Nothing funny about today so far but am waiting. I'm in a corner of the kitchen at the laptop while Peg and Odd sit across from one another at the butcher block on the high naugahyde stools they always fall off of, watching Simon Schama's "History of the Jews" PART 4 on PBS at top volume. I've seen it already, in England when it was on, it's quite wonderful, but cannot sit with them any longer. I have trouble being near the table manners going on here. Or lack of. I have no patience today. He's fine, for all his strokes, but--I don't know when hers got so terrible. Seems one day she was teaching me about which fork to use, where your napkin goes, next thing is she's mixing her food round the plate like it's a science experiment, food spilling all over the show, and pitching stuff she doesn't like over into the garbage can (new potato skins, gristle, vegetables) without looking, meaning it's mostly on the floor or down the side of the can. She doesn't use her napkin, I don't know why I keep giving one to her. Whatever I cook (provolone and ham omelets tonight with home fries) she either says she can't taste anything or that it sticks to her dental plates. I know she's 97 and she's probably right but I still let it hurt my feelings.
I can't begin to tell you how loud this TV is.
Yesterday evening Odd bangs on into the office with his walker (formerly the dining room) where I'm working and says "Where are the Jews?" I look up. "The what?" "Jews", he says again. Well he's lost it, I think. "Juice? Daddy? You want orange juice?" "JEWS," he says. "Peg says you have History of the Jews on your TV. She wants to see it." Just when I'm ready to write his brain off, suddenly he's lucid and focused and a PBS-TV expert. So I played Episode 2 for them last night on my laptop, he paid attention and commented and she kipped throughout.
I miss my husband and I miss my son and I miss my dog. I would like to be home. Today is not a good day. I am worried again about money. Finding more money for them, making money for them somehow so they can stay here.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Peg: today was Tina's the hairdresser, then Bonnie took her to Price Chopper where she'd already been but Peg wanted to go, which is an ordeal, but she wanted to buy me a lobster so Bonnie had to trek her over to the Lenox one where Peg made them cook it, so they had to wait for that. Home, nap, omelet, throw scallions from omelet on floor, History of Jews.
Odd: the usual. Cheerios, orange juice, instant decaf, Spiriva (breathing thing), pills ground up and stirred into supermarket butterscotch pudding, nebulizer treatment #1, shower and brush teeth courtesy of Brooke the Home Health aide, nap, nebulizer treatment #2, lunch, nap, nebulizer #3. Omelet, half a glass of Sauvingnon Blanc and History of Jews.
Outside Bob: inside today, stripping 40 year old wallpaper off office wall.
Me: at laptop finishing Peg's timeline for her website; got windshield replaced in borrowed Saab; edited sleeve notes for Radio Spirits for CD of Peg's radio shows; walked dog; pitched 6 dead dog collars from basket in front hall which have been stinking; re hung portraits in stairwell after paint job; started VOL 4 of Peg's letters to her mother in 1940; emptied Odd's urinal. Roofer never showed to collect his cheque and so I could complain about his crap kitchen ceiling paint job.
Tomorrow I have TJMaxx with Tory. I will go to sleep looking forward to the outing.
That's where my life is.
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