It's my birthday week!

 June 15 2026

Monday was a great day. Over the weekend, Liberty sprained her ankle and probably won't be able to come in the whole week. It seems like every time that girl tries to go do something fun, something ends up sprained or sore. Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and then got me some nice hot amazing coffee, nectar of the gods…AM! I don't really care about anything for breakfast at this time, just please give me coffee. After a couple of cups of coffee, I know it's time to think about something for breakfast. Luckily, I have this amazing breakfast casserole that I love, along with some fruit and half an avocado. Haley got me dressed and up in my chair. It is such a beautiful day! I am looking forward to cruising up and down the street with my pups. I wish I had enough guts to take them both at once, but if something happens, it's gonna be bad, so I'll wait and practice at the park.

I took Kona for a nice, long cruise, then took Dude for a shorter cruise. It's a little challenging to remember to go so slow with Dude after going so fast with Kona. I can hear Dudes back feet drag a little bit, so I'm kind of concerned. After all, he's about to turn 10 tomorrow!! I remember bringing him home as a three-year-old pup. He had so much energy and was so playful, and he drove Robby nuts, and now three-year-old Kona is driving dude nuts. Coma is a lot meaner than dude was. She bites his ears and his nose whenever Dude gets some attention and is very jealous; she definitely wants all the attention.

I always come home from taking them for a walk almost overheated. After about half an hour in my room, I get cold, so I have to go out on the porch to warm up in the sun. Seriously, I wish my body would make up its mind.

I sat on the porch with the dogs and hung out with my family in the kitchen and on the front porch for a while. I know I say it a lot, but just hearing the kids outside my door makes me feel so happy! Nora seems to be getting more comfortable with me, and that is an amazing feeling! Now Jude comes running down the hallway, saying, "Mimi Mimi," that's what he calls me! And I never really understood it before, but now I get it. Kids are amazing, and they just make my heart happy! Unfortunately, when I was younger, I never really wanted to get married or have kids, thinking about it now, I think it had more to do with me being an alcoholic and wanting nobody to notice me more than kids. My nephew asked me one time if I was ever affectionate, hugged, or picked them up. I had to say no, and I was totally embarrassed! I didn't say that it had anything to do with alcohol, but I assume my whole family knew. I've just never been an affectionate, huggy person; being that close to someone makes me nervous! 

Cruz came in, and we did some personal care and a nice, long, hot bath. It always feels so good to go to bed clean in a clean bed. It's really nice to see Cruz a couple of times a week. She's one of those friends that we don't really keep in touch like every day or every other day, but when we do get together, it's like we've never been apart. Sometimes I feel bad if I haven't talked to her for a long time, and all of a sudden, I don't have caregivers anymore. I can text her, and she will pretty much drop everything and come. If she has her daughter's birthday, Christmas, or anything coming up where she needs extra money, she will call me, and of course, there's always something to do. You know? A real friend! After she left, I deleted my email and got caught up on my blog. If I do that before I even play a game, listen to music, or watch a movie, I don't feel so guilty. Why do I have so much guilt??

Cruz went home, and Ashlyn came in to plan meals for the rest of the week. I always have the same thing in the morning: breakfast casserole, and lunch is basically chicken salad, or celery and peanut butter, always chia pudding, roasted vegetables, spinach, and mushrooms. For dinner, I'm trying more different things because who wants to be predictable? I'm already predictable enough! So this time she made shrimp fajitas and a pork loin roast. She's trying to tweak the lemon blueberry and banana nut bread recipes to make them moister and less dense. I truly believe that if anybody can do it, Ashlyn can

Tuesday

Amy came in and gave me an awesome massage! Since I've been getting up every day, my neck is so sore. I got a harness instead of a chest strap, and I feel so much more secure and like I don't flop around in the chair. Why didn't I think of this before??

Haylee came in again because Liberty wasn't feeling any better. She took care of the dogs, took care of me, and then got me dressed and up in my chair. I took Kona out for a 5-mile cruise and then took Dude out for his 2-mile cruise. We came back and hung out outside in front until it got too warm, and then we hung out in the row so I could play on the computer, a.k.a. take a nap.

Brooklyn came in and fed the hungry hounds. Now we can just leave the door open and let them run in and out as much as they want! Every once in a while, Dude will still stand there and wait for us like he wants out, even though the door is wide open. I wonder if he forgot or if he just wants a personal invitation?

Her husband, TJ, came over to help Robert with the hillside in front of the house. They dug it down so we can flatten it out and put some turf there. I don't know what I would do without these two, but hopefully I will never have to find out! Another description of a perfect friend and somebody fun to hang out with! They went home to jump in the lake.

Brooklyn came back and fed the tire dogs, got me something to eat on my new front porch! And then put me to bed. I played on the computer selfishly until Stanley came in to let the dogs out one more time and pick up their water. Then I watched movies until I fell asleep!

Wednesday

Haylee came in to feed and toilet the dogs. We left the door open while I had a couple of cups of coffee, then breakfast, but I decided to stay in bed. I was gonna get up, but I just talked myself out of it, to be honest. It was nice to have a day to stay in bed. I've gotten older, I could just be like here watching a movie or reading something, and all of a sudden I start myself awake, what just happened?? I used to never be able to take a nap or understand why people had naps, but now I love them so much!

I miss hanging out with the great-nieces and great-nephews, but I could hear them having so much fun!

Cruz came in, and we did some personal care without result and no bath. I wish I could just find a secret that would give me results every time we do personal care. It was nice to hang out with Cruz; she really gets a lot done!

Thursday

Today is my birthday! Liberty still wasn't feeling good enough to come to work, so Haylee came in to pick up her shift. So what do I do on my birthday today? I have an OB/GYN appointment. I guess I wasn't really thinking when I made the appointment for that day. Haylee fed the dogs, and we left the door open so they could come in and out as they wanted. I really love that we can do that! I know that, of course, we couldn't take them both with us, and they will be upset that I'm leaving without them. Dude is my service dog, and I take him with me a lot, but I need to take him with me all the time; that's his job. Kona just needs to find a way to deal with it! I wish you didn't feel so threatened when we lock her in her kennel; otherwise, she tears up something in my room.

I have an OB/GYN appointment, but I've been a little constipated, so I'm kind of nervous. OB/GYN doctors get very close, and I just don't want any mishaps, so I clinched the whole time I was there, and I was so relieved when it was over without incident.

McKenzie's mom and dad came to visit and help. I always know when they come to visit, great things happen! I heard them discussing what they're going to do in the front yard, and it sounds amazing! They are even including my due dog jog cover that was gravel in front of the house. They moved it all to the backyard, put a railroad tie into the ground, and now it looks so awesome! They're going to do another level with dirt, gravel, turf, or all of the above.

On the way out the door, Stanley texted me to say there was a farmers' market right where we were, and we should go check it out, so we did. I ran to Josh from church, for the life of me, I could not remember his name at the time, and I wanted to introduce him to my new caregiver. He was there with his wife, kids, and a booth for Kingwood Church, with what's up games around it for people to play! We got some cherries to bring back home to the crew! On the way out, I ran into two other people from the church. I couldn't remember their name either. I recognize faces but don't remember names.

TJ and Brooklyn went back over and brought their sons, Dominique and Zaden, and their daughter, whom I hear about all the time but could never remember her name. McKenzie ordered Indian food, and it was amazing! It's only the third time that I've had it, and I love it. I always hated the smell of curry, but now it's not so bad, and I wanna try it. I had shrimp, it's something else. So you put rice on your plate, then put the dish on it, and then pick it up with the naan bread and eat it with your fingers.

After dinner, I thanked everybody and decided I'd better go to bed. I've been up a lot, and I just don't wanna overdo it and end up with a pressure sore. After she put me to bed, I was having a really hard time keeping my eyes open. I love that feeling! As soon as she left, I was out, and Stanley had to wake me up when he came in to let the dogs out, take up their water, and put on my CPAP mask. Thank goodness I went right back to sleep and slept through the night!

Friday

Haylee came in, fed the dogs, and then got me some coffee. I ate some breakfast with my 2nd cup of coffee, it was delicious! My normal breakfast is breakfast casserole, half of an avocado, some fruit, and if my blood sugar is low, half a bagel or some low-carb toast. She got me dressed and up in my chair, I took the dogs out for their morning cruise, and got back before the sun started beating down. I spent some time outside with the family, and it turned out to be a really beautiful, relaxing day. I came back here to hang out with the dogs and, of course, play games, listen to music, and watch TV. It's so nice to have a breeze coming through my room, I have a lot of windows in my room but none of them open, isn't that strange? The upside is I don't have a lot of bugs, but the downside is that when I came back to bed, I noticed a big, huge spider on my wall!! Uninvited guests, luckily, TJ is tall, so he took it down and put it outside…it was huge!! Of course, that makes me stare at the ceiling all night long because I know that there's a spider in here plotting to descend on me, what's the spec, snarling teeth and eight eyes.

Nobody was around, so I spent most of the day in my room and out on my porch hanging out with the dogs. It was really hot outside, but luckily, my door is always shaded. If I stay in my room too long, I get too cold because I have the air conditioner set at 68°, so I just go back out, sit in the sun for a while to get my vitamin D, and then, when it gets too hot, I just come back in.

Cruz came in and fed the dogs, put me to bed, and we did some personal care and a bath. I didn't really get a long hot bath this time because someone was using the dishwasher, and I forgot to tell them I needed the hot water for a bath. She put me back to bed and then went home. I always feel bad that she travels so much to come here for just four hours, but she said she doesn't mind doing it. I watched TV I did stuff on the computer until I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Saturday

I woke up Saturday already feeling really nervous. Today is my birthday party, and I love attending parties for other people, but I just get so nervous when it's for me.

Brooklyn came in, took care of the dogs, and got me dressed and up in my chair. I had 2 cups of coffee, but I didn't eat anything because my brother invited me to a barbecue at their church! I always know the food is going to be amazing because my brother shops and cooks! They had ribs, chicken, and baked beans that my brother makes, and they are so delicious! They also had potato salad, and inside, there was a silent auction. They had so many big, beautiful quilts, I am a sucker for quilts!! They had lots of really cool stuff, but I'm supposed to be saving my money. It was so hard, but I did it! They had a bake sale as well, a lot of delicious donuts, cookies, cupcakes, rolls…everything looks so delicious! Brooklyn said she was going to some yard sales. I LOVE yard sales! Lately, I've been pretty good about going to yard sales and not spending a lot of money, but in the end, when I pay off all my credit cards, I will be in heaven!

We came back, and I hung out in my room for a while while McKenzie, Brooklyn, and her family, aunt Janet, set up for my birthday party. After a while, I forgot all about the party, and I went to go outside, and someone told me not to look, I didn't look. Vicky had the patio so beautifully set up, and everything outside looked awesome! I talked to Vicki for a while, then she had to go because she was having a party of her own. I needed to get ready for that. I love talking to Vicky!

Before I knew it, it was 3:00 PM, and I went to check out the decorations. It was all tie-dye, and it looked so cool! There weren't a lot of people invited, mostly family and caregivers, Cruz and her daughter, Becca and her boyfriend Lucian, and Brooklyn and her family. Robert and McKenzie, David and Melissa, Stanley and Janet, Nathan, and of course all seven nieces and nephews! I love watching the kids play and just having my family, immediate and caregiving family, there was all I needed! I told everybody not to bring gifts, but if they really had to get me some plants and garden stuff for my new back deck! I was babbling a lot because that's what I do when I'm nervous and surrounded by people, I just end up making myself more uncomfortable, and if I had just kept my mouth quiet.

Brooklyn put me to bed, and I was exhausted! One of my friends at the party left me a little 10 of tangerine edible, so I ate one and went right to sleep! It was so relaxing! Usually, my favorite thing to do after my birthday is over is to go online and read all my birthday wishes on Facebook. I was online playing a game and didn't see very many, then I realized I was on Robby's profile. I have a profile for each of my dogs so that whenever I run out of lives in my games, I can switch to another name and play for a while. It makes me feel so good to see all the birthday wishes!

Sunday

Brooklyn came in and brought breakfast from Black Bear Diner. This is the only day when nobody eats until after Brooklyn and me, and it was so delicious! She got me dressed and up in my chair and then left for the day. I realized everyone had gone to church, so I stayed here and hung out with the pups. Most of the day, we hung out on the porch. Jan of Ellen, we're coming over today to play some cribbage. I completely forgot it was Father's Day, and the more I thought about it, the more I wished I had picked another day, so I texted them to ask if we could get a rain check. I didn't know how many from the family would come over, and I thought it would be better if I went and hung out with my brother, but I didn't end up doing that anyway. I texted Brooklyn and told her the cribbage game was canceled, so she came over with TJ. Dominique came over, too. TJ replanted some of the plants from my tractor tire that were getting enough sun, and Dominique shuffled and moved dirt while she put me to bed. They went home, and I had a nice, relaxing evening.

Can we just have a week where nobody's sick…

 Monday June 8 2026

Brooklyn texted to say she was feeling better and asked if it would be OK for her and TJ to come in and do some work for the days they missed. There's always a lot of stuff around here to do, and they could pretty much do anything.

Liberty came in and cared for the dogs. We did some personal care, and then she got me dressed and up in my chair. I had an appointment at Oregon Specialty Group, which includes Cascade Infusion and the infectious disease service. I finished my antibiotics, and the doctor asked how I was feeling. I said I was feeling better, so she's not going to prescribe any further antibiotics. The older you get and the more prescribed antibiotics you have, the more of a chance you have of them stopping working for you, so I avoid them whenever possible! I do have a bladder ostomy test coming up because it's time, and because my bladder is leaking. Last time they put Botox in my bladder, and that helped for almost a year.

We went to pick up my ready glasses, then came home, and I hung out with the pups in my room until Cruz came in. She gave me a nice, long, heart-relaxing bath and washed my hair, what an amazing feeling! Ashlyn came in to do some meal planning, and we picked out another week of delicious food. I hope I have my appetite back, and I can actually eat it! Ashlyn took off to go shopping, and Cruz took off to go home. What a whirlwind day!

Tuesday

Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and got me some coffee and breakfast. She was going to shadow Liberty, but Liberty wasn't coming in until 8 AM. I am really very impressed with Haylee. I shouldn't be, because I mean, she is related to Ashley, but after only two days of shadowing, she's ready to show up and work on her own. That is pretty darn impressive! 

When Liberty came in, she walked her through the routine, and Haylee just jumped in and started helping. They got me dressed and up in my chair. I already had a class to go to, so she took off, and Haylee and I cleared off all the surfaces in my room that people started piling stuff on. It started looking really nice in here. I've always dreamed of having my room clutter-free and clean. Now, only if I could just get everybody else to put stuff away! Haylee went home, and I blogged, watched a couple of really cute Pixar movies, found a new game on Reddit, played it for a ridiculously long time, and then fell asleep.

Wednesday

Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and got me some coffee. I haven't had much of an appetite lately, but I haven't slowed down on the coffee. She got me dressed and up in my chair. The weather is starting to get nicer. I can't wait until I can just get dressed, get up in my chair, and not have to wear layers because it's too cold. And now I'll probably start complaining about the heat, but I think if I can get up really early in the morning and get out to take the dogs before it gets hot, I can come back and spend the rest of the day on my computer, and I don't feel guilty at the end of the day.

Ever since I left Valley Medical Center after my spinal cord injury rehab, I have been doing national database studies. I hadn't heard from them in a while, but Michelle started calling me again. I wanted to answer about 200 questions. If I left it here for someone else to help, it wouldn't happen. So I told her we should handle it over the phone, and we did. I think they're trying to get spinal cord injury awareness and health in more cities, and I think it's a great idea. I finally found a spinal cord injury doctor in Portland, but it would be nice to have one even closer. I've had so many problems with spinal cord injury-related specialty problems when I go into the hospital and when I stay there. Of course, you can't expect the nurses to know everything, but I have gotten myself into quite a few problems by not advocating for myself and sticking up for myself. I have learned that it is what I have to do; I never thought I would be able to do it, but I'm doing it. It seems like the older I get, the braver I get.

I took Kona out for 4 miles and Dude out for two. I love being able to take them out for a cruise and just hang around in the front yard and on my back deck. We are all so happy with that deck! It's so peaceful, just kicking back, listening to the waterfall, and watching the fish swim around!

Cruz came in,  toileted, and fed the dogs. I decided to eat dinner on the back porch. By the time dinner rolls around, the back porch is fully shaded, and it feels so good! She put me to bed, and we did some personal care and a nice hot bath! A great way to end a beautiful day!

Thursday

Haylee came in and took care of the dogs; then took care of me. Coffee, breakfast, dressed, and up in my chair. I think I've gotten up almost every day this week, and it feels great! I always feel really sad when I'm not able to get up, and it's nice outside.

My sister-in-law is talking about her and my brother moving back into the old house while it's on the market, renting it out, or moving downstairs into David, Melissa, and the boys' house. I kinda like having everybody around here, but I know my sister-in-law wants her own house and space. And I will admit that it would be nice to have a spare room to put the pine furniture that I bought from Santa Cruz in their room, where they're staying now. I still hope we have some holidays, birthdays, and parties around here still, too.

Brooklyn came in, she toileted and fed the dogs, then we sat down and planned our trip to the coast for the kite festival. I hope it's not going to be too hot, because I hate to ruin everybody's trip by having to come home early from overheating. Robert, McKenzie, Nora, and Jude are going to come along as well! We're going to bring some sandwiches, drinks, and snacks so we don't have to pay the ridiculous prices at the festival. Apparently, I'm responsible like that now! I know it's going to feel great when I get all of my credit cards paid off and get rid of them, and I will be thankful to save more money, but I'm just not used to it!

Friday

Liberty was supposed to come in; it kept getting to 8 AM, then 9 AM. Brooklyn called to see if I wanted to go yard sailing. No, I can't spend any money, but yes, I wanna go and see what I'm missing out on. I texted Liberty back and told her that, since Brooklyn was here, I would just have Brooklyn get me up and go if she didn't mind. We changed our minds and decided to go to the coast to see where we could get a good place for when we go to the kite festival. By the time I got up, it was going to be too late for me to go to the coast and back because Cruz was going to be here at 3:30 PM, and I needed to be here when she got here. They decided to go ahead without me, but take my dogs. I stayed here, hung out with the family, and had a really good time! I love watching the kids play together, and they have some funny moments.

Because traffic is so bad after work between here and Portland, Brooklyn made it in before Cruz, I could've gone and gotten back in plenty of time, but I didn't wanna take a chance. It was really nice to see the dogs just come in the room and pretty much flop down and sleep for the rest of the evening!

Cruz got here, and I ate dinner outside on my new deck, then she put me to bed! This deck out here is in the perfect place because every time I go out, it's more shade than sun, and I love that! They have some gravel out in the front that we're going to take out and put down some turf, so I'm thinking about putting the gravel in the dog jog, so maybe it won't be so muddy when it rains. Also, another tractor-tire garden bed, a couple of bird baths, some critter-friendly plants, and some bird feeders.

I watch TV, play games, and delete unwanted emails until I fall asleep.

Saturday

Brooklyn came in and took care of the dogs, got me some coffee, dressed, and sat down in my chair. It was supposed to get up to 90° today, but I don't think I'm ready for that drastic a change yet! The more I think about this deck in the back, the more I am excited to have it! I don't think there's any time of day when the sun isn't coming through the door into my bedroom, so it keeps the room cooler as well! McKenzie's mom and aunt came over to weed in the front yard. We had a guy taking care of the yard, but it was a lot of work for him since he's the only one. McKenzie's mom is going to start taking care of the garden. I know it's going to look so gorgeous! This house is starting to develop into the beautiful, comfortable home I've always wanted! I have so many plans for this place. ChatGPT has helped me put my ideas and vision together, and it just keeps getting better! I got some hanging baskets, a birdbath, and a birdfeeder, and it already looks amazing! I'm trying to not put too much stuff out there because I have a tendency to do that! I'm bringing another tractor tire from the place we're selling, along with some of the garden statues, to put in my backyard! When we get done!

Brooklyn came back over, put me to bed, and then left for the rest of the day. I kind of like the weekends because I have more time to relax and play games at the end of the day. And that's exactly what I did.

Sunday

Brooklyn came in, toileted, fed the dogs, and then it was time for us to eat our favorite morning takeout from Black Bear Diner! I was so anxious to eat that I forgot coffee, and Brooklyn got me some after we ate.

TJ helped Robert clear the rocks from the walkway so we could lay a nice turf surface for the kids. McKenzie's parents are both here, so knowledgeable and so good with landscaping stuff, there are so many awesome ideas that I never would've even thought of!

It was a little cooler, so I took Kona for her 2-mile cruise, but it ended up being more like 4 miles because it was so nice! Unfortunately, I was afraid that blacktop would be too hot for Dude. I feel so good that they now have the backyard and the front yard to run around where they are fenced in, so we don't have to worry about any mishaps! Eventually, I hope to have my whole property fenced in so they can go wherever they want, as long as they don't bring home any poison ivy or poison oak! Down in the far corner of my property, there is a 1/4 acre lot that I would love to purchase so that my nephew and niece can build their house there. If it doesn't happen, we'll just proceed with our original plan.

Brooklyn came back and put me to bed and got me something to eat, along with the dogs. She took off, leaving me in my nice, cool bedroom. I relaxed for a while and played on the computer until I fell asleep.

A week without caregivers…

 Monday June 1 2026

Liberty texted the dream team crew and me to see if anybody could take over her shift. She twisted her ankle while hiking, so she'll be out for a couple of days. I already lost Ashlyn because she couldn't do the evening shifts due to her husband's scattered work schedule. She agreed to cook for me, and I'm kind of excited. I always ask her what she made for dinner, and it always sounds so delicious! Becky has been out for a week and in the hospital, so basically that just leaves Brooklyn and Cruz. I don't want either of them to burn out, so I'm hoping Becky comes back. I texted her to ask how she was doing, but I didn't hear back.

TJ and Brooklyn came in. We made plans to go to Home Depot to get the stuff we needed from my new planter outside, and, of course, some plants. I'm going to get a couple of curtain rods, hang them above my windows, and have some plants hanging from them. ChatGPT said that my windows are perfect for plants! Everything is starting to come together very nicely! We came back, and they filled up the planter and planted the plants, and it looks awesome! I can already tell I'm going to spend a lot of time out on my new porch, just me and the pups! I could see myself out there with my little charcuterie board, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and some sun tea! DJ and Brooklyn went home, and I played on the computer. McKenzie came in to discuss a couple of things we needed to go over.

Brooklyn came back in, toilet-trained and bedded the dogs, put me to bed, and got me something to eat. We talked about our trip to see the kite festival in Lincoln City, both of our birthdays are in June, and it sounds like so much fun! She went home, and I took a little nap, hoping that when I woke up, I would feel better. I did not. Whenever I don't feel well, I just want to go to sleep and wake up when I feel better, and sometimes it actually works.

Stanley came in and took the dogs out one last time, filled their water, and put on my CPAP mask. I slept through the night. McKenzie texted me and said she heard back from Becky, who said she's still not doing that great and that we should go ahead and replace her.

Tuesday

I had an appointment at Cascade Infusion, but I had to cancel because I didn't have anyone to pick me up. McKenzie came in and fed the dogs, and later Stanley came in with some coffee!

Amy came in to give me a nice, relaxing massage. My arms have been hurting so much, and although they hurt a lot during the massage, they felt much better afterward.

TJ and Brooklyn came in again and fixed up some stuff around the house. Brooklyn put me on my side, and they went home for the day.

Ashlyn came in with her adorable little son! This is her first day of cooking for me, and I'm really excited. We did some meal planning, and she cleaned out the refrigerator and then went shopping.

The guy from Numotion came to pick up my chair so he could take it back to the shop and do the repairs/add-ons. All the buttons were there on my chair for the lights, signals, and stuff, but there was no light pack, so none of it worked. I got a harness that will hopefully keep me from slipping over in my chair. I don't know how my shirt will fit around it, but we will see. I may need to wear the harness over everything, which will be an adjustment. Sam from Numotion brought my chair back, but there was nobody here to put me in it, so he said he was gonna have to come back. It needed to be adjusted to fit me. I don't know why he couldn't just leave it here, but he took it. Maybe it's a liability thing?

When Ashlyn came back, she brought her cousin and said that she was looking for a caregiver position. I'm so excited because I don't have to put in an ad and interview to see how much experience they have and try to guess whether they're going to stay nice or turn mean or lazy after the first week.

The rest of the evening, I just watched TV and played on the computer.

Wednesday

Stanley came in, toilet, fed the dogs, and got me some coffee to hold me over until Brooklyn comes in. Everybody else in the household has been sick; it seems to be my turn now. I haven't had much of an appetite, and I have had diarrhea, since I don't have a caregiver through the night, it's pretty scary because I never know when it's going to happen. I've been taking a lot of Pepto-Bismol, and I'm afraid that that's going to come back and bite me in the *ss.

TJ and Brooklyn came in and hung up a curtain rod and about four or six plants hanging down in front of the window, it looks amazing! I've been wanting to do that for a while because I love plants, but they always seem to die. I asked ChatGPT, and they said these windows in my room would be perfect for plants. I printed out instructions for each plant so we know how to care for them, the right soil, and fertilizer. If they grow and thrive, I will be so excited! They went home, and I just hung out on my side. I played on the computer. Tried to schedule another appointment for Sam to bring my wheelchair back and get fitted, but it's not going to work out today either, so I guess tomorrow.

Brooklyn came back, took care of the dogs, got me something to eat, sent me back up to my computer, and then went home for the evening. My plants look really good so far, and I'm excited! They made it through one whole day!

Thursday

Same thing, McKenzie came in to let the dogs out and feed them. Standing brought me coffee and some little visitors. This has been a busy week for great-nieces and great-nephews, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to get up and hang out with them. They are also adorable and funny; it's never a dull moment!

TJ and Brooklyn came in and stuff around the house, took the week off from work, and it was nice to get some stuff done around here! They are both putting their hands around. TJ took the dogs for a cruise while Brooklyn put me on my side and got me some more coffee and something to eat. I still don't have much of an appetite, but I managed to choke down some breakfast casserole and some fruit. They left, and I'm starting to get pretty bored staying in my bed while it's such a beautiful day outside. I called Sam and told him that my caregiver would be here at 3 PM, and he said he would bring my chair.

Brooklyn came in at 3 PM, and Sam came by shortly after. She lifted me up and put me in my chair, and I was praying the whole time that I didn't have any gas or a blowout while Sam was here, and thank goodness I didn't. Brooklyn put me back to bed. She took my vitals, and my blood pressure was way too high, 199/140, and my blood sugar was really low. I haven't been eating, so beef jerky sounded good, so I had some of that and felt better. Unfortunately, I took the clonidine because I panic at high blood pressure, and of course, later my blood pressure was super low. I hate this game!

Brooklyn fed the dogs and noticed that the box at the bottom of my bed was not lit. We tried plugging it into different outlets, flipping breaker switches, anything we could think of, but my mattress was flat. Of course, this happens on a Thursday evening. I have to jump through some hoops to get a Hill-Rom support person to come out, so that gives me Friday. They're closed for the weekend. I tried to call, but it was already 5 PM, and they were closed, so I set a reminder to call them first thing in the morning. I still wasn't ready to eat, but the beef jerky tasted good, so that was food and salt for me for the rest of the evening. I watch TV and play some games on the computer until I fall asleep. Stanley came in and woke me up to put on my CPAP machine, let the dogs out one more time, and take up their water.

Friday

Liberty was supposed to be here at 7 AM. She was late, and the dogs were getting restless, so Stanley came in, fed them, took them to the toilet, and got me some coffee. When liberty came in, she took the dogs over to Naomi's to get some exercise and playtime with the pack. I love Naomi days because they come back so worn out and tired and sleep the rest of the day! Liberty came back and put me on my side, and we did some personal care. After a couple of hours with no success, she left me on my side and went home. While she was gone, I tried to call Hill-Rom again, and it was my lucky morning because someone answered right away, gave them my information, and said to watch my email. Less than five minutes later, I checked my email, and there it was. I called them back, paid the invoice, and they said to wait for the tech to call. About an hour later, Jay called and said he'd gotten the ticket and was on his way. Jay has come out quite a few times. It's so nice to have somebody that I already know, and he knows my bed and all of its weird little quirks. The first thing he did was check whether the cord had power running to it, and it did, so he plugged it in, and BOOM, it worked! WHAT?!? What just happened? We tried everything, and nothing worked. We chatted for a bit, and then he went home.

Cruz came in, took care of the dogs, and got me something to eat. To me, a nice long hot bath put me back to bed. She folded some laundry, straightened my room, and then went home. I thought I was feeling better, but all of a sudden my stomach ached again, and I was burning up, which usually happens around this time of the evening. I'm freezing. I started watching a little miniseries by V.C. Andrews called Dawn this morning, and it sucked me in right away. I don't really like to watch series because I always seem to get annoyed when people come in to talk or when my caregivers come in to work, and that's not right. I remember a while back watching another miniseries by the same person, only it was called Flowers in the Attic, and I couldn't stop watching that either. Janet came in to talk to me about the other house; we have a couple of options. Stanley and Janet could move back in and rent out the bottom unit while it's on the market, which will give everybody around here a little bit more privacy and space. We could rent out the whole house, either way, I won't have to pay two mortgages anymore, and I am all for that!

Saturday

What a miserable night. I had my fan on all night long because I was burning up. I thought I was through with the stomach thing, but now I'm not so sure.

Brooklyn came in, and I could hear her toileting and feeding the dogs, but my eyes just wouldn't open. I finally opened my eyes, and the first thing she said was, "I don't think I'm gonna be able to stay very long because I'm really sore." She didn't look good. She had a video visit with the nurse, who told her she needed to go to OHSU in Portland for an ultrasound. She called her mom to see if her mom could drive her up, and she left.

I texted Cruz to see if she was still in town or had gone back home. Hopefully, she will get back to me because I'm going to need somebody for the rest of the weekend.

I was waiting to hear some stirring around the house. Stanley was gone, but I was waiting for Robert or McKenzie to get up so I could ask them to take this blanket off of me because I was burning up. I brought up the kitchen camera and saw Nori getting a drink of water. She looked so adorable! It looked like everybody was already dressed up, so I texted McKenzie and asked her to come in and help me. She came in and took off my blanket, and they set off for the day.

Cruz came in, and we did some personal care. I stayed on my side for a while while she and her daughter took the dogs over to the park. It was supposed to rain today, and it did for a bit, but then the sun came out, and it was beautiful. Cruz set me back up and got me something to eat, then she and her daughter left. I watched TV for a while and took a nap; it was a very good nap!

When Cruz came back, she sent me up, took care of the dogs, and got me something to eat. I still don't have much of an appetite, so I had a chicken salad sandwich with avocado, bread, and butter pickles. I found this new bread, it's called Orawheat carb control bread. It's the best one that I've found so far, it's really soft and tastes good!

I listened to some music for a while, and then I heard the doorbell ring. So I knew Robert, McKenzie, and the family came back, so I turned the music down. I listen to music and play games until I fell asleep.

Sunday

Brooklyn is still not feeling very well, so Cruz came in, I fed the dogs and me, and then took off. She needed to go back and take care of her aunt, but I'm thankful she came over here to take care of the dogs and me. I lay around for the rest of the day and tried to figure out something that I could do with myself.

Robert took Nori Jude to church, but McKenzie still wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home to rest.

I don't know if this stomach flu is lingering for a really long time or circling its way back. I thought I was feeling better a couple of times, and then my stomach started aching again. I have been burning up with the fan on me all night, and my window is open. I'm usually really cold, so there must be something wrong. Kona has been lying on the bottom of my bed again like she used to. I had to keep her from crawling on my stomach because it's too much weight on my supra pubic tube, and it started leaking, and she even pulled it out one time. So I couldn't let her get up here for a while, and it broke my heart. It's the only way that we can get on each other's level to cuddle. 

Stanley came home and got me something to eat and some tea. I don't have my appetite back, but my blood sugar is getting pretty low, so I have to make sure I eat something. It's really nice to have Stanley back home. While they are away this weekend, I have been thinking about how much I rely on him for pretty much everything. I don't know what I'm going to do when he moves out permanently, of course, I'm going to miss him like crazy! There's some property for sale kitty corner to my property and I asked him tonight if he would think about buying that and building his own place there, that would be really awesome!

They were also thinking about living in the other place while we keep it on the market. I think they are just eating/wanting their own space, and I don't blame them.

Stanley came back, let the dogs out, filled their water, and we shared some beef jerky before he put my CPAP machine on. I almost fell asleep several times, but I was having some really weird dreams, and I woke myself up with a start a couple of times.

It's starting to heat up…

 Monday May 25 2026

Liberty came in. I took care of the dogs, got myself something to eat, and had breakfast casserole. It was so delicious! It's a nice, healthy breakfast until I add half of a bagel. I love bagels so much, and if you put cream cheese on them, they're better for you. If my blood sugar gets too high, I just stop eating them for a couple of days.

I don't understand this weather in Oregon. We get a couple of really nice days, and then BOOM… It's cold again. And then there's the sideways rain that you can't protect yourself from because it comes at you from all sides and under your umbrella.

Brooklyn came in and put me on my side for the day, another boring day stuck inside when I could be out cruising my pups around the neighborhood.

Well, I'm getting my cookbook together. ChatGPT is helping me with some diabetic-friendly, gas-free recipes, and some of them sound so delicious! A lot of people are cutting carbs and adding protein with cottage cheese. I tried it in my chicken salad, and it was pretty good! Becca made a lemon-blueberry loaf, and it was really good, too. When I see people eating good food and desserts, I get so envious. Now I will have my own desserts. I'm losing my cook again, Becca is moving on with her business, and Ashlyn is going to start cooking for me. She seems to be a good cook. I ask her every evening when she comes in what she had for dinner, and it always sounds really yummy!

It's a good thing I didn't get up, because Ashlyn also called out, deciding that her husband's schedule would keep her from coming in. I really hate to lose her, and hopefully she can find childcare in the future and come back! Brooklyn came in, picked me up, and then left. It's so nice to have somebody that you can always rely on! I always hope she knows how much I appreciate her!

I watch TV and play games for a while until I fall asleep.

Tuesday

Becky called out this morning. She is having some health problems. I hope she feels better soon. She is way too young to have problems. I don't know what to do. I really don't want to lose her either, but I need to get somebody who can get me dressed, and up so my old body doesn't deteriorate…oops, too late. Luckily, Liberty also comes in on Tuesday, so I do have coverage. I had to cancel my cardiology appointment because we missed personal care last night, and I was going to have Liberty do it, but she could only stay for two hours. At least I get to be on my side and give my butt a rest.

I called my friend Cruz, and she said she would come down and help me out for the evening! She is another one who has always been so helpful and a good friend! We have been friends for about three years, I think, and no matter what we do, we always have a great time! We did some personal care and then a nice, hot, relaxing bath. She put me back to bed, and I think I fell asleep before she left. She always texts me, so I know she made it home. I woke up when Stanley came in to put on my CPAP mask, let the dogs out, and put up their water so they don't have to go potty at 2 o'clock in the morning. Thankfully, I fell right back to sleep. When I was younger, I always envied people who could take naps, and now I can, and it's so awesome!

Wednesday

Stanley came, let the dogs out, fed them, and then got me some coffee… he makes the best coffee! Becky didn't come in again today, but Liberty agreed to come in and get me dressed and up in my chair. I can't wait to hit the open road with the pups and cruise the neighborhood to see who's out and about today. Just as we were getting ready to get me up, Chris came in and said they needed access to my room. I definitely don't want to do anything to slow down the process of my new deck, so I decided to just stay in bed and go on my side.

Liberty fixed my computer so I can print out more of the personalized recipes for my diabetes and gas. Food is so wonderful again! This time, Becca made greens and country spare ribs. She also made roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, breakfast casserole, chicken salad, and Chia pudding. Today is Becca's last day of cooking for me, and I'm really gonna miss her!

I got a text from Chris, and it looks like they're going to come today or tomorrow and finish the deck. That is the coolest project in the world, and I can't wait to have my own little private deck outback! Chris finished up the deck platform outside, and it looks awesome! There's going to be a ramp that goes down the back. I'm out of the gate, and this way I won't have to track my wheels through the house. Not to mention, I have such an awesome place to kick back at night and, during the day, hang out, watch Dude and Kona play, and figure out how to decorate my new deck.

Brooklyn came in, set me up at my computer, and I had some greens, ribs, and half of a bagel for dinner. It was so delicious! She wasn't feeling well, and she didn't sound well; she wasn't sure whether it was sinusitis or she was getting sick. I don't know which one would be worse. I'm really tired of staying in bed, especially when it's not even my idea; it's other people not coming into work. It's very frustrating! I know I'm going to get up the next two days because I have doctor's appointments. For the rest of the evening, I deleted my unwanted emails, played games, watched some cop shows, and then played more games before falling asleep while listening to an audiobook.

Thursday

Becky texted me and said she still isn't feeling well enough to come into work, which I figured. Liberty came in, fed and took care of the dogs, got me some coffee, and dressed up in my chair. I have an early appointment. I have no idea why I made an appointment so early, because I usually don't, but I think it was the only appointment I could get for a while, and I wanted to get new glasses as soon as possible.

When we got there, the lady was checking me in and said my appointment wasn't until 8:50 AM, but for some reason, I had it down as 8:00 AM. Well, at least we are here and not late. We went and sat down, expecting to wait about an hour, and after about five minutes, they called me into the room. That's always what I hope for when I'm early, and I was so glad! The doctor said my patient has changed a lot, probably because of the diabetes. I need to really start sticking to my diet because eyesight is something that I really don't want to lose, since the only way I get around is with my power wheelchair.

We came home, and it was so nice outside that I decided to sit outside and have my breakfast and another cup of coffee. We let the dogs run around in the front yard for a while, and then came back to my room so Liberty could put me to bed and go home.

Naomi texted me. Naomi is the lady who exercises, trains, and grooms my dogs. She is awesome and really knows her stuff! Kona has really come a long way since we introduced her to Naomi, and Kona loves learning as much as Naomi loves an obedient dog. I get a lot of compliments on how well Kona obeys, and it makes me feel proud. Chocolate labs tend to be really energetic and easily distracted.

McKenzie and I got together to talk about my budget that she put together for me, and I'm really excited to get started and save money instead of wasting it like I've been doing for the last 30 years. The first thing I did was go to my Amazon cart and delete everything except what I really need. It actually felt really great! I have a bunch of lists, so my arms are so tired from deleting. I'm going to delete a lot of the stuff from my list. I just keep adding stuff.

Tonight I won't have an evening caregiver, so Stanley agreed to take care of the dogs and me.

Cruz texted me, and we talked for a while. She said that she will come in tomorrow night and give me a bath. I am excited for that!

Stanley came in at 9:30 PM, took the dogs out one last time, filled their water, and put on my CPAP machine. The machine really annoys me sometimes. I have to put Vaseline under my nose, or it doesn't seal and leaks all night long. Sometimes it drives me so crazy, I have McKenzie come in and take it off. I feel guilty because I'm supposed to use it for at least 4 hours every night, but most nights I end up using it for 8 to 10 hours. Like my sleep study doctor says, you can't wear it one night and then not wear it at all the next night.

Friday

Stanley came in this morning, took care of the dogs, and then got me some coffee. He was in bed at 6:30 AM. In fact, I was still sleeping when he came in.

Liberty came in and got me some coffee, got me dressed, and got me up in my chair. I have an appointment with my dentist at 9 AM. The last couple of mornings, I've had really early appointments, and I usually don't make them until 10 AM. I figured that since Becky comes in at 6 AM, I can make earlier appointments, get back, and have the rest of the day to play and hang out with the dogs. Unfortunately, Becky hasn't been feeling well, and Liberty was nice enough to fill in for her. Liberty got me dressed and up in my chair, and we made it to the doctor's office just in time. Everybody always remembers me and makes me feel like an old friend. I never liked going to the dentist before, but I don't mind visiting this place. The dental hygienist took X-rays, cleaned my teeth, flossed, polished, and applied fluoride. She said they looked pretty good, which surprises me because I think the last two or three times I was supposed to go, I had to cancel for one reason or another. I always leave, promising myself that I am going to make sure everybody brushes my teeth in the morning and in the evening, and this time I'm really going to stick to it! We came home, and Liberty put me back to bed on my side, and we did some personal care. She put me on my side and went home for the day. Cruz came in, got myself something to eat, gave myself a bath, and while I was taking a bath, I thought about how my house had always been really clean and orderly when I was in Santa Cruz, and I want it to be like that again. I get everybody to keep it clean and put everything back where it goes, but after a while, it starts getting sloppy again. I'm just going to have to keep on top of everybody. I hope they'll figure it out on their own, but it's obvious they're not. Cruz straightened out my bedroom and my bathroom, and then went home. For the rest of the evening, I watched movies and just did a lot of the usual stuff.

Saturday

Brooklyn and TJ came in, Brooklyn tended to the dogs, and TJ tended to the weeds. After the dogs ate, they took the dogs over to Naomi's so they could play and expend some energy. Brooklyn got me some more coffee and something to eat. It was time to go get the dogs, so they went to get the dogs and bring them back. On their way back, they decided to go by the old house and grab my Adirondack chair and loveseat I had on my porch in Santa Cruz. It was such an amazing surprise! Brooklyn asked if I wanted to take the dogs and the kids over to Mento Brown Park and go for a hike; heck yeah, I did! It was supposed to be colder, but it turned out to be a perfect day. We went for a 2-mile hike and then watched Kona swim in the water. We definitely need to do this more often! We came back, and they headed home. I leaned back in my chair, took a little nap, and then watched TV until Brooklyn came back. I ate dinner out on my new deck, and it felt so great! McKenzie, Nori, and Jude came out and sat with us for a little while. She put me back to bed and went home for the evening. I shopped online at Amazon for some stuff to add to my new porch! I love it so much, and I know I will be spending a lot of time out there!

Sunday

Sunday is one of my favorite days, and we order breakfast from the Black Bear Diner. I am obsessed with our spicy sausage, and I can't even try anything else. I ordered two eggs, which used to be poached, but they ended up with too much water, so now I just do them fried. Two sausage patties, an English muffin, and some country-fried potatoes. Because of my diabetes, I only eat half of it and usually either put the other half in the refrigerator and forget it, or have it for breakfast the next day.

TJ has been coming to work with Brooklyn, and I love it! He gets so much done! He vacuumed the couches' front porch, and they would be absolutely gorgeous!  TJ and Brooklyn went back to the old house and got a tractor tire that I was using to grow cherry tomatoes. I just love that idea, and it will be great for a little planter in my backyard. We went to Home Depot to get some potting soil, fertilizer implants for the tractor tire in the backyard. We picked a nice little variety, and I am very happy with them! They filled up the planner and planted the plants, and it turned out even better than I had imagined!

They went home, and I just sat in my room, not feeling very good. I don't know if I was too hot or too cold; my body is so unpredictable because I was sweating, but I was cold. The more I swear, and the cold air hits me, the colder I get. It seems weird, and I don't know why, but the only thing that seems to help is putting a rice bag in the microwave and wrapping it around my neck. When the sweating went down, I went outside and sat in the sun, which felt better!

Brooklyn came back and put me to bed, and we did some personal care. She sat me up, got me something to eat, and fed the dogs. She went home for the evening, and I felt a little bit better, but my stomach is still so distended. While Brooklyn was getting me up this morning, I burped really loudly. I think it was the loudest I've ever burped, but I started to feel better, so I was wondering if I ate something that didn't agree with me.

For the rest of the evening, I played on the computer until I fell asleep.