Second reported Glen sighting

Mother pointed to an empty chair across from her at the dining room table and said "There he is." "Who?" Dennis asked. "Glen." she replied. 

Hallucinations are part of Alzheimers. Mother mentioned seeing Glen before.

It Takes A Village, Again

I found Mary Pipher's book in Mother's room. It is a collection of case histories.

All of Dr. Pipher's case histories follow families as they learn how to work together to care for a newly helpless member. She advocates thinking of dependency as an inevitable and necessary state we all pass through - everyone as infants and most of us as old people. She recommends accepting as natural that people need help. Everyone. Everyone needs help. There is no point to pursuing an ideal world where no one needs anyone.

It is as if she had been present when we drew up the plans for the Fremont Street Center for Healthy Aging. It is as if she sat on our Board of Directors. 

Mother & Rabbits

On the way home from a walk, Dennis and I ran into Marcie and Mother. Together we visited Kathryn & Howard's vegetable garden, then Mother and Marcie continued the walk, and Dennis and I came home.

Twenty minutes later, Mother and Marcie trooped in the door. They had been invited to join by a neighborhood mom to eat ice cream with her kids on their front steps. Four children, all under the age 10. 

The children brought out their two pet rabbits to show Mother. She was more interested in their snow white Cairn terrier. Marcie said she enjoyed the visit very much.

Labor Day Report

On Labor Day we gave Marcie the day off. Margaret was not yet back from Burning Man. So Dennis made his famous Greek Salad, using tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden for Mother, me, Tom, Patti, Austin, Tim Smith,  Jenna, Charlie, Sam, Joy and Bart.

He also made Mongolian beef and brownies. 

Tom and Patti brought strawberry rhubarb pie. Austin arrived after visiting his mother in the hospital. Tina had emergency surgery for an ulcer earlier that day.

The next day Sam, Joy and Bart returned for the "Last day of summer vacation" in the back yard.

These three junior research staff members from the Emerson Avenue Center for Early Childhood Development are Mother's most frequent and enthusiastic visitors. Their own investigations into the aging process are well under way - Sam weighs 60 pounds and wears a size 1 shoe. Joy lost her first baby tooth and just started kindergarten. We're waiting to learn more about Bart's latest research. We can't get any information about it out of him. His favorite word is still "no".

Mother effortlessly mingled with dinner party guests, and participated in the conversation.

Oregon/Burning Man

To my surprise, I learned that Burning Man is the brainchild of an Oregonian, Larry Harvey. 

Burning Man was part of my life this summer because both Margaret Beeson, Fremont Street's resident Art Therapist, and Damon Eckhoff, the web designer for the Oregon Sesquicentennial Film Festival, were attendees. Margaret worked as a cook, Damon served coffee ( I think).

Margaret came back with a smile and a tan. She said the much reported dust storm was not severe enough to cause concern, and only occupied two days out of the entire festival. She and Depak, her boyfriend, were in charge of feeding 20 people throughout the festival - I asked her if they brought enough food along to last and she said they did. Miraculous!

Both Margaret and Damon are new to Portland. Margaret is from the Southwest; Damon from the Midwest. Both are artists. I suspect neither are aware that Burning Man is the creation of another Portland artist.

Jean Wyatt/Joe Biden: Separated at birth?

It has come to our attention that Mother's habit of touching her forehead to that of her conversational partner (cited in a previous blog posted by Jenna)  is one she shares with Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The Washington Times reports:

Mr. Biden also is able to connect more directly with caucus goers in part because his events are intimate. In Iowa City this past summer, he gripped a woman's hand and looked her in the eye while answering her question about regime change. He has a habit of touching his foreheads with voters when he's trying to make a point.

Perhaps Mother's great unexplored potential was as politician. She did get a Masters degree in Public Administration.

Margaret Beeson Appreciation Days

We're celebrating Margaret Beeson Appreciation Days here at the Fremont Street Center for Healthy Aging. Margaret is away on a two week vacation. While she is gone, Mother's usually stellar night time independent toileting is a little off. We don't know if there is a cause and effect relationship, but I am inclined to think when Margaret returns, Mother will be more settled.

Mother openly prefers her caregivers. Last night, after Nicole went home, Dennis and I made dinner to eat with Mother. She sat down and looked across the table where Margaret would ordinarily be, facing her. "Where's the girls?" she asked. 

Margaret is on a working vacation, feeding people at the Burning Man arts festival. She and her boyfriend have been doing this for several years. When she gets back, she may need a rest. I hope she'll be as glad to see us as we will be to see her! At least we can promise no dust storms.

Meanwhile the daily festivities observed here at the Fremont Street Center for Healthy Aging to commemorate Margaret Beeson Appreciation Days give us ample opportunity to honor how highly skilled Margaret is. Mother will be glad when she returns. She tolerates the step down in quality that Dennis and I represent, but she recognizes us for what we are - amateurs.