Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Looking Spiffy Today – Thank you all!

Saturday, August 3rd, 2019
Birthday outfit

Birthday outfit

I had to show you how cute Wilson looks today in one of the shirts I got him for his birthday. He’s sparkling clean, fluffy, and in a fine mood. Stripes are everywhere, on the bottom of his pants, and his jazzy pink & orange socks. He likes to recline in his new transport chair with his feet up on the ottoman I found for him, instead of those awful chair pedals that attach to it.

Thank you everyone who donated to the Trust for his special holiday! I’m going to get him new bedding &pillows to replace the sadly wilted & lumpy stuff with which I’m currently torturing him, since they’re no longer what they once were. Rena hung the new curtains, which inspired him to holler an unintelligible statement of approval once I turned him around to look. All three of us like the wild red diamond shapes, which look handpainted, with tassels hanging from each center. So much more cheery than the faded & worn pastel striped upholstery fabric I hung over the windows at LEAST 6 years ago.

All smiles

All smiles

It’s my aim to brighten up and make more cheery the room he spends so much time in. He’s very sensitive to such things, and appears to be happy about these minor changes. Thank you for making it possible!

It Was A Very Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Birthday Boy

Birthday Boy

Sneering, perhaps?

Sneering, perhaps?

A glance out the window

A glance out the window

Wilson awoke on July 25, his 78th birthday, with bright eyes, after three days spent asleep most of the time. It was reassuring to see that just like a Nebraska Farm Boy, however, he awoke at every MEALTIME with predictable regularity…even though it seemed like he might be slipping away from us for good the rest of the time! It was a stressful 3 days, checking his temp, running the oxygen, and checking his vitals 24/7.

I guess he was resting up for the festivities?

I read him all of the fabulous Facebook greetings, reported all of your donations, and opened his cards for him. I didn’t arrange a party for that day, since he’d been so PUNY, so I’ll put together a little gathering in a couple of weeks to make up for it. He can only handle a few people at a time anyway, so it will be a modest production.

I couldn’t get a smile out of him for these pics, but I did have a laugh myself when he appeared to SNEER at me, as though he thought I might snatch that cash from his pal Maddog, in New Jersey! He loved all the cards & messages, and the Checkered Demon (in the Checkered box!) from Kevin Webster.

Thanks to everyone for the calls & messages, and for your generous donations to his Special Needs Trust. He looked pleased every time I announced one to him, as he still likes to feel he’s “earning” money!

Love to all…..Lorraine

Show ‘N Tell Sunday

Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
Don"Ace"Williams

Don”Ace”Williams

Ace came for a visit a couple of Sundays ago, bringing a collection of Wilson’s illustrated letters from years ago for a session of Bedside Show ‘n Tell. I left them alone for much of the time, so they could enjoy their time together without interruption from “The old Lady”. Turned out Ace needed no interpreter to aid in communicating with his silent old friend.

Wilson had to remain in bed, as our effort to get him up was met with Wilson’ characteristic resistance, and though we tried, it was impossible for us to get him to stand without putting us in traction. We gave up when I realized Wilson’s tiny butt was lower than the mattress, which can be the point of no return if you aren’t careful, and instead of getting up, it could turn into a controlled descent to the floor! That’s when a call to 911 for some strapping Firemen to come help is necessary. They can lift him back onto the bed like a butterfly, but then we’d be faced with trying to get him back out of his transport chair, later. I’ve never called for help twice in a day! The humiliation would be just too much. They might think those old geezers were too inept to take care of him, and decide to take him with them. No thanks! So we got him gently back into his original position, and Ace sat on the other bed right next to him. It worked out just fine.

I took pictures with both Wilson & Ace, but he kept tilting his head back – chin in the air, so all I could get was his NECK, basically. So I cropped him out.  I’ll post some other recent pics of Wilson from another day soon. Thanks for spending such a long time with him, Ace. He was noticeably cheered up by your visit!

S.Clay Coming Home This Week

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019
Weirdos in the hospital!

Weirdos in the hospital!

It’s been a harrowing 2 1/2 weeks. One in the ICU, where it took everything to convince the rude doctor to even TRY to bother saving his life. He didn’t want to send a probe into his stomach to find out why he bled in there. After only two days, he strolled in and said “We shouldn’t even put in a feeding tube. He’s DYING, so why prolong the inevitable?”

He said that in front of Wilson, who understands what is said. I was FURIOUS.

And to ME, with no gentility nor preparation. I told him it’s not a conversation in which Wilson can participate, since he can’t speak. We will NOT scare him like that!

I fought for him every day in that unit, where many mistakes took place…..then went home and collapsed.

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Before he was moved upstairs, out of the ICU, he had the probe performed. He has an eroding esophagus, and of course, terrible lung congestion which they suctioned. It’s considerably better but not perfect. They removed the feeding tube, and he’s eating bland puréed food & thickened water. He has some dangerous swallowing issues, but we hope to move on to finely chopped food soon.

But we have been LAUGHING a lot! Yesterday Rena showered him in the deluxe bathroom in his room. I trimmed his 2-week whisker buildup, then shaved him. He looks beautiful, and was so happy with all the attention he was positively beaming. He looked at Rena so adoringly while she dried his hair we both laughed…”He’s NEVER looked at me like that” she said, acting annoyed but secretly pleased. It bordered on the bizarre, actually. He was virtually SWOONING, looking up at her, while I took pictures. I’ll post them just as soon as I figure out how to use the new phone.

This afternoon, at around 1 o’clock, I happened to ask when they planned to discharge him.

“Oh…in about 45 minutes” said the Case Manager.

WHAT? I was home, doing a few things before going to the hospital. They’d have driven past me! We need a new hospital bed, groceries, and some extra organizing…like removing the beds we’ve got in there, and rearranging things! Another nightmare. Now I’m hoping he’ll be discharged on Thursday morning, and we’ll be ready. But I won’t know til later in the morning.

Wish us luck! It’s going to be challenging to lift Wilson in a sling, and swing him into a chair…then back again. He is extremely frail now, but with the right equipment I’m hoping for the best. I look forward to having him back home…where love resides. I’ve gone to check on him in the night many times, forgetting he’s in the hospital.

I miss having him here at home so much.

P.S. The photos are from yesterday. Wilson is in the book (and on the cover) by Jon B. Cooke. Other artists included have been taking selfies with the book, and posting them on Cooke’s Facebook page. I wanted to have Wilson join in this tradition, even though he’s in a hospital gown! The one wearing shades looked a bit too “Weekend at Bernie’s”, so I’ve added ones that show his beautiful Baby Blues.

Wilson in ICU

Monday, March 25th, 2019
Facebook post

Facebook post

i hope you can read this! I’m rushing to the hospital and don’t have time to write this all over again. I will post again tonight. Hoping for the best.

Chrissie Hynde is Badass!

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019
Checkered Demon Ring

Checkered Demon Ring

The late Chris Van Laer made Wilson & me Checkered Demon rings, as a gift.. He started by surprising me with this one, which proved to be too small. He made two more, with the 3rd one perfectly sized with a little bigger face. Wilson’s much bigger one came out perfect on the first try.  I knew immediately I wanted to give this to our beautiful friend, Chrissie Hynde. She’s been wild about Wilson for decades, and always gets in touch whenever she plays in San Francisco. And crazy about Wilson’s art since the beginning. I hoped she would like this very special gift, and was thrilled when she finally received it and got in touch. Last year she sent a photo of just her hand, which I posted at the time. But this photo is really great! Thank you, Chrissie, for posting this gorgeous photo of yourself, wearing the Checkered Demon ring! Wilson couldn’t stop looking at it, taking this iPad out of my hands so he could look at your beautiful face. You are so badass! And we both love you.

The Checkered Demon Pays a Visit

Wednesday, January 16th, 2019
Checkered Demon

Checkered Demon

Wilson received this lovely shirt from Ed Tharp a few weeks ago. What a terrific surprise! Now, of course, the world of Facebook is clammoring for them, but since Ed is not in this business, the two extra he made are not for sale. You’ll just have to gaze at it from afar,in appreciation. It’s pretty fabulous!

Xmas … a Holly-Jolly message…

Wednesday, December 26th, 2018

IMG_5008

I Have Cancelled the P.O. Box!

Friday, December 14th, 2018
Cute Note

Cute Note

I have stopped using the P.O. Box. We almost never receive any mail there, and the price of it has skyrocketed. It’s just such a waste of money that I can no longer justify keeping it. We receive only a fraction of its cost over the year, so it’s ridiculously wasteful to keep paying for it.

If you need to mail something to us, simply contact us by leaving a message here, or message me (Lorraine Belcher Chamberlain) on Facebook and I’ll give another address.

Thanks to all!

Posing without costume

Wednesday, November 21st, 2018
No makeup

No makeup

I feel the need to post the photo Rena took of me on Halloween, just after taking some of her. We couldn’t retrieve Wilson to join me, as it’s become increasingly difficult to get him down the 5 steps from porch to sidewalk without the help of a BigStrongMan. There aren’t any handy at a moment’s notice, it turns out. We must both put on back braces, then coax & pull & cajole, beg, nag & threaten as we hold him up while making the descent. He is ornery & uncooperative at such times…revealing no loss of these qualities from earlier years, before his injury. So I stood there solo, while Rena snapped a photo.

I looked a bit WAN that day. It was much quicker to draw lips and shades with lashes on this picture than run back inside & apply them in reality. Better than photoshop…which I don’t know how to do, and so much more efficient!  Boo! With neon lips. I took the cat down, finally, only yesterday. We’re close to Thanksgiving, after all! Time to re-decorate. More to follow, with His Majesty, in coming days. Hoping for rain tonight, and cleaner air tomorrow.