When visiting mom recently they talked about how to celebrate Betty's birthday and also remembered a time two years ago when we brought mom some Chinese take-out that she really enjoyed. Betty and mom decided to have Betty's "birthday dinner" in that same fashion so yesterday we stopped by the local Chinese restaurant and picked up mom's favorite, sweet and sour chicken, as well as some other dishes. The nursing home staff were really supportive and brought a small table and extra chairs into mom's shared room. Dad came across the street from his assisted living home and we all ate too much "birthday dinner" while mom's room mates were having their dinner in the group dinning room. Desert was a fortune cookie because mom is not really supposed to eat deserts. It was good to see mom enjoy food and she ate more than she usually does. As a footnote I have to say that eating in a patient's room in a nursing home also means trying to ignore some pretty obnoxious odors that are natural to a large group of very old people who have cathaders (sp?) and wear diapers. Outside of that challenge we had a very nice time.
Before we left the nursing home dad gave Betty a nice birthday card with a Starbuck's gift card in it. Starbuck's is Betty's favorite and dad was pretty pleased that it was a hit. Of course, sister Judy orchestrated the whole thing by phone from Waldport and had her sister-in-law deliver the gift card to dad's room so he couldn't make a mistake. DRW
During this time period we also visited some historic homes in both Eugene and Salem. Although we took many pictures these two were the most beautiful:
March 19 post: We have been visiting mom & dad every day since arriving in Harrisburg. Mom has been feeling much better after an adjustment to some of her medications. It's been really nice to talk with her. She is as sharp as ever and can be pretty quick witted. Her Parkinson's is more under control the past few days so her speech more clear and its easier to visit with her. So often her speech is so slurred the I just can't understand what she's trying to say. I know that it frustrates her worse than me so when that happens we have only short visits. We try to visit in the evening because dad comes over to read to her and we get to see both of them at the same time. Mom is usually more verbal with us before dad comes in. Anyway...we visit for awhile with dad there and then leave so he can read to her. Last night I took him my Patrick McMannis collection because both mom and dad like his humor. I hope the print is large enough for dad to read.
The weather has calmed some today. It has rained every day but the skies seem to promise a dry day today. That would be a nice break. We enjoy staying here at River Bend Resort but I miss seeing Brad and Jo's coach sitting nearby. It seems kind of strange to have gone through several days here without being insulted at least a few times. I've had some mood swings from depression to anxiety which must be symptoms of PTSD stemming from last fall's stay here. DRW
March 16 post: We've had an enjoyable stay with Judy for nearly a week even though it rained heavily every day. We drove over to Junction City and visited mom and dad only twice because mom has been pretty sick and not feeling up to having visitors. I feel pretty helpless because there's nothing I can do and no way to get the medical staff to focus more on getting mom to feel better. She can't hold down food and has difficulty sleeping. Today we moved the trailer to River Bend Resort in Harrisburg so we can be closer. DRW
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