Chez Rozarie

So...a few years ago, when no one was watching Mom, she took our big shepherd out for a walk, and he nipped at someone.  Mom didn't remember, Santana had to go to doggie jail.  Today, Mom got to the corner of the house, with Santana before she was noticed!  This could have been bad in so many ways...Dad was in the basement "for 2 minutes".  Dirk fortunately heard her and went out to get her...she put the leash on Santana, opened the door and walked out...Dirk took Mom and Santana for a brief walk and came back in the house...Dad finally came upstairs, and wondered what the fuss was all about, then yelled at Mom, who did not remember she had just walked the dog.  Leash goes back to being hidden! Grocery shopping is a participation sport for Dad, and he is jonesin' for a fix.  No car yet, so he has this grocery list.  He now attaches cash to the list, in hopes that I will cook their dinner, then go to the store for them after working all day, and teach...

This is just a list of some habits we've observed over the years.  Now, please remember we love our folks.  In our family, love is shown by some serious teasing.  You know - the kind you can only do with love - everyone else would see it as something else.  Example of this is when my sister Nancy said (while watching the Wizard of Oz), "If Judy Garland wasn't dead, would she still be alive?"  We never let her forget she said that, and even though she isn't with us anymore, one of the things we remember about her is that she said that...(teased even in death). Remember now, Dad doesn't like mayo.  So, Casey and I are visiting in FL some years ago.  We went to some hamburg place that was outside there right at closing time.  Dad places the order - our burgers (all regular  with everything, of course), then says what he wants on his.  The kid at the counter reads the order off, Dad says, "Now remember NO MAYO".  The kid cooking (obvio...

After awakening from nap time, Dinner prep begins...Dad goes to the kitchen, and takes whatever is prepared out of the fridge.  He usually drops something in the process so Mom gets up off the couch, and checks on him.  Dad: Go back and sit down...Mom: What are you doing?...Dad: Go back and sit down...He puts food on plates (plastic now...no I don't care that he has to eat off of plastic...we don't have a dishwasher, and he can't wash dishes, Mom SHOULDN'T wash dishes (cold water over them, then into the drain...)).  We do let him use regular silverware. The microwave is used to heat up dinner.  Now, if I've had time to cook, they may have chicken, baked potato, canned veggies.  If not, it's leftovers...Dad will only eat leftovers one night, and never right after the night they are not leftovers.  If it's not a Judi cooked night, and leftovers are out of the question, they may have to have sandwiches (horrors!). Last week, there wasn't anything that fl...

So, after watching the morning shows, lunch preparation begins.  Dad makes Mom a turkey sandwich.  She likes mayonnaise, but can't have canola oil.  I found mayo made with olive oil (Hellman's, of course).  Dad is afraid of mayo** (yes, that is the correct term) so he won't put any on Mom's sandwich.  He cuts up some fruit, and tells her to sit at the table..."What am I doing now?" is her usual comment.  Dad doesn't eat lunch...maybe he has a banana, peanut butter crackers or some other lunch like food, but he doesn't eat lunch...I know. Mom eats, may read the paper (yes, again), then goes back to the couch and they watch Family Feud.  The other day, Steve (the guy on FF) read the "question": Things a pilot holds while on a long trip.  After the top answers were covered, the last answer on the board was #6 - yes, it was "schlong".  Mom said, "SCHLONG"???????? and just started laughing. Then other shows come on TV, like o...

It's a year since the ambulance and fire truck came to the house because Mom wasn't getting up.  Since then, we've managed to get them through the summer of 2011, send them to Florida for winter and get them back up here after Mom had 2 strokes and Dad broke a bone in his arm while in the hospital with Mom!  I've been posting on FB and some folks suggested a blog would be fun.  I think they're just tired of reading the posts! This is a typical day right now for them: Get up, moan, grown, wander a bit. Get dressed (sometimes in the same clothes as the day before). Go downstairs and give Santana a biscuit. Do the breakfast thing ("How does this toaster oven work again?"; "Where does the coffee go?"). Eat and read the paper (for Dad, one time through...Mom as many times as it takes). Clean up (now this is ugly-run the cold water over the butter knife and put it in the drain, put the coffee mug upside down in the drain without cold water being...