Happy 35th Birthday to my Mother

My mother has Alheizemers. She is taking medicine to slow the progress down but in some ways it is not slowing down. She still knows who I am most of the time and can still talk to me, although she cannot reason any type of conversation. I went to visit her yesterday. I said to her that her birthday is next week. She said "really"? I could see the confusion. I ask her how old she would be and she did not know. I told her I thought she would be 35. She said "yes she would be 35" Now my mother has been 35 for 50 years and once again she will be 35. I ask if she wanted a birthday cake and she said she did. I ask if she would like pretty flowers and she also said she would. Now I know the day of her birthday she will not remember it is her birthday, but I am going to have pretty flowers sent to her at home. I am considering silk flowers so she will have them to look at for a really long time. Real flowers do smell nice though. I realize she will not remember who sent them but hopefully she can enjoy them.
I will also deliver in person a birthday cake. I hope on this day she does remember who I am and can enjoy a slice of her birthday cake and realize that it is her birthday.
Alheizermers is a terrible disease that robs the person of memories that help them to go on in life. It robs the people around them of the person that they love. The lady sitting there sleeping is not my mother. She lives in the shell that is my mother's body but the words that come out of her mouth are not things my mother would say. The confused look on her face is not one that my mother would have ever had. She remembered everyone and what they said. It is sad to watch and heartbreaking to know that one day she will not remember me.
For now we will celebrate her 35th birthday and hope she knows who we are and can enjoy her birthday.
Everyone have a wonderful week and please remember to tell the ones you love that you do love them.

This is a photo of my Mom celebrating one of her birthdays before she got me. I am sure she was not 35 in this picture.

Help With Barn Repairs

I had gutter repair at the barn yesterday. One of the horses had bumped it with their head and knocked it loose on one end, making rain wash over it and flood into one of the stalls. I went over with gutter nails and tools, ready to fix my problem. I do not have a ladder at the barn so found a feed bucket that I could stand on. Now equiped with all my tools I climb onto the feed bucket and go about working on this gutter. Gerald and Edward are the two kittens pictures above sitting in the feed trough. They were found in the woods where someone had thrown them out. Apparently they are very grateful for being rescued because they want to be held all the time. If you sit down they jump into your lap. If you stand up anywhere near the barn they begin to climp your leg, wanting you to hold them. Such grattitude is really amazing. How do you be mean to something that is that grateful to you????? (A side note, any of you who read my blog know who they are named after. With names like that, they are always going to be treated really good)
Also pictured above are the other babies that live in my pasture. Three of them weight around 1200 pounds each while the fourth weigh around 800 pounds.
While I am standing on the feed bucket, Gerry and Eddy are all around the bucket wondering what I am doing. Also standing around and getting closer and closer are the equine babies that live there. While I am holding a nail and hammering above my head, while standing on a feed bucket, Gerry and Eddy begin to climb up my legs (at this point I am so grateful I am wearing a thick pair of jeans) Next all the the other babies have gathered around so close to me and the bucket that I can reach out and touch each one of them. I should have used Sage to sit on and I would have been taller but not sure if any safer.
Once Missy bumped the bucket and I thought myself, Gerry and Eddy were about to go down, but I managed to save it. I worked about 30 minutes under these conditions. Several vehicles drove by and one even slowed down to look closer. I had a cat hanging from each leg with very large animals all around me. Must have been a real sight.
The gutter was repaired and I am happy to say worked perfectly yesterday when we had a rain shower. Made me feel so proud.
I also am thinking that I should invest in a small step ladder. At least when I am knocked off the ladder I will not have to hear about why I should not be standing on a bucket.
Everyone have a wonderful day and tell the ones you love that you do love them. We never know what the future holds.

Revenge???

"Revenge is beneath me; but accidents do happen"  I read this on the internet recently. It sticks in my head. Funny, but sort of true in a southern kind of way. I also remember hearing from childhood, "I do not get mad, I just get even". Once again, funny but a little bit of truth in such a statement.
Do we go out and seek justice by getting revenge. If the truth be told, yes most of us have done this once or twice in our lifetime. In my younger years, I have looked for revenge and even gotten it maybe once or twice. Seemed more important in my younger years.
Now I really do try to live my the motto: "If a person talks mean to you or treats you badly, it is a reflection of them, not a reflection of you." Very wise words and certainly ones we could take lesson in. But friends, "My attitude toward you is a direct reflection of how you treat me" is also words that I have posted on my desk and I must admit I do believe them.
I am not upset with anyone nor do I feel the need to get even as one calls it. Just really thought it worth mentioning that "Revenge is beneath me but accidents do happen" really sticks in my head on this day and I have a feeling that I will remember the words for a long time. Makes me smile just thinking about them.
Thank you for reading and please tell the ones you love that you do love them.

Sure hope it rains

Sure hope it rains. It has rained every day for 4 weeks straight. I would hate to think it might not rain just a few more days. I have so much mud at the barn that the poor animals would not know how to walk on dry ground. Hoofs are cracking and breaking off. What do I do; put plastic garbage bags on their feet. It is an idea but not a good one.
I am seriously begining to think about a large enough boat to get my family and animals on so we can at least have something dry to walk on. It would have to be LARGE.
It is really hot in the south west and really wet in the south east. Would be great if there was a nice balance and we could share with each other.
One of the horses fell in the mud and cut her knee, causing blood and torn skin. Now we have another wound to keep clean and hope does not get infected. She cannot help it. Walking around in that kind of mud makes me fall. When she falls it is 1200 lbs coming down and that scraps knees.
If it does dry out and I complain about no rain at some point please remind me of this post.
Everyone have a great day and please tell the ones you love that you do love them. thanks for reading.