Grandpa Panini

A panini is a great little Italian sandwich. You put lots of yummy meats and cheeses between two slices of wonderful Italian bread and squish the heck out of it! Now, the definition of the "sandwich generation" is family who are taking care of elderly parents and still have kids living at home...people who are basically squished between family demands. My dad has been giving me the "squish" for the past few weeks. We have finally placed him in a rest home (people who find joy in caring for the elderly who have Alzheimer's have a special place in heaven!) after he has squeezed us dry emotionally. Among other things he has turned off the gas, the water, stood naked in the house, hidden messy underwear, rearranged furniture at 2 a.m., left single shoes in odd places, written notes that make no sense (and are very sad to read...illustrating his diminished mental capacity) and finally, the night before he entered the rest home...lit a fire in the garage! My mother and I are slowly finding little bits of peace each day since we no longer have to be constantly alert and on-call. I think we're going from the "panini zone" to the "grilled cheese zone".