My mom puts many things in her pockets. Her favorite is paper goods, used and unused. She also stuffs them in her bra and down her pants (those eventually fall out as she walks around). She's a Depression baby, maybe they had to be very frugal with their use of paper. She will even come to me and present a piece of toilet paper or paper towel to me as if she is giving me a real treasure. I used to be dismissive and tell her it's just a piece of paper, but I have learned to receive it in the manner it is given and express deep gratitude. Other things I have found in her pockets/bra/underwear: TV remote, phone receiver, large comb, toilet paper roll, toilet paper spindle, toothbrush, curlers, scissors, soap - just about anything is a candidate. I think she picks something up out of curiosity, and then doesn't know what to do with it so she puts it in her pocket/bra/pants. Or, she picks things up and then thinks, "Oh, I'll have to keep this!"
My Mother is also 90 y/o, survivor of the "great" depression and saves paper. They must have run out of paper big time during the depression. Bits of tissue, used straws, used paper plates - she is hardly hurting for money but makes me feel like I am a spendthrift if I throw out a paper plate that has been used. Oh I finally got her to eat some fruit - just throw it in the trash. I will have fruit out for days that she does not touch but if I throw away a rotten banana or a brown apple she will dig it out of the trash and eat it!!
If the spoon is bent in such a way that it sits flat on a surface and have burn marks on the bottom of it, he's using the spoon to cook up heroin. I don't know anything about your Dad, I'm just relaying what happened to me when caring for an elderly gentleman who was a closet heroin addict.
Kabeena, your mom and mine have something in common. My mom is 93. The paper stuff use to drive me crazy. But it doesn't anymore as it is no big deal. Wish I would of bought stock in Kimberley Clark. Those depression era people are savers.
My Mother is 97 and also a paper hoarder. She tears napkins and paper towels to half to save them. She also saves the used ones under her placemat on the breakfast table. I also have to remember to check her pockets before doing the laundry. I am learning to not let this behavior drive me crazy anymore. Thinks for all the above comments. I really need a hug.
My Dad leaves spoons everywhere too. I've had the thought that he wants it out where he can see it and find it because sometimes he doesn't remember where they are kept! he is also a big peanut butter eater for a snack and does the same thing as the 'jam sucker'! Gets a big glob of it on the spoon and then goes and sits down to watch TV while eating it slowly. When he visits my house, I put out the peanut butter and a clean spoon every night, because if he's up wandering, he'll go through cupboards and drawers trying to find food, but if that is on the counter, he'll generally stick to eating that. i would rather have the spoons all around to look for than have my cupboards unpacked and on the counters!
My FIL is the same. In our case he is a closet jam sucker. Whenever he thinks no-one is looking, he scoops out a dollop of jam and then walks around sucking the jam off the spoon. He does this all day, and we go through jam at a rate of knots! We now have seperate jams for him (because the sucked spoon goes back in the jam jar) and for us, but we also find teaspoons everywhere. I have heard that by applying a cold spoon to the closed eyes you can reduce the feeling of pressure in the eyes. Maybe that? Or maybe he too is a jam lover?
tihanger, i thought something similar. be watchful of things that can be stuck up into places. you might want to consider a daily stool softener if he is having troubles.
I have heard that by applying a cold spoon to the closed eyes you can reduce the feeling of pressure in the eyes. Maybe that? Or maybe he too is a jam lover?
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