Visit
with Mom Monday, June 26, 2011
Dear
Kathy and Suzy,
I hope Dana will have a one-to-one visit with Mom today. I think
yesterday’s was a bit overwhelming with the three of us, but overall it was
good, I think.
Mother was sitting in the dining room
with Carol, Frank, and Ada, and when she saw Dana, Mom threw up her arms
in welcome.
Dana commented on how thin she was,
and Mom said something to the effect that she had been overeating because she
was unhappy, but now she didn’t have to overeat. (That was a new one!)
Dana reminded Mom of the idea Mom
had expressed several years ago about checking into a motel and just talking
with no distractions. She asked Mom if she would still like to do
that, and Mom said no, basically, that she didn’t think that would be
appropriate now.
Karl and Ada bonded, and then Mom
asked Karl to say what he thought of her, Mom. (That was a new one,
too—in contrast to the plea that we don’t compliment her for fear that they
others will be jealous.)
Mom and Ada both thought Dana and I
were dressed inappropriately. (Pictures attached separately.) Mom
turned to me and whispered, “I think you’re concerned with your sister’s
pulchritude and you’re competing a bit, but you’d better button it up.”
Dana and I both draped our
respective sweaters over our unrespectable “cleavage,” a word more apt for Dana
than for me. (Apparently Ada had already told her that one of “those” was
popping out, and she’d “better put it back in.”)
Mom played the piano—and very
well! She first played “Claire du Lune,” not exactly a sing-along but
very pretty.
Then she asked whether it was
anyone’s birthday, and none of the residents (who were scattered throughout the
room) said that it was, but Mom played “Happy Birthday” anyway. Then after a while she started feeling
uneasy about the people there who didn’t have a grandmother who played the
piano and would feel bad.
I think she wanted me to gather
people together to be part of it, but I didn’t do that.
“Is anyone singing besides YOU
people?” she asked.
I told her Bobbie was listening and
applauding. Then Mom said we should go.
She said, “Come back, but not
soon.”
I think there were just too many of
us, so, as I say, I hope Dana will go back today without Karl, me, or her cleavage
and have a less chaotic time with Mom after she and Karl have lunch with you,
Suzy.
Tomorrow’s plan is that I’ll
take Dana to see David at Garfield, and we’ll take him out to lunch, and then
I’ll drop Dana by Aegis so she sees Mom one more time before she (Dana) leaves,
and then we’ll call you, Kathy, and if Plan B hasn’t already supplanted Plan A,
we’ll see you late afternoon.
Love,
Tina
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