Grandma

My grandma Cordelia tested positive for infection with the virus earlier in the week. This morning, after two days of shallower and shallower breathing, she died peacefully with her hands clasped over her abdomen. We were able to say goodbye while she was alive via video chat.

My grandma was 100 years old and was very spry and talkative for that age. She only lost her memory and mental orientation within the past several years, never developing dementia except for the slow-progressing senile variety. She lived in an apartment complex that accommodated multiple levels of independence for several years. Then we as a family moved her into a connected facility that had a greater level of nursing care.

Within the past week the facility alerted family members to the rising number of deaths in the facility (several) and the increasing positive tests among staff and residents (dozens). My grandma was too frail to withstand this infection. Her last hours were peaceful, with no tubes down her throat and no needlesticks and transports and other procedures, in accordance with our plans.

I’ll remember her for the care she gave us and for her gentle nature. She would always visit on Wednesdays when my little sister and I came home from school. She grew up during the Great Depression and this instilled habits in her such as rinsing and reusing ziploc bags. She ate tiny amounts of food but would always have room for ice cream or cake. She loved family, drives through the city (which always astonished her with how much it had changed), and visits with friends.

She was a strong link to the Norwegian culture of rural Minnesota and North Dakota and even spoke some Norwegian. The staff always commented on how sweet she was. She worked briefly as a nurse and told me she loved the chemistry curriculum.

I asked her once if she felt she was ready to die, and she said yes. This was six years ago. She had outlived most of her friends and her family cohort. She hated losing her memory. And her husband (who died when I was only 2) was long gone. She had a good life. She was the last of my grandparents. I will remember her with fondness.

Rats

I adopted 2 female rat sisters that a friend of a friend could no longer care for.

She provided a ton of supplies as well as a giant bird cage. This cage is a rat theme park and it’s so big they can escape through the bars so it needs additional chicken wire.

They are very different from the males I had in the past in that they are much smaller and more active, constantly darting about and squabbling and playing with each other. The males tend to just sit and chill but these ones are so fast and active I can hardly get a photo that’s not blurry.

I followed rat acclimatization videos to help them get comfy and feel safe. My favorite bit of advice was to wear a “rat shirt” that you seldom wash so that they know a familiar friend is approaching.

I’ll buy a clicker and train them to do some tricks. But I get the impression the previous two owners seldom had them out of their cage. Once they get used to the stimulating life I have in store for them, they will get more and more active and wily.

I enjoy sitting with them and sipping my coffee while they dart about investigating everything. Once they’ve sniffed out every possible corner and edge they curl up into a little rat ball and sleep in my shirt.

Rats are brave because two instincts are constantly competing in their little brains: curiosity and neophobia. Neophobia is the fear of new things and places. When a rat is afraid of something but haltingly checks it out until it has investigated every little corner of it, curiosity has proved stronger and it means they are brave.

Rats have short lives. You can expect them to be with you for only two or three years even with the best of care. The scope of their existence is a small fraction of yours.

They are small creatures that respond positively to care and tenderness. They also love mental and physical stimulation. While they are with me I am going to make sure their brief lives are filled with fun, security and love.