Onto my father's mother's (my Grandmother) place where I call her home, but she wouldn't in a million years. She has dementia, doesn't know who we are but she knows for SURE that she is not home! She's still got it in there somewhere. I pretty much cried the entire visit because for the first time since she was diagnosed and moved out of her home she grew up in, she not only didn't know me, but wanted me to leave her alone and go away. I know she doesn't mean it and it's not her but it just breaks my heart. Thank goodness we brought my 8 year old daughter. My grandmother seemed to be tolerant with the fact that a young one was willing to come and see her. I think she sees herself in her and somewhere deep inside the scrambled thoughts...she knows that my daughter generally was there only to see her and love her and wanted nothing else in return.....even acceptance.
So as it may sound sad we left knowing that we did the right thing by coming to see her even if she was a little upset. The staff was very nice and knew her by name. She enjoyed hearing them call her by name and was really only upset when she thought an orderly had placed a cabinet in the way of her wheel chair on purpose! Which of course he didn't, and bless her she cannot drive that thing. I love her and will be sad to see her leave here but will rest easy knowing she finally has peace and is with her family.
After our visit and newborn photo shoot......it was way overdue time for lunch!! At lunchtime we began chatting with the waitstaff and realized that the owner is my cousin's wife's mother. Sorry if that seems distant...but in SC someone is related to you at every stop. We dined on homemade chicken salad on toast, pickle spears, homemade chicken tenders, mac n cheese, pre-approved apples sliced right there, sweet tea, and homemade cakes baked and brought in fresh from a local lady that I am so sorry I can't remember the name of. We tried key lime cake with buttercream icing (is there any other kind of icing I must say!!) , and my daughter had peanut butter pie.
The inside dining was a combination of about three tables sort of set up family style so you may begin sitting with someone you don't know but you will end up knowing them by the end. As we continued our chat we realized that our waitstaff went to school with my father. Gently placed in the corner was a stack of annuals from her school that she quickly thumbed through and showed me old pictures of my dad.
We talked about life, food, photography, the elderly, old churches in South Carolina with history, old jobs at daycares, Strawberry Hill fruit, and love.
I can't wait to go back and visit the ladies at Thompson's Country Market and Dinette.
