When Life Hands you Lemons
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When life hands you lemons, you can’t always make lemonade.
Hello friends! I hate that it has been so long since you have heard from me. My life has been a bit chaotic and out-of-control. This is a good day to check-in with you and share a bit of what has been going on behind the scenes. I never intended for the break to be this long. When life hands you lemons, just roll with the punches.
Taking a Break
Each year at Christmas and New Years, I take a purposeful break from the blog and business. This allows me to spend time with beloved family and friends. It also gives me a chance to recharge my inner battery and reflect on the year ahead. I dream of projects to accomplish in the coming year, which makeovers to share with y’all, seasonal ideas, thrifty decor and so much more.
Not so Beachy
Just as the calendar rolled into 2022, my mother-in-law became ill and was hospitalized. Much family drama quickly ensued. My Honey Bee, John, is the oldest of 5 siblings. One sibling was living with my MIL, and it quickly became apparent that he was not taking care of her or her needs. Two other siblings lived close-by and refused to step in to take action for her either. Sad, right? Whatever you are imagining right now…multiply it be 10.
Our number one focus and priority was for mom and what would be best for her. We immediately headed to Boynton Beach, FL.
Honey Bee and I live 10 hours away, and the youngest sibling and his family live 20 hours away. These two siblings were the only ones to step-up and do what was necessary. Honey Bee and I have basically moved to south Florida for a month to handle everything, while putting our own lives on hold. Thank goodness we had the support and back-up from the youngest sibling and his wife.
We have gotten a quick education on elder care and what needed to be done. In very quick order we handled:
- Getting mom released from the hospital into a rehabilitation facility
- Obtained durable power of attorney – to handle financial and medical decisions
- Interviewed real estate agents
- Emptied the contents of her home and staged for real estate listing
- Contacted “A Place for Mom” to find assisted living facilities
- Subsequently visited 8 facilities on two different coasts and deciding on one
- Hired an elder care attorney to insure that we are doing everything correctly
- Contacted agencies for qualifying monies
- Bought furniture, art, necessities for her new apartment in assisted living
- Disconnected utilities and subscriptions
- Forwarded her mail to our home in Georgia
- AND SO MUCH MORE….
But, that’s not all!
Eight days after being in Florida, my own father was admitted to the hospital. He has now been there, just shy of 3 weeks. He too will be heading to a rehabilitation facility this week. More than likely, he will also be transitioning to assisted living. Dad is very ill with end-stage renal failure – and has begun dialysis treatments. My two brothers have been wonderful navigating dad’s medical care and hospital visits. Needless to say, I feel a lot of guilt over not being with my dad.
After much debate and self-talk, I decided that I needed to stay in Florida: to be my husband’s support system and to finish what we have started for my mother-in-law. I will travel back to Georgia next week to begin handling my dad’s future.
Bless you!
Thank you so very much for allowing me to vent and tell you just a small part of what I have been up to. A new blog post will be coming out tomorrow for our Thrifty Style Team.
