The Mom & Me Journals dot Net
The definitive, eccentric journal of an unlikely caregiver, continued.

Apologia for these journals:
    They are not about taking care of a relative with moderate to severe Alzheimer's/senile dementia.
    For an explanation of what these journals are about, click the link above.
    For internet sources that are about caring for relatives with moderate to severe
        Alzheimer's/senile dementia, click through the Honorable Alzheimer's Blogs in my
        links section to the right.

7 minute Audio Introduction to The Mom & Me Journals [a bit dated, at the moment]

Monday, January 05, 2009
 
I'm pretending that the death certificates haven't yet arrived.
    I'm not sure how dicey this strategy is, but I have what is definitely a mental block and feels like a physical block against doing death business, right now, so I'm prepared to "suffer the consequences", if there are any. Luckily, one of the documents I'll need to continue with and complete death business won't be finalized until sometime this week, so I'm kind of within an acceptable time frame, I think. And, although I'm sure there will be some surprises I'll need to confront regarding such death business as taxes, changing property names, etc., I'm just not ready for that, yet. Just not. I know that if I am confronted, at the moment, with a particularly ticklish business dilemma I am liable to take the easy way out, just to get rid of the dilemma, and it's not a good idea to be in that position, I'm sure.
    In the meantime, I feel as though this week's visit with family, especially with the sister with whom I haven't yet visited, will help revive me...although, you know, who knows. At the very least, it will be the second to the last ceremony in our family's formal grieving process; the last ceremony being the military burial Mom's ashes will receive at the VA cemetery that displays my father's plaque, which will happen sometime during the early summer. Since my father's ashes were scattered at sea, my sisters and I have discussed using his urn for the interment of her ashes. I hope we're able to do this. This one act seems important in regard to laying them both to rest.
    I've read a fair amount, lately, about how imperative ceremony is in regard to coming to grips with a significant death. I know it must seem that "a party on me" doesn't quite fit the definition of "ceremony", but it is a tradition in my mother's family to do this and, as well, it honors her party spirit, which is significant for us, her survivors. It has been common for one or the other of us, throughout the years, to refer to her as the "original party girl".
    I'm thinking, for dinner tomorrow when the first group of family arrives, maybe some home made chicken soup, garlic toast, mmmmm....fragrant, savory, maybe I'll thicken the soup with a quick roux just before serving, definitely some kind of dessert...how about cherry pie? That sounds good! With freshly whipped cream. I guess I'd better find out if the two arriving tomorrow even like cherry pie, I know at least one relative who doesn't, but she won't be here until after the cherry pie is gone, probably. Oh, I've got an even better idea for dessert, although it depends on its availability. Guess that means I'd better go grocery shopping today.
    Later.
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