We Had A Good Time

Bob.  There are a couple of Bob's on the unit where my mom is currently living.  They both answer when I walk in the home and say, "HI Bob!"

"Why, hello there!"  I am greeted by Bob that seems to have been a resident for quite some time now.  I don't know much about Bob except that he is a pleasant old man who gets few visitors.

Sunday, he had a phone call.  I saw him sitting outside the nurses station as he held the phone away from his ear.

"Bob.  Are you done talking?"  I asked as my mom and I walked toward him.

He handed me the phone.  I said, "Hello?"

A elderly woman's voice was on the other end, "Hello.  I was telling Bob a story."

"Well, he's not listening to your story, he's holding the phone far away from his ear.  Let's try again."  I offered.

"Bob.  Phone's for you."  I said as I handed him the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hello?  Why, Hello!" He answered the phone like it was a new call.  Bob made me smile with this exchange.

There were no activities this past weekend for the residents up in my mom's dementia unit.  It made for a pretty boring couple of days for all of them.  Ruthie sat in the activities area on Saturday afternoon... I asked, "Ruthie what are you doing?"

"I'm waiting."  She answered.

"For what?  Activities?"  I replied.

"Yes, activities."  She said as she nodded her head yes.

"No activities today Ruthie.  Let's go make our own and have a walking parade."  I said to her with enthusiasm in my voice.

"Walking Parade!"  She returned.

Saturday, we had a walking parade.  I hold my mom's hand in one hand, the hand of another resident in the other and we walk.  Other residents who can propel themselves, follow behind, all of them moving forward in a long train.  The scene is akin to the childhood story, "The Pied Piper"; it makes me smile.

Sunday, another boring day for the residents.  No activities.  Instead, the folks were all lined up in the hall; sitting facing forward against the wall as though they were passengers on a train.  No wonder Bob and my mom believe that they are on a train or waiting for the train.

I baked cookies and blueberry muffins on Sunday morning to share with my little friends.

I arrived and mom was doing pretty well.  She was struggling with her wheelchair, trying to move forward but having a little difficulty; she was stuck.

"Hi Ma!"  I exclaimed when I saw her.  "Want to go for a cup of coffee?"

"Where are you?!"  She answered back, not seeing me standing in front of her because she was looking down at the floor; legs and arms flailing to help her move.

Mom and I went out for coffee, bringing a few extra cups back with us to share with a couple of her friends.

Ruthie, Anna, mom and me sat around a little bed tray, drank coffee, ate muffins and cookies.  We had a nice visit.  We laughed and smiled while we drank coffee and enjoyed one of my homemade treats.

Like Ruthie always says to me when she sees me, "We had a good time."