Dear Readers,
I am very sorry I have not been able to connect with all of you!
My 91 year old mother fell, and I am in Wisconsin helping her recover.
The good news is, she is doing very well, and didn’t break anything.
She had an infection and was hospitalized for several days, but she is very strong. She is highly independent, and still plays her violin.
The other good news is, I have had no desire to drink while I have been here.
I am actually very glad I am not drinking so I can be fully present to take care of her.
Such a gift to not be drinking.
My anxiety levels were off the roof before I came, as I was unsure if I could manage things by myself, as I am alone with her for a week. But I figured everything out with the help of my family and my mom.
On top of this, I am having problems and the doctors think it might be small kidney stones.
But I am not at home, so I am relying on urgent care.
And then, on top of that, my mother is moving to Idaho to live close to my brother, so we are cleaning out a house, packing, selling, and all of those fun things!
So things are not dull here.
Many of you might have read that Wisconsin, my home state, has the highest amount of drunken cities in the US. I am not surprised. We have bars on every corner of the state. You can read the article here.
I will try to catch up on some blogs, but I might not get to all of them until next week.
Thank you, Ginger (Groundhog Girl) for asking about my whereabouts!!
Love to all of you!
On Day 629,
Wendy
Untipsyteacher 
I hope the best for you and your mother with your health issues. I was thinking of you (and all current and former teachers today) as I wind down the school year! Summer is almost here. Thanks for checking in…and congrats on your sobriety!
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Thank you, Mark.Those last days of school were a whirlwind! xo
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Wow – Wendy you have so much on your plate, no wonder you'd no time to blog. So glad your Mum is ok; and I really hope you get your suspected kidney stones sorted very quickly. What a lovely photo – you and your Mum really look alike – those smiles are amazingly infectious; I couldn't help but smile right back atcha both! Love, Red xx
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Hi Red!Thank you! It's extra hard because she doesn't have wi-fi in her house.xo
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I was just wondering where you were. Thankful that you posted Wendy! You have a lot to deal with right now and you are doing really, really well! Congratulations on managing through all of these things with a lovely smile.
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Hi RB!Yes, I am but it's a challenge for sure.xo
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Hi Wendy, lovely to hear from you. I'm sorry to hear your mum hasn't been well but I'm glad she is on the mend. I hope you are better soon too, you poor thing. It sounds like a lot has been going on! Hope things are back to normal soon. Thinking of you. A x
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Nice to hear from you, I was wondering about you, too! Wow you have a lot to deal with right now, and isn't it great to be present for it? Sending prayers to you & your mother :). Two lovely ladies! xx
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It's been hard being away from my doctors and feeling bad, while trying to help my mom.Thank you, Angie!xo
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It's nice to be missed, Lori!Thank you so much!xo
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I missed you! I am sorry to hear about your mom, but happy she is doing well and that you are present to take care of her!! I hope you nip that kidney stone issue soon!! So not fun!!! xo
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Hiya, Wendy! Good to hear from you. Wow, you are a busy lady. Waaay to busy to drink. hahah! Glad your mom is feeling better and hope all your other tasks are leaving you some time to relax.
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I have been wondering about you, too! Your wise, bright presence is definitely missed but you keep doing what you're doing. So glad your mom is doing well. Violin is such a beautiful instrument- go her! You guys both look lovely. Take care and much love! 🙂
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So glad to hear you are ok-ish despite all the drama going on. I agree with Red you both look very similar and gorgeous, how lucky you both are to have eachother. I was worried about you, not that you had drunk ha ha but that some illness, drama or some such had happened. What with you and Anne missing on the blogs the absence was noticeable. Now we know you are both safe and dealing with REAL LIFE we can rest assured you will be back as and when you can. Big hugs to you and your mom.
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You and your mom are adorable! Glad you are able to take care of her and nice that she is still so independent. As we have commented before, my grandmother is about her age but with no plans to move out of her house. I carry so much anxiety about what comes next. It is tricky stuff, best taken one day at a time like pretty much everything, I guess. So lovely that you're able to be there for her. Kristen (byebyebeer)
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Thank you, Sober at 53!xo
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Hi Betty!My mom can do so much more now. I was lazy yesterday, so I have to do more cleaning today!xo
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Dear CWD,I missed you too!I'm hoping to catch up on a few blogs today.xo
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Hi Ginger!Real life is interesting. And hard.Thank you!xo
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Oh, thank you Kristen!I didn't know you were bye bye beer!It is hard. And my anxiety is still high, which is not helping.I've been doing lots of deep breathing!!xo
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Hi Wendy! Such a gorgeous picture of you and your Mom! Im glad she's doing well now. Sorry about the anxiety and the kidney stones, though. I know you're dealing with all this so well, but it is tough stuff to deal with. Sending a big hug to you! (And a new mystery series recommendation: Steve Burrows series of Birder Mysteries, starting with A Siege of Bitterns. They have all this wonderful birdwatching lore in them, so it's like going for a walk and learning about birds while tucked up on the couch reading. An ideal way to spend an afternoon once you have one free again!) Take care xo
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Oh, thank you for the book recommendation!!I just finishing the new John Sandford mystery, but I didn't care for it that much.xo
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Hi Wendy,What a beautiful photo of the 2 of you :-). I imagine it must feel wonderful to be able to be present for your mother after she fell. xx, Feeling
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Thank you, Feeling!!xo
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Lovely photo. You are both shining!
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Hi SO,Thank you!Mom looks good in blue!xo
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The apple didn't fall far from the tree Wendy! 🙂 xx
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Thank you, Lou!My mom is smart, so I must be too!!Ha!xoWendy
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Both of my parents are ill at the moment and I will be in yours shoes soon. Thanks for showing that it can be done without drinking!
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Yes it can, but it is very hard.I can go back and forth between feeling completely overwhelmed and just letting go. I sure couldn't do this alone. My brother and sister will be helping with the packing and moving. And we are all out of state from my mom.xoWendy
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Glad your mom is strong and glad you're getting good support from your family. Hang in there! I hope your anxiety subsides. (I've been having some off and on these days, and I assume it's food-related, and I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. Amazing how much simpler life is without it and I wish that for you soon!) Adrian
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Thank you, Adrian.My anxiety has decreased ten-fold today because whatever was wrong with me is much better.So it's easier to help my mom.I'll be home for a week, then back here again.xoWendy
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Best wishes to you and your mom.
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Thank you, Damien! We are both doing better!xo
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Take care of yourself.My anxiety becomes bad when things are unfamiliar. But I'm learning I am stronger than I ever expected.Sobriety builds confidence.Anne
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Thank you, Anne.I am stronger than I think.And you are such a great role model for me! xo
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Hye Wendy great to see you again and having some time away from home sober – it's funny – I was at a conference the other weekend and felt the old twang of being \”unsupervised\” as though it were an invitation to sabotage myself. Instead, I got an early night and went for a run in the morning.Good luck with the de-cluttering – it can bring things to the surface!Thanks, Bren
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Wow you look like your fabulous 91 year old mother. I hope I can be as strong and capable at 91. Treat yourself well.
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Hi Bren!Thank you for stopping by!I am home now, but will be going back in another week for more cleaning.I am glad you went for a run. Those old drinking voices sure pop up now and then!xo
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Hi Sharon!It's very hard to be a caretaker. And I only helped her for 10 days. Now my brother is home.My mom is made of super strong stuff!She rocks!xo
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Lovely to know how you are Wendy. Your mother looks fabulous.I have missed you xx Claire
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How are things Wendy? xx
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I hope your Mum is doing better now, and you also. I hear kidney stones are no fun at all!
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Thank you, Claire.Things are a little bit topsy turvy here.By the end of June, things should be settled at bit more.xo
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HI Jackie,My mom is healed and driving again, but now we are working on moving her and selling her house.xo
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The good news is, they were very small, so it wasn't as bad as a big one. I feel better and my mom is better, too!xo
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good to read your news, Wendy, and what a beautiful picture of you with your mother. sending you love and packing tape 😉 Prim xx
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Oh boy! I need lots of bubble wrap, too!xo
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