We're still dancin'.

It's New Year's Day 2015.  The ground is covered with snow with a layer of ice underneath, and it's been that way for several days.  The high yeserday, Wednesday, was only in the middle teens.  BRRR.

2014 was a good year.  Mother turned 87 on November 17th and Daddy is now 89 on his birthday, December 23rd.  According to the doctor, they are both doing well for their age.  They did lose their dog, Jennie, in November.  Jennie was a very very overweight Beagle.  She had a baseball sized tumor on her front leg, and I'm sure she was pretty miserable in her last days.  She went to sleep one night ....and didn't wake up.

Mother's dementia is somewhat worse, although it's hard to tell when you see them on a regular basis.  She still believes Chester leaves her and then is mad when he comes home, demanding to know where he has been!!  She does get panicky on occasion, the latest a few weeks ago, when she thought her Grandma had just died.  She wanted me to come immediately and help her order flowers, find something to wear, and drive her to the funeral.  She could not find Chester.  I went down there, and convinced her that it was not HER grandma, but another grandma that had died.  She was very relieved but insisted that I find Chester so that we could tell him Grandma had not died.  I phoned Chester on my cell phone (really Bob) and asked when he was coming home.  Well, Chester showed up in about 10 minutes (from the bedroom) and we told him the good news....that Grandma had not died after all!!  A crisis diverted.  

One concern is their house.  Daddy does all he can to take care of Moher, but the house is a mess.  If there was any way, I would like to get them a housekeeper.  They are hoarding again, saving empty boxes, washing out zip lock bags and old jars and plastic containers.  If anyone in the neighborhood has a garage sale, they give the leftovers to Mother and Daddy.  Daddy is thrilled and it just piles up more stuff!!  I'm sure my Dad doesn't really know how to clean, and they are always losing stuff.  At Christmas Mother hid the car keys and it took us 3 days to find them in the freezer!!  Their house smells like old food and dirty laundry.  When I try to go down and do dishes, or clean up,  I just get yelled at by Mother.  She thinks I am trying to steal their "stuff" and their food, etc.  and besides all that "It's none of my business"!!!!

I am working still, but working from home.  That's been great, since I am very close when I need to go down and check on them, or divert the weekly crisis.  It's been hard, but I knew that when I helped them move here.  I am grateful to be here to help and love them in their last years...and say thank you also to Bob and Nic, who also love and help them.

We are still ......Dancing in the rain.....and snow!!