25 days to 29: Remember The Good Times

Cab ride to Manhattan from Queens: $17.26
Dinner for two at a swank Manhattan restaurant: $96.37
Ice Cream for two at Chickalicious Desert Bar: $18.54
Visiting places that bring back to your husband’s Alzheimer’s memory the good times: Priceless


As I rode into work Friday morning, I tuned into NPR radio and during Morning Edition I listened to an interesting story about a couple who had been married for years and were being interviewed. The husband and wife had northern accents and during their conversation, I enjoyed their witty back-and-forth banter. They discussed the husband having alzeihmers and how things have changed since he has been dealing with it.

He commented on how beautiful his wife was, how he had watched her body change over the years, but enjoyed her wrinkles nonetheless. “She’s my buddy, my pal, my best friend,” he said. “You know, as you get older, you need different things from your mate.” Then out of nowhere he adds “She’s never been that great of a cook, but she sure knows how to make good reservations,” both of them begin laughing.

His comment about her sub par cooking made me to burst into laughter, in the solitude of my vehicle. It warms me up that this man and woman, at the hilt of the mid 1900’s, when part of a woman’s primary role was to cook, found a way around it, and made it work for them. As I exited my vehicle and headed into the building, I made a mental note that I would share this delightful information with someone else in hopes that they would laugh at his honest and candid expression.

As the day continued, I had a chance to take lunch to my sweetie, and then went to meet up with a gentleman who will be speaking at our church for youth Sunday the last Sunday of this month. His organization Stop the Violence focuses on increasing the peace on the streets of the city. We had a very open conversation about the state of our youth, how we grew up, and ways we could continue to reach out to them. Miss B's is a great place for soul food (if you didn't know. It's on 4th Avenue and 16th Street!)

I received a phone call not long after leaving lunch and was pleasantly surprised to be able to go to Casino Royale, a fundraiser for UAB Healthy Happy Kids Program. Talk about a delight. I got to wear a cute dress, spend someone else’s money, and meet some great people! If you missed it, SHAME ON YOU! You would have had a ball! I met some AWESOME people doing some great work in their careers to help others live better lives. My hats off to my friend Katrina Marshall and her team for pulling off an awesome fundraiser!