ahead! I will listen and pray :0)

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  21. Takes me back to times with my mom, who died of Alzheimer's on Labor Day of 1996. The shower thing seems to be a huge commonality. It is SO stressful. It took me a long time to learn that there was no way I could bring her into MY reality; everything was much easier if I tried to enter HER reality.

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  22. Love the analogy of the log jam. My mom's there too right down to the lack of showers. Hang in there, rant away and remember you are not alone.
    I make quilts for ADCS, Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at the
    University of California San Diego. A quilt is given to each Alzheimer participant in the study.
    Thanks for all you do! Hugs, Jo

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  23. Lori love the bright Log Jam. I do know that my Mom wasn't a big fan of the shower once the dementia really got hold. But I have to tell you, after doing Home Health Care for many years, it is not a problem with just those with dementia. Last year my Mom started taking cream and sugar in her coffee. She drank it black her whole life. Not sure who made the comment, but it is true that we have to live in their reality. And laugh, it helps.
    Lots of hugs. Rant anytime.

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  24. Your colourful little wonky quilt is just delightful!!! Sorry to hear about your Mum, I hope she enjoys her outing!

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  25. my heart goes out to you during this time. i cannot imagine how difficult your days must be sometimes. i pray for strength and that you keep your sense of humor in days ahead

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  26. A great smile enhancer....that little quilt.

    I haven't been in your position, personally, with care giving and want to applaud you for what you are doing. It's a true act of love.

    My MIL is in early Alzheimers and it is sad to see the changes she has already gone through. Her doctor recommended the family read a book, "The 36-hour Day" which has answered a lot of questions for me about her behavior. I am sure I am still in for a lot of surprises along the way.

    Judy

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  27. Perfect donation quilt and name!

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  28. Hope there is a cure soon - hang in there, Lori. Big hug to you! The quilt is great!

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  29. What a great quilt (outside your box for sure!) and I love the name. You know my motto with Alzheimer's...laugh or cry. Sometimes you have to do both! Hugs to you!

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  30. Great quilt - sure to be much desired in the coming auction.
    I love the idea of groceries for delivery - especially from a small town store. I can smell the oiled floors and produce of the store I grew up with. Great memories *s*

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  31. was out of town so totally missed the auctioin. hope you nabbed whatever you 'had your eye on'~!

    your little quilt is wonderfully bright and fun. will be watching to see when it will be for sale.

    sending a warm hug to you.

    :-)
    libbyQ

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