Everyday a new world

Yesterday Uncle Carl was totally delusional, from his hospital bed he is "under contract" and filling boxes, then stacking them, and occasionally chasing birds from the air and asking  how did they fly in?  He thought Jerry was a priest and I one of the salesmen. His cranial memories are replaying.  I can see the end and pray it is not a long good bye.  In past hospital admissions, he has been very confused out of his routine at the assisted living home but I see rapid acceleration of decline, of the dementia from Thursday evening where he was alert in the ER to yesterday when he refused to tell the nurse his name. They have not even had him up yet out of bed so I wonder how they can discharge him, but there is that Medicare pervasiveness on reimbursements and hospitals are only to deliver acute not custodial care.

 At the least he is comfortable. It would be a good thing if the organs would fail when the mind goes, this feeble existence is not him and he certainly did not ever consider he'd end up this way; despite his living will, the body keeps on. A predicament and another reason for Dr. Kevorkian's relief, but who could/would make that decision.

 I went to the committee meeting for our 50th high school reunion last night.  They are making good progress and now have a tentative date, location, menus, caterer; watching the group, I observed that Peggy is really organized and knows how to ask questions.  I hope they do better at finding most of us for this celebration over life's trials and triumphs.  Lack of cyber/computer knowledge will be disadvantageous; maybe I can help some.  It is difficult for me to understand the backwardness of people not using what is available, email, Facebook, etc. especially for our generation, but it seems to be about a 50/50 around here.  I am reminded that people only know what they know and parochialism can prevail if one's world is not expanded.   I somberly notice that of the committee of seven of my classmates (I made 8) 4 of them have major physical illnesses including  breast cancer, kidney stones, one is facing surgery Tuesday for an aortic aneurysm that was just detected, one has recovered from prostrate cancer.  Only two of us have been blessed with relative good health and so when we return home and it is time for my annual physical, who am I to complain about any twinges?  Some of our class of "62 are no longer with us. This 50th has to be a celebratory gathering of survivors.

We need to scoot over to uncle's home today and await the meter reader.  He has a gas meter inside in the basement and periodically the gas utility company needs access to read and ensure all is ok; this was not a problem when he lived there but with the home vacant, it is inconvenient and I do not want to invest the $10,000 estimated to put this meter outside.  Lowell, the nephew who lives here has met them there in the past but since we are in town, I can do this today.  I also have contacted Sandy, the estate sale lady to  determine whether or not we should hold a sale; many tools and items remain in the home.  We neither want to nor can take anymore although Jerry keeps picking up tools and I add a bowl or glass piece now and then.  A lifetime of careful accumulation will go cheaply to buyers; this is confirmation to downsize much as you can while living. The cost to hire her though may not be worth while if we net next to nothing.  We will see.  Potentially the neighbor wants to buy his home and if we can settle on a reasonable price that will be a significant relief to me; my little red flag is waving though that he may want the place for a cheaper price than I am willing to sell. He has advised me to take what I want and just leave the rest, easier said when I know there are some significant tools and I look longingly at an old porch swing, heavy wood that my grandma used back in the 1930's.  We have no place for it but it does tear at me to leave it behind.  That and Uncle's magnificent old porch glider, sofa size, aluminum frame, like new after all these year.    Much as I would like to get rid of the home, the local housing market is not good.  For all the traffic and people around this area, there is little movement in homes for sale; but I put this into Higher Hands as all else.   

Rain continues to pour here in western PA, where the ground is soaked.  Who would have thought I would need boots?