Monday, September 16th, we started our week with a biscuit run. I love these mornings. We get our biscuit and find a place to park where the sun is not in our eyes. Then, we sit and eat our biscuits and have the best chat ever. These are always good moments for me.
I finally did it. I gave the Route 66 big grid a final okay, printed it, and made a small binder with everything at a glance. The grid is 19 pages long and contains all potential stops with the ones that are mandatory highlighted with yellow and bolded. The mileage and time it might take to do each day are recorded by the item and a running total is kept for each day. Hotels we have confirmed are listed. Maps needed are included in the grid. Another section of the binder is our hotel rooms. A third section of the binder is information flyers for the big places we will visit: Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Barringer's Crater, Grand Canyon, and Solvang. I even made an expense grid for the front to record what we spend. Claude loves tracking this when a trip is over. This should help him with this long trip.
After getting the grid and binder together, I edited the condensed version for our family and sent the eMail to them with travel dates and our possible locations. This is a big item for me and it felt good to have it completed ahead of time.
Over breakfast, Claude and I continued discussing particulars about things we should take and how we might want to pack. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting medications ready and gathering a few of the items we want to be sure we have with us. Since we will be living out of our car for three weeks, this is a bit of a different feel from our quick trips to see family. We need to be prepared in case we get stranded in the desert. I was very clever with this one. We have the old-fashioned soda holders (cardboard holding six sodas) from our root beer we purchase. I saved three of these. We keep water bottles at home for emergencies. We will rotate some of them by putting 18 bottles of water in the cardboard containers and setting them on the floor of the back seat. We are beginning to get real with the trip.
I sent Jake a text as he uses a laundromat on occasion. I needed an update on the cost of that. Jake replied with a suggested amount and some hints about what to watch for, like dryers not heating. Claude collected all our change from our cars and a glass container on his dresser. He was about to glean over $40 in quarters from these places. Yeah us!
Katelyn posted this fun picture of Drew and his ice hockey team. They won! Drew loves this sport. The first picture is Drew with Katelyn. The second picture is Drew with Raelyn. The last picture is the team and Drew is in front with the trophy. Way to go Drew!!
Tuesday, September 17th, was the only office PT session I will have this week. I had to cancel my Friday appointment for this week. After going through all my exercises and the stretching, Tina took measurements to assess progress. I have improved in this last month. Yeah me!! Claude rewarded me with a soda in the Jeep when he picked me up! Such a good guy!
We received a little rain this day. Not much but we take all we can get right now. This meant the ground would be a little easier to weed in on Wednesday.
Claude and I both wanted to watch the Hobbit movies and the Lord of the Rings movies. We watched two of the Hobbit movies this night. It is so fun to watch and see if we can pick out places we saw in New Zealand.
Wednesday, September 18th, I spent my morning weeding my back yard and the side tomato bed. I was able to cut back a couple of hostas and the flowers in the long bed under those trees. They have already shut down for winter. When we return from our trip, I will have to cut the tops of the liriope and talk Claude into cutting back the tall grass in the front flower bed. Then, winter may come at will.
I was extremely pleased that about 4:30pm I was able to do home PT with my right arm. It really got a workout this day. I truly feel using it in a natural way, like weeding, is the best way for it to get back to normal. But it needs that PT to learn to bend in directions to get back to normal.
I had pleasant contact with two of our grandmonsters. Katelyn sent us a picture showing they received their flavored popcorns arrival. Emelia's school fundraiser was selling all those things that they think you will buy but, really, you don't want any of it. We asked Katelyn to pick something her family would enjoy and we would order that for them in a certain price range. Katelyn let us know they would use the popcorn. Claude and I were really happy when Bailey and Hayden's school figured out a process to simply make a donation. All that money goes to the school. When you buy these products, the school doesn't get as much money as you would think off the purchase. Happy the Ropers have some treats to watch movies and enjoy.
Bailey called to request pictures. It seems they want two pictures of each senior as a little kid and two at their present age. Bailey was remembering a picture of her being carried in a bag as a little one. We figured out a year range. When I couldn't sleep last night, I sat up and looked through all my pictures from 2008 through 2015 looking for Bailey pictures. I picked out some and eMailed them to Bailey this morning. She was happy with the ones I chose and can get the two of her as a tiny one out of that. I did not find one of Bailey in a bag. The closest I came, was her in a sack for the sack races at Buckner Elementary. It makes me happy that I have this picture resource for our family.
Thursday, September 19th, I slept in. I finally went to bed at 2am. I would toss and turn. I remember waking up at 7am and thinking, "One more hour." Then I went back to sleep and when I woke up it was 9:45am. Oh My!! But it was important to get that sleep.
I eMailed Bailey the pictures I picked out during the night on Friday morning. Got my shower. Did my home PT and iced up.
Guess who lost a tooth? Raelyn Jay Roper seems very happy about this event.
I would spend the afternoon getting a cortisone shot in my right ring finger for my trigger finger. Claude drove me and went in. I assured him it was supposed to be extremely painful and it would be helpful if he let me squeeze his hand. As it turned out, I couldn't hold his hand. I had to sit on the examining table and hold up my trigger finger hand. Claude did move over to be in position but it happened quickly and I didn't get to hold his hand. But having him close was very comforting. The nurse squirted some kind of liquid that was very cold as Greg Cowen, the PA, started the shot. The shot goes into the sheath that covers the tendon and into a section with a liquid between the tendon and the sheath. At some point the finger pops and the pain is very real. I usually do really well with these situations. I know I made some kind of groaning noise but nothing huge. I did not use any golf words. It was all over very quickly and we were on our way. Excellent treatment by this medical team. Richly blessed to have them care for me.
Friday, September 20th, Claude and I attended the KLCC (Kentucky Louisville Communications Council Conference) on Friday and again on Saturday. Friday's activities were visiting four non-profit sites.
We visited William Wells Brown Elementary School. This school is in a very low income area. The students qualify for breakfast and lunch each day and are sent home with back packs of food each weekend. This school also serves as a community center for the area. They have a medical office in the front of the school for check-ups and vaccines, etc. They have a laundry facility for children to clean their clothes. They consider their school family a family for these children. In addition, they have four houses (like in Harry Potter). Each child belongs to one of these houses and it is like a smaller family for them. In this way the importance of family it a gift for each child. This is an example of how much schools have to do now beyond reading, writing and arithmetic.
Our next stop was at the Lexington Rescue Mission. I must admit that my idea of a Rescue Mission is an old building in a run-down area of town located for easy access to those who are homeless and in need of help. The building for the Lexington Rescue Mission is an old three-story home with a full basement. I has dark paneling throughout and is simply gorgeous. We were told the building is about 100 years old. It was built to house the nuns that worked at the hospital across the street and they had a nursing school in the building. It is being restored to house the Rescue Mission and has offices for other non-profits that support the efforts of the Rescue Mission. For example, they have a job referral and training non-profit that is already housed there with other non-profits coming soon. They will have a cooking, serving and dining area in the basement. It will be an excellent resource with a one-stop place for those in need.
We visited the Salvation Army in Lexington. This is a huge facility. They have housing for women and children. Men are referred to the Hope Center. They have a chapel. They have a Boys & Girls Club and a Day Care Center.
Our final stop this day was at The Catholic Action Center. Ginny Ramsey is the Director and, I believe, one of the founders. This facility is not run or assisted by the Catholic Church. They strictly run on donations. The was my favorite visit of the day. So grateful it was the culmination of an eye-opening day.
When our bus of 50 people arrived, Ginny was there to greet us and give us each a program booklet. We were directed to the dining room. These are four pages from the program. There were more pages with the other residents at the other tables and their stories.
The tables were set with chairs around and at each table was two of the residents. We were asked to pick any table and sit with these residents. Ginny gave and introduction to what we would do and the Chaplain, Laura Babbage, offered the opening prayer. We would go through a list of questions in the front of the program with Ray White & Julian, the residents at our table. By doing this we learned the story of the two residents seated at our table and they learned about us. After sufficient time for us to get to know each other, each table was asked to share two words that described our experience with them that day. Some of the words were Inspiring, Uplifted, Motivated, Thankful, Similiarities and, my favorite, Hope. Then all the residents went to one end of the dining room and sang the first two verses of Amazing Grace to us and invited us to sing the third verse with them.
These are pictures of Ray and Julian and the resident choir singing Amazing Grace to us. I would teach the Relief Society lesson on Sunday about the Two Great Commandments, Love the Lord and Love Your Neighbor. I explained this to Ray and Julian and told them they taught me that lesson well and I wanted to share this with the ladies I would teach on Sunday. I asked if I could take their pictures and they agreed. Ray is from Louisiana, He was wearing a purple t-shirt which is LSU's colors. Cool.
In the evening, we would travel to LaGrange for one more viewing of the Oldham County High School Band at a football game. The Marcum family lived in Georgetown and we have known them for probably 17 years. They moved to Crestwood this summer. Their son, Josh, and daughter, Annabelle, also play in the band. It was an extra blessing to be able to visit with Amber during the after the halftime show. Great evening.
Saturday, September 21st, was the second day of the conference. The morning was filled with reports on service rendered and inspirational talks by those receiving that service. Elder Nathan Craig and Elder Edward Dube would be there and share uplifting thoughts with us. Elder Dube was presented with University of Kentucky gear. We had a nice lunch. Then we went to breakout sessions in our individual areas of service. Excellent morning.
Claude and I were worn out upon returning home. Claude took a quick nap and I updated my Relief Society Lesson and got my things ready for Sunday. We went to Taco Bell and brought home tacos for dinner. We finished the final two Lord of the Rings movies.
Sunday, September 22nd, during the night I woke up with my hand feeling like it was on fire and itching unbearably. When we arrived at the football game Friday night, I went to find a seat in the stands. I was holding the rail and I tried to size up where the mellophones would be sitting so we could see Bailey. I felt a stinging on my pointer finger of my left hand. I looked down and had a big stinger in my finger. It was easily pulled out. Turns out there were multiple yellow-jackets or wasps flying around. My finger was itchy and a little swollen where the stinger was but not bad when I went to bed. But during the night it really flared big time. I awoke and realized my three fingers and thumb were swollen and my entire hand was burning and itching. I found the cortisone cream and slathered my hand in that and took two tylenol. I went back to bed and it calmed down after a bit. In the morning the swelling was down a lot but that pointer finger is still really swollen. I took this picture while getting ready in the morning.
My lesson went well in Relief Society. We had a nice dinner from Panera. Claude got a nap and I curled up to watch an Expedition Unknown hoping I would feel sleepy enough to take a quick nap. Alas, my tummy started to turn really bad and I spent about a hour in a great deal of pain. Things are better this evening. I have held down my Ritz crackers. So, I must be on the mend.
Now, on to this final few days before our big trek west.
No comments:
Post a Comment