Lora picked me up at 11:00 and off we went to Santa Barbara. Got to Villa Alamar in good time to find Betty in the dining room awaited lunch. When she saw me, she said, "I love you," which nearly broke my heart. However, it wasn't evident that she knew who I was.
We went to Betty's room to wait for her to finish lunch; Carolyn came soon after and we chatted until Betty joined us. As for the cat, I asked if the facility might like to buy it, but I was told they already had one, plus a similar dog and, believe it or not, baby.
I would have bought the cat from Vickie and given it to Betty for our birthday, but she didn't seem particularly interested, even when it was on her lap. Carolyn held it, too:
Unfortunately, Betty doesn't seem particularly interested in anything anymore. She has deteriorated enormously since I saw her last--has become so passive, it's hard to get her to respond to anything. Here she is alone, with me, and with Carolyn and me:
After visiting with us for a time, Carolyn had to leave. Their second bathroom is being redone and the vanity had been moved into the sunroom, where Calvin was confined. The workers were cautioned not to go in the room or Calvin might take it amiss. I know and actually like Calvin (as much as I like any dog), but I wouldn't dream of opening that door myself. (I'm convinced he'd tear my arm off--he would!! 😱)
Lora and I stayed for the pre-Thanksgiving party which turned out to be quite enjoyable. We were treated to a variety of desserts and two singers. Here are a few pics from the party:
We stayed until the last song, then said goodbye. By that time, it was too late for lunch, so Lora suggested we go to Transmission for pizza and I enthusiastically agreed. By the time we got there, it was almost five and we were both hungry enough to eat. Had a fine time talking frankly and freely with each other; Lora, who has a difficult family situation, is always very open.
It was only 6:00 when I walked in the door, but what with the dark and the emotionally fraught day, it seemed like midnight. The Access Van will take me to Ellen's this afternoon and I'll stay over until Friday, when we're going to Ellen's classroom to prepare for the coming semester. I'm looking forward to that.
Note: See the last photo above. I was intrigued by this couple, over toward the right, who looked to me like Hollywood personified:
Tall, slim, dressed with quiet elegance, I imagined them as movers and shakers in the entertainment industry. Hmm...or maybe it was just the magnificent hair...
Additional note: One of the (few, because men die first) male residents was wearing a tee shirt with "Saigon" on it. He was with a woman and I asked her about it, as I've been there. It turned out to be her husband (he lives in Alamar, she doesn't) and they spent a lot of time in Vietnam, as she's a doctor and was with Doctors Without Borders. I have the impression he was, too, not sure. Interestingly, she said she was born and brought up in Switzerland, but her father insisted she go to high school in the states, I'm not sure why. She had no accent at all, lives in Santa Barbara, and I enjoyed talking to her.
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