Adventure -- Grandma's tale of woe

In the last 8 months or so, we've noticed a real change in Grandma.  It's becoming obvious that her 91 years is starting to catch up with her.  She is still the woman who at 90 moved from one apartment to another down the street in her wheel barrow and who got caught walking through the fields, over the barbed wire fence, through the ravine to Walmart and back again.

Grandma is also the woman who can have the same 5 conversations on a 15 minute loop.  Except that now that loop is down to about 7 minutes.  Her ability to care for Vicki is being effected and she is worried more and more about things.

In February, the family had a conversation.  It was getting too hard for each of the kids and grandkids to help her out when she needs it.  We're all a fair distance away from her.  She was going to need more and more help, so she would have to come to us.  She could come to me or go to my Uncle, but she had to go somewhere.

I was up for the day taking her to appointments before my uncle and his wife arrived that evening.  She told me about the senior's home my uncle had talked about and said she wasn't sure she wanted to move to his town.  I said that was fine, but she had to move somewhere.  Either to Lloyd or to Regina.  She looked at me with utter surprise and horror.  Well, I'm not moving to Regina!!!


It was as though I'd asked her to join me in Vegas for a Grandma-Granddaughter strip-a-thon.

It was decided.  She would go to Lloyd.  We presented her with pictures of the home, the activity log, and the basic plan.  She reluctantly agreed she would do what we felt was best.  Now I know where I got my reluctant sigh of acquiescence as a teen.  It's genetic.

In the few weeks since the plan was put in place, Grandma has been trying to organize 50 years of her belongings.  She's been throwing out letters she received from relatives.  She's been getting rid of little trinkets she's always hated, but never wanted to get rid of for fear the person who gave it to her would come for tea.  She's paring down her belongings.

And she hates every minute of it.

I'm heading up today for the next week to try and give her a hand.  It will be an interesting process and I am sure will provide me with many moments of humour and many more of banging my head against the wall.

This move will be a really good thing for her.  If I don't it doesn't kill her first.