Magazine buying..and buying...

This is not a good sign: multiple magazines...

Until now Okaasan always clearly knew which magazines she had already bought, and which she HAD to buy right now.

Magazines are one of her passions. These young women fashion magazines. Always. She never buys middle aged or older person magazines. Fashion magazines with free bag offers.

When I moved/tidied away her magazines a few years ago she got really angry with me and accused me of stealing etc etc. It ended up as a huge family row...was that the time DS hit her and I left home for 4 days? I can't remember now. but maybe. All over her precious magazines.

So, I was surprised a little sad to find all these multiple magazines in her room this week. Not a good sign: she is beginning to lose the memory on something very important to her.

Next morning I asked her politely if she needed all these magazines and whether I could take some to give my students. Okaasan was as surprised as me to see multiples: did I buy these? All these? Why? I must be losing my mind! 

But she gave them up willingly and my Friday students were happy with the windfall. Funny though: my 50-70 years old students all said: Oh, I don't read this magazine myself. My daughter/daughter-in-law would like it though!!

But 85 years old Okaasan loves these magazines :-)

Meanwhile. Family trip to the local festival this morning. Walk in the local area. Sit in the festival. Eat some food. Say hello to a few familiar faces. Okaasan enjoyed it. Maybe. Sat looking at it all. Responded if we talked about something. Ate her way through a curry, some Chinese dumplings, some soy bean snacks and half a sausage. Came home hand in hand with her son.

Family outing. Makes me realize always how frail she is really. Watching her walk. Get off balance easily in a dip in the tarmac. Clutching onto walls and fences.

We are lucky that she doesn't go so far alone now. Downtown by subway is maybe twice a month now. Most of her daily walks are very local.

I'm off away tonight to stay at a friend's home and then early tomorrow driving a few hours east into the mountains to do another day of kayak training. Yippeeeeee!!!

A little scary. But yippppeeeee!