Wits End...........

Madame x barely had time to unpack her dirty laundry, before the forces of evil set about their evil forcing ways.

There's a bad moon on the rise, folks

But light dawns in yander tunnel and with luck and latitude Madame x will be back on the computer by next week (mid-week).

As an aside................remember the barking dogs? the dogs are still barking...........

and at the moment

that ........is the least of Madame x's problems.

Wile away the hours....

Today I was to take Dad to get a haircut... Dad is pretty unhappy that I don't want him to drive anymore. But, he isn't quite 'tracking' on the important stuff these days, (the way a person in control of a 1000 lb piece of machinery should be) ..... So I am driving Mr. Daisy.

Unfortunately, we both forgot that Bob the Barber no longer comes in on Fridays... So, I got a few pointed remarks about who's 'tracking' on what, thrown in my direction...
To save the day, we went to Leon's used book store and scavenged around that place for...ev....er

these are three books that got his Dad's attention:
This entire book is the story of how the song 'Silent Night' came to be... no really.... the entire book.. beginning, middle, end. A magazine article might be too long for this subject.




btw...I know what you're thinking, that book cover picture looks like a big head of lettuce...it does in real life too..




War of the Words?.... Is he looking for ways to out wit me???

Time for some diversion



Hey, Dad look at this one!




Oh.....Sorry, it's in German.....



So we ended up with a biography, a mystery and a mafia crime story..... oh, and some lunch (fully dressed)...

I actually like spending time with Dad.

Weeda

Weeda is how her name is pronounced

O.U.I.D.A is how it is spelled.
She is my mother and today is the eleven year anniversary of her death.

She died of hepatic cancer.

at home, in the middle of the night, with my father at her side.

So, this is for you Mom, I wonder how it is that you are still so vivid in my dreams.
That you come to me in the oddest places while in my dreams
such as, my closet or
the backseat of my car or
In the house we lived in forty-five years ago

and once

In the old Santa Barbara I. Magnin department store (that one, I get)

I am always perplexed and pleased that people still tell me how much I look like you, although I can’t see it

I tousle the thick wavy auburn hair of my own first grandson and I know you had something to do with that. I delight in the second grandchild with his devilish grin and indominatible spirit and I see you... you at two and you at seventy two.

I look at your quilts and wonder at the legacy you leave. Those beautiful handstitched masterpieces. Truly superb artistry, that will last for generations to come.

I look through old photos with Dad and he lingers long on those of you and he together

I don't know what he is thinking but,

I know what I am thinking

if Mom knew this was the third day in a row

Dad has worn that same shirt...

we'd all be in trouble!

Wish you were here Mom
Wish you were here

Wiggle Room

This Christmas I got my father a 2000 piece puzzle.

His once healthy body is failing him. His brilliant, high energy, well traveled,
adventurous days are behind him. His safe harbor is his recliner and the tv clicker.
I strive to always treat him with respect and keep him fully involved in his medical
And personal care.

Sometimes I have to resort to mild trickery to get it done.

I thought a puzzle might be interesting and helpful in stimulating his brain. I thought
wrong… He is indifferent at best and insulted at worse. It is I, that is burdened
with the task of putting that beast together.

Every night as I leave his house I ask him to try at least to put a couple of puzzle pieces together. Every morning I find about five pieces (similar but not a match) stuck together.

Sometimes he has to resort to mild trickery to get it done.