Belated Blog for Choice

I missed it. In my current self-absorption I missed Blog for Choice Day. Let me link any of you readers out there to a particularly wonderful installment by one of my absolute favorite authors and stunningly eloquent feminists: Tamora Pierce.

For the record, I'm happily Pro-Choice. I simply feel that each woman should have the right to make her own decision about whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term given her own financial, familial, religous, philosophical and ethical beliefs. No person, religious group or governmental agency has the right to tell me what I can do with my own body.

I do wholeheartedly admit that I would prefer an adoption be the result of an unwanted pregnancy. There are many women who cannot have children and want them. If a woman can carry the pregnancy out, then cool. There is still nothing that should force a woman to stay pregnant when she has compelling reasons not to.

Oh, that line about choosing life because my mother did...please. My parents planned me and my brother.

Grandma Update

I have been remiss in posting lately. Part of the reason is my genealogy research. I'm trying to get as much of my old information recreated as possible. I've also just realized that the library is open until 9pm on weekdays, so for the last few weeks have gone there a total of four times when Mom is home! My computer just makes it so much easier.

The other part is that I just haven't felt like being online and sociable. Grandma took a really bad turn and I've been sitting downstairs after work with her rather than going up to my room and doing whatever. She needs help getting off the couch a lot. She wanders from room to room for no reason. She stares and stares and stares at me while I'm stitching or plugging away at my computer across from her. *shiver* It's creepy. When I have been online, I've briefly looked at my livejournal friends list and played Runescape, which I am working really hard at NOT allowing to become an addiction. I actually let my email build up over a week. I had 500-some when I finally checked it a week ago.

I will admit to being somewhat selfish and hogging the remote. The only time she said anything about it was when I had Spaceballs on. I just figure if I'm going to be sitting there waiting to wait on her, I'd better at least get to watch what I want, darn it.

The doctor told Mom Tuesday that she's at the stage that we should just try to make her comfortable and not stress her. That means we shouldn't insist too hard when she doesn't let us take her sugar or give her pills or food. *sigh* I'm not quite able to just let her blow us off completely like she wants to do. He said she could go fast or slow, but her body is winding down. *snort* I could have told him that years ago. These last TIAs really did some damage, though.

Part of the problem is the Winter. She always goes downhill in the Winter. She perks right back up in the Spring, though, so I'm not marking her down for the count yet. If she makes it until Spring or Summer, I anticipate having to go through this again next Autumn and Winter. We'll see what happens.

Oh, and she's back to her nocturnal thing again. She sleeps all day and wanders around all night. A few nights ago we heard a crash at 12:03 AM (I looked at my clock). I heard Mom getting up so I just fell back to sleep. She told me the next morning that she found the tray table next to the couch on the floor and one of my cousins' pictures next to it. She asked her why it wasn't on the wall and Grandma replied that she had been trying to make sure she could save all of her pictures if the house was on fire.

This is the kind of behavior and reasoning we're seeing a lot more of.

Grandma and Little Brothers

I got sleep. I actually got pretty good sleep while Grandma was gone. And I was able to run errands and do things without watching the clock. There were a few moments of stress on the day of her non-return because TAFH and one of the cousins decided she'd come home today, but didn't bother to tell us until about 7pm Sunday night. I had given up and went out to play Settlers with friends when TAFH finally called and apologized for just forgetting. However, Grandma's now home and just ate ALL of her dinner! It was corn, ham and kartoffel-knodel. She ate it all and she's actually hunting for more on the plate.

Mom and I took the kids to Honesdale and the Alpine Inn on Saturday. She wanted the two of them to pick out fabric for quilts she wants to make them. My niece chose a pink, flowered print (shock and amazement) while my nephew chose an awesome dark blue and grey grass-like print. We have to see if we can find it somewhere else since there wasn't enough at Amy's. The shop is called Mountain Quiltworks and is quite cool. We got Lachschinken!

Anyway, I met my youngest brother for the first time today. I like him. I was so afraid I wouldn't or rather, that he wouldn't like me. He was pretty cool for an eleven year-old. He even wanted to meet Mom. He likes a computer game called Runescape and was at least vaguely interested in history and even the family history. I gave him my email and phone number and told him to use them if he wishes. I'll leave it in his hands. I hope he uses them.