9/22/10

Today

Went over to Wynwood after dropping off some goat's milk soap to Steffi. (Marzipan).

Mom was outside, but looked - well, not good. Her face was red and swollen and she was a bit slurry..
"Whew," she puffed.
Are you hot?
"I guess. A little."
She was wearing a tee-shirt and a black sweater. Even though today was the first day of fall officially, no-one told the weather. It was over 90 degrees - again.
She started looking cooler after she changed into a [clean] tee-shirt.
Her bed is covered with VHS tapes, CD's, folded clothes (one dresser drawer is totally empty), cards, ribbons she won at county fairs for various and sundry, catalogs, and a song book. Where does she sleep?!
Most of the clothes go in the laundry basket for the laundress.

We got in the car and cranked the A/C full blast. "That feels good!"

"Is that Russ?" she asked of someone driving in the opposite direction. (Didn't see them, so I have no idea if it did or not)
I don't think so, maybe it was his doppelganger.
"Doggie hanger?"
It's someone who looks just like you.
"Oh, could be I guess."

As we drove, she looked down onto the service road that runs alongside Hwy 54.
"There's a lot down there. We should pour something in it."
Like what?
"I don't know. Something."
"Hey, did you find out about that...[I hear her brain grasping for the word/concept, not find it, then give up]
...I don't know. Never mind."

She likes to tell me how to drive (this is a remnant of old Mom).
"Okay, go!"
Uh, I need to wait for the light to turn green first.
"I know that."

"How are your kids?' She always asks that and I always assume she means the cats. 
They're fine. I'm thinking about getting another one, but four is a lot of cats.
"Did you do it?"
Not yet.
"Four is too many."
Hmmm, if my demented mother thinks four is a lot...



Cafeteria supper today:The gross strawberries and bananas, deviled eggs, country steak (very similar to her simmered steak), mashed potatoes, corn, lemon meringue pie and sweet tea. She ate everything with a spoon - including the eggs.
"That's good any way with anything.", she says of a huge banana piece.
She puts a piece of something unidentifiable (to me) in her mouth.
Is that a piece of onion?
"No. Tastes like it."

"I'm full."
Stop eating then.
"I know."
Eats more corn.

A  few minutes later, she puffs out her cheeks and stretches her arms out to the side.
Don't eat anymore if you're full.
"I know that! Want one of these?" (Offers a strawberry wedge; deviled egg; steak; corn)
Keeps eating. Eats everything but the pie, which gets boxed up.
"I'm pregnant!" She laughs and pats her stomach.

"Where can we go now?"
Let's drive around Chapel Hill and look at houses.
We head up Franklin and turn down Boundary.
That one's for sale.
"Let's get that sucker."
"Holy wow." she says of one place.
It was rather impressive.

We do this for awhile, then head back.
I sign her back in and we take the pie to her room. Then she has to walk me back to my car, which is kind of sweet.
One of the attendants asks her if she's hungry. She says yes! Then, "I'm so full."
When we walk outside she says, "Whew, it's so cold out here."

It must be opposite day.

2 comments:

  1. Great post Kim, I love the opposite day comment:-)

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  2. You have great patience, Kim. She is truly in her own world, but it's plain to see that she wants to share it with you.
    Heartbreaking, that giving up when she can't find the word she's looking for.

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