Pretty good day...

Dad had a typical night, sadly, of gettingup and down every 30-45 minutes to go to the restroom. We are so blessed to have caretakers who are geared for being up all night and who treat Dad with such patience and gentle care. Without them, Mom and I would be zombies! Mom has maxed out on being able to care for Dad through the night and again all day. It just became too much for her, God bless her. We had a new male caretaker last night, Greg, and he did a great job. Jerry was here throught the day and Christina is here tonight. We truly have been blessed with great loving, patient and skilled people.


I left this morning at 6 a.m. and headed to Austin to have breakfast with Ollie and then to spend the morning with Whitney to support her at mediation with her ex-husband in their custody battle over our grandson Austin. Please keep Whitney and Austin in your prayers as her ex was not willing to work with her and settle out of court. So, they go to court in June.


Jean came to spend the day with Mom and Dad. Mom has had an issue with the pointer-finger on her right hand. She had gotten a fungal infection in the cuticle that invaded the nail and caused a mucous cyst on the nail. It was quite interesting to see...something I had never seen before. She's been soaking it daily, under the instruction of her dermatologist,to clear up the fungal infection and went back today to have the cyst removed. She will lose the nail and we hope that the fungal infection is cleared up and won't affect the new nail as it grows in. She also had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from the back of her right hand. That sure served as a reminder for me to apply my sunscreen! My sunbathing days were over a long time ago, but the Internet says that it takes a very long time for the cells to develope into basil-cell or squamous-cell carcinoma. Too bad most young people won't listen to us old fogies about sunbathing without sunscreen and about tanning beds! Mom can sure tell them a thing or two about what happens as you age!


Jean said Dad was very quiet and not very perky during the day. I attribute that to his lack of sleep last night. By the time I got back here this evening about 7:00 he was very alert. I sat and talked to him about the events of my day and he was very attentive and laughed when I told him some stories!


After I had been here a little while, Mom came and got me and said that Dad wanted to tell me something. I went through a usual list of things to ask him and figured out that he wanted something to eat. It was an interesting process, but I figured out (EUREKA!!!) that he wanted a grilled cheese sandwich! He ate almost the whole sandwich and drank a half a glass of milk with it! I sliced some grapes and told him he had to eat those to counter-act the cheese in his belly, and he ate all of them! After he ate, Christina gave him a nice foot massage! I teased him about being spoiled and he grinned at me as if to say he knew it!! I did tell him, though, that he totally deserved to be spoiled!


Cousin Troy Smith is doing some geneology work on Grandpa Smith's side of the family. He has found a census report from Smith County in 1910 that documents Clay G. Smith (Dad's Grandfather who actually went by Clint Smith), who was born in Smith County and was married to Ida who was from Mississippi. It also documents their children as Cecil (Dad's aunt, age 6), Rice (Dad's father who went by his middle name, Sewell) and James (Dad's uncle whom, as an adult, lived in Palestine TX). Dad had told me that Grandpa Smith was born somewhere near Brady TX, which is in Smith County. If you know any further information about this, please contact Troy or me! I love knowing about our roots!


Dad is asleep in the bedroom recliner, so Mom and I are headed to our side of the house to go to bed. I will talk to you tomorrow! I pray that each of you rests well.


Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And in the morning when I awake, help me Lord, the path of love to take. Amen!