tidy up...

before

after

yesterday became a day of transformation for joey and mama.  joey normally has long hair.  when we first picked him up from the rescue shelter he looked like one of the muppets.  I like to keep him short and tidy.  it is easier to clean him up when he comes in covered in mud.  he was reluctant to go with the groomer to the back.  it was as if he was saying "no mama I want to be with you" and "I promise to stay clean".  truth is he has been smelling like a dog and in the new place I still haven't figured out how to give him a bath.  in our old house we had two big wash tubs in the laundry room.  it was great.  wash in one, rinse in the other and start the dryer while he was still contained in the sink.  it didn't matter if he shook trying to get dry.  it was the laundry room after all, but here it looks like the bathtub will have to become his new wash vessel.  so now he is clean, tidy and smelling like a rose.  you can see his eyes and he looks into your soul and sometimes I think he is talking to me.  I imagine him saying "I love you and I am here for you to cuddle with when you feel like shit on a stick".  dogs are incredible like that.  they love you no matter what.  you can be angry, smelly and rushing around, but they remind you to stop and take time to rest.  I love to cuddle with him and his puppy kisses melt away all the worries in my head.

after I dropped him off at the groomers I went to work on mama's hair.  I found her in bed and located a nurse to help me get her into her wheelchair.  she looked tired.  I explained to her that we are turning your room into a salon today.  she smiled.  she seemed weak.  I pulled out my iPhone and hit play on my italian music selection and began.  then I remembered what a friend had said about taking pictures.  thank you jeanine!  so I thought I would take a before and after.

before

after

it was tricky.  I removed the back from her wheelchair so that I could get to her hair.  I used a colour rinse which may only last a couple of washings.  her hair is so soft.  I remember it always being dry.  I used to colour mom's hair all the time.  then I would curl it and set it.  I remember her hair being dry and brittle.  it was soft and the colour it had become reminded me of my nonna.  I coloured, I dried and I curled.  she is very rigid so moving her around is like moving around a bag of grass clippings.  you think you have it and then it flops over.  I kept asking her if she was ok.  did she need anything.  she sat there and nodded off and on.  at the end I turned around to face the mirror, but because of her neck she couldn't see.  what to do?  so I took a pic with my phone and showed it to her.  "ah, yeah" she said.  "good".

I don't know how long the colour will last.  I think they may be giving her a bath today and so there go the curls.  the thing is at first I was pissed at my dad for wanting her hair coloured and yesterday as I was wheeling her to lunch and everyone was saying how beautiful she looked it hit me.

I was given a gift and I never even knew it.  all those years of doing her hair and "playing salon" have been moments when it was just the two of us.  she was "stuck" so to speak in the chair which was rare for my mom to ever stop and sit.  she ran around all the time.  she was cleaning, cooking, washing clothes and stirring soup all at the same time.  for those brief moments we were chatting and laughing when I would ask how the kids were and we are all done now maria!  time to go to the front and pay.  

 mama & I

I spoke to dad this morning and he sounded happy.  he said mom's hair looked good.  hmmm...  it's really a little thing, isn't it?  a little thing that made a whole bunch of people stop and smile.  oh we may be in a puddle of tears tomorrow and mom's hair may be a mess, but I am starting to realize that those little moments are really quite huge.

I did learn (cause there is always a lesson) that when and if I end up in a home that I will probably just shave my head, lose the bra and braid my chin hairs.  now let's not get crazy!  I will still need a cappuccino maker on my nightstand.  :)