Saturday, April 25, 2020

March Recap

Happy Saturday. The sun is shining and we have lots of signs of spring here. Hope the weather is good where you are.

March started out with me looking for more help for my mom. I had a big list of places to call but most of them turned out to be a dead end. She also continued to have problems with her mouth and lymph nodes. The infection was gone at the beginning of the month but came back again shortly after that so we had to do another round of antibiotics. She just can't seem to go more than 10-14 days off of it. The oral surgeon was worried about the infection being in her bone and said that she may have to go on IV antibiotics to get rid of it if these don't work but can't do that unless he biopsy's it which didn't make any sense. She had IV antibiotics years ago when she had a bone infection in her foot and they never had to biopsy it before they did that then. He said he was also worried about more bone coming out of the tooth with the ostonecrosis. We were suppose to go back in April for a recheck but that didn't happen. She continued to do physical therapy through the end of the month with home health care and that was going well. I also talked to a social worker there that I really liked.  We also had a major problem with one of my dads properties a line broke under the toilet in one of the houses and caused a huge mess and expense. My sister and I agreed it was time to sell them after that. The first thing I had to do was get a financial POA for my mom. I had a really hard time finding one that would have both my sister and I on it as co powers of attorney but finally figured out a way to do it on my own and was lucky to find a notary in the neighborhood that would do it for free. Things in my life were already hard enough but  it was about to change in an even bigger way. Around March 8th the whole world started to fall apart because of COVID-19 by the middle of the month we had orders to stay at home and social distance ourselves from others. I was already pretty use to be home most of the time but the thing I was most worried about was my mom. I could not let this stop me from helping her. I still continued to go over to her house everyday  We could not just leave her alone. Emilia's Esthetician business was shut down by the state and Rich started working from home. At least he still had a job to do. My business took a major loss because nobody could have birthday parties. Paper products and cleaning supplies were very hard to find. My Instacart orders were taking days not hours to be delivered. Emilia tried to work for them but gave up after a few orders. It was not worth the risk. I also tried to find a therapist again. I found out my Insurance company would pay for 3 free sessions after numerous calls to get the right information. The first person I met with was definitely not the right fit. Her approach was to not talk about the past? I know we can't change the past but I still think we need to find ways to work through it if it is upsetting us. I did not agree with her approach so continued to look for someone else that would be a better fit.
Spring arrived with snow and a blizzard warning. Not what I wanted to be dealing with on top of everything else the only thing keeping me sane was the daily walks Emilia and I were taking. I created this piece digitally on my Ipad pro using procreate. I followed a tutorial from Ellen Cremini on Youtube
My birthday was on the 25th. We had to find creative ways to celebrate since most everything was closed. Thankfully Emilia came up with some great ideas and it turned out to be a pretty good one. The day started with Rich giving me a surprise gift. A silver bear bracelet and matching necklace, Emilia gave him the idea but he picked it out himself and I really liked them. Emilia also gave me a beautiful necklace with Sophie and Lily's photo on it. She said this way I can always have them close to my heart. It was such a thoughtful gift and I will treasure it always.
After that she surprised me with an online art lesson from a local art teacher. I am having the lesson today. We went on a ride in the car after that with the dogs to pick up some tulips and my favorite vegan coconut tarts. We were able to support small business in the process which made me feel good. I was also able to join in on a Zoom meeting at the church I have been talking about for awhile while we were driving and it made me feel good to hear from other people locally and what they are going through. I was not sure if the pastor would remember me but she said she did. I still don't understand why she didn't reach out again after my dad passed but I guess I just have to let that go. The meeting talked about how prayer and faith play a role in this and it brought me some comfort. Thankfully my mom was okay and no major problems that was a gift in itself even it was just for 1 day. My sister had to remind her it was my birthday that morning but when I went to see her she remembered when I walked in. My sister and niece also gave me flowers and a gift card to Lands End. Overall it was a good day which is all I really wanted and one I will always remember. 
Even though Sales in My Etsy shop were terrible. I did get this great photo from a buyer showing how well the ducky party hat I made for her son looked with the rest of her party decor which made me happy.
I also made this piece for the March Floral's and Praise for His Glory Challenge. This verse came at the perfect time. Especially with everything that was going on.
On a happier note one day while we were visiting my mom Emilia took this picture of Zoey. She was sitting on the chair but because she is so small all you see are her eyes. They are always so expressive. I think she was eyeing the crackers. Silly puppy. She brings us a lot of joy which is much needed during this difficult time.
That's all for now. I hope you are staying safe and well where you are and are finding ways to get through this new way of life right now. I will be back next month with more to share then.