Empty house.

Sweetie and her grandsons. 

This is such an old picture of the family. We were having a real hard time and were separated when this picture was taken. Now the two in front are taller then grandma. 

Sometimes, my time here with all of you, if feel like we are sitting at my dinning room table, and I'm sharing my life with Sweetie, and you. As we sit and drink coffee, or tea, or whatever, I feel safe to let emotions run and there is only support and love in the room. 

The life I live is a lonely one. Sure, I go out and meet and talk to others, but mostly they are strangers, or acquaintances. There are no knocks on the door, phone calls to answer, and most of all, there is silence. Not the physical silence, it is the mental silence, the non engaging silence that comes from, basically living alone. I hope you can understand that. Living with Sweetie is, if you will excuse the expression, living with an old pet. You can feed it, take care of its business, put it to bed, a steadfast pet that only knows how to express emotions without words. Knowing that the time is on its way that the end is near. And yet, we struggle on for each new day. 

Yesterday, I came home to an empty house. The front door was unlocked, and I guessed Sweetie and her sitter had taken a walk. Then I thought, the sitter doesn't know the neighborhood, and she doesn't know how to get Sweetie back in the house. I was right. Went out and found them, Sweetie bossing the sitter, and she was doing her best to keep her safe. They were both happy to see me. I need to give these sitters more in-depth instruction about her behavior. If this keeps up, I may have to find a better person/agency. 

That is one of the stops that Driver and I will have to take, to discuss what to do with Sweetie's sitters. Life is full of its ups and downs, and when I leave with someone that is suppose to know how to handle a person with dementia, I expect more than chasing them down when I get home. My Driver understands my stress, and we talk about it on the Road to Dementia Town. He's keeps encouraging me to Keep my Shiny Side Up. Let me do the same to you, and it is easy to remember, that by driving down the Road to Dementia Town, we are just driving through life, and with every mile, it is a new mile. So, keep your Shiny Side Up, and I'll catch up with you. C'ya, Love Ya, and God Bless.