THAT WAS THEN

Today, while sitting out in my lovely yard on the swing, eating my 2nd bowl of Strawberry and Cream Ice Cream, I was thinking about the possibility of taking on a new project of caring for yet another elderly patient in my home.. While I cherish my semi-retirement and leisure time, I so do love taking care of the elderly, and this particular little lady is a princess. She stands a whopping 4'7" tall, gorgeous white hair and very very cultured. She is 96 yrs young and very delightful, just a little unsteady on her feet. She lived in her own home until 2 mos ago, and after the death of her husband a few years back, was able to take care of the homestead very capably. It consisted of a home reminiscent of Tara, in Gone with the Wind. Huge White manor, columns and all, with winding staircase inside the front door, 4 bdrms, 3 1/2 bath, 3600 sq ft home, with a huge pool in the back, pool house for changing.. many fruit trees surrounding the place.


While trying to figure out whether or not I wanted to comprimise my privacy, my mind wandered back to all the previous jobs in my life, starting with my paper route at age 9. My older brother had the route first, but in our little town, we had two deliveries a day, morning and evening papers. He had the afternoon route, but passed it on to me and he took the early morning. However, I distinctly remember one winter morning, approx. 4;30 A.M. and mom woke me up saying, "get up, there's a blizzard and you have to help Duane with the paper route". Well, anyone who's lived in Mn. for any length of time understands the meaning of a BLIZZARD! Wind was blowing snow sideways, and it was so cold the snow froze to ice in no time (probably in the minus 30's.. ) I remember Duane trying to teach me how to walk on top of the deep snow without falling thru, to no avail. I was almost hip deep trudging along the route. Funny thing tho, I don't remember being cold....but I do remember mom dressing me in layers of clothes, topped with snow leggings, boots, mittens and scarf and cap. I guess children don't feel hot/cold like adults do.

With my afternoon route, I saved enough money to buy myself a used bicycle for $15.00 That was my equivalent of a Mustang Convertible to todays kids. My other treat that I allowed myself daily, and always before my route started... was a chocolate malted milk at the Corner Dairy Bar. We would get the tall glass full, topped with whipping cream... and the can which was still half full. All this for a mere .20cents....and then.....the worst happened....the owner raised the price to .25 cents!!!! The NERVE! Even then I was vocal about it. How was a girl supposed to earn a living with these increases????

During my teens all I ever wanted to do was babysit!!!! Every woman in the neighborhood who went to the hospital to give birth left me with the other children to care for while hubby worked, and it was like playing dolls. I would bathe them, shampoo their hair, dress them in their best clothes (probably not appreciated by their moms...lol) and prepare their meals...take them for walks in the neighborhood....gosh that was fun. I was born a baby junkie. As early as 5 yrs old I remember asking one neighbor if I could wheel her 5 mo. old baby in the buggy. Strangely, she let me, and I pushed the buggy to my house a block away to show my mom, and as my house was on a slanted avenue, when I turned into my yard the buggy overturned. Mom was out hanging clothes and yelled at me to "take that child home and go change your school clothes". No, the baby wasn't hurt. Didn't even cry.

I don't think I went thru the "boy crazy" phase...I guess there really wasn't anyone that impressed me that much. I did love going ice skating all winter with about 6-8 friends, and we would play "crack the whip" holding hands and pulling a long train in circles till it got going so fast, the last one flew off into a snowbank! David Tester was the one I did think was too cool.

In my Junior year of HS I worked downtown at a bank for the summer. That was fun, mostly because it was next door to a Norweigen Bakery and every morning at my 10 o Clock break, I would run over and get the most DELICOUS, HUGE Cream Puff, filled to the max with fresh whipping cream, topped with powdered sugar!!! My mouth waters when I think of them now. They don't make anything even close to that now, with the fake plastic cool whip, but when it's so chilly in Mn, you can put the real thing in them. Before long, I had the entire second floor of the bank eating cream puffs!

After HS graduation, I worked a couple of office jobs, till I got married and got the job of my life...having MY VERY OWN BABIES!!! Wow, what a thrill. Nothing will ever compare.

After the divorce, there was the job at the insurance Agency writing auto policies, working for an old drunk was was unconscious at his desk by noon every day.
After that came the job with the Police Dept...civilian working as Secy' to the Patrol Capt. Therein lies a million stories alone! Also worked for the City Secretary's office for a time.
Can't forget the 4 yrs managing the Travel Agency, doing strictly Government travel. Also fun.


Moved to Calif in my mid-life crisis, alone, not knowing for sure what I would do for a living, where I would live, how I would survive without my "babies" around me.....lifechanging for sure.
Worked as a temp at first, then sold cars, then took care of Cosmetic Surgery Patients in my home. That was lucritive and most interesting. Did that for 5 yrs until I took in a patient (not cosmetic) but a 52 yr old man dying of Cancer, stroke, renal failure, among about 10 other life threatening ailments. He was supposed to live 4 mos when I took him in, but he lasted two years. That was my initiation to the world of hospice work. I love it, and next to motherhood, the most rewarding work I have ever done.

So here I sit, contemplating whether I want give up my life as I know it now, for taking care of yet another patient...but I am leaving that decision up to God. I am selfish of my "personal time" even if it's only to sit on the swing and eat ice cream...because taking responsibility of another person is a 24/7 thing....making sure they don't fall, and they get all their meds, make their meals, do their laundry, bathing them...etc.etc... but it is rewarding..... oh dear Scarlett, What Shall I do????
(said in a Southern drawl).