Cory's Birthday

Happy Birthday Cory!!!!!

We love you!!!

This little one fell off a rock on a hike with her family today, and landed hurting her arm!!!!

The radiologist will call tomorrow after he reads the x-ray!!!!!

A Waiting Mother

When you visit the condominium that my parents live in SL, you drive under the building to a guest parking lot.

The driveway to the guest parking spaces is dividing the building in two, so that their are condo's on the left as you drive in and condo's on the right as you drive in.  You drive thru an arch way of sorts.

I will have to get a photo as it is hard to describe. 

I arrived yesterday to go swimming  and exercising with my Mom.  I drove between the buildings in to the parking area to see my Mother with towel in hand waiting for my arrival, standing outside the building.

I was surprised to see her standing there and for a minute I had the distinct feeling that there was a child there waiting for me to arrive.

I am sure she felt enthusiasm for my arrival.  The act of standing there with towel in hand was very childlike and endearing, and the very same time disconcerting to feel the meekness, and anticipation 

she had for my arrival because her day was a  blank slate, aside for my visit. All of her days are a blank slate.

It is not possible to fill her days with too much.  With dementia, life changes, life diminishes in accomplishments.  Follow through and commitment fade into days of the past.   All the while the need to feel needed and accomplished remain. 

This is such new territory to watch my parents age.  

Playing with the Eight Ball

I have been going down this week to visit my parents.  I have gone twice and will go again tomorrow morning.  I have committed to go visit them on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  This is the first week of that schedule.  I hope the schedule can be maintained on my part.


Mom and I have enjoyed exercising together and then having a lovely swim together afterwards, including a relaxing dip in the hot tub.

This post is not to confuse myself with the swimming pool.  But Monday I went down to do these said activities with Mom.  Much to my disappointment when I arrived I realized I had forgotten my bag with my swimming needs (suit & towel).

We exercised none-the-less.  I was not able to enjoy the refreshment of the pool and enough time had not transpired that I felt I should leave my parents yet.  So Mom and I decided to play a game of pool.

The building has 2 pool tables available for use.

I am not a pool shark.  But in High School a friend had a pool table and I did spend many hours playing the game.   I don't have any other experience with pool that I can remember.  I didn't remember the time playing pool until sometime during the game my Mom asked now when did you have experience with this game.

Heidi and Cory have a pool table but I have not had many occasions to play pool there.

I was totally surprised at our experience playing pool with Mom.

Several things surprised me.   1.  It was a lot of fun.  Mom's unusual light hearted laugh took me a little by surprise, at first, and then totally delighted me.

2. Mom's ability to play a game is severely diminished.  Mom was not able to understand how to hold a stick.  I repeatedly showed her how to support her stick to no avail.   She was not able to remember to hit the white ball first on many turns.  Spacial relationship with the table was very confusing to her.
She would stand at one end oft trying to hit a ball that the stick was not long enough to reach.  It did not occur to her to move to one side or the other.
( Mom did not know which hand to hold the stick in as she doesn't know if she is right or left handed!!!!)

3.I don't remember ever playing a game with my mother.  I really have searched for a time that we played a game together.   Maybe at Lake Powell when we played Uno or the (wheat and rye) card game.

4. Mom was delightful with this new light hearted laugh!

5.Mom made a concerted effort to praise me whenever I hit the ball.  She really enjoyed the force that some of my balls were hit with.  Force seemed to equate to a good shot.  And if a ball bounced off the side and ricocheted to another side, that was enough for some real praise. At one point she wanted to know where I had learned to play.

5. And did I say that it was fun?   It was a lot of fun playing together.
 Her giggles and her seeming enjoyment made it delightful.

Cheers for more "playing with the eight ball"!!!

Swimming at Terrace Falls

I don't have photos yet to go with this blog.

But I must write as I have deep feeling for an experience I had yesterday at my parents.


My Parents have moved up to SLC, Ut. from St. George, Ut.  They needed to downsize with the move. They had lived in St. George at least 10 years, I do not believe more than 14 years.

But they lived in a home with much space and room.  They had a large yard and all the equipment that comes with that.  As well as a pool and tennis court.  So they went from large house and yard, to a condominium  with 1 bedroom, family room and a large open living room/ kitchen. It was and still is quite the squeeze.

My Mom has always made a statement "Less is More" but, words and actions were never further apart on anything than her possessions and "less is more".

I went to help with the move.  I rearranged my week so that I could be of help to them in the packing up of possessions.   I lasted in St. George one day.   Old issues quickly resurfaced as well as Mom beginning into Alzheimer's or Dementia and it was an impossible thing to help her in that move.

The move now finished of 9 months ago.  They are living a a lovely complex that has everything they need within the buildings walls.  A Library, a workout room,  a tool project room, and an indoor pool. And a very adequate and comfortable living area for 2 people.  Two people and all their things is still a tight squeeze.

 I have as of this week, committed to go down to see them in SL on Monday, Wed., and Friday mornings and visit them, check in on them and also exercise with Mom in the workout room and then follow that by a lovely swim.

That is where my experience and memories occurred yesterday.  Mom and I had finished with the exercise equipment and headed to the pool, upon arriving we decided to call Dad and see if he wanted to join us in the pool.  He did join us for a just few minutes.  I was unprepared for all the memories that came flooding back.  Growing up we had a private pool from the time I was in 7th grade.

We spent lots of time in the pool, especially in the evenings when my Dad arrived home from work.

Being in the pool flooded my mind with memories of my Dad arriving home from work in the evenings.  He would change into his swimming suit, grab the paper, and stand in the pool with the paper on the pool's edge reading the news.  His legs would be spread apart in a stance that would bob up and down as the water in the pool sloshed around him from our pool activities.

Years have gone by.

As I watched my Dad yesterday undo his robe (suit cover-up) with a quite shaky arms, the process of undoing his robe an obvious exertion for him I won't lie was quite an emotional tug at my heart. He slowly disrobed, took off his slippers and joined us in the hot tub for no more than 5 minutes and then the pool again for not much more than 5 minutes and then he was out and struggling to again robe and get on his slippers, and head back up to their condo.

 While our three heads bobbed in the water together for those few short moments yesterday a lifetime of memories and love flooded over me very unexpectedly.  It was a tender moment for me.

I think this 3 day a week commitment will be a good things for all of us...

A Fruitful Saturday!!!

Russ was up early this morning.  He picked some of our ripe fruit...

Blackberries.

Apricots.

Put the apricots in the food dehydrator.

Currants.

We made Currant Jelly & Juice.  Yum!!!!

Baseball in Salem

Connor played 2 games in Salem today...

The kids on the sidelines were soooo cute....

This is what you do when you have played in the hot sun all day!!!

Mid 90* all day...

Ice cold water, I mean water with ice in it,  refreshing!!!!!!

Usually in this heat I stay inside, but today I ventured out in the heat and was glad to 

see Connor play his games...

Connor always plays so well, it was very fun to watch!!

Anna and I found a wonderful park in the middle of Salem.

We found some grass in the shade on a hill with the wind giving us a constant breeze....

We hung out here in-between the 2 baseball games.

Did you know Salem had its own a beachfront?!

Saying Goodby's

Hugs and loves to this wonderful little family who is leaving us!!!!!!

We had a great time so hard to say good-by!!!!!!!!

We love you,

travel safe!!!!!

Thanks for coming!!!!

Cherry Hill with Cousins

Russ and I went over for pizza.  Spent the last couple hours with the family on the water

slides and pools and Cherry Hill.

The house provided refuge for sleeping babies through out the day!!!

A good 3 hour nap for this guy!!!!!

Hot Dog Roast up the Canyon

It was such a fun time up Mueller Park last night.

Thanks for all the planning whoever did it!!!!

It is so great to have all the cousins together!!

They are the cutest kids ever!!!~!

We love them all!!!!

Produce

Love this fresh produce from my garden.

I have had squash and raspberries, and now look what I got from my garden today!!!!!!

Yum-Yum!!!!

Nothing like the taste of these cherry tomatoes!!!!

Muscles

Look at those muscles!!!!!!

We love this visiting Seattle Family

Outside is their love, throwing the ball to Zoe, petting Zoe, playing with Zoe, watching Zoe, reporting on Zoe...

This cute girl lives in hats outside.  Always protecting her face from the sun...

How cute is she!!!!!

Everyone loves the sandbox, even Zoe!!!  Of course it is the only slightly cool place to be today, as the temp. are climbing close to 100*!!!!!

Where is Eliza's hat?  Looks like she is in the shade, so I guess that is okay!!!!!