“This is supposed to be the time of my life – the nest is empty; but now Mom needs me.”
Mom is actually looking and feeling so much better than when she first arrived – it didn’t take long to figure out that she needed social and mental stimulation. And I think the new reading glasses we got her have changed her life – she can see! She even asked us to get her 3 more so she can spread them out around the house.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it in earlier posts, but my mom has this purse that she basically keeps everything important in… well, everything SHE thinks is important. I swear her purse weighs more than she does! Honestly, the purse is so heavy she looses her balance and I’m terrified she’s going to do a face plant one of these days. Everyone keeps telling her she needs to empty half the stuff out and get a smaller one – that thing is going to kill her!
So this was the night I was going to attack that purse – well sort of. We spent over an hour going through it trying to figure out what she really needs and what she could do without. Finally I said, “Mom, you’re a hoarder, admit it, you’re a hoarder!” But she’s in that “deny til you die” stage. She didn’t even want to part with a business card from Sears she’s had in there for the past 15 years – “I might want to buy a new TV from him, he was nice.” I explained to her that we most likely would not be back in Florida to buy a TV, but she argued that we might, and she could have it shipped out if the price was better (which I’m sure it would be since it’s not California!).
After a long debate, the business card finally went in the garbage. You can’t imagine the things she has in there – and most things are wrapped in paper towels so they are hidden (from unscrupulous characters, I presume) – like how hidden can they be? Just unwrap the paper towel!
So we weighed the purse before we went through it (her idea, not mine – probably to prove to me that it “doesn’t weigh a ton.”) – 6 pounds. And after we evacuated a few item? 5 pounds…. whoohoo!
It’s a start….
What I Learned: Bottom line…. my mom is stubborn!
