Louder! Louder!

Hello everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. I'm sitting with mom, watching her eat a piece of blueberry pie by hand. She's wearing her towel that she uses as a bib. One would think it would be covered with pie, but there isn't a crumb on it. "I've gained 4 pounds," Mom says proudly. "Everyone is so surprised with how well I eat," she says.

Mom communicates with the kitchen crew by sending "love notes" back and forth.

"Perfect portion size. Great flavor. A+" Mom would write. "Awesome!" would be the return. As you'd expect, Mom's on a first name basis with everyone here at Willowbrook. She knows everyone's story. Every time I visit, Mom introduces me to her nurse Monique "Do you know my son, Monique?" We've begun joking around with Mom, "Nope. How do you do?" we say to each other, even though we've been introduced at least 6 times.

Dad sleeps in his rocking chair in the corner. He pops in and out with a laugh here or comment there. They eat lunch together. Monique brings dad an extra bedside table so he doesn't have to hold his plate on his knee. He doesn't like the plastic utencils, "What happened to the silverware?" "That's only at dinner, Jim" Mom says.

Mom asks about Cleveland Browns news. It's nice she's able to talk about things other than her normal conversation -- not there's anything wrong with that -- she needs some variety. Dad tells her about her favorite player, Josh Cribbs. Mom wants him to get a new contract.

Brenda is heading back home. Her visit was very, very important to Mom and her energy was very healing. Dad took her to the airport at 5:45 a.m. this morning. "I really have to leave two hours before the flight?" Dad asked last night. We explained the prolonged security protocol's. Dad hasn't flown in a while.

Hawaii'n music is BLARING! in the background. "I can't hear out of my right ear," Mom blurts loudly. The music is great but I feel for Mom's poor neighbors. I can imagine it now... 3:00am and her neighbor pounds on the wall and yells, "Turn off that music!!!" But mom doesn't because it's so loud and she can't hear. Priceless! Louder! Louder!