Kamál (Perfection), 8 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Monday, November 30, 2009 about 11:36 AM Pacific Time

It's that time of year again.
The bell ringers are out.
People will shout,

Jamál (Beauty), 7 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Sunday, November 29, 2009 about 9:05 AM Pacific Time

It didn't rain very much, just enough to spot the car windows. I looked out my living room window before going to bed. I saw dark puddles in my driveway. The puddles were dried up this morning. I wouldn't have known if rained if I had waited until morning to look out the window.

Clouds cover the sky
last night's rain a memory
a distant desire.

It's cloudy and the clouds will remain all day. We will have soup today and perhaps tomorrow because we have to eat the soup up before I thaw something else out.

 

Jalál (Glory), 6 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Saturday, November 28, 2009 about 1:18 PM Pacific Time

It's Saturday, November 28, I just finished carrying six baskets of laundry to the car and putting them in the backseat. I had planned to do laundry today, then I realized I didn't have all the laundry gathered. I'm not sure I have it all yet, but I can't get any more basket in my backseat. I might be able to get two in the trunk, if I get the aluminum cans out and put them in the garage.

I'm not looking forward to going to the laundromat tomorrow, but then I never look forward to going there. Once I get to the laundromat then I enjoy myself. I enjoy watching other people do laundry. I enjoy doing laundry when there are other people around. I'm not sure why, that's something I need to explore in my off line journal.

I'll go outside in a few minutes and remove the cans from the trunk. Carrying six basket of dirty cloths to the car was work. It was harder work then I expected. Perhaps I need to readjust my thoughts and presume anything I do is more work then what I expect. If I do that it might not be as much work as I think.

The two laundry baskets I have left in the house are empty. I don't think they'll be empty for long because I have to get laundry out of my mother's room. I usually wait until last to get the stuff out of her room, which means I usually don't get everything. However, since I haven't gotten everything out of my room it really doesn't matter. I'm going to have to do laundry again on Wednesday or Thursday anyway.

 

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Friday, November 27, 2009 about 2:33 PM Pacific Time

It wasn't called Black Friday then, it was just the day after Thanksgiving. It was the day Grandma opened the boxes containing the Christmas tree decorations. It was the day Grandpa took us shopping for the Christmas tree.

When I was a child we always had a real Christmas tree not one of those faux fir trees that doesn't shed its needles on the floor. We had a real tree, the kind you have to keep watered or it begins shedding needles two days after you put it in the stand.

I loved the smell of the tree. Now you can get that same smell in a can of air freshener, but it isn't the same. Christmas isn't the same as it was when I was a child. Then the stores started advertising the day after Thanksgiving. The after Christmas sales begin on December 26.

Cities, towns and stores decorated for Christmas. The decorations began going up the Friday after Thanksgiving (now Black Friday) and everything began coming down the Day after Christmas. Anyway, to get back to the Christmas tree, going to a Christmas tree lot to buy a real tree indicated that Grandma and Mom would soon go Christmas shopping and ask us what we wanted for Christmas.

 

Istijlál (Majesty), 4 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Thursday, November 26, 2009 about 1:42 PM Pacific Time

I'm not sure yet if it's a Happy Thanksgiving, but I'm going to give the day the benefit of the doubt. Mom's morning was difficult, this afternoon she seems a littler better. However, afternoons are always better for her then mornings.

Today, I'm sure everyone in the family knows Mom's is in the early stages of Alzheimer's because I called my brother in Colorado. Thank God, for Tom's wife Sylvia because she already suspect the problem and prepared him for it. Eventually I'm going to have to find a place for Mom; right now, she is most difficult when it comes to medication, but persistence and gentle persuasion help.

This is week 1 Day 3 of the medication, so I have a ways to go before I know how it's working. I'm going to have find a support group here in Las Vegas. The first place I need to look is the senior center on the corner of Eastern and Stewart, that is close to the house. The may have some activities for both patients and caregivers.

Perhaps this Thanksgiving is Happy after all. Happiness is a spiritual attribute and Thanksgiving is a spiritual holiday. Rather then focusing on the material problems we're having, I need to focus on the spiritual nature of the holiday.

‘Idál (Justice), 3 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Wednesday, November 25, 2009 about 4:39 PM Pacific Time

I e-mailed Frank this morning and then called my sister in Search Light. After that Mom and I went out. She got her B12 shot, I went to the bank, paid a bill and then we went out to eat. Mom enjoyed the food and we brought home a couple of biscets. After that I picked up perscriptions and bought gas. I came home, said some prayer, and called Frank.

I have $0.10 a minute long distance, so I may as well use it. The faminly knows the bad news or they will because Frank is going to forward my e-mail letter to Tom. Unless one of my friends invites us to Thanksgiving Dinner we're staying home tomorrow. Tom will probably call. My sister said she would try to come up this weekend.

I'm holding out and avoiding mentioning the issue. Mom is in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I'm going to close this pst without doing a spell check. I have to see if Mom is ready to go out tonight.

 

Fidál (Grace), 2 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Tuesday, November 24, 2009 about 7:16 AM Pacific Time

Giving thanks was the theme at the open mic reading at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf tonight. Mom and I had planned to go, unfortunately the reading was cancelled. Therefore, we either stay home or find something else to do this evening.

I think we're going to stay home. Tomorrow we have to do laundry, which means I have to fill the empty basket and put them in my car. If I put the dirty cloths in my car tonight, I'll definitely do laundry tomorrow because I refuse to carry baskets of dirty cloths back into the house.

In the mean time, I'm going to use the the open mic theme "Giving Thanks", as the title of a poem. At least, I think it's going to be the title of a poem. It would make a good title for a story as well. However, there is a form poem I want to attempt and I think this would be a good theme for that form.

 

Kamál (Perfection), 1 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Monday, November 23, 2009 about 1:20 PM Pacific Time

Mom and I attended the Feast of Qawl (Speech) last night. The readings were beautiful and I did one of the readings. Now that I have my new glasses reading printed material isn't as difficult. Mom enjoyed herself, she especially enjoyed the social portion because the refreshments consisted of pumpkin pie, pecan pie and grapes.

There are several upcoming events that we will attend.
November 25, at 7:00 PM, the Day of the Covenant will be celebrated at the Baha'i Center.
November 27, at 11:00 PM, the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha at the Baha'i Center.
November 29, at 5:00 PM, a meeting at the Baha'i Center.
December 4, at 6:30 PM, a meeting at the Baha'i Center.


 

Jamál (Beauty), 19 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Sunday, November 22, 2009 about 9:13 AM Pacific Time

Thanksgiving Week 2009 has begun with both blessings and difficulties. I have written two poems "Turkey Day"  and "An Abundant Thanksgiving Box" . I submitted them to two different poetry contests here on writing.com. When I checked my bank account thus morning it was in the black.

Mom is going through a difficult episode this morning. Unfortunately, the new meds the Doctor M prescribed won't be here until sometime Monday. I think Doctor M said I should see an effect between 30 and 60 days after Mom began taking the tablets. I didn't ask either Doctor M or the pharmacist how much the meds would cost. I don't care how much they cost.

I'm praying they will be less then $40.00, but if they're more, I'll just have to take a hit on one of the accounts. Mom is only in the early stages of the disease, so the meds should help. I'm praying they will help. I'm still going to have to call a family meeting in 2010 because the meds aren't a cure. Eventually ... I'm not going to think of eventually at this point. Just getting through the day is a blessing and an answer to a prayer.

 

Jalál (Glory), 18 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Saturday, November 21, 2009 about 7:00 AM Pacific Time

I took my mother to the doctor yesterday afternoon. The prognosis isn't surprising because I've suspected this for about six months or more. Still having a doctor tell you is official and carries more emotional weight. Mom's been difficult for several months and getting more so, the doctor prescribed some meds, which she thinks may help Mom's condition.

I've considered reevaluating my work and my life since the beginning of November, but Mom's condition means I'm going to have to do it now, before I call my brothers and sister to let them know what's going on. I can't breakdown into tears while I'm talking to my brothers. My sister is different story, she's another woman and you can cry with another woman over almost anything.

As I said before, I need to reevaluate almost everything in my life. So here goes, when I started NaNoWriMo I thought I could finish it. I'm not going to complete it this year. On the bright side, I did finish the challenge this year. Whether I attempt NaNoWriMo in 2010 is unclear. I would like to complete a challenge and the novel in a single year before I turn 70.

There are specific thing I'm going to do in 2010. I am going to continue writing. I am going to extend my premium membership for at least a full year. I am remaining a Baha'i. I am remaining a moderator. Those are the four things I want to continue.

There are a lot of things that's up in the air at present. In the next twelve or nineteen months, I will either bring them back to earth or let them float away. I will write later about what the doctor said concerning Mom.