Another Birthday....

Today is Nana Theresas 86th Birthday.......Last year we had a party here for her 85th. Wow what a differnce a year makes or even two weeks for that matter. Last sundays visit to see her brought on lots of emotion. She goes down hill every time we go back. She did know that her b-day was coming up, even knew the date. She did however think it was her 93rd. Now nana don't rush it.......She could tell we were not all there on Sunday. She sees us a a group of four and knew someone was missing b/c there were only three. We told her Michael was painting the family room. She asked about the deck. Funny she remembers we still have no deck just a set of stairs. She offered five years ago to buy it for us....she is so sweet. She said "use my buryial money" ok nana I 'll be right on that. AHHH NOOO!!! She said that "Stephies sister has a birthday coming up too"....my half sister Alycia who she does not remember her name is on the 17th of Feb. she bypassed mine on the 3rd. I asked her whos was the day before hers and she said like a politicial running for public office "many peoples" lol .....Good save nana....I said the hockey boys. She refers to Stephen as the hockey boy and Ryan as the little one. She forgets the names sometimes and with her son, granson and great grandson all with the name Stephen we have labels so she knows who we mean when we say that name...lol ...She asked how Mothers Day was a few weeks back, meaning Christmas. She refers and thinks all the holidays are Mothers Day. Her Paula passed away on that day (her daughter, my mother, Paula was making a statement that day, no I am not being mean just honest)....I guess she is fixated with all holidays being that one b/c of her loss. In the past we would bring her Jelly Belly Beans only kind she would eat, cookies, canolies and chocolates. She looked forward to the treats and loved when my bag of goodies crincked with sound. These days she refuses to eat anything and has no apitite at all. Seven years ago when entering the home she was about a size 8 or 10.....In one year she went to a heafty plus size of 22/24. Yes Nana T the slim never bigger than a 6 or 8 on a bad year ate and ate all that she could find. She is now looking very weak and frail and lost a ton of lbs from not eating. She still insists that she has "thunder thighs" lol She says "Stephie I always had beautiful legs and look at these tree trunks now" ////Up until last year she was the Belle of the Home......She was known for her perfect put together hair and nails as well as her pearls and mathching nice clothes. Now she is what we Itailians call "SCHADTHA"////Messsy and dishevled....She just gave up and does'nt care anymore. It is sad. Before Thanksgiving her great nephew visited and gave her a twenty for a haircut. She claims that $18.00 is far to expensive to pay for a haircut...Yeah in 1940 it was but thses days that is a really good deal. So she took his twenty , not that I could not give her one myself, no she can not bring herself to pay. She got a nice style and was lookin good for a bit.......She cracks us up sometimes when she says who do I have to impress...like the men here can see...lol ......Michael has to do an errond after work towards the city and will stop by to say hello. She always knows his name and says I am Michaels wife...Not Stephie Michaels wife....Thanks Nana.....lol She may not even recall that we saw her recently. She will tell him noone comes to see her these days. I know he will make it a point to tell her we were just there but is it any use to waste words. I guess you just have to deal with this decline as it comes. She still has some good days and is funny as all heck. I like those days and hope to have many more. So to Nana T....the lady who gave me my CATHOLIC EMERGENCY CARD at ten, whoyelledin the store "Stephie what size training bra do you want at 11, with Normie by my side snickering with laughter, and the women whos advice was always BE A GOOD GIRL......Happy Birthday Nana Theresa...YOU raise a good girl........