#siblings #rooftop #1960s Moonie, Teddy, and Kitty lay in a circle around me for story time. I tried making them sit up, but they always fell over. I grabbed my bunny book— Boom, boom, boom! My book froze midair. “It’s okay. The roof is broken.” I stretched out my legs and plopped the book on…
Category: Heartfelt
Relationships, caregiving, animals, self care.
When Things Change
#POLST #alzheimersawarenessmonth #advancecareplanning Last week was a difficult one. Not a complete surprise, but it still overwhelmed me. It was time for changes in our circumstances. My alarm alerted me it was time to get Mom’s morning started. I always open her blinds and administer her medicines, then bring her a cup of black coffee….
Steamy Kitchen
#alzheimersawarenessmonth #FAMILY #caregiving My reusable plastic shopping bags crinkled when I set them on my kitchen counter. I leaned over it and peeked into the living room. Yep, hubby is napping in his recliner. Voices echoed inside my Mom’s room. I opened the door, and discovered Sis bent over Mom laying a wet towel on…
Balloon Pet
#balloons #pets #balloon Years ago, Mom had a pet balloon. I gave it to her for Mother’s Day. It was a shiny, silver, mylar balloon with a big pink rose on it. One afternoon, I stopped by Mom and John’s apartment at afternoon tea time. I sat at their round dining table, ate a cookie,…
1960 Home Spa Days
#haircolor #1960s #siblings Two bored sisters created an At-Home-Spa-Day in the Summer of 1960. It wasn’t in their budgets to pay hairdressers for cutting, styling, or coloring—my Aunt changed my Mom’s partly gray hair into a warm Auburn color. The do-it-yourself project was successful. Their friends and family members wanted to join in on the…
Tippling the Sherry
In the 1960’s, my parent’s circle of friends included six couples. They rotated hosting dinner parties on Saturday nights. The men wore suits and ties. The women wore party dresses and heels. It was Al and Jean’s first turn with the group. “Al, you’re late. I was counting on your help!” Jean rushed around their…
Mom’s Achievements—Pt. 2
#lipstick #parenting #COSMETICS Two teen girls strolled along the sidewalk of a very small town in California’s foothills. It was a warm 1941 September afternoon, on the first day of high school. Look at her. My Mom crossed her arms and pouted. Grace is allowed to wear that bright red lipstick. She doesn’t look like…
Grammie’s Principle
My daughter flew in for a quick visit with her two grandmothers. She surprised her Gram for her birthday, and Grammie (my Mom) benefited from the plan. A few of us gathered in Mom’s room for a chat. The subject of clumsiness came up—a few of us are incident-prone. “I remember one day at high…
Mom’s MRI Questions
Mom’s two-hour trash-pick-up-walks had trickled to treks to the bathroom or kitchen. She hunched over her walker, and said it was painful to be more upright. Her Physician’s Assistant listened to my concerns. “Do you think she fell?” “That’s possible. Her memory is sketchy and confused at times, so it’s difficult to get accurate info…
Water and Tonic
Laundry, almost done. Check. Finish up with Mom’s sheets. After scanning my list at the kitchen counter, I glanced out the patio slider. Several wildfires were burning in our state, and one was near enough to cast a peachy light. Triple digits again today. Will this heatwave never end? The birdbath on our patio was dry,…
