...but he has good buddies now

He is very well cared for at the Claire Bridge Memory Care Facility, and has a good sense of community and involvement. He takes the women there for walks with him, by pushing their wheelchairs or by walking up to a staff member, offering a hug and hello, and linking arms with them for a walk in the corridor around the courtyard. The administrator is very welcoming to him, allowing him to visit in her office for hours while she works and he naps or quietly sits.

He just passed his 83rd birthday. A card from John in New Zealand was the only one that was sent. Thank you John and Mary! I brought him a new suitcoat and hat and got him a haircut and he enjoyed getting all spiffed up.

I miss my buddy

I miss hearing him say, in a deep voice, "Hallo, hallo!".

I miss doing the grocery shopping with him, having him push the cart around and help me load and unload all the bags.

I miss making him his nightly yogurt parfait with fruit and granola and a drizzle of huckleberry syrup.

I miss the sparkle of recognition. I miss that he knew who I was.

I miss tucking him in at night.

Merry Christmas!

Grandpa and Gabe Dec 2011

Grandpa with Santa and his wife. Happy smile!

I know the Santa couple; they have been doing this for many years and played Santa for our boys some ten years ago. It's like the Circle of Life, Santa-lap style.

The staff at Claire Bridge gave us complements about Grandpa's lovely smile and how much he enjoyed the holiday party that day. He was very outgoing and flirtacious with all the women.

Rather fiesty today

"Get out of here! You're the dirtiest one of the bunch!"

We went to visit Grandpa last night, and as we approached his door, he was coming out of the room, with his belt coiled in his hand. Upon seeing Vince, he raised his arm and threatened him with these words and with a whipping motion of the belt. Thinking he was joking, we come up close to hug him and distract him. Got the belt away from him. Got him calmed down, and back into the room. I was bringing him a new cordless razor, and since he needed a shave, I got him to stand quietly with his eyes closed while I shaved him. He almost fell asleep standing there. Then, got him to brush his teeth... which he refused to do at first, then refused to stop doing.... and got him tucked into bed. And brought the belt home with us.

On the way out, we mentioned his behavior to the night nurse Mo, wondering if he was this way just with us or with everyone. Turns out it's pretty common. "Yup", he said. "That sounds like him".

Interesting how his sudden flash of emotion made him very articulate with his words.

He put a pen to paper, and this is what he wrote.

Dear Han,
We are apartment in i.
We are clearly @ fairly but and are looking higher performer each higher week



rather poetic, isn't it?

Compare it to the poetry he wrote for me back in 1998 (posted in Nov 2010).
His decline with words echoes the artist's decline with painting (see the amazing self-portraits by William Utermohlen, posted in Jan 2010, at the beginning of this blog)