Cat Food in the Jell-O Salad

My grandma has always been a few bricks short of a load. There's nobody quite like her. For as long as I can remember there have been little incidents that cause us to question her sanity. We've always chalked it up to "that's just Grandma" and even started referring to such incidents as "Pulling a Marilyn."

When we were kids Christmas was always a bit of a fiasco. She'd start shopping so early in the year that she would hide gifts in the basement and forget about them. It wasn't until we started opening packages that she began to second guess herself. One year my cousin Sara had quite a haul while Katie sat with only a few gifts - she always got their stuff mixed up. Then there was the year that she served left over potato casserole with the Christmas ham.

No matter how hard she tried I don't think the table was ever set for the right number of people. We had 18 buns and only 12 hamburgers. She brought a pair of cuff links to a Christmas ornament exchange. She has substituted oats for corn flakes and water in a cookie recipe. She made a Thanksgiving pie that, according to my uncle LeRoy, looked like I-680 after the flood. Planned an Easter Dinner but forgot to invite anyone. Encouraged me to buy a fancy maternity dress, "in case a special occasion might arise" between now and March. Carries her cane around like a hand-bag. Leaves bizarre, yet urgent, phone messages for every member of the family but doesn't always know why when you call her back. THE LIST GOES ON.

We know now that she has Dementia. I kind of wish we had known this all along. Might have helped us cope with the less hilarious symptoms. Now that we know it still only helps a little. But we've got to try to laugh to keep from crying, or choking her. We've always said someday she'd turn into Aunt Bethany from Christmas Vacation. Wrapping up her cat and putting cat food in the Jell-O salad...