Monsters, Memory Care & the Great Escape

Have you read The Monster At the End of This Book by Jon Stone?  Another one of my favorites.  It's a really fun book but I think I like it most because of how it so tickled my brother every single time we read it as children.  Don't you love certain things simply because of the joy they provide to ones you love?  I just reread this book and realized...huh...we are our own monsters, aren't we?  Often times, we are what is keeping ourselves from ourselves.  Pretty deep, I know.  That's what happens when you start reading books starring lovable, furry, old Grover.

Cicero was the first to say Man is his own worst enemy and it is still true.

My Grandma is moving into a new Memory Care Facility (only 20 minutes from our house - yay!) and the kids and I were there today, helping to ready her rooms.  All of the doors leading outside are locked, of course, for the safety of those living on this particular wing of the building.  When John went to open the outside door for my Dad (who was carrying boxes in), a lady followed right behind and asked John to hold the door for her.  He is a gentleman of a boy and did so graciously.  She handed him her toothpick (which he politely accepted and then tossed!) and took off down the sidewalk in a slipper shuffle.  Fortunately, my Mom was watching from the window and said, "Isn't that the lady from down the hall?  Do you think John just let her out?"

We ran down the hall, out the door and led her back inside, explaining to those in charge.  No harm done, everything's fine but we're probably gonna get my Grandma kicked out before she even moves in!  "Be good", she always tells us.  "Stay out of trouble."  I guess we need the reminders!

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."  

-- George Bernard Shaw

I'm not quite sure I agree with this philosophy but I do think...stop being your own worst enemy monster.  Be your own superhero!

Here's my kitchen tree in the summer, with the sun going down and a storm rolling in: