Sunday Salon

We began Christmas break with two snow days.  The first day was a true blizzard outside resulting in 10 inches of snow and high winds.  I was thankful that the second day, Friday, I was able to brave the elements by the afternoon and meet a friend to purchase gifts for a family from school we adopted.  We did all the shopping for them, wrapped and delivered the gifts that day.

I have accomplished some wrapping, some cleaning, some reading, with hopes for a lot more.

Last night as I was teaching my girls how to play Trivial Pursuit Junior my mom called to ask if we had seen my dad.  She had been running errands and he had been gone for a while even after she returned. He is suffering from dementia/Alzheimers and despite not having driven much of anywhere, was out in his truck.  A three hour search by my husband and brother and a call to the local law enforcement, who then were looking as well, ensued.  Finally, just before I was going to bed, my mom (who had my brother and two friends with her), called to say that a hotel worker at AmericInn just over an hour away called her to say that my dad was there. He was confused and she was able to finally get some information out of him. She then googled him and found my parents' phone number.  My mom and brother were taken to get him and bring him back home.  Alzheimers is such a strange sickness. Having the police involved would normally have made my dad very upset, but he was fine with this and the whole fiasco didn't seem to register with him at all. Today my girls went to keep my mom company for a bit, but by the time I got there near supper-time, he was agitated again, continuing to talk about going home to Minneapolis, a city he had not lived in for nearly forty years. Unfortunately things will not be getting better because that is just how Alzheimers is, and my dad is young and physically fit.

With that excitement kicking off break, I am hoping that Christmas is enjoyable. Tomorrow we go to my parents' for Christmas and the next day to my in-laws.  My 40th birthday (I'm still in denial) and 15th anniversary are also coming up in just 4 days, so there is a lot of celebrating to do.