End of Life Reflections

My hospice client and I had plenty of conversations about God, dying, death and possible afterlife. We'd regularly wandered through that territory together and even had some pretty good laughs during this exploration. Recently, as she was ready to slip out of consciousness but still barely able to speak. I asked her if she was ready? She whispered that she was and that she'd been talking with God...and that she realized "you can"t boss God around!" She followed this up with a smile and I, too, had to laugh. What a hilarious end of life conclusion.

Two Funny Fellas

My 89 year old dad has a lifelong history of getting names wrong...even those of his wife (at the altar...oops) and of his children. Nowadays when I call, I begin the conversation by identifying myself to save him the exercise of having to scan his brain for the correct name!!! In addition to getting names wrong, he is also really gifted at saying a word that is very close to the one he actually means but is just enough off to be funny. In our conversation yesterday he kept referring to that outdated address book called a rolodex as a rolex and I just couldn't bring myself to tell him any different...or that I wasn't sure I knew anyone but him that still used one!!!
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My 4.5 year old buddy was over visiting yesterday. I was watering the garden and Don came over with a pair of scissors and begin "cutting" the water. As if there were no question whatsoever he said: "look, the scissors are cutting the water."

Bingo Today!

I sit next to a firecracker of a gal at bingo. She is 92 and has a very dry sense of humor along with a hot temper...short in the patience department. I could tell she was getting frustrated several times today. I'd look at her and she was wearing a particular look on her face which let me know she was irked. I'd just smile back and pet her on the back. One such time she said: "I probably shouldn't have come today. I'm not feeling very patient." With a completely straight face I asked her if she was having her period. It took only a milisecond to register and then we both busted up!!!

Lizard Sleepover!

Yesterday evening I noticed a smallish lizard resting on the passenger pillow on my bed. I sat and visited with her for a bit and then went on with my bidness. When I got into bed last night I was flurffing my pillows to get them just right and I saw my new lizard friend tucked into the crevice between my pillows. That is where she spent the night and is, at this very moment, still hanging out. It is at times like this that I am filled with gratitude for the life I get to have...one that allows the time and space to notice and be with experiences just like this!

When Food Is Love

It's All Relative

A gal at bingo just celebrated her 92nd birthday! She was telling me how someone had made her day by guessing that she was ONLY in her 80's!!!

Senior Drama!

There is one gal at senior bingo that I am just smitten with (no, not in the romantical sense)
But in the way my heart just loves her so easily and genuinely. Sometimes she will blow me a kiss goodbye and I just melt ;) She is always very well coiffed and her demeanor is markedly feminine. She's demure and doesn't like to take up too much attention. So today, when she was coughing a very delicate and ladylike cough, someone asked her if she was ok. She responded by saying: "no, I think I'm dying!!!" and then proceeded to bust up. I about fell outta my chair I was laughing so hard.