August 15, 2026

Lemons, Love and Lewy or The Russians Invaded the Patio!

I spent eight wonderful days in Cedar Park near Austin, Texas, soaking up the impossible heat and, even more importantly, soaking up family. And that already seems like a long time ago.

My love-and-light tank was full—for a while. I came home ready to tackle whatever came next. Or at least that's always the plan.

James stayed with Coby while I was away, and for the first five days, he did amazingly well.

And by "amazingly," I mean he was noticeably more independent. Coby has a much more hands-off approach than I do, and apparently James rose to the occasion. It even crossed my mind that maybe I should just stay away!

It made me wonder. Maybe when I'm around, James simply feels safe enough to let go a little more. I never thought of myself as the "I need to take care of someone" type, and I have to admit, Coby's relaxed style is pretty appealing. Then again, every caregiver brings something different to the table, and every day with Lewy is different too.

I was feeling pretty encouraged...

...until a couple of days before I came home.

The phone rang.

Coby told me he had to cut back on his work because James had suddenly slipped back into the Land of Confusion.

Disoriented. Hallucinating. A bit defiant. Not doing well at all.

Apparently the Russians had invaded the patio. (Lewy has quite the imagination.) Unfortunately, a few of those "intruders" decided to move inside Coby's apartment too. By then James was wandering through the apartment at night, trying to make sense of a world that only he could see.

Of course, I immediately started running through my mental checklist.

Medication? ✔️

Food? Plenty of protein? ✔️

Enough to drink?

"James says he is."

Well... James also says he drinks enough water every single day, even when he clearly doesn't. So that answer comes with a tiny grain of salt... or maybe a large glass of water.

Maybe it was dehydration. Maybe not.

Whatever triggered it, that's the thing about Lewy Body Dementia. Just when you think you've figured it out...

...it changes the rules.

By the time I got home, things had settled down again and James was much closer to his familiar version of "normal James and Lewy."

When that happens, James and I get down to the nitty-gritty. We tell each other everything.

I want to hear every detail of what he sees, because to James it's completely real. Let that sink in for a moment. He truly sees what isn't there.

Then I try to see it too. Often there's a branch, a pillow, a shadow—something that resembles the image his brain has turned into a person or an intruder.

I'm hoping that by being this open and honest with each other, we can somehow show Lewy who's boss.

That's life on the Lewy roller coaster. We buckle up, hang on, and enjoy the smoother stretches whenever they come.

The Little Green Hopper (James's trike) recently got a little spa day.

We folded it up and drove it to the bike shop.

It now has a larger screen, a sturdier mount, and a setup that's hopefully a little more user-friendly and a little less confusing. We're planning to take it for a spin this weekend.

And yes... we're still planning.

Today we actually drove (yes, we did!) to our wonderful dentist in Novato. It was raining early in the morning, so cycling wasn't in the cards this time.

There were a few technical hiccups, and we didn't get everything finished that was supposed to happen. When we came back home, the temporary crown didn't even last two hours!

Oh well... we're scheduled for another day at the dentist.

The silver lining? Taking the back roads is actually a beautiful drive, and there's a second-hand store in the shopping center where I scored some excellent clothing for both James and myself.

How does the saying go?

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

We're drinking a lot of lemonade these days.

Our uncertain housing situation is still in full bloom, but something seems to be moving. I'm not quite sure what it all means yet.

What we're hoping for is simple:To keep our home.

If you're reading this, we'd love a few good thoughts sent our way.

As always, we're doing our best to keep moving forward, to find a little balance, and every now and then even squeeze those lemons again with a smile and a "Yes, we can."

Because somehow...

...we still can.

Thank you for sticking with us through sunshine and rain, smooth roads and potholes, laughter, tears, and everything in between.

Our GoFundMe community has carried us farther than you probably realize—and there's still more road ahead. Knowing you're traveling this road with us makes all the difference.