My grandmother turned 90 on 20 May 2009. NINETY!

A week later, she was admitted to Mount Saint Joseph's Hospital in Vancouver, BC. Originally, it was because her heart rate was very fast and we all thought it was just probably a precaution that she stay until things were relatively normal again.

Deep down, I think she knew it was something more; deep down I think we all knew it was something serious. Cancer. Under her tongue and it had spread.

For some reason I felt compelled to take my camera those first few days in the hospital and photograph her with family, etc. A little while later, I thought it might be nice to remember these days for myself and so I've created this blog.

I have been lucky - as my lola keeps reminding me. I've had many years to know my lola and I feel like this is yet another way to give her dignity.

28 July 2009

"NO TEETH!"


Mary Gail brought her computer to the hospice the other day and managed to access a WiFi connection. She showed lola the blog - mostly the photos...

Now, if you don't know already, lola is old school, traditional, hard core feminine attire and manners. Half slips ("Happy Slip"), kamisons, stockings, coiffed hair (she never let it go grey), make-up, etc. Most people I know shy away from photos because they think they're having a bad hair day or they have no make up; lola is always ready for a photo and in the past, she insisted I develop the photos and give her copies. What a narcissist, eh?

It shouldn't be a suprise, then, that as Mary Gail is showing lola the photos on the blog, lola smiles and nods approvingly (and politely) at each photo and then, pointing shakily, she says (quite loudly with that tsk-tsk-tsk sound that I already said doesn't belong in quotations), "No teeth!"
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