LARYNGITIS in Postcards 4

Alice of Alice in Memoryland has been suffering from laryangitis. She writes not just of the verbal silences she is suffering, but also of the mental silences her husband suffers. He has Alzheimer’s, and he is still living at home. Lately they have been arguing over x=x or x=y.

George and I had one of those rather heated x=y discussions yesterday morning ourselves.

“What happened to the two bags of laundry,” I asked. “Where are the whites?”

“I took the green bag down,” he said.

“The blue bag had the whites in it,” I replied.

“I put the whites in the dryer,” he said a little heatedly. Then added, “You brought the blue bag up.”

I didn’t remember bringing the blue bag up. I didn’t even remember starting the whites.

I have moments like these. I have no short term memory. If something doesn’t’ make it through my filters, it doesn’t exist. This day the laundry information didn’t make it into long term memory.

“If you are going to be that cranky over laundry,” I said after a long pause, “You are going to make a truly awful caretaker when I get older and remember nothing.”
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• Himself: Yesterday: Lots of cranky folks at work, and today more. He had a great two day despite them. Good doctor’s visit too.


• Myself: Took photos and enjoyed the visit. I don’t remember going to this show at the Mingei either.


• Reading: ”The Little Colonel at Boarding School.”


• Gratitude’s: I was issued a “Friends of the San Diego Library’ apron today.