Blogging from away

Here I am...not at home! I'm sitting in my niece's living room outside Truro, NS and typing on my awesome, new to me lap top. I'm quite happy about my newest acquisition. Its pretty much all I talk about now...how I love my laptop. Freedom and independence from the family 'puter is MINE. I can be out of the basement now!!!!

I have been here in glorious NS since Sunday night. I drove all day to get here and have been trying to divide my time between my mom and my dad, who is still in hospital. There hasn't been any changes in his situation.

Today I was at Mom and Dad's house to try and lend a hand. Its pretty obvious (and has been for a long time) that my mom has almost given up on the housework thing. Its nasty. My dad did the vacuuming so its now a big deal if it gets done. They have THREE crappy vacuum cleaners. None of them do much of a job I'll and are fine if one has bare floors but as for rugs they are almost useless. I got to try all of them today. I also tried to do some wall washing but that's a job for a team. The little wall I did do needed 4 changes of bucket water. That's how nicotiney the walls are in this house, and that's not even the worst wall! Its that gross. I gave up on the hall because after 4-5 buckets for the smallest part, I was not up to scrubbing and changing bucket water 20 more times. I went at the pantry cabinets instead. There too I only managed a fair job because there is so much stuff in the way. It really needs to be emptied of the clutter and scrubbed, then all of the clutter scrubbed before its put back.
I also cooked two sets of meals..both with ground beef because that's all she thawed out and it was a big package. I did a pasta dish and a stew. They are packed in single serving containers and put into the freezer. I went through the fridge and OMGs!!!!! There were jars condiments and stuff in there that expired up to 7 years ago. I almost passed out. None of it was stuff my mom ate and lots were still sealed but STILL! Jeebus!!!I did a lot of throwing out.
As I was doing all of this my Mom occasionally got in my way, escaped outdoors where she industriously picked up sticks and cleared dead flower plants out of some spots, had lunch very slowly as she looked at the paper, and got cranky. I guess if someone comes in and messes with all your stuff and gags a lot at the state of things, one does tend to get a bit snippy. Or maybe that's because I suggested that after her lunch she might like to give the bathroom bit of Lysol wipes attention.
Then she was exhausted and had a wee dizzy spell. Interesting. My patience and back wore out so I returned to my base in Teri's house to do my laundry and go out for ice cream with the family.
Tomorrow I will visit with my dad and when he falls asleep, go visit my dear friend Karen.
KNITTING: The Nutkin socks are DONE. Unfortunately my stress during the knitting of the second sock caused a tighter tension and my second sock is smaller.