December 1, 2025
Monday
Liberty came in and got me dressed and up in my chair after she took care of the dogs. She got me something to eat and another cup of coffee, and I was ready for the day. After everything was done, Liberty and I sat down at the computer to do meal planning for the week.
We’ve been using Pinterest to look up diabetic-friendly recipes. We put them into groups and then pick what we need from each group to create a seven-day meal plan. After we finished meal planning, she went shopping for the next day. She is an amazing cook, and I eat better than I ever thought possible.
Rebecca has also been coming in on Mondays so she can help while Liberty takes off to do the shopping. She helped me with whatever else needed to be done around the house. There’s still a lot to do, but it’s looking so much better.
I took the dogs out for two-mile cruises, one at a time. It feels so good to be out and about, and I’ve met some really nice neighbors along the way. Afterward, I came back and visited with my brother and the kids for a while, then returned to hang out with my pups. If I don’t stay back here with them, Kona goes berserk and starts screaming, which makes it hard for the kids to nap.
Ashlyn came in and put me to bed. We did some personal care, she fed me dinner, and I got to take a nice, long, hot, relaxing bath. After that, she put me to bed and went home. I love the feeling of getting everything done and then relaxing on the computer—playing games, deleting and catching up on email, talking to ChatGPT, and just unwinding.
Tuesday
Rebecca came in, took the dogs out, fed and toileted them, and then got me some coffee. Amy came in to give me a massage. I love that she comes in during the mornings now because we’re not constantly juggling the schedule.
After Amy left, Rebecca got me another cup of coffee and something to eat: my breakfast casserole, half an avocado, and a piece of toast. She got me dressed and up in my chair, and I took Kona—and then Dude—for their two-mile cruises. I always take Kona first because she’s the one who screams the loudest.
It’s getting really cold outside, and since I’m always cold anyway, cruising around with the wind hitting my face is even harder. My face is the hardest part to keep covered because I still need to see. I’m starting to learn how to dress for Oregon weather.
I take Kona out for two miles, come back to thaw out and warm up, and then take Dude out for his two miles. Kona likes to go faster, so the wind hits me harder. Dude is a nice, slow cruise.
When my morning caregiver leaves, I have her set up my computer so I can stay on it until my evening caregiver arrives. Being on the computer makes the time go by faster. I’m really trying to get up and move around every day, even if it’s just inside the house and hanging out with my brother, McKenzie, and the kids.
It’s been really nice getting to know McKenzie and the kids better. For the first couple of years I lived here, I didn’t see the family much, and now I’m loving every minute of it.
Ashlyn came in and put me to bed, fed and toileted the dogs, got me something to eat, and I’ve started drinking a big cup of hot tea before going to sleep. Hopefully it helps with digestion—and it definitely helps warm me up at the end of the day. She did a couple of loads of laundry, took the dogs out one more time, and then went home.
Kona has gotten used to sleeping at the bottom of my bed. She has her own little blanket, and sometimes she’s ready to go to bed before my evening caregiver is finished. She tries to jump up and get comfortable, and we have to keep chasing her down until we’re done. Sometimes she sneaks up and lays on my chest, and we cuddle for a while.
For thirty years, I’ve only had service dogs. They change owners often and are taught not to be close because they’re working. It’s really nice to have a puppy who’s genuinely happy to see me—even if I’ve only been gone for five minutes. Sometimes she jumps up in my lap while I’m in my chair and cuddles her neck up against mine. I think it’s a good idea to teach her to jump into my lap on command. If we’re outside cruising and another dog comes out of nowhere to attack her, I can protect my girl—even if it means I have to ram the other dog.
Wednesday
Another typical day. Rebecca came in, and we decided to finally make time for range-of-motion exercises. I keep meaning to do them, but we always seem to run out of time, so now we’re making it a priority. I think it will help with digestion and, of course, make me stronger.
My next goal is to start getting on my FES exercise cycle at least once a day. I always feel really good when we get everything done that I want to do. When I’m lying in bed at the end of the day, thinking about it all, I feel encouraged.
I have an amazing crew of caregivers. They all bring something special to the group and truly act like a team. I feel so lucky.
Rebecca got me dressed and up in my chair, and I took Kona and Dude out for their two-mile walk. After that, I came back to watch a couple of movies and hang out with the pups until Ashlyn arrived. She put me to bed, fed the dogs, and helped with personal care. I got to take a nice, long, hot bath and crawl back into my clean bed.
She got me something to eat and a hot cup of tea—I’m really enjoying having tea before bed. I never thought about it much during winter, but it really helps. She took the dogs out one last time and then left me to play games and watch a movie or two. Sometimes I watch YouTube—dog training videos, cop shows teaching people how to act like adults, or just gossip shows.
Thursday
Another day with the same routine. On Thursdays, Stanley watches his daughter Corinne’s girls—sometimes here and sometimes at their house—so I don’t usually see him. I have to make sure I have everything I need before my morning caregiver leaves because if McKenzie isn’t around, I don’t have anyone to help me.
Rebecca came in, took the dogs out, fed them, and got me coffee—followed by another cup and breakfast. We did range of motion, and she got me dressed and up in my chair. It’s really nice when we get everything done before she has to leave.
Rebecca runs a nonprofit community center for all ages. They host movie nights, local band concerts, potlucks, board game days, and holiday events—all in an inclusive environment that welcomes everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, disability, or financial situation. There’s also a free food pantry and a free clothing closet.
She’s an amazing and inspiring person. She took an idea and a dream and made it real. From the first phone call, I was impressed, and we had a great vibe. It took a while before we met in person, but she came along at the perfect time when my previous morning caregiver wasn’t working out. Rebecca stepped in and did a fantastic job.
Each of my caregivers brings something special to the team. That’s why I call them the Dream Team.
It was really cold outside, so I took Kona for about a mile and then gave up and came back in. I watched movies and hung out with the pups until Ashlyn came in. She put me to bed, fed the dogs, fed me, cleaned up, did some laundry, and then went home, leaving me to watch movies and mess around on the computer.
Friday
Since hiring new caregivers, I haven’t found anyone who wants to work Friday mornings, so Liberty comes in at 10 a.m. She takes care of the pups, gets me coffee and breakfast, and helps with personal care. She stays until 2 p.m.
My brother gets me coffee in the morning and takes care of the dogs. In the evening, if Liberty hasn’t fed them, Stanley feeds the dogs and gets me something to eat around 4 or 5 p.m. It gives me extra time in the evenings to do whatever I want.
Having caregivers around for four to six hours in the morning and again in the evening still leaves me with plenty of time to relax and have alone time. I really appreciate all my caregivers—I truly don’t know what I’d do without them—but everyone needs time for themselves.
Stanley usually comes back around 9:30 p.m., takes the dogs out for one final potty break, and sometimes I have a snack.
Saturday
On Saturdays and Sundays, Brooklyn works doubles. She’s the creative one, and everyone loves her. She can do just about anything. She made personal Christmas window clings for the hallway and my bedroom, a beautiful wreath for the front door, recovered furniture, and created stunning paintings for my house.
Her son makes candles and made me some amazing ones—one even looks and smells exactly like a bowl of Froot Loops cereal. She and her mom designed beautiful quilts from shirts and sweatshirts filled with memories I didn’t have space for. The detail is incredible, and I have them hanging on my walls.
Her sons sometimes come by in the evenings to do chores, and her husband TJ is such a big help—he can do anything. The whole family is crafty and just awesome. I don’t usually feel comfortable around a lot of people, and I get social anxiety, but for some reason I feel completely at ease with her family.
Brooklyn came in, took care of the dogs, and got me coffee and breakfast. We always try to look for boutiques and festivals—sometimes we make it out, sometimes we don’t—but we always laugh and have fun. She put me on my side and went home for the day.
When I stay in bed, I nap, catch up on emails, talk with friends from Santa Cruz, and work on projects with ChatGPT. I ask things like what essential oils go well in which rooms, decorating ideas, paint colors for walls and ceilings, and artwork placement. The most fun is when GPT mocks up pictures and ideas for the house. I’m having so much fun with it.
Brooklyn usually comes back between 3 and 4 p.m., feeds and toilets the dogs, feeds me, gets me tea, does laundry, and tackles end-of-week projects. She always keeps my room and bathroom clean and sometimes takes the pups to the park. When she leaves, I always feel like we accomplished a lot—even on days I stayed in bed.
Sunday
Brooklyn comes in, takes care of the dogs, and gets me coffee. My family goes to church, and I go once in a while. We’ve started a ritual of ordering breakfast from different restaurants, which is nice. Our favorite is Black Bear Café—their sausage patties are amazing, and I wish I could get the recipe.
Dakota came over to install a back gate on the dog run and spread bark chips so it wouldn’t be slippery. I love having someone who can execute my wild ideas. When I lived in Santa Cruz, my friend Vicente did that—he’d roll his eyes, then make it happen anyway. Dakota is the same way.
We’ll be doing more excavating to make a playground for the kids and a parking area, and maybe move extra dirt into the dog run and behind the house. I like to watch everything being done, and sometimes I check the cameras I have set up. I feel a little guilty and worry whether people can tell, but when I’m stuck in bed, it’s my way of seeing what’s happening.
Brooklyn put me on my side and went home until her evening shift. She came back with her son, who helps with odd jobs. He fed and toileted the dogs while Brooklyn got me something to eat, did laundry, and looked for more Christmas decorations.
I can’t wait to see the house decorated for Christmas. It won’t be the full wonderland I dream of just yet, but once we sell the other house, next Christmas will be incredible. I got great ideas from the Kaiser Christmas display and walk-through. Brooklyn is making window decals, and I’m so excited—she’s putting them down the hallway so they’re visible from inside and outside.
Brooklyn set me up on my butt, took the dogs out one last time, and then left. Since I can’t shop much right now, I like to fill online carts and leave them—it helps with my shopping cravings. I wound down watching a movie before falling asleep. Stanley came in around 9:30 p.m., took the dogs out one last time, and put my CPAP machine on.
