Friday, December 1, 2017

Dealing With Change

I am old.  I do not like change. 

When I was young, changes in routine were welcome.  The excitement of new places, new adventures, new people were all welcome.  Today.....not so much.

A few short weeks ago I saw my kids now and then, saw the grocery delivery guy twice a month and that was pretty much it.  And I liked it that way.  There are folks who feel the need to be surrounded by friends and family continually.  I am not one of them.   There are those who retire and then find themselves bored to death.  I am not one of those, either.  I have many interests - quilt making, crocheting, scrapbooking, reading, genealogy research, food preservation, etc.  Finding ways to occupy my time has never been a problem. 

Living alone and being alone have never bothered me.  I have often thought that in another life I might have made a pretty decent hermit.    As long as my kids and grands check in from time to time, I am happy. 

Then came the time when I had to reach out for help.  Now I still have the grocery delivery guy here every other Thursday afternoon.  Tuesdays and Fridays are reserved for the nurses who come in to deal with the care of my legs.  And yesterday I met with the lady who will be cleaning my apartment every Thursday morning.

It is like Grand Central Station, I tell ya!

I am grateful for the help.  And so far the people who flow in and out of my home seem like nice folks.  But I find that keeping my sense of humor in good working order seems to help.  My youngest son always teased me about checking my busy calendar to see if I was free on a specific day, knowing full well that I was free as a bird any day of the week.

It now appears the joke is on him.  :)

14 comments:

  1. I've been advising folks for decades that the only constant is change. That appears to have caught up with you; sorry.

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    1. Rev. Paul...Seems to me that one of the best ways to deal with this change is to keep my sense of humor intact. The fact that there are now a parade of people running in and out of my hermit cave does have its funny side.

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  2. What I'm noticing is time spent running to doctors, filling out papers a, getting meds before I run out and living on a monthly check. Aggravating!

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    1. I am with you on that, Gorges. I finally told my doctor I would see him once a year unless I was sick, so he could write my prescriptions for a year or I would find someone who would. With the condition of my legs and feet, it is just too difficult to get out to his office every few months. He finally did as I asked.

      I think the trick is to enjoy life as much as possible in between all the aggravations.

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  3. As usual when I read your blog, I can so relate. For me, it's trying to get together with my dear college friend. She is so busy and I have to remind her to check **her** calendar because I know mine is virtually empty.
    Humor and a smile can help when times get stressful, for sure.
    I don't understand those people who say 'I'll be bored in retirement'. I have the opposite challenge - there's so much I'd like to do but just don't have the energy to keep up.
    From yesterday's post - I read about an interesting food program in Phoenix AZ. It's called Produce on Wheels. Anyone in the area who shows up can participate. For $10, clients walk away with 60# on average of produce. Just bringing this up with the idea that your area might not have a nonprofit grocery store like my area does. But it might have something else entirely like the Phoenix area's Produce on Wheels.
    I hope your cleaning lady is as nice as the nursing help. Cheers, SJ

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    1. SJ...It sure does take some getting used to, having to schedule my time, but it really isn't that bad. The nurse is here about an hour, twice a week and the cleaning lady will be here 3 hours a week. The rest of the time is mine. I think it is mostly getting used to having people in and out of my home.

      Side note: I had to sort of chuckle when I realized that the procedure the nurse uses in caring for my legs is exactly the same as Duane and I have been doing for the past two years. So technically, I wouldn't have needed nursing care. But I will continue with it anyway. Duane gets stuck with doing things for me simply because he lives next door, so I can at least give him a break with the leg care.

      I have never understood how folks can be bored, either. I guess if a person has no outside interests that don't involve sitting in front of a TV, they might be bored. I have always had some sort of needlework to keep me busy. And like you, I once was busy with a garden. But even if I didn't have those things, I have always been able to get lost within the pages of a book. There are so many stories out there that a person can never run out of things to read about.

      That is an interesting program in Phoenix. Once the holidays are over I am going to see if I can find something similar here. It would be nice to be able to save a little cash on the food bill.

      Have yourself a lovely weekend. And give Dog a pet and a good ear scratch for me. :)

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    2. The dog is currently taking his morning nap and snoring quietly. As soon as I'm done reading my favorite blogs, we'll head out for our walk around the block. It's pouring here so I expect both our rain jackets will have to dry out in the shower.
      Try searching on 'senior nutrition programs' when you get to it. When my friend in Phoenix told me about the produce sale, I did that and found some other programs for her. She's on disability and also has a grandson living with her -so her budget is even tighter mine. She has a non-profit grocery store near her as well which I had forgotten about when I first told you about mine. So maybe those stores are more popular then I first thought.
      I would jump at getting 60 pounds of produce for $10. Also, it was $5 if you went to their warehouse to pickup.
      Have a cozy day! Cheers, SJ

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  4. I too don't like my routine being disrupted. There is no slowing down in retirement. Just re allotment of our time, energy, etc..You love the attention, and you know it...

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    1. I guess it is not so much having my routine disrupted, for I really don't have a routine. I think it is more getting used to having people around. But there are only three days out of the week when that happens, and the rest of the time is mine - all mine!

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    1. Mary...I don't know how some people get through life without a sense of humor. If I can't laugh, especially at my silly own self, then I might as well climb into bed, pull the covers up over my head and wait for the end.

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  6. Glad to hear the cleaning person got sorted out. It does sound like a busy schedule! Make sure to pencil in nap and reading time.

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    1. Jenn...I am relieved that all the ducks are finally all in a row. I am even more relieved to have the chores I find difficult being taken care of. The lady seems nice and has cleaning experience, so it should all work out. The important things like naps and reading times are already on the schedule. :)

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