Category Archives: daily prompt

Daily Prompt: VIP

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Who’s the most important person in your life — and how would your day-to-day existence be different without them?

Barry, my husband, is the most important person in my life. Unfortunately, at age 47, I have found myself in need of a caregiver.

Barry, not only has the role of the love of my life, but he is legally considered my caregiver. It kills me that my body has done this so early in our marriage, but you deal with what life hands you and take things one day at a time.

The good Lord has his plan for each of us, it is not our place to argue the plan. As a previous teacher I had would say; “you know a plan exists, whether you know the content or not, you work, girl, work it!”

Barry is my helping hand in many daily activities and my own personal engineer. I hold Barry to get out of the tub, but I can get in. He has made sure I have all the proper rails and no-slip gadgets I need around the house.

He treats me like a normal human being. He doesn’t treat me like a baby. I love my mother, but she thinks I’m 10 years old when she helps with anything. I’m glad she is here, because I don’t like being home alone.

I fell once in the garage, while home alone, I just happened to be on the phone when it happened. Help was as phone call away. Thank the Good Lord above. I fell into a box of framed pictures, shattered glass and broken frames all around. Terrified, I froze until help arrived.

To be honest with you, I cannot imagine life without Barry. You know, I can’t even get a bra on straight without him. Trust me, I’ve tried, you can find yourself in some serious pickles, trying that alone with one hand. Wheewww…..I could tell you some stories. I refuse to start wearing those pull-on things. They are too hot.

Without Barry, I would need someone to do any driving further than 20 miles away. Yes, mom lives with me, but I refuse to get in a car with her driving. My heart can’t take it.

I’d need someone to manage the yard work, pay the bills, go to the grocery store and make sure I take my medication correctly. There are days, that my brain tumor rules, and it is close to impossible to even get out of bed. On those days, I’d need someone to cook, make sure I eat and clean up.

I cannot do laundry any longer, so that is another thing I’d need help with. Someone would have to walk and feed the dog as well. I can’t leave the fish out, but I believe I could manage the fish food and watering the plants.

In December of 2011, Barry had a massive stroke and I almost lost him. The doctors actually tried to prepare me for the fact he would not make it through the night. Losing him, I think would have killed me. I hate to sound selfish, but God wasn’t finished with him yet. He knew we needed each other.

To date, other than a few deficits, Barry whipped that stroke in the butt and is back to helping me whip this brain tumors butt. We work together, to make sure everything gets done; with mom quietly tagging along. We all take care of each other and it works.

To answer this prompt, I know everything Barry does for me daily and I do not want to even think about my day-to-day existence without him.

Life would be hard and I’d have to let too many strangers into very personal parts of my life.

Yes, mom could help more, but she isn’t as strong as she used to be and I do not want to be the cause of her getting hurt.

Bear bear says, Yeah!

Bear bear says, Yeah!

Daily Prompt: All grown Up

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When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

I knew I was a grown-up the day I ordered my first pair of eye glasses, without my parents health insurance. I had my insurance when it paid about 30% of what my dad’s had paid.  I was in sticker shock.

Also, I got a little angry with my mother. The day I ordered those glasses, is the day I found out they had made thin eyeglass lenses for years. My mother had made me suffer through heavy eyeglasses my entire life, when we had insurance that would have paid for a lighter lenses. 

I was the object of incessant ridicule all through school, called ”four-eyes”, and many other ugly names because of my thick eyeglasses. But I guess I can say, that all the jokes toughened me up and I handle tough situations better because of the ‘ragging’ I tolerated as a child.

Mom would always tell me, it’s just words. She was right, words are just words. They can hurt in a big way! I survived. From what I hear, kids are as mean today, if not meaner, than ever in school.

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Daily Prompt: First Light

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Remember when you wrote down the first thought you had this morning? Great. Now write a post about it.

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Mom has been having difficulties sleeping and having crazy dreams. She told me about a new one a few days ago, the minute I awoke, I was worried about mom and her crazy dreams. That is what I wrote down yesterday. Check with mom about her dreams and how she slept.

I just went to check on her. She was awake, doing exercises. She said she slept fine, but continues to have the crazy dreams. She swears when she woke up, that the ceiling and her bed was covered with crazy-spider looking creatures. She says she wasn’t scared, she tried touching them to see if they are real and they are not. I requested that she bring the doctors phone number to me to get her scheduled for an evaluation.

This has to be some form of medication reaction. She is healthy as a horse, otherwise. The only changes are medication-related. She claims she has tried to make appointments with the neurologist, but has been unable to get through. I’ll do the calling today, see what happens. It hurts to see mom going through some of these things. I say if it is fixable, let’s be able proactive and fix it! 

Daily Prompt: Buffalo Nickel

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Dig through your couch cushions, your purse, or the floor of your car and look at the year printed on the first coin you find. What were you doing that year?

With this prompt, it would be my luck for the first coin I come across be from the year I graduated from high school (1983). I searched the couch cushions due to the temperature outdoors. The car would have been more appropriate since I spent most of 1983 in a car, after graduation. I met my ex-husband in 1983, right after graduation. When he wasn’t at my house, I was in my car on the way to see him. It was kinda a close, long-distance romance.

I got sick my junior year in high school, so when graduation time was getting close, I had to go to summer school to have enough credits to walk with my class. To make sure I had enough credit, I took a night class at the local junior college, to pad my credits a bit. I’d been through too much with this class not to graduate with them. I worked my fanny off to get the credit, but I made it.

I spent the rest of the year finalizing my plans for nursing school, learning what it means to ‘shoot dove’, learned how important and fun it can be to try to be quiet while deer hunting, I learned how to catch and clean a crappie, and I learned how to drive a tractor to pick up a big roll of hay, to feed cows. Yes, I was turning into a country girl.

I learned many more fascinating things, these were just the first to come to my mind. 1983 was a year of many firsts.

There have been times I look back and say that if I could go back, I’d tell my ex ‘no’ when he asked me out. When I think a little harder about the subject, I’m the woman I am today, because of my ex-husband and it all started in 1983.

Daily Prompt: Seconds

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Describe the most satisfying meal you’ve ever eaten, in glorious detail. 

When I was three, I had to have my tonsils removed for the first time. They were swollen so badly that my throat was almost swollen shut. Needless to say, I could not or would not eat out drink much of anything before they took them out.

I remember the nurse bringing my first meal in after surgery. I could have kissed her. She had a tray full of Popsicles, sherbet and a nasty bowl of greasy chicken broth.

The Popsicle was my favorite. It was cherry, so cold, delicious, and made my throat feel so good. The sherbet was the perfect follow-up. It was tangy and delightful. I had never had a Neapolitan version of sherbet. But WOW! It was incredible. It made my throat feel so good or either I was just flat-out hungry enough to eat a horse. I loved every yummy spoonful. I never touched the broth…….salty, greasy, nasty, YUCK.

It might have had something to do with the pain medication I was given as well. I polished off the Popsicle and sherbet quickly, when I informed I could all I wanted. Once I discovered the nurses had an endless supply of cherry popsicles, it was over. I drove them nuts.

When I was three outpatient surgery did not exist. You spent a week in the hospital for almost everything.

By my discharge date, I had a permanent red circle around my lips. Those Popsicles were the most delicious meal I had ever been served. To date, I cannot turn down a cherry Popsicle and I prefer sherbet to regular ice cream. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I guess, the two delectable treats being served as a meal, has added them to my list comfort foods. They are probably be my first comfort foods.

Daily Prompt: A Plot of Earth

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You’re given a plot of land and have the financial resources to do what you please. What’s the plan?

We’ve done the big house thing, so to start…We’d have a modest handicapped accessible home-built, near the back of the property. Single level of course, but with all the technology available to make life easy around the house for a disabled person. One room would be set aside for a gym. I need a place to work out, instead of my dining room. There has to be huge porches with swings across the front and back of the house. One end of each porch would be screened in. I love to sit and enjoy the outdoor sounds.

Second, we’d have a small guest house built behind our house for my mom. She can design and pick out what she wants. She needs to include a guest room for company.

Next would come the raised garden, close to the house with benches everywhere. It would have a rose-covered arbor at the entrance with every plant possible to attract butterflies and birds by the dozen.

A covered patio with a table or other area to relax and get out of the rain. Somewhere close by, there would be a small garden shed to store all my tools and other essentials. I’d have to have some form of water feature in the garden. It would be great to have a fountain in the center of the garden. The birds and butterflies would love that!

To one side of the house would be Barry‘s garage sanctuary. He can work on cars, build things and do whatever he wants in his man cave. That would be his place to design and setup.

I can’t forget about our treasured pets. We’d have to have an area of the yard fenced in and a state of the art doggie-door for Miss Maggie to go in and out on her own. The door needs to lock the minute Mags is back in the house.

Then there is Shotgun, our Japanese Fighting Fish. He will need a larger tank somewhere near the kitchen. We can decorate it like the bottom of the ocean, but I need to be able to handle it to clean and change the water. Shotgun loves hiding in the roots of my plant in the aquarium.

The plot of earth would be full of big shade trees and a long drive way. I’d need to ride by bicycle to the mailbox. Along with the garden, the house would be surrounded by flowers and shrubs. Something would be blooming year round.

Daily Prompt: Nightmares

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Describe the last nightmare you remember having. What do you think it meant?

Let me see, my most recent nightmare involves myself, my husband, mother, and our dog. Barry and I designed and helped build the home we now live in. I actually had the pleasure of putting the first nail in the house. I am honestly surprised the house is still standing.

Back to the nightmare….

Well, we had a long day of yard work and were sitting down to eat supper. Maggie, our adorable boxer, was asleep on the couch. Poor girl, exhausted from playing outside, while we worked.

Suddenly there was a large crash upstairs and then it sounded like footsteps on the stairs. Barry stood to check the noise out. As he got near the stairs, the noise stopped, mom and I heard a loud gasp from Barry. As we rounded the corner to the staircase, we both stopped in our tracks.

Coming down the stairs was a floating rocking chair with a little girl sitting in it rocking and singing, ‘You are my Sunshine’. All the commotion woke Maggie up and I realized she was at my feet when I heard a low growl. Barry, Mom and I all started backing up, as the rocking chair floated closer and passed us. Maggie started to bark, while after the chair.

The chair floated through the kitchen, into the dining room and then the living room and headed back to the stairs. The child continuously singing the same song. We all looked at each other, befuddled over what just happened.

No one volunteered to go upstairs to check things out. We went back to the table and finished eating. We could here what sounded like a rocker on the floor above us and occasionally a child singing. Maggie was back on the couch sound asleep.

I haven’t got a clue where this dream came from. Mom had told me that she thought she saw a floating rocking chair when she was having a bad day and we had spicy food for supper, I went to sleep with a stomach ache. Those are the only reason I can think of for such craziness in my dreams. Of course, all the above mixed with my night medication, could explain it all.

 

Daily Prompt: Cupid’s Arrow/My Wonderful Valentine, Barry Lamar Baynes……..

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It’s Valentine’s Day,  so write an ode to someone or something you love, Bonus Points for Poetry
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To my sweet, handsome husband!

My forever Valentine

Every year with a simple card, you bring  me to tears. Then you tell me not to do a thing for you, not fair by the way! You stand strong by my side through thick and thin. Lately, we have had more thick than thin, bit you are still by my side; being sweet, compassionate and understanding. I know this is not where we wanted to be when you retire, but here we are together, holding on. Together we can do anything!

The ‘new’ Barry and Jill Baynes are going strong! In our short eight years, we have accomplished more than I ever expected. There is so much out there to do and see, I’m looking forward to our next adventure together. If our health continues to get in the way, we’ll just find our way around it.

I love and admire you more everyday. You make me want to be a better person and I thank you for that. I’m not sure I would have the will to get through all of this without you. Everytime I check, you are still with me.

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You are my rock! You are part of me. You have permanent possession of my heart. I love you. I do not know what I did to deserve you, but it is not our place to question God‘s plan. I’m just glad he brought us together.

I’m looking forward to our road trip tomorrow, even if a doctor is involved. It will be us, together. Thank you for putting up with me when my brain takes over my body. I know it’s not easy. You never make me feel silly or poke fun of me when my left side is acting up. I’m glad I haven’t hurt you. I’ll stop babbling for the moment, honey. Always remember, I love you with all my heart. Please be my FOREVER VALENTINE! You will make my millennium!

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Daily Prompt: All About Me! (US)

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Explain why you chose your blog’s title and what it means to you.

Our Blog’s T.le: Two Rights Attempting to Make a Left

Barry and I came up with the title together. It is based on our health issues over the last few years. In 2009, I was discovered to have a brain tumor (gangliocytoma) in my left cerebellum. After a long period, we were told that the brain tumor was just a symptom of a rare genetic disease called Cowden’s Syndrome.

Needless to say we were dumbfounded. I had surgery in 2009 to reduce the tumor, but it was impossible to remove it in its entirety. So, life goes on.

Things were going along great, no magor problems, then December 11, 2012 came around. It started as a normal day, we were assisting the resident’s with morning care. I heard a resident calling for help.

To my shock, it was not for him. It was my sweet husband. He was in the process of having a stroke. I called for an ambulance and off to the hospital we went. Although Barry had a massive right territory MCA, he looked perfectly fine. It was hard to believe a week earlier, they had asked me to call all the family in because they did not believe he would make it through the night.

Months later,  a rehab counselor recommended, that we either start a journal or a blog. With the two of us being computer oriented, we chose to do a blog. Oddly enough, the title is related to both of our injuries. We were attempting to get something in the stove. Neither of us could do it with both hands, so he got one end with his right hand and I got the other. It came to us about the same time, that we were two right hands trying to use our lefts.

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So we named the blog:

Two rights attempting to make a left!

Nothing fancy, just the two us working together to keep a sense of normalcy.

Daily Prompt: Childhood Revisited

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Sure, you turned out pretty good, but is there anything you wish had been different about your childhood? If you have kids, is there anything you wish were different for them?

I am doing my best to decide how to put this in writing. I thought about this all day and have narrowed it down to two things I wish would have been different in my childhood. I’ll do my best not to ramble, please be patient.

My sisters and I had a traditional southern upbringing, dysfunctional family and all. Our parents encouraged us to study, we knew right from wrong, and we loved each other. Mom and dad worked all the time. Mom stayed home until we were old enough to be left home alone and then she started working, She was home when we needed her, or at lease close-by.

Dad left in the mornings before we ever got up and was not home until we were in bed. On the weekends, he worked his secondary business and was home only at night. We had our family nights when dad was home. We actually had breakfast and supper around the dining room table several times a week.

I grew up wanting for nothing.  If we ever wanted anything extravagant, we had to save our money up or wait for a sale. I believe that is where my frugal attitude comes from today!

During the summer months, mom and dad always made sure we stayed busy. I know my way around the Bible, a softball field, a basketball court, and a swimming pool. Mom and dad made it to the important events, but there were times we were on our own.

One of the things I wish could were different from my childhood is going to church as a family, instead of being dropped off at the door to attend services with my sisters. Don’t get me wrong, my sisters and I are close, due to the time we spent together. It would have been nice having mom and dad with us at church. I truly believe that they both believe the Jesus died to save us from our sins, but I cannot help feeling unsure of their salvation.

Mom lives with me now, and attends everything Barry and I attend at church. Dad is a different story. I do not remember the last time I saw him in church for something other than a funeral. His health is declining and he does not get out like he used to, but I know he grew-up in the church. It would have been joyous to have all five of us in church at the same time. Well, the past is the past. All we can do now is look forward.

My second thing I wish could have been different during my childhood is medical technology. From the time I entered kindergarten through high school, I was always sick.

Mom spoiled me rotten and my sisters still pick on me today, because of that.

I was part guinea pig when they thought they had figured out a treatment for allergies. They did all the testing and I suffered through the intramuscular injections for years, before they figured out it could be done with a subcutaneous needle, just under the skin. The nurse’s from the seventies, learned to give an intramuscular injection into the shoulder. There were several times I actually felt the needle hitting the bone. It was so painful. I took the injections without success for years and then refused to go.

In my teenage years I developed female troubles. We let the doctor do the known treatment for my problem at the time and it rendered me unable to have children.

If today’s medical technology had been around in the seventies, maybe I could have had a normal childhood and been able to have kids today. In my world, Claritin is the best invention of the twentieth century. When I was younger, Dristan was it. With today’s medical technology in the past, maybe brain tumor research would be further along today and I wouldn’t need a wheelchair when my legs do not work.

My life has been God‘s plan and it is not my place to question it. I read my Bible and try to stay upbeat and focused. I pray daily and ask for grace and wisdom to help me make it through the day. I exercise to stay strong and keep busy. My blog is my refuge for my feelings and such. It helps me not to hold things in. I write them down. It is very therapeutic to me. My counselor advised me to either do a journal or start a blog.

To summarize, my parents being more involved with my sisters and I at church; as well as, today’s medical technology being available in the seventies, would have made my childhood a better place to be. Honestly, I wouldn’t interfere with God’s plan for my life. I grew up loved and happy. Everything else is all good!

If, if, if, maybe, maybe, maybe…….