Saturday, January 31, 2009
Two Weeks Worth
Birthday wishes go out to Rob and Christina who both celebrated birthdays this last week. We wish them many more to come.
Sorry, about the delay in posting. We have had a couple of busy weeks. After Rob got back from a great trip to Nashville my parents came down for a week visit. Bob really enjoyed their visit along with their friends Libby and Don. It was a busy week running around Orlando. We were able to visit the Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine and the Morse Gallery. If you are ever in Orlando I highly recommend both of them. You will see some wonderful artwork, great architecture, and they are both affordable to visit.
Bob really enjoyed getting out of the house and seeing the sights. We also got to see a play at the Shakespeare Theater called “The Velveteen Rabbit”. It was very good. Bob liked it a lot. They sang some songs and did an excellent job as always.
Rob and Sarah got a treat from Pat, Tina and Christina. They had two extra tickets to the Monster Truck Show and invited them to come along. They came by and got to visit with Bob some before they took off. Bob loved seeing Christina again.
My parents left on Sunday and then it was back to normal for us for this week. Well, as normal as we can get anyways. I returned to work, and I thank God everyday that I still have a job. Things are getting bad out there and they are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Thursday, I took Bob to get his hair cut and then we went to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. Bob was in the wheel chair but we didn’t put the feet rests on and he “walked” himself around Wal-Mart in the wheel chair. He was pretty tired when we left and was ready to get home and rest.
Friday he was suppose to have his annual visit at the VA. After we got in the car and ready to go, I received a phone call from the VA canceling his appointment. Bummer! We were already in the car; I hadn’t even started it up yet, so we went to Sam’s Club instead. Bob got another work out “walking” and “riding” around the store.
His good friend Tom McKinney sent Bob a couple of books to read. He has been looking one of them over this last week. Every day I ask him how much he has read and what the book is about. Every day the book is in the same spot not moved. Finally, last night, he told me he wasn’t interested in the book. I asked him if I could read it since I had just finished my book and needed one to read. He was excited and said, “Sure” thinking he was helping me out loaning me a book. So now I plan to start reading, telling him how much he has missed and maybe he will find an interest and read it with me.
Do some of you remember how Bob used to listen to old radio tapes? He has hundreds of old radio show on cassette tapes he has collected over the years. We have tried to get him to listen to them again. He won’t do it. The only times he will listen is if we are in the car going some place. Otherwise, if we put one in at home, if we leave the room, he turns it off right away. Well, maybe it is because he has heard them all before.
Give him a shout this week. Ask him about the places he went to and the things he has done over the last two weeks. You might have to coach him here and there to spark his memory, but he will tell you about them all the same.
Sorry, about the delay in posting. We have had a couple of busy weeks. After Rob got back from a great trip to Nashville my parents came down for a week visit. Bob really enjoyed their visit along with their friends Libby and Don. It was a busy week running around Orlando. We were able to visit the Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine and the Morse Gallery. If you are ever in Orlando I highly recommend both of them. You will see some wonderful artwork, great architecture, and they are both affordable to visit.
Bob really enjoyed getting out of the house and seeing the sights. We also got to see a play at the Shakespeare Theater called “The Velveteen Rabbit”. It was very good. Bob liked it a lot. They sang some songs and did an excellent job as always.
Rob and Sarah got a treat from Pat, Tina and Christina. They had two extra tickets to the Monster Truck Show and invited them to come along. They came by and got to visit with Bob some before they took off. Bob loved seeing Christina again.
My parents left on Sunday and then it was back to normal for us for this week. Well, as normal as we can get anyways. I returned to work, and I thank God everyday that I still have a job. Things are getting bad out there and they are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Thursday, I took Bob to get his hair cut and then we went to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. Bob was in the wheel chair but we didn’t put the feet rests on and he “walked” himself around Wal-Mart in the wheel chair. He was pretty tired when we left and was ready to get home and rest.
Friday he was suppose to have his annual visit at the VA. After we got in the car and ready to go, I received a phone call from the VA canceling his appointment. Bummer! We were already in the car; I hadn’t even started it up yet, so we went to Sam’s Club instead. Bob got another work out “walking” and “riding” around the store.
His good friend Tom McKinney sent Bob a couple of books to read. He has been looking one of them over this last week. Every day I ask him how much he has read and what the book is about. Every day the book is in the same spot not moved. Finally, last night, he told me he wasn’t interested in the book. I asked him if I could read it since I had just finished my book and needed one to read. He was excited and said, “Sure” thinking he was helping me out loaning me a book. So now I plan to start reading, telling him how much he has missed and maybe he will find an interest and read it with me.
Do some of you remember how Bob used to listen to old radio tapes? He has hundreds of old radio show on cassette tapes he has collected over the years. We have tried to get him to listen to them again. He won’t do it. The only times he will listen is if we are in the car going some place. Otherwise, if we put one in at home, if we leave the room, he turns it off right away. Well, maybe it is because he has heard them all before.
Give him a shout this week. Ask him about the places he went to and the things he has done over the last two weeks. You might have to coach him here and there to spark his memory, but he will tell you about them all the same.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Good report from the Doctor
Rob got to go on a mini vacation this week. He traveled to Nashville with some friends to watch Johnny Bulford perform at the Grand ole Opry. Rob has been playing in Johnny’s band for a few years now. Johnny won the Colgate Showdown competition on Thursday. It was very exciting; the show will be aired in the future. I will announce the date when I find out.
Bob went to the Doctor on Friday. He has a new doctor, his former Doctor has retired. We had two lists of questions when we walked into the doctor’s office. One list was questions Bob had for the Doctor, and one list contained questions that I had for the Doctor. His new Doctor was great. He listened and talked with Bob about each question he had on his list and really made him feel comfortable. Then he looked at me and asked me for my list.
So this is the deal, Bob is now on a new medication for Alzheimer’s. This is in addition to the other two medications he has been on. He has once again taken a turn and the Doctor wants to try and treat the condition and not the symptoms. WE LIKE THIS DOCTOR!!!! So, we are trying this new medication for a month to see if it works. If it does, great! If it doesn’t work, then we have to treat the symptoms. Bob’s blood work is great. He is healthy otherwise. He doesn’t have to return to the Doctor for three months.
I really missed Rob this week. I don’t like separate vacations at all. They stink. And I don’t deal with stress very well. Rob balances me out in that area and boy did I need him. I try and post this weekly blog so that friends and family can keep in touch with Bob’s progress. He has so many wonderful people that care about him and our family. I want to share these precious years with you all. You can’t please everyone all the time; and some people get upset when they don’t get special attention. I was told this week that God was watching me and wasn’t happy with my actions with Bob. Well, my stress level blew to sky heavens, and instead of letting God catch it, it fell back to earth. Now if any of you remember Science then you know that stress fell at a rate and volume much faster and heavier than it went up with. Poor Rob wasn’t here to knock me out of the way of it. BAM! It hit hard and fast!
Well, I needed some help getting back up and thank God, Tina, Rob’s sister, was here to pick me up. She listened to me vent, gave me hugs and assurance that I was doing the right things. You know what? God is watching me, but more importantly, he is GUIDING me with everything I do with Bob. I will take guidance over distance watching any day.
A person I didn’t know very well asked me one day, why I took care of Bob. They didn’t understand why we didn’t hand him over to someone else or put him in a home. Paul in the New Testament wrote a letter to Timothy talking about the church and their responsibilities. I am leaving you with the words from Paul…..
But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety (means -dutiful respect or regard for parents) at home, and to requite (means -to make repayment or return for) their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. ----no need to say more. Give him a call this week. He loves talking with you all.
Bob went to the Doctor on Friday. He has a new doctor, his former Doctor has retired. We had two lists of questions when we walked into the doctor’s office. One list was questions Bob had for the Doctor, and one list contained questions that I had for the Doctor. His new Doctor was great. He listened and talked with Bob about each question he had on his list and really made him feel comfortable. Then he looked at me and asked me for my list.
So this is the deal, Bob is now on a new medication for Alzheimer’s. This is in addition to the other two medications he has been on. He has once again taken a turn and the Doctor wants to try and treat the condition and not the symptoms. WE LIKE THIS DOCTOR!!!! So, we are trying this new medication for a month to see if it works. If it does, great! If it doesn’t work, then we have to treat the symptoms. Bob’s blood work is great. He is healthy otherwise. He doesn’t have to return to the Doctor for three months.
I really missed Rob this week. I don’t like separate vacations at all. They stink. And I don’t deal with stress very well. Rob balances me out in that area and boy did I need him. I try and post this weekly blog so that friends and family can keep in touch with Bob’s progress. He has so many wonderful people that care about him and our family. I want to share these precious years with you all. You can’t please everyone all the time; and some people get upset when they don’t get special attention. I was told this week that God was watching me and wasn’t happy with my actions with Bob. Well, my stress level blew to sky heavens, and instead of letting God catch it, it fell back to earth. Now if any of you remember Science then you know that stress fell at a rate and volume much faster and heavier than it went up with. Poor Rob wasn’t here to knock me out of the way of it. BAM! It hit hard and fast!
Well, I needed some help getting back up and thank God, Tina, Rob’s sister, was here to pick me up. She listened to me vent, gave me hugs and assurance that I was doing the right things. You know what? God is watching me, but more importantly, he is GUIDING me with everything I do with Bob. I will take guidance over distance watching any day.
A person I didn’t know very well asked me one day, why I took care of Bob. They didn’t understand why we didn’t hand him over to someone else or put him in a home. Paul in the New Testament wrote a letter to Timothy talking about the church and their responsibilities. I am leaving you with the words from Paul…..
But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety (means -dutiful respect or regard for parents) at home, and to requite (means -to make repayment or return for) their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. ----no need to say more. Give him a call this week. He loves talking with you all.
Friday, January 9, 2009
We love field trips
We had a field trip this week! Bob likes field trips. We went to the 911 operations center today. The day started out early for him. Normally, he doesn’t get up till around 10:00. Today he needed to get up at 8:00. I went in, gave him his coffee, got his clothes out, and laid them on the bed. I told him he could get dressed while I got his breakfast.
I went to the kitchen to get his bacon, eggs, and toast going. I had just finished putting everything together and decided to run back to his room to get his shoes out for him. I turned the corner of his room and found him standing there dressed----kind of. He had put on his sweater first and then his shirt over the sweater. Now, give him some credit, he actually was in style—“Hip” as they would say. Unfortunately, this household is not very “hip”. He had to change. It only took seconds to get him from his “hip” state of being, to a traditional style of clothing. We were off for our field trip.
The 911 operations center is an amazing place. Things have changed a lot from the days when Bob was fire chief. He was lost most of the time. He sat and listened and didn’t speak much. He did speak up once telling one of the ladies that things were a lot different in his day. They all turned and started asking him asking what he did and where he worked and really made him feel special. You could tell they had a special place in their hearts for police and firemen.
We also got a tour of Orlando’s Traffic Management Center. They showed us how they watch intersections, report accidents, and control traffic lights. I came away with a new respect for our 911 operators and the whole system.
One of the Mothers asked a worker, who had worked there for twenty years, how she dealt with the stress of the job. The worker hummed and stumbled for words, and then finally said, “I personally am a very spiritual person and I rely heavy on that part of my life to deal with this job. Most of the people that work in this field, who stay with the job, all tend to also fall into that same category.”
Give Bob a call this weekend and ask him about the days he was fire chief and how things have changed over the years.
I went to the kitchen to get his bacon, eggs, and toast going. I had just finished putting everything together and decided to run back to his room to get his shoes out for him. I turned the corner of his room and found him standing there dressed----kind of. He had put on his sweater first and then his shirt over the sweater. Now, give him some credit, he actually was in style—“Hip” as they would say. Unfortunately, this household is not very “hip”. He had to change. It only took seconds to get him from his “hip” state of being, to a traditional style of clothing. We were off for our field trip.
The 911 operations center is an amazing place. Things have changed a lot from the days when Bob was fire chief. He was lost most of the time. He sat and listened and didn’t speak much. He did speak up once telling one of the ladies that things were a lot different in his day. They all turned and started asking him asking what he did and where he worked and really made him feel special. You could tell they had a special place in their hearts for police and firemen.
We also got a tour of Orlando’s Traffic Management Center. They showed us how they watch intersections, report accidents, and control traffic lights. I came away with a new respect for our 911 operators and the whole system.
One of the Mothers asked a worker, who had worked there for twenty years, how she dealt with the stress of the job. The worker hummed and stumbled for words, and then finally said, “I personally am a very spiritual person and I rely heavy on that part of my life to deal with this job. Most of the people that work in this field, who stay with the job, all tend to also fall into that same category.”
Give Bob a call this weekend and ask him about the days he was fire chief and how things have changed over the years.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Happy New Year
Happy New Year!!!!! I think….
Bob decided to bring the New Year in with a few challenges. He has taken another turn downward and it has been a fun week. The hallucinations have returned along with sun downing. He frequently talks to people that are not there and asks who are the people visiting us.
We have learned to give the imaginary people names, and come quickly back with answers to questions.
We now have him in the evening hours out in the house with us. Normally, he is sitting on the exercise bike watching a ball game. We constantly ask him questions about the game or include him in on a conversation we are having. This has helped some keeping his mind focused.
We replaced the ceiling fan in his room with just a light. He had to practice coming in and out of his room to turn the light on and off. He had a hard time remembering that the switch was on the wall.
Bob’s daughter, Tina reminded us this Christmas of Bob’s ham casserole. He used to make this every year for Tina’s birthday. If you were all close by, I would make up a large batch and have everyone over for a dinner and a sit beside the lake. Instead, I will share his recipe with you all, and ask that you make a batch, and while you eat it, think of Bob and the happy days you have all shared with him.
Bob Chipley’s Ham casserole
6 ounces medium wide egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups diced ham
½ cup milk
2 slices of pasteurized American cheese
1 teaspoon instant onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine
¼ cup bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Cook noodles until almost done. Mix together soup, milk, cheese, onion, mustard, and sour cream. In a casserole dish layer noodles, soup mixture and ham; repeat until you don’t have any more. Top off with bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes
Serves 4-6
Serve with green tossed salad and beverage.
Bob decided to bring the New Year in with a few challenges. He has taken another turn downward and it has been a fun week. The hallucinations have returned along with sun downing. He frequently talks to people that are not there and asks who are the people visiting us.
We have learned to give the imaginary people names, and come quickly back with answers to questions.
We now have him in the evening hours out in the house with us. Normally, he is sitting on the exercise bike watching a ball game. We constantly ask him questions about the game or include him in on a conversation we are having. This has helped some keeping his mind focused.
We replaced the ceiling fan in his room with just a light. He had to practice coming in and out of his room to turn the light on and off. He had a hard time remembering that the switch was on the wall.
Bob’s daughter, Tina reminded us this Christmas of Bob’s ham casserole. He used to make this every year for Tina’s birthday. If you were all close by, I would make up a large batch and have everyone over for a dinner and a sit beside the lake. Instead, I will share his recipe with you all, and ask that you make a batch, and while you eat it, think of Bob and the happy days you have all shared with him.
Bob Chipley’s Ham casserole
6 ounces medium wide egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups diced ham
½ cup milk
2 slices of pasteurized American cheese
1 teaspoon instant onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine
¼ cup bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Cook noodles until almost done. Mix together soup, milk, cheese, onion, mustard, and sour cream. In a casserole dish layer noodles, soup mixture and ham; repeat until you don’t have any more. Top off with bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese.
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes
Serves 4-6
Serve with green tossed salad and beverage.
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