There is not enough time in a day.

So I have had trouble getting up to the veteran’s home because apparently the bus does not run up there on Saturdays.  I have not been to volunteer there since my last post, but I can talk about my other visit a couple weeks ago. 

My last visit I came in at about 3:00 in the afternoon, so the Veteran’s Home was winding down from the busy day.  I first chatted with two World War II veterans named Jerry and Larry**.  Jerry was ninety-five and Larry was ninety-four. Larry was in the army during the war and fought on the front lines.  Jerry was in the air force.  When the nurse introduced me, she first whispered to Jerry “Can I show her the picture?”  Jerry let a slow smile creep across his face, and the nurse pulled out an old photograph of a handsome man in pilot clothes.  The nurse whistled and said, “Quite the looker ain’t he?”  After the war, Jerry transported monkeys from the Philippines to the United States for medical testing.  He told me that they used these monkeys to test the polio vaccine and other medicines.  Both Jerry and Larry had many pictures on the wall of their many kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Jerry had twelve grandchildren and Larry had 22 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.  While I was there they had me change the television channel to Hogan’s Heroes, their favorite tv show.

      At about 4:30 I made my way down to the dining room.  I went through a short training session and then I was ready to help the residents.  My job was to help residents push their trays down the line, help them put food on the trays, and take their trays to where they wanted to sit.  Everyone had a specific spot that I can only assume is their regular mealtime seat.  It was very interesting and entertaining to see every person’s specific rituals that the full time staff was already well aware of.