When it rains it pours it seems around here. The last couple of weeks I have been swamped dealing with a kidney infection that my mother managed to get. One that started out as a simple UTI, which the doctor treated and we thought had passed. However, at her age and with her medical issues it seemed like it had clear only to head into her kidneys and end up pretty bad.

This Week in the wilderness

After a week in the hospital she finally got home to rest and finish recovering but needed bed rest. My mother is terrible at all of that. A liquid diet for a few days and she is recovering but I am feeling more than a little drained. It is always so ironic that I forget how much we split things around the house until I am doing it all. It is just more than I am used to now.

Life at Shady Pines free range seniors

My mother is the WORST sick person. She refuses to rest and I gave her one of those call button hinges for when I am in the other room and don’t hear her. Well that thing goes off all the time. Not to mention Uncle R thinks he is way funnier than he is. He told me he couldn’t wait for Ma to get better because I don’t clean the living room as well as she does. I informed him that the man we saw in the emergency room who got punched in the nose by his wife is going to look like a minor injury if he keeps insulting me. These people! I love them but when they are sick they try my patience.

Hot Flashes & More the joys of midlife

I have been in the middle of menopause, which you have considered to be through once you have not had a period for a full year. I was eight months in when suddenly Aunt Flo decided she needed to show up for two days and restart that clock. Add in the hot flashes that make my scalp feel like it is on fire and I am ready to shave all my hair off. It is simply too hot some days. I did take a pair of scissors and chop off a good chunk of it though. It is not barely shoulder length.

What’s Cooking for dinner tonight

I started meal planning to help me in the grocery store a little more. We shop monthly and well lets be honest sometimes I don’t buy enough of something or I buy too much of something else. So, I thought I would share what our dinner plans are for next week and see what you think.

1. Monday: Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2. Tuesday: Shrimp Étouffée with Jasmine Rice
3. Wednesday: Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread
4. Thursday: Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
5. Friday: Grilled Salmon with Asparagus
6. Saturday: Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips
7. Sunday: Southern Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese; Strawberry Shortcake

A Moment of peace and quiet

This week, after what felt like a long stretch of worry and caretaking while Ma was sick, I finally found a small, sacred moment of peace. The house was unusually quiet—no medicine schedules, no thermometers, no reruns of her favorite shows playing at full volume. I made myself a cup of tea, stepped out onto the porch, and just sat. For the first time in what felt like weeks, I wasn’t moving, managing, or thinking ahead. I listened to the wind move through the trees, watched the light shift across the yard, and let myself exhale. It wasn’t long, but it was enough—a reminder that even in the middle of caring for others, I need to care for myself, too.

Storied Conversation a little book chat

Did you know I write more than one blog? Well I do and here are a few highlights from Storied Conversation. Please note that clicking any of the links below will take you away from Rita Reviews. I just wanted to let you know but please click away and give these blogs some love as well. You never know what you may find.

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