Stop and Smell the Roses

Good morning all my 'Net friends and family.  What a beautiful morning our Heavenly Father has given us today.  As I walked our little furry friend- Jax - I marveled at the beauty of the early morning and was greeted with a choir of birds singing their little hearts out.  Thank you Lord.

As I walked, prayed, and took some pictures, I thanked God for a wonderful day yesterday.  I am learning to be thankful for each good day, hour, or minute that we have together and slow down to savor it. 

This is a difficult lesson for me to learn for I have been in a hurry all my life!  As I have said before, if we had known about ADHD and ADD, I would have been diagnosed with both.  I tend to rush through everything which leads to not enjoying life to the fullest.  This has changed dramatically. I am learning to "stop and smell the roses."

In the past it would take us about 45 minutes to bathe, dress, and be ready for the day.  Now it may take this time for Roy to dress and walk to the kitchen.  His brain has to override the Parkinson's freezing of the muscles to unlock the moving of his limbs.  The legs and feet are the most difficult to get started. 

Balance is the other biggie.  This disease about destroys your sense of balance so you fall or think you are going to fall when standing and walking.  It is scary for him so he tends to move very slowly and often we have to stand still, begin marching in place and then move forward.  Slow is the name of the game and we are learning to relax when this happens and just talk about something else for tension makes it worse.

This gives both of us time to stop and smell the roses and everything else around us, plus it tires both of us so much that enjoying what is around us is about all we can do.  Oh what a change in our pace of life.

This beautiful little day lily reminds me that in the midst of confusion, tension, and drastic changes in our lifestyle, the eyes of God are on us and we are not alone.  He tells us in His Word that He wanders the earth seeking us and when we slow down and look for Him, we find He is there and ready to walk, however slowly, with us each step of the way.  The lovely edging around the petals reminds me that there are bountiful blessings of peace, joy and contentment found with our Heavenly Father.

I think this lily is one of the most beautiful ones I have and it always reminds me of the Holy Spirit.  There is the purity of the white and the gold reminds me of the holiness and power of God.  Without this Spirit living in our lives, we would be frustrated, dissatisfied and miserable all the time and chafing at our lives now and in the future.  With this Spirit, we find peace and a strength to meet each challenge every day.  Thank you Lord for this Holy Spirit which lives in us so that we can glorify you.

This beautiful lily is Solomon's Robe.  The camera cannot capture the true richness of this flower and neither can we capture all the richness and wisdom found in God.  We are so thankful for the insight and wisdom that He gives us to live as fully as we can with a disease that destroys. 

What a lesson this little flower teaches us.  God is in the big events of our lives but most importantly, He is in the little events.  Yesterday was a wonderful example.  We had a doctor's appointment  to find out why so much confusion for several days and we traced it to a kidney infection which can be cured.  A sweet friend offered to bring us a casserole, which I had to turn down because of the appointment, and then another friend called and talked with me to give me some conversation about the school world where I used to work.  Roy was doing better than he had in about a week, they came and mowed our yard, which we were about to bale for hay, and I got a nap.  These are the little things which make our days full of joy.

This is my lily which brings me peace.  The lavenders with the golden center reminds me of how beautiful each day can be when we look for the Lord's glory which shines in the center of our world and the whole world around us.  His glory shines and brings light to the darkness and leads us to the beauty of life lived for Him.  Life is good when we know Him.

Thanks for stopping by this morning and now to pray and thank God for all He has done and is doing in our lives.

Nuff said,
The Georgia Peach

Caregiving

 

 

Good evening and come in for a visit.  I am sharing pictures of some of my lovely day lilies that I enjoy each day and they have become my comfort and inspiration as I am caring for my husband.  Roy has Parkinson's disease and it is progressing as all diseases do. 

 

I am discovering that being a caregiver for a beloved spouse is somewhat like growing flowers in that it takes constant care.  Flowers need good soil, water, fertilizer, protection from insects and diseases to produce beautiful blooms.  Those we care for also need constant care.  They need a comfortable and lovely place to live, nutritious food, cleanliness, medications given on time, and above all nurturing, loving, and protection.

 

 

Like these blooms, your loved one will flourish with loving, tender care.  Their smiles will multiply and make your day a little sunnier.

These blooms are glowing with color and loveliness and with care, your loved one will bloom and glow with as much health as possible with the disease or illness.  Their sweet smiles and thanks will make you glow.

With all the beauty of this bloom comes a lot of hard work and a caregivers day is never done.  There are days that you don't get enough rest, your loved one's body is tired and doesn't want to move and you struggle to take care of them.

The most heart-breaking for me is when Roy's mind is cloudy and he is not thinking in the present.  What do I do?  I sometimes have to be in that world with him until I can coax him back to the present or take care of him where he his and try to remember those wonderful times we had together.  Like the flower, when they are bruised or diseased, you try to bring them back or remember when they were fresh and beautiful. 

Parkinson's is a disease of the whole body for it freezes the muscles where they can't move, it clouds the mind and it freezes the emotions.  Roy is often aware of what is happening and becomes frustrated when he cannot move freely and this makes the condition worse.  Trying to stay calm and soothe him is the key to unlocking the movement and sometimes this is most difficult.  Like growing flowers, you keep on caring and giving and he will bloom again.

I hope I have the energy to begin writing in my blog more and use it as a therapy tool for me and maybe help someone else who is experiencing the same thing.  There are many of my friends and family who have or are walking the same path we are.  It is tough, tiring, depressing and often very lonely and the loneliness is the hardest.

Having a hobby or interests such as handwork, reading, gardening, or other activities are necessary for the caregiver to survive.  Without my crocheting, knitting, reading, and other interests I have developed during the years, I would be a basket case by now.  You have to have a way to escape of only for a little while.

My next posting will be about how to ask for help and when.  A difficult thing for me to do so I will share how I am learning to do this.

Thank you for listening and I will still post recipes sometimes and I promise to keep it positive with a little humor thrown in.

Nuff said,
The Georgia Peach

Walking Together

Good morning and I think I am back to write in my blog.  I have been contemplating how to continue with communicating with our family and friends and those who will become our friends through this blog. This has been a difficult decision for we are rather private but here goes.

Our lives have changed since we took this picture several years ago at a family wedding and we are going to share with you how we are travelling this new road and prayerfully it will help those of you who will travel it with us.  I will still post recipes, my crafts, and pictures of our grandchildren so you can see how our family is growing and how I am keeping busy with my hobbies. Now as to why I am changing my blog.

About 4 years ago we had an appointment with a neurologist for Roy was having some balance problems and his walking was becoming slower.  Our wonderful family doctor sent us to him to see what was causing these problems.  When Roy walked into the exam room we heard, "Has anyone ever told you that you have Parkinson's?"  These words didn't mean a lot to us for we didn't know a lot about this disease so we listened and waited for more information.

After a long day of every test imaginable and some we couldn't imagine, we were told it looked like Parkinson's but that is is difficult to diagnose.  It is more of ruling out other problems and treating it as Parkinson's in the meantime. 

We are also finding out there are many different symptoms and you may have some but not all.  We are blessed in that Roy does not have the tremors and the medication is keeping most of symptoms under control.  We are also blessed to have good insurance which helps us with the costs of these medications.

Now as to how we are doing.  The road gets a little more difficult with passing of time but we are coping rather well and that is what we want to share with you.  How do you cope with a debilitating disease and other illnesses?  Each posting will take a step we are are walking, how we are coping, resources you can use and other information we can share.

It will not be morbid, unhappy and sorrowful for we are not any of these.  You see, we have a Heavenly Father who walks each step with us to guide, encourage, give strength and joy to use each minute of every day.  Come walk with us and become a part of our journey, if you like, and share with us how you may be coping with similar problems and we will encourage each other.

By the way, we are going to have another great- granddaughter in December and we are rejoicing!! Our clan is growing.

Ya'll come back to see us and happy trails with us.

The Georgia Peach