Snow, already!

Maybe I'm a bad person, but I am REALLY glad that we didn't go to Cleveland this week for elder respite. While driving to the football game, my father-in-law went from snow to rain to drizzle. When he left at halftime and returned home, there was already two inches at the house. I am not ready for snow. I am okay with cool/cold weather, but I am not ready for snow.

Lou's dressing change went well. His foot is not nearly as weird as I think we both thought it would be-right now with the stitches still in, it looks sort of like a hot pocket-you know, the curved edge with the ridges. Most of the ball of his foot has been saved, so that's a good thing, too! He took a nap when we got home, then we had some quality personal hygiene time. He is still not allowed in the shower, but he shaved, rolled up to the sink in the wheelchair and I washed his hair, then we did a sponge bath and fresh clothes. I think this part is just as important as the healing of his foot-he feels better, he looks good, and he's taking more responsibility for dealing with things himself. I think the one time I shaved him after his stroke was enough for him to realize he needed the manual dexterity to do it himself. Tonight, another milestone: he rolled himself over to the dining room table for dinner. Granted, it would have been pretty sloppy trying to eat soup and skirt steak on the couch, but we didn't have to. Of course, Omi wants to see a picture of his foot; so I'll take one when I change the dressing tomorrow.

I haven't gotten any coasters done, but I did make a major dent in the paper on the table. A lot was just recycling that needed to be organized-lots of circulars, etc. but I had to go through it to make sure there wasn't any mail mixed in. I have a neat stack of bills to write out tomorrow morning, then file the receipts and the table will be presentable for eating. We are having our good friend Mariann visiting on Monday night from CA. She is at a conference this weekend in DC, and staying over for a few days of sight-seeing. After our visit, I may bring up one of the portables and put it on the corner of the table (shades of junior high and high school sewing!) so that I can sew up here while we listen to music. I've realized that if I'm keeping Lou company in the bedroom when he stretches out to watch some TV, I'm getting nothing done. He's content to stretch out and listen to music as much as stretch out and watch TV-probably more so. We've always watched TV like a movie house-no lights on. At least when we elder respite I can crochet or knit in the den. If we're listening to music I can be sewing in the corner, I think I'm safe as long as the ironing board doesn't move up here to the living room. (Again, shades of junior high and high school...) that ironing board was a fixture in my mom's home-not only did it get used for ironing, it was convenient for mail, magazines, and sometimes books. I think when we had the party for out of towners the night before we got married, lots of our friends expected to walk in and see the ironing board set up to be used as the buffet.......