The Caregiver’s Tales
Tiny essays on life, nature, grief and other things that catch my fancy in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s how it all got started.
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- .River 1
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- A Resolution 1
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One Day
I like the sound of rain on my metal roof. The sound of hail, however, is different. It sounds exactly like someone dumping a bucket of rocks on my roof.
Another Learning
I had an epiphany yesterday. As I changed the sheets on my bed, I thought perhaps I should change the pillow shams as well. After all, they sit there every day collecting dust. So, maybe they should be washed.
Valentine’s Day
My strongest Valentine’s Day memory is from the first grade in 1953. We lived in Oceanside California. My father was stationed at Camp Pendleton. My grandfather back in Texas had just died on the 11th.
The Way of Things
Another project is in the books. The accent wall in the bedroom is painted and the bed is moved to it’s third location in the last fifteen years.
Continuity
I’m still at it. Yesterday I went through all the dressers, desks, and cabinets to pull out picture frames. Some had pictures, but most were empty. I dispersed the nice frames to the kids.
New Things
Here’s an odd thing I’ve noticed in my journey of recovery from the illness and the loss of my wife. Sports are once again interesting, particularly when there’s a story involved, a story such as the emergence of the Detroit Lions as a winning team, having won nothing for a long time.
Loss and Recovery
The death of my friend this week got me thinking about the death of my wife. A natural progression. It’s been three and a half years since she died.
Dishes, Dishes
Dishes. I have dishes. It’s amazing the variety of dishes a couple can collect in 50 years of marriage while raising three kids. We have three sets of China.
Penultimate Day
The approach to the new year has slowed a bit. It’s still two days away, and while I know I’m going to reassess my budget next year that’s about the only thing I know for sure. Today feels like a big pause…
Shifting Currents
Almost bought an angel. Did buy a Santa. Angels were my wife’s thing, until they weren’t. One Christmas she said no more angels. I guess we were full up. Santa’s just appeared, irregularly. So, it wasn’t very strange for me to buy a Santa.
New Tomorrow
This new epoch of mine, the Guadalupian, which came to me after I reached the top of Guadalupe Peak last month is proving to be quite the thing.
In Pursuit
Finished decorating the Christmas tree yesterday. Wrapped it with gold tinsel garland and hung the ornaments.
Reset
I hate to say anything before it happens, because sometimes talking about something before you do it dooms the plan to failure…
Part Five: Going Home
Friday dawned cold and wet. We were all up early and ready to go. We’d had a good three days, but there was one more day left.
Part Four: The Springs
Tomorrow. It came. Wet and cold. Clouds swarmed down and hung over the hills as if to say, enough, you’ve thought about us enough. Time to move on. And we did.
Part Three: The Canyon
Ah, sleep. On the morning of the second day, the grimness and exhaustion of the previous evening began to fade away with coffee and comradery.
Part One: The Summary
What a trip what a year.
If Memory Serves
If you’d like a good example of how faulty memory can be. I have an example for you.
Star Light
Travel day. The road awaits. Friends are at the end. And music. But if I’m honest. It’s the friends that count. The one with whom I’ll travel, and those we’ll both soon see.
Week One
Here I sit in my second floor room in my daughter’s home looking out the window into their backyard. The house is quite. I’m quite. In a few moments, we’re getting close to seven a.m., the waking will start.