Preparing for an Adventure!! Wednesday and Thursday.....

We had a scare with Mother on Wednesday.

Deanie called me - and my siblings - in late morning and said that Mother had been unresponsive and the chaplain and hospice had been called. They said Deanie should call us to come up there and I was throwing my clothes on and telling Louis Dean to get dressed - but before we were out the door - Deanie called back and said, "Mother woke up." This is the second time this has happened and bless Deanie's heart for having to go through this twice - so far.

I regrouped and went about my Wednesday.

It was a packing and preparing day for us.

To cheer myself up, I plugged up the grape lights I bought last week and put along the back of the living room sofa. Doesn't everyone have pretty lights in unexpected places??

 Louis Dean helped me hang the second strand up in the gazebo.

Those brown patches of duct tape are covering hail damage holes from a few months ago.

The cicadas - or locusts - as I call them - are giving their last hurrah's this month!

I always remember the very first one of the year.....but you seldom remember the last one.

I packed, cleaned and baked yesterday.

I decided on a Dr Pepper Cake to take to the nursing home.

Mike had mentioned the other day how much Amber loves a Dr Pepper Cake so I guess that's what put it in my mind - and I am so going to bake one especially for her when we get back from our trip.

This 'Dr Pepper' cake was made with a can of Cocoa Cola instead!

It tasted every bit as good.

Summer arrived last night and she is going to stay here at our house while we are away.

What a blessing she is to us to do this!

She was happy to see her Granny and her Granny was thrilled to see her first born grandchild.

Summer brings joy and laughter everywhere she goes......

Her smile is magic!

This is Mother laughing!!!

We had such a good visit!

I am fully aware that this may very well be my very last visit with Mother.

But maybe not! 

Mother is as healthy as any 92 year old could hope to be.

Still, she is looking forward to heaven.

Yesterday she even packed a bag.

It touched my heart to see what she had packed in it.

Summer gently told her that she can't take that with her.........

and Mother seemed to understand.

Summer and Charlie both need our prayers.

Summer smiles and you would think all is well .....and it is .....with her soul.

Not so much with her body.

After years of illness.....it gets hard.

Hard to cope with people - friends and family - that think she should be 'well' by now.

She isn't.

 Still  - she has such a tender heart for her family and does everything she can to stay a part of all that we do. As in today and going with me to visit the nursing home.

And Charlie was in the Emergency Room last week.

He has a heart valve problem that will eventually require an extensive and complicated surgery to correct and the timing is crucial. Which leads to extra anxiety.

I was so happy to get to visit with Deanie!!

She and I went down to a public room where we could talk privately.

Deanie is the one who bears the most responsibility for Mother as in legal terms.

That's a pretty heavy burden.

I do so love my sister and admire her for all she has done for Mother.

She goes the extra mile in all that she does.

In my heart of hearts I truly hope that I am here when Mother passes.

Not so much for my sake or for Mother's sake.....but because I want to be with Lanita, Deanie

and Lonnie during that time.

 There is other family....other children - Shari and Luann - and nieces and a nephew and grandchildren and great grandchildren - and perhaps friends......

but only the four of us have this special lifelong history with Mother.

And if I am away and not here to support them.....I will mourn that.

Summer and I had a good visit and said our goodbyes.

When I visit the nursing home - the first place I go is to Lillian's room.

She is such a comfort to my soul.

I leave my purse and 'stuff' in her room and we make it our headquarters.

I do so love Lillian.

I call her during the week and check up on her and once Mother is gone - I will still be visiting the Trail Lake Nursing Home every week to see Lillian. 

Louis Dean has gathered quite a following there and loves to play and sing for the ladies.

Another favorite is Roberta who is 100 years old and a classy lady.

I want to be just like her.

Summer and I left the nursing home in Fort Worth - stopped by Hobby Lobby - and then drove back to Irving in a stormy rain complete with lightning and thunder!

I visited Reaoma and told her about my trip and that I will be gone for three weeks but I am coming back.

Can I tell you something? 

Visiting Reaoma is harder than visiting Mother.

I love Mother but you expect to lose your mother in your lifetime.

Reaoma is my friend.

You don't expect to lose your friend.

I lost Connie and I lost Carol.

That was hard.

Reaoma is closer to my age and my heart breaks for her.

It hurts but I have no choice - I love her. She is and has been my friend and is so important to me.

I admit I limped home tonight.

Louis Dean had made tuna salad for sandwiches and we watched a Closer - we love Kyra Sedgewick!

It was a comforting kind of evening.

He and I sat in the gazebo as the rain poured down and had a glass of wine.

Our bags were packed - and are now repacked!

Both of them topped 50 pounds and when I called American Airlines I found that overweight bags are charged $100 EACH!!! It was cheaper to add another bag for $35 and that took care of all my problems! 

SO! I am off to bed and hope to post again from Seattle.

 We fly out in the early afternoon and I am so excited!