Hi, Everyone. This is unusual for me: a second post of the day on the Mayo Forum. Don't ask me where the other one is because my short-term caregiver memory is not what it used to be. (That is a joke.) This morning, I discovered making coffee is something I must add to my to-do list; my LO's mind lost the directions overnight. More and more, giving directions to him for the things he used to handle seems to be as confusing to me as it is for him. I think we are in a new phase, but I can't be sure because there is a UTI we are tracking with a calcified cyst in his bladder, along with the possibility of a resurgence of cancer that may or may not be dormant. I am exhausted by the extra laundry, a weekend visit from his daughter, and the repetitiveness required for instructions to him. I think it is time to take all of that effort to tell him what to do and just do those jobs by myself. -- If and when he remembers, the deck and stairs to the dock are waiting for him to paint it. That is his chosen project: never quite finished, often ignored but always like a Lorelei luring him to get out the paint brushes. I don't know how many coats it can handle before it collapses. It has not been secure since a flood went through here about four years ago It is ridiculous for him to paint it over and over again, but it keeps him busy. I know where he is, and I get a lot done while he is at it. What he plans to do to occupy his time during the winter, we will see. -- There really is nothing I can tell any of you that you don't already know. Planning and patience are the two mainstays of my life and making sure I don't go gaga so I can do what must be done. -- Oh, there is something I have done for myself to achieve equilibrium. I have always wanted a wall with multiple pieces of art. My soul craves looking at things that are beautiful. I am assembling tiny, inexpensive works of art from all over the world. My favorites are from someone in Kyiv, Ukraine. If this guy can make something beautiful while the bombs are falling all around, may be it is possible for me. Maybe it is possible for all of us. GloRo