A Groveland Sunday

The first day of anything is always scary, even for someone with all their mental faculties.  My mom did well today.  It was her first day at Adult Day Health.

This morning she was confused and thought she was going to live in a nursing home.  She packed one of her little plastic shopping bags with random things; towel, toothpaste, a Brookstones Advert, gloves, shampoo and a few other items that escape my memory.  My mom packs bags when she is uneasy... today she was uneasy and gathered what she believed she'd need.

I packed her a lunch and waxed her facial hair, it was bugging her terribly.  I knew it would make her feel self conscious so I did it for her.  It made her feel good, she walked a little taller.  We were out the door an hour later than I had wanted but I didn't want to rush my mom.  I was afraid it would make her nervous if I was over zealous about "dumping her off."

We made our way to the place, under 5 miles from our home.  We were greeted by a nice staff of nurses who listened to me tell them about my mom's issues.  What she can and can't eat... the form of dementia she has and her natural remedies.  The nurses were intrigued.

While I spoke with the nurses, my mom was whisked away into a room with a bunch of folks in the program.  My mom was put at the table with all the ladies who talk and participate in the activities.  Then there was the table of old "couch potato's" and another table of folks who couldn't talk.

I had 5 hours to myself. 

Time to myself was foreign.  It had been so long since I had time to just do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.  Freedom, the freedom I once knew and took for granted was awesome.  I turned up the radio in the truck and sang Christmas songs outloud while I drove down Rt. 38.  Oh, the sun was shining as I sang "The weather outside is frightful...."  Just like the old days, the days that I like to call Groveland Sundays.

Groveland Sunday's were my one day a week that I spent doing things for myself.  Brian would leave around noon and go home, not to return until the following Friday night.  My mom, she was always off to bingo early, 9am to pick up my Aunt Jay and ensure that they got a "good seat" at the bingo hall.  She'd be gone until 5pm.  I would have 5 free hours.

Today was a Groveland Sunday. 

I went to a greenhouse just to walk around and look at flowers.  I smelled some orchids and other tropical flowers.  I closed my eyes and returned to Hawaii.  By smelling flowers, I was able to take a quick vacation to Hawaii, even if it was in my mind.  I'm grateful that I have visited Hawaii a couple of times and can recall the experience by smelling Hawaiian native flowers.  Plumeria are the best, I smelled one today.

Driving further down the road, I continued to sing and think about the great day we were having, even if the outside temperature is so fridgid that I was cold.  I am never cold, not since I began this whole menopause joy; today I was chilled. 

A little further down the road I spot a Home Goods.  I decide to stop in.  This is one store my mom can't handle, it doesn't have anything of interest to her.  Today, I went by myself... just like the Groveland Sundays where I'd shop in stores that had kitchen gadgets.  I love gadgets.

In the store, I got to read cookbooks and look at all sorts of neat things.  I had a 25 dollar gift card that I had won last year when I took my courses to become an ASP Home Stager.  Today, I bought 2 new cookbooks with my gift card. 

Strolling the aisles, I overheard these 2 senior women talking.  One woman said, "You know Margy, my son called and told me that I will never go to a nursing home, I can live with him."  The woman's eyes were teary as she spoke those words to her friend.  I couldn't help myself.  I said, "My mom lives with me."

We got talking and I told them about our Naturopath Doctor and how he's helped my mom.  I talked about Fenugreek, Cordyceps, thyme, curcumin,  turmeric, rosemary... I talked and talked.  They asked questions, I talked a bit more.  The ladies can't wait for my book to be written and published.  They want to see me become the next Oprah.  One of the ladies said, "You know, Oprah isn't doing her show anymore, you would be so good as a replacement." 

How sweet of them to vocalize my personal dream, to have my own TV show. 

Everything is possible if we believe... coming to a station near you in the future... ME!