Laughter, music and dancing

May was nowhere to be found when I visited just before lunch today -- but everyone had "just seen her."

"She was right here a minute ago," said Nicole, the staff person in charge of May's house. I took the opportunity to ask her why they had moved her to a different table in the dining room. Nicole said it was because they had noticed that May spent a lot of time visiting with a woman who ate at that table, so they thought it would be a good idea to have them sit together. "This other lady likes to laugh and joke," Nicole said. "And May, she likes to laugh and joke." Then she told me that they had just had a guest musician, who had asked May where she was from. When she answered "Oklahoma," the musician said she was from Oklahoma too and played a special song for May.

I went looking for her and ran into Max, the activities director. "She was just here," he said. "She was following me around." Then he laughed and said, "The musician played a song for her, Your Cheatin' Heart, you know--the Hank Williams song?" Yeah, I know that song. Max set off to help me find her.

I passed by the staff person for Country House, who said, "Hi Bill. She's over here in my house. I just saw her dancing." I headed down the long hallway of Country House and here she came in her bright red sweater, walking toward me from the far end of the corridor, a warm smile on her face.

I think she's getting the hang of it.