dad duty

This morning when I got there, my poor dad was missing his couch - it had been removed because it was old, grubby, smelled funky and had been mauled by cats. He was not sure about replacing it, and missed it because it is the best place in the house to sit and nap while pretending to read Scientific American. So I brought him back to my house and my couch, and parked him on the end where he could admire the local hippo (long story) and nap while pretending to read Scientific American. It seemed to revive him, and we went to lunch and then back to his house. All the things I thought I was sparing him - Merrie Maids, vacuum cleaners, the visiting nurse - had cancelled, leaving L in solitary splendor and delight for a couple hours.

If we can't imagine him at elder day care, and I really can't, I think he'd either be crying quietly in a corner or fomenting rebellion, then hanging out at my place might be a reasonable alternative. I can feed him lunch and bring him home after. Giving Lucia alone time in the house has to be part of the deal from here on, I think.

I started a new piece, forsythia and pussywillows, on Saturday, ad added some to it today. I should be able to finish it tomorrow.

Alice started work in the Geology Dept at UMass, for a professor she liked this past semester. She says she measured milligrams of ground sample into silver capsules, half of which will be torched, and half will be dissolved in acid. The ultimate goal is to measure organic carbon. She seems pleased with her new bike, the commute, the work and the boss, all good for her first job evar.