My Sweetie-pie

Howdy, you all,

So many things to write about...so little time. I'd like to write about my Sweetie-pie today. My husband, Dub, (Walter), is a wonderful man, so caring and thoughtful, and he is slowly growing more forgetful and unknowing of the day or month of the year. I try to keep the day of the week and month written on our whiteboard on the fridge. Here we are together a few weeks ago at my brother, Hugh's, house .

He likes to sleep late in the mornings and I had told him night before last that he could sleep as late as he wished the next morning, because we were not scheduled to go to Knoxville to take my brother anywhere for an appointment. We do go quite often to Knoxville, ususally at least once a week and sometimes twice a week. He accompanies me and never complains about much of anything.

Well, yesterday morning, I got up and went out to water the flowers, and to put up a hummingbird pole to hang feeders for them. I also clipped the grass surrounding my roses, then put away the tools and came in to wash and eat breakfast. Then I went in to our bedroom to check on Dub where I thought he would still be sleeping. Lo and behold, he was up putting on his Sunday clothes. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm getting dressed for church." I said, "I'll bet you're thinking about Marian's birthday celebration, aren't you?" He said, "Yes" and I told him that it was still a few days before that, and that it was Wednesday.

You see, Judy is having a celebration of her mother, Marian's, 90th birthday on Sunday the 27th at a drop in at the church. Marian turned 90 a week ago, and the best time to set the celebration for her friends is this Sunday.

Dub has kept the celebration in his mind and doesn't want to miss it. He quite often gets something on his mind and will question me about it several times. He sometimes no sooner asks a question, than he will ask it again within a few minutes. That is one of the characteristics of dementia. He has been diagnosed as having dementia, of which Alzheimer's is a form. He has had two siblings die of Alzheimer's, and I have been observing changes in his behavior over the past several years.

We have a lot in common in the way that we grew up, neither of us having wealth in the form of money, but having a wealth of love between family members. We both knew that we were loved by our families.

He walks around very quietly in our home, and is sometimes a little sneaky. He likes to go into the kitchen at night and find something to snack on. He is a diabetic and I have to watch very closely to see that he doesn't have too much in the way of sweet stuff.

His steps have grown slower over the past few years, he stumbles sometimes, and it takes him longer to get ready to go somewhere, but that is just the way it is when we grow older, isn't it? We have been married for nearly 32 years, and we can almost speak each other's thoughts on any given occasion. We have gone through a lot of trials together, and I like to think we have gotten stronger with them. I know the Lord has helped us to be strong and to rely on Him always.

We talk quite often of our children and grandchildren (they are actually his step, but he never thinks of them in that way) and look at their pictures often and always enjoy reading or hearing about what they are doing. We love spending time with them, and feel it is never enough. We are ever so proud of all their accomplishments and love to brag on them.

Dub has a wonderful sense of humor and it is quite often that he says something that just has me "rolling on the floor laughing". He is a kind and gentle person, and much respected by all who know him. He is a rock and a constant supporter, a strong friend

and true, a believer in the Lord. Dub is my staunchest encourager.

I love him dearly and pray that he will be with us for a long time yet, and that the dementia will continue to be slow progressing and not fast.

This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. May God's grace and love be with each of you.