My first morning back home with my Mom
Tallulah, West Coast Bureau ChiefI am in California at the moment, visiting my mom and tidying up some loose ends as I embark down a very slippery slope with my mother.
I arrived last night and my perpetually stressed out family had an extra dose of hi-octane adrenaline rushing drama...they lost my itinerary and couldn't remember when I arrived which fueled frenzied phone calls to the east coast and everyone was mad at me before I even arrived. I did nothing wrong, I sent my itinerary to my brother who, with his printer could have wallpapered the whole house with my itinerary. But they don't think that way...deep breaths.
Picked up at the airport shuttle depot, where everyone complained, I got in the car trying desperately to be cordial and arrived to the only home I ever lived in during childhood. And there was my mom. Waiting for me with that harried stressed out look, wanting so desperately to be relaxed enough to welcome me home, but so upset by the itinerary incident that there were no hugs...just pizza (I was starved - and it was excellent)
I fought back tears as I looked at her. She is tiny, hunched over, drawn, half the woman I saw 6 months ago. Her hair eskew, her eyes dull...the ravages of Alzheimers is certainly digging it's long talons deep within her. I am trying desperately to be optimistic.
I am here to clean out closets and preserve family history so she doesn't throw it away. I began this morning in her bedroom closet. One of my finds is my father's family "geneology" notebook. Pictured above is a hand tinted photo of my great grandfather fishing in New York. I guess a bunch of my father's side of the family settled in New York and Connecticut...who knew?
posted by Yaye & Tallulah at 5:02 PM
4 Comments:
Oh Parco, I'm so glad you arrived safe and sound! I'm here for you. We'll talk and help keep together each other's sanity. Like we always do. :-)
That picture is AMAZING! What a treasure!! Hmmm...family in New York and Connecticut, eh? Maybe we should go on a genealogy hunt this summer. Whattayasay?
Yep we should...but we'll have to start at some Presbyterian churches...that old man was the minister who tried to convert Hawaiians in the late 1800s. I suppose our friends on the island would not be too happy about him.
So check this out...this guy came from Scotland to america in 1854 to Hammond, St. Lawrence, New York...crazy ain't it?
You know that was 152 years ago. I don't know anything about Scottish customs. How can I be part Scottish and know nothing of what it means to be that? I think we need to plan a trip to visit the countries our ancestors were from. I don't think the Scots are all about Haggis and Kilts. You know when I'm PMSing I love to hear bagpipes, it makes my manic menstration a wee bit more tolerable.
Let's see, I know for my side we can go to England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, (Hawaii) what would you like to add to that list.
Top O the Morning, indeed! Well, all the countries you named would also go for me. I guess really you'd just have to add a trip down Africa way, but I have no idea where. Could we also pop over to Armenia for Mr. Y?
I'm so happy you are claiming your legacy, Parco! It's extremely cool!!
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