I had decided I would visit Mom yesterday, April 7, 2009, and that I would get there in enough time to take her for a manicure, they do manicures each Tuesday Morning. I almost made it in time, but alas driving alone on the new Legacy Highway for only the second time by myself I took the wrong exit. I took the North Ogden exit instead of the South Ogden exit, and sadly spent the next 30 minutes trying to find my way to Manor Care,
where Mom is a patient, needless to say we missed the manicure time.
Mom was laying down when I got there and lately that is where I find her, no matter what time I try to visit, she is laying on her bed. I know she has been up and dressed for the day, I know that she has had her breakfast
but is now back on her bed, I'm pretty sure it is by her own request that she is there. I know Mom is very frustrated and depressed, on top of that, she isn't able to communicate with us even though she tries, much of what she says doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Occasionally I can get a drift of what she is trying to talk about, but on this particular visit I had no clue.
Dementia and Alzheimers are very cruel diseases, they rob you of your loved one before death, so when they do pass on, you have actually lost them twice. To add insult to injury It also robs the person carrying the disease of their memories so it's like a double whammy and a sad situation no matter how you look at it.
I'm not sure my Mom knows that I am one of her daughters, and for the very first time as I visited her yesterday, As I was leaving, when I hugged her and told her I loved her, she didn't reply that she loved me too.
When I returned home I realized that I had missed a play that my grandaughter
Ashley Bushman was doing at her school, all in all it wasn't a very good day.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
A little more on Gratitude
I have decided that a real key to happiness is in finding
gratitude in our everyday life.
Don feels like Giving Greeting cards for any occassion is a waste of money, for many years now, and originally just to be funny, I have given hin an envelope with the cost of a card enclosed for special occassions. Instead of an envelope with money This year I have decided to give him a little notebook, that I will write things in from time to time on special occassions. It will contain little thoughts on why I am grateful that he is my lifes partner and Eternal companion.
Our Anniversary is May 4th and here are a few of my entries into his notebook so far.
Happy Anniversary to the man who has been patient enough to be my husband for 47 years, I love you!
March 20th, Thank you for bringing me a cherry limeade to work on this day,
it was a stressful day and this was a day brightener.
March 25-27th. We were in Wendover with some friends this day and you loaned me some money after I lost all of mine, and THEN you didn't make me pay you back :)
March 28th. We went to visit Mom today, We took her for a ride, and to Wendys for lunch and a treat. You paid for our lunch, which Mom didn't eat and then took us for a ride up the mountains. Mom enjoyed the ride tremendously. And even though you had a meeting to attend that evening you didn't rush us at all. Thank you for a lovely day.
gratitude in our everyday life.
Don feels like Giving Greeting cards for any occassion is a waste of money, for many years now, and originally just to be funny, I have given hin an envelope with the cost of a card enclosed for special occassions. Instead of an envelope with money This year I have decided to give him a little notebook, that I will write things in from time to time on special occassions. It will contain little thoughts on why I am grateful that he is my lifes partner and Eternal companion.
Our Anniversary is May 4th and here are a few of my entries into his notebook so far.
Happy Anniversary to the man who has been patient enough to be my husband for 47 years, I love you!
March 20th, Thank you for bringing me a cherry limeade to work on this day,
it was a stressful day and this was a day brightener.
March 25-27th. We were in Wendover with some friends this day and you loaned me some money after I lost all of mine, and THEN you didn't make me pay you back :)
March 28th. We went to visit Mom today, We took her for a ride, and to Wendys for lunch and a treat. You paid for our lunch, which Mom didn't eat and then took us for a ride up the mountains. Mom enjoyed the ride tremendously. And even though you had a meeting to attend that evening you didn't rush us at all. Thank you for a lovely day.
A Few Memories
I’m so grateful for the great parents I have,
Father: Orley Edwin Bills Sr. Dad has Passed away
Mother: Joy Matilda Bentley Bills, Mother is presently living at the Manor Care Nursing Facility
My parents worked hard all of their lives to provide for the needs of their family, including their children, brothers and sisters, and their parents.
Growing up we didn’t have a lot. Financially we would have been considered poor. But we always had a home to live in, Food to eat and clothes to wear.
Our food was always very good as my mother was an excellent cook, she could even make Liver taste good, and I hate liver
What I didn’t know until I got much older was that we were so rich in other ways, I wish I would have realized it sooner.
Dad loved doing things with his kids, We never went on a vacation that I can remember, but we did go to the park a lot and up the canyon for picnics,
drives in the mountains, day fishing excursions, and as a young girl of about 8 or 9 I can remember going jack rabbit hunting with my dad, as he would shoot the rabbits I would go get them and carry all of them by their long hairy ears, when we got back to the car, he threw all the rabbits away,
I was upset but dad explained to me what a pest the jack rabbits were, and how they destroyed farmers crops and that they were not good for eating.
He said we were actually helping farmers by killing these pests.
Another time Dad and I went fishing, He had previously broken his ankle and was in a walking cast, He helped me get my hook baited and then he went off a ways down the river to do his own fishing. I had no sooner cast my hook into the river when I felt a tug on my line, I yelled for dad and he came hobbling as fast as he could to help me. We got my line reeled in and what I thought had been a fish was actually my shoe, I had taken my shoes Con’t Jan
off and was going barefoot. I guess when I cast my line in the hook got caught in my show and I cast shoe worm and all into the river.
As a young wife and mother I really began to appreciate my own mother,
I understood then how much she actually loved me, she had loved me enough to actually set down rules that she expected me to obey, grounded me when I didn’t obey them, and all at once I began to understand what a great teacher and example she had always been to me. And I began to understand why there had to be rules and punishments. I feel I have become the person I am today because of my mother.
Whenever I got discouraged while raising my own children, mom would sometimes show up and take me out to breakfast or lunch and just get me away from it all for a short time. In times of Illness my mom always knew just what to do, I was constantly calling her for advise or a recipe, it was helpful sometimes just to hear her voice, then it seemed like all would be well in my world for a little bit.
I can remember getting sassy with mom one time and thinking I could just run away from her to escape punishment, I sadly found out that my Mom could run faster than I could.
Father: Orley Edwin Bills Sr. Dad has Passed away
Mother: Joy Matilda Bentley Bills, Mother is presently living at the Manor Care Nursing Facility
My parents worked hard all of their lives to provide for the needs of their family, including their children, brothers and sisters, and their parents.
Growing up we didn’t have a lot. Financially we would have been considered poor. But we always had a home to live in, Food to eat and clothes to wear.
Our food was always very good as my mother was an excellent cook, she could even make Liver taste good, and I hate liver
What I didn’t know until I got much older was that we were so rich in other ways, I wish I would have realized it sooner.
Dad loved doing things with his kids, We never went on a vacation that I can remember, but we did go to the park a lot and up the canyon for picnics,
drives in the mountains, day fishing excursions, and as a young girl of about 8 or 9 I can remember going jack rabbit hunting with my dad, as he would shoot the rabbits I would go get them and carry all of them by their long hairy ears, when we got back to the car, he threw all the rabbits away,
I was upset but dad explained to me what a pest the jack rabbits were, and how they destroyed farmers crops and that they were not good for eating.
He said we were actually helping farmers by killing these pests.
Another time Dad and I went fishing, He had previously broken his ankle and was in a walking cast, He helped me get my hook baited and then he went off a ways down the river to do his own fishing. I had no sooner cast my hook into the river when I felt a tug on my line, I yelled for dad and he came hobbling as fast as he could to help me. We got my line reeled in and what I thought had been a fish was actually my shoe, I had taken my shoes Con’t Jan
off and was going barefoot. I guess when I cast my line in the hook got caught in my show and I cast shoe worm and all into the river.
As a young wife and mother I really began to appreciate my own mother,
I understood then how much she actually loved me, she had loved me enough to actually set down rules that she expected me to obey, grounded me when I didn’t obey them, and all at once I began to understand what a great teacher and example she had always been to me. And I began to understand why there had to be rules and punishments. I feel I have become the person I am today because of my mother.
Whenever I got discouraged while raising my own children, mom would sometimes show up and take me out to breakfast or lunch and just get me away from it all for a short time. In times of Illness my mom always knew just what to do, I was constantly calling her for advise or a recipe, it was helpful sometimes just to hear her voice, then it seemed like all would be well in my world for a little bit.
I can remember getting sassy with mom one time and thinking I could just run away from her to escape punishment, I sadly found out that my Mom could run faster than I could.
A Few Things to Know about me
1. I grew up in Midvale Utah, My Parents are Orley Edwin Bills and Joy Bentley Bills
2. I have 2 Brothers, Orley Jr., Randy and One sister, Cheri there is 17 years difference in age between my sister and myself, I’m the oldest, and she’s the youngest
3. I have 5 children, from oldest to youngest they are
James Don, Jennifer Lynne (Bushman), Todd Allen, Shawn Micheal, and Kristi Dawn (Bassett)
4. 17 grandchildren with One more due in June
5. I have 2 great-grandchildren, Hayden Luke Bushman, And Jassalyn Genessy with a third on the way
6. I have red hair that is slowly turning Gray and lots of Freckles
7. I have two grandsons serving in the armed services
Nathan – Army, presently in Iraq
Joshua – Navy, Presently at boot camp in Chicago
8. I’ve been married for 47 years to the same wonderful man, Ivan Don Genessy
9. I love to travel
10. I belong to the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
11. I love to read, mostly science Fiction and Fantasy, sometimes my scriptures
12. I love going to Plays, I particularly enjoy funny plays or Musicals
13. My nickname, given to me by my grandfather is “Butch” Don’s nickname is also “Butch”
14. I love the Bristish comedy appeared on PBS, “Are You Being Served” Other Favorites are “The Red Green” Show, Keeping Up Appearances and “Red Dwarf”
15. I love to play on my computer, and have met many online buddies
16. I graduated from Jordan High School in 1961
17. I have many friends BUT My Best Friend is My husband. Don
2. I have 2 Brothers, Orley Jr., Randy and One sister, Cheri there is 17 years difference in age between my sister and myself, I’m the oldest, and she’s the youngest
3. I have 5 children, from oldest to youngest they are
James Don, Jennifer Lynne (Bushman), Todd Allen, Shawn Micheal, and Kristi Dawn (Bassett)
4. 17 grandchildren with One more due in June
5. I have 2 great-grandchildren, Hayden Luke Bushman, And Jassalyn Genessy with a third on the way
6. I have red hair that is slowly turning Gray and lots of Freckles
7. I have two grandsons serving in the armed services
Nathan – Army, presently in Iraq
Joshua – Navy, Presently at boot camp in Chicago
8. I’ve been married for 47 years to the same wonderful man, Ivan Don Genessy
9. I love to travel
10. I belong to the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
11. I love to read, mostly science Fiction and Fantasy, sometimes my scriptures
12. I love going to Plays, I particularly enjoy funny plays or Musicals
13. My nickname, given to me by my grandfather is “Butch” Don’s nickname is also “Butch”
14. I love the Bristish comedy appeared on PBS, “Are You Being Served” Other Favorites are “The Red Green” Show, Keeping Up Appearances and “Red Dwarf”
15. I love to play on my computer, and have met many online buddies
16. I graduated from Jordan High School in 1961
17. I have many friends BUT My Best Friend is My husband. Don
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