Just a few stories told by photo's...

Its been a busy week.

Lunch with granny a few times. And a few visits. Then moving her from a large 2 room apt to a one room apartment in the Memory unit of the home.

And photos of Granny's place.

I also include photos of a lunch at Marina Jacks on the water front in Sarasota.

Finally, we went out to dinner at Outback with Nancy's friends. Followed by a trip to the Irish Rover Pub in Gulf Gate area...just a few blocks from our condo.

Enjoy...


The first group are of Karolyn and Nancy at Marina Jacks Restaurant

Below are photos of Grannies new home. Karolyn, Granny and me in the rec room.

Here we are in the Lunch room of the memory unit.

Here is the group at Out Back.

From the left...

Karolyn, Linda, Nancy, ME, Margaret and Ian.

Later, Nancy and Linda joined us at the Irish Rover where wonderful Irish songs were played.

Tapping Tilly....Singing Norma

Have you ever had a meal at a Dementia unit?

Well, the last few weeks we would visit granny often at the home.
Some times we would pay $5 and have lunch with her.

I'm going to tell you, the home has great food. None of that mixed up stuff that Jack Lalane? sells his machine for.

Today we had Salmon and Chicken frick and see for lunch.

We were half way through our meal when we heard a fork tapping a plate over and over again.

We looked and there was Tilly tapping her plate. A plain serious stare, at the fork. Then she suddenly stopped.

She kept repeating this action.

Then I noticed what she was doing. She would take a bite of food with the fork and notice a piece, a very tiny piece of food, on the fork.

Rather than just continue, she would start her tapping. She would keep tapping until the food fell off or she hit the plate 50 times. Ok, I'm guessing about the number, but after so many taps, she would slowly raise the fork to her mouth and lick it clean.

At just that second, she would burst out with a large smile on her face. A clean fork!

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Singing Norma

Another woman, small in stature, a tiny face and short gray hair,,,most have short gray hair,, sits so stiff/stoic at the lunch table.

She just sits and is always the last to finish. Sometimes she would tap her fingers on the table with no apparent purpose.

Last Friday at the Home, a Piano Man was to appear at 3pm and give a little Jazz concert.

It was 3;10 and everyone was sitting, waiting and getting nervous.

Howard, a employee asked if anyone could entertain and they pointed to a red headed woman who mos-sied to the grand piano.

Howard started looking for another woman, Norma. Where's Norma?

Just then the red head started playing. She played for about 10 minutes and played the same song.

Suddenly Howard's face lit up and that little stoic woman walked guided from the Dementia unit and they shuffled her to the piano. Pushed the red haired lady out of the way and let NORMA start playing.

Oh My Gosh....did she play....lively music. And then sang along to all the songs. Not missing a piano key or work.

Shortly thereafter, Mr Piano Man showed up and was swept back by Norma. I thought he was going to back out.

But Howard hesitantly thanked Norma and let the Piano Man play.

Norma didn't get upset but continued to entertain us all by singing and dancing. One of the dances sure looked like she was going to do a strip,,,,,but she didn't.....thank you lord.

It turns out that Norma was a concert pianist, hardly talks but when she gets going she entertains.

Good Food and Live Entertainment....Granny sure has it good.

We're in Freaking Cold Florida.....

Last Sunday when we stepped off the plane at St. Petes airport, I immediately took in several deep breaths of warm and moist air.

Yes, I needed to be here.

The last few nights have been so cold that a friend suggested that a small electic space heater might help keep our condo warm. Highs of 62 and lows at night around 40 or less.

I didn't think so but we decided to go to Super Walmart and get one.

Well, all of Florida must have had the same idea. None at Walmart.

We left Walmart and was driving north on 41 when we passed Target.

Hey do you think Target has any. Well lets try.

We pulled into Target and walked around and around looking when, after Karolyn asked for directions, we found the aisle with all the space heaters.

They must have just gotten a truckload and the shelves were filled.

Lets see, do we want the radiator type....nope, seems like overkill. How about the super option space heater that also is a microwave....nope.

Lets look somemore....how about $40. Nope....

Hey, small little square ones for $18 but now on sale for $14, yep, lets take two just in case.

We'll use one and if it works by itself then we'll return the other.

As soon as we got home, it was plugged in and filled the living room with nice warm heat. So much heat that the furnace hardly went on again.
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This morning, the space heater really got the chill out and was working great. So great we felt like going to the local bar to enjoy some free hot dogs cooked in sauerkraut.

We called our friend Marge and she said sure pick me up, I'll go.

Then called Paul and Diane next door and they said they were sick. Both had colds and both were cold in their condo. And they didn't feel like going out in the chilly air.

When I told Karolyn, she suggested we let them use the 2nd heater which we didn't use as of yet.

I took it over and Paul looked at the little thing and said that he didn't think that it would do much good. Within a few minutes of being plugged in, Diane started to smile and both got color back into their faces.

They still wouldn't go for hotdogs but threw out those thank you's.

Paul and Diane are real nice honest folks and we felt so good that we could do something for them. As they have included us on all the activities around the complex and introduced us to most of the other owners.

Anyway, we picked up Marge and the 3 of us enjoyed the dogs with kraut. And had a few laughs to go with Amber dark.

Now, its time for a nap and out with sister in law Nancy and her neighbors and our friends,,, Margaret---Ian for dinner at Big Al's sports bar.

talk later
stay warm

Friday...an update---its Cold Outside...and Inside

Hi Everyone,
We flew to fla sunday evening and rented a car for a day to drive to the condo.
Then returned it....it was worth the $50 for the convenience.

Karolyns Father died Friday so we got down here to help her sister Nancy with taking care of all things that need to be done. We knew the death was coming but put everything on slow mode.

He's going to be cremated and we'll spray his ashes by a church window he bought
for his church.
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We visit Karolyn's mother in the memory unit of the home, every day or night. She is very confused and gets lost looking for her room, but is still a nice person.

She keeps asking about her husband,,,we've been advised by the home experts to not
tell her he is dead but say he's still in the hosp and change the subject.

So far its worked.

She still is in the 2 room apartment at the home and sometime in the future we will move her to a one room.
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The weather here is terrible in the low 60's during the day and into the 30-40's overnight. I intended to walk on the beach for exercise but its just too cold. I still have problems breathing in any cold air.

Our condo furnace can't keep up and we might buy a little safe space electric heater.

thats about it

Talk later

Snow Snow go away...nevermind I will.

Its Saturday afternoon and there is so much snow on the ground.

I would say the snow blower has made canyons one foot deep.

Its still snowing and is supposed to snow for 4 more days. Then get freezing cold below zero.

So, it seems like a good idea to get away as soon as possible. We have 2 reasons to leave now: one is the snow and the other is Karolyn's father.

Last night at Midnight we got a call from Karolyn's sister saying that her father had just died peaceably in his sleep. He took a deep breath and that was it.

Karolyn's sister has been handling the parents since we left in December. Now, after the death she sounds worn down. So, we need to get to Fla soon. As much for sister Nancy as for Gramps death.

This morning we made reservations on USA 3000 and a one day rental car, for St. Petersburg/Clearwater airport.

Its over an hour to our condo from the airport and we can't ask anyone to pick us up. So for a few dollars we can rent a small car for a day. Drive to Sarasota, pick up Gramps car and return the rental to the Sarasota area.

Tonight is packing night. Not just for the trip but also of all the leftover Christmas decorations.

Weds, I got the ok from the drs. to leave the Chicago area. Both lung and heart. I'll be taking new medicine (coreg) plus what I've been taking. Plavix, Singular, Niacin.

Well, that should be it for now.

Oh, I expect to stay at our condo until a renter arrives in March.

Then stay at the in-laws minus the in-laws until the weather changes.



That is of course if the family doesn't sell the house.

In which case, I'll be at some Sarasota homeless shelter.




I really don't care as long as I'm in some warmth.

I know the middle of Jan is usually cold in Fla but I think 50 degrees warmer than Chicago will be the norm. And much easier to breath in.

What A Penny Can Do....

I want to say thank you to those that emailed me encouragement.

I have had many physical challenges.

I was lucky in that many years ago a friend told me how he recovered from being crushed by a horse.

He sat in the living room with 20 pennies.

He would get up--somehow--and walk with a penny into the kitchen.
He would put the penny down on the table and rest.

When he was able he would return to the living room for rest.

Then repeat the walk,,,over and over and over.
Until all 20 pennies were on the table.

He did this daily routine until he could do all 20 pennies without stopping.

I was so taken by this act of strength and positive attitude that I used it myself countless times.

I am also lucky that I look at every setback as another challenge.

I CAN DO IT for as many times as necessary.

I discovered that the pennies can be physical or mental tasks.

Its worked for me. Sure, I say I'm depressed but I really mean Oh shit, where's the pennies...I have to get started.

So thanks to all of you that wrote emails and said prayers.

I can always use a push to pick up that first penny.



MY GOLDEN PENNIES.........MY FAMILY....

A Quick Heart Update

A quick update.

No Photos, forgot the camera.

Everything went smoothly.

In by 10 out by 6

Good news and bad news.

No angioplasy....just angiograms....many photos

Bad news.....my heart is weak and working at 25%
they think they might get it to work at 35% with medicine maybe..
I'm tired because of the heart not the pneumonia

I have to stay in Chicago for testing of meds to help my heart.
I might be Flordia bound by feb 1st.

I'm depressed ....because of the weather...not the heart

I'll write more later...jim

ps: I can go for coffee,,,whoopee,,tomorrow panera..no mcd's.

Tomorrow a new Deductible

No not a kid, but I used up all my Deductible on the Health Insurance.

Tomorrow, I get an Angioplasty at Noon and start owing money again.

When will it end, I hope not for a few more decades.

I'll tell you how it comes out.

We Don't Need A Review Of 2008...

2008.

I intended to write about all the wonderfull and not so wonderfull Adventures I've had in 2008.


I started twice and had all these great stories replayed in my mind.

Then while at Panera yesterday it struck me. Why look back today? If anyone wanted they could re-read the blog.

Karolyn and I were leaving Panera and decided to walk out the front door. We stopped by a group of ladies. Terri, Barb & Sue.

We said the usual Have a Happy New Year and suddenly Terri's face lit up. When she smiles everyone smiles with her.

Anyway, she said how about a hug, maybe I can get into your blog. It was great and followed by another from Barb and a long distance hug from Sue. You know where you stretch your arms over the table and hold fingers and make sounds....ooh ooh,,.


That made my New Years Eve but I still didn't have my year in review.


Then it happened. I saw the front window boys. Tired and worn out old men. Haha.


With them in a little baby carrier was Jeffrey. Biker-less Pat had just picked him up from the baby store.


When I was young, I would act silly with babies because that was expected.

When my grandkids came, things changed. I really enjoyed going bah bah, and other noises.

It happened with Jeffrey. I really loved seeing the baby. I waved my hat and jumped from side to side.

I think this is what the New Year is all about. The old and the newborn.

So, forget about any review....I'm ready for the New Year....lets see its 2009.