Friday, October 29, 2010

Lunch at The Institution

Today, my dad treated me to lunch at his retirement home (or The Institution, as he calls it). 

We sat at a table with two very fiesty residents. 

Mona is a retired nurse who worked at the Veterans Hospital for many years.  She loves feeding birds and has several specialized feeders strategically located outside of her apartment windows.  Mona also likes to watch professional sports on tv.  Baseball, basketball and football, in that order.  She's rooting for the Giants in the World Series, although she hates to see a shut-out.

Roy retired from a long career as an engineer and he traveled as a consultant for most of the dam projects built on our Pacific Northwest rivers.  He is a man of few words but every one of them today was a joke.  Every one. 

They celebrated Halloween at The Institution today.   They had a group of small children come in to Trick or Treat.  Four of the residents dressed up for lunch and I just had to snap their picture.  (I forgot to bring my camera and you'll instantly notice that I don't know how to take a decent picture with my camera phone.)


This woman looked positively elegant.  Love her cap!


Very brave to wear all those colors together - stunning!


This woman didn't have a costume on but her friends at the table told me she knitted that beautiful sweater herself! 
Isn't she sweet?


Here is my favorite... she was a crack up! 
I think it's the glasses that got me.  I just kept staring at her!


Mona, Roy and my dad didn't really want to have their pictures taken.  So I snuck them in behind this cutie. 
Do you think she is a flapper from the 20's?   

Then I had to hurry back to my table because someone was trying to take my seat.  Apparently you have to be very careful about getting down to the dining room early so that you don't end up with the 'wrong people' at your table. 

But honestly, everyone I met was charming.  Imagine all the life stories represented in that dining room!  I think it should be required that all of us spend time each week with someone over 80 years old.  It was good medicine for me!

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