Greetings, dear readers. Here I am, your Marilyn Beane’s World columnist writing in the third week of August trying to get news about my life at Crawford Commons Assisted Living.
Sunday morning, Aug. 19, at break time, 10 a.m., my sweetheart and I went to the dining room to meet Pastor Bill and sat down at a table at the back windows. Our kind and caring cook was right there with peanut butter cookies for each of us, with our appreciation. We talked about our trials and circumstances as of now. He is wishing the best for us and had prayer for us. He read from the Bible the book of Ephesians, Chapter 4 and had his notes to explain that chapter.
That afternoon, we watched a Souls Harbor DVD from the Sunday before. We watched programs on TV a while this evening until falling asleep. Ha ha.
Monday, the 20th, during the afternoon nearing 2 p.m., my home health nurse arrived. I told her we had company coming. Our friend had called me late morning. The sweet nurse said she would be fast as she could and went about unwrapping, treating, rewrapping my feet. I have a bad callous on my large left toe. She said I need to have it trimmed at least by Dr. Dickens. I told her I wouldn’t be able to get to see the doctor until mid-September. She treated it with medication along with the wrapping. She checked my vitals, lungs, and heart.
When she left, our company was here waiting out in the hallway, sweet Colleen Boggs and a group-home resident friend. He always liked to come and see us and we always like seeing him. Colleen brought me a caramel iced coffee and my sweetheart a hot coffee, both from Dunkin’ Donuts. We talked and they are concerned about us needing to move from here to another facility. Sweet Colleen feels we both need nursing care, that I need it along with Elden, and should get it. She is right. She wants me to make a list of needs to bring us soon.
On Tuesday, there was a couple here, a man and a lady, both on guitar and singing at breakfast.
I went to the kind and caring cook for cookies and coffee. We sat and enjoyed our snack and the music, which was very good.
Wednesday afternoon after 4 p.m., the Hangers shoe man arrived with my sweetheart’s left shoe he had fixed. He put it on and the mate to it. Then he asked about my shoes, which the left one was hurting right next to where my pinkie toe was before its removal. He stretched it inside and helped it from hurting. If we find any issues, we are to give him a call. We went to supper right after he left, just in time.
On Thursday, the 23rd, I called at our primary doctor’s by phone that afternoon so he and all would be aware of our legal help in our need to go to another facility, my sweetheart going into skilled nursing and my need for one, which they are trying for and working on. Keep praying, dear readers, for me. I can use all I can get with my own. Lots of red tape when it comes with complications. Oh dear! Such a life. Huh!
Friday, the 24th, at noon, 1, or 2, Bella Point in Camden staff members and a few of the residents came for a visit and barbecue lunch with us all here at Crawford Commons Assisted Living here in Union. A few of the residents came again who used to live here and it was so nice to see them. We enjoyed talking with each other, our man friend smiling as usual. His roommate, who was his roommate here, is there as well. They all are our friends, even a lady resident friend who had moved from here to there. She sat and talked with us. She would like to come back here but she doesn’t know if she can or not. She has mentioned it to them but nothing has come of it.
They set up tables in the living room, one to set out the food on and another to set the drinks on. The kind and caring man cook was in charge of the food and our sweet lady resident care director was in charge of the drinks.
Some of the residents ate inside in the dining room and some ate outside on the back patio. We chose to sit at our regular table with our regular man tablemate. Our sweet aides and kind and caring man cook came around serving us. The food consisted of cheeseburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, salads, and I had Mountain Dew to drink. My sweetheart and our tablemate had Coke. Dessert was banana splits. Yum! Yum!
On to Saturday afternoon, the 25th, we was surprised our physician doctor John M. Dickens made a surprise visit. He had to come to Union for something else and thought about us, where he hasn’t seen us for three weeks or so and wouldn’t be seeing us for another little while.
I told him I called his office on Thursday and left a message that I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to talk about this upcoming move neither one of us are looking for.
Knowing about how we was assessed for the level care we need, he said of course, where Elden can’t walk or get in and out of bed himself, needing a Hoyer lift. He continued even though I can do more than Elden, but agreed needing a nurse more than half the time and I now have COPD of my lungs and bronchials; he agrees I should be in skilled nursing, where also I have many afflictions going on.
We have visited nursing homes in the past and saw patients on walkers as well as wheelchairs. I am pleased I can still walk with the aid of a walker and do some personal things on my own. I like to be independent. Most of that went when I got more ill and bad enough to come here. It sure isn’t fun to age and get to this point in life but we know it’s bound to happen each birthday stage we meet.
It was so nice to get a chance to talk with Dr. Dickens and so nice for him to think of us in such a caring and kind way. I know, too, this was an answer to prayer, as God knew I wanted to talk with my doctor so very bad. Thank you, Jesus.
Here is a testimony from both my sweetheart and I:
Have you ever heard about a sky garden? No? Well, we never heard about one either until we read about one which is in London, England. It is located on the 35th story building in the London business district. The Sky Garden is a glass-encased platform filled with plants, trees, and flowers. But the sky part captured many people’s attention, whoever gets to see it, gazing down from a height of over 500 feet, admiring St. Paul’s Cathedral, the tower of London, and more. The views of the capital city are very breathtaking, providing a helpful lesson on perspective.
Our loving, caring God has a perfect perspective of everything we experience. The Psalmist wrote, “For He looked down from His holy height, from Heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner to set free those who doomed to death.” Found in the Holy Book, the Bible, in the book of Psalms, chapter 102:19/20.
Like the hurting people pictured in Psalms 102, we are often locked into the present with its struggles, “groaning” with despair. But God sees our lies from beginning to end. Our Lord is never caught off-guard by the things that can blindside us. As the Psalmist anticipated, His perfect perspective will lead to a rescue that sets free even those doomed to death still in the book of Psalms, chapter 102 (verses 20, 27-28).
In difficult moments, we must remember we may not know what is coming next, but our Lord does. We can trust Him with every moment that stretches before us. Focusing on our loving, caring Lord Jesus Christ puts everything else into perspective.
Well! This is now evening, and like every evening at this time between 7 and 8, I get so very sleepy, so I’ve come to the closing of this column.
So God bless all you, dear readers. My prayers go up for those of you whatever you May be experiencing and you are in need of prayer.
Happy birthday and anniversary greetings to all those who are observing them in this new month of September.
Yours truly also is observing my 78th birthday on the 24th of September. I don’t know where we are going to be living by then so if I receive mail early is OK with me. You can send mail to Marilyn Beane’s World, Crawford Commons Assisted Living, 132 Middle Road, Union, ME 04862-4018.
God bless again and be looking for Marilyn Beane’s World in a week or two.
