Things that go bump in the night are sometimes scary. I had two bumps recently.
Not long ago I was trying to decide if I should make a trip to see my mom. She is not in the best of health. This should have been a very cut and dried decision, but I had just been there a couple of weeks before, so I was waffling. I'm a good waffler. Back and forth I went trying to make the right decision, but not really wanting to at the same time. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't easy.
I had promised my mom that I would come that week, but that was before the emergency first trip. Should I make 2 two and a half hour trips in 2 weeks? I went to bed without making any decision. That night I dreamed about my dad. He died over 10 years ago, and I have never once dreamed about him that I can remember.
In my dream a car drove up to the house and my mom stumbled out. Next to my amazement and joy, I saw my dad getting out of the car. He was like I remember him before he died. He was weak. Dad could barely get out of the car, and he leaned precariously on the side of the car to be able to stand at all. I was so happy to see him, but so shattered to see him in that condition. In my dream I rushed over to him and held him up in my arms. I said, "I love you, daddy." It was a heart stopping moment and so real in my dream. I woke immediately. At five o'clock in the morning my decision to go had been made.
Mom and I had a good time together. She doesn't get out much these days, unless someone takes her. We went to the movies, and she loved it. She said to me, "If you would come more often we could have such fun together." Why is it that moms can make you feel guilty even while you're trying to do the right thing?
That night I was late going to bed. Nothing new there. I had washed my face, and I was brushing my teeth. The next thing I knew I heard a loud horrendous crash. I looked down at the floor a few feet away and saw thousands of shards of glass littering the bathroom floor. What in the world happened? Then I looked up. The entire glass globe on the light fixture had fallen from the ceiling. Mom's house was built in the 1950's and this was no lightweight fixture. The glob was round with a flat bottom that was probably at least a half inch thick, if not more. The crazy thing fell right off the mount and shattered everywhere. I was glad I was not sitting on toilet or I would have been right at ground zero.
Was I supposed to go to my mom's that week? Maybe I am reading too much into it, but regardless that glass would have fallen and I just know my mom would have walked in the bathroom with her swollen bare feet in the middle of the night. That's just how she came out to see what in the world had happened. I spent a good half hour sweeping, vacuuming and searching for glass particles on the tile floor. Sometimes things that go bump in the night are just meant to be. I was so glad I went to my mom's.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Driving the Gramma Car
Recently we had a boatload of company. The interesting thing about this company is that everyone was there the day before Tim and I were leaving to attend our son's wedding and afterward take a two week vacation. Nothing much different about this. All were family members and it was fun having everyone in our home.
Round 1 - Painful beginnings
The morning of the trip, we got up early thinking we would make a quick getaway with our caravan of cars. Tim's mom and dad always get up early, often before the crack of dawn. I came downstairs to learn that Tim's mom, MaryLou was in intense pain. We guessed a kidney stone. After a brief discussion involving the phrase, "I think I need to go home," we decided to take Tim's mom to the urgent care facility in our town. I guess the urgent care isn't so urgent since the office didn't open until 8 a.m. We talked about returning to urgent care at opening time, but Tim's mom decided to continue with the trip at the scheduled departure time. She'd just "tough it out." A commendable attitude, but very unsettling for everyone.
Round 2 - Disaster strikes at Steak 'n Shake
The trip began, and our little 3 car caravan had an uneventful trip to Columbus, OH, the lunch break. The red car in front with Tim and his mom and dad, our silver car in the middle carrying my mom and me, and our son Jon and his family bringing up the tail end. This trip would be easy-peasy. I'm not particularly fond of driving long distances, but it was working for me. We got off the interstate to eat lunch at Steak 'n Shake. I got out of the car, and turned around to watch my darling grandbabies run across the parking lot after being released from their strapped-in, buckled down car seats. How cute they were. I turned back around and the first thing I noticed was I didn't see my mom. I walked around the front of the car and there she was laying splat, face down on the sidewalk. The curb was extra high at the place we'd parked and she totally misjudged it. Blood was everywhere, not a good beginning for lunch.
Round 3 - Abandonment and treatment
Hoping to get everything taken care of quickly, we went to an urgent care facility in Columbus. No care there. The cut under mom's chin was too deep. Off we went to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. This was going to take awhile. Tim was the officiating pastor for the wedding, Tim's dad was also helping conduct the wedding, Jon and his kids were part of the wedding party and everyone had to be at the rehearsal at 6:00 p.m. We had miles to go to the wedding site. I suggested that everyone else go on and I would stay with mom at the emergency room. I secretly hoped that no one would actually think this was a good idea. It was a excellent idea, and a few tears later I was waving goodbye to the rest of my family. It felt like abandonment.
Tim's stalwart mom decided to stay behind with my mom and me at the hospital. So there I was with two woman who probably should have really been in the hospital and we were sitting in the emergency waiting room. Bless those hospital personnel, they fast-tracked my mom into a treatment room after hearing our story. The tests, x-rays, and stitches only took about 3 1/2 hours (without them rushing her through no telling how long we would have waited). While we languished in the treatment room, I watched some of those wacky judge shows with idiot defendants and plaintiffs on the overhead TV. I guess the hospital thinks maybe you'll be heartened that someone else's problems are crazier than you own.
Round 4 - Released into rush hour and driving the Gramma Car
We were released at 5 p.m., smack into Columbus rush hour. I don't like to drive long distances. . . I hate bumper to bumper traffic. . . I particularly don't like driving in places I've never driven before. These conditions reigned and I was driving the Gramma Car (Everyone in the car was a grandma.) Tim's mom got in the passenger's seat. My mom and her busted chin took the back. MaryLou proved to be an excellent navigator despite the pain. She is one tough (and I mean that in a good way), determined lady. I pray a lot when I drive in traffic. I prayed in Columbus, and was only honked at one time. We made it, made it late to the rehearsal dinner, but we did make it. I think it was due to God and MaryLou.
Round 5 - Losing the parents
If you are a teenager, losing the parents has a whole different meaning. You're on your own, free. Losing the parents when you're our age and our parents' ages is vastly different. The children are now the worried ones. Before the rehearsal dinner was over Tim's mom and dad decided to go on the hotel. The hotel was in another town, the turn-off was tricky, and Tim's parents got lost. When we arrived at the hotel at 10 p.m., we discovered that Mom and Dad Hughes had not yet arrived. We were in the rolling hills of eastern Ohio, peppered with little towns on county roads. Could this day get any worse? Tim set out driving trying to locate Mom and Dad. He did, but of course they didn't recognise him or his car in the dark. Somehow, they all managed to make it back to the hotel before midnight.
The wedding took place the next day, with a power outage at the church. No air conditioning, dim lighting, and only the sound system was working. The bride and groom were radiant. The reception was fun.
THE END
Round 1 - Painful beginnings
The morning of the trip, we got up early thinking we would make a quick getaway with our caravan of cars. Tim's mom and dad always get up early, often before the crack of dawn. I came downstairs to learn that Tim's mom, MaryLou was in intense pain. We guessed a kidney stone. After a brief discussion involving the phrase, "I think I need to go home," we decided to take Tim's mom to the urgent care facility in our town. I guess the urgent care isn't so urgent since the office didn't open until 8 a.m. We talked about returning to urgent care at opening time, but Tim's mom decided to continue with the trip at the scheduled departure time. She'd just "tough it out." A commendable attitude, but very unsettling for everyone.
Round 2 - Disaster strikes at Steak 'n Shake
The trip began, and our little 3 car caravan had an uneventful trip to Columbus, OH, the lunch break. The red car in front with Tim and his mom and dad, our silver car in the middle carrying my mom and me, and our son Jon and his family bringing up the tail end. This trip would be easy-peasy. I'm not particularly fond of driving long distances, but it was working for me. We got off the interstate to eat lunch at Steak 'n Shake. I got out of the car, and turned around to watch my darling grandbabies run across the parking lot after being released from their strapped-in, buckled down car seats. How cute they were. I turned back around and the first thing I noticed was I didn't see my mom. I walked around the front of the car and there she was laying splat, face down on the sidewalk. The curb was extra high at the place we'd parked and she totally misjudged it. Blood was everywhere, not a good beginning for lunch.
Round 3 - Abandonment and treatment
Hoping to get everything taken care of quickly, we went to an urgent care facility in Columbus. No care there. The cut under mom's chin was too deep. Off we went to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. This was going to take awhile. Tim was the officiating pastor for the wedding, Tim's dad was also helping conduct the wedding, Jon and his kids were part of the wedding party and everyone had to be at the rehearsal at 6:00 p.m. We had miles to go to the wedding site. I suggested that everyone else go on and I would stay with mom at the emergency room. I secretly hoped that no one would actually think this was a good idea. It was a excellent idea, and a few tears later I was waving goodbye to the rest of my family. It felt like abandonment.
Tim's stalwart mom decided to stay behind with my mom and me at the hospital. So there I was with two woman who probably should have really been in the hospital and we were sitting in the emergency waiting room. Bless those hospital personnel, they fast-tracked my mom into a treatment room after hearing our story. The tests, x-rays, and stitches only took about 3 1/2 hours (without them rushing her through no telling how long we would have waited). While we languished in the treatment room, I watched some of those wacky judge shows with idiot defendants and plaintiffs on the overhead TV. I guess the hospital thinks maybe you'll be heartened that someone else's problems are crazier than you own.
Round 4 - Released into rush hour and driving the Gramma Car
We were released at 5 p.m., smack into Columbus rush hour. I don't like to drive long distances. . . I hate bumper to bumper traffic. . . I particularly don't like driving in places I've never driven before. These conditions reigned and I was driving the Gramma Car (Everyone in the car was a grandma.) Tim's mom got in the passenger's seat. My mom and her busted chin took the back. MaryLou proved to be an excellent navigator despite the pain. She is one tough (and I mean that in a good way), determined lady. I pray a lot when I drive in traffic. I prayed in Columbus, and was only honked at one time. We made it, made it late to the rehearsal dinner, but we did make it. I think it was due to God and MaryLou.
Round 5 - Losing the parents
If you are a teenager, losing the parents has a whole different meaning. You're on your own, free. Losing the parents when you're our age and our parents' ages is vastly different. The children are now the worried ones. Before the rehearsal dinner was over Tim's mom and dad decided to go on the hotel. The hotel was in another town, the turn-off was tricky, and Tim's parents got lost. When we arrived at the hotel at 10 p.m., we discovered that Mom and Dad Hughes had not yet arrived. We were in the rolling hills of eastern Ohio, peppered with little towns on county roads. Could this day get any worse? Tim set out driving trying to locate Mom and Dad. He did, but of course they didn't recognise him or his car in the dark. Somehow, they all managed to make it back to the hotel before midnight.
The wedding took place the next day, with a power outage at the church. No air conditioning, dim lighting, and only the sound system was working. The bride and groom were radiant. The reception was fun.
THE END
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Seeing The Future of Shoedom
I've seen the future and it's not pretty. I'm not talking about the future of the country or politics, but the future of... well probably me. A few weeks ago I took my 81 year old mother to the mall. We were shopping for the basic essential element in a woman's wardrobe, a pair of shoes.
Shoes are the most wonderful accessory. No matter your dress size, your jean size, or even your cholesterol number you can almost always find a pair of shoes to fit that you like. I appreciate this fact the older I get. Can't wear that poofy baby doll top? No problem, I can always find a pair of shoes. I could literally get a new pair with every shopping trip, but I don't. I just plain like shoes, and still regret that I did not get those majorette boots when I was a kid. Oh, I did want those.
So there we were at the mall trying to find my mom a pair of shoes. We weren't looking for just anything. We were searching for a pair of dressy shoes for her to wear to my son's wedding. In my naivete I thought this would be an easy task with all those nice flats in style this spring. Think again! Adding to the fact that her feet are swollen, her toes point at odd angles these days, she wants no part of her toes to show, and she's unsteady on her feet this was no easy task.
What has happened to all the nice older women's dress shoes? Back in the day older women had that "look" in shoe styles. Low heel granny tie-ons or nice low pumps with a strap across the top. I can clearly recall my own grandmother with these types of shoes. Absolutely, nothing at the mall that could be called dressy that my mom could wear and walk in with confidence, and not fear falling down. We ended up with a pair of rather casual flats that were made to be worn with slacks with a bit of tooling on the top. That's the best we could do.
So. . .I guess that's the (my) future in shoedom and it's just not pretty!
Shoes are the most wonderful accessory. No matter your dress size, your jean size, or even your cholesterol number you can almost always find a pair of shoes to fit that you like. I appreciate this fact the older I get. Can't wear that poofy baby doll top? No problem, I can always find a pair of shoes. I could literally get a new pair with every shopping trip, but I don't. I just plain like shoes, and still regret that I did not get those majorette boots when I was a kid. Oh, I did want those.
So there we were at the mall trying to find my mom a pair of shoes. We weren't looking for just anything. We were searching for a pair of dressy shoes for her to wear to my son's wedding. In my naivete I thought this would be an easy task with all those nice flats in style this spring. Think again! Adding to the fact that her feet are swollen, her toes point at odd angles these days, she wants no part of her toes to show, and she's unsteady on her feet this was no easy task.
What has happened to all the nice older women's dress shoes? Back in the day older women had that "look" in shoe styles. Low heel granny tie-ons or nice low pumps with a strap across the top. I can clearly recall my own grandmother with these types of shoes. Absolutely, nothing at the mall that could be called dressy that my mom could wear and walk in with confidence, and not fear falling down. We ended up with a pair of rather casual flats that were made to be worn with slacks with a bit of tooling on the top. That's the best we could do.
So. . .I guess that's the (my) future in shoedom and it's just not pretty!
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