Day 7

It is day 7 on our trip of new experiences for my 9 year old granddaughter and visiting friends and old haunts of my 85 year old mother. Mother is doing ok...her legs are bothering her (not to my surprise). She has a serious case of arthritis in one knee that has caused disfigurement and pain for years now. She has never said anything to her doctor which is something we need to change when we get home.

Traveling is hard on anyone but having a 9 year old along is a real blessing. She keeps us from dwelling on hurting feet and bowel habits, and negative conversation that seems to creep in with the elderly. Seeing the sights through the eyes of this sweet child is healing for us both.

Today, mother will be with friends for the day and Jenna and I will see the first oil well in the country. We'll ride a train for a tour of the area and spend money on souveniers for her memorybook. Ah....vacations are great!

Life is Good

In a few days I will be leaving with my mother on a two week "vacation". I alternate from excitement, because I love to travel and am thrilled to be going back "home" for a visit, to dread, when I think of the work and situations we will get ourselves into. I am the only driver, the only physical labor( suitcases in and out, etc.) and the only interpreter between great grandma 85, and great grandchild 9. Great Grandma has hearing problems as well as processing issues in the brain. So this should be an interesting trip! All kidding aside, I know this is the right thing to do. Life is good.

Safety Inspector Husband

Being married to a fire safety inspector has it's interesting points. Not that my husband himself is not interesting, but certain aspects of his work shed some light on MY interests...and provide content for this blog!

On our recent trip to northwest Georgia, we stopped at a chain restaurant for breakfast. The omelets are delicious, the coffee acceptable, and the atmosphere,second to none. Yes, I love going to that area of the country because the people are extraordinary. They are so welcoming and friendly. Acceptance is the norm, not rejectance. Doesn't that make sense? I like being accepted no matter what I'm wearing, no matter how I talk, no matter the state my license plate is from. The people in the state of Georgia where we vacation, are more than friendly. They treat us as family.

Fire Inspector that he is, on leaving the restaurant, my husband stated quietly to me that the entrance door needed repair. He would have given a citation in our state because the door did not open easily (evidenced by my 3 attempts to leave the restaurant)! And in this case, I understand why he would have served a citation.

Without sufficient strength, it was HARD to open the exit door! It took three attempts on my part to get out of the building!! The older members of the family (88 and 89) walked though the doors held open but this situation is an evident hazard!
My in-laws do not have the strength to open such a door normally, let alone in the event of a fire or other situation. If they were alone, instability would stop them in their tracks!

While I love the place and the people, I now worry about their safety in the event of a fire. I have to work on letting them know.

On Vacation

This is it...the night before we leave on vacation. A ten hour drive with two elderly people in the car requires a little finesse. Maybe a lot of finesse. We have hearing problems, temperature control issues and just plain different travel styles than the older generation.

I went to the local library and borrowed several books on CD. My mother-in-law especially, cannot enjoy the scenery as she is legally blind with macular degeneration. It has to be hard to just sit alone with your thoughts day after day. I hope she (and everyone else)will enjoy the humorous mysteries I picked up to help pass the time. If I'm not driving, I like to read. So I know I will enjoy being read to, so to speak!

I intend to be online unless the connection isn't good. I'll let you know how it's going.