Changes

Its amazing how change creeps up on you. I built a house for one of my daughters last fall and found myself unable to do many of the simple tasks I once took for granted. It soon became apparent to myself that constant climbing up and down ladders was no longer in the cards for me. My days had to be restricted to a maximum of 5 - 6 hours, I simply am not strong enough anymore and don't have the endurance to apply myself to anything physical for any extended period. It came as quite a surprise to me as physical work has always been something that I enjoyed, being physically tired just meant that I would sleep deeply that night. I still sleep well after a day of work but it is offset by the fact that every muscle I used now aches this makes for an unhappy camper. Both Holly and Erin depend on wood as their main source of heat so I decided I would cut about 4 cords of wood for each of them to help them financially through the winter. Again what a surprise, I can only cut and block about a half a cord before I start to wear out. At least I am starting to smarten up though and tried to keep to a schedule of 1 load a day. Anyway its done and hauled and delivered to their yards so I have done my part. The past week I have been putting a partial basement under the house, laying blocks, framing walls etc, just routine stuff found in any construction project. But I am learning to manage myself better. I carry only one board at a time, pace myself, take the time to find a ladder rather than pulling myself up on things, I guess that is what my life has become and there is no use trying to fool myself. It is going to be nice be able to stand up down there rather than hauling myself around like a rat in a vey confined space. The plumbing in the house is all the old galvanized pipe that hasn't been used for about 60 years. I think I will keep it to myself what I find growing inside them when I inspect them after cutting them out when I put in the new pex. I am sure the stuff growing to the walls of the old galvanized pipe will be scary. Am making good progress , finished installing the new furnace and oil fired hot water tank today and just about have the new chimney through the roof. On Friday just before the snowstorm I finally finished and fired everything up. What a treat to have even heat throughout the house. Quite a change for the house as well, after standing here for 184 years with only stoves to heat it, it has finally made it to the age of constant warmth. Now that Sharons mother is living with us I felt it was important that the heat be even throughout the house. It is quite a change living with someone with advanced Alzheimers, as I started working on this blog she has been into my office 3 times in the last 10 minutes asking me if the radio is up to loud and once to find out who I am. She just went into an empty room and is asking no one if the radio is to loud, quite an adventure. It certainly has brought a lot of changes into the house as she requires 24 hour a day watching. Thank goodness for drugs, we finally hit upon a combination that relieves her anxiety which was extreme when she first came last June. She constantly had nightmares about being abandoned or being hit or threatened, very fearful and usually ending up with her standing over my bed crying hysterically. Overall though she doesn't bother me, as I said to Sharon if a person doesn't do their best to care for their aging parents they can't have much character. I remember my grandfather telling me what a change drugs made at the mental hospital he worked at when they began to be used to manage the patients. Individuals who were at one time uncontrollable suddenly became human beings that were able to function. I guess the opposite is also true, as drugs can also turn useful people into shells whose lives are destroyed, strange how it works.