I don't think Mom is ever going back to church on her own. I'm going to call Bill & Nancy Ham and see if they can get someone in the Sunday School Class to offer Mom a rider and take her.

After last weekend's debacle, I have to agree....ROLL TIDE!!!

Hi everyone!

I seem to take a hiatus from this every so often. This week's been busy...I've been trying to get things in order so that I can make a job move. Met with a lady this week about a position in a nursing home. I'm not real excited about working in a nursing home, but the money's better and it's much more flexible. Both of which are very important to me. Keep your fingers crossed that this works out. I don't think I can take much more of Coliseum Hospital's B.S.

I've told Gama countless times that I will help her do anything she needs around the house. I did notice that her bedroom (Fran's old bedroom) was a lot cleaner last weekend. I say a lot cleaner. The broken bottom half of Papa's old recliner was out of there and had been relocated to the carport. Is Anna still coming? I don't think she'd throw stuff like that out on her own...maybe Anna got a cattle prod after her. I've told her that I'll help her paint and a ton of other things, but when I get up there and ask what she wants to work on she says that we'll just wait and do it next time. Last summer, Rachel and I had made arrangements to come help her work on the basement one weekend and she wouldn't let us come. I don't want her to be mad at me for just going ahead and doing something, so I just let her win.

I've been trying to get a phone list together so that we can post it on her refrigerator because everytime I talk to her she asks me for somebody's number. I think we'll put one on her refrigerator and then hide a whole bunch all over the house so that when she loses one we can tell her where to find another one.

I talked to the ol' gal this morning. She didn't go to church this morning. She did go to the neighborhood party last night. She just couldn't believe how many babies there were in the neighborhood these days. I told her the neighborhood had finally come full circle. She thought that was funny. I talked to her for about 20 minutes when she finally said that she had just figured out that it was me and not Mama. She normally knows exactly who I am when I call. I mentioned going to Savannah at the end of the month to see some friends and she said that she just loved Savannah and that it was one of her favorite places. I told her that we'll take her there for the weekend sometime soon. I'll start looking at a calendar to see when we can do that. I think that would be something for her to look forward to. I'll let everybody know details for anyone who wants to go. I think she would really enjoy a little roadtrip with her family.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and is gearing up for the week ahead. Oh, and just one more thing for you Dawgs...
ROLL TIDE!!!

Hello?

Hello? Does anybody read this blog anymore? Just wanted to let everyone know that Fred and I are leaving for Albuquerque this Sat. and coming back the following Sunday. You can reach me on my cell phone.
Fran - I never did hear how it went with Trey's science teacher. What up?

This Weekend

Robin, Lauren and Dylan came up this weekend. Brandon and KK were also there on Saturday. I went down on Sunday morning, after I finally found some gas! Mom still seems to be in a fog. Robin said after Mom said Good-Night Sat. night that she walked in a circle through the living room and den 6 times! She needs to sell her Honda, but seems more interested in selling it to Ray the oxygen guy than to Eddie. She said for $1,800 she'll just keep it. Car isn't worth more than $2,200. She thinks Ray will give her $5,000. Turns out that offer was several years ago! I asked her if she's going to Sunday School next Sunday. She said, "I don't know. We'll have to see what this week brings." I said, "Well, it's going to bring a Sunday. They all do." Robin and I got a few men's clothes from her. I took stuff that I know Fred won't wear; it's going to Good Will. He will wear the Bay City Lodge tshirt though. We all need to excercise 30 minutes a day to ward off dementia!

Where to hide DDT?

I would put it in a black garbage bag and put it out with the garbage. I've done that with paint cans. I know - I'm bad.
Rick probably didn't take much because Mom was probably hovering over him. Maybe Robin and I can take her to Alabama one weekend and Reynolds and Fran can back up a truck to basement door and fill 'er up.

I went over to the house Friday evening to check on Mom and she really enjoyed eating Chinese with you guys on Thursday. She was also very appreciative of Robert mowing the yard. I went down in basement to see where we could start cleaning it out and determined that just about all of the 'crap' in the crawl space and under the steps could go in a dumpster. Mom told me that she did not want a dumpster in her driveway and that she would have Rick come clean out the stuff. Rick works for Cox Sanitation and Dad had him come over last year to take some stuff out. Though, I'm not sure he took a whole lot out. I also found cans of old insecticide that is now outlawed. Where the heck do you dispose of DDT?

Mom called yesterday to check on Fred and told me she forgot Sunday. I said, "I told you to write down Sat. night and Sun. on your calendar so you wouldn't forget." She said, "I need a keeper." I said, "I know Mom. That's why we need to get you on some memory medicine and get you another place to live. It's not good for you to live alone. And you're never going to get that house in shape to move. It's just not gonna happen. So you might as well move somewhere and take with you what you need and leave the rest." She replied, "And you think I'll be able to sell the house that way?" I said, "No, you're kids are gonna have to pitch in and clean it out so we can sell it." Then she changed her tune and told me she thought she's been doing pretty good by herself.
I don't know about y'all, but the week leading up to Dad's birthday was extremely depressing for me.

Monday, September 15

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REY!

(I am mailing your b-day present b/c I am scared to leave it for you at Mimi's house! It would be shuffled from room to room and then probably disappear!) :-)

I just called Mimi and she said she was laying on the sofa watching the news and thinks she had just dozed off. She told me she went out to dinner w/ Abby, Lee and Max Saturday night and then they walked around some shops afterward. She was so tired Sunday morning that she slept until almost noon. She didn't remember she was supposed to meet Madeline, Susan and the Kelly's at MVT's for lunch. Mrs. Roose told her they waited for her until around 1:30 and she never showed. She told me she completely forgot they were meeting.

Canton Chinese

We took Mom to the chinese place last night. Mmm good! When I got to Mom's she was looking at old pictures from her childhood. She was real happy. I thought to myself, "This is part of the process. We just can't rush her to do anything right now. If she wants to look at pictures and that makes her happy, then that's what she should do." We chided her some for the M&M's, cakes, oreos, ice cream and oatmeal cream pies in her house. She also eats those chicken pot pies. :) She doesn't understand why she owes Bill Thackston $1,600. That does seem like a lot of money for what he's doing, whatever that is. Reynolds - do you remember what all he's doing? Mom went to the N. Fulton annex and got Dad's car put into her name. She said it took no time at all. So she certainly doesn't need Bill for anything like that. She called me last night, very excited, to tell me Max has had strep throat and they were all sick with colds, but now that they're all better, the Cantors are taking her out to dinner Sat. night. Knowing Abbey, I bet she remembered yesterday was Dad's birthday. And Sunday Mom's meeting Roose at MVT for lunch. Roose is all for Mom moving up there so maybe she can persuade her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

Fran is working at Northside in Sandy Springs today. After work, I'm going down there and we're going to take her out to dinner.
Reynolds - I'm glad you saw Mom last night and she gave you some stuff. Anything we can get out of there and donate if we don't want it. At this rate, it's going to take her forever. I called her today and she was piddling with the birds in her china cabinet.

Mom

I had dinner with Mom last night and she actually had some stuff for me to take home (shirts, sweaters, socks, yard shoes, old belts). I'm going to take just about all of it to MUST Ministries. There are still piles of paper. Dad has two credit card accounts (Macys & Amex) in his name only, so I was trying to talk mom into closing them as soon as possible. Madeline Roose talked to mom yesterday and wants mom to come eat with her at MVT. I told mom that I really wish that she would move their for security reasons and she told me "not now". I will keep talking to her about MVT, Wesley Woods or somewhere.

I meant to post this a few days ago. I was talking to Mom on the phone and she said she's losing it or needs help or something to that effect. I said, "I know. We need to get you on some memory medicine." She said, "They have that?" I said, "Yes. Teresa, my friend that's a nurse, told me about it. I told Teresa that I need some, too." That made Mom laugh. But she's agreeable to getting on some memory medicine. Now to get her to the doctor so she can start....

Sun Sept 7

Just called mom and she said she is laying on the sofa reading the Sunday paper; I asked her why she didn't go to church, and she said b/c tomorrow (Monday) she is going to her Altar Guild meeting, lunch w/ church, and then her circle meeting. I told her I will be down at Nside Hosp in Atlanta a couple of days this week and that I will come by to see her after work.
I asked her about the grass and she said she doesn't think it needs cutting too bad but there are mushrooms growing everywhere. I told her Robert ran to the store but will call her back in a little while.

phone conversation with Mom

Hi all,
First of all, we (Dylan and I) really enjoyed having Mom, Kathy, Fred, and Brandon last weekend. We grilled out burgers/dogs (good ole Fred...the grillmaster) Sat. night and watched Cars with Brandon....how many times, Kathy? :o) I hated to see y'all go so early Sunday morning, but Fred reminds me of Dad in that respect....early to rise and hit the road early! Kathy and Fred are such wonderful grandparents to Brandon..he is blessed to have you both in his life!
I called Mom last night to tell her I probably was NOT coming up this weekend...maybe the next...I have my final project due in this class and I haven't accomplished much on it this weekend, other than the research. Mom had also previously told me she kept a pistol by her bed (I didn't know it was under the pillow); I said, "Mom, what would you do if it were one of your kids coming into the house?" and she replied, "Y'all just better not come into the house at night!" She told me about going to the Brickery with Jane and Harold, and I told her Lauren and I would go with her to church when we come up. Mom told me that ---- Littleton, the man that spoke at Dad's funeral, was fighting something....she wasn't sure what but thought it was cancer, and that she needed to get back into Sunday School to "support the young folks in her class."
Dylan and I have a few days off in October (9th - 13th, I think) so maybe we'll take Mom back to AL then...I'll talk to her and see. I just know how much she AND Mary enjoyed the visit.
Better get writing...love to all,
Robin

Wed Sep 3 and Thurs 4th

I called mom yesterday and she said she had a nice trip to WR and that she slept great when she was there. She said Sara had just stopped by to say "hello" on her way to a doctor's appt. She was working on thank you notes and said she had only done four. I told her that was great and just keep doing about four each day and they will get eventually all get done. I asked her if she and Martha were going to brunch again this Friday like she told me they were going to do every week - she said she hadn't talked to her. I said for her to call Martha and set that up but I don't think she has. Robert just called her this morning to ask her about the grass and she said it doesn't need cutting yet. He asked her how she is sleeping at night - she said she is putting a chair and a metal trash can in front of her bedroom door and sleeping w/ a nine-shot-pistol under her pillow. He told her that is dangerous and she said it is under the pillow NEXT to her (Lord help us!).

The Brickery

Jane and Harold Hill took Mom to eat at the Brickery last night. An early dinner before Jane's choir practice. She left a message on my phone so we would know where she is, and she sounded upbeat and happy.

This weekend

When we went to get Mom Sat. morning, we had to wait an hour for her to wander around the house. Then we thought we were all leaving. Instead, she walked around the cars and then got in Dad's car, rolled down the back window, stuck her hand out, and rolled it back up. Once she finally got in the car she said she couldn't believe she left Dad's car window down overnight. We told her she didn't. She's moving slow and sleeping a lot. She's never lived by herself before and she recently lost her husband of 55 years, so I remind myself to give her some time. It was a great weekend though. Thanks Robin! And I think it did Mom good.