CHAOS!

Last night ... 5 grand kids + 1 Gordo = CHAOS!

EDWARD!

FYI ... if you don't know about the "Twilight" series ... this post won't make a whole lot of sense.
In case you didn't know ... Gordo has read every one of the "Twilight" books. He's become quite obsessed with Vampires and Werewolves. Never misses " Being Human" and just finished reading "The Last Werewolf".
He also has this huge dislike for "Bella" (Twilight's lead character). She's indecisive and clumsy ... blah blah blah. The only time she passes the "Gordo" test is when she becomes a vampire ... thus the reason we won't watch any of the movies until "Breaking Dawn" part 2 comes out.
Yesterday I tripped ... again ... over the stupid oxygen hose and darn near fell over. Dad looks up from the book he's currently reading and says ... Pooker Annie ... don't worry ... I'm the only one who knows how clumsy you are and you're certainly not nearly as awkward as Bella. Then he returns to his reading. I jokingly reply ... when I become a vampire ... that will change for me too. Now ... dad is back to his book and hardly paying attention to me ... so he just replies ... that will be great ... Pooker Annie.
Really?
EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's OK

I get these daily email reminders of what I posted last year. Rather interesting to see what you were doing and thinking on the exact same day as the previous year.
Care-giving has become so routine and easy ... sometimes it's hard to remember what life was like prior to Gordo's arrival. The best part ... it's totally OK.


Posted: MARCH 28,2011
I have learned so much over the past month. Mostly about myself. If you would have told me 6 weeks ago that I would be cleaning false teeth, mopping up urine, preparing meals, monitoring oxygen and medicine intake, dressing and bathing dad , while lugging him around in a wheelchair, etc. … I would have said … YUCK … no way! I’ll pay someone else to do that stuff. Well … much to my surprise … I can and actually insist on doing these things myself. It’s amazing what we can do out of love and determination. Although I’m no Florence Nightingale, I’m working on being a damned good caregiver.

To Succed

Gordo's doing great, but I wasn't inspired to write this morning. However ... the following was worth sharing.
Have a super day!
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mirror Mirror

Every morning Gordo sits in his chair, takes out his mirror(a big Winnie the Pooh one that I got at the dollar store) and puts on cream around his dry eyes.
This morning I walked into his room to give him his paper, as he was talking to himself ... "Mirror mirror on the wall ... who's the fairest of them all? You ... you silly old bastard".  It was everything I could do ... not to burst into laughter. Then he looks up at me and (randomly) blurts out  ... Pooker Annie ... I don't care what the bible says ... I really don't think the meek with inherit the earth.
OK ... then.
Just another day in Bizzarro World!
Have a great week my friends !

His Way

It's only 7:00am this morning and Gordo is already in rare form.
He woke up at 6:30am singing  Frank Sinatra's " My Way"  follow up by a church hymn ... "Onward, Christian Soldiers". He has pulled out 2 circulars from today's newpaper ... so I can buy "Healthy Choice" dinners at Walmart and Pocket T-shirts from Academy.
OMG ... I need more coffee just to keep up with him.
Have a fabulous Sunday my friends!

Just a Hunch

I scored this week at the library. Found several old classic DVDs. Gordo's been loving life.
Yesterday he watched "Essex and Elizabeth" ... (1939) starring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn. Basically it is the true story of Queen Elizabeth I and her love affair with the Earl of Essex. At some point Elizabeth gives him a ring (symbolic in that he'll share her throne) and they plan to get married. She ultimately changes her mind about the marriage , but is still in love with him and demands that he give the ring back. He won't because he thinks he should be King. Long story short ... she has him executed. 
Anyway ... I put in the DVD and went about my business.
About an hour and a half later I hear Gordo yelling ... "Give her the ring ... you damn fool!", so I go running into his room. Dad ... good grief ... you know how it's going to end up. He says ... yes, but I still like a happy ending. I reply ... Don't think you're going to get one. As I turn away to leave his room ... I get the ole ...  "Pooker Annie" ... yes dad. He asks ...Do you know how Queen Elizabeth spent the last 24 hours of her life? No daddy  ... how? Standing up. Because she thought by standing up she wouldn't die. Then ...  I (jokingly) said ... let me guess? ... it wasn't a happy ending? He (seriously) looks at me and says ... you're right. How did you know?  I simply answered ..."Just a hunch". 
That Gordo's a piece of work.

Faux pas

In an effort to save some money ... Gordo has agreed to try some less expensive “premium" brands of ice cream from the major grocery chains. Kroger, Randalls and HEB have all been satisfactory. So when I bought Walgreen's "premium" brand yesterday ... I thought nothing of it. Served him after dinner last night and all was well.
Until this morning.
"Pooker Annie?" ... yes dad? He asks ... what kind of ice cream was that last night? Before answering ... I asked him ... Why? ... He says ... because is wasn't very good. 
OMG! How does he know?
Sorry Walgreens ... you didn't make the cut.
Needless to say ... I'll be going out today to purchase Häagen-Dazs® ... making up for my HUGE ice cream faux pas!

Sweet Lemons

I posted the comments below a year ago today ... wow ... time has really flown by. In fact ... life for Gordo and me just gets better. He's doing so well ... which makes my heart so happy. We laugh, sing, talk and joke every day. What more could I ever ask for.

Lemons have never tasted sweeter.


MARCH 19, 2011
Dad’s recent favorite beverage is lemonade. Rather symbolic. 4 weeks ago, life threw Gordo a big lemon. His independent life (for all practical purposes) came to a screeching halt. Most people would be devastated and quite rightfully so. Not Gordo. He took this HUGE lemon and has made lemonade. The recipe looked so good, that our family has made a pitcher. The hell with “Drinking the Kool-Aid”. We have the BEST lemonade on the planet! 

"Priceless"

Many thanks to all of you for making Gordo’s 82nd birthday special.
We wrapped up the 3 day celebration last night with Gordo’s rendition of “Over the Rainbow”.  
Now ... that my friends ... was simply “Priceless”!

New Tricks

We celebrated Gordo’s birthday on Wednesday night with pizza, cake and gifts. 
Liz, Mikey and I bought him a big TV for his room, however the hit of the evening was the $9 movie ... “Golden Boy” (you know ... William Holden and Ms. Stanwyck).
My son, Ricky set up his new TV and that’s “all she wrote”. Dad immediately had my daughter in law , Andrea tear in to his new movie. We put it on .. along with his headphones ... and the party was over for the rest of us ... but just beginning for him!


Only one problem with his new viewing gift ...  A 1:00am wake up call to me.
“Pooker Annie” ! I don’t know how to turn off my big screen. I’ll be right there dad. 
Needless to say ... we spent this morning in RCA training class.


You really can teach old dogs new tricks!

Happy 82nd !

On March 15, 1930 “Gordon Powell Cave Jr.” aka Gordo made his debut. He started his life pleasing his parents and continues making us happy today. Happy 82nd Birthday Dad! We love you! 

King of the Pea

Have you ever heard of the Princess and the Pea? ... Just in case ... It's A story by Hans Christian Andersen. A prince insists on marrying a real princess. When a woman comes to his door maintaining that she is a real princess, the prince's mother tests her by burying a pea under a huge stack of mattresses and then ordering the woman to sleep on the mattresses. The woman cannot sleep and therefore passes the test: being a true princess, she is so delicate that the pea keeps her awake. 


The other day Gordo announces ... Pooker Annie ... I really don't like any wrinkles on my sheets. I  laughed and replied ... Well your "Majesty" ...  I'll do my best and I hope you don't feel that "pea" either. Then he looks at me strangely and asks ... Why? Is my Foley bag leaking again? Oh no dad ... a pea not pee. Well evidently Dad has never heard the story ... so I told him.


This morning after he woke up he tells me that he had a good night sleep, but he felt the pee. So I ran over to his bed to make sure it wasn't wet. Dad ... nope it's dry. He retorts ... pea ... not pee... GOTCHA!


LOL ... what have I started? 

Ides Of March

Gordo's 82 nd birthday is on Thursday, March 15th ... the "Ides of March" (see below). He's going to have a busy few days.
Tomorrow night ... Ricky, Andrea and their kids will celebrate this event with Aunt Liz, Gordon and I. Pizza and cake!!!!!!!!
Thursday ... it's lunch with the old guys at Yao's!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday ... Another party with Sarah, Amber, Steph, Kenny and my other 3 grand babies ... and yes Mikey will cook and .... MORE cake!!!!!!!!!!


The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" especially in relation to a month. It is a word that was used widely in the Roman calendar indicating the approximate day that was the middle of the month.In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The group included 60 other co-conspirators. 

Cheering in Style

What we do to keep Gordo Happy. My sister Liz is a wacky as I am. Yesterday ... in honor of the Celtics and the upcoming St. Patty's day ... she brought a had and beads to help dad cheer for his team in style.
Although they lost by 1 point ... I believe he had a good time. 
Have a great week!

Wake Up Call

I entered Gordo's room this morning at 6:30 ... half expecting him to still be asleep... due to the time change. Instead ... he yells out ... Pooker Annie ... You want to hear a religious number? Although half delirious ... I answer ... sure dad. He breaks out into song ... of the entire "Old Rugged Cross". WOW ... that was special. Now I'm fully awake. Thought to share my "Wake Up" call with you.  Feel free to wake up your kids with it ... lol. Happy Sunday !


OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

And the winners are ...

You'd have to read yesterday's post to understand this one.


Last Nights Results ......................


Celtics won ... yay Gordo.
Rockets lost ... poor Pooker Annie
Astros were represented ... just for Sarah 


The winners were ... all of us! Had a fun time.


Have a terrific Wednesday my Friends!

Didn't Get the Memo

Anyone who reads my posts ... knows what a HUGE Boston Celtics’ fan Gordo is. So it should come as no big surprise that tonight's’ game ... Houston Rockets (we live in Houston) vs Boston is a big deal to him. In fact he insists on inviting my sister Liz over to watch it on our “big” screen, as she is much more involved with dad's basketball obsession than I.

So all of us (whether we want to or not) will be sucked into the NBA vortex ... again.

This morning I was talking about this evening’s festivities for the Houston vs.Celtics’ game with my youngest daughter Sarah ... who lives in Corpus Christie, TX. She thought it sounded fun and suggested ... “ You should invite Ricky (my son) over and he can root for the Astros”.  I giggled ... Sarah ... the Astro’s are baseball.

I guess she never got Gordo's memo.

Have a good day!

P.S. Don’t tell Gordo ... but ... GO ROCKETS!

Laying Low

I haven’t posted in a few days, but all is well. Gordo had a bacterial infection so he and I have been laying low. Well ... he has.
However ... he insisted on going to see my nail lady Friday to trim his eyebrows, had me hopping back and forth to the “redbox” for movies, going to the library for new James Patterson books, getting him chicken from Churches, making him spaghetti ... twice, buying a Hershey’s chocolate bar and last night I cooked his “favorites” … pork chops and mashed potatoes from ... Kroger.
I’m glad his infection has cleared up quickly … because this "laying low" thing is exhausting. Ha! Ha!


Have a great week my friends!

Freaky Friday

Every day at 6:30 I enter Gordo’s room and greet him in all kinds of crazy ways.

I sing … “Rise and Shine and give God the glory glory” or “Up Up and away in my beautiful balloon”.

Sometimes I yell out … It’s the “Get up in the morning show” and … You’re the Star or Let’s Get this Party Started!

Another is … Uppity! Uppity! Uppity! … This is what I said when I was a baby and wanted someone to pick me up. I’d raise both arms up in the air and yell “Uppity! Uppity! Uppity!”

Anyway … Yesterday I was in the backyard while dad was napping and missed Gordo’s call to my cell phone. He actually left a message, so I listened to it before I went into his room. He’s very jolly and yells out Pooker Annie! Uppity! Uppity! Uppity! … CLICK.  Cracked me up!

Enjoy your Friday  folks … as for dad and me … every day is a “Freaky Friday”!

Golden Boy

Gordo has been driving nuts since the Oscars about some Academy Award’s speech that Barbara Stanwyck gave … in which she honors her “Golden Boy” … William Holden.

Of course dad has no idea when it was … where it was … and he’s really not even sure it was the Oscars.  

Here I go again … detective “Pooker Annie”.

Well guess what?  …... SCORED!

Put it on his iPad (the one that used to be mine) and I thought he was going to cry. So worth the search!

Here it is … 1982 … Look at John Travolta … lol.

I think it’s worth watching … Gordo certainly enjoyed it.

Have a Super Thursday!1982 Oscars

http://youtu.be/Cr0hNdC0Ou4