Barbara's Creative Projects
Yesterday I spent some time in Huron Natural Area. I love the wildflowers in the meadows, but the woods were so much cooler. (There, however, the mosquitoes thought I made a tasty snack.)
Here are some of the pictures I took; the variety of dragon/damsel flies was amazing. I saw (but didn’t get a picture of) my first Monarch butterfly of the season.
Today is not a good one for Mom.
Initially after moving to the Home Mom was generally sweet and uncomplaining. If she was in pain, that could change, but she was mostly easy to be with.
Today was very different! Today Mom seemed very frightened and very angry. She was not happy to see us children nor the staff at the home.
Cheryl and I have had Sunday lunch with Mom, I think, since Dad died (2002). At first Cheryl and Mom would come to my house after church. We continued the tradition when she moved to the Home, bringing lunch (usually soup) with us. We normally have a pleasant lunch though Mom has contributed less and less to the conversation over the years. There was little pleasant about today.
Today her greeting to me was, “You think you’re funny,” and told me to “Get out!” within 30 seconds of my arrival. Over and over she asked, “What changed overnight?” “Why are you different?” “Why don’t you help me?”
No question was answered except with, “You do know what is wrong,” “You know what I need,” or simply, accusingly, “You know.”
When I or Cheryl told her we loved her, she responded, “No, you don’t. If you did you wouldn’t act this way.”
We were helpless in the face of her confusion, her anger, her fear. No words could reach her. She wanted no touch.
Though we did set the table and eat some lunch her hostility didn’t abate. In the end she told us, “It’s not nice. To put the whole blame on me. It’s not nice!”
Where is she? What is happening in her mind? Why does she suffer like this? Where is God, the God she tried so hard to serve all her adult life? Will this be the end of her life, this anger, this confusion? It’s not nice!!!
And is this what is ahead of me? Will I too, one day, lose my grasp on reality, see the people who love me as against me? Be unable to see the love, the care, the beauty around me?
My beloved son had a birthday – here are some pictures from the celebration.
I was privileged to stay at the Lishman’s cottage at Southampton this past weekend. Though I had a migraine the whole time it was mostly controlled by drugs and I had a good time!
Sister Cheryl and her little companion Maggie joined me Friday night and Saturday. I had to drive to Bloomingdale for church on Sunday as I was leading the service. After lunch I drove back to the cottage and stayed till Tuesday morning. Sister Martha dropped in for awhile on Momday afternoon. She snapped the photo of Billie and me.
I took a lot of pictures! Here are about a third of them
The First Nations of North America called the full moon of June the Strawberry Moon as strawberries ripen at this time of year. This year the full moon fell on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. This is an infrequent occurrence– the last time was 1967 and it will be another 46 years till it happens again.
The weather was unsettled yesterday as a cold front moved in with relief from a heat wave. Moonrise was just after 9:00 pm but it was raining here then. But about an hour later the skies cleared and I got a picture of this special Strawberry Moon.
