Friday, September 18, 2009

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
ro

10 comments:

Annie Jeffries said...

What a cozy, memory filled room you have created for your mom. You and Beth are very lucky to still have your mothers. At moments like this I miss mine and the way she was before her illness.

Snap said...

I love old radios. Nice to see one of yours. Mom looks good and I didn't know that about sugar and dementia. Learn something new everyday. Have fun on your artsy day! We'll be ready to see what you make! :D

Anonymous said...

I am just fascinated with that business of the sugar on food/dementia link...hmmm.
Your Moms' room in her new place looks wonderful, so cozy.
xoxo the fan

Anonymous said...

Maybe she needs to partake of the ole bowl. I'll bring her one. ;-)
xxoo

Janet said...

Radios sure bring back lots of memories, don't they? That one is a beauty.

It must be such a relief knowing your mom is safe and well-cared for but I'm sure it's also difficult not to have her with you all the time. She always looks so sweet in the pictures.

I hope you have a good time with Beth and her mom. You'll be creating all kinds of great things, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

What a marvellous room you are making. That radio took me cak to a time when radios and 'gramaphones' really were part of the furniture. I can remember a big monstrosity sitting in my parent's house and all id di was play records and had a radio, but it dominated the room. Now we just have a small DAB radio in the kitchen or we play the radio through the Sky TV or even the computer. My how things have changed. Maybe some day our grandchildren will be remembering the monstrosity of a computer we have in the corner of our room. LOL

Beth said...

Oh, this was a wonderful post. My dad had several of these old radios too. My brother still has one of them. You are such a wonderful daughter to your Mom and figuring out that she will eat food with sugar on it, excellent.
You sure can make good food too.
I had such a wonderful time yesterday. I always do when we get together!
Love You Lots!

Robin said...

I'm sure it's so hard to clean out your moms old room! I know you will enjoy spending time in her place with your new work area! Lots of memories in there I'm sure! The room looks terrific!
and I sure wish I had craft days with friends! That darn full time job gets in the way!

Jeanie said...

This is a lovely, melancholy post. It must be very hard these days -- Go, Sugar! But the room is lovely! I know she's glad you are there for her!

Vita said...

Mom used to play a radio that looked like that. My brother has it now. We'd gather around on Saturday mornings and listen to some show that every week played the Teddy Bears Picnic. I can't see one of those without thinking of that song.

My mother-in-law, who lives in a nursing home has always liked sweet things. She dumps Splenda on almost all her food, and keeps a big container of it on her tray table. A friend of mine has always put brown sugar and cheese in her beans. Very yummy. Before she passed away, my mom had dementia and wouldn't eat. I wonder if a sweetener would have helped.

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