Second chance sunflowers and puppies

Remember I missed the chance on the field of sunflowers recently? just to show there are second chances, my own in the container on the patio came out, and take their bow here.




So today is another day, and I will probably go for housekeeping help, and regular companion hours for HP, and I'll do his physical care. I ran this idea past his nurse this morning, her last Medicare enabled visit, and she, knowing him and me, thought it was a heck of a good idea.

As she pointed out, aside from the emotional stress of dealing with agencies and having strangers in and out and having to train every single new one and being unable to leave them alone to operate the Hoyer, it would actually be easier to do it myself, now that I know what I'm doing with HP's nursing care.

And if the house were taken care of and the considerable laundry HP generates, the physical toll would be a lot less than now that I'm doing all of it anyway. She also suggested putting around word of mouth for a nice person to stop in and stay with HP regularly, as a paid position someone either known to me or to a friend, no nursing required, just sitting there with him while I get out for a couple of hours, in case anything happens that I'm needed for. Someone who could bring her knitting, or graduate student homework, that kind of person. So I've started on putting the word around, at the library, great center for passing on news and needs!

And in September I'll call the Theological Seminary to see if I can interest one of their mature (they really are mature, often middle aged, people with their own parishes, finishing up advanced degrees here) students into doing this for a few bucks, opportunity to sit and do their papers and reading.

After the floor is finished, which will be midweek, I'll get onto the cleaning service, and follow up on one I was talking to before HP's health collapsed. Get prices, schedules, etc.

So I'm still on the books of two agencies but not as frantic to have them get in touch now that I have other thoughts. HP's nurse liked my idea so much that she plans to recommend it to other patient families in similar situations!

So now that I have some plans to look at, things don't look as black, more a kind of slate grey.

Shortly after she left the house Missy, the neighboring eleven week old Bernese Mountain Dog, or Mountain Puppy, wambled by with her owner, and was very excited when I went out to get pix to show HP. She has already learned not to jump on me, and is doing sit pretty well, at least for very brief periods! she was too happy to see me to get focused on posing, but she did her best.



Miss thinking about sitting.



Missy sitting.



Missy tired of sitting.

Cheered me up a whole lot.