SIL PULLS THE WOOL OVER SON IN LAW’S EYES

My niece’s campsite was strung with yellow crime scene tape when we arrived at the campground.  Apparently there had been a huge beehive in one of the trees.  SIL then decided to pull a joke on her son-in-law and used some pancake powder to outline hubby’s body in the grass of their campsite.  She then begged the grounds people to leave up the yellow tape until after their arrival.  Let’s just say it was the joke of the year!

BOOTS & ALIEN COWS

Many of you know that we came here to help family in an elder care situation.  We are still embroiled in major red tape with the VA also.  We hit the ground running when we arrived here and there has been very little relaxation time since considering, but we managed to steal a few hours last weekend to check out Brazos Bend State Park.  I wasn’t feeling too well, but we managed to get a few hours of exploration in before I had to give up for the day.  I did pretty well considering when I was finally dragged to the doctor on Friday I was told I had bronchitis, pharyngitis, strep throat and the beginnings of pneumonia.  Hey, I’m a tough old bird!  Kinda like this turkey that I literally almost walked right into at the nature center.  I was then pleasantly surprised to see that the turkey was shot by a turkey I know – LOL my uncle donated him to the park after a turkey shoot several years ago.

We took a short walk around a small lake and were rewarded with these sunbathing turtles.

There were tons of what I call Harry Potter trees throughout the park.  You know the kind of trees whose branches look like spidery arms that could scoop up a human being at the drop of a hat?
The creme de la creme though is the alligators!  They are such magnificent creatures. At least as long as you leave them alone!  We spent several hours searching for them to have them all be in the same place – sunbathing in a low lake.
How they can cover themselves in all that slime is beyond me, but it really camouflages them well.  My pictures are pretty clear, but it took some searching to distinguish them from rocks and other growth.

On the way out the park we were rewarded with this unlikely trio – all at peace with one another.

As for this guy, we were positive someone painted this guy up for the impending Halloween holiday, but when we blew up the picture, we don’t really think so.  It appears to be natural occurring.

I do intend to go back one weekend soon and see if his “birthmark” is still there or if it has washed away.

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I’m so excited…

I’ve been blogging for 3 years now and have met some great people.  There are many I feel that are long lost friends that I have yet to meet. Well, at least IRL (in real life).  We chat, share stories about kids and recipes, whine about our days and sometimes our nights too, but it’s all virtual coffee chats.  
Well, that’s about to change.  Tomorrow I will finally meet Diana from Forgetfulone.  We’re having lunch.  Now I feel like I have known her forever.  We share many similar beliefs, values and opinions regarding just about everything. 
The funny thing is she sent me an email this morning and asked, “How will I know you?” Simple question right?  It just seems strange that for 3 years we’ve been communicating via email and blogs, on facebook and even sending Christmas cards back and forth and have not yet met, but still need to answer that question.  LOL In my mind it was more like how will you not?
I have to remember to take the camera so someone can take a shot of us.

aprons 3

Life as a caregiver…

We moved in with my in-laws about 3 months ago to care for them and help them stay in their own home. FIL just turned 88 and MIL will soon be 90. FIL has back problems and was caring for MIL alone. MIL has Alzheimers as well as physical difficulties with asthma, sinus and shoulder problems that are now complicated by the lack of movement and muscles beginning to atrophy. Those physical problems are accentuated by the Alzheimer’s symptoms and a sheer massive stubborn streak. After all, at almost 90 shouldn’t she be able to do what she wants , eat what she wants and say what she wants? Normally I’d agree, but after 3 months as a caregiver I am beginning to disagree…To begin with eating what she wants creates digestive issues that are a burden to the caregiver. I’m trying to be diplomatic here, but it is what it is and like a baby who does not know any better as to what they can and cannot eat, a patient with Alzheimers has to be dietarily managed in the same fashion. Just remember what goes in eventually comes out one way or another.

As for doing what she wants, she doesn’t really do anything but sleep, get up and move to the living room, eat and drink and then back to bed at

3AMish. Sounds fairly innocuous? Right? WRONG! Once in the living room she reigns from her chair with the mouth a sailor would blush at. All the while watching NOTHING but old westerns again and again and again…, complaining that she is lonely and no one will watch TV with her (despite that we’ve seen this movie 3 times this week already with her) or she needs a drinking partner (don’t worry it’s way watered down) and fixating on the one thing she can remember. If she is feeling particularly lonely she whips out the cell phone and calls me, doesn’t matter what time of day or night or that I’m in the next room or that my cell minutes cost me money…

When you’re a 24/7 caretaker you HAVE to take time for yourself! That’s all there is to it. When I was away for Christmas, I realized that I hadn’t had a solid good night’s sleep in 64 days. I then had 4. Now it’s been another 9 nights of disrupted sleep and I’m feeling the pain. It’s not that she needs things necessarily during my sleep time, it’s that she is listening to the large screen projection TV with ceiling speakers turned up so the sound reverberates through the attic and rattles the windows. Many family members have offered up advice on dealing with the situation – all good and meaning, but until you have lived it 24/7, not just a few days at a time you can’t feel the impact of the progression of the disease.

This is my second time living “it” and there are so many similarities, but also quite a few differences. Without going into much detail, the differences have compounded the care. Things like thermostat levels, elder drama and sleep deprivation. There are many organizations that can help, but that too is a double edged sword. Many want to do an in home evaluation before you can hire them and with such a great demand for their services they can pick and choose their clients. They have been quite upfront about not accepting cantankerous or belligerent clients. If the patient won’t readily accept the help they won’t do it, but they will charge you the mandatory 2 hour rate for showing up. For us this is a problem as MIL needs help showering and such and REFUSES to do it 99% of the time. And while I believe this has become a health & safety issue for her and us, no one will intervene unless she were to be hospitalized. She also refuses to go to the doctor. I believe this is out of fear of learning the same information we already know, that she has Alzheimers. Without going to the doctor and getting new blood work they won’t adjust the medications and the disease wins again and progresses further. It becomes a vicious circle that has no end. At least not a good end.

All the literature from the Alzheimer’s association says you should always follow these 3 golden rules for living with an Alzheimer patient:

1) RE-DIRECT, RE-DIRECT, RE-DIRECT – If they become fixated on a specific thing try redirecting their attention to something positive and alluring for them.

2) TEACH YOURSELF TO LIE, LIE, LIE THERAPEUTICALLY – If they become fixated on a specific thing, agree and suggest at the same time that next Tuesday would be a good time to do it. They are normally appeased, at least for a bit. Also easier said than done when they appear to be having a lucid moment and you want to be honest with them. The emotional ties to the person can impede the caretaker big time. As can the ability of the patient to know what “buttons” to push in the caregiver. You know the ones attached to those emotional ties.

3) NEVER NEVER, NEVER ARGUE – Easier said than done when the patient is like a dog with a bone. FIL is the first to tell you this and the last to listen to his own advice. He gets so worked up trying to talk to her that they fight and then he leaves out of anger.

They say following these 3 rules are for the patient’s peace of mind. They don’t on that same sheet offer any advice for your peace of mind. You do need to find those outlets for yourself though.

FYI Alzheimers disease according to WIKIPEDIA can be broken down into 4 stages.

Pre-dementia – The first symptoms are often mistaken as related to aging or stress. Detailed neuropsychological testing can reveal mild cognitive difficulties up to eight years before a person fulfills the clinical criteria for diagnosis of AD. These early symptoms can affect the most complex daily living activities. The most noticeable deficit is memory loss, which shows up as difficulty in remembering recently learned facts and inability to acquire new information.

Subtle problems with the executive functions of attentiveness, planning, flexibility, and abstract thinking, or impairments in semantic memory (memory of meanings, and concept relationships), can also be symptomatic of the early stages of AD. Apathy can be observed at this stage, and remains the most persistent neuropsychiatric symptom throughout the course of the disease. The preclinical stage of the disease has also been termed mild cognitive impairment, but whether this term corresponds to a different diagnostic stage or identifies the first step of AD is a matter of dispute.

Early dementia – In people with AD the increasing impairment of learning and memory eventually leads to a definitive diagnosis. In a small portion of them, difficulties with language, executive functions, perception (agnosia), or execution of movements (apraxia) are more prominent than memory problems. AD does not affect all memory capacities equally. Older memories of the person’s life (episodic memory), facts learned (semantic memory), and implicit memory (the memory of the body on how to do things, such as using a fork to eat) are affected to a lesser degree than new facts or memories.

Language problems are mainly characterised by a shrinking vocabulary and decreased word fluency, which lead to a general impoverishment of oral and written language. In this stage, the person with Alzheimer’s is usually capable of adequately communicating basic ideas. While performing fine motor tasks such as writing, drawing or dressing, certain movement coordination and planning difficulties (apraxia) may be present but they are commonly unnoticed. As the disease progresses, people with AD can often continue to perform many tasks independently, but may need assistance or supervision with the most cognitively demanding activities.

Moderate dementia – Progressive deterioration eventually hinders independence; with subjects being unable to perform most common activities of daily living. Speech difficulties become evident due to an inability to recall vocabulary, which leads to frequent incorrect word substitutions (paraphasias). Reading and writing skills are also progressively lost. Complex motor sequences become less coordinated as time passes and AD progresses, so the risk of falling increases. During this phase, memory problems worsen, and the person may fail to recognize close relatives.Long-term memory, which was previously intact, becomes impaired.

Behavioural and neuropsychiatric changes become more prevalent. Common manifestations are wandering, irritability and labile affect, leading to crying, outbursts of unpremeditated aggression, or resistance to caregiving. Sundowning can also appear. Approximately 30% of patients develop illusionary misidentifications and other delusional symptoms. Subjects also lose insight of their disease process and limitations (Anosognosia). Urinary incontinence can develop. These symptoms create stress for relatives and caretakers, which can be reduced by moving the person from home care to other long-term care facilities.

Advanced dementia – During this last stage of AD, the patient is completely dependent upon caregivers. Language is reduced to simple phrases or even single words, eventually leading to complete loss of speech.Despite the loss of verbal language abilities, patients can often understand and return emotional signals. Although aggressiveness can still be present, extreme apathy and exhaustion are much more common results. Patients will ultimately not be able to perform even the most simple tasks without assistance. Muscle mass and mobility deteriorate to the point where they are bedridden, and they lose the ability to feed themselves. AD is a terminal illness with the cause of death typically being an external factor such as infection of pressure ulcers or pneumonia, not by the disease itself.

Upper Peninsula Activities for the Whole family


Amber and I on the Picture Rocks Cruise
Hubby and I moved to the upper peninsula Michigan from the west coast a couple of years ago to work on an investment house. Long story short, we’re still here, but hoping to return home soon. We have taken the time to explore the area though and have found many wonderful things with LOTS of history to do in the area.

This guest post ran over at Scribbit: A blog about Motherhood in Alaska awhile back and now I’m running it for my regular readers as we approach the summer months and all of these activities will be available.

Here in the Upper Peninsula, affectionately known as the UP to the locals. Locals are also known as Yoopers. The term Yooper is a form of North Central American English mostly spoken in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which gives the dialect its name (from “U.P.” for Upper Peninsula). The dialect is also found in many northern areas of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and largely in Northeast Wisconsin. Yooper differs from standard English primarily due to the linguistic background of settlers to the area. The majority of people living in the Upper Peninsula are of either Finnish, French Canadian, Flemish, Scandinavian, or German descent. Yooper is so massively influenced by these areas’ languages that speakers from other areas may have difficulty understanding it. The Yooper dialect is also influenced by the Finnish language making it similar in character to the so-called “Rayncher speek” of the Mesabi Iron Range in northeast Minnesota.

The story goes that neither Wisconsin nor Michigan wanted this frigid, yet beautifully forested, but otherwise barren piece of land that is actually attached to Wisconsin. Michigan inherited it by default. Shortly after that they discovered many mines that made the area into virtual boom towns. Lumber is the primary industry these days. There is talk of reopening many of the mines, especially the copper mines.

Mackinac Island is an island that covers 3.8 square miles in land area and belongs to the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812.

During the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summering place. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration since and as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park. While on the island you travel by bicycle, foot or horse drawn vehicles.

The Grand Hotel was constructed in the late 19th century and advertises itself as having the world’s largest porch. The Grand Hotel is well known for a number of notable visitors, including five U.S. presidents have visited: Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Gerald Ford (raised in Michigan), George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton), inventor Thomas Edison, and author Mark Twain. The hotel served as the setting for the 1947, musical-comedy This Time for Keeps, starring Jimmy Durante and Esther Williams (after whom the Hotel’s swimming pool is named) and it served as a backdrop for the 1980 film “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Every October the hotel hosts an annual convention for fans of the cult-classic.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior. It extends for 42 miles along the shore and covers 73,236 acres. The park offers spectacular scenery of the hilly shoreline between Munising, Michigan and Grand Marais, Michigan, with natural archways, waterfalls, and sand dunes. Pictured Rocks derives its name from the 15 miles (24 km) of colorful sandstone cliffs northeast of Munising. The cliffs are up to 200 feet (60 m) above lake level. They have been naturally sculptured into shallow caves, arches, formations that resemble castle turrets, and human profiles, among others. Near Munising visitors also can view Grand Island, most of which is included in the Grand Island National Recreation Area and is preserved separately. The U.S. Congress made Pictured Rocks the first officially-designated National Lakeshore in the United States in 1966.

Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale, the largest island in Lake Superior, is over 45 miles in length and 9 miles wide at its widest point. The park is made of Isle Royale itself and multiple smaller islands, along with any submerged lands within 4.5 miles of the surrounding islands. Isle Royale National Park was established on April 3, 1940, was designated as a Wilderness Area in 1976, and was made an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. It is a relatively small national park at 894 square miles, with only 209 square miles above water. At the U.S.-Canada border, it will meet the borders of the future Canadian Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

The park has two developed areas: Windigo, at the southwest end of the island which is a docking site for the ferries from Minnesota, with a campstore, showers, campsites, and a boat dock; and Rock Harbor on the south side of the northeast end which is a dock site for the ferries from Michigan, with a campstore, showers, restaurant, lodge, campsites, and a boat dock. Sleeping accommodations at the park are limited to the lodge at Rock Harbor and 36 designated wilderness campgrounds. Some campgrounds are accessible only by private boat; others in the interior are accessible only by trail or by canoe/kayak on the island lakes. The campsites vary in capacity. The only amenities at the campgrounds are pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire-rings at specific areas. Campfires are not permitted at most campgrounds; gas or alcohol camp stoves are recommended. Drinking and cooking water must be drawn from local water sources (Lake Superior and inland lakes) and filtered, treated, or boiled to avoid parasites. Hunting is not permitted, but fishing is, and edible berries (blueberries, thimbleberries) may be picked from the trail.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is on the northeastern portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, on Whitefish Point which forms the northern end of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior. Situated literally at the end of the road about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan, the museum is located on the site of Whitefish Point Lighthouse, the oldest active light on Lake Superior. The museum features artifacts retrieved from local shipwrecks, including the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and utilizes part of the old Coast Guard facility. Whitefish Point is a popular spot for ship watchers, bird watchers and rock collectors.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a 46,179-acre (186.9 km²) state park in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the second largest of Michigan’s state parks. Bordering on Lake Superior, most of the park is located within Chippewa County, with the western section of the park extending into Luce County. The nearest town of any size is Paradise.


SPRING THAW AT Tahquamenon Falls State Park, U.P. Michigan

Tahquamenon Falls State Park follows the Tahquamenon River as it passes over Tahquamenon Falls and drains into Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior. The Tahquamenon Falls include a single 50-foot drop, the Upper Falls, plus the cascades and rapids collectively called the Lower Falls. During the late-spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 gallons (200,000 liters) of water per second, making the upper falls the second most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after only Niagara Falls. The North Country Trail passes through the park. The water in this region contains large amounts of dissolved minerals, accounting for the golden-brown color of the water as it cascades over the falls. In winter, the ice that accumulates around and in the falls is often colored in shades of green and blue. Much of the park is undeveloped but it does have more than 22 miles (35 km) of hiking trails. Row boats and canoes are rented to use to approach the lower falls. The state parks are plentiful and gorgeous. Porcupine Mountains State Park, Keweenaw National Historical Park, Grand Island National Recreation Area are just a few of the other beautiful and wonderful family places to spend a weekend with hiking trails, vista points and a scrumptious picnic.

Pine Mountain ski jump in Iron Mountain is one of the largest artificial ski jumps in the world. The ski jump, built in 1938, has seen more competitive ski jumping than anywhere else in the U.S. An international competition takes place each February and provides a good excuse for a fun time tailgating even if windy conditions don’t permit skiers to jump. Skiers land mid-hill at 65 mph. It makes me nervous to even look at this ski jump. It is 176 feet tall and 380 feet long and it is SO close to the main road. The record jump is 459 feet long.

The U.P. is also home to the National Ski Hall of Fame. The U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States. In 1905, the National Ski Association, today known as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, was formed in Ishpeming. It also includes a theater, gift shop, offices and storage space for archive material and collections as well as the Roland Palmedo Memorial Library, one of the largest research ski libraries in the United States is housed here. Roland Palmedo was a skisport builder and contributor for more than 50 years. He helped to organize the National Ski Patrol, the teacher certification program, and various early ski teams and clubs. He also edited two skiing books and developed one of the most extensive ski libraries in America. Following his death in 1977, his family donated his library to the National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum where it has become the nucleus for the Roland Palmedo Memorial Library.

1920-The Iron River “Rum Rebellion” February 20. Federal officers raided a home in Virgil Location, part of Iron River, without search warrant. A confrontation resulted between local law enforcement officers and Federal officers which attracted national attention and resulted in nearly 300 of illegal seizure being thrown out of court.

The Iron Mountain Mine in Vulcan, MI and the Iron Mountain Museum and Cornish Pump are great family activities full of history and fun.

These are just a few of the great family attractions. The best time to visit is summer and there are very few crowds!