feliz navidad

It's so amazingly quiet now at Christmas with no children around. I noticed that today as Mom and me and BG laid around in the living room after our brunch fit for kings. Daddy actually managed to stay at the table until everybody was done before he headed to "wait for" the news. I don't remember how the subject came up but mama ended up telling me how she wanted her funeral to be and it's sounding like a no fuss no frills one day deal which I like. Why in the name of Big Ernie do we have to drag it out when there's no family driving in from Milwaukee? I'm sure that having a visitation for two days probably costs more and it wears the family smooth out. Most folks only get three days paid leave and then it's back to work as usual. As for me? I want my body to go to the UT Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis which is where I was clinically trained to be a med tech. Cousin Debbie was my inspiration there!

My shoulder is only minimally better so it looks like I've got a visit to an ortho doc coming soon if I can afford the co-pay. Even with "good" insurance it costs a lot to take care of your health. My access to that insurance depends on my continued employment until I reach Medicare age which keeps moving on up. From what I hear the supplements cost about the same as what I'm paying now. But of course that's called an "entitlement" even though around 6% of my income has been taken to fund it. Bullshit, ya'll.

I've been opening my mouth writing about some things that I don't really have a clear knowledge of and there's always some smartass out there just waiting for the chance to correct somebody (me) publicly on their page. There's this whole mean side of people that can come out when using social media to demand their righteousness about every little thing from duck killing etiquette to end of life care. One of my least favorite things about the GOP spin on healthcare is the whole "death panel" talking point. This refers to a payment to physicians for helping the elderly plan for their last years in view of all the choices available for extending life artificially. Trust me, it's a good thing. Palliative care ring a bell? To see someone's wishes carried out to the letter is a beautiful experience. End of life is a great time to journal and leave memories for others. Instead, many folks spend it going through the revolving door that comes with the industry.

The hospice philosophy is one that I've held dear to my heart for many years. It doesn't have to be a particular individual or provider for the concept to be put in place. I've had many a conversation with someone who just lost a loved one and just needed to talk about it to move forward. I'm not sure how all this came about on such a beautiful Christmas day but then ya'll know how my mind wanders. I'm off to watch BB!

^j^