Valerie is MOVING...

My friend Valerie IS MOVING TO A NEW APARTMENT. 

You have noooo idea what good news this is. She's been renting the same crappy house for decades -- and it's falling down around her. (she has to unplug her toaster to charge her cellphone). I was with her on the day she moved into this place. Of course, we didn't know she'd live there for 27 years.

 

This is a post I wrote several years ago:

Val lives alone and is on disability.  Believe it or not -- there are many things I do NOT BLOG about. My sex life, for example…(you are SO MISSING that action)…. Politics is another topic I try to avoid.  Also off limits -- family or friend drama...and Good Deeds.
 

I try to do one good deed every single day...but it's only considered a good deed if I don't talk about it.

However -- this good deed was just too much fun. And, after talking it over with Val -- I decided to blog about my best Good Deed EVER...

Valerie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 28 years old. Her road through life has been a painful, uphill battle.  After her divorce, she went to college, get a good job with the government, and maintained her own home.  Her struggles were enormous, but I never met a more uncomplaining person.  Even though she's had almost 20 major surgeries -- with many joint replacements, knees, hips, an elbow, hand fusions....you name a joint in your body and SHE WORE IT OUT TWICE...

On her best day, life is a painful challenge.  Then --  several years ago, she got a septic infection and ended up in the hospital -- then a nursing home.

The worst thing was that because she had to be on major antibiotics for six months, she was unable to take her arthritis injections -- so the arthritis went nuts, and the pain was unbearable. There were many, many days when she simply could not get out of bed,  And her hands became useless -- she couldn't open a jar, type on her laptop or flush the toilet. 

So -- what could I do for my friend? She rarely leaves her house.  She stopped driving because she could no longer turn the key in her car. Also, just walking and standing is too painful.  Not to mention the fact that she's terrified because her immune system is so compromised, any odd floating germ could send her back to the hospital.  (and this was years before Covid!)

NEW SHEETS FOR HER BED..!!

Of course!! Why didn't I think of this sooner??

Although, the truth is -- GIVING Val new sheets is not an especially good gift. She would never be able to pull wet queen size cotton sheets out of her washing machine...

That's when it hit me.  I'll start a SHEET SHARING SERVICE.

Val has a Queen size bed (like me)...so all the wonderful, luxurious linens I use on my own bed will fit her bed.

The first time I made Val's bed -- I took sheets and pillowcases. I realized she could use a new mattress cover. And, as it happens (this is shocking, I know) -- I had an extra Ralph Lauren Queen cotton mattress cover. One week, I took two new bed pillows. She loved the beige French Matlaisse bed cover I put on her bed in the Spring.

When Fall arrived -- I added a flannel sheet.

Winter meant it was time for an appliqued quilt -- with a kids ice-skating scene!

For Christmas, I decorated a couple of pillowcases -- AND the hem of a top sheet. (I've never actually done this to MY OWN SHEETS..!!)

Val's bed-changing schedule is every-other week. Because she lives alone, she can sleep on ONE side for a week -- then on the OTHER side for a week.

As appreciative as Valerie has always been about my sheet service -- this summer, I gave her something else that she swears is THE BEST GIFT SHE EVER GOT.  Tomorrow -- I'm gonna blog about it...