Frosting? Where did the frosting come from?

photo from tastykitchen.com

I talked with Mom this morning and she said 'I have a funny story to tell you'.  Then she proceeded to tell me how she had put some mayonaise in her chicken salad, mixed it up, licked the spoon and realized it wasn't mayonaise, it was frosting!  Then she said to me 'I wonder who put frosting in the fridge? Cause it sure wasn't me!' And we both laughed.

Last year at Christmastime, we knew this year was going to be different and not necessarily looking forward to it.  Boy, we were right.  Traditionally, Christmas has been at Mom and Dad's house with everyone from my mom's side of the family over - aunts, uncles, cousins, kids - the whole gang.  Not this year.  Due to some family fracture because of Alzheimer's and dementia, it will be Mom, Voyageur and her husband.  I'm looking to come home between Christmas and New Year's.

The week between Christmas and New Year's is when we get together with my dad's side of the family and we do 'white elephant' gifts.  People bring something in their house they no longer want, wrap it up and then we go around and each person unwraps their gift.  It's a family tradition for years and years, tons of laughter and good times - a gift that went around for years, but someone decided they needed it, was our grandmother's pantaloons :)  This year it will be smaller, probably my aunt (my dad's sister) and her two daughters along with myself (if I make it), Voyageur and her husband.

Last year I helped with the cooking and setting up the table - Mom was good at putting together the dinner.  This year it will be Voyageur cooking.  Originally I was thinking I would come home mid to end of January or maybe in February because I was just home in November.  Then I realized next year will be different from this year.  Next year she may or may not know who I am.  This year she does.  And this year my sister needs help.  She has done so much and could use a break.  And what's a $100?  Money well spent to help my sister and to be home for Christmas (well a little after).

I can hear in Mom's voice she is sicker than she was a few months ago. The one guarantee with Alzheimer's is it will progress.  How fast or how slow no one can predict.  How the symptoms will manifest is anyone's guess.  What I can predict is the love and laughter at the holidays.  And she and I will put the frosting on cookies, not in the chicken salad.