The way we were

Heard "The Way we were" on the radio the other day-seems it says it all. Faded memories-got a call from the nursing home that my partner had taken a fall, but seemed to have only a bruise on his cheek-they said vitals were stable and they were monitoring. I hurried with chores and went it-to find him in another room -he had his back to me and didn't respond when I spoke his name. I went to him and took him to get him back to his room, and he collapsed in the hall. The sweet cleaning lady helped me and we got a chair under him and rested there. His walking was much worse than it had been-hunched forward and doing the walking run thing-I am sure that is how he fell on his face. I got him to another chair in the big room, still on the way to his own room and he grabbed Mr. Kenton's walker to steady himself and Mr. Kenton, who is very sweet, took a swing at him, thinking he was stealing his walker. First, got Rasty sat down, then everyone came to deal with Mr. Kenton, who had calmed down, and I apologized to him and he smiled. He later went to bed with his cap over his face-poor thing. Got Rasty to bed this time, as he was falling asleep in his chair. He slept the sleep of a dead man-wouldn't respond to anything. He was hot with fever and his pulse rate was up. After a bit of discussion "YOU know these altzheimer patients,,,,,,,,,,,,,," the nurse, who refused to make eye contact with me, called the ambulance and we were off to the e.r.. Cat scans, blood work, x-rays and an e k g revealed nothing, but the two bottles of i.v.'s got him going again-he was severely dehydrated. BY that time he was walking up and it was time to get the heck out of there. I was worried that the rapid decline of ability to walk was actually secondary to something-and I think it was the dehydration. At any rate, please don't tell me about"these altzheimer patients" when I have been living with one for quite some time now. The nurse at the home and I parted friends, both agreeing that we were glad it turned out the way it had, and I left him in the hands of "Chuck"who is wonderful. Watching him with the people is like watching a violinist at a symphony-that man is a master.

Turned out my churro lambs yesterday and was enjoying watching them run and jump-with are just too happy for this cold world and brought joy to my heart. Mia is coming to load hay for me today-I can do it but those bales are so heavy and I hurt all night after I load up-just a few bales but they aren't easy to handle. Soon I"ll start using my own hay again and it will be easy again but for now it is the good alfalfa and the lambs are doing so well-growing and thriving. The wind is blowing today, snow in the forecast, but the precipitation is at almost normal now-perhaps it will be a good summer with water.

Got the seed catalogues in the mail, laughed and threw them out. I think I'll plant a "handkerchief garden" with cucumbers, peppers and okra.

I"m working on porki's-sales have been hot and I need to get them done up and out of the freezer.

I'm wondering if Hillary gets elected Bill can be her vice president?