Handicapped Stickers and Bloody Eyes

My mother-in-law accused of me using her handicapped sticker to get convenient parking.  I drive a van and it is the vehicle in which she is most comfortable; it used to be the rule of thumb, whoever had the children had the van; now, it is whoever is driving the matriarch about has the van.  My husband took her for lunch on Saturday and forgot to remove the handicapped sign; thus, it was still in there when my mother-in-law, the children and I took the van and went to a Craft Fair this afternoon.  I had to make it clear to my mother-in-law that a) I hadn't driven the van since she was last in it and b) I wouldn't use a handicapped sticker to get convenient parking.  I am not that sort of person.  But she held the sign in her lap the whole ride, tapping it with her fingers and I realized she didn't believe me.  It made me very jumpy because there was no way I could exonerate myself in her eyes.

"Eyes" suggest another topic: the matriarch's eye was bleeding this afternoon after the Craft Show.  She likes to drive with the windows down but the breeze has inflamed her eyes previously; our latest adventures have meant my window is down a bit instead.  The matriarch usually travels with dark eyeglasses on to protect her eye but I see now this method isn't working.  We discussed the situation a bit this evening and my mother-in-law resolved herself to the new reality: no more hair blowing in the wind.  However, blood drained out of her eye for a little while; it was one of those "how long do I let this go on for?" situations.  She couldn't feel it but I could see it.  Our next appointment with the Opthamologist is next month; but I know there are few options.  The eye cannot be removed because my mother-in-law is too old for the surgery; they could freeze it but the freezing would only be temporary and would have to be repeated ever few months for the rest of her life.  It is as though her life's options are being reduced.  Yet, she still goes forward.

The matriarch goes forward on a diet of fruit, soup, cake and pie.  Oh, and ice cream.  If ever there was a case study on senior's who live forever and eat like horses, my mother-in-law would be the classic example.  Today, my ninety eight year old mother-in-law ate: pancakes, peaches, pears, cream of celery soup, bread, more peaches, more pears, chocolate cake, ice cream, scrambled eggs (with ketchup)and toast.  Plus, she snacks on chips, cheesies and Worther's caramels.  Sometimes I just watch her and my husband watches me; both of us stuck in this place of incredulity.  The woman can eat.  And, I am sorry, I am constantly amazed.  We have run out of sugar again (all the fruit has sugar on it), both white granulated sugar and brown sugar and all the chocolate cake went in one sitting.  It really amazes me. 

On an odd note for closure, there were very few crocheted items at the Craft Fair.  My mother-in-law has crocheted for years and made each of the children afghans for their beds, runners for their dressers and doilies for my tables.  She missed seeing the Fancy work of other's.