Close call

[mdlbear]

My Mom had a close brush with death yesterday. Entirely too close.

She lives in a retirement community called Galloway Ridge in NC. If you look for it on Google News today, you'll get this. You can get some of the high order bits from the Boston Globe: "Elderly woman dies after attack; former maid charged with murder".

Two of Mom's good friends, Margaret and Mary, learned a couple of days ago that the woman they had hired as a housekeeper was suspected of forging checks. After discussing it with Mom, they invited her over to talk about it. Here's the scary part: they asked Mom to sit in, in case there was trouble; when it turned out that Mom had a dentist appointment they asked another friend from across the hall, instead.

When Mom got back from her dentist appointment she learned that the housekeeper had sprayed the three women with pepper spray, then bludgeoned them, apparently with a cane or walking stick. Margaret is dead, and Mary is not expected to survive. Their friend -- the one who could very well have been Mom -- is in serious condition.

Other news links: here, here, here, here, and here.

It's not safe out there. Anywhere. Take care.