the Walnut Diary

Edna P. Croskery will turn 95 this month.

Allison, the nurse-in-charge at Rosebridge, called me today in early afternoon, July 1st.  “Edna is fine, but her hearing aid’s battery door is stuck.” 

I promised to pick the implement up but suggested that, as this was my first fully-immunized day (2nd jab two weeks ago) I wondered if I could meet with Mom while there….in the back garden.  “She likes it back there, under the tree.” 

Allison bounced me to another department where voice mail marooned me, but an hour later Life Enrichment Director Kathy Barr called me:  “Can you be here for 3:30 today?”  I was there on time for pre-screening and then Gary the maintenance guy undid a padlock and let me into the back garden. Nurse Susan wheeled Mom out into the shaded bower around a stately maple.  d

The rules permitted brief touching, and when I produced from my wallet a vaguely-remembered certificate from the second vaccination, Susan ran it in to the administrator for registration, and then came back beaming and allowed me to be alone with Mom as long as I kept my mask on.

I had fixed Mom’s hearing aid while sitting on the fender of an electrician’s trailer outside the gate, so it wasn’t hard to get things going again.  Mom could hear me well enough to nod in response to obvious questions.  It was clear that she enjoyed the garden visit, though, and the photos of Ada on my phone.  I plopped my hat onto her head in case of deer flies, as was my habit before Covid.  She had no objection.

The four long-term residents of Rosebridge whom I saw today all seemed relaxed and in good condition.  It was good to renew acquaintances, albeit from a ten-foot distance. The staff at Rosebridge have clearly risen to the challenge of the last eighteen months. They deserve our commendation and our appreciation.

And my tomatoes and cucumbers are doing better than the ones in their garden.