FRIDAY WAS A DIFFERENT DAY. USUALLY, I SEE EVERYONE B4 THEY HEAD OFF, SO WE PRAY & I GET FED BREAKFAST, BUT BY A FLUKE, I DIDN’T SEE THE KIDS OFF, & MK HAD AN EMERGENCY CALL, SO I DIDN’T GET 2 TALK 2 HIM B4 HE LEFT! SO NO1 WAS AROUND 2 GIVE ME BREAKFAST OR MY MORNING MEDS! BUT I DIDN’T FREAK—IN FACT, I WAS SURE I COULD DO IT, CUZ I HAD ALMOST DONE IT ON TUES.!

1. I WENT & PULLED OUT ENOUGH PAPER TOWELS 2 MAKE A BIB, & PUT IT ON.
2. I GOT A SPOON FROM OUR DRAWER.
3. I GOT A PAPER BOWL FROM OUR PANTRY—THIS WAS TRICKY, & I MAY HAVE SQUISHED A FEW THINGS (DESPITE MY CONSTANT PLEAS 2 KEEP THE PANTRY FLOOR CLEAR, THERE WAS A FEW THINGS), BUT I BROUGHT THE BACK OF MY CHAIR FWD. & LEANED FWD., SO I’D SQUISH LESS!
4. THIS PART I GIVE A SHOUT-OUT & THX JESS 4 SHOWING ME HOW 2 DO (SHE SAT IN MY LAP ONE DAY & SHOWED ME HOW SHE’D DO THIS, IF SHE WAS ME): I OPENED THE FRIDGE & DRAWER, & GOT OUT COTTAGE CHEESE. THIS WAS ACTUALLY TRICKY—LUCKY MY BACK WAS FWD SO I HAD MORE ROOM, BUT THE COTTAGE CHEESE WAS ON IT’S SIDE & HARD 2 GRASP, SO I ALMOST RESORTED 2 THE APPLESAUCE NEXT 2 IT, BUT I DECIDED 2 1ST TRY RAISING MY CHAIR UP, SO MY ARM WAS ANGLED DIFFERENT, & IT WORKED!
5. OUR CLEANERS CAME IN AS I WAS CLOSING THE FRIDGE—THE EXACT POINT I HAD GOTTEN TO ON TUES.! BUT THEY SPEAK SPANISH, & MAY NOT KNOW I DON’T NORMALLY DO THIS, SO WE SAID HI, & I KEPT GOING.
6. I OPENED THE COTTAGE CHEESE, GOT MY MEDICINE OUT OF MY PILL CASE, ATE, & CLEANED UP!

SPEAKING OF MY GROWING INDEPENDENCE,, ZACH TURNED 16 IN JULY, & WHEN ZACH GOT HIS DRIVER S LICENSE, IT IS AS THOUGH I DID, TOO! I HAVE A NEW-FOUND INDEPENDENCE: NOT ONLY CAN I SEND ZACH ON IMMEDIATE ERRANDS FOR ME (INSTEAD OF WAITING HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS FOR IT), BUT I CAN ALSO GO PLACES W/O MK, & ZACH CAN HELP MK CART KIDS AROUND NOW TOO. IT IS AWESOME! (HOWEVER, I COUNT MY BLESSINGS THAT I NEVER DROVE W/ZACH UNTIL NOW! LOL)

AUGUST MARKED NOT ONLY A BIG BIRTHDAY 4 ME, BUT ALSO HALFWAY POINT: 9.3 YEARS AGO, I HAD MY STROKE. IT HAS NOW BEEN 9.5 YEARS SINCE MY STROKE. THAT’S ALMOST 10 YEARS! 10 YEARS IS A LONG TIME, & I DON’T KNOW HOW MK DOES IT!

HOWEVER, MY KIDS ARE SHOWING THE WEAR & TEAR: THEY ARE SLOWER TO RESPOND TO HELP ME WHEN I RING MY BELL, & THEY NO LONGER CHEER IF I COME ALONG ON OUTTINGS–I’D GUESS CUZ THEY ARE NO LONGER NAIVE 2 WHAT IT MAY MEAN…)

BUT 10 YEARS AGO, I ONLY DREAMED ABOUT FEEDING MYSELF, AMONGST THE OTHER STUFF I CAN NOW DO! IT IS A LONG TIME 4 ME TOO! ON 1 HAND, I’VE COME SO FAR IN 10 YEARS, YET ON THE OTHER, I THINK, “IT’S TAKEN ME 10 YEARS TO DO THAT?!?” BUT EITHER WAY, IT FEELS GOOD!