Well, as usual there was a snowstorm as I made my way to Allerton House to see Ag and continue her memoirs. I asked her if she wanted to work on them, and reminded her that we left off at the Great Depression. She flapped her hand dismissively. "The hell with it," she said.
Introducing the memoir-double (like a body double, but more garrulous): Virginia. Ag didn't have much to say, but Virginia was in dire need of conversation. In just a few short moments, I learned:
-she's 85
-she has 3 brothers
-she grew up in Quincy
-she nursed her mother, who has Parkinson's, to her death, for 16 years
-she still misses her and would take care of her all over again
-she never married
-she worked as a legal secretary but they let her work a flexible schedule to take care of her mom
-she's honest and made up every minute she took off
-she has a niece who is an editor in Colorado, who wants to become a lawyer
-she is a righty, but sews with her left hand
-she passed out from dehydration and someone called 911 and that's how she ended up in Allerton
-she has no memory of that week
Virginia: Are you available next week?
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