Monday, August 22, 2016

August 21 & 22, 2016

A Couple of Very Long Days
August 21 & 22, 2016


Jeff's two oldest boys.  The one on the left  is
heading to college after a family vacation.
 
Sunday morning we were up early.  We managed to get to Sunday school on time and had a great class and good lesson.  We sure have a good bunch in our class.  They were all eager to know how I was feeling after my bout with the shingles.

We came home to pick up the salad and the candy I had made, and a few other things before picking up my mom for the afternoon in McAllen.  We stopped by Ron's Mom's house so Ron could leave something she needed.  He said she had a bad place on her arm he was concerned about, but that she had a regular appointment with her doctor for Monday morning, so she would have him look at it.

While we were at our house getting ready, there was a heavy rain in the west end of town, where our mothers live and where the church is.  At our house we had some rain but not as much as they got.  The drive to McAllen was fine.  I read and slept.  I think Mom did the same.  When we got there, I arranged the zinnias while our daughter-in-law finished preparing lunch.

The girls had brought home 2 friends from church to spend the afternoon.  The family will be leaving on vacation which will end with taking the oldest child to college, so part of the reason for our gathering was to be able to say good-bye to him. 

Lunch was delicious.  The girls and the younger kids ate in the breakfast room while the adults and older boys ate in the dining room.  The acoustics are just not good in the dining room, and I had some trouble hearing, but had a very good time.  Before we left the dining table, the winds got very gusty and it started to rain - a good, heavy rain.  Several of the children were out in the pasture feeding the horse and took shelter in the shed or the stables.  Eventually they gave up on waiting out the rain and came back to the house soaked and laughing.  They found dry t-shirts and got into dry clothes.

We visited for the rest of the afternoon and then all went to the evening worship service at their church.  The second oldest of Jeff and Barb's children was singing in a duet that evening.  I had not told Mom and she was so delighted to be able to be there and hear him sing.  The youngest granddaughter was sitting by me and was drawing a picture.  When they started to sing the special, she recognized her brother's voice and looked up quickly and looked at me smiling as if to say, "That's my brother!"  He did an excellent job and we enjoyed being there.

Following a lot of visiting after the service, we decided to go to Cracker Barrel for supper before heading home.  It was a good meal and more good visiting.

Over the years, I have spent the most time with the oldest of Jeff and Barb's children - not just because he is older and has been around more years, but because he spend one day a week with me at the office for several years.  He would help me with assorted chores and keep me company while Ron was out on jobs.  He was with me the day that I went deaf.  Ron was at home with a very bad case of the flu and so our grandson had really been helping me that day.  At the start of the day, I did not notice anything unusual about my hearing, but by noon, I could not understand people on the phone and turned over the job of answering the phones to him.

I had to ask him to tell me what the customers were asking not only on the phone, but across the counter.  I finally decided I was going to have to get a new hearing aid.  It was a very stressful day for me as the hearing was diminishing.  His dad came to pick him up at the end of the day and came in to ask about Ron.  I updated him on that but also told him how much trouble I was having hearing.  He waited around until I had locked up and was in my car to leave.  I turned the key in the car and thought, "What else can go wrong?  My car won't start."  Then I realized that the car was moving, so it had started, but I could not hear it.  At that point, I realized it was more than a bad hearing aid; I was going deaf.  So for that incident and many others, we are very close.  I will miss him.  I know his siblings will all miss him, too as well as his parents and extended family and friends.

It was 10:30 or later when we got home, but it had been a very nice day.  The rain was an extra treat.  We had fun watching the kids and the dogs in the rain.  I am not sure which got dirtier.  The dogs are growing and are mischievous puppies, digging up the backyard and especially exploring puddles of water and digging to see what is in the puddles.
Like father, like son
 
Monday morning came before I was ready for it.  I had to go to Harlingen for blood work for the thyroid doctor.  If you recall, three months ago, the numbers were off on a blood test and they re-ran it a couple of times and finally it was normal, but the doctor wanted to check it in three months.  So I will see her in a week when she gets the results.

On my way back to town I picked up lunch to share with Ron.  He was swamped when I got to the office.  We both waited on customers for about 30 minutes before he had a chance to tell me his mother had been sent to the hospital by the doctor after he saw her this morning and he needed to go over there.  Her caregiver had taken her to the doctor's appointment and then to the ER as per the doctor's orders.   She was not pleased to be going but finally agreed she needed to go.

Ron was gone the rest of the day from the office, staying at the hospital with her.  It was 10:00 in the evening before he got home.  They are taking her off a medication she has been on for a long time and trying to correct the problem with that change.  It looks like I will need to open the office the next few days. 

I picked 125 zinnias and did some arrangements.  I have a large one for Ron to take to his mother in the morning and then a couple of small ones for the house.  I watered that flower bed well and did about 2 hours of work in the yard before coming in very hot and tired.  It was after 10:00 before I had supper.  The last couple of days have been long, busy days.


4 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear Margaret is not doing well. Will be praying for her, and you and Ron. Where is Isacc going to school....A&M?

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    1. Pensacola Christian College, where one of the Larson girls went. I sure pushed for A&M for years as he worked at the office with me. Oh, well.

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  2. Wow! That's a long way from home. Bet his mom is not too happy about that. Tell him I wish him well and will be praying for him.

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    1. I think she may have packed extra Kleenex for the trip home after they leave him there. We will all miss him so much.

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