"The gully was a paradise for us kids!"

June 29, 2014

I picked up my Mom a few days ago from her house to go on a little outing.  We ended up going to visit my older sister for a few minutes who lives just up the street from my parents, and then we went down to a nearby shopping place where we picked out a treat from the Sweet Tooth Fairy . . . yum!  My Mom still definitely loves her sweets and so do I!  And we looked around a little in a few shops, which was my Mom's idea.  My Mom's love for shopping is still alive and well! :)

Mom, Dad, brother and sis-in-law, at nephew's baby blessing, June 29, 2014

We left my car in the parking lot there and proceeded to go on a little walk for probably a few miles round trip, in a neighborhood where we (my Mom, Dad and older sister) lived from the time I was about 3 years old to 7 years old.  And I think my two younger sisters even lived there for a short time when they were just new babies.  Wow, it's amazing how much I remembered about the old neighborhood from way back then!  I was surprised to find that I could name a handful of the families that lived on my street . . at such a young age!

We took a walk down memory lane, passing the house that we lived in and finding that it had been knocked down and a brand new house built in its place.  It's a beautiful home there at 1944 Yale Avenue in Salt Lake City!  As far as I could tell, my Mom had very little memories of this home and neighborhood.  As I was naming all the families that I could recall, and reminiscing how I remember our lemonade stands, walks to church and riding bikes down that street, I'm not sure she remembered.

The house that was foremost in her mind was her house that SHE grew up in years and years ago, and ironically that house is just about 5 blocks west of this home, on the very same street, Yale Avenue.  Unfortunately we didn't have time to go walk down the five blocks to that house, and it was beginning to sprinkle rain on us, but that's where she grew up and where my grandparents lived until the time they died.  That's where the "gully" runs behind the house that she talks about all the time lately.  That's where my Mom has so many memories from her early childhood . . . even still!  As we walked along the streets that afternoon, in the sprinkling rain,  my Mom talked of her friends that she played with and about her adventures in the gully as a young girl!

Sisters and nephew Johnny, June 29, 2014

At one point, my Mom said, "let's go home and see if 'Dick the Doc' is there."  I wasn't sure that I heard her correctly . . . was she talking about her Dad and my Grandpa Richard ("Dick") who died about 50 years ago, before I was even born? 

"Who is Dick the Doc?" I asked her.

"Since my brother is Rick and my Dad was Dick, people sometimes got them mixed up, and so we call my Dad, "Dick the Doc."  She laughed as she reminisced and talked about her Dad.  I'm not sure if she was thinking he was still alive or if she was talking about him in the past.  I love to imagine that reunion between her and her parents one day!  I think she really looks forward to that great day!

My Mom seemed extra confused yesterday about simple things.  She picked up a bottle of syrup on her kitchen counter and could not figure out what it was or where it belonged . . . and as she went to get into the front seat of my Suburban, she asked me if that's really where I wanted her to sit, and then said that she felt like she was in a baby seat, or a car seat as she sat there in the seat she has been in many times. She seemed to go in and out of knowing who I was and then not being sure who I was . . . and knowing who my Dad is . . . . and not . . so strange! 

Memory book memory:  I asked my Mom a few years ago what her favorite thing was about her home she grew up in on Yale Avenue.  She said, "The gully!  We had a fish pond with fish in it, we played in the river, waded in the river, played hide-n-seek, and walked the many trails all around down there that led to other people's houses . . . it was a paradise for us kids!"  I bet it was! My Mom and Dad lived in that house when they were very first married, while my Mom's parents were on a mission in Australia, but then had to move out when my grandparents came home early . . . because of Grandpa's sickness! 

Their newest grandchild, Johnny!

I was surprised to find out that my Mom rode her bike all the way up Emigration Canyon this past week . . . by herself and without her helmet!  I think she forgot the helmet, which might be a first!  It's a ride she has taken many many times by herself and with others, but I don't think she's done it on her own for a while!  As far as I know, it went ok for her and she must have found her way home alright, but that really makes me nervous!  I don't think she should be doing that anymore!  


Flashing back to a little over 4 years ago . . .


February 22, 2010

Random Experiences and Quotes by Mom in 2009:
   
I drove in to go to lunch with my Mom with the hopes of being able to somehow help her clean out the bathroom drawers in their master bathroom. My Mom has always been the one that has kept those drawers clean and organized, and right now they are an unorganized MESS . . . with her make-up, jewelry, combs, bobby pins, etc. all mixed up!  I found it to be a little too awkward and thought it may offend my Mom by making the offer to help her clean them, so I decided I’m going to do it one of these days while they’re out of town.  Will she notice?  I don't know!  

Me and my Mom's side of the family in about 1972!
I am the one with a striped shirt and piggy tails!
My Mom was probably taking the photo! 

“I hope no one else gets this disease!  It is not fun!”  My Mom said this one day, on a day that I wasn't being very strong.  Sometimes I find myself so strong, and others not so much!  I could not control my emotions that day and broke down right in front of her.  “Did I make you cry?  I’m so sorry!” she said.  We then had a discussion about the fact that her Dad might have had the same disease – early onset Alzheimer’s disease.  She agreed and thinks he probably did, although he was never diagnosed as having that.  I always heard that he had Picks Disease, but it’s not clear to me.  Maybe we were told that so that all of us who have a 50% chance of getting the disease will not spend our lives worrying.  I definitely think about my chances of getting it one day . . . but luckily not too much!   


One day we went and had lunch together at the Red Butte Café in Foothill Village, and had a great time.  She had a hard time remembering names of people and names of familiar restaurants, but then most of them came to her later as we drove home in the car.  At lunch that day is when I started filling out my book of memories of my Mom, a book that was given to me by a good friend.  I hope to get the whole book filled out one day!  I asked her questions about her early childhood and I think she loved talking about those good old days! 

“I think my tennis days might be almost over . . .", my Mom said to me one day recently. "I’m really not playing well . . . my friends don’t really ask me to play in my regular group anymore, but I’m just a substitute in a group of older ladies."  Older or not, I'm so grateful for those ladies who still include her!

I’m so thankful for the friends that have stuck by my Mom and have not been afraid to face the disease and have continued to be a good friend to her.  (Virginia Stevens, Susan Cottrell and I’m sure there’s many many others I don’t know or hear about.)  I think what’s possibly happened to some of her closest friends is that they are busy and don’t understand the disease enough tor realize how very aware she is, that she still has feelings of being left out.  I think they think her mind is already pretty much gone!

“Don’t forget I think you’re a great daughter!”  My Mom said this to me one day, and as you can imagine, I don't ever want to forget it!  And right back at her I told her that I don’t want her to forget that she has been the best Mom ever!

My Mom can’t wait to get out on her bike any chance she gets!  That’s her therapy!  I don't know what she'd do without that! 

I've noticed lately that my Mom isn't wearing her usual make-up.  Lipstick is about it lately. Maybe I'll have to teach my Dad how to do the make-up.  He's learning to do everything else! 

My Mom keeps telling me that she either needs to lose a little weight or buy some bigger pants.  She had to unbutton her pants even before we started eating lunch one day. My Mom has always been a small lady and I'm pretty darn sure has never had a weight problem, but I think she may have put on 5 or so extra pounds that she's not used to.  She loves her sweets and probably forgets when she has already had some. A few extra pounds is not going to hurt anyone . . . especially if you're able to enjoy your life!  I'd say let her eat and do what makes her happy!

Here are a few of my Mom's favorite things that she talks about a lot, and I don’t want to forget:  teaching high school nursing careers class, oatmeal raisin cookies, playing tennis, riding her bike, singing and dancing! My Mom and I look forward to singing and dancing in heaven together one day! :)  We always joke about that!

I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to be learning through all of this, but I’m betting it’s because perhaps there will be a day that I will have to deal with more loved ones with  similar issues. Maybe . . . but hopefully not!