Update on Dad 8-14-11

Hi, Everybody,

I have just two short phone conversations to report on. The first was on Dad's 95th birthday; the second was tonight.

I was in Pittsburgh on the day of Dad's birthday with my sister Christie and my brother Alan. We went to a production of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. We tried to call and talk to Dad before the play started, but he was at dinner, and the cordless phone doesn't work in the dining room. We called back during intermission, all of us gathered around Christie's cell phone.

We told Dad he was 95, and told him we what play we were seeing. It wasn't clear to me that he understood what we were telling him, but as I think about it today, it seems very fitting that we called in the middle of a Shakespeare play.

For those who don't know, our family started going to the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah when I was in junior high school. We'd camp by a lake in the mountains and in the evening we'd change into nicer clothes and go down the mountain to see a play. On the way down, Dad would tell us a detailed synopsis of the play, complete with the names of all the characters. Then on the way back home up the mountain, we'd discuss the production, ask Dad questions about the play, and talk and talk. I found that then I could read the play and remember what was going on on stage, so I could understand what I read. My siblings and I all remember and cherish that wonderful yearly tradition!

So for this Shakespeare play, as we drove there, I suggested that one of us give Alex, Alan and Janice's grandson, a synopsis of the play--his first Shakespearean play. (Christie's husband, Duane, also welcomed a refresher.) Christie gave a masterful synopsis, one Dad would have been proud of, and afterwards, we discussed the play. It was a great way for us to celebrate Dad's birthday!

Tonight when I phoned, Dad said he was "highly confused," something I haven't heard him say before. I told him that my grandson Jeffrey had a birthday party yesterday and ran around chasing bubbles and saying, "I love bubbles!" No response from Dad. I expanded on the story a bit more, telling him two kids had run right into each other as they chased the bubbles. No response.

I told him that my granddaughter, Evelyn, has apparently started rolling around, but we never see her doing it--we'll find her in a different position, but we won't have seen how she got there. I chuckled at that point, and Dad chuckled too, taking his cue from me, I think. I said we were hoping to actually see her rolling sometime soon. He said, "Oh, good!" then said, "Well, I'll look forward to that."

So he was confused tonight.

I asked him if anyone had visited him today, and he said there was someone there right then. I asked if it was my cousin, thinking maybe I was hearing his voice in the background, but he said it wasn't him. I didn't want to embarrass him by asking who was there in case he couldn't say, so I just asked him to tell them hi from me.

I told Dad I loved him, and he said, "Good, good!" Then he said, "Much love to you."

It's hard not to be able to communicate with him very well anymore, but I am glad I can still speak to him and get some response.

I thought of Dad this week in a very different context as well. Our stove top was in need of a really thorough cleaning, so I volunteered. It made me think of Dad who would start on a little spot that was not coming off and pretty soon he would have the covers off the burners; sometimes he'd take the entire top of the stove off and take it downstairs to our laundry tubs for a good scrubbing.

I felt happy to be doing a job Dad might have done if he'd been able to be at our house.

That's all for tonight. Thanks for reading!