Thumper: “Thelma! Thelma! I’m sliding backwards.”
Landlady: “no, you’re not.”
five minutes later …
Thumper: “Thelma! Thelma! I’m sliding backwards.”
Me: “I’ll open the door so you can slide on out.”
(He pretends not to hear me.)

The Old Lady had an invisible helper called Alfonso. “Alfonso, may I have a glass of cold water, baby, I’m thirsty.” Thumper usually doesn’t say what he wants, just calls “Thelma! Thelma!” day and night.

Happily, he is leaving on Thursday. His daughter thinks he isn’t being properly cared for. One of her complaints is that he isn’t given chocolate every day, but I never noticed her bringing a box of chocolates on her weekly visits.

Good riddance, for sure. But he did strengthen my hope that I die before I get that far gone.

June is almost gone and I still haven’t written about May which was an eventful month at the House in the Valley.

The Old Lady was taken to hospital at the beginning of the month and she died there on the morning of the 19th. Her condition was never going to improve so it was the best thing for her, but still sad news. I miss her constant “may I have a glass of cold water!”. always a demand, not a request.

Her replacement I’ll call Thumper because of his annoying habit of drumming his fingers or his entire hand on any nearby surface, or pounding his cane on the floor. He’s a 91-year-old man with advanced Alzheimer’s. Even though it’s only a few steps from his room, he can never remember where the bathroom is. And after he uses it, less than five minutes later he’s again wondering where it is. “You just came from there,” says Landlady. “I did?” he asks in disbelief.

The 17th was the fourteenth birthday of Jayvee and on that morning Princess gave birth to five adorable puppies. Sadly, one of them died on the sixth day of life. Happily, the survivors are fat and frisky and totally delightful.

Yes, an eventful month.