Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Situation of the Lovely Ms. J, Part 1

As this is my first post, I must say that the likelihood of all my paragraphs being completely disjointed is very high. My grandmother is very needy, and if I am writing while I am with her, I will probably have to pause every minute or so to reposition her or get her something.

Oh, and I have decided that as the need arises, I will be referring to Gram as "Ms. J" (who is not to be confused with Miss J on America's Next Top Model) for privacy purposes.

My grandmother has always been the matriarch of the family, but over the years has been declining in health due to strokes, broken hips, and various other injuries. She is completely dependent on her caregivers for all her needs. She has also been estranged from several close family members, which has sometimes made her decline a lonely one. She is 87, has spent her life on ranches, farms and in hunting lodges, been married and widowed, produced 3 kids (and helped raise countless others) and has always been very hard-working. The fact that she is now what they call a "full-assist" is very hard for her, as you might imagine.

Hold on, must reheat the hot water bottle.

Ok, back. So anyway, Ms. J grew up knowing how to work and how to make others work, too. For lack of a better way of putting it, my grandmother was always known for being a control freak. This, along with a few of her other less amiable traits, did tend to drive some people (usually of a similar nature) away. Still, she has always been a very loving woman, and has cared for many people under this very roof. Relatives, friend's children, the friend's children's children...the list is too numerous to even begin. She always cooked for everyone, made sure manners were up to par.

...To be continued. Time to get Gram to bed.

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