A Day in the Life of President Bush (photos) - 11.21.03

White House, Yahoo | 11/21/03

[MJY1288]

President Bush and the First Lady are back home from London after a State Visit and a warm welcome from Prime Minister Blair and the Queen. There are lots of pictures tonight, so get that left clicking finger ready :-)

Enjoy your visit to the "Dose"

[Lion in Winter]

If Laura said , "Excuse my glove." Then, all is right with the gloved handshake. It is the same rule for men. I am a lot older than 60, and I still remember being taught that as a young man at prep school.

Old fashioned? Why, yes it is.

[RoseofTexas]

Love the suit too! I bet the poor dear has lost lots of weight with all the stress in her household! Especiallly worrying about the girls and the threats they received day in and day out. KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS FOLKS! God bless W and the USA!

[ODC-GIRL]

They sure must find it difficult to find time to relax, with everything that's going on all the time. I sure can relate these last few months! I hope they manage to find a few minutes every day just for some peace and quiet.

[RoseofTexas]

Beatiful scripture! I love the verse that says...YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE AND MY SHIELD=my protection! Thanks for the great job you do in posting these WONDERFUL verses! :]

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping

[jocon307]

I love the lone supporting protestor, esp. that great English phrase "lot" to refer to a group of people.

And the "somewhat polite" protestor is very cute too.

I love Bush & Blair, this is a real double dose treat for me.

[jocon307]

"[Laura] looks so THIN!"

She's thin, but not TOO thin. Cherie Blair is another one who could stand to gain 5 or 10 pounds.

[TruthNtegrity]

I agree with you. I've thought the First Lady lost weight during their August vacation in Texas. She appeared very much thinner than when they left for the ranch.

But it is only recently that I think we've noticed, as she's wearing new clothes that really show off her new figure!

[ohioWfan]

Fascinating! Thanks for that information!

I think perhaps we could use a bit more 'old fashioned' these days......

[6323cd]

Great thread bump.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Well, I got some sort of good news, my surgery has been moved up to December 3rd, at 12:30p.m. my time, back East..

I guess he is not as cold blooded as I thought, he knew I was upset about having to wait so long..he told me he would move me up if he could, and so he has..

I did not complain to him, but to his Assistant..she must have told him..by golly, he is giving up his lunch break that day!

Mike..I know your Dad suffered from Alzheimer's too..today..he did not know me..he kept searching my face and said "Honest to God, I don't know who you are."

I reminded him that I was his daughter several times, and he was okay after awhile..

My heart is breaking..any advice...?

My thanks again to you all..and much love..

Ms.B

[kayak]

How heartbreaking about your Dad! I am so sorry.

I don't have any advice for you ..... just love and prayers and *hugs*

My grandmother lived in CA most of my life and I seldom ever saw her. In her later years she suffered a series of mini-strokes that left her much like an Alzheimer's patient. Once a year, my mother, at great financial cost because she lived on social security and disability income, would fly out there to see my grandmother .... and come home in tears because Grandma didn't recognize her, didn't even know she had come.

Alzheimer's is such a tragic disease, as are other forms of dementia that act in similar ways.

Just hang on to the thought that your Heavenly Father always knows who you are ... and He cares very much. He suffered a loss we cannot even fully comprehend so He understands your sorrow and anguish.

(((((MS.B)))))

I'm thankful you at least got some good news about the surgery. Waiting and dreading something like that is soooooo hard.

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

[MJY1288]

I know how heart breaking that is. What you must keep reminding yourself is that your father has not stopped loving you, his love for you is in your heart or you wouldn't miss his recognition of you. Be strong for your father and do all you can to assure him you are there to comfort him. I noticed that my Dad would become kind of scared when I would ask him questions or tried see if he knew who I was. So I focused on him and if he asked me who I was I would say to him that it didn't matter who I was, I'm here to be your friend and get you what ever you need.

One day when I was more bummed than usual, I decided to go to see him and just hold his hand and think of the days when things were so much different. I sat down next to my dad and took hold of his hand and looked down at the floor and thought about my days as a child when my Dad was larger than life itself. He squeezed my hand and said "What's the matter Michael, Where have you been? I've missed you" I never felt closer to my Dad in all my life, and from that point on, I didn't say a word to him, I just held his hand and he knew I was there.

Alzheimer's is tough to witness, but I found it was best not to challenge him, I found it was best to ignore my needs and focus on re-assuring my Dad that I was there to comfort him, even to the point of pretending I was just a servant assigned to grant his every wish.

I hope my words will help you deal with your fathers condition, and possibly get you to focus on all the good times you had with your father and focus on his needs and be strong for him and your family.

I will keep you in my prayers my friend, and I know exactly what you must be going through

God Bless You,

Mike

[kayak]

Oh Mike ~~~ how very wise and profound! You are a very special person.

God bless you!

[MJY1288]

To be perfectly honest, I'm sitting here missing my father to the point of tears. But the time I spent with my father during that long goodbye was just one more thing my Dad did for me. That experience taught me that love is unconditional and even though he didn't recognize me, it didn't take away anything. It just gave me one more opportunity to say Thanks, without saying a word

[MJY1288]

One more thing I must say.

My mother passed away ten years before my father and between their 8 children, we all did what we could. When the time came for my father to be cared for 24/7, I must admit that I doubted I could provide for his needs and my older brother who lived near the Virginia, N. Carolina border was in the best situation to care for him. He also felt that this would be a perfect opportunity to make up for all the trouble he caused my parents. You see... My second to oldest brother went to prison at 16 years old for armed robbery and was not exactly the perfect child and he and my father had one or two confrontations that ended up in fist fights on the front porch of our home.

Even though my Father had the choice of spending his last days in the Old Soldiers home or even in a nursing home, he made it clear that if my brother Bill would have him, he would like to spend his last days on Earth with the Son who cuased him the most pain in his life. At the time, I found it hard to understand why he would make that decision.

I guess I underestimated my father, because the reason why my father wanted to spend his last days with the child that caused him the most trouble, was his way of giving my older brother what he couldn't when my older brother was young. An opportunity to bond.

My father was a wise man and my brother is a better father to his kids, thanks to my Dad

[Tamzee]

I am so enjoying these pings, thanks!!!

[GOPCajunLady]

Love the Pics!! So proud of our President and First Lady! Click to subscribe to LouisianaforBushCheney HTML code:
Click to subscribe to LouisianaforBushCheney

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Hello Mike,

Thanks so much for sharing that with me, it brought back nice memories of the things my Dad did for my brother and I while we were growing up...

All of this is so very hard, and made more so because of the surgery I am facing soon..my emotions are running very high right now..

Cleaning out his home and getting it ready for sale is one of the hardest things I have ever done..but upon finding some of the strange things he had done while he was declining, I know now, that we made the best possible decisions that we could for him, and tried to keep him in his own home as long as possible.

He of course was not able to do the upkeep on the house, and it has fallen to disrepair..

He is in a wonderful assisted living facility now, and he is safe and warm and clean..I feel good about that.

I will not remind him again that I am his daughter, I think I was more freaked out about it then he was..I must put his happiness before my own, and although I always try to, I don't always succeed.

he's slipping away, I know...

I think both our Dads were and are pretty special..
Thanks for taking the time to write to me, you are a very special person.

Love and Thanks

Ms.B

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks so very much Kayak..

You are so very kind..

I will get through this I know, just seem to bearing alot of hard knocks these days..

Hopefully things will lighten up soon

Ms.B