Mother Goose is still patiently sitting on her nest.
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I have not counted the days, but the eggs should hatch soon. She is so lucky that we had the heavy rains before she built her nest. The previous two years the nests were washed away and the eggs floated on the water. It is amazing that, quite suddenly, most of the geese have disappeared. One of the new cottage residents complained to the new Maintenance Manager because she was almost attacked. When we first got here, now almost four years ago to the day, there were 24 geese, coming and going. Even though we were not attacked, the sidewalks were dirty and difficult to traverse. Lately, we have only seen three geese, one of which lost its partner in an accident on the freeway entrance next door. This nest was built quite late in the season and for quite a while birds of prey have been circling in the air high above us.
Dancing around Covid-19
Even though Covid seems a thing of the past, new cases as well as Covid deaths in North Carolina pop up in the news. But here the rules are getting less strict, we are dining with four people to a table and outside entertainment is starting to come back. One of our favorites, singer Caroline, who used to perform for us every Thursday afternoon, is planning new performances. She asked me recently how my hips and shoulders were feeling. I had a series of problems when our little dog kept pulling me so fiercely that I fell and needed PT twice for a few weeks. The last time I danced I should not have, but I did it anyway and went right back to PT again. 🙁 Today, my hips and shoulders are well again and ready to dance, and I told her so. She will invite me when she is scheduled to perform, in July or August, and I will select a nice muumuu and leis and dance again. How wonderful. Things are getting back to normal.
Visits
One of our old-time (and yes, old) friends in Assisted Living passed away, and I got permission to visit his wife. I still needed permission, even though I am a fellow resident in Independent Living, but I got it, and we had a nice visit. I left a Sympathy card in her Bible, which was lying on the couch – a surprise for later, when she would be alone again. Two days later I called and asked if she had found my surprise in her Bible. No, she had not, and she immediately started searching for my brown envelope. Nothing. Until finally she said, “Oh, Ronny, I see your card! What a nice note, thank you so much.”
“Are you sure it was not in an envelope?”
“I am sure. It’s just the card. But my children were here after the funeral.”
I was really upset that visiting children would open their mother’s mail. But what could I do in a case like this? Let it rest, and be happy that only the envelope was taken, and not the card. Should I be aware next time, not to write something improper in case my friend’s mail get censored? Is this how adult children treat their old parents when they are in Assisted Living? I think not! I hope not! Perhaps when parents are in Memory care and don’t have their wits about them anymore; yes, then the children have to take care of all of their parents’ business. But not in this case, not until then!
Our son came to visit yesterday, to our great joy, and not only did we spend quality time together, but he also fixed our TV and our MAC computer. His oldest son is about to be honored in church as one of the graduating seniors who will leave for college in the fall. It will be the first time back to church for us, and we still have to register ahead of time. But that is the new normal, and it is all right!
It’s a Wonderful Life!
Until next time,
Ronny