Descent into Alzheimer's Disease

I have good news and bad news. The good news is we had a nice time together eating lunch with my sister at Figi Island. More good news is that even though it looked like Mom was NOT gonna go to the dentist, not only was I able to get her there; he did all the work he had planned to do in two visits. The bad news: Mom’s teeth have moved and he can’t get her plate to fit. Because of the material it’s made of and because of the spacing between different teeth, it looks pretty impossible. So..... the new Naomi is one with only 4 bottom teeth. She looks like a bag lady, but the truth is she would have only continued to hide her plate even if he could fix it. Dr Loudon talked to me and said he was worried that Mom was gonna continue to have cavities with each visit. I told him I fully expected that and I was sorry that I wasn’t doing a better job with her mouth. He said he thought I was doing great and it would be much worse if it weren’t for my efforts. Maybe he doesn’t think I’m a neglectful daughter who is too lazy to brush her sick mother’s teeth after all. We walked out of the dentist’s office and she pulled half a peeled banana out of her pocket and asked me what to do with it. I told her she could eat it if she wanted to. She did.

On the way home from Figi Island, Mom started singing along with me to “Keep on the Sunny Side”. I swear I don’t think she remembered the words to this song until I started playing it over and over recently. I didn’t know she was still capable of learning something new. Anyway, we rode along harmonizing.... “keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side of life. It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way, if we’ll keep on the sunny side of life.” [that’s all she knows... well she knows almost all of that] She slaps her knee and really gets into it.

Keep on the Sunny Side

There's a dark and a troubled side of life,
There's a bright and sunny side too;
Though you meet with the darkness and strife,...
The sunny side you also may view.

[Chorus]
Keep on the sunny side,
Always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life;
It will help us every day,
It will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life.

Oh the storm and its fury raged today,
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear;
Clouds and storms will in time pass away,
The sun again will shine bright and clear.

[Chorus...]

Let us greet with a song of hope each day,
Though the moment be cloudy or fair;
Let us trust in our Saviour away,
Who keepeth ev'ry one in His care

[Chorus...].

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. .