Things are Different Now… Quick Update

I keep starting entries and am unable to finish them.  I think there is just too much going on.  As I said in my last entry, my life has changed, in some big ways.

First off, my Dad is slowly progressing.  His speech is still extremely limited.  He’s now able to say simple phrases like “Good Morning” and “Thank you” and sometimes other phrases pop out but overall, he isn’t able to speak all that much.  He is in speech therapy though, and that’s helping a lot.  I feel guilty a lot of the time for not trying to work with him more on his speech, but I don’t want to frustrate him I guess, and my Mom and brother are working with him on that so I guess I shouldn’t feel bad.  It’s just so hard seeing him like that – unable to really speak.  He is able to understand us, for the most part though.  He can get a little confused sometimes but he’s able to comprehend even complex things such as us when we talked to him about selling the house and our options.

Physically he’s up and around.  Has weakness still and isn’t always aware of his right side.  He shuffles when he walks.  But he’s doing much better.

My plans to move downtown have been put on hold, since I need to be home to help out financially.  I have taken the role of “finance person” of the household.  I made a spreadsheet much like my own personal one and am making sure all the bills are paid and keeping the family up to date on where we stand.  Currently, if my Mom didn’t go back to work (which she will, pretty soon) we would make it through the end of August.

I’ve been taking care of a lot of the paperwork stuff and grocery shopping and errands and whatnot.  We sold one of our trucks for cash.  We traded the other for a more economical car.  We’re liquidating all of our furniture and we’re putting the house on the market.  I moved the RV into storage and it will stay there until we can sell it as well.

Lately, we’ve been packing and trying to make the house ready to sell.  It’s a big house so it’s a daunting task but we’re getting it done.

Anyway, that’s the gist of things.  Work is crazy so I need to get back to it but I figured I’d jump in and update at least with a quick entry… I think writing in here will help with things so I’m going to try and write more regularly, if I can just find the time.

I have been reading though, and hope everyone’s doing well.

– R