This post could be called "Life at the Piper," or Peyton Place Piper, or any number of names.  I have mentioned before the little lady that has taken a liking to Bob.  She looks so sweet and innocent, but in her chest beats the heart of a cougar.  Her normal self would probably be horrified at this turn of events.  I will call her "Kitty" to protect the guilty (sincere apologies to a nursing roommate and still dear friend named Katherine, aka "Kitty"!)  The last time we visited the Piper when friends Janet and Leonard were here, we were all in the sunroom.  Leonard, being such a nice guy, answered Kitty as she engaged him.  All of a sudden Kitty opened her sweater and flashed him.  Fortunately she had a blouse on underneath.  Then she went over to her rival, Janet, and flashed her as well.  As Janet was staring dumbfounded at her abdomen, Kitty said "Look a little higher.  You aren't looking high enough."  Under normal circumstances I would take offense at my husband being stalked, but now I just try to find the humor in it, and Janet is as well.   One of the other residents, a dear lady, has warned Kitty to keep away from Bob--"he is Betty's husband."  And that HAS seemed to help.
The soap opera continues.  One of the newer residents has a dog, and she is such a cute little thing.  The owner is well enough to take some care of the dog, but when she takes her outside, she forgets to put the leash on, and the little Shit(zu) can scoot under the fence.  This happened one day while I was there, and there was no one to chase her.  So add dog-catching to my list of talents.
We are continuing with the impromptu singing for the residents.  I want to emphasize that it is by no means a performance, and leading the singing while Gail plays the piano is NOT one of my talents.  I have sung alto for years, and the melody to most of the songs is really high.  But the residents seem to enjoy it so much and ask for us to sing when we come, so we do it just to please them.  Some that never interact in any other way participate, and have beautiful voices. Many thanks to Arlene Magruder for printing out the lyrics to the songs, and anyone that happens to be there for handing them out and picking them up.  One of the hymns that they really seemed to enjoy was "Never Part Again".  Then I looked across the page at the hymn "In a little while we're going home" and immediately decided not to sing that.  One day I was singing and playing the piano both as no one else except Arlene was there.  I sang the song "Shenandoah" and Arlene told me that Bob started crying.  I am glad my back was to him, otherwise I would not have been able to finish the song.    Our memories of Shenandoah (National Park, not the river) started by going there on our high school senior class trip.  We camped, as that was all anyone could afford, and a bucket of water froze overnight.  After we were married and lived in Maryland we went there tent camping with the children, and would end up carrying them back from hikes.  In later years we went back with them and stayed in cabins in the park, and did NOT carry them back from hikes.  After they left home, Bob and I went back for a few anniversaries during trips to Maryland.  One weekend we stayed at The Inn at Little Washington" which, if you live in the area, you know is about as far from tent camping as you can get.  But it is right outside the park, so we went back in to the park to do the traditional hikes.  So Bob must have been remembering the fun times we had there.
Kim, the director of the Piper, had the Alzheimer's Association download many of Bob's favorite CDs on to an iPod type device.  It gives him about 7 hours of listening.  He is not able to play it himself, but I started it for him the other day, and he seemed to enjoy it.
Sincerely, life at The Piper seems very homelike, and the staff is very pleasant and competent.  I want to thank them all, as they have to be so patient to do that kind of work.  I could not do that day after day.  I like it there as it does not "feel" like an institution.
While we are talking about music, I would like to close with a song the Righteous Brothers made famous, "Unchained Melody".  It has special meaning for me now, and I am sure it also strikes a chord with others who have already lost their mate.

Oh my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love,
God speed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,
To the open arms of the sea.
Lonely rivers cry, wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home, wait for me.

Lyrics by HyZaret, music by Alex North

Leonard Marsh's favorite saying is "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  He went a bit further after our last songfest when he was here (with his baritone voice, never missing a word, even though we didn't have the lyrics all printed out yet.)  "When life gives you Alzie, go ahead and Waltzie" he proclaimed.

Thank you Leonard.  I will try to remember that.

Betty