The Goat Man's girlfriend and the lady that follows him.

October 12, 2013 1210

When we walked into the grocery store she carried an umbrella for the “possible” rain and a grocery list she made by isle.  She mumbled the twelve-item list under her breath and cussed to herself each time she forgot an item on the isle she was just on.  I followed quietly so not to stir any water.

The Goat Man and I were taking this ladies place.  She was the caretaker for a little sweet woman we will call I.H.  The Goat Man and I are now I.H.’s caretakers.  We officially moved in three nights ago.  We have not had a chance to get settled yet.

But I was in the grocery store with the previous caretaker.  “Potato’s, onions, tomatoes?  Where is the store is the fresh stuff?”  Did she just ask me that?  I thought by her list she knew the layout of the store very well.

We worked with the caregiver in a transition for three day.  The first day she was very pleasant and very informative.  The second day she started to express her feelings about leaving I.H. to other people to care for.  She expressed her arthritic pain and general health was declining. 

The entire second day she followed The Goat Man around talking.  She went into the kitchen with him when he cooked.  She went onto the porch with him when he went to smoke.  I thought she was going to follow him into the bathroom, but she did stop just outside the door.  The third day, The Goat Man and I arrived in the morning and we were informed she was leaving.

She stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter obviously upset.  She tried to tell us a story of reasons, but none were believable.  She spent the morning packing and her feelings were displayed on her sleeve.  We were later told she had expressed feeling jealous of how The Goat Man was treating I.H.

Everyone laughs at that sentiment, but I completely understand how she feels.

The Goat Man has been the perfect caregiver for I.H.  He is attentive to her needs.  He is bringing her food, drinks, and asking how she is.  He is cutting down trees at her request, planting flowers for her to look at.  She refers to him as “her boy.”  Everyone refers to her as “his girlfriend.”  It is hard to tell where I fit sometimes.

I have been watching him and he has become a wonderful caring man.  His mom would be very proud of how well he is caring for I.H.  The Goat Man wishes he could be there with his mother in her time of need as well, but this life just won’t allow it.

This was taken from my son's Facebook page.
My grandson and my grandma.

I left The Goat Man with his girlfriend this weekend.  I came to see my grandma one last time.  I am just here for the weekend and I am going to enjoy many things this weekend.  Corn beef and cabbage, my grandson, the girls, and my granddaughter’s seventh birthday party will all be enjoyed, but I am here to say good-bye.

She is still opening her eyes and she enjoyed watching the girls ride their bikes outside the window.  My mother and daughters are taking the best care of her.  They are attending to her every need.  They are keeping her positioned and out of pain.  The love surrounds her.

I pray that someday, when I need it, I get the same love, attentiveness, and care I see from everyone around me.  I, of course, am not in any hurry to need care, but each day I am older not younger.

This weekend is filled with family and love…