I’ve spoken a lot about Kate’s sleeping late over the past few months, so I should let you know that she was up at 6:00 this morning. That itself is not unusual. She often gets up between 5:00 and 7:00 to go to the bathroom and then back to bed. Today was different. I saw her getting ready to shower. I told her what time it was and that she could go back to sleep if she wanted. She indicated she was ready to get up. I got her towels and clothes ready for her and left her. She was ready for Panera before 7:30.
We surprised everybody at Panera. We had never arrived so early. We even beat the group from the Catholic Church who stop by for coffee and pastries after mass each day. The two people working the front counter commented on our early arrival, and one of the managers came to our table to say she had missed us lately. We have seen several others we know. It was like “old home week.”
Being so early led to a humorous moment. About 9:00 (an hour and a half after our arrival), Kate gave me a look that I recognized as “I think it’s time to go.” We got things together and said goodbye to our Catholic friends. When we got outside, Kate said, “Now we can get some lunch.” I told her it would be a while before lunch and asked if she would like another muffin. She said she would. We turned around before getting into the car and took our place at the table we had just left. Our friends at the “Catholic table” chuckled and welcomed us back. They all know about Kate, and are very understanding.
When we came back in, I set up Kate’s iPad while Kate went over to get a drink. I noticed that she was a little unsure about what to do and asked if she would like me to get her drink. She said she would. Then she asked me where I wanted her to sit. At that moment, we were standing beside our table with her iPad opened to her puzzle. She rarely sees it without my pointing it out to her.
A little later we received a phone call from our daughter. That, of course, was a bright spot in our morning. Before going back to our table, Kate responded to a woman seated near us. It was someone whose husband had been a friend of my dad’s. Both of them died five years ago. It had been that long since we had seen her. We had a nice conversation with at her table. When we were through, Kate asked for my help in getting back to our table that is about 12-15 feet away.
It is now 10:45. It looks like we will be here until we leave for lunch. I’m not sure about Kate, but it’s been a very nice morning for me. I think it’s been good for her. Although she doesn’t talk as much as I do, I think she benefits from the stimulation of being with people. All the encounters are pleasant ones as well. I think it’s good for both of us.
