Well...the good news is...no valuables stolen when Mom's room was ransacked.

Sooo...my phone rang around 7:15 this evening. It was Mom and she didn't know who she called. After I filled her in on who I was, she told me that she had justgotten back from dinner and her room was ransacked! She had already alerted the people there. I told her that I would be right over.

When I arrived, Sr. Trinita was at the front desk and I said that Mom had called me and told her the above story. She said that Mom had gone to dinner at 5:30. I thought that maybe it took her that long to find a real number and actually dial it. Who knows how many she tried first! Anywho...upstairs...Mom's room looked fine and Mom did not seem frazzled at all. She told me that there were papers all over the table beside her chair and that she wouldn't have left them that way. Hmmmm? Really? The nurse checked back in (that's who she alerted earlier) and said that the room did not look ransacked earlier either. Mom then told her that she was busy writing out bills before dinner and now there were papers everywhere and at least 4 of her pens were missing. The nurse said to let her know if we discovered anything else missing.

Mom and I sat down and had an okay conversation. Until...she began in on the weeping about how she wants out. "No matter what you all think, I am NOT out of my mind!" I told her that we didn't think that but that the disease really affected her judgement decisions and that was what worried us. She wanted specifics and I told her that I didn't want to get her upset and that she didn't like hearing what I had to say. She went on and on until I couldn't stand it anymore and burst out with the blue cookie story! She told me that I was lying. Then she flung herself on the bed and started bawling. She told me that she wanted me to leave and that she never wanted to talk to me again. (I'm sure glad that Aidan wasn't there for this as he would have been taking notes on how to throw a good temper tantrum)

I left saying good-bye and I love you. She told me that the didn't like the way I...(door closing tightly here, but I'm sure whe was going to finish by saying something like, "she didn't like the way I part my hair on the left side" or something like that ;-) )

Love to all - and good luck tomorrow Lel! - Levelle

PS I am still up for a Board Meeting!Bob Evans has the most incredible Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes®
You've never had hotcakes like these! We take two stuffed hotcakes, stack them with vanilla cream cheese, add more delicious toppings, then finished with whipped topping and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Blueberry Cream
Stuffed with sweet blueberries and covered with blueberry topping.

Cinnamon Cream
Stuffed with our own sweet cinnamon chips and drizzled in our rich cinnamon cream sauce.

Caramel Banana Pecan Cream
Stuffed with honey-roasted pecans and fresh banana slices then smothered with warm, caramel banana sauce.

Another Rocky Valley to Get Through

I have been getting bits and peices from the local sibs in Baltimore. Sounds like Mom's new thing is that she wants to move in with Paul. We have to help him by giving him some good talking points. I'm sure it's hard for him when he visits, if Mom is crying and begging. Levelle and Quinn had tough visits with Mom this week, but they are pragmatic enough to walk away when there is no way to convince Mom that she's in the best place.

No point in listing the MANY, MANY reasons this would be a disasterous idea.

Jim and I will be down on Sunday, so no need for others to stop in.

Peace,
Lel

Wait, the best news of all: Jim got a job! starts Monday working for the County! Whew!

maybe need a favor.....

Y'all may remember the story we have told about one our friends from Singapore who was the adopted daughter of the last prince of Bali. There is a book about him and it had one chapter about how he "found" this little Indonesian baby (our friend, Merti) with a massively deformed head - it was crescent shaped with one side pushed all the way in. The prince and his wife adopted her since they had financial means to support her and their other kids had grown up already. When Merti was about a year old, a Balinese dance teacher saw her and asked if she could try to massage her to fix her head. Over many months, she "fixed" her and now Merti is a beautiful woman. She looks just like Melanie. (Melanie reads the blog so I had to say that).

Merti & her husband, Bruce Rittgers, moved to rural New England 10 years ago and we just got back in touch again. Their three lovely children have grown up with the first just starting in college. I can't believe their pictures on Facebook.

Anyway.... the oldest, Shanti, is now in the Maryland Institute College of Art. I've already volunteered Megan to meet up with the daughter sometime in the next 4 months :D as she is a fellow graduate and all, but could I give them some phone numbers of the Baltimore crowd in case of emergency? You know how parents are when their first goes off to college (or you can guess). They are easygoing and fun people but still a tad bit nervous. Any objection to one more person having your phone number?

I won't pass them Paul's number since the daughter is gorgeous.

Okay, you can tell Mom now....

We made it back from headhunter territory safe and sound. I wish I had learned to use my camera better before the trip but we still got some good shots that you won't believe. Between Melanie and I, we took about 450 photos over 4 days and had some awesome experiences. It will take a while to sort through the photos but they will be on Facebook soon. I got some good portraits of the people and Melanie got the magic one of the elusive Proboscis monkey. The photos of the land, housing and jungle should surprise you but give me time to sort them.

Flat Stanley went with us, Stuart, so tell Shane that Stan is packing his bags now for the flight to Durham. It make take a bit of work but I hope by Monday he'll be flying.

I must admit that I am still taken aback a bit when in a motorized canoe sailing up-river and we pass kids playing in the river, then 10 meters later seeing a woman bathing, then 10 meters later seeing another woman washing her clothes, then another 10 meters later seeing a man walking up from the outhouse with the hole in the floor over the river.

Hygiene is strange there. They bathe by scrubbing better than a doctor before surgery but they eat fish from nets that also catch the floaters going down river. The funny thing is that our Indonesian guide got sick but Melanie & I didn't. More later.

Mary Elizabeth Frye's poem

I was just reminded of this...

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.

A Grand Day

It has been a grand day for America! (You'll see the light soon, I hope, Danny.) And a grand day for a birthday. Happy Birthday, Michael!

Not a lot of chatter out there

Where are sprinlkles et al planning to watch the game(s)?

Voluntary Idea

If we could get mom engaged again in the activities at BGT, she'd be much happier, of course. Is there any volunteer activity we could do when we visit, that Mom would feel obligated to help out with? Telling her, "I promised I'd help with ..., do you want to come?" might just get her out of her room. I volunteer to help with Happy Hour!
She must be bored to tears and is being pretty stubborn about wallowing in her sorrow. She and Dad were such givers, that pushing her back in that direction any way we can might help.
Just a thought,
Lel

Do hummingbirds whistle?

They certainly do... and they twitter as well.

Yesterday, I suggested to Mom that we go out for an early evening movie. Mom declined this as she had "already been out twice today" and made it apparent that she was focussed on something more "important".

The heads-up for today's visitors (I already talked to Megan) is that Mom is wanting to fix breakfast for her "favorite" of BG's staff. The lucky staff member is a female. Mom couldn't give me much more in the way of identification. She couldn't remember the gal's name or schedule so let's just call her 'Sally' for the story's sake of clarity... Mom approached 'Sally' yesterday morning and told her that she wanted to give her a Valentines present for being so nice. She told 'Sally' that the present was to fix her breakfast one morning. 'Sally' responded that just the thought itself was the nicest gesture.

Mom was emphatic about delivering the gift and asked for my help. So being the good, or stupid son that I am, I acquiesced. After dinner, we spent the evening coming up with as workable a game plan as possible. She acknowledged that she had to keep it simple. We investigated the 3rd floor communal kitchen for what appliances could be used. Luckily, only a toaster and a microwave are available. With this in mind, I zipped out to Giant to procure the fixin's. Course one: pop top off cut up red grapefruit pieces and serve. Course two: drop frozen rasberry toaster strudel into toaster on medium setting, remove and serve. Course three: peel back corner of frozen Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl, place in microwave on high setting for 7 minutes, remove, let stand for 2 minutes and serve. These instructions were written out simply and put on her fridge. It'll be interesting to see how it all goes.

BTW, the night stand lamp shade has been recovered. According to Mom, it had been missing since the holidays until she found out that someone had put it over top of the floor lamp's shade. We found that the floor lamp shade's finial functioned only as decoration... so we moved it to the table lamp shade where it now is fastened down tight to prevent future relocation of the shade :)

Love, Danny

Well the Hummingbird took a crap on Quinn's windshield today.

Okay, so Mom didn't actually poop on Quinn's car, but she sure has a way of turning someone's day upside down. (I just love the comparison to the hummingbird) Figuring that the health issues were taken care of, Quinn happily went for her regularly scheduled visit today. Mom was completely distraught and insistent that she wants OUT OF THIS PLACE! Nothing that Quinn could do or say would alleviate any of Mom's anxiety. The lampshade to her bedside lamp is missing (any ideas?!?) and Mom thinks that someone has stolen it. She has also told several friends variations of the "they told me that they don't like me here because...fill in the reason". I'm just putting this out there that no matter how we feel, we have to be united in telling her that BGT is the best place for her. Quinn offered to look into other places and Mom just told her that the cemetery had the only answer. Nice.

Needless to say, Quinn didn't get her to shower this week. Good luck on Wednesday Megan ;-).

Keep praying! Love to all - Levelle

She's like a hummingbird!

I think it would have been easier asking a hummingbird to settle down and take it easy. I talked to Levelle (who spent the morning with Mom), and Mom seemed to be back to her new old self. Mom was certainly well enough after the procedure to tell me how great her favorite sons are. (I won't embarrass anyone by mentioning names.) Maybe once in a while you guys could put in a good word for her daughters. (I won't embarrass anyone by mentioning names. Yes, I will... Quinn! for starters!)

Love you all, Megan

P.S. GO RAVENS! and Eagles.

Gingerly on her way...

Mom greeted her callers this morn with a look of love, deepest concern and the query "How did everything go... with um... you know, with the procedure?". She was quite worried but then calmed with assurances that all would be fine soon.
Please watch over her, Dad.

I'll pass along any updates received from Quinn.

Love, Danny

Happy New Year

Mom seems to be back to her usual routine. She went to the New Years Eve party last night and apparently had a good time. She brought about thirty of the party hats and noise makers back to her room. I guess she stayed to help clean up afterwards : ) Today she had a visitor that made her day! No, I mean other than me... It was Fr.Tewes! The receptionist said he was as happy to see her as she was to see him. She also overheard him tell Mom that " Now that I found you , I will be back to see you soon" Mom was beaming as the receptionist retold the story. That's it for now.
Thanks for all the support over the holidays! I love you all. Peace and health in 2009.
God bless us, everyone. Q