Saturday, January 1, 2000
The Hostess' Companion - To LTF
Well, the chili smells like it's about ready for the crowd, so I'd better make the cornbread and the salad. I've been bothered during the holidays, this year, by my Unnamed Uncle's death causing an abundance of "family gatherings"; and, while our family gatherings are funny, warm, genteel affairs, I take umbrage with the core concept of family gatherings, regardless of when or why they occur, not in small part because they are always my mother's idea, thus, I'm the one who produces them. I guess I'd better go prepare for this one.
Friday, December 31, 1999
Ends for Some; Beginnings for Others - to LTF
Yeah, I do have heavy DUN [Dead Uncle's Name, also the name of a dead boyfriend of mine] karma, don't I?!? It's kind of humorous for me. This whole season, though, has been gloomy despite the incidence of DUNs in my life. My mom did some obsessing about death and although I'm emotionally distant enough from this uncle that I immediately wished him well and sent him on his way when I found out he'd died, even I was shocked that he was "the next one". Everyone (sort of, including me), thought "the next one" would be my mom.
My gloom is somehow connected to my mother suddenly becoming feverish about Christmas and both of us discovering she didn't have the energy to do all she was planning. During these last few weeks we have also accidentally discovered that the cause of her extreme tiredness over the last year and her inattention may have been Glucophage, for Type 2 diabetes, which her doctor put her on last year about this time. My sisters and I have been suspicious of the diagnosis but haven't been able to get Mom to follow up on it. She was supposed to see her doctor two months after she started taking Glucophage. She didn't. On purpose. I know because I consistently reminded her. She also didn't take the Glucophage consistently. She noticed that she had run out of it about a week ago. It can't be refilled after 11/99. So she's gone without it and, I swear, LTF, my old mother is back. It has surprised both of us. Unfortunately this didn't happen until after Christmas.
I felt as though I was bombarded by Christmas this year. One felicitous circumstance: My brother-in-law's father decided to take all of us out to the buffet at the Hilton for Christmas dinner. It was pleasant and the food was delicious. Absolutely no work. We were all grateful. Especially for the unlimited champagne refills. But Mom decided she wanted to do Christmas shopping at the last minute after swearing she was just going to send everyone money or gift certificates. That was a mess. I got testy. So did she. She ended up sending everyone money. Three days after Christmas.
No one else has died.
My gloom is somehow connected to my mother suddenly becoming feverish about Christmas and both of us discovering she didn't have the energy to do all she was planning. During these last few weeks we have also accidentally discovered that the cause of her extreme tiredness over the last year and her inattention may have been Glucophage, for Type 2 diabetes, which her doctor put her on last year about this time. My sisters and I have been suspicious of the diagnosis but haven't been able to get Mom to follow up on it. She was supposed to see her doctor two months after she started taking Glucophage. She didn't. On purpose. I know because I consistently reminded her. She also didn't take the Glucophage consistently. She noticed that she had run out of it about a week ago. It can't be refilled after 11/99. So she's gone without it and, I swear, LTF, my old mother is back. It has surprised both of us. Unfortunately this didn't happen until after Christmas.
I felt as though I was bombarded by Christmas this year. One felicitous circumstance: My brother-in-law's father decided to take all of us out to the buffet at the Hilton for Christmas dinner. It was pleasant and the food was delicious. Absolutely no work. We were all grateful. Especially for the unlimited champagne refills. But Mom decided she wanted to do Christmas shopping at the last minute after swearing she was just going to send everyone money or gift certificates. That was a mess. I got testy. So did she. She ended up sending everyone money. Three days after Christmas.
No one else has died.
