one step at a time

   When my mom was first diagnosed we all took it one day at a time....now it's one step at a time. Alzheimer's seems to have a progression like a stair case.  Steps. Not a slide where she slowly fades away or becomes more confused. Big giant steps where one day she can do or remember something and the next day she can't and then that's where we are.  

    The other day this nice gal was doing a painting lesson with the residents.  The girls were excited and jumped right in.  Peggy was over by the TV area.  So I got her up and wanted her to join everybody.  I swear it took us 20 minutes to walk 50 feet.  Every step would be "where are we going?"  and I would respond... "over there, with the girls, see them?"  Then Peggy would say "Oh, okay, how wonderful." and not move.  I tried to get in front of her and coax her, I tried to walk with her, I tried to hold her arm, say different things....then she might take one tiny step and then it would start all over again.  "Where are we going?"   She has no forward momentum.  She can't take a step, because she doesn't remember the last one.  She's stuck in this place.  She's stuck in this place of...I don't know....she's constantly on rewind and the tape keeps playing shorter and shorter.

We finally sat down and I think she enjoyed watching Sunny paint right across from her.  She always says how beautiful we all are, and she is still present, she is still here, and so are we.
More photos of our paintings can be found here....Painting with Peggy