Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Three Beautiful Things 06/07/16: Navigating the County, Big Night at the Diazes, Mom's Illness and Christy's Care

1. Prince George's County School District required the Deke to attend a workshop on the district's adaptation of a new science curriculum next year. The workshop was in the southern part of the county, in District Heights, a D. C. suburb, and for a while we were disoriented trying to find a Starbucks (!) in the midst of the bewildering roads, drives, traffic circles, streets, state highways, and shopping malls of this corner of the D. C. suburban-opolis. We found a Starbucks! The Deke arrived on time to her workshop! I had an easy time returning to pick her up. It all worked out fine with the added bonus that I got to learn more about driving in a part of our county I'd never been to before. I'm not being sarcastic when I say that I always enjoy adding to my knowledge of where I live.

2. This evening, after a refreshing pint of Oliver's Big D IPA, brewed in Baltimore, the Deke and I joined the Diazes to celebrate Olivia's completion of the first grade as a home schooled student. (We might have also been celebrating the end of Olivia's career as a home schooled student -- she is signed up to attend a public school for the second grade.) Molly served a tart and slightly hot jalapeno margarita which was a fun drink and, after a tasty chicken curry dinner, Hiram, Molly, the Deke, and I had an excellent discussion about the possibilities of the Deke's and my future in relation to the Diazes. My guess is that we'll resume this discussion when the Deke and I return from our July visit to Kellogg. We all have a lot to think about and I'm glad we aren't trying to figure things out at the last minute and that the table that has everything on it keeps getting a little bit bigger!

3.  When I talked to Mom on the phone Saturday, she told me she hadn't been feeling well and my email conversations with Christy confirmed this. Today, Mom found out she's suffering from congestive heart failure. This explains the water retention in her legs and ankles and elsewhere, her shortness of breath, and dizziness. Thankfully, there's a course of action involving in-home oxygen and medication to reduce the water retention and to help Mom feel better. Christy was with Mom every step of the way during her exhausting two hour appointment and wrote me a detailed email of what she and Mom learned and how Mom will proceed and how Mom and Christy will monitor Mom's condition. Because Christy lives next door, she can keep a close eye on Mom and, if necessary, sleep at Mom's -- especially while Mom is treating the edema. I am most grateful that Christy has been right there with Mom and that she was so attentive during the appointment and is giving Mom such loving support as she treats these problems. Please keep Mom and Christy in your thoughts and prayers.

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