Week with my folks

(I had this all written and somehow managed to exit the site without saving it. Bummer!!)

Mom and Dad picked me up at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank about noon on Saturday, May 7th. I drove us home and we almost ended up in a major accident. I don't remember the drivers being as aggressive as they were. I'm sure glad we don't live there anymore!

I was in a merge lane from I-5 to I-118 when a driver completely cut us off. I don't know how he managed to miss us. I did a knee jerk reaction and headed for the lane next to me. Thankfully there was no one there. I had blared my horn at him and when we passed I gave him a dirty look. He didn't act like he had a clue he had almost caused a bad accident.

We were supposed to go down to Greg and Tina's for Mother's Day dinner. Marie had called and asked us to pick her up at her mom's on the way down. She was driving down from Santa Barbara where she lives and wouldn't be there until around five. We waited and waited and she finally arrived around 6 pm. That would mean we wouldn't get down to Greg's until after 7 pm so we decided not to go. We went to dinner at Marie Callenders with Marie and then everyone came up to Mom and Dad's the next afternoon. We had a wonderful prime rib and all the other sides that were planned for the night before! The only camera to be found had a dead battery so we didn't get any family pictures.

Patricia and Michele had never seen an electric typewriter. Mom still has one and they entertained themselves all afternoon learning how to type on it! I keep forgetting how fast this world is changing and how much our kids and grandkids haven't a clue about.

Mom didn't feel well most of the time I was there. She still suffers from diverticulitis and was getting over a spell of it. We had thought her surgery in Oct. was going to alleviate that but it just entailed removal of the diseased portion of her colon. She will have this the rest of her life.

She had a migraine Tuesday so I took her to the doctor. The last time she had one she didn't eat or drink, her electrolytes plummeted and we almost lost her. I didn't want to take any chances so made sure she got some medication to ease the headache and would continue to eat and drink.

That afternoon my cousin, Carrie, came down on the train/bus. We're only 12 days apart in age and have been best friends since the day I was born. (She's the eldest but you sure wouldn't know it with all the snow on my roof!) We spent that day and the next running errands and shopping for Mom and Dad.

Mom had made reservations for us to go to Huntington Library Thursday for High Tea. Carrie & I vacillated about going since Mom wouldn't be able to join us. She finally told us to go ahead and go as it was her gift to us. I'm so glad we did. So much was in bloom that we lost track of time going from one outstanding garden to the next. We didn't see half of what we wanted to. We did manage to get to see Gainsborough's "Pinky" and "Blue Boy" in the gallery. We missed a light show that was somehow related to Isaac Newton. But we didn't miss High Tea. We had wonderful food in a gorgeous setting. We did miss Mom being with us.

Friday my Uncle Art (Mom's brother) and Aunt Mary flew Carrie and I up to Big Bear for breakfast. He is an original Flying Tiger and has his own plane. We thoroughly enjoyed the flight with clear, blue skies and gorgeous snow on the mountains. We don't see them very often so we had a wonderful morning of catching up on family news.

By the end of the week Mom was feeling much better and even managed to get out in her garden and work some. That's her solace. Carrie helped her Saturday afternoon replanting some of her plants in the backyard to around the tree in the front yard. That's a project she had wanted to get accomplished for a long time so I'm very grateful Carrie was there to help. She has a definite flair for it. Just ask the folks at the elementary school next door to her where she does their landscaping!

Saturday it was back to Burbank and my flight home. Julie took me this time.

Each time I visit, Mom and Dad seem more frail. But at 82 and 88 I guess I should expect it. I just hope when we're their ages we will be able to care for ourselves as well as they do!