Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Drawing

Dolly is an artist. She is a painter. Her whole life she has been drenched in art in one form or another.

Over the past few months, I have been trying to get her interested in things that she used to love to do pre-stroke. Many times over the last few months we have tried to get her to draw. She always says 'not now' or 'I'm not ready'. Tonight, was no different with the oppositions, except...she did draw! Even while she was drawing, she was saying that she didn't want to. But she was doing it! I told her that if she really didn't want to draw, she would have put up more of a fight like we were used to. She smirked at that and kept drawing!

This first masterpiece is for my dog Rusty. She wanted me to take the picture and hang it where Rusty sleeps. I wanted to keep it in the book with ALL the other pictures she would draw. She seemed okay with that.

She drew pictures of a goose, a rabbit, and a kangaroo. Then I asked her to write on the bottom of the pictures what the animals were. She then felt that the rabbit looked more like a cat and the kangaroo looked more like a horse...so thats what she named them. She has a very difficult time with spelling. I had to help her with the correct spelling afterward, but she wrote everything on this paper in her own hand. It was also her choice to strike out the misspellings.

After the drawing, her dinner came. Scott and I sat with her as she ate a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, vanilla pudding, cranberry juice, hot tea and vanilla ice cream. Then we went for another stroll, but this time, I took the paper and pens. We sat outside on the patio and she drew a picture for Ruby and Daisy, Kathy's pugs.


What a wonderful time! It was such a pleasure to watch her enjoy drawing! She spelled Daisy wrong, but I didn't have the heart to correct her this time. Besides, it is so much closer than her previous mistakes.

On an aside note, while I was gone getting some refreshments, Dolly was deep in debate with Scott over her refusal to go to a nursing home. She actually said to him "I'd go home before I ever go to a nursing home" like it's us that are keeping her from going home. Funny thing is, as soon as I stepped out of the door to the patio, the insisting stopped...like she didn't want me to know what they were talking about. I was unaware until I got in the car.

Ahh, Mom...I want that, too. I wish you knew that.

6 comments:

  1. I think my heart is going to burst. What a great story and what a great day!

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  2. wow. here's hoping this is a turning point!

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  3. i'm so happy you got her to draw again - i hope she continues :)

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  4. YEAAAAAAAAAA for the LEFTies!!!!!! I'm SO happy to see this and so glad I checked my FB today. YEA Dolly! Excellent work, and I mean EXCELLENT, Nancy. :-) Julie

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  5. I have tried to leave comments here a couple of times now and I just don't know how to put into words what good things I want to say.

    Thanks for sharing this, Nancy.
    xoxoxo

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  6. Great post. I hope Dolly continues to draw. Daisy & Ruby's drawing made me smile. Looks like she may just be getting warmed up. Look how wonderful and large they are! The eyes in the 1st drawing are just slits, the puggie eyes are large and detailed. Who knows, drawing may open up a great and different kind of rehab work for her if she is willing.

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