Reflections on a father with alzheimers

[DFD26]

fifedog

It brings our family together, should be a good enough reply.

 

I'll remember that!

[fifedog]

It brings our family together, should be a good enough reply.

[DFD26]

PTC

Lionel & Department 56 villages are a perfect fit for a Christmas layout. We are fortunate as we are able to leave our Chritsmas layout up all year (it is actually part of our main layout and this is a good thing as we have over 160 D56 buildings in this part of our layout). So I can realte to how your Mom feels.

 

You're right! Mom came from a family of Great Northern and Soo Line railroad men, and by her fond references to these memories, I think the model trains is a way for her to stay "connected" to her past. It's kind of cute how she loves her little layout (and mine) so, yet feels she needs to justify it to her friends because she thinks they might feel she is "silly" for playing with trains! I have my work "cut out" for me - don't I?

[PTC]

Lionel & Department 56 villages are a perfect fit for a Christmas layout. We are fortunate as we are able to leave our Chritsmas layout up all year (it is actually part of our main layout and this is a good thing as we have over 160 D56 buildings in this part of our layout). So I can realte to how your Mom feels.

[DFD26]

PTC

Sorry to learn about your Dad's health issues. The best medicine for him is to keep him as active as possible. Your layout shouls be a very good start.

 

Thank you!  Actually, I suggested to Dad last year (since he had purchased an HO circle of track and small freight consist to go around Mom's Christmas Village several years ago), that we get a Lionel starter set.  He agreed.  I "argued" that Lionel is much more trouble free than trying to keep HO sections together - and besides Lionel looks more scale to the Dept. 56 buildings and people Mom had.  We got a nice Pennsylvania Freight set at Menards.  It turns out Mom loves it.  After Christmas she did not want to take the train nor the Christmas village down.  So, at least, Mom is "hooked"!  As a "P.S." to my Father, when I was three years old, that Christmas of 1966, Dad made sure his son had an Aurora Model Motering slot car set.  I'll never forget the joy of unwrapping that big flat box!  Thanks again for your kind remarks.

[PTC]

Sorry to learn about your Dad's health issues. The best medicine for him is to keep him as active as possible. Your layout shouls be a very good start.

[DFD26]

cheapclassics

DFD26,

That was a great reflection on your dad.  Dads get blamed for so much that is wrong with the world that people forget how much good they accomplish "behind the scenes".  Thank you for sharing and prayers for your dad and your family.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

 

Thanks Mike! You are absolutely right. --Dan

[cheapclassics]

DFD26,

That was a great reflection on your dad.  Dads get blamed for so much that is wrong with the world that people forget how much good they accomplish "behind the scenes".  Thank you for sharing and prayers for your dad and your family.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[DFD26]

My father was an outdoorsman. He loved to hunt, fish, and play golf. He is the best dad I could have ever had. He was an accountant by profession, so his inside activities were largely limited to "book work" and relaxing a little bit to some television at the end of the day. His Christian faith set such an example for me that I am a Pastor today. Dad had no hobbies. He wasn't interested in trains as I hear so many model railroaders speak of their fathers affectionately. Recently I had to take my father to the care center due to his progressing Alzheimer's. It's been rough. As I think about my boyhood introduction to trains (no - not Lionel - but an HO Lima set), I credit my grandma. As I sit on my deck tonight, it occurred to me: it was my father who took me immediately to the lumber store and bought that 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. It was my father who went to the local hobby shop and bought that roll of grass paper. It was my father who screwed those trestle sections into the wood and set up my first over and under figure eight. Thanks Dad, for teaching me to love trains!