A Day Out

Ma sitting on the shopping cart bench at Whole Foods
August 2011

"Hi, Ma!"  I greeted mom as I walked into the dinning room where she was sitting.

"Oh.   Hi!!!!!"  She replied back.  "Come on.  Let's go."  She added before I could speak another word.

"Would you like to go out for a ride?"  I asked.

"Yes.  I haven't been out in a long time.  Come on!"  Mom answered back as she began to try and get up out of her chair.

Mom was having a very good day.  The weather has been unseasonably warm; a good day to go out.   Who knows if it would be her last day out in the regular world before she leaves this life?

Mom walked well yesterday.  She was standing upright and walking strong.  She wasn't leaning to the right like she had been over the last several weeks.  Walking with her when she is leaning heavy toward one side is physically challenging for me.  I've learned, going out is not an option when she is leaning.  Mom was sharp.  She needed a day out.

Off Mom and I went, she remembered how to get into the car.  She recognized my husband's car and remembered his license plate number.

"189.  Yup, that's right!"  She said as we approached the car.

"Do you have enough gas?"  She asked as soon as I buckled her in for safety.

"Yup, plenty of gas."  I answered with a cheery tone.

In the car, I opened the sunroof.  The sun shone on Mom's face.  Her eyes were closed as she put her face toward the sun.  Smiling softly, creases in her cheeks, mom reminded me of a happy dog sticking its head out the window of a moving car.

"I hope you don't mind.  I used your car."  Mom said in a matter of fact way.

"You did?!  Where did you go?"  I asked.

"Oh, I went here and there.  I drove all over the place.  Eddie!  I saw Eddie.  Are you sure you have enough gas?  I drove a lot.  Hey, where's Marty?"  My mom was a chatter box.

"Marty's working."  I answered.

"Oh, that's right.  I want to see him."  Mom added.

It was fun to hear her talk in complete sentences, even if it was about the reality of her hallucinations.

We went to Whole Foods, of course.  Mom always feels at home in the market.  She sat on the bench that is attached to the shopping cart.  I forgot her bingo seat cushion.  She didn't complain.  She got on the bench without any trouble and didn't need any coaching.

"I need bananas."  Mom said as I pushed her through the door.  She remembered that bananas are around the corner!

Pushing the cart close enough to the bananas, Mom picked up a bunch as she said, "Oh, these are nice.  That's good.  Come on, let's go."  Handing me the bananas to place in the shopping cart.

We tried the cheese and olive samples.  Mom loved them.  We tried raw coconut water; mom hated it.  I bought two bottles for my husband and me.  I liked it!  Coconut is very good for cognition.

Mom had a great day out.  We had so much fun, I forgot to take pictures!  The picture on this post is from August of last year when I had remembered to take a few pictures; it was the day we discovered the bench attached to the cart.

Here are a couple more from that same day in August.