NY CHILDHOOD

My sister, Esther, told me I didn’t write anything about my own early years.

To write about the real early years is not easy. I am going to try, gentle reader so be patient with me.

I was born & raised in Columbia City Indiana so There was 8 children (four boys & four girls. I was the 4^th one born. . I know now we were poor but I never knew this when I was a child. No one ever told me I was poor so I figured we were like everyone else. OH!! The innocence of kids. I remember how we all liked raw potatoes and we were always barefooted. To this day I don’t like shoes. When my brother, Jerry, was in second grade the teacher asked him where his shoes were and he told her it wasn’t his turn to wear them!! If we got a hole in the bottom of the shoes we put a piece of cardboard in and it worked for a while.

I never had new clothes because I could wear my sisters so it worked out w

My father was a Plummer and he was never home. He was always working but he was always home

for supper. I guess it was hard back than to care for a large family.

I was happy and had a lot of kids in the neighborhood.

My brother Paul was killed in an accident when he was 7. It was a terrible accident. WE had been playing in the house when we got company. Pau Ted & I ran out the back door in a race for the roof. WE could climb on top of the oil barrel and than get on the garage roof. Than when someone came out the door we could jump on then. We had done this before and it was fun. This time Paul was the first one on the top of the barrel when it fell. It threw Paul backwards and he hit his head on a brick. He died about ten minutes later. They never found a reason for the barrel falling and it was ruled an accident.

Death takes it toll on the family. The neighbors were all great and took is under their wings. They kept us busy with games and so much food. They even took us to church with them!!!

When I was about 9 I would go to my grandfathers house after school. I would walk to the Farmers Grain & Feed store and hitch hike!!! I never gave it a second thought, gentle reader. Try something like that today!!!! Everyone one knew my grandfather and they gave me a ride to the end of the lane.

I just loved going there.

More on this next time, gentle reader.

Until than call someone you haven’t called in a long time and say hello!!!!

Love Red

ONE MORE DAY

HI GENTLE READER , I am trying to stay on the happy side. I have two new jobs and things are sure looking better.t I must say a big Thank You to Kim,my niece, in NYC.Kim writes a blog also (the yummymummy.com) It is a fabulous blog and she also writes books. Kim's husband,David, does Broadway Shows and they have two great children!!! I don't know how she finds time to help ,e but when you talk to her you feel better no matter what is wrong. I got a call today for a job. I had applied for the job about two months ago but was turned down. The reason was a younger person got the job. When she called & told me the other person got the job I was devasted . I just thanked her for calling and told her if she ever needed someone to call me. Well it worked out. Today when she called me for the job she explained the other lady had three children and really needed the money. Now the other lady got a job with more hours so the job was open!! I understood how she felt and was just happy she called me. This job is only three hours a day but my other job is all weekend so it works out fine. I look back on the last few months and wonder how I let myself get so depressed!!! I know better and I sure know the symptoms but I just ignored them all. I will keep posting dear reader and hope you don't get to bored. Until the next time------SMILE LOVE RED		draft		7/12/11	by caretakerforelderly	Delete
	Edit	View	The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

Hello again gentle reader. I hope a few people are still around to read this blog. I was talking to my astrologer & friend, Tiny Shuster, and she said to start writing on my blog again. I am taking her advice and trying.

I have become extremely depressed over my life. I have not worked for two months and am lost. I have devoted my life to the elderly and really enjoyed what I done. I like to think I made a few people happy in my home. I always put the people first no matter what the situation was. I never refused anyone a place weather they had the money or not.
In order to understand this I must tell you the whole story. When my only daughter was 18 she was in an accident with her car. She was hit head on late at night. I received a call from the hospital about 12:30 am to come to the hospital as soon as possible. I had one elderly lady living in our home at the time. She had only been with us for about two months. I called a friend who came to stay while we were gone. It seemed like everything was in slow motion. I swear it was hours before we arrived at the hospital. We went through the door of the Emergency Room a friend was standing there. It was Joe Hickey from Corinth and he said , "ask for Dr. LaPointe, Ruth, he is the best!!!" We were shown into my daughter's room. The first thing she said was "Dad, I was not drinking. All I had was a coke!!" I asked her what happened and she said she didn't know. The aide came in and she took Beth to the x-ray room. My hisband & I went out in the hallway to wait. Deputy Sheriff Larry Cleveland was waiting for us. He explained he was the investigating officer on the accident. I asked if anyone was in the car with my daughter and he said no. There was no one in either car, just the driver. I asked how bad the other person was and he replied very softly," He just died!!!!" All I could think of was Thank God my daughter didn't die!!! It just seemed to echo in the room. As soon as she came back they wanted to take a blood test for alcohol. Beth was worried and kept telling he Dad " it was one coke!!!" He told her not to worry she was fine. I just stood there in shock but telling her I loved her.

The Dr. said she should be ok because it just a broken wrist & finger and she had hurt her knee. I was so relieved and we headed home because I had to do breakfast for my lady. About 9:00am the hospital called and said we needed to come as soon as possible; it was urgent. We arrived at the Intensive Care Unit to find Beth (my daughter) drugged. Dr. LaPointe took us in a small room and explained what happened. He said the steering wheel had glanced over her chest and the aorta vessel was going to rupture. He explained there was not any time to lose. She could not be flown to Albany Medical because the jolt of the elevator could kill her. The Glens Falls hospital had never done this type of operating and had anyone live. We really did not have a choice so I asked when they were going to start. He said "When your ready". I went down the hallway to her room and took her hand. I told her I loved her and she had to go upstairs for a while but she better remember I was waiting for her. Her Dad talked a little and we went to the waiting room. I went to the Ladies Room and went inside. I started crying and got on my knees. I promised God if he would give me back my daughter I would devote my life to the elderly.

The operation took almost 6 hours but I got my daughter back. When the Doctor was operating the aorta vessel ruptured and they had to shut the blood off the lower part of her body for about 45 minutes. . She would be in a wheelchair but that was ok. I had only asked for her back.. I truly meant what I said and I spent mu years taking in the elderly. I never refused anyone because God didn't ask me for money. It always worked out one way or another. I never worried about getting by because everything just seemed to work out.
I will stop now and do tomorrow dear reader.
Love Red

LOVING LIFE

What a beautiful day today. I am at work and the sun is shining and snow melting!!! It makes you feel good just to think spring is on the way.
The couple I take care of are in their nineties and it is a pleasure to be allowed to care for them.
She has Parkinson’s and unable to walk any more. He has heart problems and uses a walker. His mind is excellent but hers is not too good. When she smiles, gentle reader, it is a great thing to see.
This is the type of job you really learn to appreciate what you have. To see people married for over 60 years and still totally devoted to each other. She might have dementia but she knows her family and always knows her husband.
I was feeling sorry for myself, dear reader, because of my eyesight and than I see these folks and forget my problems.
I need to count my blessings more often. It is very easy to sink into depression and be angry but it does not help.
When I see the sun shingg it reminds me of Ed. He had come to live with us when he was about 70.His vision was getting bad and he needed a lot of help. He was having a hard time getting used to the idea he couldn’t drive any more. A friend had brought his car to him and I was upset with this. I told him I didn’t allow cars here but he refused to move it. Than I told him he would have to pay storage fees for this. That got his attention. I contacted his friend and told him to come and get it. Ed had thought with the car here he could just go sit in it sometimes. I know how he felt but than he thought he could just drive around town. I felt like I spent most of my time trying to make Ed feel better.
When I explained how easy it would be to hit someone he just argued. I finally told him his friend had 24 hours to move the car or I would have it towed. His friend came and got the car and I called Dr. Pitkin to come and see ED.
Dr. Pitkin came and he prescribed an antdepressaant for him.It took about two weeks for this to work but after that Ed was fine. He started coming out of his room and talking to the other people. That really helped immensely. I don’t believe in taking a lot of medicine but sometimes, gentle reader, it is necessary. I even felt like I needed something by than!!!
I quit smoking 5 years ago and you know, gentle reader, I still find myself reaching for a cigarette sometimes. When I do I pick up the phone and call a friend. The same is true of depression so I pick the phone up again. Thank God I have great friends who put up with me.
Until the next time ,please call a friend and thank them for being your friend.
Love, Red

BEAUTY TREATMENT

It was certainly a beautiful day out. The weatherman said it would be very warm and sunny. The temperature was already 80 and we had the windows open.There was air conditioning but we only used it if it got humid or 90.
This was the day Betty came to do hair. Everyone got their hair washed and cut if they wanted. It always made the folks happy to see her. Betty was a very compassionate person. She never hurried and wanted everyone happy with their hair. Sometimes it got very interesting because most of the folks could not bend over the sink. To make up for this Betty put a plastic cape over their clothes and the water would run into a large container. His seemed fine but we always had one person who would be soaked and deceide they had to go pee. It never failed but we managed.
Betty had been there about two hours when we heard the emergency whistle blow. I didn’t think much of it because all my people were ok. Then the whistle blew again. All of a sudden Betty came rushing downstairs and said, “I have to go because I am sure it is my house”. She was out the door and gone in less than a minute. I could not imagine what was wrong and I got a terrible feeling. Kate, she had worked for me for a long time, helped me finish everyone. I was so glad to have her there working that day. Kate was the type who could walk in and pick up anything that was going on. I always called her my right hand.
We found out later it was Betty’s husband who had died in the fire. It was very devastating to all of us. The folks were upset and it took a few weeks to get recovered.
You always had to be ready for any unexpected things. It could be funny or sad but the main thing was to be ready with some kind of an answer. I think this is where the term “wing it” came it.
If I had one of the people ask me when they were going home I always said, “Tomorrow you can go.” I used this line more than any other.
I will leave you, gentle reader, with one thought: how many goals have you reached in your life? Do you remember how worried you were over something a year ago? Did it really matter? Think how much time and energy yiou spend on little things and put them behind you. You will feel better and I think you will probably smile more.
Love, Red

GOING DOWN ANYONE?

New Years Day has arrived and I am making a New Year’s resolution. Ready?? I am going to write more blogs. I have a new laptop computer to work with and I am not going to be defeated by my eye sight. I have macular degeneration and my left eye is not doing so good. I will try my best to still do blogs but you, my gentle reader, must bear with me if I make errors.
In my last blog I had mentioned Bill. He was a very belligerent 63 year old man. He had several medical problems and was unable to stay home alone. He had no family so he was all alone. No matter what the subject was he always said what he thought and insisted his version was the only one that mattered. It was so bad the other folks would ignore him. I tried to keep the peace but it was very trying. Bill got so he stayed in his room most of the time just lying in bed. I tried to get him to read but no luck. He had a chip on his shoulder and nothing moved him. He started wanting his meals served in his room and I said no. I allowed him breakfast but told him he needed to come to the table for meals. The language he used was horrible so I just left his room. He came for the evening meal and I breathed a sigh of relief. I should have known it would not last. The next day after breakfast he informed me he would take all meals in his room!! I repeated what I had said. II tried reasoning with him but nothing seemed to get through. I always reminded myself to remember these people were ill and I should be very patient no matter what they said.
The next day started out ok with Bill even coming to the table for breakfast. When it came time for lunch it was a different story. I went to his room and he said he wanted luch served in his room. I refused and we were at a stalemate. I waited until 100 and told him lunch was over and if he wanted a sandwich to come to the kitchen anytime. He replied with a few choice words and I left. He never came out of his room all afternoon. I called him at 4:45 for dinner and he informed me he was eating in his room I told him if he refused to come to the table I would call thee Dr. I than went back to the kitchen. It was not five minutes later when Carl hollered”Hey!!! Someone just jumped out the upstairs window”!! It took a few seconds for that to sink in and then I realized it was Bill. He had opened his window and jumped! I rushed outside and there he was on the blacktop driveway screaming. I called the Emergency Squad and they came and rushed him to the hospital. the end result was he had broken his ankle but otherwise was ok.
It took me quite a while to recover from that. He was evaluated in the hospital and admitted to the Mental Health Unit. The Doctor explained he had been there before and would be placed in a secure facility for the rest of his life.
Whenever something liked this happened I always felt like I had failed. It would take a while to pull myself together again.
It made me realize I could not help everyone but you do the best you can.
Until the next time, dear reader, try to go through one week with out raising your voice or becoming upset. Look for the cause and you will feel better.
Love Red

SEEING IS BELEIVING

This is about Ellen. She came to live with us at the age of 87. She had slight dementia and was able to walk just a few feet. Her ankles and legs were very swollen and it was painful for her. Ellen watched TV a lot and would try to walk to the bathroom but you knew it hurt. She was so proud and you had to try and help her without letting her know. It really got interesting at times.
The holidays were always a beautiful time in the house. Everyone would watch or try to help. We always decorated so much. If it didn’t move it got decorated. The tree was the biggest thing. Everyone had ideas and I just let them do what they wanted. When it was all done we would spend the evening singing songs and telling stories. No one went to bed on time so it was always late. By the time 10:00 rolled around I had everyone tucked in. Ellen wanted to talk to her husband (who had died) but she finally drifted off.
I was busy trying to get everything done and set up for breakfast. Before I knew it the clock struck 11:00. I told my Mother, who was visiting at the time, to go to bed. I said I would check everyone and go myself. When I got to Ellen’s bed it was empty!!! I mean it was empty!! I even went over and patted the bed because I could not believe it was empty. Her walker was there but she was gone. I checked the bathroom and no one. I got my husband up and Mother heard us. Ellen had gotten up; put on her shoes and coat and was gone. This lady could hardly walk.
It had snowed about 3 inches and my husband looked out on the sidewalk. You could see where she had gone. She had walked down the ramp across the road and was lying on the neighbor’s lawn! My husband picked her up and carried her back to the house. We got her coat and shoes off and got her in bed. I checked every inch of her and determined she wasn’t injured but I knew she could get pneumonia very easily. Mother and I decided we would keep her nice and warm but massaging her for a few hours. We took turns and about 4:00 I figured we would let her sleep. I still could not believe she had done that.
I didn’t want to call the Doctor because I was afraid I would be in trouble since I had only been in business a few months. I did tell him several years later and he got a laugh about it.
The next morning she was in great shape and didn’t remember anything! My Mother and I both caught colds from the whole ordeal.
Ellen was with us for about a year or more and died one night in her sleep.
I learned a lot from all the people and believe me no two were ever alike.
The next story will be about Bill and the lesson he taught me.
Today, dear reader is a day to smile. It can be contagious so smile all day long.
Love Red