One Deep Breath-Color

Long before my CD alarm had the opportunity to wake me with something lovely from Chopin or Debussy, the chirping of my cell phone sent me roaring from my warm nest of blankets and puppies. An unusual phone call in the wee hours of the morning always induces panic - especially when one's only child is on the other side of the world. Happily though, this call was nothing more than a bleary eyed teenager in search of someone named Devin. Nonetheless, there would be no more sleep for me. Wrapping my flannel robe securely against the dampness of the winter morning, I pushed the start button on the coffeemaker and pulled open the blinds to greet the day. stark winter white unrelieved by color crimson sun breaks through We are in the midst of winter now, my entire world like a set from a vintage movie. Oddly enough, even the book I'm reading (Paint it Black, by Janet Finch) has a black and white cover. But thanks to that early phone call, I was up in time to see the only spot of color in the sky, a momentary blush as the sun passed through the thick cloud cover on its journey heavenward. Determined to add some brightness to the dreary landscape, I filled two bright red mugs with coffee, laid them on a tray dressed in a colorful napkin, and carried them to the bedroom. statement in stoneware cheerful and warm brightens the morning Sipping my fragrant (black!) coffee, I surveyed the closet with a critical eye. My wardrobe definitely reflects my occupation - a performing musician wears a lot of black and white. Today, I was determined to add some color to my body - a bright turquoise sweater should do the trick nicely. And yes, there are earrings, a watch, and even a tiny turquoise bag to match. reflecting desire color of sky adorns me my landscape brightens So, armed with these touches of color, I'm ready to face the monochrome of my environment, sprinkling a bit of bright excitement into the greyness of the day. I hope your day has its own CoLorFul moments...

The Greatest Thief of All

"Hi, this is Dee from Homestead Health Care, and I'm calling about Chris..." Much like the dreaded call from the principal at your child's school, a call from the attendant care supervisor at my mother- in- laws assisted living facility strikes fear in our hearts. We've been getting several of these calls lately, and they're never good news.

"Chris is not coming to meals on her own, so we need to institute a meal reminder service..."

"Chris has been sick for the past couple of days, and we think she needs to go to the ER..."

and yesterday's call...

"Chris is becoming increasingly aggressive, and is hitting other residents, so you need to contact her physician and discuss sedatives..."

Oh my.

For the past six years, Alzheimer's disease has been stealing my mother-in-laws mental capacity, and with it her ability to drive, handle her finances, and care for her personal needs. Now, all the processes that govern behavior and speech appear to be deserting her as well, for she's acting completely without inhibitions in her relationships with the other residents and aides. She hits them if she thinks they have more food on their plate than she does, she calls them vulgar names when they beat her at Bingo, and yells at them if they don't include her in their conversation.

My mother-in-law has never been an easy person to deal with. A true pessimist, she was never satisfied with anything, and seemed to have no idea how to enjoy any of life's pleasures, small or large. My husband's favorite description of her attitude is that "it's all about me." Although I'm sure she felt affection and warmth for him, she never knew how to show it, in word or deed. Now, she doesn't recognize him as her son, asking "Is that my brother?" or "Are you my husband?" My heart aches for him, watching him take on this responsibility for her welfare, knowing that there will never be an opportunity to improve the relationship between them, and sadly having very few good memories of his own.

I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the people I know who are struggling with this situation - parents, spouses, siblings, lost to this disease. And when I visit "Chestnut Village," the very nice euphemism for the "locked ward" at the assisted living facility, I'm struck by the proliferation of places like this, warehousing for elderly people who have lost their senses and can no longer live in "normal" society. Day in and day out, they sit in the "family room" staring blankly as old movies play on the big screen TV, perhaps moving into the game room to play an occasional round of bingo. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad there are safe, caring alternatives for the multitudes of people suffering from this disease. My mother in law has a nice studio apartment, with her familiar furniture from home. She has three meals a day, someone to do her hair and nails every week, and laundry services. She just doesn't have any mind.

So, where does all this end? Many thousands of dollars later, and after countless hours of care and attention, there is no stopping the steady progress of decline. Alzheimer's continues to rob its victims of their dignity along with their memory and physcial function. To me, that's the greatest loss of all - for everyone concerned.

Sunday Scribblings-Puzzles

My work life has been a bit of a merry-go-round lately and I'm rather puzzled about it. I've been juggling two part-time jobs for three years now, and it's getting more and more difficult to keep the balls in the air. My first conundrum involves whether to give up the part time position as choral accompanist at the high school in favor of working more hours at my office job, where there is an opportunity to take on more reponsbility. However, this in itself brings up another quandry ~ because these new responsibilities would require more time working in the office, while a lot of my current job can be completed from home, giving me the flexibility to travel to Florida on a semi-regular basis. As I ponder this current life puzzle, I realize that weighing the pro's and con's of one situation or another is a bit like looking at a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle scattered on a table. Each aspect of a situation is like a diffently shaped piece, each potential choice we make an opportunity to put the puzzle together correctly~or not.

I love working with the high school students, but the pay is abysmal. Unfortunately, this job totally disproves the theory that "if you do what you love, the money will follow." Nope. Not this time. Of course there have been plenty of other rewards ~but, let's face it, personal and creative satisfaction don't pay the property tax on three houses. My office job is not terribly challenging, and it certainly doesn't get the creative juices flowing. I enjoy the people I work with, and it's a pleasant working environment most of the time. But the salary, while certainly not a fortune, is worlds better than my school job.

So, here I am, trying to fit these pieces into the puzzle that's my life right now, feeling a bit as if I'm forcing a piece with a round edge into a square opening. I'm really wishing that someone will come by and discover that a perfectly fitting piece has actually been hiding in the corner all along!

Poetry Thursday-The Body Knows

The body knows
in love's first flush
where to cling
how to trust
the fiery pull
of limb to limb
the eager search
of groping hands
tracing patterns of delight
along its length and breadth
is all the body knows
~
The heart knows
on love's long road
how to cleve
where to hold
each moment burned
in memory deep
of struggles shared
and joys to keep
reminders as we travel on
join two lives into one
is all the heart can know
~
The spirit knows
in heaven's bower
where to seek
how to power
lovers lost to earth's embrace
toward soul's eternal wedded place
journey in this world unknown
seeking union deeply sewn
completing life's eternal spire
joined body, heart, spirit, one
is all that love can know