Audrey Mae SpencerSpencer Historical CemeteryHenry Straight / William Spencer Family Cemetery
Vaughn Historical CemeterySpencers of East Greenwich, RI
Audrey’s thoughts
6 June 2004

H: Really? Well, I never stopped to realize that, but that goes with that old New England saying, “Use it up. Wear it out. Or do without.” What was it like to move to West Warwick in that big house?

Audrey: Oh, all the houses I lived in were big. Now I live in a mansion (Alpine Nursing Home) but I only have one room, but it is enough. [Laughter] I’m reading –oh I can’t remember–wait a minute. I’ve got to back-up in my chair and go over and get it. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. Do you know Tom Brokaw? That Tom Brokaw’s book is cute. I like the picture on the front cover. I guess it is a couple who are saying “good-bye”. The Greatest Generation, that’s the book you sent me. The only thing that is sad is people getting killed. That drives me crazy.

I lived through all that war.

19 June 2004

Audrey’s phone conversation with Heather on this day was full of “imaginary thinking” and concerned Heather greatly. The prevailing thought was that this was just a temporary lapse of Audrey’s reality.

“Edith, my sister, she’s living you know etc. (Edith died on 12-8-1991)  Oh, I got some news to tell you at Alpine. I don’t think I’m a coo-coo, but I go like a flash, etc. Heather, I can walk out of this house and get in your car. (At this time Audrey was mostly using her companion chair for mobility.) I can walk ever since.  My feet still seem a little heavy (but) I go, etc.”

26 June 2004

Heather: Hello Mother. What are your thoughts today?

Audrey: I’m thinking about Vaughn. He is crazy about tractors. He is always polishing it.

Also, the memoirs (copies of Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey) are very interesting. I’ve got all the papers in my bookcase. I sit here and rock back and forth in my little roll-around (companion chair). My rocker is all I need. I can get around all flat spaces. It is so handy. I am so comfortable.

I’m here with my bookcase. There are three shelves and they are loaded. I got a big dictionary and a big Bible and my addresses (address book) which is necessary so I don’t want to throw it away. It’s very necessary for me when I want to look for something. I haven’t finished The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw.

Spen and Carol were here.

I’ll always remember and be amused by Brian, Jr’s response after I read The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat, he said “That’s impossible. That can’t happen. They can’t eat each other up!”  I explained to him that it’s a fairy tale.

16 October 2004

Heather: Even though we just celebrated the publication of Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey, your memoirs, I’m going to keep writing down your comments. What do you think about young people today?

If you are going to have children, you get married.  You do as you feel (otherwise).

 

24 October 2004

Heather: Are you drinking enough water?

No, but the pan (pitcher) is sitting right there looking at me.  Sometimes I think I am bright but other times, I’m dead.

[Heather:  Yes Mother. We all feel energetic at times and other times just exhausted.]

Big time yesterday (Halloween at Alpine Nursing Home). Everybody had a pumpkin face.  Everybody made their own.  There was a beautiful witch with a cute face and a black nose with a hat sitting on head. Straw & hay.

24 October 2004

Heather: Living these nearly 100 years, what made the greatest change in your life?

“Electric Lights!!! It was so bright and I could see everything.  I didn’t have to carry a kerosene lantern or fill the lamp.  I was afriad to light the lantern.  (With electric lights) all I had to do was turn the lights on!

(Oh) time for my lesson!  (scheduled activity at Alpine Nursing Home)

[Heather:  I’ll call next Saturday.  Love you, Mother.]

 

10 December 2004

While Heather and Kent Speech Therapist, Doreen Tierney, were talking and Audrey was listening, Audrey spoke loudly and clearly:

“I feel like talking all the time.”

20 April 2005

Heather: (continuing my visit with Mother at Kent Regency Nursing Home)

“Heather, come here. You always listened to me and obeyed my commands.  Good. Come here right now. You sit on my lap so they can’t wheel me away from you.”

(Another conversation with Mother): “I’m doing fine. I feel rather sharp. I’m taking care of myself.”

(Audrey was looking at the booklets of her writing and art work that I had compiled and set on her tray table): “That looks good!”

(Another conversation with Mother later in the day): “Do you want some candy?  I don’t want any. Do you?”

(Later in the day a conversation with Mother while we were sitting under a tree and feeling this beautiful breeze, I asked her, “What do you like best about Kent Regency?”):  “You.”

(I read some of her memoirs to her and she was listening very intently and seemed amused.  Previously, she had told me that she was amused by her responses.)

(Situation not recorded but now remembered [date not recorded]:  Mother and I were waiting in a Doctor’s office for the van to pick us up.  There was a mix up and we waited an hour or more. Mother began to cry.  The only way I could keep Mother from crying was to softly read aloud her biography that was in Glimpses of the Past: Morning Conversations with Audrey and the poem,Summer, she wrote .  I  recited this continually and continuously until the office had realized their mistake and the van came for us. While we were getting on the van, a middle aged man came over to me and said “I just have to tell you, that is a wonderful thing you are doing for your mother…”.)

(An insight into ageism:  To change the above repetitions leading to monotony, I started to read the Constitution which always interested Mother.  My reciting the Constitution did not interest Mother and she started to cry, so I gladly went back to reciting her biography and poems she wrote.)

18 May 2005

Heather not keeping good records of dates of conversations:

“I feel terrible.”

(Heather:  Does, your back hurt, Mother?)  “No, I just feel miserable everywhere.”

(Later that day, I asked Mother if she wanted to lie down.)   “I’m fine.”

(Sunday, date not recorded)

“Your tongue fits in your mouth good.”  (Heather: Thank you, Mother.  I do have a pretty smile.  My teeth are really pretty.  I am so glad I put braces on them when I was young. I was told by doing that I could keep my teeth for the rest of my life.)

(Monday, date not recorded)

(Heather:  How come you are so sweet?”)  “Oh dear, I don’t know.”

(Heather: A penny for your thoughts?)  “I wonder how much my thoughts are worth?”

(Heather: Another penny for your thoughts?)  “What are my thoughts? “When chapman billies leave the street, and drouthy thursty neebors neebors meet, [reciting Robert Burns’ Tam O’Shanter as Audrey was getting out of bed]. “Dawn, I’m hurting.”

Pages:  1 2