How she found her friend’s house

Pounding mochi.

***

Uncle Harold was very close to Grandma. In fact, he was considered the family representative, as he was her only son residing in Hawaii. It was his duty to drive Grandma to her appointments.

One New Year’s Day, Grandma wanted to attend her friend’s mochi pounding party. Mochi rice cakes consist of glutinous sweet rice that has been steamed, pounded, and then rolled in soybean powder. It’s delicious! We Koreans love it. However, we rarely eat it due to the labor involved. Mochi rice cakes are reserved for special occasions.

Anyway, Grandma got in the car and told Uncle Harold to drive to Liliha Street, where her friend lived. Uncle was exasperated that Grandma didn’t know the address or what the house looked like. I am not sure why. Perhaps, she was forgetful or had never been there before.

Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic on New Year’s Day, so the neighborhood was relatively quiet. They slowly cruised the street, when, suddenly, they heard the repetitive sound of a mallet pounding mochi in a wooden bucket.

“Hear that? This is the house,” shouted Grandma. She was so excited and relieved.

And that’s how Grandma found her friend’s house. Uncle dropped her off, and she enjoyed the mochi pounding party. Those mochi rice cakes were delicious!

Mom’s advice

This is Hawaii. (Photographer unknown)

***

Some days are better than others. There are days when I am on top of the world. Then, there are days when I am at my lowest. Blessed are those, who keep an even keel throughout their lives.

Considering the numerous deaths in my family, I think I am doing quite well. I have managed to reach the ripe old age of 78 in one piece with all my original organs and joints intact. In 1-1/2 years, I’ll turn 80, and then, who knows how much longer I’ll have? If I die now, who will take care of David?

My mother always told me, “Don’t brood.” (Definition of “brood”: To think deeply about something that makes one unhappy.)

It helps to skim over the surface of life. Be light hearted. People, who try to think deeply, end up digging their own grave, or falling into a bottomless pit of despair.

Don’t brood.

Great advice from my mother, who lived to age 99.

David: The stove is now off limits

In this picture, taken last week, Casie, the occupational therapist, is holding onto David while he cracks an egg in the frying pan. Yes, David was trying to fry two eggs for breakfast plus toast.

He did manage to crack the two eggs and toast one slice of bread, but then he said he was feeling fatigued. Casie said that David looked like he was going to fall backwards and hurt himself. David sat down in his wheelchair at the dining table, while Casie finished frying the eggs and plating them on toast for David to eat.

To keep from losing his balance, David needs to hold onto the counter with one hand, while he works with his other hand. Since cracking eggs requires using both hands, Casie advised us to buy Liquid Eggs, which could be poured into the egg cooker with one hand.

Above all, the stove is off limits for David, as it is extremely dangerous. If he falls, he might grab the stove and burn himself. He is still very unstable and weak. So, it looks like David can only use the microwave, the egg cooker and the toaster. Nothing else. Not even the coffee maker.

I’ll do most of the cooking and serve him his three meals a day.

I’ll do everything in my power to reduce risky behavior. We must keep ourselves safe and healthy.

Helping David shower

Life in Gigi’s household continues, as always. I try to promote a safe and healthy lifestyle for both myself and David, always mindful that another accident could send David to the nursing home again. If that were to happen, the cost would impoverish us, as we don’t have deep pockets. I am doing everything in my power to keep him and myself healthy and safe at home.

The home therapy is drawing to a close. The therapists, bathing aide and nurse are departing within a week.

I will have to help David even more. I have begun helping David with his shower, and I think I’ll have to continue to do so indefinitely. Note that the occupational therapist turned the shower bench around. It now faces the faucet. This will give David more control. The sprayer has a pause button, which he uses to stop the water flow when he is soaping himself.

The shower bench:

The sprayer with a pause button.

David tries to hose himself, but I hose his back and head while trying to keep water off the floor. I finish by toweling his back and head, and he does the rest.

He still has difficulty reattaching his leg brace, particularly the bottom rung. I can’t stoop down to do it because of arthritis, so he has to walk to his recliner in order to finish the job. Before that happens, I remove the rug so that he can maneuver his walker safely to the living room.

Somehow, we are getting it done.

What a genius!

These days, the managers of the concert hall, the arena and the stadium prohibit spectators from bringing in food and beverages from home. People are expected to purchase refreshments at the venue and nowhere else. I think this is crazy and unreasonable.

My Uncle Harold figured a way out of this dilemma. He was fond of attending football games at the stadium, but didn’t want to buy refreshments there. So, he placed a can of Coke in one sleeve of his jacket and a roll of sushi in the other sleeve. Then, he tied the ends of the sleeves and carried his jacket on his arm.

For awhile, he got away with it until one day, he inadvertently banged the sleeve containing the Coke against a metal pole. The attendant immediately confiscated the Coke. That was the bad news. But, the good news was that he neglected to check the other sleeve, which contained the sushi. So, although Uncle had to buy his drink at the stadium, he was able to enjoy his sushi from home.

Haha. What a riot! I, myself, wouldn’t have considered doing what Uncle Harold did. What a genius!

Maria and Aaron to the rescue

Recently, my daughter, Maria, did me a huge favor. She used a sharp box cutter to shred the huge pile of boxes in my house and throw them into the blue bin for pick up by the City. These boxes came from Amazon and restaurants. Yes, we do recycle cardboard, plastic, glass and paper. Our refuse is picked up by the City twice a week at no extra charge.

I asked Maria to shred the boxes for me, as I have a torn rotator cuff and can’t make any sharp tearing movements with my right arm. Doing so would be very painful for me.

It took her 40 minutes to do this. Somehow, she managed to fit all those boxes in this tall bin:

***

Previously, I mentioned that the top handrails for the outdoor ramp were too short. David had a hard time walking into the driveway and transitioning to the walker.

This is how the top handrails used to look. See how short they were?

We hired Aaron, our handyman, to extend the top handrails. Instead of 5 feet, they now are 6-1/2 feet long. David now has an easier time walking into the driveway and grabbing his walker, then proceeding to his car.

***

Without Maria and Aaron, where would we be?

Entertaining guests

I truly admire people, who can cook fabulous food and entertain their guests in an equally fabulous way. If I were to have a second life, I would choose an AA degree in Culinary Arts over a BA in Sociology. It’s more fun and practical, in my opinion. However, I cannot see myself slaving in a restaurant, enduring the stress of being a busy chef, sweating over a hot stove. Ugh! No, thank you.

Rather, I see myself as the consummate hostess of elegant dinner parties. That’s when an AA degree in Culinary Arts would come in handy. The program at the community college would teach me how to fold napkins in a myriad of ways, such as a bird, fan or crown. It would also teach me how to set the table and present my cuisine beautifully. I truly would enjoy this type of curriculum. It would be very suitable for a housewife like me.

Haha. Just joking!

When I invite folks over for a meal, it is hit or miss. Sometimes, it’s a success; sometimes, not. Generally, I try to cook food according to my guests’ personal preferences. For instance, if they abhor red meat, then I’ll serve them sweet-sour shrimp or baked salmon. But, if they prefer beef, then I’ll serve them pasta with meatballs or stir-fried beef. If I am clueless as to what they like, then I’ll serve them chicken, which is safe though boring.

I enjoy entertaining at home. It sure beats dining in a restaurant, where it’s noisy and the waiter tries to chase you out of there.

***

This was my last party with my family prior to David’s horrible accident and confinement. Nothing fancy, but we all had such a good time! (November 2023):

Strengthening David’s legs

You might be confused by the two types of therapy that David has been receiving. Casie, the occupational therapist, helps David perform tasks related to personal hygiene, cooking and eating, and chores around the house. Katie, the physical therapist, helps David strengthen his legs so that he can stand and walk.

Previously, I discussed how Casie, the OT, solved problems related to cooking in the kitchen.

Today, I would like to discuss how Katie, the PT, has been strengthening David’s legs.

On April 22, David tackled the steep outdoor ramp and has been trying to master it every time Katie comes. He doesn’t use the walker/stroller, as he is too unstable and might fall. He prefers to walk with both hands on the hand rails. It is very difficult, but he is doing better with every attempt:

Katie told us that the top hand rails should extend further out into the driveway so that David can walk into the driveway and transition to the walker/stroller. So, we have hired Aaron to replace the top rails with longer ones:

***

On April 19, Katie temporarily removed David’s left leg brace and had him stand and step forward and sideways. David’s leg was so weak that he could not do this simple exercise for very long. He will continue to wear his brace until he can walk without it:

What can be done to strengthen his legs? Katie recommends applying for intensive physical therapy at Straub Medical Center, as they have equipment that David doesn’t have. Once Katie trains David to get into and out of the car and step up onto the curb from the car, he will be able to go to Straub.

Meanwhile, she has him standing, kicking, squatting and exercising his legs. He also needs to practice stepping up and down by using the kitchen step. This will enable him to step onto the curb from his car when he goes to Straub.

These exercises are unbelievably difficult for David. He is out of breath and trembles with the effort. He is easily fatigued.

David tries to stand with hands free:

David tries to squat:

***

He also exercises other parts of his body.

This is David using a 5 lb. rehab bar to strengthen his upper body:

He also squeezes this tool:

He uses weights on his right ankle. The weights range from 1-5 lbs, depending on the number of sand bags he places in the anklet:

Once the brace is permanently removed, he will be able to use the ankle weights on his left ankle.

David: Therapy in the bathroom and kitchen

David’s occupational therapist, Casie, is an excellent problem solver. She truly is a gem. Earlier, I told you that she had resolved the problems inherent in giving David a shower. She conducted numerous rehearsals prior to the actual shower. The first shower was a success. Now, the next step is for him to shower independently without any help from the aide or me. That’s another challenge for him.

Meanwhile, Casie trained David to stand at the bathroom sink and brush his teeth. He told her he could only rinse his mouth using a straw and a cup of water. So, she got him a straw from the kitchen, and he was able to rinse his mouth. He was also able to floss his teeth.

Next, he will have to shave at the bathroom sink. Eventually, his paraphernalia will be moved from the dining table to the bathroom. I can’t wait for that to happen.

***

On April 26, Casie trained David to cook his breakfast. He made so many mistakes, because he was disorganized. Casie said the problem was there was no work station. So, she rearranged the kitchen. Note the toaster and egg cooker on the left. The sink is in the middle. And the Keurig coffee maker and Peet’s coffee pods are on the right. This work station is more efficient and will enable David to make his breakfast without too much effort. Also, the microwave and refrigerator are near by, which makes his task easier:

On this first attempt, David could not stand for very long. He felt like his legs were going to collapse. So, Casie brought him his wheelchair, and he prepared the rest of his breakfast while seated:

This was David’s breakfast: A bowl of sliced peaches (which I had prepared earlier), an omelet, 2 slices of toast with strawberry jam, and a cup of coffee. Except for the peaches, he had cooked everything himself. Bravo, David!

So, this was David’s first attempt at cooking a meal since returning home on March 18. His next goal is to bring his food to the table, using his cart. He couldn’t do this initially, because he was in a wheelchair.

Hopefully, David’s stamina will improve, and he will be able to stand and walk normally in the kitchen and elsewhere.

Kudos to Casie for being such a superb problem solver!

Tired of answering the door bell

The other day, I saw the first religious missionaries at my doorstep since the start of the pandemic. And, no, I didn’t appreciate their intrusion. One benefit of the pandemic was the scarcity of missionaries. What a blessing that was! I have to admit that I am impressed with their bravery. I know that I would not want to go door to door and have the door slammed in my face.

Grant (Maria’s husband) was a Mormon missionary in Tokyo after he graduated from high school. He still has friends there, who welcome him and Maria when they visit Japan. Grant is a good person. He never smokes or drinks and never uses foul language. He is respectful and humble. Best of all, he never tries to convert me to his faith. I wouldn’t want him to.

I really am not interested in learning more about God. As a child, I was indoctrinated in the Roman Catholic religion. “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” I’ll never be anything else.

These days, so many salesmen come to my door. They try to sell me solar, Spectrum, school fundraising tickets, food, and, of course, religion.

I am getting mighty tired of answering the door bell. Maybe, I should glue a “No Soliciting” sign on my door. Somehow, I don’t think it will keep these pests away.