Tuesday, December 31, 2019

New Year’s Eve 2019

Tomorrow 2020 begins 

A Decade in Focus 

The Future To be Determined

We are Grateful 

Our new life in Virginia is a blessing of the decade.
Still stunned reminiscing about the long journey to get here.
We got out of Vermont in the nick of time,
Before the taxes and other expenses did us in.
We adopted Meela who is an aggressive little cat.
She tough, beautiful, and lovable.
That’s all I have to say for now.
Stay tuned for my new decade of blogging.
I write for You as well as Me,
Travelers through the Universe 
Pausing to share a moment in a Time.
12.31.2019
Meg

We spent yesterday on the porch. It neared 70 degrees f.


Monday, December 30, 2019

Cognitive function


Another great posting by the Mouse 🐁 Doctor πŸ‘¨‍⚕️...



My comment:

Good thinking, Doctor. As an old nurse assessor, I had to assess patients for Vermont Medicaid long term program care eligibility. We often saw the person at their home. Cognitive deficits were the hardest to assess. We sometimes heard from families. The patient wasn’t bathing or uncharacteristically disorganized, left a pot on the stove and forgot things, got lost. Sometimes subtle signs. It was detective work. One man seemed fine. In reality, his candy dish had cat food in it, and he snacked on it. These were mostly Dementia patients. But sometimes a person just couldn’t hold it all together. They were often aware. They often didn’t want us to know or couldn’t put into words they needed help. A teacher was so organized she nearly was denied. It’s sometimes more Focal. For me, the travel, daily grind and heavy decision making exhausted me. Holding it together. Fatigue multiplied the falling apart, the tethered thinking. I think assessment only at clinic visits misses so many signs. Even before home visits, cognitively impaired patients often got up early, covering any signs of falling apart, Pulled it together. Nobody wants to fail any test. Sometimes you can hold it together for a two hour visit. Then they often collapsed after I left, their cognitive reserve spent. This was the hardest type of patient to assess. I really think that a series of computer testing could capture more information. Even a game that required different areas of thinking. Then, over time, you would get more complete information. There are inherent difficulties in trying to measure cognitive function while you’re watching them. They may perform well, then go home and fall apart. If you knew the finer points of their cognitive function, disability qualifications might be easier for the patient and the assessor. I kept a journal of sick days, feelings on those days, how all my energy was spent at my job and nothing left when I got home from work. Fatigue has an impact on cognitive ability as well. It’s all so invisible on the outside.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Adios Imus


Saturday, December 28, 2019

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Looking Forward

Fred got me a most amazing gift for Christmas πŸŽ„ Now I just need to begin writing ✍🏼 in it, my Journal I named The Book of Mary. I’m in Awe πŸ“š



Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas πŸŽπŸŽ„ 2019


Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Christmas Eve

Rerun of an old favorite πŸŽ„πŸŽ


Candy Canes or Just red and White Stripes

Candy Canes?
Search the news for Charlotte Central School Vermont and candy cane like stripes done by a 4th grader and her dad. I did the following piece in time to need an inspiration for our darkest season.
Merry Christmas or holiday of your traditions.

Yes Virginia
By Mary E. Gerdt 2008
On the unfortunate opposition to red and white stripes on Charlotte Central School pillars
Allegedly a symbol of something someone found offensive.
Yes Virginia
There are atheists
And ACLU lawyers
And people who will try to destroy
Your dreams
Yes Virginia
There are those who say they hate you
Or what you believe in
And how is that so different
After all.
Yes Virginia
You can pray for people who don’t believe in what you do
Because
They probably need it
At the end of the day when no one else would pray for them
Yes Virginia
People will say what you do represents religious or other beliefs
And it might make you sad or cry
Do they mean to hurt you?
I don’t know
Yes Virginia
When you do the nice thing
And someone says, “who cares” or “Why” or “You can’t”
Just tell them you are who you are
And they are who they are
And this is a free country so that really works both ways
In fact always.
Yes Virginia
Your youthful optimism and blind love only a fourth grader could muster
Is fragile and might be squished like a bug
Or you may hold on to it if you try very hard and believe twice as hard
That people might change or start to believe
Or at least feel comfortable enough to accept that you have a right believe enough to try to brighten someone’s day
Unsuspecting that behind the pillars stood one man who said Bah Humbug
Who tried to negate your good deed
That brought so many joy and a smile.
Yes Virginia
That is the miracle of the season no matter what you call it, no matter what your beliefs, there is no question that the days get shorter and shorter
until the light returns to shine on us all
Believers and non believers alike.
Yes Virginia
Don’t let that sinking feeling persist in the pit of your stomach
when you thought
You created trouble or
got in trouble for trying to brighten someone’s day.
You are the shining light we all seek
Believe it or not.

2 comments:

  1. feed em lead and let em eat candy canes
    Fred
    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks to my wonderful husband for his as usual warm and straight through the heart comments, always brief, to the point and relevant to life in the Wild (North) West of Monkton.
    ReplyDelete

Monday, December 23, 2019

Christmas with #Meela

Meela, our new cat since July 4th continues to test our devotion and our flexibility. We started to put up our metal tree but Meela started right off to destroy it. 



So Fred went out and got a little tree that we can plant outside when holidays are over. Meela won out. 




Thursday, December 19, 2019

Monday, December 16, 2019

OPINION: Decriminalize Marijuana

I woke up in pain 
.. Again 
meg 


OPINION: Decriminalize Marijuana: The criminalization of marijuana is needlessly punitive and has lasting consequences on the lives of offenders.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

New Rules for Legislators


Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Gadolinium It never seems to go away


Monday, December 9, 2019

#Gadolinium

This subject always on my mind..  

Updates...

Podcast link:


 And more...



Saturday, December 7, 2019

Mom’s Recipes

It is an old Mother’s Day Gift our elementary school class did. You might recognize the mimeograph print 😎

We got some rye flour and going to try to make the bread.

Mom’s scribble on the cover. She was always doing that ❤️ Missing her.






Thursday, December 5, 2019

Gadolinium


Wednesday, December 4, 2019

#Gadolinium What, Me Worry?



 Symptoms as varied as colors in a Rainbow 🌈 

Making me wonder about gadolinium 
Is it contaminated by other toxic metals?
Can it be pure?

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Daily Bread


My blog is my Daily Bread
My Devotion
Feeding my Head
Memories of Moments
Gone
But not Forgotten
They sit here,
Waiting for me to Reminisce.
Our 35th Wedding Anniversary
Seems like such a long time
Where did it all go?
Then a tweet like this one pops up in my Twitter Stream...
And I know it’s just the One.
Like Fred is Just the One
For Me ❤️