Birds in Focus, and That's Not All

Already my mom's improved vision is enriching her life and improving mine.

This morning when I visited to do her eye drops, she was excited to talk about how much better she could see. We stood looking out her window for a good fifteen minutes watching a large flock of starlings as they pecked their way across the lawn and splashed in a rain puddle. She recalled that she used to see them bathing in the puddle but "hadn't seen it in years". It's been happening, she just couldn't see it. 

Ordinarily during that fifteen minutes, in spite of my best efforts at making other conversation, she would have spent it telling me the same stories from the past, over and over. She often prefaced a story with the words, "I've probably told you this before, but . . ." and told it again anyway. I wondered more than once if part of this was simply a desire to talk, and she had nothing new to say because of being isolated during the pandemic. All along, she has also been incorporating into conversation stories from the more recent past, so this seems plausible. It seems to me that with more severe dementia she would not be able to recall those recent events at all.

I guess the disease is a continuum and there is no clear answer. But I find it interesting to observe and think about.

I do wonder what the testing at her next geriatric appointment will show. Will there be an actual reversal of what was previously noted as deterioration? 

It's not just the birds she is seeing better. She has realized there is a worn, holey section in a blouse she wears a lot. It has been like that for months but now she can see it. When we went for groceries yesterday, she lingered over items she has never shown any interest in during the time I've been taking her. She recognized mushrooms as something she used to eat. She noticed the many kinds of cold cereal and we had a discussion about what kinds she might want to try, now that she's not cooking. She was easily able to see that the coffee she chose was the right kind (decaf). 

I'm a bit teary just remembering it. And I think she's all in for surgery on the other eye.

So am I.

*****

Funnies!

 

 

 

 

 

(You might have to enlarge the photo to see the pet in the second green circle.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donkey says: I do this. Repeatedly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****

Apologies if I've repeated any of these memes. 

Hope you're having a good day, or, for those on t'other side of the world, a good evening/night :)