Chocolates and Valentine's Day

It is Valentine's Day, 2009 PM

This was something written and reshared via emails recently, and on facebook that occured last year just days before Valentine's.....since it was written, Patricia's mom, Ms Elizabeth did pass away...a month or so later and was buried on the Saturday before Psalm Sunday. We attended the services; it was a blessing! Sunrise, Sunset.......and an incredible witness of singing......especially "I'll Fly Away"........the following from last year so close in nature to this year in circumstance and other things....but all that is another story sometime perhaps.....

written last year Feb 11, 2008...........very similar to the same type of week, this week, minus the chocolates.... Feb 2009........very, very strange, but true:

I hope you enjoy.....Here it is nearing 10:30 and I wanted to give an update. Fred is out of town this week. Around an hour ago, I went in to give Clay his last meds and feeding, change him for bed and such. I could not find Clay. Unbeknownst to me, he had managed to open a cellophane wrapped heart shaped box of chocolates and in delightful mischief, covered himself in attempts to eat them. His bed looked like Gracie and Kleckley had decorated with cat poop scratched from the litter box.......tiny ones, big ones, in between ones. Chocolate smeared upon the headboard and sides that surround him. Chocolate all melted and smeared into his sheet, into his clothes, into his hair and all over his person. At least chocolate smells much better than kitty poop.........thank you Lord for little things......of course, he is smiling all over like a Cheshire cat that ate the yellow canary. Oh how I wish I had remembered Clay's camera and gotten proof........Claude (neighbor & friend) is an eyewitness! Clay should have seen what he looked like.Patricia (care attendant, now with us for 2 years) told us this morning that her mother looked really bad yesterday. She was worried about her while she helped with Clay, and Clay did his best to cheer her up and make her laugh. He asked for a church bulletin which she finally found in our van while he was working on the computer. He was taking scripture and combining things into a 'sermon'......to which she just could not help but laugh at his creativity. She left to work her shift at Midland Center. Clay and I decided to call her cell and cheer her with the chocolate story. It cheered her, but her family had all been called to her mother's side.........I am not certain if she said her mother had already passed or was about to. Her voice broke up and I did not want to distract her once I realized what she was relaying. Please include Patricia in prayers as this moment has been anticipated for over a year now. In one of my prior mailings, I detailed more about Patricia and the stresses she is enduring. The passing brings resolution but that does not make it easy. Realizing that Clay would need cleaning up and bedding and clothing switched, I called upon Claude to assist me. When the news was on earlier I had gotten Clay in his lift only for the battery to die..........when the battery dies it will lower but it will not pick up, so he had to remain in his room. He did not get upset with me, but you could see he really wanted to be in his recliner on the computer. I appeased him and hooked up the battery charger to the lift. I promised before learning about her mom, that Patricia and I would get him to his recliner first thing tomorrow morning and set up his computer. He watched TV and then requested I switch over to FM country 92. He had been given the box of chocolates at church yesterday..........it never crossed our thoughts that he could manage to tear the cellophane, open the box and eat the chocolates lying down without my having a clue. He was laughing and 'chatting' from his room, in perfect listening range as I watched TV. I had no reason to expect something like that and was relieved that he wasn't upset and cranky with just mom around. So imagine the shock when I decided it was time for the two of us to quiet down for bed.............never a dull moment.With Claude's kind assistance, we were able to roll him from one area to another and remove / change his sheet. We changed his clothing and of course, he was just delighting in the entire scene. So I finally got his meds and feeding accomplished. I've prayed that he not get diarrhea or throw up sick from particles of cellophane and sugar loaded chocolate that he managed to ingest. I came out here to catch my breath and pray that he and I both sleep peacefully without further comedic or dramatic pursuit. If we are lucky Kleckley will decide not to prowl during the night singing his most romantic songs......he is deaf but he sure can sing. The last several nights have been rehearsal for some Valentine rendezvous he has playing in his cat brain. The subject always an article of my clothing...........never any one else's; mine he manages to pull out of the closet or the bathroom floor. Fred should be back late Thursday...........I'm not very pleased that he is less than two hours away and resting peacefully in a motel room, snoring away with no threats of interruption. I won't pretend to be that cooperative just now. Hopefully you all will understand my reasons. I ask that you lift those prayers for Patricia and her family. I ask that you lift prayers for Clay and I to get through without her assistance. I ask that you remember Fred's job and also Brandon's success in securing one with dependable, regularly paid compensation. I ask any other additional things you may include for progress and perseverance with great 'peace' to follow.I will now get ready for shut eye and change out of my chocolate clothing. I will be thankful that snoring will not be a problem while Fred is away......there are perks........gotta dig deep sometimes, but quiet is a perk. I wish all of you sweet dreams with love and hugs, Annette

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~follow up, next day……………..

these can't come close to the actual event, there was much more scattered about and smeared.......sheet has already been laundered for the next change necessity, but they provide clues..............he is extremely subdued today........hope it is not cellophane stomach......... visualize him on his tummy, face down upon the candy, licking it up like a dog long denied.........the 'poops' untouched as recovered..............