In the Court of the Crimson King

Its like totally stupid. All the fuss made over Ronald Regans death at 93. He succumbed to the effects of alzheimers. Well. Yes. But that was a tragedy he faced as was disabled by while he was in his 80's. That was the tragedy. That he croaked at 93 is like. Remarkable. He was spoon fed, his ass was wiped by the hired hands. He lasted Allllll that time coming and going in and out of the here and now. That was the tragedy. Not that he died at 93. My mother-in-law has it and she's in a place where every now and again she'll respond to something said. Sometimes she'll answer the phone. She'll say "hello" and respond to your first question if she recognizes your voice. Then she'll abruptly hang up. But tbats like 'lucid'. She, the rest of the time just stares off somewhere, or looks into your eyes angrily. My mother in law before this onset was the sweetest, cookie bakinest, wouldnt say shit if she had a mouthfull woman ON THE EARTH. A Lutheran and poor, she was barely educated, but she ran the pack at the Abbotts. And deflected Duke the Dad when he needed it. She was still attractive even into her early 60's and she'd go on long walks to keep her figure. Then the Alzheimers hit... She went on furious food buying binges, stashing hundreds of dollars worth of junk food in a myriad of places around the house.Then came the huge weight gains...Then came the silence. IT WAS DEVISTATING for the Dukester. It rips up my wife, and Tim. Michael is silent to me about his feelings. And Bec lives wayyyy away, and doesnt talk to me much anyhow. I sit with her sometimes when Duke is here doing something. She grabs her purse and stands up. When this first began I'd say, "going somewhere honey?" and she'd sit back down. Now we all just say "grandma, ya ought to sit down," I remember one day a year ago when Me and Hannah, and Grandma were at Subway. Hannah went in to get the orders, and I was outside in the cah with Grandma. I was listenin to the radio and I yawned. "Are ya sleepy honey?" she asked me. And that sorta startled me... "No Grandma", I replied. Then I yawned again. Again she said "are ya sleepy honey?" and I again said no. Then a third time and the same response except this time I said "yeah Grandma, I must be gettin sleepy... I keep yawnin..." But its like soooooo sad and soooooo down. When she sits for a long time she has this curl in her hair on the right side in front that she just twirls. Thats it. She has to be reminded to take a bite when were eating. But she can still put it away. And I hope she's comfortable. I used to rant a lot especially around Hannah, "pick this up...pick that up.." But it freaked out Grandma, and when we were in Colorado, Grandpa upbraided me in public about being a public nuciense with my nasty attitude and habitual picking at Hannah because she'd slighted me. So I've even shut up about dat too....Well gotta go go go ....
Bowe