Facebook is an interesting tool, even for Geezers like me.  Not too long ago we connected with someone our age who went to the same church Mary Ann and I attended.  It is where Mary Ann and I met.  Actually, Mary Ann and I had grown up together in that church.  It was a large enough congregation that we only knew each other’s names since both families were very active in the church. We didn’t really get to know each other personally until the summer after my first year in college.

Judy was a member there.  Her family was also one of the mainstays in the congregation. She knew both Mary Ann and me before we were a couple.  It is through Facebook that Judy and Mary Ann and I connected after some fifty years.  Judy now lives in a small town in Wisconsin.  She is in a leadership position in her parish there.  That parish has a Prayer Shawl ministry.

As Judy has read this blog, she has become very aware of the challenges we face day by day.  She decided to include Mary Ann in prayer as she worked on the shawl.  She sent us pictures of possible choices for the yarn, and Mary Ann picked out her favorite.  Today the package came.  Mary Ann had the shawl around her shoulders this afternoon and evening after I got it from the mailbox.  It is very beautiful, even matching some of the colors in the house.

I should mention that Judy also sent a treat for me.  Having read the blog posts about the newly opened Baskin & Robbins near us, and my Facebook urging that all the local people head over to get ice cream there and announce that Pastor Pete sent them, she knew that B&R gift certificates would be a very appropriate treat — for both Mary Ann and me.

Gratefully, Mary Ann had a pretty good night again last night. She was up for a while today, mostly in the sitting with her head in her lap position.  Friend Jeanne came over to spend the afternoon with Mary Ann.  Unfortunately, Mary Ann ended up folding and going to bed for a nap shortly before Jeanne arrived.

Jeanne stayed for the afternoon while I picked up coffee to go over and visit John who is recuperating from a back surgery, not yet able to get out much.  It was nice to have a couple of hours free to spend just talking about nothing in particular.  John has great stories from lots of interesting work experiences.

When I returned, Mary Ann had slept through Jeanne’s visit entirely.  I was able to get Mary Ann up for a while as Jeanne waited for her ride.  They did get a few minutes of visiting.

Mary Ann ate a reasonable amount for supper.  She stayed up for a while and ended up in bed at about 8pm.  Since she slept a number of hours during the day and didn’t get up until after 4pm, I am again expecting a difficult night.  I expected such a night last night, but it did not materialize.

You know that feeling when coming up to a traffic light that has been green for a very long time (I think called a stale green light), the feeling that the light is going to change just before you get there?  That is the feeling I have about the the good nights and reasonably good days we have had for a while now.  I am expecting the light to change any moment and the intense hallucinations to return.

The good thing is that I have been trying to get to bed earlier each night in anticipation of having a long and difficult night, hoping to squeeze in some sleep before, in between and after the bouts of dealing with the hallucinations.

I just went to check on her.  I think the light is at least turning yellow.  She said she was having dreams about the people again.  The journey goes on.

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