A Decision Day

Finally! My sisters are coming over tomorrow evening to have a meeting with a real estate guy who has been working on selling a commercial building that my dad and another family owns. I've been after him to sell it for years. His business was in there for years, and when he and his partners retired they sold the business and leased out the building. When his partners started passing, I encouraged him to discuss selling the building, which has taken on the personality of a white elephant. GAH!
It sat relatively empty for a couple of years and then they had a few people try to lease it to no avail. The economy started slipping and this white elephant took on a life of it's own. Finally this guy picked up the task and started trying to sell it. It took THREE YEARS!
Story short: Tomorrow we are meeting with this long suffering RE guy to make a decision on what to do with the capital gains so they aren't capital gains and paying most of what is left of the sales in taxes. It will also be the first time my sisters and I are together with my Dad at his house. We were all together on the 14th of October for his 90th birthday, but we were entertaining all his friends and family, there wasn't much together conversations between us.
I'm excited.
I am settling in okay in my new(old) home. I really need to get my own bed moved down here. My back is killing me! I also want to get my chickens down here. I miss having them around. I'm sure in their own little birdbrain way they are wondering where the lady with the treats went. (Yeah, right!) My middle daughter is having friends in for Thanksgiving at my old house and they have a little two or three year old who is so looking forward to seeing the chickens. Daughter's friends are using my bed to sleep on. (The luckys) I will have to wait for both bed and chickens til after the holiday.
On my two days off this week I plan on getting my Dad's TV and mine hooked up properly to the dish network or cable or what ever we can get. There is also some banking that needs to be done, so he doesn't lose some funds. (I hate those 90 day checks). Dad has a tendency to leave things for tomorrow so as not to make un-necessary trips to town. The checks are piled up and I want to get them into his account instead of sitting in the file.
I also need to see when I can get in to see my doctor to get myself caught back up on all my own health things. (Not issues, I am fairly healthy, I just want to keep it that way!) I'd also like to throw in a pedicure. I think I deserve at least that!
There are so many little details to his life that he just didn't think about or maybe even know to do.
Someday this will all come together.
I am so thankful that I can do this. It means my Dad is still here with us and he and I are having a chance to get in some quality time. That is so important to me!
Love to you all!

One Full Week In

Today is the second Monday I have been in my "new" home, the house I grew up in and am now trading places in.
It used to be that my dad was the care giver. Now I am.
I am sad. For him. He has always been the strong go for it guy. He could build anything move anything make anything happen. Now he apologizes to me constantly about inconveniencing me. Um...No he's not!
I have changed my position in life. I have changed my position on earth. I have changed what I do on a daily basis. But I am not inconvenienced.
Tonight was the hardest night yet. His knees(s) don't want to be knees anymore. They want to be mush. I'm sure in his 90 years, he has given his knees a run for their money. Stuff like knees just don't last forever. Unfortunately. He was headed for bed and they decided that enough was enough and gave out. He called me in for help. Apologized several times for "inconveniencing" me and we worked on the new routine of getting to bed without the help of said knees.
Of course, since this is new to both of us and I have no medical training it was trial and error. With an emphasis on the error. We made it, he told me more than once that he wanted to give up and I told him more than once that he couldn't because we had to go shopping tomorrow and he was buying.
I now know that I really need to turn down the covers before we start an adventure like this. I also know that I need to find someplace that has classes on caring for aging parents. I can't just do this blindly. It's his life and I want it to be the best it can be without the frustration and lack of confidence in a care giver. I want him to feel good about being here every day that he can be here.

I'm not giving up Dad. You can't either.

A Tale of Two Households

Where do I start with this? The beginning is too long of a story. The middle is boring.  Starting at the right now, well, I will try.
Saturday we celebrated my Dad's 90th birthday! His birthday was actually Sunday, but for the convenience of ALL concerned Saturday was the day we partied. It was a wonderful day.  My Dad was all ready to go when I went by his house to help get him ready to go. He had shaved and found a good shirt and some nice slacks to wear. He hasn't tried this hard in a while. It made me feel good to see him feeling good.
The weather cooperated with our plans. Many friends old and new came by to wish him well, eat and drink to his health. It was a fun, fun day.
Now. Back to reality. Although his mind is sharp as a tack, his legs aren't working as well as they could. He uses a cane, could use a walker but refuses and has one of those electric carts to help him get the longer distances. He had a girlfriend living in his house with him, but they were just getting too old to take care of each other and she was having a hard time remembering meds and appointments, making her health go downhill. She called her kids and they have come and moved her back up to their home to take care of her there. Which leaves my Dad by himself in his house. Not fun for him, it gets lonely I am sure. Then there is the safety issue. If something happens, no one will know until we go by there after work. We don't want to take the chance with him, he is far too precious to us.
Therefore, I am moving in with him. At first it was kind of a conspiracy between my sisters and I. We decided he shouldn't be on his own, I don't want just anyone there with him and certainly we will not be moving him to a "home". Yes, there are wonderful ones available, but just not yet for Dad.  I was waiting for the appropriate time to talk to him about me moving in, and one day when I was there he just said, "Why don't you consider moving in here? We'll rent your house out."  I am okay with all but the renting my house out. My kids are still there and I won't be throwing them out any too soon. I still have animals that need to stay put, I won't have room for all my possessions, and I refuse to stuff them in storage for over a hundred bucks a month. That's a waste of money. My girls can stay here, pay me rent and keep the bills up. Just got to get Dad to agree. It's his house too.
I don't know when the big move is going to happen. His girlfriend still has a lot of furniture there and that needs to be taken or there's no room for my stuff.
So again I am off on another adventure. Life's funny with all its twists and turns. I am looking forward to this, with just a touch of hesitation.

What does it mean???

Just wondering. What does it mean when you came out of the grocery store to find a seagull standing on top of your car? He (it) stood there the whole time I was putting my groceries in the back of the truck and then while I unlocked the door, then while I snapped several pictures of it, a few at fairly close range. Then it stood there as I started the truck and I backed out of the parking space! I could hear it trying to stay standing as I was backing up! It finally flew off. What does that mean??? What does it mean when a Dragonfly is sitting over the price on the gas pump at 6:30 on a cold and foggy morning. I rarely ever see a Dragonfly in these parts. It's generally too cold. But this was was just chillin' at the station. I got pictures of that too. But...what does it mean??? What does it mean when you've taken some pictures of some strange behavior by critters and can't share those pictures because you've taken the pictures with your cell phone and have no clue how to get them off the phone??? What does it mean? I know. That last one means I have no proof of these strange acting critters!