Oktoberfest

 The moon was awesome last night..like a bright shiny new nickel in the sky. I tried to get a photo of it with my smartphone but the camera, while good enough during daylight hours at fairly close ranges, was totally inadequate for the task. Couldn’t be bothered with going in to rummage for my better camera so just took the groceries I’d been out late buying inside instead.

I brought my mother home with me on my way home from work. She’s alone in her house now. My alcoholic anxiety-crazed nonworking brother is in the hospital. Might be dying. He has cirrhosis of the liver and a ton of free fluid in his abdomen because of it. He has no insurance. My mother and my brother are smug in their surety the hospital will simply "write off" the cost of his care, including the ambulance ride he called for in the middle of the night. I am not so sure and am a bit perturbed by their nonchalance. I think they might be surprised. I doubt the hospital will do much about his care. I am sure they will try to alleviate his symptoms, maybe diagnose him, but I am sure they will dump his non-paying butt on the street once his symptoms are under control. The hospital doesn’t own an angel that will heal him and worry about his longterm care and coddling.

I tried to talk to my mother about an independent living village that a nurse at work told me about. The nurse serves on a board for a nearby nursing home that recently opened a block of independent living apartments for seniors and the board is trying to keep a certain percentage of the apartments for medicaid patients, which describes my mother’s current situation. My mother pulled out her bottom lip and balked a bit. I kept talking and soon enough she saw my point..I think anyway. She can’t be by herself. Neither she nor my brother can care for her dilapidated house or even each other anymore. It’s time to sell the place or let it go back to the bank  whichever is more advantageous to the situation. It is worth nothing. Isn’t worth fixing up and she owes too much money yet for it. I think my mom’s remaining time should be spent in a clean environment with a community of her peers around her. Some people would hate having "neighbors" but my mother has never been good at keeping her own company, something I have never understood. Likely the camaraderie  would brighten her last weeks and months. Esp with my sister moving away. I will call Monday and see if I can get the ball rolling.

The day is shiny bright and just warm. Took the boys to swim class, fed them lunch and laid them down for nap. Some light shopping with my daughter now and later an evening with all my kids, some decent beer, and Oktoberfest!