Hymns and the Ritual of Blogging

Since my husband died four months ago, there has been less traffic on this blog and am not sure who actually wants to read it. Or maybe I have less issues to write about. I have six ideas in draft form. I do put bits and pieces on the Facebook Like page for this blog regularly--actually several each week--I wrote about a random act of kindness there recently. But what about this blog? What do you readers want on this blog? 

One issue that came to my attention was how hymns can reach the care receiver.  See the link HERE. 

Richard Gunderman writes about an old gentleman who came to life with the "ritual" of worship. That care receiver suddenly broke forth in song. 

God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you. 

Ritual–in this case, as in others, a familiar hymn–had transformed an otherwise hopeless recipient of care into someone quite different. At least for those few minutes, he had become a human being capable of reaching out and caring for others, a beacon of light and joy to everyone.

I did not think of my husband enjoying hymns near the end of his life as a ritual, however, Mr. Gunderman, but as worship. I do miss our worshipping together with listening to hymns in the master bedroom. Great Is Thy Faithfulness was a favorite one. I had moved the boom box into the bedroom and I used it to play hymns on CDs. That boom box is now back in the den and it would be a grief issue to use it now as I sit in the den writing this post.  

Blogging has been a main ritual for me. I do have two other blogs--one theological and one on my teaching of DUI classes, but Plant City Lady and Friends has always been my main blog, my ritual. I guess in the throws of grieving I am attempting to find my voice again. Hope to get that ritual of blogging back. 

Meanwhile, I am enjoying my daily Scripture that has sustained me over the years. I email five social media friends Scripture each day and several of them email back their Scripture. I returned to Weight Watchers and see slow progress there. I email four caregivers encouragement each day. I am tutoring Esteban and substitute teaching and as usual am teaching an occasional class for DUI offenders. Life goes on. A cruise is planned for me as a guest of a family member. The grave headstone has been placed and artificial flowers are now on the grave. 

God is taking care of me, but it is 
not His ritual--His care is my hope. 

Master Bedroom Finished for Now

Ziggy's Stuff

November 20th I showed more of the mess in the fourth area to be organized--the master bedroom.  This room is finished for now. It is not perfect, but so much improved. I will be moving on to the living room next week.

While I was working here one day, dog Ziggy seemed to work with me. He found dog food on the floor to clean up (he ate it) and took out and organized some of his toys by his bed. I think this dog is bright. Hubby's stuff was left "as is" to capitalize on his abilities to function in stage one of Alzheimer's. He never was really messy anyway and in our wonderful walk-in closet he hangs up his clothes on his side and knows where to get them. It's me and my area of the room that had to change as you might see if you click on that red November 20 above.

Before



After





You can see at the above left that I have closets stuffed with clothes and it was hard to see what I had to wear and so I would keep wearing the same things often. (At first I had that clothes rack pictured at the very bottom left!) Instead at the right I have a top shelf for accessories, a middle shelf for tops I am currently wearing and the bottom self for slacks I am currently wearing. In back of the desk are two stacked bins for clothes I am not currently wearing. You can't see these bins, but they are located right where I would put them up in the closet or in the drawers. Until The House That Cleans Itself I never considered putting clothes away in bins because we live in such a mild climate here in Florida. Clothes to donate were put in the car. Some material from clothes that are too big will be used in quilts planned if it fits that project.

We are truly blessed with this large master bedroom, but the house does not have some storage. Below left  you see a player box and CD music that used to be in the den. Music is so important for the Alzheimer's patient. A TV is also pictured. However, there are suitcases at the left that do not need to be out in our bedroom. Instead. they have been tucked into the corner below right behind that rocker on my husband's side of the bed.



Before



After



What needs to be done since I began here November 3rd? There is a nice mirrored vanity between matching cabinets and it needs an electrical plug for curlers and a hair dryer instead of the extension cord I use; maybe when the house was built in the early 1960s women didn't use these. That will call for an electrician. The curtains need to be washed and the rugs cleaned. I mentioned sorting through my clothes after I finish losing weight. There are too many books in the house and a book collection from the bedroom and the den is now temporarily in the living room. The book case below still needs work, and a "blanket stand" hides books below. I am giving you the before and after in this corner and ready to move on to the living room.  Hubby says he likes how I have cleaned my side of the bedroom and I know that one day down the road when I take care of him in this room because he is in a later stage of Alzheimer's it will work for both of us.

Before with much behind



After



No longer am I embarrassed

about the master bedroom. 

Beginning Master Bedroom, Area #4

Even my husband notices the clutter on my side of the room. But wait until you see what's behind this desk and "temporary" rack of clothes. This is shameful because we have enough drawers and a walk-in closet. It has to change!

Banquet table for junk on top and under

More by the book case 

It is going to take some time to get organized in this room. Usually you can just shut the door to the master bedroom when you have company, but this will not do for The House That Cleans Itself and the whole house process I am employing here.

Some changes have been made in the last several months. First of all I have a built-in vanity in the master bedroom for putting on makeup: I decided to use it instead of having makeup out on the bathroom counter in Area #1 and I do love sitting down to do my makeup. Second, we have moved a cabinet from the den into this large bedroom. On it is the bomb box and an iPod player on my husband's side of the bed. Music is so good for Alzheimer's patients and down the road when TV doesn't work so well, music will.

What will not change is all the places where my husband keeps his things. He plugs in his cell phone a certain place and puts his glasses a certain place at night. I am the one who has to change my side of the room and my habits.

What is my strategy for this change?

• Dispose of my clothes and sort through my shoes.  Because I have lost 30 pounds slowly through Weight Watchers, I am now fitting into some clothes I haven't worn in several years and have others that are too big.  Since I sew, some clothes may be taken in. I will put clothes to be altered on the shelf in the guest bedroom.
• Put summer clothes into bins for storage. Bins are now available that are under the pool table in the den.
• Repair any shoes or clothes of my husband that need it.
• Sort through books and paper clutter that you see above. Put the extra books in the holding shelves by the piano in the living room. Process the paper clutter quickly so I do not have to bring it into the den.
• Get that six foot banquet table and clothes rack out of there. Both the clothes rack from IKEA and the banquet table from SAMS were used in a garage sale several years ago. Never were they intended for use in our master bedroom!
• Put a small side table in the guest bedroom into the master bedroom for keeping jewelry.
• Go through drawers and ask those hard questions about each item.
• Use the notebook computer on that wicker desk for writing and study by the window.

Now the extra hour of daylight saving time isn't even enough to address these issues. It will take time to organize this room, but one day when I am my husband's full-time later stage Alzheimer's caregiver, I will be so glad that this room has been sorted through and organized as I spend more time there.

Fifteen people received free copies of the book The House That Cleans Itself,  from the author, Mindy Starns Clark, that I distributed to you.  Many of you have let me know that book has come in the mail and that you are excited about transforming your home to a house that will clean itself. Be sure that you also write to thank Mrs. Clark, whose address and e-mail is in back of that book.

Music Therapy

Here is a helpful link: Music Therapy for Individuals With Alzheimer's and Other Dementias

From Pinterest

Music is the universal language. I am intentionally playing such music for my husband because I understand music is the universal language for our loved ones who happen to have dementia.When we travel in our old gas guzzler car, usually I put music on in the car through the speaker from my five year old iPod. An adapter plugs right into the old cassette slot and connects to that iPod. My husband and I listen to a worship playlist on Sundays on the way to church. The Sunday that I forgot my iPod, we sang hymns all the way to church.

Like Dolores' sweet husband David, DH loves country music. Our friends Sally and Jake have also introduced us to Blue Grass music.  I love playing our piano and need to do that sometimes also so I introduce this into our routine. That is, when my carpel tunnel wrists are better. Too much computer, folks, but I am using MSM from the health food store and wearing braces on my wrists at night.

There is actually an iPod drive for old iPods to benefit Alzheimer's patients. See here. Many people have those lying around because they have smart phones now. I have resisted getting an iPhone and even stopped texting to save expenses and to save my carpel tunnel wrists.

Even though my wrists are hurting these days, my legs are not. This will be the third fall that I am walking in the Alzheimer's Association event. So is Sally and I need to start raising money. Our husbands will hang out while we walk.