Should have thought about this earlier.

Mother's snail mail address is
300 East Devereau Street, #29, Decatur, TX 76234

If you need to send it to me (I'll need to read it for her), send it to
1492 Thousand Oaks Drive, Decatur, TX 76234

Random Thoughts Regarding Nellie Lee Joiner, Resident of Governor's Ridge in Decatur

Hello from Decatur. 

I thought I'd write a note and send a link to the family regarding Mother and the recent move from Burleson (Covenant Place assisted living place in which she's been living happily under the care of Carol) to Decatur (Governor's Ridge assisted living place in which she's been living for about a month). 

• The move went well. She's feeling pretty well, though weak most of the time.
• She doesn't hear well. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with her in a public place (her dining hall) without including everyone else in the conversation. She doesn't complain about not hearing well.
• She doesn't see well. A giant-sized television remote contol doesn't help her. It doesn't interest her much. She just can't see the buttons. Macular degeneration has taken a toll on her vision but not her attitude. She doesn't complain about not seeing well.
• I thought I could teach her to do a few things with a cell phone, making a "land line" unnecessary. Didn't work. I thought I could teach her to punch a button, wait a few seconds, say, "Gerre" or "Caroline," visit a while, then close the "flip phone" to end the conversation. Didn't work. Too complex.  
• She doesn't feel well most of the time. When she says, "I'm sick," we ask, "Where do you hurt?" She can't answer. She's just "sick." I think she means, "I'm weak."  
• Sometimes I go to her room and just take a nap with her. She likes that. She doesn't have to entertain me. I get a nap, and we spend time together. Good thing all around.
• The care team at Governor's Ridge (7 minutes from our house) is wonderful. The  director, Debbie, is a wonderful and caring Christian woman who has a very practical approach to providing services to the residents at Governor's Ridge.  Debbie's staff is happy to be of service to the residents. 
• Mother's attitude can sometimes be typefied as "needy." She seems a little edgy sometimes if I miss coming to see her every day. 
• We have a wonderful family doctor taking care of Mother. Dr. Kelley Tibbels has West Texas (Jayton, TX!) roots, is a good family friend, and is the "go-t0" doctor in the region.
• Her room is great. Bo and Carol put an attachment on Mother's phone in Burleson that made it impossible to not hear or see when the phone was ringing. There was a loud sound and a strobe light associated with every incoming phone call.  After a few days of the "cell phone experiment," we moved the strobe light/loud ring attachment to Decatur and she's in business with a "land line." Her phone number is  940-627-1281.
• I've discovered that the best medicine Mother receives is talking on the phone. Even on an "I'm sick" day, she rallies and interacts with family and friends for really good phone conversations. 
• Mother's schedule is much like a baby's schedule. She goes to bed early and sleeps late if not diisturbed. Her room is located very close to the Director's office and not far from the dining hall, to which she walks (walker) for her noon and evening meals. Breakfast is mostly optional for her because she likes to sleep late. 
• Most of Carol's Sunday afternoons were very predictable. She almost always came to Mother's place and used her cell phone minutes calling friends/relatives in West Texas and East Texas and all points in between so that Mother could talk. My schedule is less predictable. I was in Lewisville all day yesterday (Sunday) and didn't even get to see Mother, though Jo did and spent some Sunday afternoon time with her.
• Here's a "good day" scenario for Mother:  Us Decatur Joiners (Gerre/Jo, Matt/Kelly/Girls) had decided to try to go to Mother's place on a particular Saturday afternoon. Early that Saturday afternoon, I received a call from Kasi (Max/Patricia's daughter who recently moved to a city not far from Decatur). Kasi said she was thinking of traveling to see Mother. We all agreed to meet her there, along with her three beautiful kids. When Kasi arrived, we all met at Mother's place. Mother was giddy! We had fun watching Kasi's children and Matt's children playing on the grass in front of Governor's Ridge. Mother still talks about that afternoon. 

Got to run for now, but if you have any questions about how Mother's doing, call me on the cell (940-399-8863). 

-Gerre-

Nellis Lee's 95th Birthday Party!

Wow! We had a super time at Carol's house in Burleson celebrating Mother's 95th birthday. Click here to see the web album.

Here's Max

This is a picture of my brother, Max, with his award for being the Citizen of the Year in Lorenzo in 1996. It's not a very good picture. I place it on the Blog because of how exceptional it is. Of all the photos of my brother, this may be the only one of him posing with an award.

He could have been given an award for being a great deacon at a crucial time in the life of the small Baptist church in our little home town. He could have been given an award for being the kind of brother who came to my rescue so many times (including the time when a tornado devastated my house in Wichita Falls). He could have been given an award for teaming with Patricia and raising our brother's two remaining children after an automobile accident took the lives of their parents and their brother in 1966. He could have been given an award for the exceptional grace with which he transitioned from full-time farmer to full-time banker. He could have been "awarded" for teaming with Patricia (again) and taking care of our ailing/aging mother. His service to his community through the Lions Club, the Gin, and the Grain Co-Op were pretty well recognized, I suppose, but I don't remember a photo of Max with the awards.

Max died in 1997. I still tell stories about him at the coffee shop and I miss him. I see men in everyday life who remind me of Max..and I miss him. I remember the things he taught me (how to drive and other important life skills) and I miss him.

I don't spend a lot of time being melancholy about Max not being here now. He's enjoying Heaven if I understand the Bible at all.

I can close my eyes and get a little picture in my mind of what he's doing right now. It's a picture of Max in Heaven in the presence of Jesus Christ.

That's the other picture of Max posing with an award.