Sweet lil ol Mema

I was memasitting last night.
Dad was at Bible study,
and Mom was at a monthly class at Erica's.
That left Mema at the house alone.

I have not really seen any of my older folks
for two weeks because of the weather and illness.
I bet the little children at the mall are
wondering where those nice old ladies are!

So, I went for dinner...
left over orange chicken from Ho Ping,
and took come banana pudding for dessert.
After the folks left....with much ado...
Mema and I did the dishes.
She knows where almost everything goes.
The things she doesn't,
she leaves on the counter for Mom.

We settled in for an evening of dogs playing,
laughing and silly television.
She wasn't too impressed with the SAG awards red carpet review,
but we didn't know how to change the channel.
There were a few times I thought she would fall out of her chair
reaching for dog toys to throw!
Crazy dogs.
Mema kept saying that she never wanted a dog,
but with Mom's schnauzer always in her lap,
the two of them sleeping in the afternoon,
I think she would be lost without Trixie!
Calls her little britches!

You may ask why I was memasitting?
I stayed with her for an hour a week ago,
while Mom and Dad went insurance shopping.
I left about thirty minutes before they returned.
The phone rang just as Mom and ?Dad were coming in.
Mema struggled out of her chair to answer it...
across the room...
she tripped and fell.
Hurt her ankle a bit, but no long term problems.

She is having trouble standing up from sitting,
unless she has something to push off of.
At that, it takes her at least two tries.
She has a stand up chair.
You've seen the commercials.
She says it takes too long.
Spunky woman!

She also seems to be having some trouble with her left hand.
She is always massaging it and sometimes has trouble holding things.

Mom said that she forgot how to take a shower the other day.
She sat in her shower on a chair for twenty minutes
trying to figure out how to work the hand held faucet.
Mom took her upstairs to their bathroom and helped her that day.

I suppose I felt most sad when Mema told me
that I didn't need to stay, she wasn't afraid.

This breaks my heart.
She doesn't realize that not only do I love visiting with her,
(and do not want to think about her getting older)
but I am there so that she doesn't get hurt, or fall, or get confused.

I remember her working as a waitress most of my childhood.
I remember traveling to her home
when my kids were young, and I was having trouble in my marriage.
She gave me the best advice and knowing that she too,
went through tough times and came out on the good side
was very comforting.
It is possible to have a long happy marriage.

It is very funny listening to her recall those days now.
She has a different spin on her marriage these days.
I don't think she was so mouthy or self assured in the early days!

I plan on spending as much time as I can with her.
These days are precious....
I may even start a blog about some of her memories.
She will be 87 this month.
Things were simpler when she was a child.
We could learn from her.
I know I do.
I don't know many people who still have their grandmother around.
I am very blessed.