Louis Dean - the Singing Cowboy!

Louis Dean was the star of this Thursday!

We were in 'Get 'R Done' mode as we left the house around noon.

He had loaded up his guitar, music stand, music notebook and strap.

Plus he was wearing his Cowboy hat and boots!

Looking GOOD!

We did several errands on our way to Fort Worth and the nursing home.

The post office, gas station, stopped to get a battery for Louis Dean's pocket watch and a thrift store where I found the perfect fabric for backing the denim quilt I am making plus several towels for Mother's bathroom. They seem to keep disappearing.

All that was before we even left Irving!

Once in Fort Worth, we stopped for Gatorade (for LD when he sings) and a quick lunch at In 'N Out Burgers! That's where we picked up milkshakes - which were not that good! It will be back to Braum's the next time!

Just to keep him humble - I thought it would be fun to show you the station where we inadvertently caused a water gusher several weeks ago. Louis Dean hit something flat that was apparently a water cover. We noticed a nice shiny new hydrant there now!!

Here he is in all his glory!

He hung out in Lillian's room while I visited Mother.

Louis Dean singing Green River.......

but I only got part of it!

By the time I came in, he had already been singing over an hour!

Brenda joined us and requested he sing Grandpa....

So he did.....

and then sang his all time favorite song......

The ladies all love him!

I took a selfie with Lillian and then Louis Dean posed with her.

Notice I did not use the one of me.

She smiles for him!

He does love an audience and people would come in and listen to him sing for awhile.

Some sat in their wheelchairs at the door.

Lillian was most hospitable and invited them all in as they showed interest.

He held court by himself for the most part while I spent a few hours with Mother.

She fell early this morning when she was trying to get out of bed and bloodied up her elbow and hand. Her skin is paper thin and there is not one ounce of 'meat on her bones' so even a slight bump can cause bruising - much more so when she fell out of bed and hit the floor.

She was sleeping when I came in so I just sat by the bed until she woke up.

I had a chocolate shake for her and she is always happy to see that plus I brought her a piece of pumpkin pound cake. We talked a little. Mostly we just smiled and looked at each other and sat together. Mother decided to get out of bed and it was painful to see just how thin she really is.

She settled into the wheelchair with some difficulty and let me know she was cold. I put her shoes on and draped a blanket around her shoulders and another one across her legs.

I felt it was important to both of us to have this time today.

It was just the two of us.

For some reason I didn't think Louis Dean needed to come in and sing for her and I think he felt the same way.

We stayed all afternoon and left after the traffic hour this evening.

We were exhausted when we got home.

Louis Dean watched a football game while I did what housewives do.....

I emptied the dishwasher and loaded it up again - this time full of wineglasses from the dining room cabinet. Funny how all of a sudden you notice how dusty a certain area is!

I started a load of laundry - including the duvet I bought to use as a backing for the quilt.

I will need to cut it apart but I think it's going to work perfectly!

I sewed. We took out the garbage. Had a pizza for supper. Watched the news.

All simple everyday things.

But these kinds of activities are so far removed from the lives of those we had just visited in the nursing home.

It gave me pause.

At 70, I still have the energy to live life and take care not only of myself, but others as well.

I may be where they are one day.

It happens to all of us sooner or later if we live long enough.

We sat this afternoon and listened to 100 year old Roberta talk about her childhood and young married life and her work at General Dynamics.

I don't know where I am going with all of this tonight except to say that I am so grateful for my life and for our health. I'm grateful that Louis Dean still feels young.

Most of the ladies he sang to this afternoon were just about his age.

I'm grateful for my home and that I am fully capable of taking care of it.

I'm grateful for the time I had with Mother today.

And I am so very grateful that I get to come back here to my own home and take out the trash and do the dishes. Mother was never much of a homemaker so I don't know if she misses 'home' and I don't really know what she is missing about life if anything at all.

I just know I am grateful for the therapy of homemaking tonight.

It comforted my soul and my soul needed to be comforted.

And I am proud of Louis Dean for sharing his love and his music and his charming self with so many.

And I guess that's all I have to say about today.