Here we are, 43 days with Fran here in Texas with us. We are blessed to have her just 12 minutes from our home door to her door and about 8 minutes from our workplaces. We visit daily at different times. Sometimes one of us can run over and see her in the mornings during her therapy sessions or during lunch hour. We always plan for at least one of us (usually both of us though) to be with her when her evening dinner tray comes. Then, we stay until she gets sleepy.

Levi was able to spend some quality time with his Grandmother during the month he was home from JMU for winter break. Philip and I were able to go out for dinner together a time or two while Levi spent time with Fran during the dinner hour. He would always have a funny story or two to share with us when he got home. He commented several times about how interesting Fran was to listen to when she shared some of her "growing up times" in Dobson, North Carolina. He was also amused with her "silly and funny" comments that she says from time to time.

Fran asked Philip to bring her in a supreme pizza with no pepperoni's. We decided to have a pizza party yesterday during Levi's last visit with her before he left today for JMU for the spring semester. We stopped at Pizza Hut and picked up a pizza for her on our way for the visit. The nurses got us all a big glass of iced tea to go with our dinner. We talked, laughed, and totally enjoyed watching Fran eat 2 big pieces of her special-order pizza.

Philip played his keyboard (we keep the keyboard in her room for our visits) for about twenty minutes or so. Fran made song requests and sang along some. She amused us by asking Phil to play the bird song. When asked what the song was that she meant, she replied, "My favorite song, the bird song". After more questions and much scratching of our heads, we finally realized she wanted Phil to play "On Eagles' Wings".

Therapy Update:
Small milestones are being met with Physical Therapy. Fran works well with her therapist, Charlotte. Her attitude is progressively better and she cooperates. She does most of her PT in bed. She is still fighting a bacterial infection, so the therapy professionals come to her room.

Momma May is working better with Occupational Therapy as far as turning back and forth in bed and pulling herself up, but she still needs assistance. Transferring from her bedside to her wheelchair is going better, but she still needs a belt and assistance from her OT specialist. She is now asking for the bedside potty chair, sometimes 2 to 3 times a day, on a good day.

Mental State:
Fran has many strong lucid times when we are with her. She also has times that we have to re-orient her to where she is, what day it is, and what time it is. She asks about Mary and Ed, Anita and Paul and all of her grandkids. She talked the other day about all the nice Christmas gatherings the May's use to have either at the farm or at Uncle Bob and Aunt Ginny's home.

She speaks fondly of Aunt Mary Freeman and all their travels together. I laughed the other day when we were talking about the "travel trees" she and Aunt Mary would put up for many Christmas's. (On each trip, they bought an ornament representing the place they had visited.) They didn't have enough room for all the keepsake ornaments.

Of course with her warm and fond memories, she still has some "make no sense" thoughts and comments. We laugh a lot and often and continue to reassure her that she is safe and under excellent care at Pleasent Manor Rehab.

We are blessed to have Fran here with us and just never know what each new day may bring. Continue to keep those cards and letters coming. We read them all to her and many times she likes to reread them herself. She really enjoys them.

Until the next update...
Love and prayers,
MB

From Mary, the Firstborn:
Anita and I are both blessed and thankful for Phil and Maribeth's dedication in caring for our mother. The timing is good because their "baby boy", Levi, went off to college this year, which leaves them in need of a project to fight off the empty-nest syndrome blues. It also allows me to be with Ed through his chemo treatments and to enjoy our RV here in Florida for the winter. Anita is very involved helping her family, taking care of her grandson, and working in Ohio.

I shall close with 2 phrases that we heard from Mother daily as we were growing up. To start our day, it was, "Rise and shine!!!" and as she tucked us in it was, "Nighty, night, don't let the bugs bite!"