Still cleaning, and seeming to get nowhere. Well, not nowhere, but not getting to the end fast enough. Maybe I just have to deal with the fact that there is no end. At the risk of sounding like a housewife, is the laundry ever “done”? I just finished folding two loads, and there is a pile of dirty clothes upstairs. Maybe naturists have the idea.
We went to see Maleficent today. Almost missed seeing it in a theatre, which would have been disappointing. I was already bummed that it wasn’t around in 3D anywhere. We both liked the movie very much. I am sure that this idea came to the writer while they were watching a performance of Wicked. Who am I to question where inspiration comes from, right? I enjoyed it. Oh, and by the way, the blog title has nothing to do with Wicked.
We worked some more on the quilt today. David is doing pretty well with the sewing machine. I do need to figure out a way to keep the pedal from going to full speed though. He can’t seem to be able to moderate the speed – it goes from 0 to 60 in a millisecond! I will devise some sort of stop for the pedal.
Next week we will hit the two year anniversary of David’s stroke, and I am feeling a little nervous about that. The therapists all gave us milestones to look toward to check progress, and one year and two years were big ones. Progress is still happening, but it is very slow in coming, but every once in a while, David will say something that surprises me. Almost as important, I was reminded today when we did some exercises, that he doesn’t say the wrong words as much any more. Sometimes when reading, he will say a different word, but it normally means the same thing, and I will take that. Phone – Telephone, Television – TV, etc. He is also still very much himself – today he got quite angry because I hadn’t started a list of movies that we want to see. I started a list of movies we want to see. None of them open until Christmas, so I am glad I jumped right on that!
I feel like I am boring when I write here because nothing is really happening. Vermont has been difficult for me because we are so isolated in so many ways, and I don’t have the support that I do in CA. I get tired of having to come up with things to do or say to keep David engaged, and I am sure he would say that I am not doing a very good job of it. I would have to agree. That might be the answer to one of those cliche interview questions – “What is you biggest weakness?” – I have trouble coming up with things to keep people occupied. I would make a really bad kindergarten teacher! David would certainly agree with that, and if memory serves me, I think he has told me that before.
Scott: You are an inspiration to everyone, even those of us lucky enough to have no physical difficulties. I would guess you have no idea what hearing about your work, your love, your ordeal does for others- to say the least the perspective you give us.
Here’s the magnitude of perspective we get from you: the other day I was in a cute French restaurant in Harlem with my son and his (newish) girlfriend. As she asked a question, a piece of duck lodged in my throat. My son looked at me, “Are you choking?” head nod yes. “Can you breathe?” head nod no.
He quietly took me by the arm, walked me out thru the restaurant and the diners on the sidewalk to the street and did a heimlich (we’ve all read the posters, right). First try didn’t go, so he redoubled his effort, leaned over my back, found the lung with his doubled fist and pushed up really hard. The duck piece went flying into the street. Breathing is good. We had both felt my rib crack at the same time; the poster says this is normal, especially on shorter people. The next day he worried about the cracked rib. Here is the perspective. “Henry my son, this cracked rib is a mosquito bite compared to the usual outcome when one is not breathing.
This is the magnitude of perspective you give us every day, Scott.
(put a block under the sewing pedal; get Merry Maids to come very occasionally and clean everything, and keep on loving David. You’re a hero.
Well said, Pam 🙂 and lucky you that your Son knew what to do! My son’s beautiful young smart friend died at 25 last month, choked on a piece of steak, and no one at the restaurant knew what to do, ambulance came too late. Life is a blessing in itself 🙂 so glad David is making progress, no matter how slow, and thank you Steve for all you write; so many days you made my day so much brighter, and yes, gave me perspective too! Best wishes to both of you and warm greetings from sunny Poland 🙂