?, ? and Deena

Thank-you all for sending her notes last week. Mom got mail almost every- day. She did not have a clue who the notes and cards were from but we went over all of them every day - even the ones from Christmas. On Friday morning, Mom was headed out of her room as I was leaving for work. She was clutching with both hands, an envelope she had received in the mail the previous day trying to tell me that she did not know who the mail was from. She was almost anxious. I had not spent any time with her on Thursday night because I met with friends for dinner and Mom was in bed when I got home. So I delayed leaving and sat with Mom to look at the mail. I tries many ways to get her to connect - "who is it addressed to?" MOM "does the name Bonnie mean anything" Brow furrowed and a NO. "How about Bonnie Jean?" Head shakes NO. Mumbles NO. How about Bonnie of Cheryl, Bonnie and Deena?" - At this point, Julie retrieved a picture from the living room of the three of us sitting together a couple of years ago. "Who is in this picture?" Deena - by now I just pointed that Mom has three daughters and pointed to the picture, naming each one. Mom did not agree or disagree but pretty much did an "if you say so." (I guess Deena was an "only child!") There were also pictures of snow in Bonnie's yard. Julie was impressed - Mom not so much! Also a picture of James and Mom at her birthday party. No idea at all. I went on to explain that Mom had a brother, Roger and this was his son, and they were best friends and James loved her very much. Nothing. Then I told her about Roger and the horses and he died of a heart attack and was found on the road by a neighbor. That rang a bell of sorts. She did remember about somebody she knew running after some people on the property and falling over a fence and...being discovered by someone. Her response to me was "why didn't you say that in the first place?" I left for work! These memory stumpers have become the rule rather than the exception now. We just try to keep her connected to something or someone.

On another note, we are anticipating some changes in the coming weeks as Joe will probably be employed. He has been approached a number of times about a job in Corpus Christi with the navy and last week they made him an official offer and expect him to begin work later in the month. He did not officially accept the job but left this morning to drive 8 hours to check it out in person. Joe has another job interview on Wednesday in Dallas and will make a final decision by next Friday. If nothing else comes up, I expect he will accept the Corpus Christi job and we will support him from here. Given his job history, you know I'm not going to give up by "low paying" but steady employment of almost 14 years without some pretty good convincing. And that will take at least a year, I am sure! I will certainly keep you posted! In the meantime, Mom will tolerate me if only because I know Joe (or George or whoever he is) and he will be back here at some time and then her life will make sense again. It could almost lead me to wish that Deena was an only child! Okay, Okay, I'm sure I'm not the first to go there - right Bonnie?