Blessed By My Elders, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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It's a week with more to list on Thankful Day than you can shake a stick at, so let's get going.

First, some news and thankfuls about Grandma.  Many know she fell and got whiplash and was in some serious pain.  Even after the injections in her neck brought the pain under control, she had no spunk, no spark, no get-up-and-try-to-walk-again.  She seemed content to lie down, and stay down.

Grandpa, of course, would accept little to no help caring for her.  He was wearing himself out, getting up with her 6-8 times every night, and being at her beck and call all day long.

They were both headed for a crash, when finally Uncle J (my brother, my children's uncle) called and got Grandpa to "fess up" about how worn out he was.

Uncle J moved to Dallas a few years ago for a job, but the job he ended up getting can be done on the computer and phone, and he does not have to be physically present in any particular place to do it.  When he finally got wind of what was really going on, he said to Grandpa, "I'm moving back, and I'm going to stay with you, you need the help."

Grandpa wanted to object, but the moment Grandma heard it, she said, "My boy is coming home?  Get me out of this bed."

She's had a complete change.  She gets up several times a day now, and stays up as long as she can.  She quietly sends Uncle J a text to get him to come help her in the mornings so Grandpa can get extra sleep.  It's making a difference for both of them.

There are so many thankful things wrapped up in that, i'm not sure i could number them if i tried.  In fact, last Saturday Grandma let me give her a manicure, and she's getting a pedicure today.  She even paid her "beautician" to come cut and style her hair at the house.

While i had offered to move down there, at least part time, Grandpa pitched a fit and wouldn't allow it.  This time, he has seen the complete turn-around in Grandma over this and is cooperating, and it's a joy to watch.

Ms. JAI is finally back in town.  She went to Illinois to visit her younger brother.  While she was there, he fell and hit his head, got a brain bleed, went into a coma, and died.  She caught Covid from being with him up at the hospital so much and couldn't fly back home until she was no longer contagious.

In other words, she's had it rough, and i was able to go over and get her shopping list, clean the dust and grime that builds up in an empty house, and generally get her set up until her daughter can come back from visiting her own grandchildren to visit her mom on weekends again.

#2 Son brought Jock, his 4-month-old blue heeler pup, for us to dog-sit while he goes to Alaska on vacation.  It's been an adventure, and i'm thankful to have him although the cats completely disagree.

Ms. Diana was a joy to work for this week, and she's talking more and more about downsizing and moving to live near her daughter in Texas.  While i was there, Mr. M the yard man, who has cut her lawn for 10+ years, came by.  She made him stop mowing to go into the barn and look at some of her late husband's tools to see if he wants something, or anything, from in there.

He asked for the small welding kit, and she mentioned she was looking to possibly have someone help her have an estate sale so she'd have less to care for in the house.  He said, "You do know my father is an auctioneer who does that for a living, right?"

No, she didn't, but she does now, and we're both thankful she has someone she can trust to help her if she decides this is the right time to start moving toward moving.

Then there's Ms. PA.  She is on hospice care now, and some days she's more lucid than others.  This week when i went to visit, she was spot on and we spent almost two hours talking and laughing and having a wonderful time.  Because i never know when it will be the last time, every visit with her is precious.

It's been a wonderful week with the elders in my life, and i know i'm blessed.

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Dyanne and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.   

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Today is:

Adonia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (date approximate, but always in July, a ritual to honor Adonis)

Build a Scarecrow Day -- keep the crows out of that field of freshly growing corn in the back 40!

Distressed Elves' Creditors' Day -- Fairy Calendar

Flag & Anthem Day -- Curacao

Freedom From Fear of Public Speaking Day -- as proposed by Beverly Beuermann-King, because you don't want to blow it when your big opportunity comes because you are afraid to speak out!

Hop A Park Day -- US (several years ago the Colleyville, Texas, Park and Recreation Commission started this celebration on the first Saturday of July, which is National Parks and Recreation Month; go visit a park today, or make plans to do it soon!)

I Forgot Day (the day to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or other special days that you forgot during the first half of the year)

International Day of Cooperatives -- U.N. (theme: Cooperatives for Climate Action)

National Anisette Day

Palio di Provenzano -- Siena, Italy (horse race and pageant, named after the Madonna di Provenzano, whose church is in Siena)

Remember to Feed the Hummingbirds Day -- internet reminder to be nice to these beautiful creatures

St. Swithin's Day (Patron against drought; of Stavenger, England; Winchester, England)

Try to Find Your Slinky Day -- the weird holiday of the day!

Violin Lovers' Day

World UFO Day -- unfortunately, a real day observed by many around the world (on the "anniversary" of the UFO crash in Roswell, if such a thing even happened, which i doubt*) 

i believe that if there's life elsewhere, it shows its intelligence by staying away from us!

Anniversary Today:

Prince Albert of Belgium marries Paola Ruffo di Calabria, 1959

Birthdays Today:

Lindsay Lohan, 1986

Ashley Tisdale, 1985

Johnny Weir, 1984

Jose, Jr., and Ozzie Canseco, 1964

Jimmy McNichol, 1961

Ron Silver, 1946

Vicente Fox Quesada, 1942

Richard Petty, 1937

Polly Holiday, 1937

Dave Thomas, 1932

Medgar Evers, 1925

Dan Rowan, 1922

Ken Curtis, 1916

Thurgood Marshall, 1908

Jean René Lacoste, 1904

Hermann Hesse, 1877

Thomas Cranmer, 1489

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Andy Williams Show"(TV), 1957

"The Lawrence Welk Show"(TV), 1955

"Finlandia"(Sibelius' Op. 26), 1900

Today in History:

Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine, 1698

Vermont  becomes the first American territory to abolish slavery, 1777

Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually dies from an infection on September 19, 1881

Twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, 53 rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinque take over the slave ship Amistad, 1893

Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi obtains patent for radio in London, 1897

The first zeppelin flight takes place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany, 1900

Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight 1937

The first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas, 1962

North and South Vietnam, divided since 1954, reunite to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 1976

The AbioCor  self contained artificial heart is first implanted, 2001

Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon, 2002

Planetoid Pluto's fourth and fifth moons officially receive the names Kerberos and Styx from the International Astronomical Union, 2013

British Petroleum agrees to compensate the US government and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico $18.7 billion for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, 2015

British divers discover 12 boys and their coach alive in Tham Luang Nang Non cave, Thailand, after being trapped for 9 days by monsoon flooding, 2018

A newly rediscovered Lewis chess piece sells at auction for £735,000 in London, 2019

The British Darts Organisation’s commercial arm, BDO Enterprises Ltd, goes into liquidation due to lack of sponsorship, 2020