Salon Quality

As I told you before, I had a different vision of what it would be like for Granny to live with us than what has actually happened. I thought that she would be mostly invalid and I would be the faithful nurse/caregiver. Well, since thankfully Gran is not an invalid, I have had some difficulties arise that all my nurse training could not help.

As a nurse, we never cut nails. It just isn't in our scope. It isn't that we don't want to, or think we are above it. The risk for injury is the problem. The patient could be a diabetic and that requires someone who knows what they are doing to trim the toes. If the patient isn't a diabetic, we let the family trim them if needed. The most I've ever done is file a patient's nails if they were with us for a while and need some grooming. 

Well, it came time to trim Gran's and turns out she isn't a diabetic and I'm the family member. You may be wondering, "What's the big deal?" I've trimmed my children's nails but I always felt better chewing theirs off for them from infancy that I ever did with the nail trimmer. (I don't think Gran would acquiesce to letting me bite her nails for her.) I am afraid I'll cut her and cause her pain. Or heaven forbid, I might do it wrong. She's still got her opinions even though she doesn't have her memory. 

I gathered my tools and my courage, sat in front of Gran and said, "Here we go." I tried to look cool. You aren't supposed to let the patient know you are afraid and have never done the skill before (nursing school 101). My efforts were not helped by an inquisitive 2 year-old who squatted beside me, grimaced and said, "Oww!", every time she heard the clippers clip. Lets say it didn't calm my nerves. 

We trimmed and filed without incident and I sighed because we had passed another learning curve. But then came the hair. 

I do hair everyday. I do my own. I do the girls. But we have always had long hair. Long straight hair. But Gran's hair is short. She uses curlers that require neat rows made by sectioning off hair with precision using a comb with a pointed end. These are not the tools of the long haired ladies.  

Armed with said curlers, pointy comb, and portable hair dryer, after Gran's hair was washed we went to the kitchen to play "beauty parlor". 

Thankfully, I was behind Gran's chair. I didn't have to exude confidence that I didn't have. It took me 45 minutes to accomplish what I had witnessed Gran do for most of my life in 10 minutes. If she was worried she didn't show it. Maybe she had her game face on too. I sat her under the dryer with a book and went to pray fervently that the curls turned out right. 

I bet you wish your salon had bananas and butter. Yes, I still have my Christmas cards up. I can't bear to take them down. All those pretty faces. 

You see, I had chosen to experiment with my hair setting skills a few hours before we had to go to Tess's honor choir performance. Not a good choice but it was done none-the-less.

After getting gussied up at home, we traveled to Tate Baptist Church to watch the Alcorn Co. Honor Choir performance. We always enjoy the show and would even if we didn't have a Lancaster offspring in it. The county music teachers work hard arranging, practicing and polishing. We are so grateful for their efforts.

My girl, Tess, is the one rockin' the side pony tail in the middle of each photo. (I remembered the big camera miraculously, but predictably, the battery was dead. Thank God for the iPhone.)

Tess and her fellow Alcorn Countians did a fantastic job. I'm so glad that they love music.

After the performance we came home to relax a bit because of the big outing.

Her hair turned out just as Gran's hair should. Hopefully, I won't be so shy about it next time.


Anna Becoming