The 101st birthday party for my grandmother's friend, Lois Taylor, went well. Mam-ma looked better than she has in months... she was dressed and ready when I arrived, wearing white slacks, a purple t-shirt with a purple/blue printed crinkled fabric shirt jacket. She had on beautiful irridescent rhinestone earrings, makeup and lipstick, and LOTS of cologne! Nobody could believe she will be 98 in November!
Ms. Lois looked great, too, and the two ladies had quite a time sitting together and sharing lunch and conversation. Ms. Lois wears hearing aids in both ears, but she and Mam-ma seemed to converse fairly easily. Mam-ma saw old friends... and made some new ones. The way children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews dote on this lovely woman is truly amazing... and everyone was so warm and loving toward her. She is truly a remarkable woman... and very much the matriarch of the family. I think the youngest guest I saw was three, and the oldest after Mam-ma was 90... quite a range!
Ms. Lois looked great, too, and the two ladies had quite a time sitting together and sharing lunch and conversation. Ms. Lois wears hearing aids in both ears, but she and Mam-ma seemed to converse fairly easily. Mam-ma saw old friends... and made some new ones. The way children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews dote on this lovely woman is truly amazing... and everyone was so warm and loving toward her. She is truly a remarkable woman... and very much the matriarch of the family. I think the youngest guest I saw was three, and the oldest after Mam-ma was 90... quite a range!
I didn't know most of the guests, but a nephew of the honoree struck up a conversation, and I learned that he is a gerontologist for the state of Oklahoma. We had a great visit, and I gained some tips and discovered a few things about myself and my caregiving situation that I had never considered. He gave me his card, and I'm sure I'll be in touch at some point. I hope to share some of his thoughts and suggestions on this blog.
Mam-ma behaved fairly well - she did declare to one grandson that "I don't think I've seen you since you got so fat!" For the record... he was not fat - not even close! He didn't seem to notice, thank goodness... or maybe he was being polite.
On the way home, I told Mam-ma that Lois's nephew was interesting, and she said, "Well, I noticed you two hit it off, and I told Lois...'He's met his match. If he can out-talk her, he's really done something!'" It's a good thing I'm used to my grandmother, or I would probably have driven off the road! I just never know what she will say. I told my sister, I know I can talk a lot, but I wanted to say, "Pot, meet Kettle!" Then my sister reminded me that Mam-ma had told her recently that, "I just don't talk much any more." I told my sister that Mam-ma's jaws never stopped flapping the whole time we were at the party!
Before we left, the grandson Mam-ma had insulted told her that when she turns 100, he plans to throw a party for her at their resort, which is lovely. Mam-ma assured him she would remind him in a couple of years... and I have no doubt she will do just that! This is a loving, warm, very friendly family... they just don't know what they have gotten themselves into!
Before we left, the grandson Mam-ma had insulted told her that when she turns 100, he plans to throw a party for her at their resort, which is lovely. Mam-ma assured him she would remind him in a couple of years... and I have no doubt she will do just that! This is a loving, warm, very friendly family... they just don't know what they have gotten themselves into!
Mam-ma had told me she wanted to eat and leave after the cake was cut at 1:30. At 2:30, as most people were leaving, I whispered to Mam-ma that perhaps Ms. Lois was tired and too polite to leave as long as she still had guests. Mam-ma said, "Well, I guess we ought to go, then." The grandchildren were already talking about the 102nd birthday, and something tells me we might be returning for it next summer!
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