again, and again... and again...and again......

when i walked into mom's room today she was in bed reading her Reminisce Magazine.
she said, "i don't know where i got it, but it's pretty interesting." i told her (again), "it came in the mail. my friend Anne sent you the subscription."

then we went through the whole *who? do i know her? i did? i don't remember that* routine. again. (i prob'ly already told that story at least once before in this blog, but i'm sorta used to repeating things.)

then we went downstairs and...

since none of the usual suspects were sitting around in any of the public areas, we went to the library/computer room. i'm starting to get fairly good at explaining what the internet is. this time i told her, "it's the world's biggest library. i betcha they even have reminisce magazine."

we've looked at their web site several times in the past, but she was just as surprised and amazed as ever. again. i told her we were *cruising the intornet.* she thought that was funny.
a few minutes later she laughed out loud as she read, "I CAN’T STAND oatmeal," then proceeded to tell me, in great detail, a story about hating oatmeal when she was a little girl.

after reading a short article that mentioned sitting on stools at a soda fountain, mom waxed on about going to the Highland Park Pharmacy back in the day. she recalled eating ice cream there with her parents. there were stories about her going there on dates with boys (one was my father) when she was a little older.

the next blurb on the monitor was about making homemade jam. i asked her if she ever did that. she responded by telling about visiting relatives in oklahoma as a small child. again in great detail. i interrupted her story to get her to talk about some of those long dead relatives. minutes later, when she attempted to resume her *jam making* tale, she'd totally forgotten the subject and after a couple of false starts began to tell me about sitting on the stool at the pharmacy and eating ice cream. again.

i was reluctant to point out her redirect, but i'm glad i did because she laughed at herself and was able to get back to the jam story. (i rate the ability to laugh at one's self higher than a kite can fly.)

if there's a point to this post, it's to recommend the magazine for any of you caring for an elder who still has the cognitive skills to reminisce. it works. even if you have to read it to them. and all the articles are sent in by readers.

thanks (again) Anne.

[most of anne's posts are just hilarious, but here's a link to one that shows another reason to love her. (do yourself a favor and read it.)]

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something else pretty cool happened while we were online today.

an old lady and gentleman came into the room. they were strangers to us. turns out Floy is a new resident at VT. she's 89 years old and quite frail. her little brother John is still spry in his early 80s. John was pleased to see there was a computer in the building and mentioned a You Tube video he'd found that Floy might enjoy.

this is it:


John told us Floy had played that piece on WRR radio in 1937.

holy moly. on RADIO! played it LIVE! 70 years ago...that is so cool.

Floy remembered doing so, but said she'd need the sheet music to play it now. i told them there was a piano just outside the library if she ever wanted to play. she looked kinda dismayed and mumbled something. i felt terrible for suggesting it.

a few minutes later we heard the introduction to Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso out in the solarium. it was all Floy could remember.
it was sublime.