A Visit

Yesterday I had lunch with Elizabeth. I've told about her before...she is a lady from Church who I have become very close to. She is close to 90 and lives alone, with her two West Highland Terriers....a neighbor up the road. Her family checks on her and she goes to her daughter's every evening for dinner.That way she is well taken care of and she can have some independence. She invited me for lunch and told me it was her turn to fix the lunch. When she opened the door...there stood a beautiful woman with white hair and such an up to date dress of medium blue. Her jewelry was very modern and it matched her outfit perfectly.The little dogs tumbled around at my feet and showed their excitement at having a guest. When the dogs quieted down, we went to her kitchen and I carried the plates in to a perfectly set table with a floral centerpiece and good china and silver. She has her table by the windows and you look out on her entrance, which is so beautiful, with a fountain in the middle. She can see guests coming up to her door from this table. African violets lined the window sill. They were silk violets, but looked so real.
Our lunch started out with tomato juice and then a sandwich made with a "foldit" I had never had this Artisian Flatbread before...and haven't seen it in our stores. The sandwich was layered with mayo, turkey, roast beef on one side... and on the other side cucumber and a slice of (fresh from the garden) tomato and lettuce. She said that now we fold the sandwich and put the two sides together. It was so good. Just enough bread without being to heavy. I'm going to ask if our store will carry them. Getting on to the lunch...some chips (that I have never had before) and spinach dip, a cluster of grapes on each plate and for dessert...a lemon square. It was such a good lunch and after cleaning up...we had a wonderful visit...with Bello and Frisky taking turns on my lap. I was there all afternoon...we had such a long and interesting conversation. I had taken my camera with me...thinking I might  take a picture of Elizabeth and her pups, but after visiting for a while, I got shy and didn't have the nerve to ask. I knew that I would have posted it here and Elizabeth, being such a private person...I just didn't want to take advantage. Maybe she wouldn't have minded...and maybe it's just silly me.
It was time to say good bye and I thought to myself...I wish that more aging women would be like Elizabeth. So interested in life and new things,having aches and pains, but not dwelling on them. She uses a walker and I'm sure she has discomfort that she doesn't talk about.She's had her share of grief in her life. Leaving her family and homeland after the war, losing her husband, and illness. She told me that she looks at people magazine, to be in on all that people are talking about, listens to WGN every day to be up on the news of the world, she said that she is looking forward to fall things like the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Church that will meet again, after taking the summer off. She goes swimming twice a week with friends. She never misses Mass in the morning. She's such an inspiration to me and when I get grumpy or out of sorts...I hope I can remember her and her positive outlook.

I came home and later on Joe wanted to go to Sam's restaurant for a Chicago Dog. My tummy was full. We watched America's Got Talent and a movie and then we went to sleep. I didn't think that I would be hungry ever again, but this morning I knew that I had cherry preserves waiting in the fridge. All I need now is toast.

Balisha