Cal and Maggie in Lincoln Park

Doug and I worked very hard at my parents yesterday to get a lot of things done for them.  Doug was the manual labor, and I was the technical support.  While he was cleaning out the closets in their home, I took my mom to Green Oaks to look at their assisted living facility and finished my dad's taxes afterward.  We were both exhausted when we left for dinner at Goshen Brewing Company and were glad for a restful night of watching basketball with my parents afterward. 

This morning, Doug and I packed a full suitcase for him to take back to Florida of items that our family still wanted to save but had been stored at my parents and then headed to Chicago to visit Cal and Maggie.  They were up and ready for us even though we were early.  Maggie had bought some macaroons for us to try and hot dog flavored chips.  All were delicious.  

After catching up at their apartment for a while, the four of us walked to the Lincoln Park Zoo.  It was a little chilly, but once the sun came out it warmed up quickly.  They had hoped to show us the brown bears that had arrived recently to the zoo.  Unfortunately, they weren't out today, but we did get to see the polar bear and a new section of the zoo that we had never been to that housed pygmy hippos, an aardvark, meerkats and giraffes.  It was really neat.

Cal had made reservations at Mon Ami Gabi, a French restaurant that was absolutely wonderful.  I tried their French toast, Doug ordered salmon and Cal and Maggie split a salad and cheeseburger.  No one went away hungry and everything was delicious.  We spent a few hours afterward watching basketball and hanging out at Cal and Maggie's apartment.  It was so much fun, and I was glad to see them both.  The time went by quickly and soon Doug and I were on our way to Midway to drop him off for his flight.  I was exhausted driving back to Syracuse but was incredibly happy for such a fantastic day.

Karens Choir Debut

I was up and out the door by 9 a.m. yesterday morning for a road trip to Southern Indiana.  My first stop was Bloomington.  I got to Assembly Hall just as Cameron was getting out of his internship.  Before heading to lunch at Mother Bear's, we unloaded everything that I had brought back from Florida into his car.  I also had several items of clothing from Grandma's that he still had in the upstairs bedroom.  He even took the ski helmets that were stored there in case he would need them next winter.

Lunch was very nice.  We both had their 8-inch pizzas which were the perfect size for a mid-day meal. Cameron had had a tough week and was glad to have someone to talk to about it.  The internship, classes, SAB, and work have physically worn him out.  I know that he will be glad when the semester is over.  Thankfully, warmer weather is just around the corner, so he will be able to get outside more which will really help.

I drove to Columbus next.  Brett and Karen had both taken the day off and were waiting for me when I arrived.  I was glad to see Karen before she left for her performance with the choir.  Brett and I had a very nice talk and were able to resolve a few things that he had going on in his life.  I was very happy to hear that work was going well.  He and Karen were really looking forward to nicer weather too.

Brett and I drove separately to Indianapolis for Karen's choir program at Robert Parks United Methodist Church.  Parking was a little challenging, and the neighborhood wasn't my favorite.  Fortunately, there was a spot right in front of the church, and it was still daylight, so Brett and I had no problem walking in safely.  St. Bartholemew's choir was performing with three other churches to sing Gioachino Rossini's Sabat Mater.  It was a beautiful piece that told the story of Mary witnessing the death of Jesus on the cross.  The solos were amazing and I was very glad to have been invited to attend.  Karen did a great job in her first performance and Brett told me afterward that he was joining the choir as well.

While we were at the concert, Doug was landing at the Indianapolis airport.  I headed straight there once we left the church.  Brett and Karen then met us at a nearby Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  The four of us had a wonderful time talking about Karen's concert, their thoughts on moving to Florida in the near future, the current state of politics, church and so much more.  It was an awesome way to end a fantastic day.

Grandpa Cutes Turns 83

Today was my dad's 83rd birthday.  He couldn't believe how old it sounded.  I was more amazed at how much had changed since he turned 82.  My mom had had a stroke.  He had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.  My mom had fallen and broken her hip.  Then my dad spent a month in the hospital and rehab facility with pneumonia.  He had been a very healthy octogenarian last March and now he was using a wheelchair, walker and on oxygen.  

Although life had hit him hard this year, there were some very positive moments as well.  Brett had gotten married over the summer.  Meg and Nick had successfully moved to Florida.  My dad had won the Big Cup this fall with Cal. IU football had been the talk of the sports world this year by winning the National Championship and my parents had gotten to see their youngest grandson on television more than any other grandparent I knew.  It's hard not to get down when life is tough, so I hope those positive memories and many more carry him through year number eighty-three.

  

A Very Busy Day

Today was extremely exhausting.  I was up early this morning to start on cleaning out the closest upstairs in the two extra bedrooms and hallway.  Our family still had a few items stored at my parents and I wanted to see what was there and let everyone decide what to do with it all.  Next on the agenda was a visit to Dr. Freeze's with both of my parents.  It was challenging to get into the office with a wheelchair, oxygen and walker, but we made it. The doctor spent a lot of time talking to my parents and going over their current ailments.  My mom had fallen last night while helping my dad and had a big cut on her leg.  The doctor was very concerned about that and strongly suggested assisted living or home health.  She also said that she would have a care manager call me as she could help with those two areas.  I was not sure that my dad had considered either before today, but after being at their home I thought they were both good ideas.  Home health would give my mom a break and assisted living would provide a safe place for them to live.  With all of the stairs in the house, the risk of falling was definitely something I worried about for both of them.  

We had just enough time to stop at my parents' home and pick up more oxygen before heading to Amanda's for haircuts.  Neither of my parents had had theirs cut since December and were ready for a trim.  Amanda did a great job, and both looked very nice once she was done.  I took my parents back to Syracuse and grabbed lunch before going to North Webster once again for my own haircut.  Mine definitely needed it and I was glad to catch up with my friend while I was there.  The rest of the night was spent at my parents.  We watched basketball after I sorted through a few more things upstairs.  The Purdue game was exciting, and we were all glad to see them win, my mom especially since she had chosen them in our March Madness pool.  She even donned the sweatshirt that Nick had sent up for her to wear.  It was a nice way to end a very busy day.

Back in the Midwest

Doug and I stayed at Meg and Nick's last night so that I could catch my morning flight today.  The four of us tired a new restaurant in downtown Orlando that we all loved.  I had not been in that area before and was impressed with how beautiful it was.  There was a large pond that surrounded the downtown area with dozens of swans swimming up to the feeders placed strategically in the water to attract them.  After dinner we walked along a path circling the lake looking at all of the birds in the park, impressed with the multitude of restaurants that we could try on a later date.

This morning, Doug dropped me off three hours early for my flight.  With the government shutdown the news was full of long lines at the TSA counters, and we wanted to make sure that I got through it in plenty of time to make my 8:30 a.m. flight. Thankfully, it was nothing like the media reports we had seen.  Someone was there to greet me when I got out of the car with my large suitcase and I was the first person in line for security.  The boarding process was so much easier than before Southwest changed to assigned seating and my flight actually arrived early.  I met the best employee ever at National and soon I was in a red Jeep Compass driving out of Midway's parking garage.

The trip to Syracuse was a lot easier than I expected.  Traffic in Chicago was lighter than expected too.  Tolls were more expensive, but thankfully, I brought cash and didn't have to wait too long to pay them.  I listened to the Big Picture podcast on the drive and stopped at McDonald's for lunch.  I arrived at my parents' home well before dark thankful to have made it safely and ready for a break from traveling.  

The Book of Isaiah

Today in Bible study, we concluded a twenty-two week course on the book of Isaiah.  It was the first time that I had ever been involved in a program that thoroughly studied one book of the Bible.  It was interesting, depressing, uplifting and enlightening.  To say that I learned a lot was an understatement.  To say that I enjoyed each lesson would be untruthful.  I was glad to say, however, that I stuck with it and completed each lesson that was given to me. 

Isaiah was a major prophet in the Old Testament.  The first thirty-nine chapters warned of God's judgement for idolatry among other sins.   Our Bible leader said that this section was called "The Book of Woe."  I could definitely understand why.  The rest of Isaiah was devoted to the prophecies that those who believed in God would be protected and the coming of the Messiah.  I preferred this half of the book of Isaiah a lot more.  It related directly to the New Testament and was full of hope and good news.  

Although the twenty-two lessons were time consuming.  I was really happy that I stay with it.  I learned a lot and felt very good about my relationship with God once we finished it today.  

Catching an Earlier Flight

Last night while we were at Crazy Cucumber eating dinner, Cameron and I started talking about changing his flight to an earlier time today.  He had had a great week with us and was glad to have celebrated Meg's birthday with her, but his flight this afternoon didn't land until after 6 and that wouldn't give him time to unpack, go grocery shopping and unwind.  Since Meg and Nick were leaving for Magic Kingdom early tomorrow, it made sense to Doug and I to find an earlier flight for him.  We started searching right away and found there was one in the morning that worked perfectly.  It didn't have any standard seats left, but there was one for a slight upcharge in the third row by the window and we booked that right away.

This morning, Doug, Cameron and I were on the road by 8:15 a.m. anticipating spring break traffic on I-75.  Thankfully, there was none and our drive was a smooth one.  We enjoyed our last few hours with Cameron talking about our spring break fun, his plans for the rest of the semester and his thoughts on his internship this summer.  Cameron arrived in plenty of time to get through TSA, find his gate and relax for a few minutes before boarding.  I was happy to see that his flight was on time during our quiet drive back to Ocala.

Meg and Nick had already left for Orlando when we arrived back home.  It was a quiet afternoon, but after a busy week, it was just what we needed.  We went grocery shopping, picked up the house, did a few things around the yard, and spent quite a bit of time relaxing.  Cameron texted to let us know that he had made it back safely to Indiana.  Meg also called to tell us about her birthday in Magic Kingdom.  They especially loved the new Pirates of the Caribbean themed restaurant "Beak N Barrell."  I was glad that everyone had enjoyed their day and that Meg had had a wonderful birthday celebration.