Sleeping In

The 4th has come and gone, in spite of the date showing on blogspot at this hour. Hmmm. Actually our 4th in Rochester was June 27-29 and because of the rain, again, July 18. I digress needlessly. The dogs were doped (just a titch) to manage the noise from the city AND our being "out". Our out is not the same as theirs, if it matters. We went to New Salem State Park to enjoy "John Brown's Body" and enjoy it we did! It was branded a musical but actually it was more an historical reading with some musical elements. For community theater this was outstanding. If they were paid performers it would still have been outstanding.

We were a BIT hesitant as the last production we went to there we left during intermission; it was B-A-D.

This was a welcomed reminder of why we love local arts and artists.

Having stayed up late and then putting the poochers outside for one last time waaaaay past the usual hour, we turned in with the understanding we would sleep late. Around here that is any time after 6:20 a.m.

Didn't happen. My mother called from the nursing home @ 5:14, claiming to need help. The patriotic ring tone on the phone didn't blend in with the talk radio program already broadcasting in the bedroom (you're thinking we wouldn't have slept late anyway but you're wrong - so sorry) so recognition of that being the telephone arrived after the call had gone to voice mail.

We called the staff and asked that they see to her needs. She's frightened. I think she is truly staring Death in the face. People sometimes mention this but it is usually with something dramatic - a soldier, a crime or accident victim, a person who died and was revived. But, my mom is dying of old age, loneliness, and probably plain old giving up. Still she panics because of the dreams she has and she needs reassurances, either in seeing us or hearing our voices. Ed and I appear to have a calming influence on her! Ha! She would deny that, considering all the trials and tribulations the decades have thrown at her.

Of course this call jolted us out of our respite.

Of course we actually had to wake up the dogs to get them to go outside and then be fed.

In the meantime I try to find some level of humor in all this. Dark humor it is. I wonder if I could give her a tape player and tape of us talking to her. I ask myself if she wants me to write down some of the associations she is making - all very zany, impractical and eye-popping. She has asked for a dirty book to read, something that will hold her attention.

Indeed, it is a good life.