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.