It’s been a rough week. Grandma has had some lucid days and then she has had some not so lucid days. Likewise – we’ve had some incredibly stressful days… and then some, not as bad.
Sadly, it is hard to blog when I most need to. It seems I get caught up in the fray and there expend every ounce of energy I have. My mind is like jello. This evening, we’ve spent two hours talking about the floor plan of our house…. who “sleeps” where and all of the entrances. We’ve discussed this in depth, over and over. Usually she ‘gets it' – but sometimes, like tonight, it’s a losing battle.
Tonight, Grandma was asking to have an overnight. She has a friend in the nursing home (in her 90’s) with whom Grandma thought it would be fun to have a slumber party.
G: I just think it would be fun to have her stay overnight.
Me: You can’t do that Mom. She lives in a nursing home. She can’t just leave without her family’s permission.
G; What do they have to do with it?
Me: They are her family. They expect her to be where they have arranged for her to be.
G: Well I don’t get it. We’ve been friends for years.
Me: *sigh*
This past weekend, DH and I did some work around the house. One job involved power washing the siding of the house and the deck. Grandma was enthralled with the process. She put a chair front and center at the sliding glass door so she could watch every minute. Well, not every minute. She ran back and forth to the living room, where an exciting episode of Deal or No Deal was playing on GSN.
G: Oh, the side of that garage looks wonderful without that green stuff growing on it.
Me: Yeah, the power washer does a good job, doesn’t it?
G: It looks great…. I’ll be right back. She’s going for a million.
Me: OK - I’m going back out to help DH.
G: Her mother is there helping her. I’d be a wreck.
Today, CeCe told me she was sitting outside over the weekend, listening to her IPOD, when Grandma came out and joined her.
G: Now where is it you live?
CeCe: Uh… here? Upstairs.
G: Oh. What about your parents?
CeCe: They sleep in the room next to mine, upstairs.
G: I didn’t know that. I used to have one of those.
CeCe: What?
G: One of those things. (pointing to the IPOD)
CeCe: You did?
G: Yes, but it was a long time ago.
I told CeCe she should have asked her what was on her playlist. (I could guarantee it would include Lawrence Welk and The Gaithers).
Of course, I owe much of my remaining sanity to those two fellas. As you know, each week, we record the music programs to playback for Grandma later. When circumstances warrant it, we turn on one of the shows for her to view.
Me: How bout a Gospel Hour? (scanning the DVR) Let’s see what we have here…
G: There’s Bill…. I want that one.
Me: Bill it is.
Grandma cannot get away from the complex mentality. She’s quite sure there are others living here. She assures us there are others ‘wanting’ to move in (and we’ve assured her. that will not happen). Of course, she is constantly talking about her conversations with “them”. “They” have no names, “Someone” wanted to store things in our garage.
G: I told them they’d have to talk to you … and that garage needs cleaning.
Me: No it doesn’t – we just cleaned it a few weeks ago.
G: You did?
DH: Yes… we did (I’m certain he’s recalling the half day spent cleaning the garage last month).
Grandma called and left a message on my voicemail today asking if I could “come by” when I got off work… she had something to go over with me. DH said he also got a call from her today asking him to “stop” after work. As we compared notes, and talked with her later – it became apparent, Grandma thinks SHE lives in our house… but evidently we do not. We attempt to set her straight, but I have this fear of coming home someday to find half a dozen senior citizens occupying our bedrooms.
No matter, the garage is not for rent…. There are no rooms for rent…. We have No Vacancies (just in case “they” ask you).
So ends Episode 28.
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