Another Transition

From a Senior's Lodge to a Fifth-Wheel Holiday Trailer


A few weeks ago my life was quite predictable save experiences with Lodge residents, communications from family and the media HYPE about COVID19.  as I write, the latter still persists.

I may sound a bit political in this posting, but considering what we all can witness in everynewscast, I believe I'm allowed to have some observations and perspectives.

While my memory and executive function capacity may have significant, intermittent challenges, my beliefs are still my own. Some members of my family probably believe I'm a bit of a "nut case," but, watching the world as we've known it, and our legal rights dissolve from day to day and from hour to hour, I'm certain I'm not the only one.

When the Alberta Provincial Government sent me an email flyer through my family physician,indicating that people over 65 yrs, with pre-existing health conditions, living in RURAL AREAS, would NOT have the same access to medical care as other provincial residents, that got my attention.

THEN... THIS ARRIVED TO ME (FROM MY LODGE ADMINISTRATION)

Effective immediately, visitors to all congregate living sites are restricted to one essential visitor only. 

 No social visits are permitted. 

 An essential visitor, designated by the Resident or guardian (or other alternate decision maker), may be a family member, friend or paid caregiver over 18 years of age. Visits from children are restricted, as children do not necessarily show symptoms of COVID-19. 

 Visits from a designated essential visitor are limited to situations where: 

•  direct care is being provided to the Resident (i.e. feeding, constant observation for safety or participating in care when sites can’t meet resident care needs), or  
• a Resident is dying.   

Please find attached the latest visitor guidance information from AHS.

Administration concluded by stating, "We apologize that these rules are coming at us so quickly that we are having trouble keeping up. Thank you for your patience."

*********************************

I asked my nearest daughter, if she would allow me to exit the Lodge. She said YES when she saw the above directive. When I exited, she and I did so through the rear door of the facility, removing all my personal belongings, and as quickly as possible.

It took two car loads to her home (that tells you that I have downsized considerably in the last 9 months) to complete phase one of this latest transition. When arriving to her  home,  I slept in my dependent adult son's room on a lounge chair. My daughter and I began the hunt for a new location for me considering basement suites and other possibilities. We had one false start (a travel trailer for the right price) but it was scooped up before we could make the purchase.

Feeling defeated, I was ready to sleep in the chair in my son's room indefinitely, but my daughter was persistent. She found another travel trailer for even less money and we purchased it "sight unseen" from a dealer lot. The next day we finished paper work for it and two days thereafter it was delivered to us in the middle of a snow storm.

Couldn't find a model image as old as my 23 FT. 1991 Citation, but this is almost the same.

Aside from moving into the 5th-Wheel, I've had to learn about purchasing and having a "pig" for propane delivered. I've acquired a "go with the flow" body adaptation as the constant wind as it blows the trailer into a rocking motion. We've placed old tires under the trailer with some wooden blocks to steady it as much as possible. I feel safe, despite the motion.

It has no running water as yet because I don't want the pipes to freeze in our current cold weather.  I must have her family bring me water from their home, and I use it from a plastic container - sparingly. With no water there is no sewage, as yet either! So I've created another nasty but essential "make do."  I tape packaged kitchen garbage bags (one at a time) to the toilet bowl and when the bag fills, I remove it, dump it into our field (yes I'm living in the country beside my daughter, with great mountain views). THEN I tape a new bag into the toilet basin.

Not quite the same but this gives the
idea of the space...

About 3-4 days ago I began "cooking" meals on the propane stove. It was unnerving initially (because I don't want to burn the trailer down) but I'm doing preparations more calmly and methodically now. My hands are stiff enough, I have problems using the quick lighting tool, so I've been left with using matches. My executive function task is to remember to wet the warm end of the match before placing it in the garbage.

Each day I find small ways to organize things for more permanency and tidiness. It's truly beginning to feel like my home.

I have found a few quiet moments between self-appointed work tasks to begin doing art again (drawing). I spend a few hours daily with my son, at the dining table here, helping him do craft items I find at a Dollar Store. He's pleased and it gives my daughter a break from focusing on his needs. He comes and goes independently from early in the morning until after dinner time in the evening.

C 19 may be a big issue in the world, the continent and the country. But in "This Little Corner of Canada" (title from a play), my world is full of adult and younger grandchildren coming and going, three of them learning to ride a motorcycle, intermittent peeks of them using technology, helping my daughter make a meal, and gratefully NOT BEING IN LOCKDOWN RESIDENTIAL LIVING !

Thank Heaven for

.

It has been the 
PRE-PLANNED PANDEMIC 
(in Agenda 21, the U.N. 2021/30 Reports AND 
outlined by THE BLAZE TV's special feature with Glenn Beck, April 22/20), 
CREATED WITH FUNDING $ FROM 
WHOOOO & THE

; 

promoted as extremely deadly 
(which now has also been proven erroneous) 
AND entirely a key part of the global..."ist" agenda.

IT has given me back a life I thought was gone forever!!!!

I'm with my family and we are taking it one day at a time.

Hope you are smiling, 'cause I am!