Friday at Clara's (from journal entry 8-19-11)

11:14a

At Clara’s. Been here since 7a. Good day so far. We are sitting in Clara’s living room talking.

C: What I miss most of all is driving. You know in this town you’re lost if you can’t drive around to the grocery store and such. You know The Canyon has a beauty salon now. That’s a really good retirement home. I’ve considered living there but I don’t want to deal with all of that now.

She took her teeth out so understanding her is harder than usual.

C: You know my father was born in Canada and my mother is in London. England at that time was over one quarter of the world. Can you imagine that? Little England? Of course the Mexicans are taking all of our jobs now, but Ireland is a pretty good place to live.

Me: Oh yeah?

C: Well sure. In fact Americans are so well loved all over the country that in Ireland if they see an American they walk up to them and give them a hug.

Me: Really?

C: Well sure. Everybody loves Americans. Have you been to Vancouver?

Me: No.

C: Well you ought to go. It’s just over the border. Be sure you have your papers with you though.

She’s putting her makeup on now and usually asks me to put her eyebrows on. I don’t like doing it because they always come out crooked.

C: You know, Helen and her husband moved out by the beach.

Me: Yes, I know.

C: Of course he’s away most of the time. He has grown children from another marriage. He’s a grandfather you know. I have three nieces but only one has a child. I think every woman should have at least one child. (Pause) Well you just kinda wonder what the future is going to bring.

Me: Yeah.

C: Well, only George Bush knows. Only him and a few others who are rich and think they can do whatever they want. (Pause) You know, Helen’s husband is a business man. He can handle anything. Helen is sharp too.

Me: She is.

C: You know, I have this big place so if you need a place to stay then you just let me know. I’ve been through the depression you know. My mother remarried you know. I don’t think she wanted to, but it was the thing to do. A good man is hard to find, you always get the other kind. Do you know that song?

Me: No.

C: (Sings song)

Me: Did you get along with your stepfather?

C: I wouldn’t call it getting along. I didn’t have any feeling for him. There aren’t many men who love other people’s children enough to raise them. (Continues song. A good man is hard to find)

C: So I started to tell you why I divorced my husband. After we had the baby the war was over and he didn’t have a job and kept drinking. So I divorced him. And a good man is hard to find so I didn’t want to get married again. And for our son I would have stayed with him but he was just one of those men who just if he opened a bottle he had to finish the whole thing. I didn’t feel like I had the right to have a man who drank too much to the head of the family. He was a good man though. But you know…

Me: Yeah.

12:30p

Me: Kim Kardashian’s wedding is going to cost ten million dollars.

C: Whoever is charging that should be sued for that much.

I’m watching Access Hollywood right now and they are discussing the suicide of Russell Armstrong (Taylor’s husband) on the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It’s a sad situation. Reality TV is a sad situation because the television shows go so far into the lives of these people without, it seems, taking into consideration the impact on them.

1:14p

C: (Waking up from nap) Help! Help!

Me: Yes, I’m here.

C: Yes. I think I left the iron on!

Me: No. The iron is off.

C: And you’re sure?

Me: Yes.

2:00p

I made her lunch (crab mean with kidney beans, steamed vegetables and juice).

C: This looks good.

Me: Thank you.

C: But where is the mayonnaise?

Dear black home health aides,

If you have a white client that you have to cook for then please remember that white people love mayonnaise. I know that mayo on broccoli, cauliflower and carrots does not sound good, but they like it.