At the special care home

The picture today is of the garden in front of our local post office. Those three balls look to me like the coronavirus, every time I see them that's what I think of. They are past their prime now, they used to be purple, but they still look like giant virus particles to me. They are called Ambassador Alliums.

I went to see B today, first time in over four months. The special care home she now lives in is about a half hour drive away. Her son called me last night to say that I could come with him and his sister for their scheduled visit, I think because B insisted. It is really hard to get a visit there, it can take up to a month just to get an appointment, and the visit time is just half an hour in the gardens surrounding the home.

It was certainly a lovely day for it, the gardens are at their peak of beauty. I didn't get to see all of it because the property is quite extensive. A PSW meets you at the parking lot and takes your temperature and asks a bunch of health and travel questions. B's son and daughter did not want to wear masks and I had forgotten mine, but the PSW offered me one and I took it. Then he escorted us to the pavilion where we would meet B. We saw another PSW pushing her wheelchair from the building to the pavilion and we waved.

I could not bring Hapi but B thought that later they might start allowing dogs to visit. She talked a mile a minute, as if she'd had fifteen cups of coffee before we arrived. She is so happy there. She says the staff are all very nice and her roommate is just the nicest person one could imagine. They laugh a lot and B says they torment the staff. The PSW pushing her chair stayed for the visit; she is a high school student who is looking forward to getting back to school in the fall. She's had enough of home schooling.

Later the supervisor came by to make sure we were all comfortable. He said it was okay to hug B as long as we had masks on and used the hand sanitizer sitting on the little table. I don't know what the home is like inside but B says it's very nice. I am so glad she is happy there, she seemed far better than she has been in the past year. With her oxygen tank and her wheel chair she is quite happy and she has taken up knitting again.

Her roommate is 91 years old and loves Christmas and angels. When B was still in quarantine the PSWs were telling her all about who her roommate would be and when they described her passion for Christmas and angels, B said, "She's not a religious nut, is she?" Well, she's not, she just loves the stuff that goes with it. B is very impressed with the angels.

When the time was up the PSW who took our temperatures came by to tell us. Another resident was lined up for her family visit in the little pavilion. It was a nice visit, I look forward to doing it again.