I started watching out for my mom's affairs about two or three years before she had a second stroke, and then it was about 4 years of slow recovery and periodic relapses which were probably mini-strokes. Finally she had another massive stroke which proved to be fatal about 10 days later - in January 2004.
About a year before I started keeping an eye on my mom's affairs, a girlfriend I had died. I'd been taking care of her for about 3 years. She had multiple problems including periodic schizoid episodes. Cardiac arrest ended her life. Occasionally I post a picture of her here in LJ.
All in all, I'd say I spent about 10 years under great caregiving stress. I'm still burned out by it 10 years later and I have become a confirmed loner - though I have a lot of friends and enjoy being with people. Still, I enjoy and need a lot of solitude. Caregiving is about the toughest thing there is I think.
Yes, I was lucky enough to get a couple women who wanted all of them - they loaded them into a big station wagon just as it was getting dark.
I took that last photo cause I liked the way the shadow of the umbrella fell on the wall. That window was the window to my mother's room. Reminds me of a shadow of a bird.
You gained a lot of enjoyment out of your three umbrella room. I'm glad you made it and you and your family enjoyed it.
What a spot of luck that those two ladies took the lot! What a wonderful person that woman is who plants seedlings and then gives them away. I hope she appreciates all the pots!
And that last photo is very good. Lots of colour in the second one.
That last photo is like a premonition of the end I think. But not in a bad way.
I did get a lot of enjoyment from that space. I could always go there when my mom was sleeping and open the window a crack so I could hear her. It was an easy way to enjoy the outdoors close to home.
I would not have had any doubts that someone would come by and take the pots. Back in the days of your starting the "three umbrella room" it could have been you. I've noticed there's always someone of another era looking for pots (or any trash/treasure) set out to the curb. And I got many of mine that way, too.
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How many years did you take care of your mom? Did you have other caregiving to do too?
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About a year before I started keeping an eye on my mom's affairs, a girlfriend I had died. I'd been taking care of her for about 3 years. She had multiple problems including periodic schizoid episodes. Cardiac arrest ended her life. Occasionally I post a picture of her here in LJ.
All in all, I'd say I spent about 10 years under great caregiving stress. I'm still burned out by it 10 years later and I have become a confirmed loner - though I have a lot of friends and enjoy being with people. Still, I enjoy and need a lot of solitude. Caregiving is about the toughest thing there is I think.
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Did people stop and pick up the pots?
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I took that last photo cause I liked the way the shadow of the umbrella fell on the wall. That window was the window to my mother's room. Reminds me of a shadow of a bird.
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What a spot of luck that those two ladies took the lot! What a wonderful person that woman is who plants seedlings and then gives them away. I hope she appreciates all the pots!
And that last photo is very good. Lots of colour in the second one.
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I did get a lot of enjoyment from that space. I could always go there when my mom was sleeping and open the window a crack so I could hear her. It was an easy way to enjoy the outdoors close to home.
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