Mommy locked herself out of her apartment on Monday. I went to the bank for Mommy, then to get stamps for her Christmas cards, but as I pulled into CVS parking lot to get her chewable calcium supplements, I suddenly just told myself, "Go on home. Do this later." When I was minutes from home, John called and asked,"where are you?" I said by the boys' school. He said," Well, Grammy's locked herself out of the apartment and she's at Mrs. Glasscock's" (next door).

When I got home, I saw them getting up from the kitchen table (they have a bay window there on Mommy's side), and coming to greet me. Of course, Mommy was very embarrassed and agitated. She kept talking about going to all of the neighbors' houses and none were home. (She really only walked around the back yard and knocked on the sun room door. The gates are locked, except the one by the sidewalk, but the lock is in the gate, just not locked). Mrs. Glasscock saw her wandering around the yard and thought she might be getting cold, so rescued her and called John at work.

I've been afraid to leave since then. I go to drop off and pick up the boys from school, but I save everything else until they can be home while I go shopping or whatever. I'd rather spend that time with the boys, but they understand. John changed the doorknob that day, so it's impossible to lock yourself out.

She keeps asking are we going to celebrate Thanksgiving? I tell her we did have 2 Thanksgiving dinners. One at home and the other on Saturday at Linda's. "Did I go?" Yes. "Did I eat?" Yes. We tell her Carl and his gang, and Paul, Thomas and Grace, Chris, Brian, Tina, Aunt Jessie and Uncle Max were all there at Linda's. Remember we took two cars, so you and John could come back to feed and walk the dogs? She just looks at me like she's pretty sure I'm making this up.

I'm working on her Christmas cards. She dictated a letter for me to type and print, but then forgot that we had done it, and tried to dictate it again. We went over who she wanted cards sent to, and who she didn't...

John's going to put up the lights and tree (hers, anyway...we'll probably wait 'til Meg's home for ours) this Saturday. She said she told Janet last year, that she'd always think of her when she looks at the tree (Paul and Janet gave her).

The boys and I will be selling gumbo at the Christmas parade for their Boy Scout troop. I'm glad John will be off (and at home) then.

Last night she asked John, " Is he (Shadow) my dog?" Yes. "Where does he sleep?" In here with you, on the bed, or the floor, and sometimes the couch. She said it was going to be cold tonight, and she hoped he didn't have to sleep outside. (Shadow hopes so, too.)

When Meg was home, she didn't know who she was. I don't know if she knows Carl and Maurenne were here. Any change (even a slight one) is so confusing, and once it's over, it's wiped from her memory.

But, I'm sure, in her heart, she knows us all.

She never had a problem remembering to eat lunch, but now I ask, "Did you eat?" I don't know. I think so... but I look and find no evidence of her having done so. I just routinely, now, take lunch out to her or prepare it in there. We also have to check on supper. So far, no trouble with breakfast, though there have been a few days where I had to fix that, too, because she just didn't seem to have it in her.

The other day she washed her own hair, but had no clue how to "roll" it.

She gets very distressed over being so "scrambled", and I can tell she is fighting for control of her thought processes, as much as she can, but it feels like a losing battle...it is a losing battle.

We're just trying to do the best we can to keep her safe and healthy.