Mary's Place

A web page about the life of a lady who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Name:
Location: Piedmont, Oklahoma, United States

I live in Piedmont, OK, with my Husband of 50 years who has been very supportive. We have 2 sons,David and Kenny, 6 grandkids, and 6 great grandkids. I enjoy feeding and watching the birds and squirrels. Before I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I ran a Licensed Day Care Home for Infants for 15 years. I noticed I wasn't able to remember important things and having problems with my speech. I was experiencing severe headaches. I would get lost. I didn't know how to use the computer. At the age of 55, I told my doctor. I was sent for an MRI. which showed a large amount of shrinkage. I went to a neurologist who sent me for two days of testing. I was diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. My husband and I were both in shock. I had to give up my job. I went to see a social worker. I've taken Aricept for 11 years. I can now use the computer and even do this web page. I also host a chat room for dementia patients. This is a very lonely disease. I don't want anyone to feel as lonely as I did when I was diagnosed (I thought I was the only one over 50 that had Alzheimer's). In 2006 I started taking Namenda. Also I was told I have a mixed dementia, Alzheimer's/Vascular.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Last night's journal

This has been quite a day. Our power went off this afternoon, and then the weather radio went off flashing that there was a tornado warning. Dave said come on lets go to the storm shelter. So we grabbed the three dogs and my purse and went. We have a storm Radio/TV in the storm room that David and Lori had given us for Christmas a few years ago. We sure did appreciate having that. A tornado touched down not too far away from us. A lot of damage done, five people were injured, two of them were critical. Our power came back on just before dark… When the power went off I had the washer and dryer going. They are going again and I hope to finish the laundry before bedtime… Thanks for all the phone calls from family and friends checking up on us. Our DASNI friends Jan and Wade were one of the callers… I wasn’t able to get online to host chat this evening or to post a journal so I will post this one tomorrow… I posted a picture below of my tulips and pansies. If you double click on the picture it will make it larger… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

PS. I am not doing a journal today.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Tulips


Wednesday, March 28, 2007

We went to the pharmacy at Tinker AFB today and went by the BX. I needed to buy a housewarming gift for granddaughter Jennifer and husband Chris. They just bought a new home and we are looking forward to seeing it. Making decisions on what to buy really gets the best of me. I went by the beauty shop and got my haircut… David called and said if we came out he would give us some mushrooms. He went hunting for more today and found eight pounds more of them. I would never turn down mushrooms so we went out there to get them. Madison and Macey were there and were happy to see us. Lori picked me a bouquet of Lilacs from her bushes and boy do they smell good… We stopped at Braums on our way home and picked up milk… I am really tired tonight… Martha and Alfred called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Mushrooms that David found today.


We got our trees planted just in time because it has been raining everyday. It is good to see the grass greening up… David called this morning, he was in the woods mushroom hunting and he had found ten. He called later and had found more, he was so happy. Last year he went to Indiana to hunt mushrooms with his Uncle George and didn’t find any. He ended up buying some to bring home. I have great memories of mushroom hunting with my Mother. She had an eye for them. Dave went out in the woods across the road and came home with only a tick… Dave colored my hair, I sure hope it makes me look better. Tomorrow I will get a haircut and that should do it… There was so much on the news about cancer today. Then this evening we get a call from Dave’s brother Richard in Tennessee that he has cancer. Please keep our brother in your prayers… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Monday, March 26, 2007

Thanks Dewey in Clemmons, North Carolina for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I have been on a soup kick. Potato Soup, Chili Soup, and today I made Tortilla soup. I almost didn’t get to make it because I didn’t have any onions. When I was in chat this afternoon I asked if anyone had an onion I could borrow. I had already asked Kathy if she had one and she didn’t. Diane in Tennessee was in chat and she said don’t you have some green onions in your garden and I said we did which I had forgotten about. So thanks to Diane I was able to make tortilla soup for our supper and I thought it was delicious. Dave is not one who gives out compliments but I noticed he ate plenty. He told me a long time ago that if he ate it then it was good… I cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and deleted emails… Sammy our grand puppy went to the vet today to get neutered. Poor Sammy… My brother George called… I watched Dancing With the Stars and voted for Leeza and Tony… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Thanks to Jeanne in Honolulu Hawaii for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html … Our Kathy and Heather got home early this morning from their trip to Ireland. They would have been home sooner but they spent three days in Chicago, they weren’t able to get out because of weather and so many traveling and spring break travelers… I did a load of laundry then I got on my scooter and took the dogs for a walk. Later Dave and I went over to look inside the new house that is going up. We wanted to see inside before they locked it up. That house is large and is going to be a nice addition to our neighborhood. While I was over there I got my scooter wheels all muddy. Dave washed them for me. Thanks Honey… We went up to see Kathy and Heather for a little while… Our neighbor Kim and boys came by for a visit and invited me to a baby shower for Billie, another of our neighbors… My Timex has quit and I am lost without my watch. I am going to have to have a battery put in it or get a new watch. I need to know what time is all the time. I would sure hate to miss a meal or a DASNI chat. I keep looking at my wrist to see what time it is and forgetting that all I have to do his check the clock on my computer… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Saturday, March 24, 2007

I can’t believe how fast this month is going by… Dave and Kenny went to the hobby shop and they must have made a stop at the nursery because when they came home Kenny had bought me another tree. He knows how I love trees. The tree he bought today was a Japanese maple. Thank you Kenny… I spent most of the day outside. The hostas and peonies are coming up and the tulips will be in bloom soon … I fixed lunch and supper and that was it for today… I invited Kenny down to eat with us and he joined us… Oh I forgot to say that I supervised Dave when he planted the tree… I had calls from David and Norita… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Friday, March 23, 2007

Thanks to Sally in Los Angeles, California for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html
We got a real good rain last night and I am happy for that. I think the birds were happy too because they were sure singing today… Dave and I went to town and bought five more trees. Three peach, one flowering crabapple, and one weeping mulberry… Dave and Kenny just finished planting them… I walked up to Kenny to see his new trees. He planted apple trees and Bradford pear trees… Kathy and Heather should be home sometime Sunday morning. She is not a happy person being stuck in Chicago all this time. Jamie got a flight out and went on home to Kentucky today… David called and he had all four of his grandchildren there and they were having a good time. I got to talk to all of them. They had been on hikes, shooting a pellet gun, and climbing trees. Now that tree climbing scares me, I am glad I am not there to see that… I fixed lunch, supper, and hosted both chats. Our chats have been great lately with a lot of people showing up… Goodnight All… Keeping Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Thursday, March 22, 2007

I slept till near 11:00 again and I will want to go back to bed at 9:00 tonight… I have dusted the living room and dining room, cleaned the crystal, cleaned the aquarium, fixed supper, and took care of the houseplants. It is a good thing my houseplants are so forgiving because I sure do neglect them sometimes… I was looking at the tulips outside today and noticed a bud. This is my first year to have tulips since we moved here. I had them at our other house… When they bloom I will try and take a picture and put it up here… Dave has spent most of the day in his hidey-hole. He thinks he is hiding from me but I know where to find him… I went to take my afternoon pills this afternoon. I got to my pill container and had to stop and try to figure out what day it was. I thought it was Friday. Then I almost ended up taking my bedtime medicines. Sure glad I caught that mistake… Kenny called and Kathy had called him from Ireland and their plane had been delayed over there for a few hours so now they won’t be arriving here until later tonight or in the morning… Kenny came down a little while ago with a nice redbud tree for me. Thank you Kenny. Dave is burying it now. Thank you Dave… Kenny just called again and Kathy is in Chicago and could be there for a couple days. He said the phone was breaking up badly when she called. As long as they get home safely, that is the main thing… It is raining and I got to go out and walk in it… Good Night All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

My friend Jeanne Lee has a new web site. Please visit it at http://www.simplesite.com/AlzheimersAwareness-Hawaii/ … Jeanne is also the author of “JUST LOVE ME, My Life Turned Up Side Down by Alzheimer’s”… I have been reading and answering emails today… I hosted two DASNI chats at http://www.alzinfo.org/community/alzheimers-chatrooms.asp Be sure and click on the DASNI Room to find me and others with Dementia… I folded yesterday’s laundry that was still in the dryer, fed the birds, and fixed supper… Tonight I told Dave I would turn on the headlights, I meant the ceiling light. Oh well… It is the first day of Spring. The temperature was in the 80’s today and winds gusting up to about 40 mph… Dave went with Kenny to get some trees… Tomorrow Kathy and the grandkids come home from Ireland. It seems like they have been gone for such a long time…
Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I was so tired when I went to bed last night that I went to sleep soon after I got in bed. Dave had to wake me up to give me my bedtime medicines… I slept late this morning. I am so glad I can sleep good. There were times when I wasn’t able to sleep… We still haven’t got any rain here, they are having flooding in parts of our state but we get no rain here… I had a talk with myself this morning deciding what I wanted to get done today. I took a shower then stripped the bed and started the laundry. I did three loads. Dave gave the dogs a bath and I washed their bedding. Now we all have had showers and our beds are clean… My joints are sure achy tonight. Maybe we will get rain… Good Night All… Keeping the Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, March 19, 2007

It has been a cloudy day with temperatures in the 70’s. I spent some time outside doing a little yard work, brushing Shiloh, and starting to groom Cindy. I sure hope we will get the rain this week that the weathermen are talking about… I didn’t get much accomplished today. I just couldn’t get motivated. Tomorrow I will try to do better… I hosted the afternoon DASNI chat and it was good to see Snowy Lynne in the chat room. I hadn’t seen her in a while and it is also good to have our Jeanne back… I am off to watch Dancing With the Stars… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Sunday, March 18, 2007

I watched a good movie this morning “Children of Heaven.” I watch most of my movies in bed and any other shows that I really like that way I have no distractions… I fixed us a salad for lunch, did the DASNI chats, folded yesterday’s laundry, and picked up around the house. We had cranberry chicken cooked in the crock-pot and I made some brown rice and broccoli to go with it… Dave gave me an ice cream cone this afternoon and I called it a pinecone. Just never know what will come out of my mouth… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!! How nice it is that our Kathy, Jamie, and Heather are able to spend Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland… Thanks to Janey in Plainfield, Illinois for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html … This afternoon I went into the chat room and chatted with a group of friends in our DASNI chat room. What a great bunch of people. And to think I would have never met them if I hadn’t got Alzheimer’s Disease… I cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and fed the pansies. Yes, this time I remembered to add the miracle gro. When Dave saw that I was going to feed them he asked me if I had added the miracle gro. Where was he the other day when I needed him? LOL … Richard in Tennessee called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Friday, March 16, 2007

Happy Birthday Jim!!! Jim is Josh’s great grandfather and a great friend of ours in Oklahoma City…
I had my journal written last night but forgot to post it… Kenny took Dave, Josh, and I to Pizza Hut last night for hot wings and pizza. It had been a long time since I have had pizza and it sure tasted good… Tonight we will be going to a talent show at the school here in Piedmont. Josh will be in it… Kenny has heard from Kathy in Ireland a couple times and they are having a wonderful time over there… Thanks Morris for telling me you read my journal… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Last night's journal

Thanks to Kathy in Pfafftown, North Carolina for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html
Dave had another appointment at the OU Dental College today so I have had another ME day. It looks like I may be having a lot of them because he needs to have a lot of dental work done. I try to stay out of trouble while he is away. I have been busy keeping the birdfeeders filled. I filled them twice today and they are empty again…. I boiled some eggs for our chef’s salads and didn’t have any trouble. Since I have a timer I wear around my neck that Linda in California gave me… I gave the kitchen a good cleaning and took care of the dogs… David and Kenny called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

I spent a lot of time outside today. I wouldn’t mind having this weather all the time. Not too hot and not too cold, just perfect… I took care of the indoor plants, did another load of laundry, and took pictures of all the things that were blooming outside. I went out with my watering thingy to feed the pansies. After I was half way through I realized I had forgotten to add the miracle gro. I will try again another day… Kenny and Josh came down and had supper with us. Then while Kenny and Dave flew their planes Josh and I watched a TV show… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

We had a delicious meal with Kenny, Kathy, Josh, and Heather last night. After dinner we watched Wife Swap on TV together. Came home just in time for the DASNI chat… Our Bradford Pear trees are blooming and so is the Forsythia bush. I love this time of year… I did laundry and got it all folded and put away. Helped Dave fix a breakfast supper… Josh just called for us to come up so I will get ready and go see who is there he wants us to see… I know granddaughter Jamie is flying in from Kentucky tonight to go with Kathy and Heather to Ireland tomorrow… I am back home and it was Jamie that was there along with Kathy’s sister and her daughter and a brand new baby just a little over three weeks old. I got to hold him and feed him which made me very happy… Have a great time in Ireland Kathy, Jamie, and Heather… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Monday, March 12, 2007

Happy Birthday Sally!!! Sally is our friend in Hollywood, California…
Dave had an appointment at the dental college today so I had some ME time. It was just the dogs and me. We spent quite a bit of time outside. It was such a pretty day… Kathy walked down and we chatted for a while and she invited us up for a steak supper. I told her she could count on us being there… This afternoon in chat we had a guest who is a geriatric psychologist from Italy. It was so nice having her there to chat with us. She found us through reading Christine Bryden’s book “Dancing With Dementia” … I had a phone call from Barbara and it was nice catching up with her… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Chris and three of his four children. Jake, Macey, and Madison

Thanks to Dewey in Clemmons, North Carolina and Frank in the United Kingdom for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html I didn’t post a journal last night because I was just too tired. I had a very busy day yesterday. I spent the morning listening to the garden show on the radio. I learn so much from listening and I will take notes so I don’t forget their great hints… Then I went to the DASNI chat room where I chatted with friends. After chat I got ready to go to David and Lori’s. We were invited out to their house for Chris’s birthday dinner… On our way to David’s we stopped and checked out some hotels for a group of our friends who will be flying into Oklahoma in May for an Alzheimer’s Retreat… We had a wonderful time at David and Lori’s house. It was so nice to be with my family again and share a wonderful meal that Lori had prepared. Her delicious Chicken Enchiladas which was Chris’s request and of course Yum Yum Cake… It was very late when we got home and all I could think about was going to bed… We woke up during the night to a thunderstorm and rain. What a beautiful sound. We sure needed the rain… I have loafed most of the day and it has felt good… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 09, 2007

This morning I was up early to finish getting ready for the maids visit. I stripped the bed and laid out fresh sheets and put things away that needed put away. There were three maids and they were in and out in no time… While the maids were here I was outside getting my Vitamin D. I was riding my scooter all over our acreage with five dogs following me. It was Kenny’s two dogs and our three dogs. We were all having a good time until I ran out of gas. Dave had to come to my rescue and tow my scooter in and plug it into the power. I hadn’t noticed when I took it out that I was low on juice. I will try and pay more attention next time… I fixed supper and hosted chats… Tonight Kenny called and asked me to ride with him and Josh to go to take Josh to meet up with his Mother. Josh drove us in his car… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, March 08, 2007

The doorbell rang about 10:00 this morning and woke me up. It was the FedEx man… The new home that is going up across the street is coming right along. They are framing it now and it is going to be a huge house… I felt overwhelmed with all I had to do today. The maids are coming tomorrow and I had so much to do to get ready for them. No, I don’t clean before they come but I do have to pick up. I have to clean off stuff so they can dust and I don’t want to leave anything valuable out. They have never taken anything but I still like to have stuff put away… I did two loads of laundry and I was folding clothes on the bed when I was so tired that I just stopped folding clothes and laid across the bed just to rest a bit… I noticed on my web page “Mary’s Place” http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html that I am about to hit 10,000 hits again. This will be the third time I have reached 10,000 hits. I have made many friends through my web page and the chat room… Lori called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

I woke up with a cloudy head this morning but after some coffee and breakfast I started to feel better… I went outside in my short sleeves and pruned the roses… It looks like they have all lived through our bad weather. I was a bit worried that I might lose them… Next I need to check on our trees to see if they have survived… Sammie and Gracie came down today for a visit. They are sure cute, I would take a picture of them but they can’t be still long enough… I helped fixed supper and after supper I walked up to see Josh and Heather. Heather is so excited about her school trip to Ireland and I can’t blame her… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

It was another pretty day… I went with Dave to run some errands. We stopped at the feed store to pick up two 50-pound bags of black oiled sunflower seeds. That should keep the birds happy for a while. Those red winged blackbirds can empty a feeder in no time. We put seeds on the ground for the meadowlarks. Dave said I missed the redheaded woodpecker this morning eating the suet… I think I might have fed my fish twice today. Guess I am going to have start making notes when I feed him… I made potato soup for lunch, answered emails, and took care of the houseplants and both the Christmas cactus and Crown of Thorns continue to bloom… My foot with the tumor in it has really been hurting today. It hurts all the time but sometimes it is almost unbearable… Tonight I hosted chat while listening to Daniel O’Donnell on OETA . His singing always puts me in a good mood… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Monday, March 05, 2007

It sure was a beautiful day here in Piedmont, Oklahoma. The temperature was up in the 70’s… I took the flannel sheets off the bed to wash and I think it is time to put them away until next winter… My Internet was down most of the day. GRRRRRR so I wasn’t able to get into the DASNI chat to host this afternoon. I hope someone was there to cover for me. At least I was able to delete a lot of emails while I was waiting for the Internet to come back... I sat out on the back porch for a while just brushing Shiloh, watching the birds, and thinking about how peaceful it is out here in the country. I love it… Dave and I made a stir-fry for supper and we made enough for supper tomorrow night… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Happy Birthday Chris!!! Chris is our grandson in Moore, Oklahoma... Happy Birthday Phyllis!!! Phyllis is our friend in Mobile, Alabama... Dave and Kenny flew their planes this afternoon… I watched a Clint Eastwood movie and now I can’t remember the name of it… We had a great chat tonight in the DASNI chat room. We talked about when we were first diagnosed and how it made us feel. We also talked about if we hadn’t been diagnosed we would never have met so many wonderful friends who have been dealing with this terrible disease… Kenny came down tonight without any puppies… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma
marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Today would have been my Mother’s 92nd birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!! I have loafed most of the day away. I watched a few movies, ate, bowled on Pogo, ate, and chatted with friends in the chat room and ate some more. Feeling guilty for eating so much… Richard in Tennessee called. He wanted to come help me eat up all the groceries we bought. Also had a call from Norita… I am watching the dog show on Animal Planet… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 02, 2007

The sun was shining again today and I loved it… I sat out on the back porch and brushed Shiloh. She is so bad about shedding. While I was out there I watched the birds at the feeder and I think they were enjoying the sunshine also… I fixed us a salad for lunch and we had last night’s leftovers for supper… I did laundry, read our weekly newspaper, and hosted the DASNI chats… My brother George called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Thanks to Susan in Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I got out of the house today finally. I hadn’t been out of the house for two weeks and I was starting to develop cabin fever… We went to Tinker Air Force Base to the pharmacy to pick up our drugs and then to the commissary to pick up groceries. We left the commissary with over $300.00 worth of groceries. I can’t believe how much groceries are now… When we got home I made a meatloaf for supper while Dave put away groceries. Meatloaf is Dave’s favorite and I try to make him one every once in a while. By the time I finished though I thought my poor back was going to break into. I felt like crying. Shiloh could tell I was in pain and she was all over me trying to give me kisses… David and Kenny called… I am tired tonight… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma