Turning Japanese

It's been an eventful week at Lake Villa Wifey and surrounding areas...

Sister Sue came in from California to stay with ancient Mom, and made a startling discovery: Mom's infrequent noctornal falls seem to have an amusing cause: Mom's been hitting the cheap vodka with great abandon!

We knew she had a ""little nip" to "help her sleep." Sue observed the 90 lb 90 year old go through about 12 oz of Walmart's Finest, topped with some juice and artificial sweetener. When Sue found her sleeping on her bedroom floor, Grandma denied intoxication, like a NFL player arrested on South Beach.


So at least we know...

Saturday, both D2 were here for a "break fast" with the family. I put it in quotes, since no one actually fasted for Yom Kippur. I guess we atoned for our sins, each in his own way, like Liberal Protestants.

We had a lot of laughs and gave ancient grandma a rare chance to be together with all three of her kids (but, alas, with only 2/6 of her grandchildren).

The Ds resumed their educations (D2 back to Gainesville; D1 back to FIU (solo 30 minutos de Hialeah)...

Yesterday, Wifey and I headed to Delray to spend some time with Sue before her California return. We left Grandma to rest, and headed to an old stomping ground --Morikami Park. MP was built on land gifted from a wealthy Japanese farmer who came to South Palm Beach in the 30s to farm pineapples. He failed at that, but made a fortune in real estate, and donated the land.

When we first moved to Delray in 1979, there was a lovely little Japanese house, and a small bonsai (are there ever large Bonsai?) garden. Now, they've built what a volunteer told us is the largest Japanese garden in the US, with a fine museum and cafe.

Wifey got a case of the Vapors, so Sue and I walked around outside, and sat by a lovely Koi pond and waterfall. We talked about ancient Mom. We concluded, again, that getting old sucks...

Wifey recovered in the air conditioning, and we three had a lovely lunch at the Garden Cafe. It was probably the best, cheapest Asian lunch I've had. Ever. Sue had terrific sushi, and I had grilled tilapia, which was so fresh I think the chef plucked it out of the pond.

We stopped at the Gramercy Deli and got NON Japanese food for Grandma --chopped liver and rye bread.

Sue is due on an 8 am plane home out of FLL. Grandma says she'll be "fine" without her aide Lousise, who doesn't return from Canada until next week.

We'll see. I guess we'll always just see...