Date: August 27th 2009

Gram’s Status: Happy to be home...

Mood: Content

Appetite: Ate 3 meals today :)

Mobility: She walked all from her bedroom to the living room 3 times. 

Our first day home has been very pleasant and happy. Grandma got up at her typical late morning hour of 9:00am. She walked out to her favorite chair in the living room and drank a few mugs of black coffee and ate a piece of cinnamon toast. She quietly looked out the window and watched the birds eat their fill of birdseed and corn. Soon a CNA, (nurse’s assistant) arrived from Hospice. She helped Gram get cleaned up and dressed. Then Gram came out to sit in the living room and chat for a while then she took a little snooze in her favorite place in her own house.

            She ate a late lunch of homemade chicken-noodle soup, tapioca and saltines. Then my Mom, Gram and I went to sit on the deck and look at the lake, appreciate Gram’s beautiful flowers and watch the hummingbird drink from the feeder.  After an hour, we went back inside and Gram got back into her chair. I came in and sat on the floor next to her and put my head in her lap and she ran her fingers through my hair (this is most likely my favorite place to be in the whole world). Before long, I had some competition from George (her very fat cat) who did his best to squeeze his way between Gram and I. I finally relented and moved away from my fierce competitor.  Soon, Ollie (my cat) came and sat in my lap. Gram and I laughed at the situation, both of us holding out respective cats doting on them as if they were our babies. I know there is some joke to be made about “old cat ladies” but I think both of us would gladly accept this title regardless of the stigma.

  Now I sit on the deck, drinking a gin and tonic and writing and Gram sits eating her specially made dinner so lovingly prepared by my mother. My Mom made my Gram’s favorite “sick food” that my Great-Grandmother cooked for Gram as a girl, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, and tomato juice (yes, I really mean tomato juice) poured over the top.  I hope heals with the same medicinal purposes that it had when she was a girl.  It has been a very nice day.