Latest posts
-
The Kindness Project
“For it is in giving that we receive.” St. Francis. I had signed up at the beginning of the year to intentionally show kindness to someone else in the greater community as part of the church’s 365 project. The idea is to have every day of the year committed to. Our date was January 26. Little did…
-
The Missing Piece
As I watched Vernon work on a simple jigsaw puzzle today, I thought about how nice it would be if there were carved guides on the tables before us (or even picture boxes) as we attempt to piece together the bigger puzzles in our lives. Vernon’s had indented guides on the cardboard frame, but he wasn’t seeing them. He…
-
Elvis Returns
Vernon was feeling well enough to enjoy the show, again pronouncing that he’s “always really liked Elvis.” (I haven’t been able to verify this yet.) This picture is hilarious. I’m not sure what Vernon was going for, but it works. Here is a little segment of our Elvis, performing Paralyzed. Somewhat fitting, I must say. But…
-
Grief and Gratitude
Moving right along. The anger of the previous week has carved a way for a new sadness to move through. A light blanket of it seems to be hanging around the last few days, waiting for the quiet moments to make itself noticed. Last night, I took Maki to see The Imitation Game, which we enjoyed very much.…
-
Just One of Those Days
I took the kids up today to see Vernon. Justine was all ready to play doctor in her dress-up uniform. And Maki had loaded the iPad with music to share. But we were stopped at the door with the telltale signs of a patient in isolation. Thankfully, Justine was allowed to go in as long as she…
-
Faith is the Bird
“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” —Rabindranath Tagore I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with encouragement after last night’s post. I am still feeling the feelings, but I haven’t lost hope. Or faith. I do have another plan for another…
-
Painting the Walls
“When I am painting I have a general notion as to what I am about. I can control the flow of paint: there is no accident.” Jackson Pollock Well, I am not without accidents in my painting ever…even in my current project of painting the rooms of the house. I may not be able to…
-
The Kids are Alright
The kids and I went up to see Vernon on this rare rainy day. He wasn’t at his best, which always concerns me when the kids are around. I worry that they will not understand this “two steps forward-one step back” momentum of recovery, but I should’t have been surprised that they handled it in…
-
The Power of Touch
“When you touch a body, you touch the whole person, the intellect, the spirit, and the emotions.” Jane Harrington I joined Sandy on her Vernon-visit today, and got to witness her gift of touch as she massaged essential oils into Vernon’s skin. She’s been doing this every Friday, and he obviously loves it. …
-
Blue Suede Shoes
Happy 80th Birthday, Elvis! How do I know? Well, they were discussing it in the activity room/dining hall today. The Activity Director had everyone in a circle and read facts about Elvis’s life. His father’s name was Vernon and had actually been in prison at one point as well as falling on hard times…