Memories

I've been working on mom's old room today. It sure does bring up a lot of emotions. Sniffle. It's been kind of an emotional tide rolling in and out today. Perhaps the rain is making me melancholy.

I'd love to turn this old radio on and just sit and listen to the old sound. Nothing like it. Reminds me of my mom who always had her radio playing in the kitchen while we were growing up. The hub had collected these old floor radios when we first started dating. He has several throughout the house. In fact, he may have bought this one for me when we were courting. We were deep into art deco at the time. I love the cities listed: Havana, London, Berlin. How romantic is that?

When we were first married and lived in a row house in Georgetown, we had a vintage table top style that I would turn on on Sundays and listen to an old radio program. Wonderful memories.

Mom was in good spirits today and I even made it there before lunch. She ate pretty well. She has been losing a lot of weight the past month, not liking food. I thought it was because her bottom dentures were lost. But the new ones came in today; and she will have nothing to do with them. I noticed when I gave her some beans, she made the yucky face. I spoke to the nurse about it and she said that with dementia and Alzheimer patients, they begin to lose their taste buds. So, if you put sugar on their food--gross as it sounds--they can taste it better. That is why they all like sweets, for the most part. Well, I tried it on her beans and guess what? She ate just about all of them! I had also brought a strawberry milkshake from Sonic and she drank 1/4 of that. Plus I have Reese's peanut butter cups to fatten her up and she had one for dessert. Excellent. I loved her little necklace and parrot pin today. They must have had a party earlier.

While she was eating, I noticed a little nuthatch eating at her bird feeder. This is the first bird I have seen since she's been in this room. A good sign, fersher.

Daig, and then after I put her down for a nap, I looked outside and it was pouring down rain, again! We all seem to have settled into this sweet room. It's very homey and her roomie is just precious. Mom won this little dog on her bed last week. Aw.

I snapped this photo leaving the kid's school this afternoon. (He was driving!) The clouds weren't quite like they were yesterday, but it's still pretty.

As I mentioned, mom's new carpet was installed yesterday. So clean! Poor mom had dripped liquids all over the previous one. It was a mess.

I put her bed back together and all made pretty. The two paintings above her bed were paint-by-numbers done by my brother Johnny when he was little. We have always had them hanging. The old iron headboard was my Aunt Ollie's. I thought I had two of them, but I never found the other one in mom's basement. These would have been perfect for the niece's room, darn!

I tried to move the bed another direction, but it just doesn't fit as well as here in the corner next to the bath. I'm glad I stuck with the single bed.

I pulled her old rocking chair out (the one she would fall asleep in and fall out of) and put it back in the corner. You can see Frankie looking in the window, barely. Yes, it is bittersweet. Knowing she is happy and being taken care is a relief, but I still miss her being here with us.

Big news! Tomorrow, I am heading out to see Beth and her mom to do some artsy stuff. We are going to make Halloween banners and perhaps even a pumpkin or two! I cannot wait. It is seldom we get together, but when we do, we always have the bestest of times. Love those girls.

xo
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