What’s your favorite part about visiting a new place — the food? The architecture? The people watching?
Photographers, artists, poets: show us NEW.
I imagine there are those who are like me. Vacations are not in my dictionary. Oh, I am not saying I have never been on vacation. I went with my parents each summer to Minnesota. My Dad went for Pike fishing. Mom did more work while we were on vacation than she did at home.
When I grew up and got married we used to go to the State Fair each year. The kids and I would ride the wagon around the fairgrounds, and get sick on fair food. My husband went so he could watch the Tractor Pulls.
One fall my husband and I went to a small fishing lake in Michigan. I had a good time I guess. He fished and I tried to find things to do. I did end up nine months later with this.
Now when I think of vacations, I think of the word alone. I would love to just go to a cabin in the woods and do what I want. Or go to my daughter’s house and stay for a week and catch up on life.
I wouldn’t go to the big malls to shop. I wouldn’t go to the most expensive dining areas. I would try to find a Ryan’s Buffet. http://www.ryans.com
I would visit any antique stores in far off places. I would enjoy the birds singing. I would enjoy the beauty of flowers.
Maybe find a nice guy and fall in love.
Or maybe I would just look at the stars in my rocker on the porch and dream a way.
Or sit by the fireplace and roast marshmallows and talk about the good old days.
I guess my best part of the vacation is not so much it being somewhere I have never visited.
It is about the quietness and the peace. It is about the company I am in. It is about pleasing my inner spirit. It is about looking through the crystal glass and seeing how darn lucky I have been all my life.
Al was pretty quiet last night; but the night went without incident. Al had his bedtime snack. I believe that this consisted of a Pop Tart, in Cherry, and his diet coke. He took his bedtime medications. I changed his brief and helped him in bed.
Once again Rhino mewed loudly, letting Al and I know that he had been laying in Al’s bed first and he wasn’t a bit happy being disturbed. Oh well, life moves on Rhino. Adjust, and be happy you are on the inside in air-conditioning and not outside at night.
Obviously, Rhino didn’t agree and didn’t get off the bed. He made Al and I work around him. Can you believe this? A cat who thinks he owns the joint?
Well both were in bed and Al covered up. I told him good night and that I loved him and he said his usual yeah. One time I would like to hear him say love you too, instead of yeah, but at least he speaks.
I went to bed immediately. I could hear his TV in the baby monitor. An hour later I still heard the TV. I finally drifted off to sleep. Lately I have been having these wicked dreams. They are each about the same topic. Someone is trying to take Al from me. Sometimes they are made of monsters. Other times I can see real people who I know, but they are not nice people.
I have a feeling that the reason for these dreams is the fact that I know Al will one day be leaving this earth.
I asked him what time he went to sleep since he was useless in the Helping Department. He said about 1am.
I explained to him that I want him to be able to make his own decisions when he can, but we can only stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights. The other nights we should try to go to bed earlier.
It is sort of a no-win situation for him. He tires easily from M.S.A. so when he gets home from the Day Program he is exhausted. As soon as supper is over he pleads to go to bed. I have placed a limit on the evening nap time through the week nights especially. A lot of times even after a nap, he will continue to doze off and on in his lift-chair.
Al was not able to help move his feet, brush his teeth. His head was at all-time low. I told him I could really use his help and hoped he would consider my offer to sleep a little earlier and watch TV less in the late hours. He didn’t say anything.
I did notice that he was sweating very bad. I knew that inside his body his illness was taking advantage of him being tired. I noticed that he had some slight issues with breathing. Not gasping, but a heavy breathing.
I managed to get him to eat and I washed him up. Put clean briefs on him and clean shirt and shorts, shoes and socks. I filled his lunch bag. I got his show-n-tell item ready. Brushed his teeth and hair, and by now I was the one doing the heavy sweating.
We made it though. Outside and ready for the bus. Here are some pictures I took of Al’s daily trip of his bus ride.
desires to be
Who I am 