Terrific Food Containers

Since my father requires pureed food - I use the gadget mentioned in yesterday's post - I can reduce the amount of work and time dealing with food processing by making several servings of whatever I'm pureeing. Ideally, I try to make enough ahead that I can throw them in the freezer for future.

When freezing food for one person, you really have to do it in single servings. Otherwise, you'll end up wasting extra food.

I found the BEST food containers for single servings:


Rubbermaid Take-alongs. These are the only single-serving food containers I know of that have screw-on lids. The screw-on feature is what makes them so terrific.

You won't end up with freezer burn, they don't spill, and most important, they're easy for older folks to open. Have you ever tried to pry open those tight - fitting storage containers? Even for someone with full abilities, it's a nightmare (especially when the contents come flying out whe the lid decides to let loose!).

Another great feature is that the outside of the container (the bowl part) is textured with ribs rather than smooth and slippery. These don't appear to have been made for people with limited hand ability, but they are a godsend for those who have problems.

I love these because my father can help himself to whatever/whenever in the fridge. I keep available foods for him there, and the backups stored in the freezer where he never goes.

I have no monetary gain whatsoever in the products I promote. Just spreading the word to make life a little easier for those of you who are caregivers. I provide a link to Amazon just because everything I mention is available there.

Don't Be Afraid To Shop In Baby Products

The more our aging parents, well age, the more their needs can become similar to those of babies. Unlike baby products that can be found just about everywhere, there is a definite lack of readily-available products to fill the needs of the the aging portion of society.

 Consider browsing the baby market for help.


When I learned that my father's dysphasia (the inability to swallow) required him to have all his foods pureed, I started looking in the usual places for a food processor. If you've bought one recently, you'll know how pricey they are.


I found this little gem of a food processor. It's made for babies, but it works for adults, too! It's portable (although you need to plug it in), easily cleaned, and has two speeds. I can't say enough about it.



Made by Kid Co - they also have a manual version that I'd like to try. Comes with a freezer tray for small portions of food, although I've never used that.

Because it needs to be plugged in, whenever we hit the road, I puree all the food my father will need and store it in plastic containers.

One tip: scrape the pureed food out of the container with a plastic or silicone utensil. A metal spoon will scratch it. Also, for most foods, you will need to add a little water before pureeing for good results.

The Zen of Time Management

I had a big idea. I planned the rest of my life. Even started a new job in my industry of choice (more on that in a future post). My future - when my son has left home, and my father has moved on to eternal life with God. When I will be free of obligations and able to work a full-time job.

I forgot one fact. That I don't like working in office environments. That I am happiest alone and in solitude, answering only to my own goals and purposes.

It all came back to me the past several months. Oh, yeah...now I remember.

What my mind forgot, my body remembered. I had mentioned in a previous post a Buddhist friend advising me on pain. Even though I haven't seen her in a while, her words of two years ago came back to be yesterday: Ask the pain what it is trying to tell you.

Over the past week, I have had a recurrence of sciatica. Just mentioning the ailment makes me feel like a midday Lawrence Welk commercial. (If you don't know who that is, don't worry about it; you're either too young or have forgotten). Sciatica is extremely painful, by the way. It lasts weeks. 

Because I am dense at times, my body is knocking LOUDLY on my brain's door. WE ARE NOT HAPPY!

What's wrong? I humbly ask.

You forgot your passions is the answer I get.

I explain to myself  (myself - are you kidding me?) that I need to plan my future, to make it secure. Hey, I got a job in the industry and everything!

We weren't made for this.

I know in the deepest depth of my soul that is true. I have spent the past several months making a writing apartment in our attic. It is the most joyful job I have done in ages. I have a sense of thank you from the wiser portion of myself.

There are times - too many - when I go off-track with my Big Ideas. To my credit, I do pray about these life changers. I asked for confirmation. I even got it.

My next question was to God: so why did you give me that job if it's off my path?

The answer: so you will stop flip-flopping like a trout in a bucket and look in the bloomin' mirror and see the truth.

I think I heard Him mumble something like, "you moron," but it was said with the greatest of love...

My reaction to all of this? I am committed to writing 8 hours a week. Therefore, joyfully, peacefully, "dancingly" - - -

I'm baaaack!

How Is Everyone Getting On?

Summer is essentially here. I've been doing other things over the past few weeks...end-of-school-year concerts, making sure my son has everything wrapped up (or almost) for this school year, tending to daily necessities, making as much money as I can.

This time of year, my income plummets. Student vacations, many parents believe in ceasing all learning activities, are the main reasons. Also, the two weekly orchestras in which I play and teach rehearse only during the school year. I haven't yet figured out a way to capitalize on summer using my abilities. I did try a summer orchestra, but it was eye-opening to me without a sponsor providing a location. I did manage to get a small group going at someone's house, but it wasn't worth it. One rehearsal had 2 people there. I never did attempt that again. A few summers ago, I did get a mailer from another string teacher advertising a summer orchestra that she was doing. I never got another one, and I suspect that she ran into the same kind of obstacles I did.

So....I keep writing. I've been working on my novel and doing independent study on various forms of writing. I designed, printed, and mailed advertisements for summer lessons. Previously, I had advertised in a newspaper for summer lessons, with no response.

A Buddhist friend of mine advises to not fight negative forces, but rather go with them and react differently. By trying to overcome the reduction of lessons, that can be a way of "fighting." So what would be a different way of reacting to it?

One way might be changing industries. Taking a vacation from music. Now, I do teach as many students as are willing over the summer, so I'm not taking a complete vacation. I'm thinking of nurturing copywriting contacts, doing advertising for, say, local businesses.

My requirements are that it must be work that I can do at home (to be with my father and son).

I will keep you apprised of progress.

Interesting Times

It has been an interesting week, and will continue to be so for different reasons. My son recovered from his cold. His school nurse had sent him home after a day of absence to recover. She said he had symptoms of swine flu. Oh, good grief. Two visits to his doctor confirmed a cold.

So he is back in school - much to his relief - and I am back in business.

This week, besides my usual work, will include a rehearsal for upcoming concerts with a chorus (I'm playing in the orchestra accompanying them), and the first of two performances. Then a second concert - orchestral - this weekend.

My son is becoming more and more autonomous, which gratifies me. My father, more dependent.

I've been having more incidents with him, mostly due to inability to accurately communicate. His hearing as well as verbal communication are compromised, and he gets frustrated with me when I can't read his mind. I think he believes I lie to him and make things up.

Some with my son, too. Yesterday he had an appointment for his annual checkup right after school. In order to not waste time, I reminded him a few times, including as he walked out the door on the way to school yesterday, that I will be picking him up in the spot he designated and then go to the doc. So I got to the school in plenty of time, waited and waited until I was the last parent.

Still, no son. I called my father at home asking if he had forgotten and come home.

"Oh, I don't know."

"Well, I kind of need to know since I'm at the school."

"Anthony, are you home? No, he's not home."

I try his cell phone, it's turned off.

I few minutes later, a call from home. It's my son.

"Hi Mom."

"What are you doing home?"

"?"

"Oh....I forgot. Sorry."

"Wait for me at the end of the driveway and jump in the car when I pull up."

We got there at the time of his appointment. However, I wasted 1/2 hour trying to be efficient.

These are the kinds of aaaaaarrrrrgh moments that occur almost daily.

I just laugh about it, for some day when those in my life have moved on, these memories will be seasoning.

Getting By

Sickness has been going around our house since the weekend. My son has a really bad cold. So bad that I thought it might be strep, but a visit to the doc yesterday revealed it to be just a cold. He stayed home from school yesterday, and again today.

I now am sick, and my father apparently has it too. He hasn't gotten up yet but he was coughing all night.

They can stay in bed all day to recuperate, but if I do that I'll go broke, not to mention the messes that won't be cleaned up, the food that won't be prepared, the doors that will be left open. The only way I could ever stay in bed sick with peace of mind would be if I lived alone. Oh, well.

I'll leave it up to all of you, readers of this blog, to leave comments in my (hopefully short) absence.

June

Racing Time

There is a photograph of my parents in my father's room that I had taken while on vacation 34 years ago. I calculated my mother in that picture to be just 5 years older than I am now.

To me at that time, my mother was old. I clearly remember her making age-related complaints at that age (hurting knees, feet, stiff, things along that line). I'm quickly - very quickly - catching up to her. It is scary. Relative to her, I was always young and therefore at an advantage. I want to stay that way.

However, considering the alternative, old age isn't so bad.

I just don't want to feel old. What should we do? Especially since three generations (including ourselves) are riding on our backs.

Maybe the best course of action is to adopt a plan and take it one step at a time. I've been doing spring cleaning for a week now, an hour a day, and making good progress, for example.

I like You - Staying Young by Drs. Oz and Roizen. Their plan supposedly is doable within two weeks. That's a bit intense to be making lifestyle changes so instead, I have a list of all their recommended changes that I am implementing one step at a time.

Avoid "all-or-nothing" thinking. Aim for progress, not perfection.

When I had my beauty consultant business, I used to tell my customers, "If you don't take time, time will take you." There's a lot of truth in that regarding all the areas of our lives, not just skin care.