May 12th...Happy Dance

...The parking lot is filled to capacity at Corinthians when I arrive at 10:30. They have had a marketing meeting today so Carla has not seen Ruth. The residents were served a continental breakfast in their rooms. I had high hopes that that went well...not so much.... Ruth had saved each item to show me just how lousy it was. She said she was so excited about being served breakfast in her room but she expected some nice scrambled eggs, maybe some sausage, etc. She says this place even messes that up. I tried to explain what a continental breakfast is .She says I am always making excuses for this place. I laugh and tell her she is right. In less than 20 minutes she smokes 2 cigarettes, finishes her beer , and finishes the shrimp that Cindy brought her.
A knock on the door finds her quickly extinguishing her cigarette so that she won't 'get caught' smoking. It is Cindy(that's right, the head of housekeeping is also named Cindy) and Devon coming to clean her air conditioner. She is talking 90 miles an hour about the lousy breakfast, how the people are great, and could someone please clean up the lint in the laundry room. As always, Cindy is GREAT... Devon finishes his cleaning while Ruth walks Cindy down to the laundry to be sure she sees exactly what she is talking about. I am waiting for her in the hall and trying to get some fresh air when Michelle (director) stops by to see how things are going. She says Ruth seems to be doing fine and that she thinks she is only complaining to me, like a kid who is dropped off at school. Ruth spots Michelle and zips back down the hall to say Hi... they chat... I listen...Michelle says she has to go...Ruth tells her the people here are grand, just grand...
Ruth is in a good mood. She asks about Mike and says how stressed we must be over this thing with ADT. She says Claire brought her flowers for Mothers Day but she can't remember what kind. She is embarrassed. I point to the lovely white roses that Cindy brought and she says that those are the ones she thought Cindy brought but she wasn't sure. She adds,"Of course they are the ones Ruth, they are the only ones in the room. I am just so stupid, so damn stupid." I tell her she has a lot on her mind. She laughs and says," there you go, always making excuses."
We change her pillow cases to match her sheets. She says she needs some bleach. I say we can go to Kroger. She says, no ,she wouldn't want to do that. I feel brave so I tell her that we need to start thinking of somewhere to go to get out of her apartment. She says she can't think of anywhere she would want to go. She says she needs to have her toenails clipped. I say we can go get a pedicure as it is Wednesday and the Salon is open. She says that is a great idea. We walk down, the salon is closed today. I say we can go somewhere else, she is hesitant. She asks Carla about the salon. Michelle walks up and says they are closed but she should go to the one down the street. Ruth has to have everything explained. Michelle and Carla patiently explain. I tell Ruth, "I would love to get a pedicure, why don't we go?" Ruth says, "Its a deal, let's go."
She is worried about paying for the pedicure. I tell her I will pay and she can pay me back. She laughs.... I show her the salon is right next to Kroger. She is thrilled. She is actually excited.
The name of the salon is Serenity Day Spa. Everyone talks softly when we enter....NOT RUTH...they are wonderful with her. Luckily ,she got the girl who speaks the best English. Ruth questions her about everything in her life. Lynn answers(thank you Lynn)... Ruth tells Lynn my name is Teresa and I am married to her son. ...unbelievable... Ruth says some pretty crazy things and all the patrons in the salon are looking at each other and laughing...I get it, I really do but I want to slap them all...Ruth keeps saying how lovely this is and NEVER has one negative thing to say to or about Lynn...Lynn tells her she needs to come back in a month. Ruth tells her it is a date...When we leave, she says how much fun that was and she will look forward all month to going back....HAPPY DANCE...HAPPY, HAPPY DANCE...
We go right to Kroger. She says she wants to see if anyone has moved from Arlington to that store. She says it would be just like home if they had. We march right over to the bakery. Ruth looks at a lovely little Jamaican girl behind the counter and asks if she knows her. The sweet girl says ," Why yes, I know you." Ruth looks surprised and asks ," How , did you transfer to this store? The girl looks at me and I say, " Did you possibly transfer to this store from the Arlington Kroger?!?!?!?" She smiles at Ruth and says,"Why yes sugar, I just moved here from Arlington. I can't believe I am seeing you here." Ruth asks if there is anyone else here from Arlington. The girl says ,"Why yes, I think there may be someone in the meat dept but I have not seen her as we work different shifts." Ruth's eyes are wide and she is so excited. The girl comes from behind the counter to hug her and says she will look forward to her visits...we move on....Ruth is going from child to child..the mothers are great..she scared some of the kids...I try to coax her forward....She now wants a buggy and asks me to get one. I tell her they are at the front of the store.She says she will meet me by the milk. I hurry but she IS NOT by the milk. I am frantic. Amber is my only child who ever got away from me but the sick feeling of that day so long ago is coming back. I am jetting back and forth. I finally see her headed out the front door. I am almost running now...I see that she is getting a buggy. She says she waited for me forever and I didn't come back. She says she was so frightened. I will NEVER do that again...
We check out. I tell Nita that I have Ruth with me. Nita chats Ruth up again, just like the other day. Ruth is in Kroger Heaven( I think that she thinks Kroger is Heaven). We drive back. She can't believe we got back so quick. She says this is just like home, she has her friends at Kroger and her lovely friend Lynn at the Salon...( I know I must be dead and in Heaven)...We walk into Corinthians. She tells Carla she had the best time, she had had a pedicure. We walk to her room. She says we had so much fun but it is good to be home. Her key goes in on the first try.This is good. I put her groceries away and tell her I am going to leave. She asks when I will be back. I tell her ,very explicitly, tomorrow. She sighs and says," Not til tomorrow." I remind her that I have to cook dinner, etc.She says she understands. She hugs me and says ,"This has been so much fun,so much fun". I tell her I am glad and will see her tomorrow.

This is the best day we have had. I know that it all may change in the next few hours but this is the first time that Ruth has referred to Corinthians as home and the first time I have seen her honestly happy.