Sunshine Challenge - Day One - Amber

[smallhobbit]

 




There are a number of possibilities for today's sunshine_challenge but I've chosen to go slightly to one side.  Amber is the colour between red and green in our traffic lights system.  As such it indicates a preparation for change either from stop or from go.

Which made me think about areas where I'm finding a change.  This past fifteen months has seen a momentous change for me, as I've moved from being employed to being retired.  So work has stopped.  My volunteering commitments with Gloucestershire Bundles have increased.  My church commitments have increased.  My crafting has increased.  So they're all very definitely Go!

At the same time, my Brownie involvement is about to stop (two more weeks to go!)

And my mother continues to move downhill.  She's been told she needs now to be on a soft diet.  She disagrees, since it's bland, and because she understands perfectly what she's doing, the home are respecting her wishes.  In a way this feels like a very long period of amber.  

So, yes, amber - the time between stop and go.

Comments

[silveradept]

The liminal spaces, the times between, they're often the best and the worst, for how long they go on and for how do many of them don't telegraph which way they're coming from or going to. Somehow, were supposed to be comfortable with the in-between, but it always seems harder than it's supposed to be.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, you're quite right. They are unsettling by their very nature - and we long to reach the other side.

[enemytosleep]

I think there's something to be said, too, about the way amber has that trapped in a moment vibe (and being between Stop and Go can feel like that). Good luck to you with the new retirement and all of those adjustments! I'm sorry to hear that your mother is declining.

[smallhobbit]

Yes, that's a very valid point. And thank you.

[apachefirecat]

**HUGS***

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

[kingstoken]

Transitional periods in life are so hard sometimes, I hope this time is gentle to you.

[smallhobbit]

In many ways I've come through the main transition, but there's still things to deal with.

[corvidology]

I'm sorry to hear about your mother but glad to hear that they're respecting her wishes.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. The home are very good about respecting the residents wishes, so I have no concern on that point. My mother has been very poorly for months now (I booked her in with the undertaker in March!), but she keeps rallying - she's a tough old bird.

[yarnofariadne]

This is a lovely thought for this prompt ♥

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much.

[debriswoman]

A very thoughtful way of looking at the prompt.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you.

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I like your stoplight interpretation. Transitions are important.

>> And my mother continues to move downhill. She's been told she needs now to be on a soft diet. She disagrees, since it's bland, and because she understands perfectly what she's doing, the home are respecting her wishes. In a way this feels like a very long period of amber. <<

My sympathies. I lost my mother last December.

I will note that "soft diet" and "bland diet" are not necessarily the same, although America's care of elderly and disabled people is ... often subpar, to keep it polite. Meanwhile over in Japan, they are pureeing salmon and searing it so it looks like a salmon steak, but it's easier to eat. Many soft foods are interesting -- you can make a great mash from many other vegetables than potatoes, lots of legumes cook down to slush and dal recipes are quite flavorsome, and many soups are smooth.

If the staff are responsive, check whether the need is merely for things that are easy to eat, or also for things that are easy to digest. Even if digestion is a limit, there are digestive herbs and spices -- ginger is quite strong. It might be possible to tweak the diet so it is easier to eat but still actually worth eating.

I sometimes need things that are soft to eat, or easy to digest, or both, so I've built up a range of recipes. Plus friends ask for different parameters, which is how I came to have a variation on the mashed sweet potatoes that has halva and margarine instead of dairy.

Re: Well ...

[smallhobbit]

The situation in my mother's case is complicated by the need to add bulk to what she does eat, because she takes very little. The home are doing all they can and what's most important to my mother is the thoughtful way they care for her.

[dr_zook]

Thank you for sharing these thoughts with us! I'm quite intrigued by the stop-light idea.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. The more I thought about amber the clearer the light shone!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Sorry to hear about your mom. Great interpretation of the prompt.

[smallhobbit]

She's slowly going downhill. And thank you.

[bemused_writer]

I really love this interpretation of amber. This one got me thinking. Thank you for sharing.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.