The Assigned Seating Dilemma....

Tom and I went to see Mom after we had our Friday bagels and coffee. We had to stop by and get Mom some new sheets and we took her some fresh fruit and a sandwich too. When we got to her apartment she was happy to see us. She looked so cute with her cut and she was so happy to see all the treats and surprises we had for her. She helped me put her clean clothes away and we put new sheets on her bed. After she had a half of the sandwich and picked at the fruit we all went downstairs to take a walk.

On the way downstairs we always take the steps, and we always pass the candy machine. Mom starts to drool each time we go by it. Each time we walk by it I would explain none of us have money, but today she said we don't need any money we need a key. She showed me where the key goes. I told her that I did not have a key that would fit, and she said we don't need a key I am going to hit the machine with my shoe. She tried twice and it did not open, and she looked at me and then she walk away.

Here she is trying to figure out how she can get into the machine for some candy.

Mom is on some blood pressure meds and today her doctor had to double it. Her pressure has been sky high, I prayed that the new meds helps her. Mom did not want to sit with anyone today, so she sat for awhile outside, but then complained it was too hot. Then we sat inside and still she just did not want to sit with anyone.  After a few hours it was time for her to go and eat her dinner, and of course she did not want to eat in the dining room. I told her many of her friends were there and waiting for her. We walked in with her and she could not decide where she wanted to sit. One of the lunch helpers told her that she had to sit at her assigned seat, and that she could not wander around the place. Mom was not too happy, and I thought this is the time that Tom and I need to say goodbye before she starts yelling in Armenian and making a scene. We kissed her goodbye and she got up again and was so desperate that she would even sit with Sherry who she does not like to hang out with. The lady that sits with her does not talk and the other one talks too much.

This lady's name is Chris, and she is a very sweet lady. The problem Mom has with her is that Chris does not do too much talking. The other lady named Faye is not there yet, and she does too much talking. Look at Mom's face.. love it.... 

So Mom seems to be having some issue at the dining time. If I see that she is getting upset I will try and find a new table for her to sit at. When we left we told her that she has to sit where she has been assigned and she gave me the look..... the look that made me shake when I was little. I quickly left... and walked out the door.

The Balloon Fight...

Tom and I had a great dinner last night and we decide to save some of our dinner and take it to Mom's. Each time we see Mom it looks like she is getting skinner and skinner.  So thats why we bring her some food to eat. When we got to Mom's apartment she was dressed and had a big smile on as she opened the door. She was so happy to see us and she even told us she was. Tom warmed her plate up and she expressed how hungry she was. Mom laughed loudly and she replied she could eat a horse. I was surprised how well she ate, and even talked in between eating. Mom usually will talk and not eat. After she ate and looked at some new photos that I took of some animals we decided to go downstairs. Mom said she would go with us but before we went downstairs, Mom helped me put her clean clothes away. Mom noticed on one of her towels that it had the designers name, Laura Ashley.  Mom had to show me the tag and told me that Laura Ashley was her best friend, and she gave her this beautiful towel with her name on it.

Mom is telling me about Laura Ashley the designer on her towel who is Mom's best friend.

When we finally got downstairs there Cathy was and wanted Mom to introduce herself to a new resident.  Mom was thrilled to do this. Mom even told the woman that she loved her and she will love this place called home. Oh... before I forget the new resident is a former teacher and Mom loved hearing that.

Mom is welcoming the new resident to American House.

Soon Mom sat at the couch near Carmella and the next thing I saw was  Carmella and Susanne giving Mom a balloon. Mom was so excited in having the balloon. She thought she had a million dollars by having this particular balloon. I started laughing when I saw Mom and Carmella having a balloon fight like two little girls.

 Oldies and Goodies having fun with a simple balloon. LIfe is good when balloons can make you smile.

Carl the Military Man, who loved to wear all his shiny World War II metals, came around in his wheel chair. He loves going around the couch with his wheelchair, and everyone says he is cruising. It was funny even more because he must have found a sucker somewhere and he was enjoying it. The next thing I saw it was taken away from him because he was sharing it with Tank the dog.  Mom asked Carl to come and sit next to him, and she helped him out of his wheel chair. He looked like he wanted to sit in Mom's lap and Mom said in a loud voice and told him that he could not sit on her lap. They both started to laugh.

Carl sucking on a sucker, and still smiling at me. Loves his photos taken, even with out teeth.

 Mom sitting next to Carl until he fell asleep, and started snoring away. Jasper yelled for Cathy to walk him up. Cathy told him that he was shaking the room up with his loud noise.

Before we left Tom heard that the next field trip for the Oldies and Goodies was going to the Zoo, so Tom signed Mom up and the both of us too. We will be helping them as chaperones again. Mom was excited about her trip but had no idea what was the zoo. We kissed Mom goodbye and we left her there knowing she was safe and happy.

Story Teller Comes to American House

Today Mom thought it would be just an ordinary Wednesday for her, but instead she would be sharing with all her Oldies but Goodies Friends, a very famous Story Teller. Marjorie Shaefer is married to Tom's cousin Harry, and she volunteered herself to tell a few of her favorite stories to Mom and her friends. Mom was so happy to hear Marj's wonderful stories, and was so proud to see all her friends enjoying the stories that Marj was telling them.Throughout the hour Mom just kept smiling and loving the moments having Marj there sitting by her side. Mom had so many happy moments that it made her cry, too.

Marjorie Shaefer is one of the Best Story Tellers in The United States who can put smiles on people who are very old, but they love her attention that she gives to each one of them through her love of telling stories. She is a famous star today ...

 She never stopped smiling, and listened to each one of the oldies and goodies. They all felt important thanks to Marj today.

 Marjorie's first story was a tale about how the nursery rhyme, "Sing a Song of Sixpence" came about. She had everyone glued to every word she said.  It was amazing to see how engaged she had them all.  She would always go back to the nursery rhyme to related it to the story.  Everyone kept their eyes on her and their ears on the wonderful story that she was telling them all.

The crowd was small in the beginning but within minutes people were coming from all floors and would just stand and listen to her using the walker.

 She had such expression using her body and her face. You could tell Marjorie loves being a story teller.

 The crowd kept getting larger, the more they heard her speak.

Her second story was about Tom's Uncle Fred and the Snow Shovel.  This was so funny yet a true story!

Click Here for a YouTube Video of the Story

 Look at that face... she was expressing the noise that was being heard in her story.

 Such movements she gave to her story that you would feel them as they came alive!  After the snow shovel story, the Oldies but Goodies wanted one more story. An old man raised his hand and asked her to tell one more story and it could be a very short one. He wanted to hear one more story before she left. Marj said she was honored to tell one for more story just for him. You should of seen his face, it glowed like a little boy getting a new bike. He was so happy. The next story was a short fishing tale that had everyone enthralled!

 They were enjoying the stories, look at these two...

 Everyone had their eyes on her and their ears listening very carefully.

They were all blessed to sit in the lobby hearing her wonderful stories and Tom and I especially enjoyed hearing them. We did not want Cousin Marj to stop. We could have continued listening to her stories for hours. Her stories made each of us young and old feel like we were right there in each of her stories. We felt like one of her characters that she was telling us all about, and could not wait to hear what was going to happen next.  Many of the Oldies and Goodies came up to Marj to thank her personally for the stories that she told with much expression, and love. A few people even added a few parts to her story while she was talking too. 

People kept coming up to Marj to thank her for her stories. Marj does not realize how many people she touched with the beauty of her smile and her stories.

 Mom giving Marj her big hug and telling her how much she loved her and her stories.

As we were walking out of the main entrance Jasper asked Marj if he could tell her one short story about his childhood. He also expressed now that he was old no one wants to hear his stories, and he has so many to tell. He expressed that being old, people don't want to hear what he has to say. Marj, said she would love to hear his story. He sat on the bench with her and proudly told her his story about living on the farm with his family .At the end of his story, Marj asked him if she could continue to tell others about his story on the farm, and he was so happy that she would. He said now people will hear my story.

 He was so proud telling his story to such an amazing story teller.

Mom, and Cathy were even enjoying Jasper's story.

We told Mom that we had to take Marj back to Ann Arbor, and Mom gave her many kisses and promised Marj that the next time she came to see her she would not cry.

I have to end this blog today with such gratefulness of knowing such a lady as of Marj. She will never realize how much I appreciate what she did for my Mom, and other peoples Mom's and Dad's today with her love and her beautiful story telling ways. God has blessed us with such an awesome lady, and through her gift we all are hearing her wonderful stories that I hope we can carry on for others to hear. When I tell the stories I heard today to children or to others I will let them know how I got this story from such a very gifted, creative, talented lady who loves people and loves telling stories about young and old people. God bless Marjorie.  We need to have more story tellers like her to share her stories not just with kids but the lost ones that are old and who have forgotten how to smile.

The Missing Photo Albums....

It was such a nice day today. It was a day that was not too hot or too cold. We went up to Mom's apartment and she was not there. Not having Mom in her apartment and being downstairs with the other Oldies and Goodies made us feel so good. Tom cleaned up the kitchen while I looked for dirty clothes, and checked to see how the bathrooms were. Everything seemed fabulous but I noticed that the two photography books were sitting on her kitchen table. I knew I had to get them downstairs for the others to enjoy. When I finally did get the books downstairs, everyone wondered where they were and could not wait to look at them.

Soon Tom and I were downstairs looking for Mom and there she was in the mist of all the other Oldies and Goodies. She was smiling and was so happy to see us. In Armenian she told me she wanted to go home and all these people that were with her were crazy. When we got her back to her apartment she was so excited to see an Orzo salad, fruit salad, sandwich, and a blueberry muffin waiting for her. She told me that she was very hungry. She ate really well, and loved her coffee that Tom made. I went over to give Sherry a birthday muffin and Chris a muffin. Both of the ladies loved their surprises of a sweet  treat.

 Mom loving her MSU cup and a good cup of coffee.

           Mom enjoying her lunch we brought her, and sharing my Tom her special stories for the week.

 Mom asking Tom how everyone in the family is doing?

We got Mom downstairs after she had told us what was new with her. To tell you the truth she talked for an hour straight but nothing made sense to us, but she sure was happy.  Everyone downstairs was so happy that we found the books, but I did not tell any of them that Mom had taken them. I gave Jim a photo of himself with his huge puzzle. He was so excited and so proud  of the photo. He kept thanking me and kept showing everyone the photo. Each time I sit with all of the Oldies and Goodies at the main area, someone is looking at one of the books. Some people can't wait for me to take their photo because they know it will be in the book. Some of the people are counting how many times they're in the book, and some people have asked me to take another one of their photos because they did not like how they looked... such as Mable.

Looking at the Photos books, and enjoying each pages especially the ones they are in.

 Mom getting a bunch of her buddies together so they can get a photo of themselves in the book.

 Miss Ashley and Chris... Chris is new there,and still adjusting...

Soon they came and got Mom for dinner, and she did go with them. Cathy, Ashley and I laughed because Mom is the only one that sits where she wants to sit. Everyone has assigned seats except Mom. Mom is like me, she likes to break some rules once in awhile.  Mom got up quickly and I did not give her a kiss. I guess she was more interested in where or who she will be eating with. I kept looking in the dinning room window and there was Mom checking out the tables to see who she will be eating with. She did not notice me looking. She just kept smiling and several times she helped others in their chairs. Mom loves to help others.........

Even Tank gets up to go to dinner. All the helpers start gathering everyone for their dinner. Some do not want to go and say they have eaten, and some can't wait to eat again.