Yes or No

Children and the elderly have a lot in common. I am finding that dealing with my parents is like nurturing children. Children cannot be asked a question that could be answered with a yes or no response. If you ask them if they had a good day at school, they will say yes or no. If you ask them what they did at school, they are forced to embellish. This morning I spoke to my parents and asked if they needed anything at the supermarket since I will be going to see them on Sunday. They both said no. I knew that they need extra fill ins. I changed my strategy. I asked specifics. Do you need tomatoes? Yes. Do you need eggs? Yes. Do you need bread? Get a rye bread. Do you need cheese? Get 1/4 lb Boars Head Swiss. Do you need fruit? Get 2 boxes of blueberries. You now get the picture. I have a one page list of things they "did not need".