This seems to be the year for cruises. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary this year and are planning a Panama Canal cruise to celebrate. It's a 16 day cruise with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, the Canal, Cristobal, Panama and Cartagena, Columbia. We leave from Los Angeles and arrive in Miami.
We had said we would work through the end of September but with Christine getting married Sept. 20 in TN we will probably only work through the middle of the month. Then, we need to be back in So. Cal. for our niece, Marie's wedding on Oct. 4. We will hang around until our cruise leaves on the 17th.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
New Driver
This is a warning for you all to stay away from the Denton County area of Texas for the next six months or so. Deidra will be on the roads trying to earn her driver's license!
I'm back home from an exhausting week of caregiving and handywoman chores. But it was a week given in love. They put a walking cast on Mom's foot last Wednesday and each day she gets steadier and stronger. She told me last night her ankle didn't hurt at all yesterday so that is good news. This is her first broken bone so she was like a teenager at church Sunday having everyone sign her cast!
Mayela, their caregiver, has changed her hours so she can be there to fix and serve the evening meal. She had planned to go to Costa Rica this week for her niece's Quincenera (I'm sure I'm spelling it wrong) but canceled her trip due to Mom. You couldn't ask for a more compassionate caregiver. Thank you all for your prayers.
I'm back home from an exhausting week of caregiving and handywoman chores. But it was a week given in love. They put a walking cast on Mom's foot last Wednesday and each day she gets steadier and stronger. She told me last night her ankle didn't hurt at all yesterday so that is good news. This is her first broken bone so she was like a teenager at church Sunday having everyone sign her cast!
Mayela, their caregiver, has changed her hours so she can be there to fix and serve the evening meal. She had planned to go to Costa Rica this week for her niece's Quincenera (I'm sure I'm spelling it wrong) but canceled her trip due to Mom. You couldn't ask for a more compassionate caregiver. Thank you all for your prayers.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Broken Bone
No. Not Dianna or I, or even one of our kids this time. That is unless you consider our parents our kids now.
After settling in at San Onofre this week, and working the kiosk on Friday, we decided to take the Metrolink from San Juan Capistrano to San Fernando to visit Dianna's parents this weekend. They have been in pretty good health lately so this promised to be a pleasant visit without all the Dr. and hospital stuff. Wrong!
On the train we got a call from Julie telling us that Mom had fallen during the night and sprained her ankle. She was also feeling dizzy, short of breath and nauseous. By the time we arrived in San Fernando an hour and several phone calls later we knew this would not be an uneventful visit.
The train station is only five minutes from Widener's house. Their caretaker picked us up and when we got to their house we called 911. Mother had actually fallen at 4 AM, gone back to bed, gotten up and somehow out to the kitchen by 9 AM where she again got dizzy and fell over backward while sitting on the seat of her walker. She caught herself and managed to hang upside down for about half an hour until the caretaker arrived for the day. I think anyone would be dizzy, nauseous and short of breath after an episode like that. The swelling on her ankle was about the size of an orange.
Almost before Dianna hung up the phone the EMT's arrived and took her to the hospital. Dianna went over to be with her. They checked her out thoroughly and concluded that her dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath were caused by dehydration. Oh, and her ankle was broken.
They put it in a splint for a couple days to wait for the swelling to go down so they can cast it. So, for the next few weeks she will be even less mobile than usual. She cannot get to or from the bed, sofa or bathroom without assistance. Dianna found she was not properly trained as an aide and had a back ache last night.
Dianna and I will drive their car down to San Onofre tomorrow while their caretaker is here so Dianna can pick up some clothes and return to stay with them for a while. At this point we don't know how long, but Dad cannot handle her and the caretaker only works days and six days a week.
I will stay in San Onofre and meet our volunteer commitments. As of now I am scheduled to work the kiosk three days a week. I would much rather be doing that than have to do what Dianna is going to have to do.
Kids!
After settling in at San Onofre this week, and working the kiosk on Friday, we decided to take the Metrolink from San Juan Capistrano to San Fernando to visit Dianna's parents this weekend. They have been in pretty good health lately so this promised to be a pleasant visit without all the Dr. and hospital stuff. Wrong!
On the train we got a call from Julie telling us that Mom had fallen during the night and sprained her ankle. She was also feeling dizzy, short of breath and nauseous. By the time we arrived in San Fernando an hour and several phone calls later we knew this would not be an uneventful visit.
The train station is only five minutes from Widener's house. Their caretaker picked us up and when we got to their house we called 911. Mother had actually fallen at 4 AM, gone back to bed, gotten up and somehow out to the kitchen by 9 AM where she again got dizzy and fell over backward while sitting on the seat of her walker. She caught herself and managed to hang upside down for about half an hour until the caretaker arrived for the day. I think anyone would be dizzy, nauseous and short of breath after an episode like that. The swelling on her ankle was about the size of an orange.
Almost before Dianna hung up the phone the EMT's arrived and took her to the hospital. Dianna went over to be with her. They checked her out thoroughly and concluded that her dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath were caused by dehydration. Oh, and her ankle was broken.
They put it in a splint for a couple days to wait for the swelling to go down so they can cast it. So, for the next few weeks she will be even less mobile than usual. She cannot get to or from the bed, sofa or bathroom without assistance. Dianna found she was not properly trained as an aide and had a back ache last night.
Dianna and I will drive their car down to San Onofre tomorrow while their caretaker is here so Dianna can pick up some clothes and return to stay with them for a while. At this point we don't know how long, but Dad cannot handle her and the caretaker only works days and six days a week.
I will stay in San Onofre and meet our volunteer commitments. As of now I am scheduled to work the kiosk three days a week. I would much rather be doing that than have to do what Dianna is going to have to do.
Kids!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Bloomin' blossoms
What a gorgeous drive we had yesterday from Yuma to San Onofre! I had never seen Ocotillo blossoming before. It is absolutely beautiful. We only saw one plant so decked out and I was lucky enough to have popped my head up from my book just in time to catch it. And then the iceplant and freeway daisies all along the highway from San Diego were so bright it almost hurt our eyes!
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