Sorry to be slow to get a new post up!

Since Oct. 11th, Dad's fallen twice and done some risky things like trying to get out of bed on the wrong side of the bed. Blessedly, he hasn't been seriously injured in his falls. But we're going to try bed rails on his current bed. If the bed rails don't work on his current bed, we'll get a standard hospital bed from the hospice company. We're hoping the bed rails make it harder for him to get up without us being aware of it--the cause of one of the falls--make it harder for him to try getting out on the wrong side of the bed--a fall risk we want to stop from happening--and make it impossible for him to roll out of bed--the cause of the other fall.

Dad's mental capacities are weakening, but they go up and down rather than staying the same. I was told when I got home from my vacation in Pennsylvania that Dad had missed me, but when I looked in to tell him I was back from being gone, he said, "Gone?" I assumed from that response that he hadn't really been aware that I'd been away, and that someone had probably asked him if he missed me, and he'd said yes.

But last night, Janie, who works for us several nights a week, told me he'd said to her, "Where's Alison? I miss her." To me, his awareness/lack of awareness in this example indicates his mental state in general.

While I was away and because of Dad falling, my sister Christie decided try giving Dad solid foods again--we'd stopped because of persistent digestion problems. He's enjoying the food, his digestion is better than it's been for some time--and he's putting on weight!

While I was gone, Dad enjoyed a letter and pictures from the Orams, our dear friends in England. Last Sunday, he enjoyed a short visit from his nephew Laurie (Skip) Craig and Laurie's son Stephen--Stephen Marshall, actually.

We've appreciated the people in our Mormon ward (our congregation) who have come to help out with Dad recently, so I can get out to run an errand or to go visiting teaching (the women in each Mormon ward--each congregation--are assigned to visit other women on a monthly basis). Christie also called on neighbors (and ward members) to help get Dad up when he fell. When I thanked a ward member for coming to help, he told me it was an honor--he, along with many others in the ward, dearly love Dad.

In case you want to hear about my vacation, it was wonderful. Christine and Michael are enjoying living in State College, Pennsylvania. Michael's started school at Penn State, Christine's finishing her master's thesis, and Jeffrey is delighting everyone who meets him! (I be happy to describe my visit in much greater detail to anyone who's willing to listen.) I also got to visit a bit with Christie, her husband Duane, and their son Jonathan.

Thanks for reading--more on Sunday!