Spring is here and I’m so glad. Trips are especially tiring on Jerry. When we are together, our kids keep him stimulated and amused. He sometimes tries to participate, but mostly sits and watches without much comment. It’s hard to know whether he’s having a good time or not. If he ever DOES comment, it’s like E.F. Hutton. Everyone stops, turns to him, listens, then he assumes the deer in headlights position. We’ve been back two days now. Yesterday, being our first full day back in paradise, we were anxious to piddle in the yard. I gave him some clippers and I took the big cutters. I’d cut away the dead stuff and ask him to haul it off. He would stand there with one branch in his hand and clip it into a million little pieces. Now, ask me how patient I was. Go ahead, ask me. The answer is....VERY PATIENT. ...at least for the first hour. I tried to get Jerry to just sit and relax on the lawn chair, but he insisted on following me around to “help”. It was a tad “trying”.

At 4 o’clock, I decided it was about time to come in and get all cleaned up. Jerry had grown a little beard while in Winterville. Lest he look like a bum, we thought it was best that we do the whole shave, clip and grooming thing. Here’s where I got “sniffy”. Jerry has not been able to shave with a razor for about a year. The electric thingie just wasn’t going to do the trick, so I decided to shave him really smooth with his Mack whatever razor. It was slow and tedious, but while we were quiet and alone, I would look at his eyes. They were vacant and half closed. He was sitting with his arms around my waist and I was facing him. Every time I looked at his eyes, I couldn’t help but have compassion for him. I’d hug him and tell him I was sorry that I had to do this...that I knew he wished he could do it himself. It was one of those emotional moments.

That night, we were going with friends out to a nice restaurant. I almost called it off, because Jerry had “left the building” and I didn’t have the emotional energy to “put on the show”. I call it that, because sometimes it takes an act to be brave and energetic. We went anyway and had a good time, thanks to our extremely understanding friends.

So, spring is here and I’m glad, because we must stay simple and in a routine for a while. The weather will be warming up and casual walks will be possible now. Montana will get her doggie walks and we can be “normal” again.