We both had a wonderful sleep last night, mainly because the last thing that happened before we went to bed was receiving a cheery, LONG phone call from our son. It is only the second in depth conversation we have had with him since we put him on a plane early in January after his visit with us.
He is busy working. Yay! He has steady work up until about the end of July. Yay! The artist he is currently working for is a wonderful person who has hired him numerous times in the past and our son just loves him, as well as the other workmates. They are an industrious but laid back bunch who all get along well together. One of his former employers, a most difficult fellow who freaked out when our son refused to work for him again this winter, has been in touch and wants to set terms for some part time work again next month because apparently no one else he has hired can do the work as well as our son can do it. No problem believing that, but if they are going to work together again, even briefly, it is going to have to be on our son's terms this time. The fellow is stressed out ALL the time and his moods are mercurial, as is his schedule for working hours for our son. We'll see what happens there, haha. Our son has also been recalled to the metal art gallery to work for about 4 months. It isn't his favourite work but the last 3 months will be full time and it pays well. Again, the people he works with there are very nice. He is excited to know his employment situation will remain steady for about another five months.
I have known for a few weeks now that there was something he was not telling us, because we have that kind of connection and always have, but I didn't bother him about it because at his age he doesn't need his mother knowing all his business. Last night he told us at last. He has been having some health issues and finally went to a doctor for some help. One issue is immediately solveable and will be just fine soon, the other is a bit more concerning, but likely just fine. It is a condition he will have to have checked every six months to a year and may require some treatment at some point, but usually this condition doesn't develop into anything truly serious if monitored. I checked the condition out today and feel very relieved to learn more about it and to know the probability of it causing a debilitating problem is slim. Whew!
What we found most interesting about his recent visit to the doctor is how the medical system in NYC works compared to how it is presently working here! My son was seen by a walk in clinic doctor at 9am. By 12:30pm he had been to a medical lab for a scan and had received the results and the follow up consultation as to what the scan revealed and what was to be done about it. AMAZING! When I think of the wait times here to even be scheduled for a scan, let alone find out the results and treatment options etc......it is shocking really. Fortunately for my son, his health insurance will be refunding him the several hundred dollars he paid to have all this medical attention, and that is where the whole system breaks down: had he been unable to pay his way immediately, he couldn't even have seen the doctor, let alone had a scan and follow up. I think of the thousands of Americans who have to miss out on having their medical needs met because they cannot afford an insurance plan, (it seems that the deductible for many plans...at least the ones my son looked at in New York....is about eight thousand dollars), so they suffer the consequences of having no treatment at all. In my present financial situation I am still grateful for the way I CAN have tests and treatments, even if it seems there is an extraordinarily long wait too often.
We discussed politics and religion and death and social/political correctness in all its hypocrisy, work and ministry, weather, family members, entertainment and we heard more details about his trip to California and the play his girlfriend was involved with there. It is an 8 hour production of a word for word Charles Dickens novel that is broken up into 3 segments of performance time, interspersed with breaks for meals. Our son really enjoyed it!
Today we reached a daytime high temperature of +11C! The sun was beating down, the geese were battling with each other over the ganders and taking long drinks from the snow melt puddles in our parking lot, as well as stopping traffic in order to cross the street in front of our place, despite the fact that they can still fly before the goslings arrive, haha. This is the calm before the storm...literally. Well, perhaps not a true storm, but a weekend of snowfall and winds and falling temperatures will soon be upon us. To the north of us there are heavy snowfall and wind and whiteout warnings for travellers. I am praying it doesn't make for a horrible trip to the retreat centre for my husband and his colleagues this weekend.
The good weather made for a grand walk home from the university this morning after having coffee there with a friend. Although there were many icy patches on the sidewalks from the snow melt and freeze and melt and freeze, he enjoyed finally being outdoors again and brought home only a tiny bit of mud on his boots. I dropped him off there earlier in the morning and then ran a few errands. It was so lovely to be outside in the sunshine. This afternoon we returned the plant pot and trellis to our tomato growing friend, paid her for a new plant and she will do the planting for us. We stayed for a cup of tea with her and her husband in their bright, beautiful living room and that was fun.
I started cleaning house last night and did some more this evening. I am taking my sweet time, so since I have to do my husband's laundry tomorrow before he leaves for retreat, I may not finish up until Sunday afternoon. Since I won't be having any company until Monday, that is just fine. Housework has been making me tired lately, but I think it is more because I am emotionally worn out than because I am physically worn down.
Mom only called me four times today about moving related "stuff". I could tell she has reached her stress limit, so I told her that unless something comes up that she HAS to deal with in the next few weeks before we arrive there to assist her, to just leave everything else until we are there. When I think of all the cleaning up we had to do when my husband's father died and what we learned about organizing and dealing with the things my husband's mother had when she died....far less....I think we can get everything finished at my mom's in three or four days easily, even if she doesn't do one more thing to get herself prepared. I told her to forget she is moving until we are there to do it for her. That seemed to help. Then of course, one more huge issue arose just before dinner tonight...related to something for Dad, but she can't do any more about that until after the weekend, so I pray she can just forget it until then...not likely, but I tried to encourage her to at least try not to focus on it for a couple of days.
Dad has taken to choking on everything he eats these days. I don't know if he is lacking in saliva or if he has had some kind of small stroke at some time that is finally showing up in this way. He is so embarrassed when it happens in the dining room of his facility. So, they are going to start purreeing his food next week. That is a relief. I feel so badly for him...one more indignity and frightening situation to have to suffer through each day. How long O Lord...???
I am going to enjoy the luxury of going to bed early this evening and do some reading. I have only two more books remaining to read from the 54 or more I purchased at the Big Book Sale a year and a half ago! My goodness it is going to be quite a shock to have to start looking for books once again! The piles of books beside the bed have slowly dwindled. There is actually more space in this room than I remember....hahahahaha!
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