Maxwell

This book is dedicated to those who suffer from and live with Alzheimer’s dementia, and to the caretakers who surrender their time, money, and love to this vulnerable population. To Bill who tirelessly took her to the doctor’s, shopping, repairing her home, listening to her with patience as her language, thoughts and memory changed minute to minute, and David who took care of his Nana by bringing her special gifts with his partner, Rayenell, whose generous heart stepped in with a sense of humor and kindness, especially on Thanksgiving. To Gabriel who reminded me that his Nana is “old” when I became impatient; neighbors Bill and Maria who looked out for her and were endlessly calm during the stormy discussions; the Title 1 team where I worked in Concho, Arizona at the Concho Elementary School who listened to me when I told the Granny stories and encouraged me to keep writing the “Granny Chronicles: Learning to Speak Leopard.” To the people who along the daily trips to live in the world were kind, had a sense of humor, and even the line of customers when she went to the twenty item lane in Walmart’s and she had over one-hundred items and they waited for her to get done. And lastly, I dedicate this book to Granny. When she couldn’t hear me would tell me to, “Take my hat off,” so she could hear me. She would put the dog’s food in the freezer. She would say that the dog was Jewish, “Because it knows everything.” Then she would convincingly say that the dog was Italian, “Because it speaks some Italian words.” When asked about believing in God she said “Yes,” she believed in God, but she didn’t believe in Jesus, “Because he is dead.” And with all her innocent and humorous takes on the world, she in many ways stayed the same. Perhaps Gertrude Stein was correct when she said, "We are always the same age inside."