Getting My Creativity Back

Port-a-Potties at Best Buy

Wrote two new pieces. I must admit I had inspiration--Black Friday happenstance and a comment from 18 year old Joshua whom I substituted for in September. Ideas take time to jell, but not this Black Friday ditty below.

I am not a Black Friday shopper, but it turned out I was hanging out with Sally and Jake on Black Friday. My car was getting new tires (actually received Black Friday discount) and we went to Best Buy so they could buy a certain item for their granddaughter.

Found out that Best Buy had people camped out Thanksgiving night (Gray Thursday) and they provided potties for their customers! I had to take a picture! I had to write new lyrics to Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. 

Waiting in line on Gray Thursday 

And is it ever cold! 

All I want is in the display 

Get it before it’s sold. 

Waiting in line on Gray Thursday

Let the big discounts be mine 

Later I’ll have some pumpkin pie 

My day off has been so fine.  

You might get a jealous feeling 

When ’er you hear 

All I got for my money 

To deck my halls to be so pretty. 

Waiting in line on Gray Thursday 

Sleeping in on Black Friday 

If I missed some big discount 

I’ll get it Cyber Monday. (Music) 

Waiting in line on Gray Thursday 

And is it ever cold 

All I want is in the display 

Get it before it’s sold. 

Waiting in line on Gray Thursday 

Let the big discounts be mine 

Later I’ll have some pumpkin pie 

My day off has been so fine.  

You seem to have some special feeling 

You say that I’ve been missing? 

Gratefulness for what makes me jolly 

Ingratitude yes ‘tis my folly.  

Thinking about what I’ve been missing 

With all these new traditions 

Ingratitude for faith and family 

Three new days of acquisitions 

Three new days of getting stuff.

I guess I am commenting on how materialistic we are becoming, so to get the bargain we sacrifice family time to wait in line for stuff.  I will share this ditty at Toastmasters like I did my snow birds piece two years ago. See HERE for Summer Wonderland that goes to the music for Winter Wonderland. That post shows celebrating my husband's 75th birthday--so glad we did that.

The occasion for the new rap topic came from Joshua, an 18 year old who said, Mrs. Johnson, write a rap about children having children. I did and it might not be politically correct as adults point out to me, but all the students I have tried it out on like it.

Think, think, think 

You think you're entitled

       Your passions are unbridled 

           You’re barely out of toys

And you’re into boys

You think you’ll be a bride 

But he took you for a ride 

‘Cause he’s given you a distortion 

Of love that’s really hormones

And you’ll have a child 

While you’re still one yourself 

That daddy’s gonna hide 

But we’ll be by your side 

And don’t get an abortion 

Think about adoption

Yes, the diapers start to stink 

All because you didn’t 

Think, think, think 

You don’t have a job 

You can’t go out and rob 

Laundry will be piled 

Welfare will be filed 

‘Cause you didn’t abstain 

And there’s little to gain 

You didn’t think think think 

Yes, it’s time to refrain 

Don’t have a child

While you’re still one yourself.

I also am enjoying rapping for strangers--for example young people who offer to take my groceries to the car. Saturday I saw the latest Hunger Games movie (students I sub for will see it) and I shared my Boredom Games rap with the young woman selling me my movie ticket. She giggled at this 70 year old rapper and I told her about my YouTube channel for MC AC The Rap Lady that is scheduled to have ten more raps up soon.

PUT A SMILE ON 
SOMEONE'S FACE 

WITH HUMOR! 

Demented Humor

So yesterday our esteemed pastor is preaching and I really have to go to the bathroom. I whisper to my husband where I am going. When I return to my seat in the pew, he whispers to me that everyone could hear me pee [not true], but that not to worry he told our pastor to preach louder.

At night and sometimes during the day I wear braces on my wrists due to my carpal tunnel. He told his great grandson that I wear these because I beat up on my husband. The great grandson instructed me to be nicer to my husband. The demented humor of a person with dementia. I tell ya!

If life doesn't go smoothly, hubby gets angry. He gets angry at other drivers as if they can help the traffic and are being inconsiderate of him as a passenger in our car. I am his calming influence because I understand it is not the non-swearing hubby I married, but it is his disease. I can use distraction often. I have also learned that he doesn't remember that he got angry about something. It is soon gone like all other memories.

Let's go out for dinner, I suggest, when he seems to have lost his good humor. It works. He begins to show the humor I love. We blow the straw paper off at each other often to the amusement of the waiter or other diners.

December 22nd we did that with our straws at Chilli's in the Tampa Airport. The people at the next table started laughing.  I asked them if they would like to laugh some more and then I ended up singing "Southern Wonderland" with the next table. I passed out copies of my lyrics and led this nearby table in song. When you are 68 you have the right to a little eccentric fun, I figured.

Hubby recalled about my leading singing in a restaurant.  Jake and I just hid then, he told me. I laughed at his recollection, but didn't correct him. Jake wasn't with us when we ate before our economy flight, even though Jake and Sally had driven us to the airport.

Jake and DH always tease each other. Today Sally and I are both substitute teaching and Jake will hang out here, assembling our new Ikea coffee table (for area # 6 in the house improvement). They won't remember all the funny things they tease each other about, but Sally and I can just image!

I love the humor!  Humor works!

Thank you, LORD, for humor in the midst of this Alzheimer's journey with our loved ones.

"With a Little Help From My Friends"

I don't have a great singing voice, but what the heck! Two times I have sung these lyrics at Weight Watchers--once maybe five years ago and once in 2012. The karaoke version of it accompanies me and others who sing it with me. Now I am a life time Weight Watcher member, having made my goal maybe 40 years ago when you had to have liver once a week, didn't have to exercise, and couldn't eat fat at all. Weight Watchers has improved so much over the years. I love the newest point system (2012) and the 360 degrees current 2013 emphasis on Tracking, Spaces and Routines. This wise emphasis fits with so much of my life now--the house and the discipline of being a caregiver.

I  reflect that we need support groups and people in our life--a little help from our friends. So without further ado, here are my Weight Watcher lyrics to "With a Little Help From My Friends":

Once upon a time with big belly and hips
I lost some 50 unwanted pounds
Once a week liver for fake diamond chips
To Weight Watchers the first of many rounds
I get by with a little help from my friends.

Jamoca Almond Fudge from a place called Baskins
Can you strand up and look in mirrors?
With 3-D, First Place and thinking of Atkins
Try several diets over the years.
I get by with a little help from my friends
I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends
I’ll get slim with a little help from my friends.

Do I need any diet?
Not really I don’t think so
What I need is a “live it”
To Weight Watchers I go.

Where would you go for some common sense advice
At Weight Watcher’s meeting you’ll be gooving
With point calculator eat beans and rice
Remember to keep those hips movin’

I get by with a little help from my friends
I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends
I’ll get slim with a little help from my friends.

Do I need any diet?
Not really I don’t think so
What I need is a “live it”
To Weight Watchers I go.
I get by with a little help from my friends
I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends
I’ll get slim with a little help from my friends.

So great to be back at Weight Watchers for my 7 am Saturday morning meeting today. I hadn't been there in three weeks. I was down 6/10 of a pound, even though I had stopped tracking well after the holidays and being out of town. I expected to be up 5 pounds, but I guess Weight Watcher habits are rubbing off on me. The meeting was so inspirational and I just rejoiced at the victories of others. My weight loss has been slow, but my health benefits are tremendous--my exercise can improve, but not with my carpal tunnel now. I do want that health to be my husband's caregiver all his days and will continue to plan healthy meals for us.

Now if you follow this blog, you know that I wrote lyrics at the beginning of December to another song. "Southern Wonderland". I sang this song to friends and even strangers in December. For example, the next table at the Tampa Airport (before we departed for Christmas with my husband's son and family) all sang with me when I gave them printed copies of "Southern Wonderland". I talked about this last week and DH said he and Jake just hid when I sang in public at the airport. Now Jake wasn't at the airport restaurant, but Jake is so important to my husband. He is getting by with a little help from Jake, even if Jake isn't there!

I get by with help from Sally as well. Both Sally and I also get by with help from our monthly Alzheimer's Association meetings. DH knows what we go to, but Jake just thinks Sally and I have a Bible study that day.

Certainly New Years is a time to reflect on how we are getting by. Oprah is quoted as saying in new Weight Watcher literature,

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

I get by with my Daily Audio Bible study and podcast. For maybe five years I have been going through the whole Bible by listening and often reading the selection. Today on the way to Weight Watchers (a 25 min. drive), I heard on the Daily Audio Bible podcast in my car about Abraham (the start of our current world problems) and the Beatitudes (Christ's example and Way).  Scripture and prayer help me bravely face being a caregiver. The LORD is my help.

This year I hope to add budgeting (especially knocking down credit card balances) to my life, even making gifts and quilts from some of the materials I already have as I cut down on the volume of stuff at the house. See The House That Cleans Itself posts. Not sure who will be my budgeting buddy. Any volunteers?

75 in a 15 Zone

You are turning 75, Sweetheart, I said.

I feel good about turning 75 was his reply.

Jake is changing, he said (as if he isn't). Both men require supervision from Sally and me.

You are a great friend to Jake. I am glad you can go to the senior center with him. Hubby nodded in agreement.


Church B. D. Celebration

Thursday night we went to dinner with Sally and Jake. Then we went to Costco where I got food for hubby's b.d. celebration.  At Costco hubby sat in the dining area (if you can call it that where you eat pizza) and Jake went with Sally.

Sunday we had hubby's 75th celebration at church. It was designed to be as simple as possible. Sally brought deviled eggs, a labor-intensive dish. I cut up cheese from Costco and cut up the broccoli. I spent time on two fruit salads. It was going to be one salad, but I sort of went overboard.

The cake was purchased and when it came time for hubby to blow out the candles, someone remarked that my husband has a history with fire. He actually had second degree burns from heat when he burned trash in our back yard some years ago. So at the mention of his fire mishap, birthday boy shows off his hairless legs at the party--hairless because of that fire. 

See! No hair on my legs!

At one point I heard a five year old  at our church ask my husband what he does.

I mow the yard and watch TV was his answer.

I thought to myself that hubby is like a young person who now has to be reminded to mow the lawn, but doesn't want to give up that responsibility to others. Hubby is very much like a  teenager on some levels, but very responsible on other levels. Jake is very much like a kid wanting praise for what he does. Both men are real old-fashioned gentlemen. Both hold the door open for us and carry heavy things. Not all 15 year olds are so thoughtful. I know because I substitute for 15 year olds. It is great that our husbands don't cook--but "delegate" that task to their wives. Could be another fire if my husband cooked!  He still can use the microwave I believe, but that skill hasn't been tested recently.

Hubby has a great sense of humor. He loved the new lyrics I wrote for Toastmasters Monday night to the tune of "Winter Wonderland".  He understands about the economics of  "snow bird" retirees who winter here in Florida, and he put up with my practicing these lyrics several times and encouraged me with his laughter. Actually I had everyone at Toastmasters sing these lyrics with karaoke iPod accompaniment because my voice is not that great.

SOUTHERN WONDERLAND

At the beach sand is a glistenin’
Sea gulls honk, are you listenin’?
A beautiful sight
We’re happy tonight
Cruising in our Southern wonderland.

Here to stay are some new birds
You come South for the winter
We call you “snow birds”
And you come in herds
Escaping your Northern cold land.

When you come we have a great economy
And we also put up our Christmas tree
We say “Are you local?”
You say, “No man!”
But money does the job
When you’re in town.

Welcome here all you retirees
Spend your cash will you please!
And face unafraid
The plans that you’ve made
Cruising in our Southern wonderland.

Hubby even "gets"  some of my raps that I write for good classes when I sub. How many wives have that support from husbands too busy to notice, I wonder. How many caregivers try to have a life with their loved one and include them in what is happening? It is a form of shadowing, but hubby does many things with me--every thing but accompany me when I teach.

Senior Center Day. Today, Tuesday,  Sally brought Jake by. I loaded both husbands and our dog in the car. I played country music for the three of them from my iPod in the car. First we stopped at the vet for Ziggy's shots.

Hubby, Dog and Jake

Then I drove them both to the senior center. No trouble getting them to go through the door. I took Ziggy home and started on this post, trying to keep up with posting several times a week.

Junk Bunkers

Tomorrow is DH's official b.d. and so I had to get new tags for our car--the gas guzzler we use after my car had been totalled two years ago. Hubby still considers this car his car, although I am his driver now. Because I was substituting in the afternoon at a Plant City middle school, I tried to get the tags late morning. The line was an hour wait and I decided if I could get there before five, that's when I would purchase the tag.

So with a little time to kill,  I went into Staples. I took a picture of those "junk bunkers", those containers I am trying to get rid of, although will use some for clothes storage. After reading The House That Cleans Itself, I think so differently about them now. I used to buy these for all kinds of stuff I didn't deal with. 

Then I went on to substitute for the afternoon until almost 4:30. Meanwhile at about 3 pm Sally picked up the husbands and brought mine home. After school I was able to get the car tag. At home I had my husband put the new tag on. Suddenly the new registration was missing. It turned up in the trash can in the garage. He had forgotten this procedure of putting the registration in the glove compartment, a procedure he had done all his driving life.

What did you do at the senior center today? I asked him tonight.

Don't know.

You and Jake have a good time?

I guess so.

Doesn't this sound like trying to pump a 15-year-old for how his day went!