Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
We Made It to Friday Friday Round-Up
Just cut the bad parts off. That’s what I just did with my wilting kalanchoe and now it looks brand new. You can do that with some kinds of cheese, not all, but I can’t remember the rule for deciding. Years ago, I helped distribute surplus government cheese to people where we dispensed advice like when to cut off bad parts and when to give up. Pretty grim bunch of tips, if you ask me.
I made a big deal about getting a memory screening and overcoming stigma so I could be an example to other people and then didn’t do it. I followed the arrows down the hall, but the room was dark. This, I figure, was some big screaming metaphor about dementia that was so foreboding that I ought to just let the whole idea alone for a while.
Swirl disappeared from the yard Wednesday. In the fifteen minutes he was gone, I wondered how we would eat dinner or go to bed or do anything if he was wandering around lost. Everything would have to stop until we found him. And that could take days or months. But then my husband found him on the next block over, running back and forth across the street, worried about when we were coming to fetch him.
Our daughter warned the people at day care that we are white. She’s Nicaraguan as is her little girl and we are quite white, so people can be taken aback when they see us. It used to be funny, school officials thinking we were social workers or whatnot instead of parents. We laughed about it, sometimes played along, but it was all tiresome. You can’t blame people for being disconcerted, how would they know who’s who? Still, I appreciated her giving them a heads-up about us, so we didn’t get that doubletake.
On that note, we have a new roommate. She’s extremely cheerful and friendly. She eats a lot of Cheerios and drinks a lot of juice. She sings. She brushes her little teeth and washes her hands a million times because she likes the feel of the soap. She doesn’t like swings, only slides. And us. She seems to like us.
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
You saved the best for last, nice ending! Love that she is your roommate. Looks like she has just as much spark to her as her grandmother.
She is so beautiful, Jan. She must delight you endlessly.
I don’t blame you for balking, when approaching that dark room, I would have done the same. and what a lucky person you are to have that amazing roomie.
Yes, and as many people have observed over the years, getting older isn’t for the faint of heart. So, when you can’t remember the name of the singer who recorded that song from 1967, is that a scary sign of impending dementia? Or, is it just some weird sort of good news that you have so much wonderful stuff crammed into your brain that it’s now more work to retrieve stray items from the remote areas?
Of course, it helps to have some companions along for the journey. Loving spouses are especially great. Dogs and cats are also. They can be a pain at times, especially when they run away. But isn’t it a wonderful feel-good when you find how delighted they are to be reunited with you?
And of course, family members and friends are also great to have along for the journey. The little ones are especially fun, even if they can be a bit messy when eating their spaghetti.
What a cutey pie! I always love your vignettes when I have a chance to read them. And the pictures make it even better.
I would just want to hug her all day!
Oh Jan… She is DARLING! And, that she LIKES you is SUCH GRACE. Enjoy…
Looks like she likes spaghetti as well! How can she be so big already. I remember her baby pictures just yesterday I think 🙂