I was a bad girl, and stayed home Friday instead of going to work and going to see Mom. I was just tired, and with a 3 day weekend, knew there wouldn't be a lot of people at the Sprint Campus. I decided to work from home in the morning, then go see Mom in the afternoon. My goal was to complete my Service Call Trending Report, take a shower, go visit Mom, go to Costco, come home. However, my report took longer to complete than I thought it would, it was after 2:00 p.m. when I finished. By then, the idea of driving into town just wasn't very appealing. So, I checked with Brian, he planned to see her on Friday afternoon, and Craig and Teri planned to see her Saturday. So I stayed home. Saturday I cooked for Dacor, and Sunday I managed to get a shower before noon, and headed up to Timberlake to take Mom out for the afternoon. I called ahead, and told them I would be taking Mom out for the afternoon, and I would feed her. When I got to Timberlake, she was standing outside, waiting for me. I was delighted to see the Chief's bag attached to her walker. See previous blog. I was so thrilled, I sent a text to Craig, Brian and Brent. Craig and Brian had experienced part of the Chiefs bag saga, and I had called Brent on Thursday to tell him that HIS MOTHER was driving me CRAZY! Brian and Craig both responded to my text with a whoohoo, and geez, what a miracle!
So, I took mom to the plaza for the day. We leisurly drove around neighborhoods, admiring houses and yards, and then I took her to Winstead's for lunch. Mom always wants dessert, but then after she has her meal and dessert, she complains that she is too full. So I ordered from the children's menu for her. It took longer than usual, and she kept fussing about the wait. I was just relaxin, not really caring much about the wait. When they brought our food, she had a smaller than usual burger, because it was from the children's menu. A little mini steak burger. She said it was cold. I asked her if she wanted me to send it back, and she said no. She took another bite, and said I don't think we should come here for burgers again. I asked why, and she said because it was so small and thin. Thin burgers are the trademark of Winstead's, just like Steak and Shake. The Winstead's on the plaza had been there since 1940, and my mother had been coming there for many, many years. Oh well. I just explained againt hat Winstead's always had thin burgers. She did enjoy her lunch, especially her frosty. As we were leaving, she made her usual comment about being so full. I said Mom, you weren't happy because your burger wasn't big enough, and yet you are still too full! Of course, at this point I'm just a smarty pants...
We drove around a little, and I asked if she'd like to go to the Nelson Art Gallery. I think the last time I was there was before Brent moved to AZ in 2001. Wow, has it changed! They built a whole new area onto the main old building, with underground parking. We had no problem getting handicapped parking, and they have plenty of wheel chairs. Not scooters, I was going to have to push her. There are some new exhibits, so we cruised through them. Most of the new exhibits didn't appeal to mom much, African art and a photo exhibit of women from India. Not really mom's cup of tea, so to speak.
One of the challenges to the new building is the access to the old building. There's this very modern looking structure attached to the old gracious museum building. There are multiple ramps going to different levels in the new facility. There are door ways that connect the new building to the old building. But when you look at the door ways, you see stairs then going into the main building. It's not that many stairs, but I know there has to be a way. Besides, I'm already tired, and we really haven't seen anything yet!
I finally asked a gracious volunteer, who explained that if you go through the doors to the old entrance, there is an elevator immediately to the left. Armed with new information, Mom and I forged ahead. Through the doors, and wow, to the right, a ramp, to the left an elevator. My first instinct was to go to the ramp. I head to the right, start up the ramp, then see a sharp turn. Not knowing just how far I'd be pushing up, I turn around and head to the elevator. The elevator is spacious, and old, with the paneling I remembered from my youth.
Success, Mom and I are in the Nelson! Time to take in art. Now a whole new issue pops up. Beautiful paintings with ornate frames spark some memory deep with in her brain. She is reminded of a painting that her mother had many years ago, and asks me where it is. I have absolutely no idea. My maternal grandmother passed several years before my mother and father met. I have no idea what painting she is talking about, much less where it ended up. She decides Josephine, married to her uncle, Dan Kennaley must have had it. Now I wait for the inevitble, I want it back. It was my mother's, I should have it, since I'm the last child. Fortunately, this time she doesn't say anything, yet.
Cruising along, we see a beautiful European sitting room. There is a very elaborate mirror. I cringe again, waiting for the question. And there it is: What happened to my mother's mirror? I told her, Brian liked it, it's in Grandview. A few minutes later, again, where is the mirror? Grandview. Well, we need to keep track of it. I gently explained that the rest of the family isn't real into mirrors, so we were happy to let Brian have it. Of course, anything that was her mother's should be treasured by all of us. Never mind if it fits with our decor or tastes.
Going room to room within the Nelson is interesting with Mom. For one thing, she is in a wheelchair, so her perspective is different. She relies on me to tell her what things are, and when they were made. Some paintings appeal to her, others I know ahead of time she won't like. Anything with nudity or violence makes her cringe. I find myself rusing past many of the baroque paintings, and spending more time in front of still lifes and landscapes. One very amusing area was the impressionist room. I love impressionist art, and Mom absolutley doesn't understand the paintings. Even the Monet's don't impress her. For one thing, she wants to move close, not understanding that the way you see impressionist art is from a bit of a distance. We had to move quickly through Roman and Egyptian Art also, again, just not enough to keep her happy. We left about 4:30.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cruising through more neighborhoods. Mom remembered her grandmother's house address, so we drove there. She was correct, it wasn't very far from the Nelson, one block from Gillham. Amazing. Then we drove past her old house, which has been purchased by Rockhurst University (I think) for housing. It is in great shape from the outside. Mom always wishes she could go in, I point out the steps, and ask her exactly how she thinks she would do that.
We finally meandered to Timberlake, about 5:45. We told everyone about her afternoon out, she was still full, so didn't need to eat. All in all a pretty good day!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Mom and the Chief's Bag Week of 8/30/09
I have to put this in as a week's worth of information, because it went on all week.
About a month ago, I bought a bag at HyVee. It was a grocery bag that you reuse. The cost was a little more, but it was a burgundy red with white lettering, and says CHIEFS. Anyone who knows my mom knows she is an avid football fan, especially the Kansas City Chiefs. She loved it so much, she stopped using her bag with Donato's pictures on it, and started using this bag. When I say using it, I mean she attaches it to her walker with velcro, and carries her knitting looms, yarn, hats, a few pictures, assorted napkins and tissues, food that she confiscates from the dining room at Timberlake, and anything she picks up. I was at Timberlake with her on Friday, August 28, and she had several balls of yarn, all which were becoming tangled. I untangled all the yarn, worked with her on a hat, I worked on a sock (a separate blog to come later). When I left Friday evening, the bag and yarn were all fine.
Saturday Mom went to my brother's house, as usual. Craig and Teri took her to Mass, fed her, took her back to Timberlake after a few hours. Craig and Teri are always very careful to make sure she has her bag with her when they drop her off. Fast forward to Tuesday, September 1. I'm visiting Mom, and she has no idea where her Chief's bag and all the yarn and looms are. Her roommate, Doris says she has been beside herself for 2 days because she can't find the bag. I looked behind her recliner (this will be another blog, all about The Chair), under her bed, in the closet, in the bathroom. Not there. I checked the dining room, and we worked our way down to the lobby. I called Teri, asked her if Mom had left the bag at their house. She was pretty sure she hadn't, but said it might be in the trunk of the car. She would look later and call me if it was. On the way to the lobby I saw Pat, the Activities Director. Pat said she had been looking for the bag for Mom for 2 days also. Emily, the receptionist told us Mom had the bag on Sunday afternoon when she was there. I left Mom in the lobby, and checked the Sub-Acute dining hall, because Mom goes there sometimes for coffee and to look for deer. Nope, not there. One of the nurses offered to help search, we went to the great room, not there. By this time, Mom was convinced it was at Craig and Teri's. Every 15 minutes she asked if we could go to their house and look for the bag. I'd say no one is home, we will wait for them to call. Brian came to visit also, she asked him to take her to Craig and Teri's. We said again, no one is home, if it's there, they will call. Finally, it was time for dinner. We walked Mom to the dining room, and said hello to lots of the residents. I excused myself, and went to check her friend Charlotte's room for the Chief's bag. Charlotte is an avid knitter, and loves to untangle Mom's yarn messes. I walked into Charlotte's room, she was sitting in her wheelchair, and on the bed was THE BAG!!! Charlotte said she'd been waiting for 2 days for mom to come and get it, it's been in her way. CRAZY!!! I hugged her, took the bag to Mom in the dining room. I attached it to her walker, told everyone it was found, hugged Mom, and left.
So, this should be the end of it, right? What is the big deal about a missing bag? You found it. Wednesday, the nurse from Timberlake called me, and indicated Mom wasn't having a good day. So, I went over after work to check on her. I found her in the dining room, with Brian, visiting. She had her Donato bag attached to the walker, and her yarn and loom were in it. Mom asked me if I brought her bag from Craig and Teri's? I said no, Mom, we found your bag here yesterday, it was in Charlotte's room. So Mom said, where is it now? I said Mom, I don't know, you had it when I left last night. She kept asking again if we could take her to Craig and Teri's, she was sure the bag was there. Brian and I kept telling her that it wasn't at Craig and Teri's, that it had to be at Timberlake. We went down to her room, and searched again. This time I found the bag under her bed. I gave it to her, then attached it to her walker. We visited for a few minutes, and then she asked me again to take her to Craig and Teri's to look for the bag. I told her again, the bag was here, and showed it to her. As Brian and I were getting ready to leave, she asked what she was going to do about her missing bag. I asked her what bag? She said my Chief's bag! I said, you mean the one your hand is resting on? By now it is just funny and sad. Mom thinks I'm doing it on purpose, Brian and Doris were just enjoying the exchange. We walked up to the lobby, and all the way, I kept asking mom where her bag was.
So, again, you might think this is the end of the story, right? Nope. Saturday, I got a text from Craig. Do you know where Mom's Chief's bag is? I texted back: Look under the bed. A few minutes later, another text, yep, got it.
Sunday, I went to Timberlake to take Mom out for a while. I was delighted to see the Chiefs bag hanging on her walker when I got there.
I know this probably doesn't seem like much to most people, but I guarantee you, to the rest of the family, we all know just how amusing these exchanges are. And at some point, after she is gone, these will be the moments we cherish the most, when she drove us crazy.
About a month ago, I bought a bag at HyVee. It was a grocery bag that you reuse. The cost was a little more, but it was a burgundy red with white lettering, and says CHIEFS. Anyone who knows my mom knows she is an avid football fan, especially the Kansas City Chiefs. She loved it so much, she stopped using her bag with Donato's pictures on it, and started using this bag. When I say using it, I mean she attaches it to her walker with velcro, and carries her knitting looms, yarn, hats, a few pictures, assorted napkins and tissues, food that she confiscates from the dining room at Timberlake, and anything she picks up. I was at Timberlake with her on Friday, August 28, and she had several balls of yarn, all which were becoming tangled. I untangled all the yarn, worked with her on a hat, I worked on a sock (a separate blog to come later). When I left Friday evening, the bag and yarn were all fine.
Saturday Mom went to my brother's house, as usual. Craig and Teri took her to Mass, fed her, took her back to Timberlake after a few hours. Craig and Teri are always very careful to make sure she has her bag with her when they drop her off. Fast forward to Tuesday, September 1. I'm visiting Mom, and she has no idea where her Chief's bag and all the yarn and looms are. Her roommate, Doris says she has been beside herself for 2 days because she can't find the bag. I looked behind her recliner (this will be another blog, all about The Chair), under her bed, in the closet, in the bathroom. Not there. I checked the dining room, and we worked our way down to the lobby. I called Teri, asked her if Mom had left the bag at their house. She was pretty sure she hadn't, but said it might be in the trunk of the car. She would look later and call me if it was. On the way to the lobby I saw Pat, the Activities Director. Pat said she had been looking for the bag for Mom for 2 days also. Emily, the receptionist told us Mom had the bag on Sunday afternoon when she was there. I left Mom in the lobby, and checked the Sub-Acute dining hall, because Mom goes there sometimes for coffee and to look for deer. Nope, not there. One of the nurses offered to help search, we went to the great room, not there. By this time, Mom was convinced it was at Craig and Teri's. Every 15 minutes she asked if we could go to their house and look for the bag. I'd say no one is home, we will wait for them to call. Brian came to visit also, she asked him to take her to Craig and Teri's. We said again, no one is home, if it's there, they will call. Finally, it was time for dinner. We walked Mom to the dining room, and said hello to lots of the residents. I excused myself, and went to check her friend Charlotte's room for the Chief's bag. Charlotte is an avid knitter, and loves to untangle Mom's yarn messes. I walked into Charlotte's room, she was sitting in her wheelchair, and on the bed was THE BAG!!! Charlotte said she'd been waiting for 2 days for mom to come and get it, it's been in her way. CRAZY!!! I hugged her, took the bag to Mom in the dining room. I attached it to her walker, told everyone it was found, hugged Mom, and left.
So, this should be the end of it, right? What is the big deal about a missing bag? You found it. Wednesday, the nurse from Timberlake called me, and indicated Mom wasn't having a good day. So, I went over after work to check on her. I found her in the dining room, with Brian, visiting. She had her Donato bag attached to the walker, and her yarn and loom were in it. Mom asked me if I brought her bag from Craig and Teri's? I said no, Mom, we found your bag here yesterday, it was in Charlotte's room. So Mom said, where is it now? I said Mom, I don't know, you had it when I left last night. She kept asking again if we could take her to Craig and Teri's, she was sure the bag was there. Brian and I kept telling her that it wasn't at Craig and Teri's, that it had to be at Timberlake. We went down to her room, and searched again. This time I found the bag under her bed. I gave it to her, then attached it to her walker. We visited for a few minutes, and then she asked me again to take her to Craig and Teri's to look for the bag. I told her again, the bag was here, and showed it to her. As Brian and I were getting ready to leave, she asked what she was going to do about her missing bag. I asked her what bag? She said my Chief's bag! I said, you mean the one your hand is resting on? By now it is just funny and sad. Mom thinks I'm doing it on purpose, Brian and Doris were just enjoying the exchange. We walked up to the lobby, and all the way, I kept asking mom where her bag was.
So, again, you might think this is the end of the story, right? Nope. Saturday, I got a text from Craig. Do you know where Mom's Chief's bag is? I texted back: Look under the bed. A few minutes later, another text, yep, got it.
Sunday, I went to Timberlake to take Mom out for a while. I was delighted to see the Chiefs bag hanging on her walker when I got there.
I know this probably doesn't seem like much to most people, but I guarantee you, to the rest of the family, we all know just how amusing these exchanges are. And at some point, after she is gone, these will be the moments we cherish the most, when she drove us crazy.
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