Progress Report (Sarum)

While I have been silent lately on this weblog and this Facebook page (Sarum use), I have by no means been ‘eating my bread in idleness.

Those of my readers who have been interested in the subject of Sarum chant and the Sarum rite or use will know that I posted an article in my weblog, in which I posited the contention that that rite had not lapsed, but rather, was a legitimate rite worthy of restoration, in accordance with Roman Catholic liturgical law. Those who wish to do so may read that original article here.

Since then, I have been doing two things:

Progress Report (continued)

Beth continues to improve, mentally if not physically, and I read to her again this afternoon. Her fingers, however, as well as the rest of her, have gotten so thin that she lost her wedding band. Fortunately, one of the nurses saw it on the floor, picked it up, and turned it in. Beth and I agreed that we should keep it at the house. She said, rather ruefully, that she had not taken it off since I put it on her, a bit more than sixteen years ago.

The disabled woman that I have been helping has decided it would be best for her to find another apartment. Fortunately, since we managed to get her answer to the unlawful detainer complaint filed with the court, we have probably bought enough time for her so that she can move out, rather than being thrown out on the street by the county sheriffs. I’m happy that I was able to help her with that.

Right now, most of my time is spent either taking care of Beth, taking care of others, or beginning the long and difficult process of putting my house and my life back into something resembling order. I would like to thank all of you, gentle readers, for your prayers and for your help. They help to support the ground of my being just now.

Finally, I would like to apologize if my ‘tone’ in the past few weeks has offended anyone. (And I suspect that it has done just that). Sorry, but I had other priorities just then. Like trying to keep something resembling sane.

Progress Report (finally!)

Yes, there is something of a contrast between the good news of the title of this entry and the somber note of the video clip which begins it. But if you will continue to follow this entry, dear reader, all will be revealed.

When I entered Beth into hospice care and ultimately into the convalescent home, it was with the understanding that the anti-cancer drug, and the synthetic thyroid that she had been taking, would be continued as a part of the palliative care that she had been receiving.

It appears that the hospice organization has ‘altered the deal.’

Requies-cat in pace: The Mighty Quinn and Growltiggr Q. Cat

And yes, I know that in addition to an atrocious pun, I have used the third person singular when I should have used the third person plural: requiescant. I resign myself to the not so tender mercies of the (Latin) grammar police.

The point of my telling this, though, is that a bit more than a week ago, Beth’s and my 18 year old orange marmalade cat, Quinn (or The Mighty Quinn) died. He is now buried, as Beth wished, in my mother’s rose garden.

But after Beth’s disappearance and Quinn’s departure, our 13 year old grey tiger-striped cat, Tiggr (or Growltiggr Q. Cat) began to pine. He would only eat a bit of food for breakfast and dinner. He looked sad. I tried petting him, and telling him that I loved him, but that apparently wasn’t enough.

God, I hate the human race, and I don’t much like You right now, either…

In a recent Facebook entry, I received a lecture, er, a posting from a young Social Justice Warrior (or SJW) about how there was institutional racism and white privilege rampant in society, and that we should all do something to counter it. I was in a foul mood then, which got progressively worse later, but my response was, in effect, to say that the alternative was to admit one’s inner racist, and go from there. As a matter of fact, in my Facebook response to that posting, I admitted my inner racism: Yes, I am a racist: I cordially hate the human race as presently constituted. And I posted the above YouTube link, which I consider to be a lot more realistic than the maunderings of most SJWs.

Let me tell you about my week, and why I got to this point in my life. I won’t even talk about how my second wife is dying this time, just like it happened to my first wife twenty two years ago. Or at least, not much.

Regress Report, part duh

I have just about recovered from the sleep deprivation and attendant depression from having to put one’s wife into a convalescent home. But I have come to see that they are taking better care of her there than I could at home.

For one thing, they have a crane that transfers her from bed to wheelchair, and permits her more mobility now that Beth could no longer assist in my transferring her for the same functions. In addition, they are giving her round the clock supervision, which I could not give. They also have better hospital beds, which prevent the sort of falls from bed to floor that Beth was wont to suffer for the last three nights that she was still at home.

Regress Report

Since I wrote my entry entitled “Lamentations”, much has happened, little of it good.

Since then, my wife Beth has gone down hill, both figuratively and literally. For the last week, she has not eaten even the little that she had been eating before. She drank only enough (teaspoons) to take the morphine and other pills that she needed against the pain. Her mouth, being dry, or perhaps, because of her progressive weakness, is unable to frame the words she wants to say. Her speech is now a quiet, indistinct mumble, except when she is crying out from the pain, or calling for help.