Another Scorcher

Hey, Y'all,
I know that some of you may not think that 98 degrees with humidity is a scorcher, but I think it is. Sometimes we can sit out in the breezeway at the nursing home and it is not too bad, but there are times around 4 p.m. when the day is at its hottest, and there is really not a breeze stirring in the breezeway. That is how it was today. Even Gramps was complaining that the heat was too much. So we went back inside. I think he may have just wanted to go back to bed.

This morning, soon after I arrived at the nursing home, we were told they were having church services in the dining hall, so Gramps wanted to go. He picked up his Bible to take with him and I put it in his lap and pushed him to the dining hall in his wheelchair. The service was being led by Reverend McCray and his wife. The reverend led the singing and songbooks had been passed out to all the attendees. The room was just about full. Some of the people who were there: Cora, who always has a beautiful hairdo, and who likes to sing a song before services begin; Dottie, who holds a baby doll, and continually rocks it in her arms, looking lovingly at it; Hazel, who continuously asks people to pray for her and asks Jesus to come for her; and of course, my Gramps, who tries to find the numbers in the songbook, and needs help. But almost everyone in the room sings and it is wonderful to hear and to see these seniors in so many different stages in their lives looking to the Lord for sustenance.

After we were through singing, Mrs. McCray spoke about fathers and their importance in the lives of their children.

Right after the church service, Sam came for Gramps and took him to therapy. I got his walker so that he would have it to use walking. When I got to therapy, Gramps was out in the hall way and walking with Sam. Gramps was standing alone and walking. Sam had a support belt around Gramps' waist, and gave him occasional support, then in a little while, he gave Gramps the walker and Gramps used the walker, with me following after with the wheelchair. When there was only one more hall to walk down, Sam sent me on ahead and took the wheelchair and rolled it along behind Gramps. They went all the way almost to Gramps' room and then I took Gramps outside to get some fresh air.

He wanted to come back in after about 20 minutes and it was lunch time. I sat with him while he ate lunch and then left when he went back to have some occupational therapy so that I could go and pick up some boxes that Judy had saved for me to pack with. I got a call then from our niece, Donna, that she was coming to visit him with his sister, Bonnie, so we decided to meet for dinner. We met at Shoney's and then I met her at the nursing home where we visited for over an hour. It was after that that I took him out before supper and he decided it was too hot after a few minutes.

As I said earlier, he was wanting to go to bed, but I held him off until after supper, because I knew he would just have to be gotten up for supper which comes at 5:30.
Well, it is about time for me to sign off, because these days are really long, and I may be going to bed soon. This is Blabbin' Grammy saying, "so long for tonight, more tomorrow." Tomorrow is Movie Day in Knoxville with the two sisters-in-law, and I'm looking forward to it. Love to all of you. Bye for now.