post xmas update

We had a good holiday with family and friends on a very brief 2-day trip to Atlanta. At my brother's house for Christmas dinner, my mother looked well and happy. My nephew and his girlfriend were both there. My niece was there cracking jokes and making up odd holiday songs, while her fiancé is in New York visiting family.

We had a great dinner at Babette's Cafe with Sandy, Chaz, and friends to celebrate her birthday on Friday.

Saturday, we drove back home. The highlight of the trip was an unexpected trip to a mall where everything was on sale now and MonsterMustDie found a new black suit to wear at my niece's wedding and I found some fun clothes to wear for winter events, if any exist for me.

Sunday, MonsterMustDie's friend Mr. Smith came by for a visit and stayed overnight. That was a good opportunity to pick his brain for ideas on how to set up the living room. I had hoped we could have used him to help MonsterMustDie re-hang the bathroom door but that never happened. The guys were too busy drinking beer and talking about mid-century designers and the antiques market. However, we at least have the guest-bedroom furniture set up now.

Today,

I just got off the phone with my mother. She phoned to let me know she is going into the hospital for several days to deal with blood clots in her legs. Just when she looked so well at my brother's house on Christmas day because her blood sugar and anemia were under control, now this has come up. My uncle is taking her to kennel her two West Highland terriers and then on to Kennestone. She is too proud to let anyone close to her help with things like picking up odds and ends at her house to bring to her or taking care of the dogs. I really wish I could be there to clean her house while she is out of it. We have such a difficult relationship, I can't be helpful while she is there but without her there I could take care of some of the nastiness ... and the people nearby who she could trust the most to take care of things for her are the last people she wants to see her home so she won't let them do a thing *sigh*.