The Battle for the Last Post: BATTLE FORTY FIVE

[RhymeLovingWriter]

I found another monster zucchini last night when checking out the garden. It had been missed and I can't for the life of me figure out how??

[Emmy]

This last week has been kinda rough. Working a 7 day stretch (including one night where I had to work till 11, then be back at 7am), a tough therapy session, and my daughter came down with a double ear infection, on top of losing an family member to Alzheimer's, plus the one-year anniversary of a dear friend's passing (they died from advanced esophageal cancer that was found only a week before). I am ready for a break.

[Emmy]

I think I'm going to put in for a week of PTO sometime next month. I love my job, but it can be very emotionally and mentally taxing. I don't know that I'll necessarily go anywhere, but I can use that time to take care of some projects around the house, and just have some time to myself.

[Catz]

A very necessary thing, Emmy - especially after a 7 day work week. You are impressive. I won't complain when I can't take my daily break now lol

[Catz]

Prayers for your little one!

[Catz]

I found another monster zucchini last night when checking out the garden. It had been missed and I can't for the life of me figure out how??

That happened when I was visiting my grandparents last year. I stayed outside because of the whole pandemic thing and my mom went in to help organize. I decided to admire my grandpa's grapevine, then I noticed his lovely roses, continued on his little concrete path to where his zucchini plant was. He had a massive one growing there. I was so impressed I took a few photos.

My grandpa decided to come outside and water. I called my mom over to check out the gourd. My grandpa came over and was shocked he missed it. He was disappointed because he said it was no good. I don't know if that's true or not. My grandma said it would be good to stew or grill, don't remember which lol

[Catz]

I have nothing growing out of my garden by the way But the new chicks and ducklings are enough to keep me from being too disappointed in the garden. I keep checking it. Thought I saw signs of tomatoes once, but I was wrong.

[Catz]

I work from home. Sometime this afternoon, my larger cat - Master Bruce - snuck into the pantry. I'm thinking it happened on my lunch break since that was when I went into the pantry last. He was in there for a little over an hour, I think.
I just decided to take a coffee break while on the phone with my sister. I went downstairs and ran into my other cat who I noticed was acting unusual. Very immediately clingy. He normally isn't unless I am sitting or sleeping.

As I made my way to the kitchen, my clingy cat trots to the pantry door and starts purring. I walked over to grab my chai mix from the pantry, opened the door, and there right in the middle, sat my large fluffy cat. He popped up and trotted out the door. My other cat bumped heads with him and they walked off into the living room. Fortunately, Master Bruce did not get into anything. It appears he fell asleep on the grocery bags.

[RhymeLovingWriter]

Sounds like you are having some fun "cat-ventures". The antics of animals would make a great topic for a poetry anthology, don't you think?

[Emmy]

Loooong couple of weeks. Picked up whatever bug my daughter had, and was sick enough to warrant missing a day and a half of work (a feat since we have to find our own coverage) and getting a COVID test. I was negative for COVID thankfully, but whatever upper respiratory bug I had has really kicked my butt. The worst of it was last Wednesday-Friday, and I still don't feel back to 100 percent.

On top of that, my mom was hospitalized with pneumonia a couple weeks ago. At her follow-up appointment after discharge, her doctor was very blunt with her: her COPD is at a point where there really isn't anything else they can do, so she needs to have her affairs in order. She is on oxygen 24/7 at a rate of 6L per minute. Anything higher is the equivalent of what a ventilator puts out. So we've been having to have some very hard conversations about her final wishes. It may not be a soon thing, and her doctor didn't give a time frame. But eventually either her lungs will not be able to inflate and she will suffocate, or her heart will give out from the strain.

[RhymeLovingWriter]

Oh Emmy...that is a LOT to handle. I think your plan for PTO is a wise one, however you spend it.

I hope you recover fully soon so you're better able to deal with things. If you still live in the same area, I know no less than four people who are dealing with very similar symptoms, two of them relatives.

As for your Momma and her situation, I will add her and your intentions to my prayer list...for peace, wisdom, compassion, and courage.

Life is hard...but you're not alone.

Peace, sweet poetess friend.

[RhymeLovingWriter]

Storms and loss of electricity. One elderly relative taking a serious fall and hospitalized. Two children sick with something that's hanging on (NOT the virus a pandemic, if test results are accurate). Stage of the world littered with catastrophe (both man and nature made). Lack of civil discourse.

How do YOU keep your balance and foster hope?

I pray a lot, do good deeds, read positive stories, break big goals into smaller pieces to get a sense of accomplishment along the way, exercise...or at least move regularly (using the timer function on my watch helps), examine my conscience several times a day, limit consumption of negative media, work on improving my sleep habits...

Whoever reads this...know I've said a prayer for you, your life situation, your loved ones.

[DepressingPoem]

I'm practically the opposite i care to much but say nothing hide from the world I can't talk half the time so i just walk away from people i never pray or exercise although i do examine my state of mind often... I'm an oddball and like the gray sheep and all the black and white sheep argue about whos i am

[Emmy]

It's been an exhausting couple of weeks. Never fully kicked the crud I had earlier in August, and ended up with a nasty case of bronchitis. I'm finally on an antibiotic so hopefully I'll start feeling better soon. My daughter (who will be 10 months old on Friday!) is getting her top two front teeth in, and boy is teething kicking our butts this time. Grumpy, lots of screaming and crying, refusing bottles...oof. And my mom is back in the hospital again, this time with a UTI and pneumonia. What started off as her falling at home and my dad calling EMS to help get her back up turned into her becoming completely incoherent within just a few minutes. Apparently home health asked for a urine sample last week and it showed a UTI but for some reason, either the results never got sent to her doctor, or her doctor forgot to call in an antibiotic. But this last round of issues has shown that it's not safe for my mom to be at home anymore. My dad can't take care of her by himself. So she will be going into a nursing home once we find an opening and she is able to be discharged from the hospital.

A ray of sunshine, though: my brother and his girlfriend found out they're having a baby boy! I'm going to have a nephew! And the choir I'm in started rehearsals 3 weeks ago. It's been such a wonderful thing to be back singing with people again.

[RhymeLovingWriter]

Emmy So glad you found a ray of sunshine in otherwise cloud-littered days. Of all the stages of growth for children, teething times were some of the most trying. Just remember...this too, shall pass.

Many areas of the U.S. (perhaps the world, although I don't follow global weather trends) have too MUCH rain, but we were in a drought status where I live in the midwest, and we are having wonderful rain showers today...feeling SO thankful for that.

Moderate showers w/out storms, family members feeling better, and our relative is recovering from the fall...all good things.

As for the world stage and saga - still shaking my head and disappointed in people currently in positions of authority (no way to label as leaders by any charitably objective standard).