Perfect color for those dishes. What a huge difference it makes! I've been thinking about your painting project(s) and was getting motivated to do some myself -- mostly just a small wooden stool that I use as a plant holder. But I never got started because of these thoughts: "I'm sure Anne did it the right way. She sanded and fixed holes and primed and THEN painted using two coats." Me? I'm lucky if I bother to dust before I paint. Good job!

Everything is so beautiful! Congratulations. I love the little scoop in the back of the sofa. And the chests are wonderful, especially the last one -- dark with branches and birds. Good show!

I knew most of this but seeing it in pictures added a whole new level of understanding. And shock. You and Tony have done what all of us should but few of us do. "Like a good neighbor Annie is there."

"...a rich gray-blue--about the color of a very, very threatening thunder cloud at the beach." Nice description. Everything looks great! I have one of those big glass bathroom mirrors that will be a major pain in the arse to take down. I suspect it will be left for the next person who owns this house because it's very very low on my list of priorities. No, that's not right; it's not even ON my list of priorities. Beautiful light fixture!

Next time I see you (Sunday!) nag me about doing exactly what you did: buying a new refrigerator. Mine is oldish -- which means I can't remember how old and that usually mean really old -- and has had a leak inside for most of that time, which means years. So, lazy person that I am, I did not call a repair person, I did not check the warranty (not even sure I could find it), and I did not consider that I should replace the leaking refrig. No, I just set a bowl under the leak and every week or so I empty it out. (This is like true confessions: how slipshod am I? really slipshod is the answer.) That recent trip you and I took to the lamp shade shop had a huge effect on me. I saw how carefully you chose your shades, how you pondered and measured that chest you bought that day, how you invest time and thought into getting your house in shape. I want to be that person! So, congrats on the beautiful dishes, on the great frig (I like those bottom drawer freezers too -- never had one but they look so convenient), and don't forget to nag me on Sunday.

You got not just great pictures of the shuttle but the one at the traffic light is a little work of art. Wonderful composition! And there's a face looking at the viewer -- red lights -- and the colors are wonderful. We had perfect weather and crowds that were just manageable. Thanks for another great day! I didn't remember until just now that my son Greg saw the shuttle when it launched last July in FL. I blogged about it at the time: he and 3 guys impulsively drove down to FL, got there a few hours before the launch, parked on an overpass, saw the shuttle head for the skies, then loaded themselves back into their car and headed back north 750 miles. PS: I like all your up-in-the-sky photos. I wonder what it means when a photographer likes to take pictures up (did that sound right?)?

I read the comments, which were great, and I especially liked the ideas for funeral behavior. "Ululation"! Even though I've not given my own funeral (should there be one) any thought at all, now I'm thinking I want ululation. Group ululation, followed by one long "ooooommmmmm." Then everyone will be handed a Berger cookie and instructed to go home, back to work, grocery shopping, whatever. Doug (husband) has given his funeral some thought, although his ideas are totally focused on the music. Currently (it changes quite often) he wants us to play "I Wonder Why" by Dion and the Belmonts. The chance of me being at his funeral is very, very slim -- I'm thinking I have another 10 years or so, he has at least another 20 -- so I always make sure Greg (son) knows what song is on Doug's mind.

It all looks great! And I can appreciate how much work went into it. I hesitate to say this but maybe some of your skills in attending to home repairs and decor might rub off on me. You set the bar high though so we'll see. And you give me far too much credit for the shade selections. Let me record here for posterity that the nice 90-year-old lady who sold you the shades offered us a LOT of advice and opinions. She's been selling lampshades at that location for 65 years and attributes her spryness to moving around a lot and swimming four times a week. She told us another secret to her youth but we promised not to tell anyone.

You get an A for being responsible about your health. You get an A for being organized and takin' care o' business around the house. And you get an A++ for the guest bedroom idea, to wit: moving marshmallow bed into the guest room "thereby assuring that overnight guests will not overstay their welcome." I apologize for always trying to one-up you but I can. We have a 5-bedroom room house and NO guest bedrooms. Each extra bedroom is full of books and miscellaneous "treasures." Very transparent, I know. But friends and family seem to accept it. Would LOVE to hear what they say behind my back. No, wait, maybe not. And as always I love seeing the Chesapeake outside your windows.

So beautiful! But I'm even more impressed by that crystal clear table. Lots of elbow grease I'm guessing. And look at the wonderful Chesapeake Bay out there!

Looks like a scene from about 1830. If I lived in your house I'd never get any reading done. I can see setting myself up in a nice cozy chair or couch facing out toward the wonderful Chesapeake and then being distracted by it all the time. Very nice!

I forgot the single most annoying thing about the debate: Rick Perry's shirt collar! What is it with those big cardboard-like shirt collars he sports? Do they keep his neck flesh in place?

That was a fun read! Yes, I do follow this nonsense pretty closely and I also admit I do it mostly for the entertainment value. A few friends have pointed out that it's a pretty serious thing to be entertained by. l DO believe it makes some difference which party controls the White House so maybe I should be ashamed to be entertained by it all. But I'm not. I watched the "debate" and agree pretty much with all of your quick assessments, especially about Santorum -- who seems to be growing younger in body and intellect as the years pass by -- and Ron Paul, who strikes me as a perfect obstetrician but a disaster as a potential president. What in the world was he trying to say about a strong border between the US and Mexico being unfair to Americans who won't be free to flee over the border into Mexico??? And excuse me but what's that shit from Rick Perry about how the problems with illegal immigration can't be solved until the federal government gets cracking and seals that Mexican border? This is the same guy who says we should lower taxes on the wealthy and at the same time de-fund much of the Federal government -- the same government he wants to seal up a 1,600-mile border. There's something seriously wrong in that argument. I'm growing fonder of Mitt Romney as the campaign goes on. I wouldn't be scared if he were elected, the way I'd be if Perry were elected. And I think the Repubs would be smart to nominate him. But everyone keeps saying that since the religious right doesn't accept him as a Christian that will kill his chances. Oh for the good old days when we had separation of church and state. Think those days will return?

What a wonderful, misty-eyed-inducing post. Everything looks so beautiful, and your list of non-complaints ("Mom has immediately-available help 24/7, if she needs it.") is so ironic given the newish title of your blog. I've said it before: you are a great daughter and caregiver! The name "plate" -- actually let's call it what it is: art -- on her door is especially sweet. Rhetorical question: I wonder if it would be too transparent if I asked both of my kids to read this post?

Tippy the Cat is adorable! I'm a big fan of tuxedo kitties, which is what she is I believe. They seem to attach to people more readily or have stronger personalities than some other kitty types. Or maybe I've just been affected by Oliver, Socks, and Jerry, tuxedos I've known, loved, and lost. Doug thought he smelled that Great Dismal Swamp fire too! We'll never know for sure of course, but after reading about it in the paper (doesn't that sound old-fashioned all of a sudden?) he recalled driving down 270 (I think it was 270) on the day the smoke was reported in our general area and being aware of a smokiness in the air. Thanks for mentioning the peat. A few years ago I got fixated on peat and peat moss (probably from some argument that I saw on Garden Rant) and did a bunch of reading about it. I need to go back and refresh my memory. I like all things having to do with soil: worms, compost, dust, peat. It's the covering for the Earth and turns eventually into the coal and oil we suck out of the planet (not to mention growing the food we eat) so it seems terribly important to me. ya know what I mean?

So pretty! I thought about you last night when the storms moved through the general area but mostly stayed south of us.

I love this painting and I love this chicken.

What Miz S said. Exactly what she said. I can't wait to show this post to my daughter. She will, as I can, be able to tell you exactly which episode most of these outfits are from. I introduced my kids to reruns of ILL at a very young age, and may have harmed them psychologically in some subtle way. But I don't think so. And my daughter especially still watches episodes online, especially if she needs a calming break from life. Is the one w/ the checked shirt from the Connecticut days? I'm not sure about the green velvet coat..but I'll study it some more. Did you know that Madeline Pugh (sp?), the female writer for the show, died the other day? Thank you SO much for these wonderful pictures.

Well, here it is 11:14 and I've just read Anne's post and found it perfect and interesting (she really is a good reporter. And I guess it's not exactly surprising that I'd find this post interesting..). Anyway, I haven't downloaded my pictures yet but maybe I'll do that now! And even write a line or two about the day. It was great, I can say that. In addition to all that Anne recounts, I got to eavesdrop on a couple of Metro conversations. Very, very mundane conversations but enjoyable all the same.

This is so awful. Miz S is absolutely correct: no human could hear this stuff, read this stuff, and not be angry and hurt. Personally, I know that I would feel less and less eager to pay visits to a parent in this state. It's not the loving way to be, it's not the mature way to be, but it's how I would feel. And saddest of all, the only hope is for your mother to fall even deeper into her disease. Which will happen of course. Keep telling your story. You need to hear over and over that you're a great daughter and your mom is so very lucky to have you. It's not much, but it's something.

Well first, let me compliment the layout of this post. All those beautiful pictures carefully placed among all those sad observations. No, I take that back. They weren't all sad observations: many were amusing, some were heart-tugging, all were honest and close to the bone. You are really good at getting to the heart of the matter. (What's with all these body references? hearts, bones.) And your conclusion about how to conduct a conversation -- Me: Mom, I'm coming up to see you tomorrow, and we will get some candy for you. I hope you can hold out 'til then. --is inspired. It's actually a good lesson for all of us. When someone casually ask "how are you today," they don't really want to know how you are. Not in detail. They want to hear "fine." It's not really a question. It's just noise to start, or complete, a conversation. You're doing great with your mom. All these lessons you're basically teaching yourself about how to deal with her declining mental abilities are good lessons for all of life. I'm late in seeing your post because I've started using Google Reader: it's supposed to be this convenient way to keep track of new posts on your favorite blogs, of which I have only about 8. But the trick is that you have to make the effort to look at Reader every day or you miss things. I've not looked at my Reader in many days because (pause for overly dramatic effect) I've been dealing with my bees, who last night at 7:30 I sent away from my house on the back of a little red pickup truck. When I can find the mental energy I'll post about it on my blog. It's such a tiny, small, insignificant event, but it feels huge in my tiny, small, insignificant world. So good to hear from you!

I remember those sewing rooms at Hecht's! Not sure why I remember them... maybe I took a class there too. And such a sweet picture of mom and dad. She looks so much more mature than someone in her early 40s -- not old, just more mature. But in those days, that was the look wasn't it. One day a teenager, the next day an adult. These days people linger in some odd place between teenage and adult years for a long, long time. And some never graduate from one phase to the other (Geo W. Bush being a good example). I just read the first chapter of his book on my Kindle. That's probably all I'll read. I'll give him this: he loves his parents and makes it abundantly clear that they tolerated a lot from him. He still was a miserable president but at least he's not blaming his parents.

Nice! Forsythia is one tough plant. I was so looking forward to finding a snow-covered lawn this morning but when a person sleeps until 11 AM said person is unlikely to see spring snow. I'll bet most of yours is gone by now too.

Aha! I'm getting ready to make my first batch of latkes so I was re-reading your post (so much fun) and I was reminded that you're left-handed. Well, that explains a lot. Left-handers are, in my experience, always enormously interesting people. And smarter than average. And sometimes a bit off-center. (And I mean that as a compliment.) Will report on the latkes. Hoping I don't bleed into the bowel.

I read the recipe very carefully ("chopped fresh parsley -- ha, ha, ha"), and now of course, damnit, I have to make it too (by "too" I mean, of course, in addition to the Midnight Cake). But I think, just to be contrary, I won't peel the potatoes. I never peel potatoes because, well, because I'm lazy and I sort of feel sorry for the peels. They're edible, right? They don't hurt anyone, right? And they must have nutrients too, right? The pictures are so beautiful, especially knowing that you get to see that view any time you look out your living room windows. The greens in the bottom one are so soothing. Your brother: you can bet that his phone call means he's looking for something. For himself. It would be nice to think that he called your mom for HER sake, but that doesn't seem very likely. Screw him. And your mom: It seem cruel to wish for someone to fall even deeper into their disease, but when it comes to Alzheimer's, it seems like a blessing (for her, certainly not for you). I've spent a lot of time thinking about what it must be like to know you have a progressive dementia. Soon she won't "know" it in the sense we mean by the word. Or is that just wishful thinking on my part? Nice breadbox. Do you always keep your bananas on display like that? Or are they just holding the spot until a luscious cake appears?