BOSTON, MASSACHUSETT

I arrived in Boston last Friday. The weather was beautiful. I had heard there had been a lot of rain and that the summer had been brutely hot. Friday and Saturday were beautiful, but it is hot again and will probably stay for the week. I leave on Friday and can't wait to get back to Oak Harbor and St. Stephen's.

Friday, my youngest son Bryan and I went to a meeting a Sherrill House where my husband Gus is a resident. The first floor, Alzheimer's unit had a BBQ for the families and residents. It was really nicely done. I had time to sit with Gus. My sister=in-law and brother-in-law also came with us. At first Gus didn't really know who I was. The longer we sat together and I talked quietly to him, there seemed to be a recognition of me. I said "It's your sweetie" and he said, "Yes". We walked around the patio and looked over the edge at a beautiful garden below. As we stood there with our arms around each other, he laid his head on my shoulder and I laid my head on his. We stood there for quite a while, and when we looked up, he reached down and kissed me. There are moments of grace in all situations. God is good. All during Gus' illness, there have been those moments when he seems to be aware of me and reaches out to me. I treasure those moments and know that it is God's gift to us.

As we were leaving the patio, the Monkey's song "Day Dream Believer" came on the radio. That was one of our favorite songs, and Gus started to move his hands and feet as though he was dancing, so did I. It was lovely - again our moment of grace. There are so many of those if only I can realize that they don't have to large, over the top - but moments of grace are personal, intimate, and truly a blessing of little gifts.

We had a meeting afterwards with his team of Social Worker, Doctor, Nurse, Psychiatrist. They are concerned that he has been displaying much different personality actions. He has always been nonaggressive, easily managed, but he now seems to be agitated, walking quickly up and downt he corridors, pushing at doors, trying to open outside doors, and setting off alarms. They say he seems angry. I said, "I bet he is, I would be too." Of course, because this is unusual, they are concerned that something else, besides the dementia is going on. I told them, previous doctors had clinically ruled out all other types of dementia, Picks' Disease, Frontal Temporal Lobe, etc. They were concerned there might be a brain tumor. They want to have him see a Neurologist and get a Cat Scan. Then if nothing else is wrong, they will change his seizure medication and that might calm him down. Please keep him in your prayers.

We had lovely news yesterday from my son's girlfriend. They are on a vacation to Russia, Sweden and Paris. My oldest son Will, while on this trip was going to ask her to marry him. She emailed that she had said "Yes", and sent a picture of the lovely diamond ring he had bought her. We are all really happy because she is a lovely young woman and they are great together. Well I'll sign off for today.

Don't forget Wilma Patrick's 91st Birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Wilma!