JIM'S LITTLE BLOG

It's H(ard) to be old

God's ways

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A couple of old geezers here? No,

this is Dad, aka Grandpa, and me.

[click on pictuure to enlarge] . .

My dad is in a nursing home in Hiawatha, Iowa, just north of Cedar Rapids.

For being 96 years old, his health is good, but he is wearing out. At present he has a large sore on his foot that is isn't healing. He is on antibiotics but they don't seem to be working. One alternative may have been to amputate his leg but yesterday the orthopedic surgeon ruled him not to be a candidate for this surgery.

Getting old God's way

Yesterday I was in the grocery store and bumped into a couple of neighbors. Paul had just had a colonoscopy and was on his way home from his outpatient surgerical ordeal. We talked about this.

I asked, did they want me to bring his medicine home as the wait was over half hour. No, they would do it. Might I take Paul home while Mrs. Paul waited for his prescription? No, he felt like walking around and sitting didn't appeal to him right now.

So we talked. We talked about Paul, about me, Dad's predicament, and aging in general. I said that it was H(ard)* to be getting old--Paul is younger than me. Then we talked about modern technology and how people seem almost to be outliving their bodies.

Mrs. Paul said, well, maybe with that God is giving people more time to get right with God. I said yes, God gave us the ability to improve our lives through technology, and to live longer.

I conjectured that this longer life may be God's way to give us more time to come to Him. With the fast lane life (link for the words of the song) people live now, they haven't given God very much time or thought. So when our bodies are slowed down, then we will have time to turn to God if we haven't done that before.

Grandpa has been a Christian for many years. He is using his years serving God by helping others and telling people about God's love.

Plausible?

*I really did say it was hard getting old. In general I don't like to use the more common word, Hell. That might be denial of Hell, but I don't think so. I believe in Heaven and Hell, and that only Jesus Christ can save me from my sin that has condemned me to Hell. And that He has already done that. For me.

I just don't go around saying 'Hell this, Hell that.' That just isn't Jimmie. I should tell you about my grandpa, he had a lot of colorful words in his speech. I just don't, I'm known as Mr. Excitement, remember?

# posted by Jim : 2/10/2006 11:22:00 AM  8 comments

There is more:

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n) I take three medicines and three vitamins/minerals every morning. Adi is my helper with this. We are in the kitchen beside the sink. o) Before taking the first medicine I get a glass of water and eat one rectangular piece of graham cracker. Adi eats a small piece from one end. p) She waits patiently while I take the rest. I have a small routine [programmers, would this be a subroutine?] doing this so that I don't take one medicine twice or skip one. My secret is to take out of my shoe box the three pill bottles. As I take a medicine, I put the bottle back in the box. Can't go wrong that way. q) After the last pill, which is a generic EyeCap, we eat the other rectangular piece of graham cracker, just as we did the first. r) Next for Adi is 'breakfast.' . .That for me is one half package of two (i.e. one piece) pieces of granola bar and coffee. . .Mrs. Jim eats the other piece/half package. Adi waits for the granola bar ritual. s) I pour coffee for Mrs. Jim, who is now reading the paper or getting e-mail. Adi waits for the granola bar ritual. t) I open the granola bar package. Adi is still waiting. u) I eat one third of my granola bar piece. Adi gets a corner, about the size of a large pencil eraser. v) Mrs. Jim sips her coffee and has a one third piece of her granola bar. Adi gets a corner, about the size of a large pencil eraser, from Mrs. Jim. w) We repeat this procedure four more time, two each for Mrs. Jim and me, with Adi and her piece, and the granola bar is gone. Adi has had a total of six bits. x) Adi goes to the utility room to get a drink of water. y) Adi tries to get me to play toss and take-away with her and her teddy bear. z) Adi gets tired from playing teddy bear with me. Or she gives up trying to get me to play. I'm old, you know. aa) Adi gets in her breakfast room bed for a long nap. bb) If the sun is shining I always fix a blind so there is a sunny spot on the carpet and she sleeps there instead. That is Adi's morning ritual. Every morning except Sundays. On Sundays, the paper goes into the back of the car on our way to church so we don't do the front yard part. So on Sunday, Adi does her thing out back while I'm putting my shoes on, sitting in a rocker on the porch. Then we do the medicine/vitamin bit. I'll let you figure out which steps from above are omitted. There are additional steps. Adi goes in the utility room and gets into her 'kennel' with a treat. She eats the treat while I put the baby gate up. Adi takes a nap until we return. Ah, life in the fast lane. That is her and my routine. I thought it might get close to being 26 steps. So I was surpised when the list got to 28 discrete items (four of the granola bit were lumped into one, at step 'w') Of course at 9:30 or ten, Mrs. Jim and I have a sweet snack with coffee. I take another pill. Adi gets into this act also. Are you in the fast lane?

Labels: Adi, Adi Can, Eating, Family, Health, Humor, Procedure, Routine

# posted by Jim : 2/08/2006 12:54:00 AM  5 comments

Labels: e-mailings

# posted by Jim : 2/06/2006 09:59:00 AM  7 comments

Guess that is one of the dangers of Yuppie life.

# posted by Jim : 2/05/2006 03:22:00 PM  3 comments