Snippets

Jenny Robertson's FedEx penguin return was Monday's top story in Baton Rouge's newspaper: The Advocate. Way to go, Jen.

Later on Saturday, Doug Melton and Mark Carter visited Mom, to round out the Saturday visitors. She loves to see those guys.

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were days of long distance relatives' visits:

• Sister Pat Caggiola, and husband Larry, from Bossier City.
• Sister Jane Grismer, and husband Jerry, from Little Rock.
• Sister June Post, and son Frank, long distance from Colleyville!
• Grandson Baron, from Denham Springs, LA.
• Also, Tommy from WNH, Connie from WNH, and prolific mother Stephanie Hunsinger(and I'm sure I missed some people - apologies).

Still, this was not enough, as Mom demanded Janet and Bob Dodson's appearance:
Me: "Janet and Bob were just here on Saturday."
Mom: "They are retired now, and they can come visit again."

Austin and Kacy have provided decorative artwork for the walls of Mom's room at Kindred. Toria Post has also contributed her considered art talents to the room. (Nancy Cotharn Update desires emailed pictures of Toria[creating her art] and Preston[in Tae Kwon Do stance])

Mom is demanding her cell phone. She made her first outgoing call on her room phone: a late night call to the nurses' station at WNH. Shape up, whoever is on duty. She might show up in person next time.

My son (Jake) played a DVD of a Jazz Band song performance for Mom. Other visitors were in the room, so he turned off the DVD after one song:
Mom(insistent, pointing at the laptop computer): "Play the rest of the concert!"
Jake: "These people don't want to watch the entire concert."
Mom(matter of factly): "If they don't want to watch, they can leave the room."
You should know that we all watched (most of) the rest of the concert.

Note: Jake's Jazz Concert was expertly filmed by my beautiful and brilliant film school graduate cousin: Brooke Dodson. She is for hire -for weddings and parties. She is accomodating, and pleasant, and is the most talented videographer you could possibly hire, as she already has two years post graduate experience in the business, and has produced and shot two dramatic movies, along with documentary and for-hire projects. Get her now, before her schedule becomes completely overloaded with commercial and movie shoots:

SBDodson Productions

sbdodson [at] gmail.com

She'll be the best contractor you've hired in years.

I am being firsthand reminded of all the nice things Mom does on a consistent basis. She is ordering me to take on her various tasks:

• Go and get Jake's awards framed - in nice frames, so he can be proud of them. Do it before he leaves for California.
• Go and pick up sandwiches for everyone who is coming to visit.
• Go and make sure Baron gets high quality golf shoes, and pay for them(I got partially out of that task, as I do dislike shopping).
• Do x,y, and z around the house. Prepare these beds for these persons. Set up this area for people to do their make-up. Purchase this food to feed them while they are at the house. And this juice. And these desserts.

Come to think of it, I've shirked almost every one of those tasks. For all of you who are unsandwiched, unjuiced, undesserted, and in possession of unframed awards: you clearly cannot count on me.

An old story: Nurses frequently awaken Mom, and ask her the month and the year, to make sure she is thinking clearly, and nothing untoward is happening with her brain. I walked in her room one day, just as she was waking up:
Me: "Hi Mom! Are you awake? Do you know what month it is?"
Mom(gives an exasperated sigh): "Everybody asks me that!"

Jake visited Mom in full graduation gown. She loved that.

Baron purchased Mom a Mark Texiera jersey/t-shirt. She loved that.

Thanks from her for all the flowers and plants! We're desperately trying to keep the plants alive, until Mom can get home and give them some expert care.


Bank officer cousin Kathy Helgason opened an account for Jake. Baron and I sat in:

Kathy(typing info into computer + singsonging):
"I know your Grandmother's maiden name!"

Baron Post Cotharn:
"What is it?"

[...]

Kathy:
"Jake, what is your address?"

Jake(who just moved to a new house):
"Um... I've got to call my Mom!"

Kathy(reassuringly):
"That's okay. Can you tell me your phone number?"

Jake(frantically clicking keys on his cellphone):
"I've got to call my Mom!!"


Kindred Hospital, Room 212:

Aunt Jane:
"My great-grandchild Annika is sooo happy!"

Aunt Patsy:
"I've never seen my great-grandchild Abby shed a tear! She is the happiest baby ever! And she never sees a stranger!"

Aunt Jane:
"Annika is sooo personable. She just glows when she meets new people! And she's under contract, you know - as a professional model!"

Aunt Patsy:
"Abby is just beautiful! Leslie dresses her in the most adorable outfits!"

Aunt Jane:
"You should see Annika in her modeling outfits! She's so adorable in this bikini!"

Aunt Patsy: et al; ad infinitum.

Aunt Jane: et al; ad infinitum.

Vachel(sitting in chair): zzzzz

Larry(sitting in chair): zzzzz

Jerry(sitting in chair): zzzzz

Mom:
"That is so interesting! Tell me more. Wait, let me tell you about Kacy...."