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Thursday and Friday were exhausting, and I decided to do barely anything on Saturday, and then today I went to work.
I really need to record, though...
Wednesday I had the news from my stepsister that Dad was now unable to speak.
We packed ourselves up with overnight stuff and headed up Thursday morning, where we hung around all day singing songs for him and reading poetry and trying to have a good time, as much as we could. He sometimes seems to look at someone and recognize them and give a beatific smile, but mostly he lays looking half asleep, picking at his clothes, hair, beard and the oxygen tube. Still, he's said to us numerous times that he doesn't like to see us looking upset at his situation, so we tried, and when I can sing I can feel happy. We ran through everything we could think of - "Three Jolly Coachmen," "Three Jolly Rogues of Lynne," "Five Little Fiddlers," "The Whalloping Windowblind," "The Little Brown Mouse." And I think it was that day that I read "The Singsong of Old Man Kangaroo," and "Gunga Din."
Toward the end of the day we decided we would drive home, and probably that wasn't the best idea, because it meant driving up again the next day, but it was comforting to be home.
Friday everyone in the universe came to visit. Aunt Beejay and her and Dad's Cousin L, and Beejay's husband, our stepbrother and his wife, our stepsister's husband was there as he had been the day before (he's unemployed, so hangs around to make sure Dad's wife can get out and get errands run and such). BeeJay and L. had made Gramma's Chocolate Doughnuts - they'd found the recipe that Dad and BeeJay's grandmother had used and even cooked them in lard - because Dad always said he never tasted doughnuts as good, so it was kind of sad that he was no longer able to eat them. It was difficult to even convince him to take a tiny bit of watermelon or icecream. Everyone else enjoyed them - I don't think I've ever tasted a doughnut as good.
We said our goodbyes and told Dad that we're all well able to take care of ourselves, now, and will be fine. Hawk tried to play a few things for him on the violin, but, though he's learning quickly, I was still afraid that the pained expressions Dad made might have been because of that. ;) I assured him, though, that Hawk will take good care of the violin, which belonged to Dad's grandfather.
Today Hawk went up, and he said our Cousin M (BeeJay's son) brought several of his kids up and they sang a variety of songs, too. M's stepdaughter, C, sang "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," which I wish I had heard! :)
I guess I'll go up tomorrow, and the only other song I thought of which we did not sing on Thursday is "Bill Grogan's Goat," which should be done call-response barber shop quartet, so I really can't do such a good job of it by myself.
(ETA: if you read this last night you may notice the end of Thursday got moved to Friday - that's because that was where it belonged, which I realized in the middle of the night when I was thinking about the difference in the weather between the two days. Hawk was outside playing the fiddle on Friday, because of the gorgeous weather, while Thursday it had been cold and blustery.)
I really need to record, though...
Wednesday I had the news from my stepsister that Dad was now unable to speak.
We packed ourselves up with overnight stuff and headed up Thursday morning, where we hung around all day singing songs for him and reading poetry and trying to have a good time, as much as we could. He sometimes seems to look at someone and recognize them and give a beatific smile, but mostly he lays looking half asleep, picking at his clothes, hair, beard and the oxygen tube. Still, he's said to us numerous times that he doesn't like to see us looking upset at his situation, so we tried, and when I can sing I can feel happy. We ran through everything we could think of - "Three Jolly Coachmen," "Three Jolly Rogues of Lynne," "Five Little Fiddlers," "The Whalloping Windowblind," "The Little Brown Mouse." And I think it was that day that I read "The Singsong of Old Man Kangaroo," and "Gunga Din."
Toward the end of the day we decided we would drive home, and probably that wasn't the best idea, because it meant driving up again the next day, but it was comforting to be home.
Friday everyone in the universe came to visit. Aunt Beejay and her and Dad's Cousin L, and Beejay's husband, our stepbrother and his wife, our stepsister's husband was there as he had been the day before (he's unemployed, so hangs around to make sure Dad's wife can get out and get errands run and such). BeeJay and L. had made Gramma's Chocolate Doughnuts - they'd found the recipe that Dad and BeeJay's grandmother had used and even cooked them in lard - because Dad always said he never tasted doughnuts as good, so it was kind of sad that he was no longer able to eat them. It was difficult to even convince him to take a tiny bit of watermelon or icecream. Everyone else enjoyed them - I don't think I've ever tasted a doughnut as good.
We said our goodbyes and told Dad that we're all well able to take care of ourselves, now, and will be fine. Hawk tried to play a few things for him on the violin, but, though he's learning quickly, I was still afraid that the pained expressions Dad made might have been because of that. ;) I assured him, though, that Hawk will take good care of the violin, which belonged to Dad's grandfather.
Today Hawk went up, and he said our Cousin M (BeeJay's son) brought several of his kids up and they sang a variety of songs, too. M's stepdaughter, C, sang "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," which I wish I had heard! :)
I guess I'll go up tomorrow, and the only other song I thought of which we did not sing on Thursday is "Bill Grogan's Goat," which should be done call-response barber shop quartet, so I really can't do such a good job of it by myself.
(ETA: if you read this last night you may notice the end of Thursday got moved to Friday - that's because that was where it belonged, which I realized in the middle of the night when I was thinking about the difference in the weather between the two days. Hawk was outside playing the fiddle on Friday, because of the gorgeous weather, while Thursday it had been cold and blustery.)
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I think it's great that you are all gathering around and singing/reading aloud to your Dad.
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From: (Anonymous)
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music & the water.
LTA
hugs & rays of Artic sunlight
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