Fourth of July, 2020
When I saw on Facebook that the Saturday Market was taking place today, I called Betty to let her know, since she loves shopping.
I think I will always remember this FOURTH OF JULY as being the saddest holiday I have ever know. Part is because of all the patriotic events including fireworks being cancelled but more so because my friend, Mary Ann is dying.
This morning she called and we talked and she said she realizes that she needs to complete her enrollment in Hospice. She also said that she is pretty sure that she needs oxygen. I called Hospice and they had the nurse on call return my call. We set up a time for two p.m. on Monday for a nurse to meet with Mary Anne and I, but possibly they might change the time to earlier in the day. The nurse said that Mary Anne can definitely get oxygen on Monday.
After talking with Paula, I realized that MA is simply not able to continue walking up the stairs to her bedroom. I called Kevin and asked if he and Rita might be able to move her bed downstairs sometime this weekend and he said he and Rita, and their son Jacob will go over between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. and they will move it downstairs. Mary Anne called and said she realizes that she will need to give up the desk in the dining room. I offered to come over and empty it and she agreed. She also wanted me to get the antique lamps and the quilt before he comes.
I went over and started to remove stuff from the desk. Paula arrived and helped Mary Anne down the stairs and to the couch. Mary Anne suggested that both Paula and I take a couple of the ceramic birds, which I believe were collected by her mother. We each chose two. I also took an interesting small tiered table. MA offered me a beautiful table with a marble top. I am thinking of taking it even though I do not have a spot for it.
Before leaving, I talked to Mary Anne about taking her "last trip" and went through the steps to salvation. It seems that she already knew them. She asked me if I could get her a couple of new night shirts. I knew Betty was out shopping so I called her and asked her if she could pick these up at WalMart. She bought four, two medium and two large and brought them over to me.
I was resting at home when she called and asked me to come over and adjust the temperature of her air conditioning. This means that she has lost the ability to ambulate, or maybe it is just too hard to get up from the couch. Before I got over there, her priest came to visit.
When I arrived, I asked if she had taken her meds and she said no, so I took them in to her along with a bottle of cold water. It took a while for her to get them down. I showed her the nightshirts and she said the large ones will fit.
Shortly after I arrived, Rita Layer and her son Jacob arrived and they brought down the bed, frame and springs and set it up. Kevin arrived as they were finishing up. The bed fits well into the open space in the dining room. I found a good spot for the commode, next to some shelves that can hold supplies such as toilet paper.
I suggested we call Paula to find out if she would be able to come over to help Mary Anne get into bed, but she came over right away. Mary Anne ate some ice cream while we both there.
When I got home, Peggy was working on dragging large items out to the curb. I helped her. I talked to her about the marble topped table that Mary Anne offered me and she said she will help me get it tomorrow afternoon.
I called Mary Anne at 7:30 or so. She had a hard time talking. She said Paula will be over in an hour to help her get into bed.
In the evening, I sat out on my tiny porch and read for a while and then came in and watched the Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular.
I went outside for a while because of all the fireworks being put off all around.
I think I will always remember this FOURTH OF JULY as being the saddest holiday I have ever know. Part is because of all the patriotic events including fireworks being cancelled but more so because my friend, Mary Ann is dying.
This morning she called and we talked and she said she realizes that she needs to complete her enrollment in Hospice. She also said that she is pretty sure that she needs oxygen. I called Hospice and they had the nurse on call return my call. We set up a time for two p.m. on Monday for a nurse to meet with Mary Anne and I, but possibly they might change the time to earlier in the day. The nurse said that Mary Anne can definitely get oxygen on Monday.
After talking with Paula, I realized that MA is simply not able to continue walking up the stairs to her bedroom. I called Kevin and asked if he and Rita might be able to move her bed downstairs sometime this weekend and he said he and Rita, and their son Jacob will go over between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. and they will move it downstairs. Mary Anne called and said she realizes that she will need to give up the desk in the dining room. I offered to come over and empty it and she agreed. She also wanted me to get the antique lamps and the quilt before he comes.
I went over and started to remove stuff from the desk. Paula arrived and helped Mary Anne down the stairs and to the couch. Mary Anne suggested that both Paula and I take a couple of the ceramic birds, which I believe were collected by her mother. We each chose two. I also took an interesting small tiered table. MA offered me a beautiful table with a marble top. I am thinking of taking it even though I do not have a spot for it.
Before leaving, I talked to Mary Anne about taking her "last trip" and went through the steps to salvation. It seems that she already knew them. She asked me if I could get her a couple of new night shirts. I knew Betty was out shopping so I called her and asked her if she could pick these up at WalMart. She bought four, two medium and two large and brought them over to me.
I was resting at home when she called and asked me to come over and adjust the temperature of her air conditioning. This means that she has lost the ability to ambulate, or maybe it is just too hard to get up from the couch. Before I got over there, her priest came to visit.
When I arrived, I asked if she had taken her meds and she said no, so I took them in to her along with a bottle of cold water. It took a while for her to get them down. I showed her the nightshirts and she said the large ones will fit.
Shortly after I arrived, Rita Layer and her son Jacob arrived and they brought down the bed, frame and springs and set it up. Kevin arrived as they were finishing up. The bed fits well into the open space in the dining room. I found a good spot for the commode, next to some shelves that can hold supplies such as toilet paper.
I suggested we call Paula to find out if she would be able to come over to help Mary Anne get into bed, but she came over right away. Mary Anne ate some ice cream while we both there.
When I got home, Peggy was working on dragging large items out to the curb. I helped her. I talked to her about the marble topped table that Mary Anne offered me and she said she will help me get it tomorrow afternoon.
I called Mary Anne at 7:30 or so. She had a hard time talking. She said Paula will be over in an hour to help her get into bed.
In the evening, I sat out on my tiny porch and read for a while and then came in and watched the Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular.
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