Today I worked a half shift on the wing where I do weekends. Things have changed there even in the short time since I’ve started. Several people have passed away and in their place have been admitted residents who are more total care. I remember when I started there being intimidated with all the lifts, walking by them and thinking, “I’m not sure this is for me.” It’s a job. I’m glad to have it but jobs like all things are fleeting.

While I was there, Dad and the kids were at Grandma’s house filling up another dumpster. There was still a bunch of stuff in two of the sheds that they pretty much emptied. After that they went out to eat and the question about Elianna moving in with Grandma was brought up. It’s been nonchalantly thrown out there as almost like a joke. After graduation she can go to Lincoln Land and move in with her dog.

She said she’d be glad to have the companionship and she wouldn’t have to pay rent. There’d be grass to mow or other ways to help out. This has me wondering about the growing empty rooms, that still have every set up like somebody lives there. The boys might like to have a room that doesn’t leak or have mold growing up the drywall, but there’s no reason now to get ahead of ourselves. It’s been partly cut out.

I made the one who’s been having sinus troubles sleep in the school room, just to see if it’d make a difference. Now they’ve all been sleeping in there so their room is currently empty too. It makes me laugh. His sinuses seem to be slowly clearing up but now another one has his own cough. I still have pediatric incentive spirometers stored in the linen closet that I ordered during Covid. I almost made a post about it back then.

They use them in hospitals to give to people with coughs. You breathe in on this tube and it’s supposed to help your lungs stay clear. “C & DB” means “cough and deep breathe”. That’s what you’re supposed to encourage patients to do when they’re in bed with pneumonia. In the night I will say to them sometimes, “Use your incentive spirometer”, and they do.