November 11, 2009

As I was growing up I remember my Dad spending endless hours playing solitaire on our dining room table. He would loose nearly as often as he would play with a few exceptions here and there, which were always peppered with hurrah's and much glee.

Today I visited my Dad, my sister was there as well. She ate breakfast with him. I arrived at Sentry Hill with my own cup of coffee and declined breakfast. There isn't a lot to talk about. Usually upon arrival I test my Dad's memory to see where he stands in relation to my last visit. This morning he was sadly much less cognitive. He couldn't remember his U.S. Army serial number which he has always been able to recite without any hesitation. This was particularly sad as today is Veteran's Day.

Thinking back to when the 3 of us would spend time playing his favorite card game, kitty whist, I walked down to his room and picked up the pack of playing cards I put in there shortly after his arrival at Sentry Hill. Coming back to the table in the dining area I dealt the cards as if we all knew how to play. As I had forgotten I was hoping either my sister or Dad could remember. My Dad had a tough time picking up the cards, though he made an honest attempt. By reading his face he looked like he was playing. But his hands were at a loss.

We tried kitty whist and then solitaire. At first he was at a total loss as I dealt the cards out directly in front of him. My sister and I assisted him hoping and trying to provoke his memory. He happened to put a few correct combination's down though I wasn't sure if it was just luck.

With our help (cheating) he managed to win.