Nana is Gone

 

Nana is gone. She passed away at 9:45am on Sunday morning, December 6^th, 2020. I know she's in heaven. I know she's our guardian angel now. But I can't hold her hand, I can't kiss her cheek, I can't hear her sweet voice on the phone.

Yes, I'm grateful we had her until she was 97 years old. I'm grateful she was in her beloved apartment until she was almost 95. I'm grateful Watsontown Nursing and Rehab took good care of her.

When she got Covid-19, her tiny 77 lb. body couldn't win that battle. After all the struggles she overcame in her life, this was the one that took her.

I'm grieving but along with my grief is anger. Anger because Nana didn't have to die this way. She didn't have to die now. She was robbed of the chance to die of natural causes, to die on her time line. Nana died from a pandemic that has stolen the lives of so many of our long term care residents for months and months and it's not right.

Ultimately, I blame President Trump and his administration. They knew from the beginning that long term care residents were the most vulnerable for this virus. But instead of addressing how to keep this extremely vulnerable population safe, he chose to ignore the severity of the virus, chose to refuse to listen to scientists who are experts on infectious diseases, chose to make fun of people who wore masks, chose to hold super spreader events. All the while showing no empathy for the hundreds of thousands who've died. And still die every day —like Nana.

When Nana got Covid, she didn't get preferential treatments or get whisked off to a military hospital by helicopter so she could recover. No, she had to suffer and die without her family beside her.

I’m sure there’s others who share some of the blame for this tragedy, but the buck stops at the top. Leadership matters, science matters, intelligence matters, empathy matters. I will never forgive Trump and all those who support and enable this cruel man.

On another day, on another post, I'll share memories of our dear sweet Nana.

But today, I'm grieving and angry.

Nana should still be here with us but she is gone and I will miss her forever.

Link to Nana's obituary:

https://www.mccartythomas.com/obituaries/Deanie-Rhone/#!/Obituary

 One of my favorite pictures of Nana and I.

Nana and Diane June 2019

 

 

Saying Goodby to Wayne

 A mother shouldn't have to face the death of any of her children, especially her first born. But 2020 has brought another sadness to Nana's life. Only a little more than 2 months after losing her last living sibling, my Uncle Ben, I had to tell Nana that Wayne - her oldest son and my older brother - was gone. An unimaginable task. 

Wayne had Parkinson's for more than four years. Nana has known his health wasn't good. Lately, all of us tried to tuck messages in our phone calls that Wayne's condition was deteriorating. Even at that, it was a shock to lose Wayne - for all of us and for Nana. When I told Nana, she cried so much it broke my heart. I tried to be strong and hold it together for her. I didn't totally succeed. She kept asking, "What can I do?" Sadly, the answer was nothing. Of course, she wanted to go to the service and I knew that wasn't possible. I just told her we didn't know about the service because of the Covid virus. 

The next hurdle was when the obituary was in the Sun Gazette. I alerted her nurses in hopes they could give her some extra comfort if needed. As it turned out, they didn't see her read the obituary or have any reaction. Of course, that doesn't mean she didn't read it and cry alone. 

Dementia has stolen Nana's memory. Even events that happen hours before aren't available for her to recall. With Wayne's death, that's a small blessing. She hasn't mentioned him since I told her he passed and I'm not reminding her. It would only mean she would have to experience that sadness like it was the first time. 

Looking back, Nana was pregnant with Wayne when Daddy was shipped overseas for World War II in 1944. In the family photo albums, there were tons of pictures of Wayne as a baby. Pictures to send to Daddy in Italy so he could see his first born son. Nana and Wayne lived with Grandpa and Grandma Tilburg until the war ended and Daddy returned home in the fall of 1945.

As kids, Wayne and Sharon and Bill and I lived close to Grandpa and Grandma Rhone's farm outside Allenwood. Wayne loved the farm and that's where he spent most of his time. He was strong, even as a young boy, so he helped work in the fields. Wayne is five years older than me so my memories of growing up with him are scarce. Except for the time he and Nana saved my life.

We moved to the Staggert Place down the road from Grandma and Grandpa Rhone's farm in the summer of 1957. When we moved in, there was a lush green yard bordering a small creek that snaked along our property and under a bridge on the road in front of our house. That first summer, the creek was a calm flow of clear water, hopping over rocks on it's way to dump into a wide stream on the other side of the bridge. But by early spring, that creek had turned into a roaring monster - muddy, brown and swift. Along the high bank of the creek, tiny pine trees were struggling to survive. On a windy, cold March day, Nana allowed me to go out and play. I bundled into warm clothes and donned my favorite red rubber boots. The raging creek was ominous but my attention was on the little pine trees. They were coated in ice from the frigid March temperatures. In my eight year old mind, they were calling on me to free them of their icy coats. I started with the ones at the top of the bank, digging the heels of my rubber boots into the slippery, ice covered bank while I rubbed the ice off their fragile branches. The more trees I rescued, the further down the bank I ventured. 

Suddenly, my rubber boots slipped from their hold on the bank. I slid quickly into the swift water, where I was tossed around like a twig. In the seconds it took to realize I was in trouble, I must've screamed. How Nana heard me scream over the noise of the rushing water and the howling wind, I'll never know. 

With my mind in a blur, I saw Nana, no coat, her apron flapping in the wind. Then Nana was the one screaming. Soon after Nana screamed, I saw Wayne racing along the edge of the bank. By that time, I was close to being swept under the bridge. I'm sure they both knew that if I went beyond the bridge into the large stream on the other side, I would be drowned.

All of a sudden, Wayne jumped down the bank and into the creek. I felt Wayne grab me and drag me up the steep bank, back to the safety of the yard. I have no idea how we both didn't get pushed under the bridge with the sheer force of the current. Nor do I know how Wayne was able to climb up that steep, ice covered bank, especially while holding me. 

All I do know is that if Nana hadn't heard me scream, if Nana hadn't screamed for Wayne, if Wayne hadn't been brave enough to jump into that monstrous creek, I wouldn't be here.  Yes, Nana and Wayne saved my life and they're both my heroes. 

Wayne and Sharon and Diane and Bill at Staggert Place Summer 1957

Wayne grew up to be a loyal employee of Textron, a dedicated husband and father to his family.  He never grew out of his love for farming and tractors. His abundant garden and graveyard of tractors in his yard waiting to be brought back to life are evidence of that.  

For many years, Wayne and I weren't close. About seven years ago, we reconnected. We talked on the phone and I saw him on almost every one of my trips to Pennsylvania. We visited when Wayne stopped in at Nana's apartment and I often visited Wayne and his wife Sharon at his home. I have fond memories of Wayne taking me for rides in his golf cart on the trails in the woods behind his house. We usually ended up at the back of his daughter Missi's property, where we stopped to feed her chickens. The chickens loved Wayne. They surrounded the golf cart, happily clucking and eager to eat out of his hand. They knew he was a good man. 

Wayne was a good man. I'm so sad that Nana lost her first born son and that I lost my older brother. I know he's at peace now and he's our guardian angel, but Nana and I will miss him. 

Wayne and Nana September 2019

Wayne and Diane February 2017

                                  

 

Celebrating Nana's 97th Birthday - During a Pandemic

 Nana's birthday is always a reason to celebrate. Every year, I try to make sure she feels special and loved and honored. But, how to do that during a Pandemic when we can't visit her in person, share her birthday cupcakes, and take pictures together? We celebrate by doing all that we CAN do.

During the planning, I asked Cindy to take care of ordering the Happy Birthday balloons, birthday cupcakes, and the #97 candles. Cindy is extremely efficient. She not only took care of all of those things, she graciously paid for them as a gift to Nana. 

For our gift, Sharon and I shared the cost of a one year subscription to The Luminary newspaper for Nana. I announced that gift to Nana in one of the three birthday cards I sent her. Cindy scheduled a 'window' visit with Nana at 3:30pm on her birthday and I scheduled a group Birthday Zoom at 4pm that day. Then I crossed my fingers everything would work.

On Tuesday, September 15th at 9:30am, Jan and I called Nana. Fortunately, she answered and we broke into her Happy Birthday song. She was delighted! Then I told her Cindy would be delivering her birthday cupcakes and we'd see her later on the computer. She was in such good spirits!

During the day, Watsontown Nursing Home celebrated her birthday with a favorite lunch and dessert. Nana also made it clear she wanted ice cream too.

In the afternoon, Cindy dropped off the cupcakes, balloons and candles. Sharon had also dropped off a gift bag of goodies for Nana. At her window visit, Cindy could see Nana enjoying all her birthday treats.

I had asked the Activities Department to take pictures for us and they didn't disappoint. You'll see from the pictures that they truly helped Nana celebrate her birthday and made her feel special. Kristen from Activities told me that when she asked Nana what flavor of ice cream she wanted from the choices of Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate, Nana said, "I'll start with Strawberry." I take that to mean she wanted them all! 

Nana at Cindy's Window Visit

Nana with Birthday Cupcakes, Candles and Balloons

 

 

 

Nana eating ice cream

Nana enjoying her cupcake

The Birthday Zoom was not as successful. By the time of the Zoom, Nana was very tired. The nursing home didn't have the original link I sent to all the family so we missed some who may have been able to join us. However, eventually, we were able to have Jan and I and Lori and Nate and Ollie and Sid on the Zoom. But Nana was so tired she seemed to have lost her zest for celebrating. I totally understand and didn't blame her for that. She enjoyed seeing Nate and Lori and the boys and that perked her up for a bit. But Nana was done celebrating for the day.  

Nana's Birthday Zoom with Diane & Jan & Lori, Nate, Ollie & Sid

We did the best we could to celebrate Nana's 97th Birthday in a Pandemic. I hope she felt special and loved and honored. I hope she enjoyed her cards, cupcakes, candles, balloons, and gifts. Nana is our gift on her birthday and every day. We're so blessed to have her in our lives.

Nana's Outside Visit with Family and Saying Goodby to Uncle Ben

Life is full of 'what ifs.' I'm a planner and I like to know what's on my calendar. At the end of July, I decided to plan another outside visit with Nana. After getting approval from Kristen in Activities at Watsontown Nursing and Rehab, we set the date for Friday, August 14th. 

Monday August 3rd, Nana's younger brother, Ben, died. After a fall at AristaCare nursing home where he broke his femur and his hip, Ben endured a painful surgery. While still in the hospital recovering, he experienced a ruptured bowel. Unfortunately, he had to endure another surgery. It was too much for him and he passed away.

The first challenge was to tell Nana. Sharon and I both tried several times without success. My fear was that she'd read about it in the paper without knowing. Finally, the morning the obituary was in the Williamsport Sun Gazette, I was able to make her understand that Ben had passed away.  I'll always remember her voice cracking as she said, "You mean Ben is gone?" We haven't spoken about it since. Because dementia has stolen so much of her memory, I don't want her to experience that pain over and over. 

Uncle Ben's service was only a graveside service because of the limits during the Covid virus. The  service was set for Friday morning, August 7th at the Elimsport Cemetary where Ben would be buried close to he and Nana's mother and father, Harrison and Pearl Tilburg. 

I decided to rearrange our trip so we could attend the service. I contacted Kristen again and asked if we could move our visit with Nana to Friday afternoon, August 7th. She was able to arrange the change so we were set. Then, the day before we drove to Pennsylvania, I checked the weather forecast. Rain and thunderstorms were predicted for Friday, particularly in the afternoon. I was concerned that Nana's outside visit would be canceled at the last minute because of weather. I contacted Kristen again and changed our visit to Thursday afternoon at 1:50pm. It meant an early, early morning trip from Indiana for Jan and I, but I couldn't take the chance that we couldn't see Nana. I sent the day/time to Bill and Marcia and Sharon and hoped they could join us for the visit. 

Thursday was a beautiful day. Bright sunshine, pleasant temperatures and a light breeze - important because Nana hates wind! Since communicating was so difficult during our last outside visit, I brought a dry erase board to use for our conversations with Nana.  

Our volunteer helper Judy wheeled Nana into the plexiglass booth. Judy is kind and sweet and has experience working with the elderly. When we first met Judy a few months ago, she told us how she had taken care of her own mother for many years. She was the perfect helper for Nana. At first Nana cried and said," My family!" When Nana kept crying, Judy firmly said, " Deanie, stop crying and enjoy this visit with your family." 

That seemed to help and Nana smiled and engaged with us using the dry erase board. Nana's a good reader so she seemed to love reading our messages. She even read them before we finished writing! Jan graciously stayed to the side so she could take pictures of our visit.  Our 20 minutes flew by and at the end Jan got a group photo that we'll treasure for years. 

Nana reading the dry erase board

       Nana with Sharon & Ron, Bill & Maria and Diane 

 Jan took the picture                 

Friday was the service for Uncle Ben. In the hours before the graveside service, the skies opened up with torrential downpours like the heavens were sobbing. The rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning. Then, just as we arrived at the Elimsport Cemetery, the skies cleared. The stillness of the lush green valley surrounded by the mountains protecting it brought a sense of peace to the small gathering of friends and family gathered around Uncle Ben's casket. After Pastor Mike gave his short sermon and shared stories of his friendship with Uncle Ben, he invited those in attendance to offer their stories. It was lovely to hear kind words about this man who lived a quiet, unassuming life. Uncle Ben had an 8th grade education and spent his working life helping at his cousin's dairy farm. It was a hard job with long hours that left him with knee and shoulder problems for years after he retired. He never married and found companionship in his neighbors and family. Uncle Ben loved food and seeing him enjoy leftovers and desserts brought as much joy to the giver as to him. 

Uncle Ben was my Nana's baby brother and her only living sibling. Nana had already said goodby to her older sisters Elizabeth and Grace and her older brother John. Remembering the disbelief in her voice when she finally understood that Ben had passed, I wanted to be at the service, not just for me, but to say goodby to Ben for Nana. As we left the cemetery, it started to rain again.  

 Flowers with "Brother and Uncle" for Uncle Ben

A few days after Jan and I were home from our Pennsylvania trip, we discovered that all outside visits at Watsontown Nursing Home were canceled. There was a Covid outbreak at the sister facility in Milton. 19 residents had already died and a majority of the surviving residents were infected. The Pennsylvania National Guard was being called in. Although, fortunately, Watsontown was still virus-free, they weren't taking any chances. 

That's where the what if's come in. What if Uncle Ben hadn't passed away when he did? What if we hadn't decided to attend the graveside service? What if we'd kept our original appointment for the August 14th visit? We wouldn't have been able to have such a wonderful visit with Nana, we wouldn't have been able to say goodby to Uncle Ben and I would've been left with a lot of regrets. But the what ifs didn't happen. Instead, we were blessed with memories to cherish with Nana and a lovely farewell to Uncle Ben.   

 

Lori's Nana Visit - A Home Run!

"The triumph of hope over experience." That accurately sums up Lori's recent visit with Nana.

Nana pandemic visits hadn't been too successful. After my visit  (see last post) and 2 not-so-great Cindy visits with Nana, I wasn't sure how Lori's July 2020 visit would turn out. But Lori was able to accomplish a 'home run' with a Nana outside, social distance visit. 

Lori was prepared. She had shirts with Nana on them for Ollie and Sid to wear, knowing that sight was the only communication. The boys had 'dance ribbons' and bubbles and their normal exuberance ready to entertain Nana. And entertain they did. Nana's smiles were proof of that. 
 

Lori and Sharon and Ollie and Sid

Ollie and Nana and Sharon and Sid

Sharon also joined the group and I'm sure Nana was happy to see her in person, albeit separated by a plexiglass booth. Sharon hadn't seen Nana since early March, just before the quarantine was put in place. 
 

Nana and Sharon

The staff gave Lori a clip board with paper and pen to help communicate with Nana. That gave Lori the idea that a dry erase board would be a good tool on the next visit. 

With the success of Lori's visit, I'm going to try again. We've scheduled a visit for Friday, August 14th. I don't have any lively young boys or dance ribbons or bubbles. I am bringing a dry erase board and lots of hope while crossing my fingers for a good experience. 

Connecting with Nana during a Pandemic

In March, we thought it would last a few weeks, like the time we couldn't visit Nana because there was a flu outbreak in the nursing home last year. But this time was different. Weeks turned into  months and now it's been 5 months since I've seen Nana in person in her room. I have seen Nana but it's not the same.

I give the Watsontown Nursing and Rehab facility credit for doing their best to keep residents connected with their families. In June, they created an outside booth with plexiglass so families could see their loved ones at a distance. When they announced this option, I jumped at the chance to see Nana in the flesh. Time slots were limited and the only appointment we could get was Saturday, June 13th at 1:30pm for a 20 minute visit. We drove 8 and a half hours on Friday and waited nervously for the appointment.

When the volunteer wheeled Nana out the door, it was so good to actually see her. I had prepared myself for her wild hair style as the hairdresser hasn't been allowed in the facility for months. I wasn't prepared for how tired and exhausted she looked. Communicating through a plexiglass booth - that Jan accurately dubbed the 'Pope Mobile' - while wearing masks made normal conversation impossible.  Even if Nana had good hearing - which she doesn't - it would've been a challenge. 

We were fortunate to have Brenda as our kind and patient volunteer. She first asked Nana if she knew who we were. It took her a minute but she did say, 'Diane and Jan.' That was a relief. To be fair, with our masks we probably looked more like bank robbers than our normal selves. 

Nana was truly exhausted. Her eyes kept closing and her head drooped as she struggled to stay awake. She did complain several times about  it being windy. Nana hates wind. (We anticipated that reaction when we'd seen the weather.) She was distracted by the cars driving by on Eighth Street. She thought they were from Pumpkin Center, the housing unit across from Houston Ridge apartments in Montgomery where she used to live. 

The best reaction we saw from her was when I held up the huge jar of M & M's we brought for her.  It was truly the only smile of the visit. She joked about how we should count how many M & M's were in the jar. That gave us some smiles!

But after that, she seemed agitated and fatigued. Our 20 minute visit was barely 15 minutes. Am I sorry we drove over 16 hours for a 15 minute visit? No, I'm not. Maybe I needed the visit for me more than for her. There's nothing like seeing her right in front of me. The difficult part was having her so close and not being able to hug and kiss her. Not being able to stroke her arm and speak close to her ear so she can hear me say, 'I love you.' 

 

Nana & Brenda the Volunteer

June 2020

  Nana seeing the big jar of M&M's 

 

Since that visit, I've been doing more Zoom meetings with her. It took several tries to know the best way to communicate is to have Nana on her volume boosted phone while I talk to her on my cell phone. (She can't hear me at all on the I-Pad volume.) I do get more smiles from her during our Zoom calls and there's the added bonus of having the Activities helper check to make sure she has M&M's, KitKats, Sprite and Weis Tissues. 

Nana and I on Zoom July 2020

When we're not Zooming together, I call Nana every day. The hearing in her left ear is almost non-existent, so I have to have her 'switch ears' so she can hear me better. Some days are better than others. Some days she doesn't want to talk. Some days she sings to me. Some days she reads the paper to me. Some days her answers indicate she still doesn't hear what I say. I always ask her how she feels and she normally says , "OK, just lazy." I always tell her it's ok to be lazy at 96, almost 97. She always asks me what I'm doing. I usually check her daily weather for her while we're on the phone. Then we have the conversation about Mother Nature being in charge. As Nana says, "Mother Nature is the boss!" When I tell her I love her, she always says she loves me too and that I'm such a good girl. My heart melts. 

Fortunately, as of now, Watsontown Nursing Home doesn't have any cases of the Covid-19 virus. I pray it stays that way. As much as I want to see and talk to Nana in person, I don't want her to get this horrible virus. She deserves to be safe and comfortable and 'lazy.' Until the danger is over, I'll keep Zooming and calling and doing whatever it takes to stay connected with Nana.

 

Staying Together While Apart

Who knew when Jan and I visited Nana in February that we wouldn't see her again for a visit in March - or April - or May ? The 'No Visitors' order was announced just before we were to make our March visit on Friday, the 13th. (Fitting somehow...) When I talked to the Social Worker at Watsontown, she said she'd made an exception for me. She would allow me to visit in an isolated area with Nana on Saturday morning. However, I got a call on Friday when we were half way through Ohio. No exceptions. No Nana visit. 

We dropped off Nana's gigantic jar of M&M's to the receptionist and headed to our non-refundable hotel room for the night. The hardest part was explaining to Nana on Saturday morning why we couldn't visit after all. Even after that dreaded phone call, the pit in my stomach wouldn't go away. Not through Pennsylvania, Ohio or Indiana. But, at that point, I had no clue of the length and depth of this virus that sounded like a Mexican beer. Surely, the nursing home was just being extremely cautious. 

A few days later, when restaurants and schools started to close here in Indiana, I had my first inkling that this thing was serious. When the news kept warning about the 'vulnerable population', I thought of people like Nana - in their 90's and in a nursing home. Except then I heard they also meant those over 65 were at higher risk. That's me. Was it even safe to go to my hair appointment? No worries on making that decision - my hair salon was forced to close too. 

My only link to Nana was our daily phone calls, a normal routine for us. But part of that routine was also Nana asking me when I was coming to visit. Usually, on each call, I could give her a date on the calendar. Now, I can't. 

Like most of us, Nana handles it better some days than others. She's comforted by the fact that she's safe and that her family is safe. We often talk about facing it 'one day at a time.' Other days, she doesn't understand and she cries. When we hang up, I cry too. 

Although none of us deserve a pandemic, Nana shouldn't have to endure this. A childhood with a drunken and abusive father and an invalid mother. Living through World War II. A marriage that started with so much promise and turned into years of struggle. Long days working in a factory for a cold, over-bearing boss. Financial worries that followed her into her retirement years.

But Nana is a fighter. Through it all, she raised four pretty decent kids and helped raise two of her grandchildren. Her feisty independence served her well. She was driving until after the age of 90 and lived in her cozy apartment until her legs forced her into a wheel chair and to the Watsontown Nursing Center almost 2 years ago. 

As most things in life, there's always some blessings if we look for them. Like the day, unprompted, Nana said how grateful she is to have a warm place to live and food to eat, especially her candy! I told her how thankful I am that I can talk to her on the phone everyday, even when I can't visit in person.

The nursing home is now providing an iPad so residents can do Facetime and Zoom with their loved ones. Nana and I have done a number of  Zooms together. She has trouble hearing on the iPad but we've found using her phone to talk while we see each other on the screen solved the problem. Seeing her face, watching her smile, making her laugh and hearing her say, "You're a good girl,"  is the next best thing to being there with her. 

On one of our recent Zoom calls, Nana was having so much trouble hearing me. I told her I hoped we'd be able to be together in person again soon. All she could hear me say was 'together again.' Nana broke into song, singing "Together Again." I didn't recognize the song but she knew all the words to several verses. I listened in awe as this amazing woman who's been through so much trial and heartache lifted me with her sweet voice.

Who knew that, even in a pandemic, Nana would show us how to survive?

Nana and Diane February 2020

 

 

Nana Christmas 2019

Mother Nature was kind to us this year and Jan and I were able to visit Pennsylvania and spend Christmas Day with Nana. Thanks  to Nancy, the receptionist, we made plans to have Christmas Day lunch with Nana privately at the Watsontown Nursing Home. 

We arrived Christmas Eve and gave Nana her gifts. She was most excited about her Texas Wildflowers Calendar. What fun we had going through each month, oohing and ahhing the beautiful, vibrant wildflower pictures! Then we talked about whose birthday was on each of those months.  

Nana with her Texas Wildflowers Calendar

The gift of new purple sweatsuits was not as exciting, but Nana looks beautiful in that color, as you can see by the pictures. With her perfectly coiffed white hair, she's a lovely lady at 96!

Nana with her Christmas gift of purple sweats

During our visit on Christmas Eve, Kristin from the Activities Department came bearing gifts for Nana and Ruth. Kristin was decked out in her Holiday attire - an opportune time for a photo.
We left Nana on Christmas Eve with our promise to be back the next day, Christmas. 

Kristin from Activities and Nana Christmas Eve

On our way to visit my son Tim and family, we stopped to see Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben is also in a nursing home, Arista Care at Loyalsock. Uncle Ben is the baby of the family at 89 and Nana's only living sibling. Uncle Ben appreciated our gift of chocolate candy and homemade cookies, but wanted to know how Nana is doing. I showed him our pictures so he could see that she's doing well. 

Uncle Ben Christmas Eve 2019

Christmas Day, Nana was in Christmas red as we arrived for our lunch together. We were in the Activities room with our delicious meal of potatoes - ours were scalloped, Nana's were mashed - baked ham and corn. We soon found out that Nana preferred my scalloped potatoes to her mashed ones so that's what she ate. But, for Nana, the hot food was just an preamble to the cherry pie. Although Nana has false teeth, I think she still has her 'sweet tooth' tucked away somewhere. We soon found out that the skins on the cherries didn't work for her, but the syrupy cherry gel and tender crust were a hit! Along with the fountain Sprite we brought her, I'd say the pie was the highlight of our meal. 

Nana and Diane Christmas lunch 2019

After lunch, we made sure Nana was comfortably resting with her newspaper. As we headed home for Indiana, we thanked Mother Nature that we were blessed  to share a delightful Christmas 2019 with Nana.