Here's another interesting story about the mysteries of Alzheimers. This is about Rose, the one I think I've told you about. She has said she's lucky to born in America, doesn't have any money but has food in her mouth and a roof over her head. That shows she still has more mental capability than any of the other women in 200. But something else is amazing to me. She knows the words to many songs from Broadway shows and others that were popular over the years. Once after dinner I told her I knew one song I bet she didn't know and started to sing what Eddie Cantor signed off his Sunday night radio show with. "I love to spend each Sunday with you . . . " She picked it up and sang the rest of it. That really floored me. I remember listening to that show in my teens - and she is nine years younger that I am. So she was just a little girl when she heard it. But she can't remember what she had for dinner ten minutes after eating. She has asked me my name often, but doesn't remember it, and doesn't know the names of anyone else, including the RA's who take care of her. I wonder, as the years pass, how long it will be before she forgets those songs. But some day she'll have "a brand new song to sing."

We had another fire alarm experience last night - actually at 3:00 AM this morning. It stayed on for two hours. I've heard a resident was popping corn (at that hour?), it overheated and the smoke set off the alarm. I don't know why it stayed on so long. The whole system is being upgraded - new alarms in every room. Apparently there wasn't anyone in the building who knew how to shut the alarm off after it was determined that there wasn't a fire. I would hope that situation is corrected and we don't have another similar incident.

We had a different kind of experience Sunday. Chaplain Jensen had just started his sermon when the fire alarm sounded. Everyone had to leave the chapel. Mom and I went to the activity room. Others went to the lobby and other places. I don't know why the activity room, the lobby etc. would be any "safer" than the chapel if there was a fire. Actually a pipe had sprung a leak and the pressure in the sprinkler pipes dropped. That set off the alarm. So I still don't know why we had to get out of the chapel. Anyway, the chaplain said this had never happened before. He went on with his sermon, and we finished the service. Something else interesting, he said he and his wife, Nona, would be in Iowa next Sunday. They will be celebrating Nona's parents' birthday. They were both born on the same day. That's really unusual. I'll have to ask Nona more about that. I wonder when they found out they were both born on the same day? One asking the other about his or her birthday isn't something you'd think would occur especially early in a relationship. They will be 90.

Steve's and our family were in Key West at the same time and had the pleasure of each other's company for a few days. We almost got Sally and Mike in on the fun butfor those narrow streets! I'll let you find out about that one!