We moved Kim's furnishings into an independent/assisted living facility one week ago today. She lives on the independent wing. This is another step in my effort to see her capable of independence before Kathy and I assume room temperature. So far she says she loves it and has made lots of new friends. She seems
to have no problems with the fact that almost all of the other people there are well over twice her age.
She had a dentist's appointment on Wednesday, and my first instinct was to go take her, but I refrained and she handled it on her own just fine, arranging transportation, paying the bill, etc.
I had to visit there twice last week to take care of various moving details. After three days, every old person we met in the halls, dining area, etc., broke into big smiles upon seeing her. Give her another week and she'll own the place! Kim has a unique ability to make whoever she is talking to at the moment feel as if they are at the center of her universe. Her secret to doing this is that, at that moment, they really are.
Her only real problem is that they allow no personal knives there. Two days before moving, I found her entire stash of knives lying on my bed, turned over to me for safekeeping. She had dozens of knives, ranging from very nice (a Ralph/Meyerco collaberation that Mr. Ralph gave her at Blade) to junk. Many I didn't know she had, undoubtedly acquired at Blade. She goes up to a table, admires a knife, and suddenly it is given to her. Everyone else I know has to buy their knives. I have accused her of deliberately using her poor little me act to procure knives, but she denies it. I did manage to talk her out of the Bladetech Mouse, which is a very handy little knife. Incidently, her Busse collection (the "Guts Award" Steel Heart E with Okuden sheath, the Custom Shop satin/snakeskin AD, the Two Finger, the Custom Shop SH Variant, the Ratchet) is nothing to sneeze at, either.
Pardon me for one Kim story, which is an example of incidents I have observed many times. We were sitting in the crowded waiting room of her doctor's office. She scans the crowd seeking her first target, then wheels in her chair up to a very morose middle-aged lady of hispanic appearance who is sitting hands folded staring at the floor. Kim positions her chair directly in front of her and gives her a sympathetic look. Neither of them says anything, and I don't know if the lady can speak English or not. After a while Kim reaches for her hand and holds it enfolded in hers, just sits there. Kim looks directly into her eyes and says, "I love you, and God loves you too." We are called in to see the doctor, where naturally, being the worry-wart I am, I make her wash her hands. As Kim leaves the lady is smiling. I am constantly amazed at the way she has with people. This is a consolation as I contemplate not being around forever to take care of her. She will never be lonely.
to have no problems with the fact that almost all of the other people there are well over twice her age.
She had a dentist's appointment on Wednesday, and my first instinct was to go take her, but I refrained and she handled it on her own just fine, arranging transportation, paying the bill, etc.
I had to visit there twice last week to take care of various moving details. After three days, every old person we met in the halls, dining area, etc., broke into big smiles upon seeing her. Give her another week and she'll own the place! Kim has a unique ability to make whoever she is talking to at the moment feel as if they are at the center of her universe. Her secret to doing this is that, at that moment, they really are.
Her only real problem is that they allow no personal knives there. Two days before moving, I found her entire stash of knives lying on my bed, turned over to me for safekeeping. She had dozens of knives, ranging from very nice (a Ralph/Meyerco collaberation that Mr. Ralph gave her at Blade) to junk. Many I didn't know she had, undoubtedly acquired at Blade. She goes up to a table, admires a knife, and suddenly it is given to her. Everyone else I know has to buy their knives. I have accused her of deliberately using her poor little me act to procure knives, but she denies it. I did manage to talk her out of the Bladetech Mouse, which is a very handy little knife. Incidently, her Busse collection (the "Guts Award" Steel Heart E with Okuden sheath, the Custom Shop satin/snakeskin AD, the Two Finger, the Custom Shop SH Variant, the Ratchet) is nothing to sneeze at, either.
Pardon me for one Kim story, which is an example of incidents I have observed many times. We were sitting in the crowded waiting room of her doctor's office. She scans the crowd seeking her first target, then wheels in her chair up to a very morose middle-aged lady of hispanic appearance who is sitting hands folded staring at the floor. Kim positions her chair directly in front of her and gives her a sympathetic look. Neither of them says anything, and I don't know if the lady can speak English or not. After a while Kim reaches for her hand and holds it enfolded in hers, just sits there. Kim looks directly into her eyes and says, "I love you, and God loves you too." We are called in to see the doctor, where naturally, being the worry-wart I am, I make her wash her hands. As Kim leaves the lady is smiling. I am constantly amazed at the way she has with people. This is a consolation as I contemplate not being around forever to take care of her. She will never be lonely.
