Betty:

Good article [regarding a job upgrade]- might take a long time; but I think in the long run you will succeed.
I always remember how you said to have endurance when it came to Bill's social security.
How did Mom's perm turn out? Anything new with Mom?
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Trish:

Mom's permanent turned out great. We grabbed a bite to eat afterwards.

I won't be going over there this Saturday since it's so soon after this appointment, so her next hair appointment won't be until February 22nd.

The only thing new, which you probably heard about from Mom yourself maybe, is that she's still getting used to her dentures, saying it feels so full all the time like she has a mouthful of food in there. I'm no judge of dentures so it could be just that she needs to get used to them, or, it might be that they are not the best-fitted either. I'm sure there is a definite science to getting them right. They do their best on the casts they make, etc. but it's tricky. Also, you get what you pay for. It's entirely possible that if you forked out a lot more cash you could get a much better-fitting denture. If money was no object, you could get all implants - just like your own teeth, but just fake. VERY expensive from what I've heard...

She 'lost' her dentures and I found them in her cleaning cup! I think what happened after I listened to her is that someone else said they could not find them for her and she assumed they looked there. Anyways, I find that you cannot assume anything when things are 'lost' there. That's the first place I looked and there they were! :)

She has mentioned Dad once, but otherwise has been fairly cheerful. Very quiet though. Unless you engage her she doesn't talk much, seeming to be more and more into her own little world. I think if we want to have Mom with us mentally as long as possible, we all need to call her/visit her and then talk with her about as many meaningful things as possible, otherwise we'll 'lose' her before she's even gone...

I imagine being older, as Mom is, as being like in a mental fog. Your body is there, but it seems heavy. Your limbs don't want to respond like they once did. Your eyes are not as sharp, you have to concentrate just to hear or see where once it was done without a thought. Your taste isn't what it used to be, and the joy out of eating a good meal is dramatically lessened. Many you have known are gone.

I can easily imagine a time when leaving this world despite it being the great unknown would despite that, seem preferable...