A visit to the nursing home where my mother is now is always interesting.  I never can be sure of  what I'll find.  She is 89 now, getting more and more confused, and is completely bedridden and needing to be taken care of.  She never knows one day from the next, or one hour from the next, for that matter.  She doesn't remember who was there to see her usually, or when I had been there last, or even where she is.  That is a blessing now, because she is just content and comfortable, not worried or agitated about anyone or anything.

This morning, I went to see her mid-morning.  I rarely go in the mornings - I usually go in the afternoons, but I hadn't been there since Thursday, and I can't go this afternoon.  She was fine, asleep as usual, but she woke up alert enough to talk to me.  I chatted about how Jim and I went away overnight for our anniversary and that he couldn't come tonight (he always goes on Monday nights while I am at my study group when possible),   I told her he was away at a meeting in South Carolina and she asked me where that was.  Then she told me that the ceiling has been leaking ( I asked the CNA's who said it hadn't).

I have recently been chatting back and forth on Facebook with one of my cousins, who was very close to our family all of my growing up years.  We were talking about our other cousins, who were from New Jersey, who my mother stopping staying in touch with many, many years ago.  Long story there.  I decided to try to search them out, and I found an address online that I have written to, but I don't know if that is really the right connection.  Anyway, I asked my mother about them, and she looked at me, obviously clueless.  Ok, no help there - I don't have a married last name for one of them.  She had absolutely no idea who or what I was talking about.

But then a very nice thing happened that made me very thankful.  Her CNA came in to do my mother's morning care.   This particular CNA, a very happy and pleasant young woman,  told me she had been off for a week.  My mother's face brightened up see her, and she smiled.  The CNA was telling her that she had been off, and was now so happy to see her (my mother) again. 

So, that tells me that my mother is getting good care from people who she likes.  She is pleasantly unaware that she could have been up and about but refused to do so or that as of next month, the one thing she was always afraid would happen will happen - her money is gone and she will be on Medicaid, or that life goes on around her as she lays in that bed, sleeping.

Jim and I had our 32nd anniversary this past Thursday.  He told me to pack an overnight bag - that we were going somewhere Friday night.  But it was a surprise!  I knew that it was a little over an hour away, that we would leave after he came home from work Friday, and that I should pack casual clothes. 

This is where we went! 

                                    

It is a Bed and Breakfast called Osceola Mill Country Inn.  It used to be a mill, and part of the McCormick Farm.

                                    

There is a lovely dining room where breakfast is served, but also where there is a restaurant on the weekends, so we had reservations to eat dinner there.   It was wonderful!  Here are some views of the entrance and the restaurant -

                                                

                                   

                                   

It was very rustic and quaint.  Our room was called the Paddock Room -

                                   

Outside is the old steel wheel from when it was a mill -

                                   

It was all very nice, and the owner was friendly and did everything to make the guests comfortable.  It was raining, raining, raining, so we didn't get a chance to walk around the grounds.

Saturday, we drove around the area, visited antique shops and small towns - all in the pouring rain.  By late afternoon, the rain was getting lighter, and finally stopped.  We drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway from Lexington to Roanoke.  We stopped at this little gift shop -

                                  

Here is Jim walking in -

                                  

Then on to Peaks of Otter, which is a lodge/restaurant/hiking area.   So close to home, and we had never been there!

                                  

We just wanted to do a little walking on an easy trail that would allow us to finish in time to have an early dinner.  We chose the Elk Run Trail, which is .8 miles, which was still quite wet from the rain, but was beautiful.  Here is a picture of a creek that runs through it -

                                   

Looks a little dark and muddy, but the trail wasn't bad, and the area was pretty.   And then the batteries in my camera ran out, so no picture, but we were within 10 ft of two beautiful deer that didn't care that we were there - they were eating and looking at us as we passed by!

Dinner at the Peaks of Otter restaurant was very nice.  After replacing the batteries in my camera, I could get a picture out of the window that we were sitting next to -

                                   

It was a lovely weekend - one night away was perfect!

                                   

                                  

Potty training a dog who is housebroken already!  That's what we are doing with Luna now.  She is pretty well housebroken, but a service dog needs to learn to potty when and where her person needs and tells her to.  It is not enough to let her out or take her on walks.  So, here is what we have been doing for the last week and a half, as best as we can.  Betsy needs to take Luna outside, on leash, wait 5 mins, then bring her back in.  She stays in her crate most of that time in between these 5 minute outings.  This gets repeated every half hour or more, depending on what all is going on here.   The problem is that Luna doesn't like to go potty when she is suppose to!  And so she waits, and waits, and waits.  Yesterday, Betsy really had the whole day to work on this without giving in to her.  This dog did not go potty since 9:00 the night before - until 11:00 last night.  And she drank water all day.  Today, it started again, but Sundays are busier.  So, Jim and I helped, and between the 3 of us, we kept taking Luna out, wait 5 mins, put her back in her crate.  By 8:00 tonight, we were a little slow - and she did not make it out.  So, I guess we have lost another battle.  Makes you wonder whether we're the ones being trained or her.

The problem is that this is essential in determining if Luna will be a hearing dog.  If she were just a pet, there would be no problem; she loves to be outside.  But, a service dog needs to go potty before needing to work, for however long they are working.

Give me 10 children to potty train - potty training this dog is about to make me a crazy woman!

Yesterday, at her class, Luna got promoted from Level 1 to Level 2!  She is so smart, seems to enjoy working with Betsy, and is such a sweet dog -

                          

                          

Next time she'll be doing more difficult work!

Today was Amanda and Sam's 5th anniversary!  So, Jim and I babysat while they went out for dinner.  It got a little hectic around here with 2 dogs and 2 children before he got home from work!  We are still keeping Luna and Minuette apart, and I usually keep the kids and the dogs apart because Charlie has been afraid of them.  But he has gotten brave lately!  He walks up near Luna, and he gets very excited to see her and sign DOG and then her sign name!  Tonight, first Minuette was out, and the kids were in -

                           

Then it was time for Megan to take a little nap and for me to start dinner.  So, Megan fell asleep right on time -

                            

                            

I got dinner started - hot dogs, green beans,

                            

                            

And I had macaroni and cheese and french fries.  That's what this 2 yr-old likes when he comes to Grandma's!

                             

Grandpa got home, we ate dinner, Megan woke up and I gave her a bottle, and then Grandpa got to play!  Charlie is signing sooooo many new words that Grandpa got to see!  And he signed GRANDPA PLAY WITH ME PLEASE! 

                             

                             

Megan's turn -

                              

                              

Jim says he looks like he's asleep here, but he is really looking down at the book!

                              

Eventually, Luna had to be outside and so Minuette had to come inside.  She was very calm and sat in her chair!  At one point, Charlie even went over and petted her!  Didn't have my camera ready for that one!

                              

Then, Mommy and Daddy came home, we got everything cleaned up and it is too quiet around here now!

                              

Luna got all A's, so to speak, in class last night!  The program we are going to will end up with her getting her Canine Good Citizen certificate, and there are 4 Levels that the dogs have to pass.  Luna just has to do one more thing to pass her Level 1 class and move into Level 2!  The teacher said that she thought one more class will do it!  We go again tomorrow at 10 AM.  Fortunately, there are lots of classes throughout the week at different times of the day, so we can go around Betsy's work schedule.

While Luna is taking these dog obedience classes, she will also begin her hearing dog training.  We will do that privately with our trainer, the owner of this doggy school, who has had many years of experience in training service dogs of all kinds.  I don't know what is involved in that at all - we are still evaluating Luna for a whole month to see how she does in many areas.

So many of my xanga friends have shown an interest in our training of Luna!  And wondering what a hearing dog will do for Betsy.

Betsy has a bilateral profound hearing loss, meaning it is equally bad in both ears.  She can hear some sounds with her hearing aids turned way up, and she can read lips and sign.  A hearing dog will help her do what her ears cannot.  When someone calls her name, if Betsy isn't facing them or looking right at them, she doesn't know it.  A dog would alert her to the sound of her name.  She would alert her to sounds like the doorbell, a knock on the door, the smoke alarm, the oven beeping, a siren - whatever sounds Betsy chooses to have the dog taught to respond to.  The dog is suppose to alert Betsy and lead her to the sound.

When we first looked into hearing dogs, we tried the well known places, like St. Francis of Assisi.  We quickly found out that those places that train dogs to be hearing dogs and then place them with a person have very, very long waiting lists and are very expensive.  They have rules like not having another dog in the home, not moving from the state you have applied to get the dog in, etc.  Some will not allow placement of dogs where there are hearing people living in the home.  There just aren't enough dogs to go around, I guess.

Then we learned about private service dog trainers!  And, by the providence of God, as we do not believe anything happens that is accidental, a friend of mine who is a quilter, who I know from quilt camp and from some of my other stitching groups, was sitting next to me one day in a stitching group talking about a service dog trainer they had recently been in touch with.  This friend, who knew we were looking into a hearing dog for Bets, has a young daughter who has recently been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.  They are interested in a service dog who will detect low blood sugar.  She knew that the trainer they were using has a lot of experience with hearing dogs!  So, I called Karen, owner of Field of Dreams,  a dog obedience school.  She came to meet with us and began helping us search for a dog that she would then work with us to train!  That is how we found Luna.

Luna wasn't an expensive dog because she was a rescue dog, from a group called Saving Furry Friends.  She is a full Australian Shepherd, between 1 1/2 and 2 years old, has been spayed, and has had all her shots.  We paid a donation to Saving Furry Friends.  The cost that is involved comes from all the normal things you need for a dog and then the training.

More about Luna as her evaluation and training continue!

Today was piano lesson day!  I hadn't seen the kiddos in a week, and I was so glad to have them over today!  The camera, again, Grandma???

                             

Megan loves to just sit in her seat and watch Charlie play -

                             

She wasn't too happy when he walked away -

                             

But then he came back and she smiled a little!

                             

Charlie brought out lots of stuffed animals for her to look at -

                             

Here he is holding up Clifford for the camera -

                             

Mr. Potato Head lost his face!

                             

And then Charlie was fixing him up again -

                             

Life is so much better now that I can get these fingers in my mouth!

                             

After Amanda's students are all finished, it is Grandma's turn to get a piano lesson!  Amanda is teaching me - it's quite an interesting lesson with Charlie and Megan downstairs with us.  They are very good for that half hour!  Usually we give Charlie something to snack on, and he has toys to play with, and sometimes he plays the piano too!  I am in the 2nd Bastien book of Piano for Adults, and I'm almost finished that book, actually!  This week, I'm playing "Rondo Alla Turca," by Mozart - for any of you who know music - and from another book of Intermediate Selections, I am playing "Bourlesq", by Mozart, and "Melody," by Schumann.

Luna had another class today -

                            

She looks a little funny there, but she is standing in her little cubby area with Betsy, waiting for instructions.  Next to her was this dalmation -

                           

                           

Luna was so much better today than she has been in the previous classes she's been to - she must be getting used to it -

                           

                           

This is dark, but it is the owner of the place, Karen, who is the trainer we are using, taking her newest Aussie mix through her classwork!

                          

                          

The classes are held in a large metal building - hot and noisy!

                          

Here Betsy has Luna's attention -

                          

She had to practice sitting, standing, and then standing up again -

                         

Good girl, Luna!

                         

We are going to work with Luna all month on not only basic obedience training, but on listening for sounds, and then other aspects of being a service dog - like NOT barking at other dogs who approach.  At the end of the month, Karen will decide whether she thinks that Luna will be able to be trained to be a hearing dog.

This is getting too long, but someone did ask me what all a hearing dog will do for Betsy, and if usually, one doesn't get a service dog already trained.  More about all that next time!

Yesterday, while Suzanne was still home and Betsy had a day off work, we decided to have a stitching day, and we invited my friend, Ruth, to come over. 

Here is Suzanne - she is working on a small punch embroidery project she picked up to learn how to do it -

                                       

                                       

And Betsy, who is working on a cross stitch project -

                                       

                                       

And Ruth, who is working on an heirloom embroidery project for her embroidery guild -

                                       

                                       

And she showed us a quilt top she had recently finished -

                                       

And then, of course, there was Luna, who was being a sweet dog -

                                       

                                       

She loved having her tummy scratched while she was under that table -

                                       

                                       

And then she moved onto the couch with Betsy -

                                      

                                      

Last night was Luna's first dog obedience class.  She did pretty well.  Her attention span is not as long as the class was, so she lost her focus after about half the class.  But Betsy has been working on those first skills with her at home today.  The early commands she learns are to focus when Bets calls her name, to sit, and to lay down.  Just the normal things.  A trip to the vet today determined that she is very healthy, and is at a good weight, and is between 1 1/2 and 2 years old.

We are keeping Minuette and Luna apart.  They haven't yet met.  It is taking some coordination to do that, but it will be the best thing for all of us, people and dogs!  Minuette, who does not socialize easily and would demonstrate all of her bad behavior, stays upstairs on the main floor of the house and goes outside on our upstairs run.  Luna stays downstairs where most of the bedrooms are and there is a very large family room, and she gets put outside from there, or takes walks with Betsy (and whoever else is around).  It was recommended to us that we not allow Minuette to teach Luna bad habits, like barking at everyone and everything that moves outside and lunging at the windows when she sees something.  So far so good!

                                       

                                       

Today, Betsy and Suzanne and I rode to a farm near Floyd, VA, where there is a foster care for dogs - a woman who has several rescue dogs waiting for homes.  One was an Australian Shepherd named Luna.  She is between 1 and 2 years old -

                                   

                                     

We were there to see whether Luna seems like she would make a good hearing dog for Betsy.  The woman who is a local dog trainer, Karen, was evaluating Luna for lots of different things, which would determine if, with the proper training, Luna can become a hearing dog.

Here is Karen looking over Luna -

                                       

Luna is such a sweet dog!  We all loved her right away!  She came when her name was called, she was friendly and sweet, and we got to know her a little bit while Karen did some work with her, walked her around with her own dog that she brought, watched how she was with Betsy, etc.

                                        

                                       

                                       

Karen tried a service dog vest on her just to see how she does with a vest on -

                                       

                                       

As a hearing dog, she would wear orange - a fact I didn't know until recently - all hearing dogs wear orange vests, collars, and leashes.

So, we brought Luna home with us!  She and Betsy will go to dog obedience training classes for a couple of weeks before Karen works with her on sounds.  And they will just hang out together!  She can't go everywhere with Betsy until she becomes a hearing dog-in-training and gets her orange vest!

Here are some of the peaches we canned today -

                                         

We now have 14 quarts and 9 pints - to split between my house and Amanda's.  I'm really the only one here who eats peaches, so she can have most of them, and we still have some left from last year.  She and Sam and Charlie love them!

But what a day it was!  Let me start with last night - Amanda called yesterday to tell me she wasn't feeling well, had gotten a cold that Charlie and Megan had earlier in the week, and a fever, and she didn't think she would make it for canning peaches.  That left me and Suzanne, and I really needed to do something with the peaches I had bought, so that was going to be ok.  I got everything all ready, as I always do the night before canning - clean up the kitchen counters, replace my nice cook top inserts for the old electric ones that already are stained, wash all the jars and lids, etc, put all the pots and the canner in place.

So, here is how today went:

8:00 AM  Betsy leaves for work.    Suzanne and I take my car to a nearby service place to leave it for some things that needed done.
8:30 - I start filling up the canner with water, make the syrup, get my assembly line ready for boiling water, ice water, cutting boards, etc.
9:00 - Amanda calls and says she'll try to make it after she feeds Megan, and Suzanne and I get started.
10:00 - Amanda arrives with the kids and starts helping to cut peaches. 
10:30 - a serviceman from our cable company calls and says he can come look at our internet problem now - that was good news - I had called them yesterday because we have had problems all week.  Just as I am signing the papers, when he was finished, with Amanda and Suzanne working on the peaches, and Charlie crying because he was afraid of the man, the doorbell rings - it is the Fed Ex man with a package I have to sign for - Charlie is even more afraid, and our dog, who was outside for all of this, is barking and barking!
Somewhere during this time, Suzanne started getting hives all over her arms.  Now, let me back up and say that Suzanne has been allergic to peaches for years now, and doesn't eat them, but has had no trouble helping us can them.  But, now it appears she is allergic to touching them and the juice from them!  And the hives were spreading and her eye began itching and getting red.  So, I give her a benedryl and she played with Charlie.  By now it was close to noon.
12:00 - Betsy comes home and tells us about her morning and plays with Charlie, entertains Megan who woke up from her nap.  Amanda is feeling worse and Megan was really fussy, so after we gave Charlie some lunch, Amanda took the kids and went home to nap.
12:30 - By now I am working on the peach-making process alone - Betsy went somewhere or other, and Suzanne was not able to help me, so she got on the internet and researches allergies - and she learned a lot about hers.  We were amazed at all the information she was getting on the other fruit and things she is allergic to!
1:30 - I am still canning, and during the second 30-min processing, I ate lunch and called the car place.  The car was ready.  I was getting tired and wondered how I was going to finish up the peaches I still had all by myself.  I always have Amanda's help, and sometimes, several other people!
2:00 - I took a break when those jars came out, and we drove to the car place, got my car, and when we got home, Suzanne's benedryl was really making her sleepy, so she took a nap.
2:30 - I took a 45 -min break, then started in again.
4:00 - I am cutting peaches when Amanda called and said she felt better after they had all taken naps and could come after she fed Megan.  Betsy came in and told me she had gotten a phone voice message that she couldn't hear and would I listen to it - it is the insurance co who want more info about Betsy's hearing loss before they will process her new health insurance.  I call them back, but of course they can't talk to me until Bets gives them permission, so we go through all that and I talk to them. 
5:00 - Amanda and kiddos come back, and I am still cutting peaches because the whole process with all the interruptions was taking a long time!  She helped me and we finished them up, turned on the timer for processing, and decided on Chinese take-out for dinner.
6:00 - Finally, the peaches were all out of the canner!  Sam had arrived, Betsy left, Charlie started lining his trucks up across the floor, and I went to pick up the Chinese food!  After dinner, I was still cleaning up from the peaches but by now Grandpa was here to play too!  So, I at least got the dishes cleaned up and the worst of the sticky peach juice off the floor!
8:00 - Amanda, Sam and kids left - and I looked at the clock - it had never taken me 12 hours to can a bushel and half of peaches before!

So, that was my day!  There is never a dull moment around here!  I didn't get to the nursing home, and I haven't been there since Tuesday - I'll do that tomorrow afternoon.  Talked to the nurse yesterday and all was well.

My daughter Suzanne gave me a wonderful surprise!  She made me this cross stitched picture -

 
                               

It is from a book of cross stitch quilt scenes by Paula Vaughan called "Quilts for All Seasons."  Years ago - probably 10 or 12 years ago - my mother-in-law gave me that book as a gift.  I wanted to make the scenes that were from all of our birthday months.  I started with January, which is my birthday month, but it was a difficult pattern and as my eyes were getting older, I was having a lot of trouble seeing to do that intricate cross stitch, so I had done quite a bit of it, but Suzanne finished it for me.  Here it is - it does hang on a hallway wall, waiting for the other ones to be done -

                               

                               

I stopped cross stitching for all these years so the others never were made.  But Suzanne decided to make the February one and surprise me!  Here is another view of it -

                               

I love it!  Now I can get it framed and hang it next to the other one (which I took down to take the picture).  And I think after the holidays come and go I will try to start the next of our birthday months, which is April - Suzanne's birthday is that month, and now Megan's is too!