I have no idea...

So, my 82-year-old mom-in-law fell a few weeks ago and broke her collar bone, knee cap and sustained a compression fracture in her back. She has needed round the clock care since. Given she had 9 children, the girls in the family are voluteering to take care of her. This has caused serious infighting amongst the girls and has worn them out...the infighting is the most disturbing. What is the solution? I voted for getting a night nurse a few nights a week to give everyone a break. My mom-in-law refuses this saying she doesn't want a stranger in her house. Ya, okay, I understand this to some extent. HOWEVER, she has seen as of late the strain and stress this is causing amongst the siblings, so you would think she would be willing to give up a few nights of familiarity to a nurse who is better qualified to take care of her. But no...

My heart goes out to the entire family. The infighting is ridiculous...you read the emails and think that these people are younger than 10 years old, rather than in their 50s. Their focus has gone from taking care of their aging mother to who is doing the best job and who can't be trusted with the care of their mother. Some of their points may be valid, to which I again say get a fucking night nurse people...someone stand up to the plate and say "mom, we want what is best for you and right now a night nurse would be better qualified to take care of you than we are." I have said my two cents, and essentially need to back out at this point...I am only the in-law, which implies my influence is quite limited.

All is quiet...until football season

All is quiet in tenant land...so far. I'm sure that will change next week when I make a surprise visit to house #3 to see the yard demolished from lack of water.

We experience a high number of family visitors this time of year as it is football season. Mr. Landlord purchases season tickets to the university games every year, and football is a HUGE thing of importance in his family.

I am NOT a football fan. Could care less about the game. I'm pretty sure it contributed to the demise of more than one of my previous relationships, and I swore I would NEVER marry someone who enjoyed it. Alas, I caved to the charms, good looks, sweetness, kindness, and smartness of Mr. Landlord despite his love of this seemingly nonsensical game.

So now, every year, we have members of the big clan vying for weekend visits to get a free ticket and a place to stay. It seems that everyone enjoys coming for visits as they feel at home and get a good, homecooked meal. I hear from more than a few of the fam that they even sleep better in my house. I think this has to do with the fact that we turn the thermostat down to 66 every night...funny how that helps people burrow down into the covers and take a nice, long, deep sleep.

I am fine with folks coming, and even enjoy doting on fam members a bit, making sure they are comfortable and meeting most of their basic needs. However...it is work...a lot of work. You gotta clean before they come, and clean after they leave. As I said in an earlier post, I have begun to refuse to cook for everyone as most of them have horrible eating habits and don't like the healthy stuff I cook. It's also a lot of work to cook for a lot of people, especially when you have a 2yearold. After everyone is gone, I typically have to go through all the bathrooms and bedrooms, straighten everything, strip the beds, wash the sheets and towels, clean up the piles of papers and magazines in the living room, fold the blankets and return them to the back of the couches, take out the trash, clean the dishes, and replenish the pantry. This takes an entire day. And yes, I have a cleaning service...but feel guilty asking them to clean after extra people, and can't wait for them to come and clean up the mess.

So, as we approach the Labor Day weekend with the opening of football season, I will welcome those who come to visit, and pray that some will pick up after themselves.