Back in Bloom...or Bloomin Unbelievable: Tinkerbell's Recovery

Great news! Awesome...literally!!

No longer fading away.

Hour by hour, and day by day- Flo continues to improve. She's talking, and walking, and eating cookies with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

Oh, to have the faith that if we clap our hands together loud enough.. Tinkerbell will come back to life.

I wasn't really believing that an [unknown] bladder infection could wreak the havoc that it did. Well, call me Thomas... 'cause I have now seen the light and I believe it!

Ain't life grand! Florence continues to play her trump card. Rock on, Mom.

[By the way, she has the rocker guy on American Idol in our pool. David Cook is getting rave reviews. Mom just wants him to get a haircut...and win, of course...so that she can collect the money.]

What's 7+4? If not 11,,,it's 911...Here we go again:

Sometimes, if you knew what was in store for you just around the corner-
you wouldn't believe it.

Back out on uncharted waters...what/where will the destination bring?
Saturday at dinner time, life forces began to shift. Flo was looking a little strange, acting a little strange, and her right hand had a rhythmic tremor to it.
So. I started asking her questions to try to figure what was happening.
When I got to the "What's 7+4 " question[ from last year's stroke], once again...she couldn't tell me. That's when I knew that we were about to begin a bumpy ride:
911...ambulance...ER...tests...Life was standing still.

I can't make light of the evening.
It ended with me bringing her home. A bladder infection can render an elderly patient relatively speechless. Who knew? But I really wanted to believe it.
Mom went to sleep not being able to expess any communicable words...and with terrible right-sided tremors [even in her face and throat.]

Antibiotics and a full night's sleep for the body to repair itself, and Flo's recovering again.
The morning brought a,"Good morning, Sweetheart." And slow but steady conversation like the wires were connecting again. No tremors.
Words do not express this experience.
I am amazed. I am thankful.
For further details, give me a call.
And go hug a love of your own.
Let me add that the little grey poodle shared her healing hugs with me...and Mom.too.
Amazing Grace.

And without even looking, you say,"Arghhh".

How much does a tootsie roll cost?
$???!!!
So..This morning,I'm running around [ok...moving quickly around] trying to get everything together to accomplish a million things in the next five hours that are mine. One stop is to return an audio book to the library and I soon realize that one CD is still in the player. I go to eject the CD only to become aware of the fact that you need the remote to do this.
I want to know exactly who thought it was 'progress' to eliminate the buttons on the machine
just because they're on the remote!
The remote...the remote...where the hell is the remote?
In scouring the living space of the living room, there are 3 remotes.
Of course, not the one I want.
As I start to multitask [rearrange the clutter into its proper place] while looking for the appropriate remote, a lone tootsie roll.. in a bowl..seemed to fly inconspiculously thru the air and into my mouth. One less piece of 'stuff' hanging around.
I chew once, twice, three times a...aren't tootsie rolls one smooth consistency??

Hence the title to this story.
And without even looking, 'Arghhh'.
Alas, there's a piece of tooth in my hand. My tongue confirms a grand canyon.
Now I'm looking for the phone...the hell with returning the AudioBook to the library.
Because I have a very visual space where two teeth used to be joined together!!

The good news is that I was able to get into the dentist at noon.
The bad news was...How much did my last tootsie roll cost???
Three hundred two dollars. Can you believe it??
Another result of the rising cost of gasoline?? OPEC??
Evidently the cost is determined by how many sides need to be addressed.
"Hell-o-o-o-o. I certainly didn't do a half*****job. All four sides. [preceeded by an x-ray]
Followed by novacaine. Damn!!
Oh well.
Life goes on.
Teeth are important.
And if you're lucky you'll get to be like my mom whose claim to fame is: "96 and I still have my real teeth."
Luck has never been my forte.
I'll be googling 'the latest in faux teeth' just in case.

Shuffling off to Buffalo..".and away we go!!"

Well! At last!
After resolving the ailing 10 year old minivan's fate, and attending the 'Geek Squad's final services for the dead computer, I'm pleased to announce that I am confidently back online and safely back on the road. Both senior cars...the '98 Windstar and the '96 Dodge 'Flomobile' rode off into the sunset together. Newly arrived at The White House is: a 2005 silver Toyota Sienna with 17,000 miles, 2 side doors and a hatchback that open and close with the touch of a button, and a car that Flo can get into the passenger seat with relative ease. Wahoo!!

We did a test run to get the 'Meals on Wheels' delight of the day...on our new wheels. Flo said that it was the first time in a year that she had ridden in a car. It brought back a childhood memory for me. My father quite often volunteered to drive for the Dominican nuns from the 13th Avenue Monastery in Newark. Sometimes it was errands, and other times he provided transportation for a trip to the airport or hospital. So where does Flo fit in this scenario?
Picture this:
Just as the cloistered nuns would keep their heads facing the front with their eyes cast down[ so as to not see the outside world], there was Mom with her focus straight ahead and not looking around. I had to launch into my tour guide mode and start pointing out the Spring flora and fauna!! She looked just like those cloistered nuns.
Not any more!! We went to her favorite lottery store and Phil [the owner]came out to the car to welcome her back. And, yes, she did buy a couple[10] scratch off tickets. Then off to Reese's Dairy Bar where the creamsicle twists are like no other ice cream treats. And, yes, we didn't want to be party poopers...so we did get ice cream cones!
Next day, another test run: a ride to the recycling center...ahem...and a couple of scratch off lottery tickets!!


So, on Sunday, we were well rehearsed to 'Shuffle off to Buffalo' to see Jer and the Grandpuppy Hank. We were entertained on the way by the homemade tape that I had made for her of her favorite hymns and songs...all the while eating the jellybeans out of Jeremy's Easter basket that we were delivering. [sorry,Jer]. I didn't get lost, the car rode like a dream, and it was a beautiful sunny day. It was great to see Jer, and even better to hug him. We spent the first 1/2 hour trying to keep Hank at a licking distance from Flo. He is a wonderful, spirited black lab puppy and he could tell just by looking at Flo 's awesome eyes and gentle smile that she had to be a kindred spirit. Did I mention that he's pretty smart,too? Jer went out for take-out. Flo and I split a panini sandwich, and we all watched Carmelo Anthony[Mom's favorite] and the Denver Nuggets play the Lakers. It was lots of fun watching Jer play with Hank...puppies[he's 7 months old] are so much fun. They just get you laughing. Even when they misbehave, ya just can't help but be on their side. Jer took digital pictures, and I hope to share them soon.

The ride home consisted of Arby's chocolate milkshakes, singing along with my favorite songs CD, and looking for deer to point out to Flo.. I saw deer[far off at a distance], a wild turkey, possums, horses, cows, etc.
Flo saw horses, cows, and as for the smaller animals... she only got to view the already departed!!![Dead deer,etc.].

Needless to say, we were both tired from our first excursion. I think a marching band could've rehearsed in the yard, and in the bedroom the sound of deep-sleep snoring would have prevailed.

Stay tuned for the future..."Happy trails to us...the casino's on the list!!!