Saturday Evening

Last night my brother, David, called to check on us. Mama got up when the phone rang and chatted with him. As soon as she got off the phone, she asked if I knew where he lived. I started to tell her I had no idea where he lived as I knew what was coming. She wanted to take him some cookies. He lives in the Woodlands so didn't want her trying to see him that night. She went on to bed and only got up once because she thought she heard someone outside.

We had a nice relaxing morning. Mama didn't sleep very late, but by the time she was dressed and moving around in the kitchen, it was not too early. She immediately started in wanting to take cookies to David. I tried to call, but no one answered so I was able to hold her off a little while.

Uncle Bill had invited us to a fund raising meal at his church around noon. We went and Mama got to hug lots of people she didn’t know, but who knew her. We had a quick visit with Uncle Bill and Doris because they were busy, then we headed home.

On our way home, Linda, David’s wife, called and said they would be home. I decided I wanted a nap before the drive. We left here around 2:30 and headed through the lovely Houston traffic. It was heavier than usual due to the closing of some major parts of the freeways for repair. We made it up fine. When I pulled into their driveway, Mama said, “I don’t think this is his house.” I said it was, and David came out the door. Mama hugged him and told him she loved him. Then she asked him who he was!!!

David and Linda invited us to eat with them. Mama said she would eat at her house. So we ordered pizza, and she fussed about going home. I got to see all the neat things Linda has done to the house. She has been busy. It all looks really nice. She really needs to be an interior decorator. She has so many great ideas!

We headed home and Mama did not believe we were headed in the right direction. I told her I was taking her home. She said, “I don’t think this be the way to home.” I said it was. She shook her head and said she didn’t think so. She asked what I was doing when I turned into our driveway. I told her I was taking her home. She said she didn’t think so. Then she recognized the house. Bandit came running over to greet us, and she said she hoped that thing would come to my side of the car. He did, but then he rushed over to greet her. She patted him on the head, said “I love you, I love you, I love you. Now go see Connie!”

She came in and ate her supper. Then she figured out tomorrow is Sunday, and she had to make cookies to take to that man and the lady who teaches (our preacher). The cookies are finished so now I am working on getting her into the bathtub. It is Saturday night, you know! We have to be clean for Sunday School and Church!

Hugs.

Friday Evening

Well, this evening has been pretty normal. We watched "Wheel of Fortune" as usual. (I have been taping the shows lately in case those silly news people think something else is more important than our show and interrupt it! She is just as happy to watch a rerun as the original shows. During the major news events, we sometimes watch the same show over and over and over. She is always happy when someone wins--no matter how many times it happens.)

Mama starts talking to the television around 5:00 P.M. telling them to put that man on. When the news people come on, she says, "Good, good." When the commercials come on, she whispers, "Put that man back on." as she grits her teeth and hits the arm of her chair. When Pat and Vanna come out, she claps her hands and giggles. She is so happy to see them!

She has gone to bed now, but keeps getting up every so often to ask Bandit, the dog, if anyone is out there. I heard her say, "Aren't they here, yet? I love you, I love you." Then she came in and asked me where they were. I asked who she thought was coming and she pointed to the cars traveling on highways 457 and 521 and said all those people.

Hope she sleeps so that I can. Guess I had better go get the house dark.

Hugs

When I told Mama goodbye this morning, I noticed she had on a nightgown instead of a dress. I tried to convince her to change, but she had not put on her hearing aides yet. I decided that Penny would have to deal with that problem. It is so nice to have someone to handle those chores. I hurried out the door so I wouldn't feel guilty when Penny saw her attire.

Can't wait to see what this weekend brings. Actually, maybe I can wait if it is going to be anything like last weekend!!!!

Later,
Connie

Penny said Mama had a pretty good day today. She did have an "accident" when she didn't make it to the bathroom on time. Poor Penny.

I was beat when I got home so thought I'd lie down for a bit. For some reason I really couldn't relax so I moved into the living room. I guess it was a good thing because Mama decided to take cookies out to the children on the school bus. The problem was that the bus had already gone past BEFORE I even came home. She walked out the door. I caught her and made her come back inside. She waited until I was "indisposed "and headed out again! I followed her out and tried to get her to come back in the house. She told me to go in the house as she stood in the middle of the road. I finally "guided" her back to the house. I had to tell her that I saw the bus go by. She still doesn't totally believe me as she keeps going to the window and looking out hoping to see the bus.

She likes to stop the bus because the driver, Frank, bless his heart, lets the kids get off and hug her. They are so sweet. They line up and take turns hugging her. Then they line up to get back on the bus. The kids range in age from elementary to Jr. High. It is really touching to watch these kids make my mama feel so special, and they don't even get to eat the cookies. I told Frank that they were laced with bunches of vanilla (guess it makes it easier to mix in the flour). We are afraid it will get the kids hooked on the alcohol content.

The other bus drivers have gotten wind of the “cookie run’, and have started teasing Frank. I hope it doesn’t make him quit stopping. I think it is good for the kids as well as for Mama.

Just another day in the neighborhood!

September 22, 2002

Dear All,

Today has been okay, but the rest of the weekend has been quite interesting!


Friday night, Mama decided to mix up some more cookie dough so she would be able to take cookies 'The Man' and 'The Lady who Talks' at church. It takes her a while under normal circumstances, but it took her until about 1:30 Saturday morning this time. She kept putting on her scarf and trying to go out the door so she could see "That Man" out in the back yard. I kept telling her there was no man out there, but she didn't believe me. She had already made the trip around the house once this week with Penny and gotten mud all over her shoes which in turn got mud all over the house!! I finally locked the dead bolt on the door to keep her inside as it was not only muddy outside, but also very dark. The next thing I knew, she was trying to open the door with a huge butcher knife. I tried to get it away from her, but gave up because I was afraid one of us would get cut. I opened the door telling her she couldn't go out, but she could look out. She proceeded to try to go out the door. I hugged her around the waist and swung her back in the living room. She huffed and then proceeded to head for the back door with knife in hand. She wasn't listening to me, and I was afraid of that knife, so I opened the door once again telling her not to go outside. She said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," and proceeded to head outside. I once again caught her before she stepped down.

She finally finished the cookies and we went to bed. She got up a few times to "see if anybody was out there" because she thought she heard something (she is deaf as a post, but she can hear someone outside from the back of the house???????????????) My patience was at a minimum!

We slept in on Saturday morning, thank goodness! I don't think she was feeling to well as she didn't make it to the bathroom once. After lunch, we decide to nap a bit. She was sleeping so long I went in to check on her and woke her up about 5:00. She thought it was Sunday morning. It took me several hours to convince her that it was still Saturday. She finally believed it was Saturday, but she thought it was Saturday MORNING! We had breakfast twice yesterday!

Now that would not have been so bad except she takes her bath on Saturday night. I kept telling her she needed to take her bath, and she kept saying she would take it later. I kept trying to convince her that it was ALREADY later. Finally I cut off all the lights and said, in the dark, "It is ALREADY later!" She took her bath around 10:00. Thankfully she slept all night so I did, too.

As I said, today was fairly normal. We went to Sunday school and learned about the Bibble. We went to church, and then to the Golden Corral (Golden Corale) to eat. Came home and took a nap. I DID NOT wake her up; I let her wake up on her own! We went to a birthday party for Penny's (my Mama-sitter's) little girl at Mr. Gatti's (sp?), and then to an open house at our preacher's house. She was fussing about going to church at the Cedar Lane Baptist Church tonight, but guess she finally believed me when I told her Miss Hazel had said there were no services tonight.

She is getting ready for bed, and I need to go grade some papers. My students are threatening to send me to Detention if I don't get the job done soon!

Hugs to all you normal people.

Connie