I didn’t want to go another day without letting you know why I’ve been absent the last few days. My mom has had a stroke that has dramatically affected her ability to comprehend what’s going on. She’s also very weak in her legs and can’t walk on her own. The greatest blessing is she still knows all us kids… my brother just drove in tonight so we are all here together making the best decisions for her well being. She’s not going to be able to live by herself at Liberty anymore so we are having to find a new solution to meet her needs.
It’s hard to be where we are but we are not alone in this and know the Lord has been guiding us through this and will continue to give us wisdom and direction for what lies ahead.
I had a chance last night to read over your comments and thank you for taking time to share with each other (You are all so kind to each other!) and also to pray for my mom and my family. We truly are grateful for friends like you.
I can’t say when I’ll be back but know I am thinking of you.
If someone wants to start a question for today (about anything) so everyone can comment, that’s okay by me!
Thanks everyone,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, Jeanne, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom’s latest health crisis! At least you now know what it is, and can make some necessary decisions based on that. Is she still staying with you? I’m glad you brother was able to get there, too; did he have very far to come?
Please know that you and your whole family are in my prayers.
I am finally making some progress on those Easter dresses for two of my Little Darlings. One is pretty much put together; just the finishings need to be done. The other one is coming along, but a little more slowly, since the trim on it has more “steps” and “parts” than I usually do! But, should be done in plenty of time for Easter. I still need to crochet their Easter baskets–I did them for the others–if I can remember how!! LOL
I’ll start a question: What is a favorite dolly memory of yours? It can be from childhood or adulthood (since not everyone loves dolls when they are little).
One of mine is about a Zook doll, Lizzy, that I have. Back in the 1990s, my mother had already started with dementia, and, although she was still able to be at home yet (she spent her last 5 years in an adult home), she was no longer able to do a lot of things. I brought Lizzy to show my mom, and mom sat and held her and talked to her for quite a while! (Lizzy is a toddler with a facial expression that looks like she just saw her first Christmas tree!!) Mom had never reacted to any other dolls I brought to show her, just to Lizzy!
Now, as I look back, I wish I had brought Lizzy to her more often, as she enjoyed her so much that one time.
Oh Jeanne, I am so sorry to hear about your momma, but at least you know what happened, and now can decide on what you can do for her. And you are all in this together, which is not always what happens when a parent declines. The four of you are such a wonderful testimony to your parents of your wonderful upbringing, and no doubt you all will decide on what’s best for her, and the good Lord will guide you to do the best you can. You all are in my prayers!
Charlotte, I have had many dolls as a child, but my first memory of a doll was my Susie doll. Try as I might, I can’t even remember what she looked like!! Not even sure if she was a rag doll or not! So you ask, why do I remember her? Well, I must have been more like 1 or 2 years old when I got her, and she must have been something I went to sleep with, but one day my mother got rid of her, and told me she was falling apart! She probably was, but I was SO heartbroken about Susie, and it took a long time to get over her. Funny, how a doll you can’t even remember what she looked like could be remembered for so long. I still remember the day my mother told me, as I was going to take a nap and asked for Susie, and poor Susie wasn’t there to take a nap with me!.
Now don’t even get me started with Betsy Wetsy! It was more like Wetsy Betsy! I loved feeding her and feeding her and feeding here, until she had water coming out of her eyes, neck crevice, arm and leg joints! And of course, I was usually sitting on my bed while doing that, so , not the best outcome! Water everywhere!
I had a rubber baby doll when I was a little girl, too, Linda–probably a “brand x” but a drink-and-wet, and I had all kinds of things for her, even a portable bathinette (thanks to our dear neighbor!). Mom made a few clothes for her, too, and the baby got bathed, and fed, and diapered, and powdered…..her painted hair and her poor fingers were about wearing off!! When I was almost 15, we were going to move from Michigan to Seattle, and mom said I had to “get rid of” at least one doll, so I gave her (and all her accessories–wish I’d kept some of those!) to a neighbor girl–and then came home and Cried!!!
Jeanne
I am so sad to hear about your Mother but I am sure that you and your family will come up with a plan that has her well cared for and safe. Also giving all of you peace of mind. Hopefully you can find a place that all of you agree on as it’s not a easy decision and were she will be happy. It is never a easy decision especially when it needs to be done quickly.
I will keep you and your Mom in my thoughts.
My fondest doll memories was taking my Tiny Tears and Betsy Wetsy to my grandmother’s house, which was just about every weekend. My grandmother was an amazing seamstress and designed all her own patterns. So sewing was a big part of my childhood. I would spend hours going thru her stash and pick out the perfect fabric for a new outfit. At first she showed me to sew with needle and thread but then it was time to sit with her at her Singer Treadle machine. I still have those dresses and dolls. Looking at them brings back so many memories of her. When I was around 8 she purchased me a child’s size Singer Machine that actually sewed, it was in a green and white leather case and the machine is metal.
Blessings
This is an amazingly wonderful memory
Oh, how lovely, Sandra!
So sorry to hear about Momma’s health problems. Fortunately she has wonderful children who will help each other to decide what to do. Hope all goes very smoothly for all. I hope her doll will be able to stay with her if she likes it.
My memory is not of a doll but a huge teddy bear. It was 1943 and my Nana owned a beauty school in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. She saw the bear in the window display at Famous-Barr. She asked if she could buy it, but the store manager said it had to stay in the window until Christmas. So she stayed late on Christmas Eve and went to the store and bought it and carried it home with her on the streetcar. I’m afraid it got moths and was missing in action by the time I could have remembered it as I was probably 14 months old, but I have a picture of me with the bear. The story is a treasured memory.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. Sending love, hugs and prayers.
Jeanne, all of you are in my prayers. Contact her doctor and see when you can start inhome care and therapy. I live in Virginia, and I called Capital Home Care when mom had her stroke. Medicare covers this. Mom spent three months in a rehab hospital that did nothing for her. As soon as she was discharged and brought home, we started the home care.
Sometimes eating is a struggle, if she can drink, get her started on the canned nutrition drinks available by prescription. Well, I hope she can recover and enjoy the Spring.
Oh, so unhappy to hear that your mother had a stroke. Was hoping not. I guess where she is living now, has dementia care, but perhaps not care for bedridden. Hopefully, she can start getting treatment with the stroke confirmation. Do they think that she can regain mobility? Maybe rehab/home care as suggested will help. I am so happy that she still knows all of you. That in itself is special. Very happy too that all of your siblings are arriving. I’m sure the best decisions will be made.
My thoughts are with you.
I’m glad your siblings can help with the next step of care for your dear Momma. At least you know what happened to her and can make decisions accordingly.
My mother lived with dementia the last 5 or so years of her life and it was very hard to see this wonderful loving mother change as she did. It is heartbreaking.
I pray all of you can remain strong in helping your Mom. I’m thinking of all of you.
My girlfriend and I loved our Barbies despite the other dolls we had over our childhoods. It was probably the interaction we shared of our dramatic Barbie stories ! Lol.
Jeanne dear, take care and blessings to all of you in the decisions you will need to make.
We always know the time will most likely come when we are going to have to be there for our parents as they always were for us. It is so good that your siblings are there to help you out and lend their thoughts to what is best for your mom. My mom had a stroke at 83, went straight to hospice and passed a week later. My three sisters and I were never faced with the decisions that many others are. Prayers are definitely with all of you as you travel this difficult path. Keep checking in. We miss you, but understand your priorities must be with your mom at this time. We’ll keep.
Doll stories. Hmmm… They are few and far between for me because I never had many dolls when I was little. I had a Toni doll when I was about five. I wish I had taken better care of it so I would have it now. Then I had a Tiny Tears. I had a doll a lot like Miss Ginger from the Ginny series. I think she was 10 1/2″. She’s the doll I used to design and make clothes for. But one of my favorite memories was my ballerina doll that I got sometime around fifth grade. Her feet actually adjusted so she could point her toes. She was beautiful. When I was in seventh grade I was singing in the Seventh Grade Chorus. It was our Christmas concert and we were doing the 12 Days of Christmas. When it was time for “ten ladies dancing” I got to walk across the stage with my doll, pose for a minute and then place her under the tree. From that day on I was hooked on performing.
Another story is not mine but my hubby David’s and it is about a Teddy Bear. He was adopted when he was about four years old. He came from an abusive and neglectful family. He was blessed to be adopted by two people who truly cared and had a good life from then on. But the one thing he always talks about is the Teddy Bear he got on his first Christmas with them. Up till then, he’d never had a Christmas present. Teddy is a big bear but not huge, but to a four-year old little boy he was HUGE. His parents kept Teddy and a few years after we were married, he came to live with us. I would love to fix him up a little bit for David and make him a suit of clothes (as his mother once did), but he is so fragile I’m afraid to mess with him too much. If something happened to him, it would be sadder for David than if he just remains as is.
Oh, Barbara, my cousin Carol (who is my age) had a ballerina doll with posable feet, and Real Capezio toeshoes!! I was SOOOOO envious!! And Carol never played much with dolls, and later gave it to another, younger cousin–who didn’t play with dolls, either!!! I would have LOVED to have had her! The younger cousin no longer has that doll–probably her mother got rid of it or something, I don’t know.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. My prayers are with you and your family.
Dear Jeanne, So very sorry to hear about your Mom’s stroke. Praying she will get stronger every day and has a complete recovery. You take your time with your family and please take care of yourself.
I think someone asked the other day about our 1st doll. Mine was a Madame Alexander baby doll with vinyl face, arms & legs; cloth body and she sucked her thumb – just like me! She had blond hair – also like me and I just loved her. She came with a pink wood crib, mattress, sheets and blanket. I was thrilled that Christmas and couldn’t keep my eyes off her. I still have the set but unfortunately, at some point, I thought she needed a hair cut :0(
I think my favorite memory is some years later I received a Little Miss Revlon teen doll and she became my ABSOLUTE favorite. My wonderful Aunt Dorrie made a whole box of clothes for her. It was the biggest gift box I ever saw and she had made so many outfits. There was layer upon layer, separated with tissue paper of pj’s; skirts; blouses; dresses; gowns; fur coat and stole – WOW. I still have all of them.
Then Barbie came on the scene and Miss Revlon was not so popular and you couldn’t even find her so I had to adapt. I have many fond memories of playing with my 2 Barbies and Ken and their house. Yep, I still have all of that too and no one in the family cares about dolls – how does that happen? I keep telling myself one day I’m going to get out that playhouse and open it all up and take a photo shoot.
What wonderful memories–especially all those clothes your aunt made for your Little Miss Revlon!! Would love to see pictures of the doll and her clothes, as well as your Barbie house! If you’re willing, you could send them to Jeanne, and she could share them with the rest of us!
Thanks Charlotte, I will be happy to take & share some photos but it might be a little while as I am also caring for my wonderful Mom. She just celebrated her 90th birthday but has had some major health issues since November. If spring ever finds its way to Michigan I am sure she will feel much better with the sun shining and flowers waking up!
I would be happier with different news, like a miracle or two, but knowing what the problem is helps so much with making your decisions. When my grandmother decided it was time for her to go to the nursing home that all her friends had gone to (though they were long gone), one of us visited her every day. Fortunately all 4 daughters lived in the general area, and so did I. Then they called everyone else to report, except my mom called on my behalf. It kept them all together. I have lots of good memories of her from the last couple of years of her life., when she told me about life from the turn of the last century. Her own mother was often not well, and my grandmother got up and made biscuits or cornbread every morning. I think there were 10 children and after they were grown they were spread over probably 10 states and it was hard to stay in touch, so memories like that were important. It’s so much different and so much easier now to communicate.
My oldest aunt was quite outspoken. She said, “Does Marilyn go to see Mama every week?” My mother said, “Yes,” and waited for a compliment. “I don’t think it’s worth it,” my aunt said. It was so like her, and of course she was wrong. I got to hear all the stories and share the memories.
It’s going to be harder for all of you, since you live farther apart, but your mother raised a wonderful family and you’ll manage the best possible care. I am so glad she knows all of you . That’s the most important thing. You’ll have good memories of your mother and of each other.
My flowers are not up — except for the Glory of the Snow, but the chives are 2″ high, the sorrel is coming, and I have already cut thyme twice to use for cooking.
I am so sorry to hear your mom had a stroke, but I am glad you have your siblings to help with the hard decisions that will have to be made. And yes, continue to rely on God for wisdom in making those decisions. I have been through a similar situation, and I know it is difficult to process everything the doctors are telling you about what needs to be done, but you come to the right conclusion. Your mom is so lucky to have a caring family support group.
As for dolls, my first memory is of a doll I called Jackie that had a vinyl head and a soft body. I took her everywhere. Unfortunately, I took her out in the yard and got busy playing with something, and one of my dad’s hunting dogs chewed her up. I was devastated and cried and cried about that doll. My dad bought me a Penny Playpal to make up for it—probably the biggest doll he could find, but she was really large and not so cuddly. I still have my Penny and sew dresses for her sometimes.
Dear Jeanne,
I’m so sorry about your mom. It’s good that you have each other to help make the best decisions. It is a real blessing that she knows all of you, that’s the most important thing. I’ll be keeping you all in my prayers.
Here I am, sitting on your sofa and drinking tea. Today I’ve brought a Haviland cup with a green border and small roses. My mom fell in love with Haviland and once though of collecting on piece, like a saucer, from each pattern until she discovered there were thousands of patterns and very few were named. There was a major collector who gave them numbers, so some patterns can be identified by Schleiger numbers.
I hope things are going smoothly. It’s important to remember that there are many people in your lives and you have to balance all their needs, and then add your own, and be sure to take care of yourselves as well as everyone else. It seems selfish but it’s necessary to remember how important you are and that what can be managed for a week cannot be managed for a year.
The first daffodil has bloomed! I imagine life and green returning to your beautiful yard and I hope everything is getting better for you. Don’t worry about us. We’ll keep checking.
Snow has covered my cheerful daffodils and the blue and white Glory of the Snow, but the snow is melting fast and it looks like a brighter day today already. I hope everyone has one.