Twenty Years at Sherwood Drive

April 1st, Nana celebrated twenty years in her apartment at 65 Sherwood Drive, Montgomery PA.  The apartments are owned and managed by Warrior Run Development in Turbotville, PA.  In 1992, when Nana's house on Melvina Street became too much for her, and for all of us kids, to take care of, she put her name on a waiting list to move to the rent-controlled Senior apartments just outside Montgomery on Rt. 405.

Waiting is not one of Nana's strong talents (mine either so I guess that's where I get that trait), so those months waiting for an apartment to become available was stressful.  When we got the call early in 1993, we were excited - until we realized we had to sell the house, and clean out all the stuff in her large 2 bedroom house so she could fit into a one bedroom apartment.  Thanks to Dick Penfield at Fish Real Estate, her house sold quickly.  It was a snowy winter and the house was sold before the snow melted the snow bank where Dick had stuck the For Sale sign.  The clean out was a long process and I remember many hours of cleaning out cupboards and boxes in the attic, deciding where to put everything that accumulated since she'd moved there in the 70's.
 
The Yoder's, who manage Warrior Run Development,  were kind enough to let us have the keys the weekend before and by April 1st Nana was settled into her new home.  Although the waiting was hard, the result was worth it.  Her apartment is on second floor with a balcony that faces a cornfield below and and a panoramic view of the mountains, unobstructed by buildings or highways.  In the spring and summer, the mountains are lush with green and in the fall, the distant trees are awash with bright reds, oranges and yellows.  It's a view that many would pay high rent to have and Nana gets to experience it every day with a low rent that fits her tiny budget.

It's not entirely perfect.  Nana can't have her own washer and dryer and still twenty years later hates the idea of the coin-operated laundry facilities.  In the years since 2010 when she experienced three back surgeries, I do most of Nana's laundry when I visit once a month.  She fixes a tiny change purse with an abundance of quarters.  She tells me that I need to take extras because one time when she took exact change with her laundry, one of the quarters rolled under the washer and she had to go back to her apartment for another.  She's made sure that never happens to me. 

I'm grateful for how accommodating the management of the apartments are to their tenants.  When Nana had back surgery and couldn't navigate the steps anymore, I called the office and they arranged for a chair lift to be installed at no charge.  It was ready to use by the time I brought her home from the hospital.  That chair lift has allowed Nana to stay in her beloved second floor apartment and be independent.

One of the best benefits of her apartment is the free maintenance.  When something is broken or leaking, Nana does a work order and Pat the maintenance man comes to fix it.  He's a local guy who went to the same high school I did - Warrior Run High School.  I hope he never retires because Nana enjoys not only his mechanical skills but his kind manner and sense of humor. 

For twenty years, Sherwood Drive is where Nana has lived, but it's not just a place to live, it really is what Nana calls home.

Nana on her balcony in May 2011

Back to Back

Nana's back has always been a problem for her.  She had a hard physical life for many years.  Her weak back could be from carrying heavy wet clothes, run through an ancient wringer washer, up rickety cellar steps to hang on the clothesline outside.  Even after she moved up to an automatic washer, a dryer was a luxury she never got to experience until decades later.

It could also be from carrying water.  The Bower place, a falling down rambling farmhouse, never had running water.  When we moved to the Staggert place in 1957, the whole family was excited to have hot and cold water at the kitchen sink.  The joy was short-lived.  Soon after we moved in, our spring - the only source of water - went dry and Nana had to haul water in tall dented metal milk cans from a mountain spring miles away.  Soon after the spring was freely flowing, the kitchen drain clogged and we had to haul water outside to dump it.  More back work for Nana.

Nana's back took the biggest hit from working over twenty years in a textile factory.  The current term for the factory where she worked would be "sweatshop."  She used a machine called a ball spinning machine to spin wispy multi-colored thread onto small wooden balls.  A hand crank was the only source of power and Nana had to produce grosses of these shimmering balls. Nana saved some of the balls she made and I have a few of them on display in my office to remind me to stop whining whenever I think I'm having a hard day.

In 2010, Nana had three back surgeries called kyphoplasty.  A cement-like material is surgically inserted between compressed vertebrae to stop the pain of the fracture.  In Nana's case, these compressed fractures come from osteoporosis.  Nana always says the doctor has to call for a cement truck delivery before surgery. 

When she was experiencing severe back pain a few weeks ago, the doctor thought we were going to be doing surgery #4. Unfortunately, after two MRI's, the results indicated that nothing can surgically be done to relieve her pain.

In addition to the osteoporosis, Nana has a condition called scoliosis or curvature of the spine.  This complicates her back pain, not to mention her walking and now even her digestion as the condition gets steadily worse.  Nana has accepted this condition.  She's even re-named it.  She calls it "squirrelly-osis."   Thank goodness for Nana's sense of humor and her determination to live her life the way she wants in spite of all her back problems. 

 

Nana-isms

The title of my blog today is Nana-isms.  These are phrases that Nana uses that are unique to Nana’s vocabulary, like…..

“It’s raining cats and dogs and hammer handles.”  I asked Nana where she heard this phrase and she said that her mom and dad said it when she was growing up.  I’ve heard the “cats and dogs” phrase, but I’m clueless where the hammer handles come into the picture.  Nana didn’t know either but it seems normal to her because she’s been saying it all her life.

While I was combing Nana's grandkitty, Mitzi and talking to Nana on the phone one morning, Nana remarked that she had already combed her hair for the day.  Then she delivered the newest Nana-ism “Brush your teeth and comb your hair and you’ll look like a millionaire.”  She told me she heard the phrase in her childhood.  It’s amazing to me I’ve never heard her say that before.  Nana can always surprise me.

Another famous Nana-ism is a phrase she calls “storm air.”  When she walks outside and the air penetrates with cold and moisture, Nana says it’s a “storm air.”  The funny thing is she's usually right.  After her pronouncement, a storm is not far behind.

At 89 years old, Nana gets tired more easily now than when she was younger.  I’m always encouraging her to take a nap in the afternoon, especially when she hasn’t slept enough the night before.  Her answer is always the same, “I’m not a daytime sleeper.”  She states this Nana-ism like any indisputable fact.  That’s the end of the discussion.

Whenever Nana and I are talking about numbers, whether it be her checkbook total, or the price of bananas, she frequently says, “go figure.”  That’s one of her favorite Nana-isms.  For Nana to “go figure” she uses a pencil and piece of paper, not a calculator.  This woman can add and subtract in her head faster than I can enter the numbers in a calculator.  She still does her own checkbook and balances her bank account statements every month.  She may only have an eighth grade education, but she does know how to “go figure.”

As I write this, it’s starting to rain - I'm waiting to see the “cats and dogs and hammer handles.”

 

 

Nana and Snow

 

We had 3 inches of snow in Virginia today.  Whenever I talk to Nana about snow, she loves to tell the story about the time that she was in Austin in 1943 and they had snow there for the first winter in 17 years.  She says that the kids went wild, throwing snowballs, even breaking windows in their excitement.  Most of those kids had never seen snow before.  Of course, it didn't stay long in the warmer Texas temperatures but it truly was an event to remember.

 Nana also told me when she was a kid, she and Uncle John walked to Pikes Peak School in the winter.  She said the snow was as high as the fences they crossed.  The teacher lived next to the school so there was no "snow days" for them to get a vacation from school.

Below is a picture of Nana and Uncle Ben during the winter with snow on the ground while she lived at home in Elimsport area with Grandma and Grandpa Tilburg.  Nana was probably in her late teens and Uncle Ben was 7 years younger.  Nana is holding a guitar.  When I asked her about the guitar, she said it was Uncle John's.  She liked to strum on it sometimes but didn't really play.  She told me Uncle John used to play the guitar for square dances.  The old car they are posing in front of she thinks is a Ford, because Grandpa Tilburg usually bought Fords. 

Nana and Uncle Ben

 

Nana has seen lots of winters.  We talked recently about the blizzard of 1996 and the flood that followed. We both remembered that as one of the worst in history.  I guess this 3 inches of snow today is really no big deal.  

Pictures from Advent Wreath Service December 2012

 

Thanks to my brother Bill for sharing these pictures he took of Nana lighting the Advent Wreath Candle at St. John's United Methodist Church in December.  See my previous blog for all the details of that Sunday!

 

 

 

 

Nana Lights the Advent Wreath Candle

Sharon is in charge of The Advent Wreath program at St John's United Methodist Church where Nana is a member.  Before her last fall, Sharon had asked Nana if she would go up to the front of the church with her on December 2nd,  the first Sunday of Advent  and together they could light the first candle on the Advent Wreath.  Surprisingly, Nana not only said yes, but was very excited about doing it.  When Nana fell on the Thursday before that Sunday, Sharon thought Nana would change her mind about going.  However, by Friday, Nana decided she was recovered enough to still go to church and participate in the program.

 Following is Sharon's account that I received via text message:
Nana had a big day at church.  She was welcomed by many people and she gave Pastor Mike her latest story that she wrote.  We sat with Gracie and Gracie held the hymn book with her.  I asked Pastor Mike for the paper to read while lighting the candle.  He brought it over and I immediately went to work assigning Nana the middle part to read and told her to read slowly and loudly.  We went over it a couple of quick times in our seat.  We thought it would be after the collection, but he had no sooner said "Good Morning" from the pulpit and then he announced the lighting of the advent candle.  We were surprised but took the paper and headed up.  Billy went up also and helped Nana get there.  Then he sat down on the front pew and took pictures.  We actually lit the candle together and everyone clapped.  It was really touching.  Nana was so proud.  And, as she walked up, Pastor Mike said to the congregation that Deanie was really nicely dressed in the colors of the advent candles - pink and purple.   (So you did a good job of getting her dressed this morning.)

 That whole thing made it worth while for me to have that position for a few years even though it is a pain.  And as he announced who was lighting the candle , he said, "and Deanie is fortunate to be here because she had a bad fall this week and is badly bruised." She got lots of much deserved attention.  Also this would be great on your Nana blog.  I told the people today that Nana has gone to this church since she was a little girl and just wanted to light the Advent Candle once.  Actually, you know, she was born right near the church in the log cabin that was in Tenner Moore's front yard.  I am sure she would have walked to Sunday School. To actually light the candle, I lit the match and wrapped my hand around hers, with the match in her and my fingers.  Of course, right up front she said, "Oh, you are going to burn my finger."  I said, "No, I am not."  But then it did not light at first, so it really did come close to burning both our fingers as I held it long enought to get the flame.  After church I made a fast trip to Wendy's on the way home.  We ate hamburgers in the car and when I got her home I fixed the baked potato and coffee for her on her table at home.  I put 2 Frosties in the freezer, but I'm sure they will not be there long.

I think Sharon's text describes the events perfectly.  I'm really proud of Nana for having the courage to go in front of the church and read and be part of the program.  Sharon has asked a number of people from the church to do the reading and light the Advent Candle for the other weeks, and many people turn her down saying, "Oh, I don't like to get up in front of people."  After seeing Nana, 89 years old,  bruised and making an effort to walk, I don't think as many people will say "No" to Sharon now.

Thanks Sharon - it was a good day for Nana and we are grateful for every good day.

      Church Bulletin from Nana's Advent Wreath Sunday, December 2, 2012

 

 

Another Fall

On Friday morning, November 29th I got a call from Sharon that Nana had fallen again.  She pushed her Lifeline button - thank goodness!  The ambulance was called and Lifeline called Sharon.  When Sharon called me it was before 8am.  I always call Nana about 7:55am each morning so when I saw Sharon's phone id, my heart sank.  Sharon went to the Emergency Room and sat with Nana while they did Xrays and tests and scans. 

While Sharon waited, I packed and started the six hour plus drive to PA.  I didn't know if anything was broken - could we dodge the bullet two times?  But I knew that no matter what, Nana would need some help and she likes "her girls" close in times of crisis. 

The results took hours and it wasn't until after 1pm that Sharon got the word that there was no fractures.  Another miracle!  Again I thank God and her daily routine of Shaklee and her meds. She was allowed to leave the hospital when she was able to take a walker about 30 feet down the hall.  Nana was ready to go home.  In fact, before the test results were in, she had already gotten tired of waiting.  She sat on the edge of her bed and said, "I'm leaving."  Patience is not one of her virtues.  When it was time for the walker test, Nana practically ran down the hall with that walker.  She had not been allowed any food or drink in case there was a fracture and surgery was needed.  Now she was hungry.  All she had on was her nightgown, so Sharon got a coat from the car and off they went to Wendy's for a hamburger.  Since Nana couldn't go in, Sharon prepared their "car picnic" and Nana devoured her meal.  Nana doesn't eat much, but she needs to eat often and when she is hungry, don't get in her way!  Thank you, thank you Sharon for all you did that day. 

Nana has some good neighbors who helped us that day.  Chuck heard the ambulance call on the scanner and called up to her.  Because he didn't know if she was dresssed, he sent another neighbor, Fay up to check on her.  Fay put a pillow under her head and helped her put her teeth in before the ambulance arrived.  We're so grateful for both of them helping. 

Wayne checked on her apartment after the ambulance left and it was so good to have him there.  Jeff  came on his lunch to talk to Nana at the ER and be with Sharon for a while.  Nana truly has a lot of people who care about her.

Nana fell hard on her butt, which is all black and blue.  She hit her head and cut her elbow.  It could have been much worse and I'm so glad we had the Lifeline button for her to push.  I hope there are no more falls but it's good to know the system works.

None of us know when it will be our last day, but at 89 years old, Nana is aware that this is her twilight.  Events like this fall remind me that every phone call, every visit and every holiday with Nana is precious and I treasure them.