Driving Mr. Slack

I have become my father's personal driver. He gets into the car on the driver's side and we have to talk him out and into the passenger's seat.

He drives by pointing the way for me to go. He tells me to turn left or right to get to town although we have both lived here for over 30 years.

I park and he walks and I knit. He isn't gone long. He seems to like to be seen by people and walks more upright and doesn't use his cane as much. He seems more his own self and not the forgetful person I have come to know.

I can run a quick errand by I'm never gone long. I feel safer by waiting close to where we have separated.

Spencer is also getting used to us going together and waits for us to return and stands in the driveway as we approach.

Obama is going to win and it'll be awesome to see an African-American as president. I think Americans have to learn to deal with themselves as we learn to adjust to changes in the world and how to still be a big player in the world economy. I see Barack as someone who can help us deal with ourselves, our history and point us to a good future.

Garden is almost gone now. I'm cleaning it each day and I feel good to be working in the garden soil again. I dug potatoes and cleaned up the gladiolas bulbs and brought in more turnips.

I have had a bonanza in white french turnips. I stuck the baby seedlings in where I had harvested the onions. They grew quickly and now they are full grown and ready to harvest. We tried to donate some to the food pantry but nobody knew what they were. I've been learning to like sauteed turnip, turnip and chard greens, turnips in rice vinegar, mashed turnips and potatoes. They are all very good but we can't eat them fast enough.

Dad is restless and walks around the house waiting for the good sunny weather to leave and the winter to come. I think he sees winter as how they were when he grew up in Montpelier in the 30's and winters were cold and snowy. Last year we had nothing but sleet and ice.

We are trying to figure out how to administer the stuff that will help him relax. Not sure how much to give him. I suggested we put Erika in charge of researching the problem because she is a nurse and knows quite a few medical doctors at her job as a cancer treatment center.

Sigh

Feeling sorry for myself at times today. Wish Dad could just sleep while we are gone. We picked Apples and got grape juice today at Watkins Glen. It was sunny and the foliage was beautiful. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the village and then drive up the hill to the orchard. We worked as a team picking the apples quickly, getting them weighed and out of there. Then we drove to the winery for the grape juice and drove home. We commented on the foliage.

Dad and Spencer were sitting on the porch waiting. Dad was made because we were gone for over 3 hours. Spencer is more forgiving.

Dad drank the watered down sherry we gave him and fell asleep on the deck.

Talking with my sister

My sister came for a walk today and we talked alot about Dad's condition. Spencer and her dog Alanzo went with us.

I told her about his behavior of late and a little about our trip.

The Pres Debate

Dad says he's going to watch it. He keeps asking who are the candidates.

Spencer has been dedicated to keeping the squirrel gang that attack the bird feeder every morning up in a tree.

Morning Routine shaken up

I had begun to look at the news on the laptop. My Dad had been buried in his morning paper and had not acknowledged my presence when I came in for breakfast. But now he was in action and according to my mother, had been listening to the "60 Minutes" story on the Wall Street Meltdown the night before and was worrying about his money again.

He stated he was going down to see.... he didn't remember the Merrill Lynch broker's name... and then go for his walk.

I waited upstairs for my mother and father to talk it over. She calms him down while I seem to only get him more excited when I try to say anything to him that makes sense.

So my Dad is having a brain meltdown as the Fall begins and we are having an economic meltdown. How very cleaver.

He is going down right now and he is driving the car..he says. I wait for him to go outside and then come down and begin getting ready to take him. She will continue to work on him to give up the keys.

When I return my Dad is ready for me to take him down. He's remembered that he has to see Kurt, the investor at Merrill but thats it. I have to show him where I will park and he has parked there thousands of times over. I run to the store to pick up some milk and return quickly to the parking lot and wait. It is only a few minutes and I see him walking with his stooped walk towards the car. He is ready to go home and hopefully will be quiet for a few hours.