Grammykins

Grandmother wakes up around 10am and comes down to the parlor (where she is now) and reads the morning paper and other mail that's on the coffee table. I printed out some pictures and Mom and I both wrote some explanations of them. Her Dog John "Jack" Russel Wyatt Lawson is curled up in the corner next to her on the green couch. Grammykins, as I've taken to calling her, is looking through the pictures - commenting on Boo's beauty and asking where she lives now. Mom says, "Yes, they're beautiful inside and out". Gmom agrees. Gmom's hair is natural - silver gray and she can look so beautiful with her green eyes. And be so loving and sweet. We'll have lunch later. It's almost noon. The mail just arrived (I had to sign for a certified letter - regarding the temp storage box on the property to hold the garage things while they fixed the leaking roof there) - and Jack growled and barked. I told the nice mailman that Jack was greeting him - and the nice mailman said, "As usual". Then i signed the letter - and he said, "And now you've enlisted in the Army." jokes. Nice.

Grandmother is full of jokes and stories and quit wit. How did she develop that?

She'll read her papers and the news until lunch time. And then read some more and talk more.

Then at 6pm I'll make her a wine - 1/2 wine, and 1/2 grapejuice. And at 6:30pm she'll watch the international news with earnest concern. Then at 7pm we'll watch Extra and those entertainment shows - with a different approach - with disbelief and great curiosity. We'll watch sitcoms (because i don't like to watch the crime shows like CSI etc, too violent) like "King of Queens" or "Everybody Loves Raymond" - until 9pm. Somewhere around 7pm dinner is served but Gmom is only interested in sweet stuff - dessert, wine, etc. So last night she got fresh pineapple slices and she didn't even touch the Chicken Mole/Rice & Tadik meal that my Momma made. I did and it was great. Gmom did take her evening meds - just a few pills.

At that time the tv goes off and Gmom gathers her papers that she's sorted all day - a pile for coupons for shopping, a pile of interesting articles for reading later, pile for the trash, etc. She walks upstairs with Jack close behind, and she goes to bed. We'll say The Lords Prayer or "O God Guide Me" I'll say to her, and maybe a talk, maybe a massage for a few minutes. And then goodnight.

I will try to record some of the great stories, jokes, love and quick wit that Gmom shares with us now. She has memory loss, but she has a lot of memories still to share. And love.

I asked her the other night what she thinks about. She laughed and asked me the same question. We think about how we're going to get through the day. And then our loved ones and how they're doing.

She told me how much she misses Grandad and what a brave man he was, and to remember him. What a smart man he was. What an honest man he was. What a good husband, son, father, he was. And handsome too. And he drank too much too she added with humor.

She told me about Squeaky the Squirrel monkey they had for a pet for a number of years. He was a demon and I loved him. I have some video of that to post later.

She's looking at the pictures i printed out for her today. Please send her color pictures of you and your life and write a short description, dates, and stories she can read about it.

Love you guys,
Christi

I'm glad to be around her. In her beautiful house. With the beautiful trees, sky, everything around her. She loves us. We love her.

She was "serenaded" by a friend - who sang to her "Hello Dolly" and "it's a wonderful world" and she "swooned" and fanned herself. :) such a funny lady.