Road Trip and Resting...

I had made an appointment last Wednesday to get my hair cut at 9:00 AM on Saturday. My original idea was to get the haircut, then stop at Kroger’s for a little grocery shopping. After that, I’d take the rest of the day off, like I did last weekend. That seemed to work out well.

However, in a Friday night exchange of emails with my Brother Joe, I learned they are planning on closing on the cottage April 14. So, I changed my plans and decided to go out to the cottage to get the high chair and the candle holders I asked for. Joe said if I got there early he would be out there around 10:00 AM to help me. I thanked him, but said I’d already planned on how to get the high chair down to the car: I would bring a rope and lower it down from the backstairs porch to the ground (I knew neither the high chair nor I would make it down unscathed if this crip tried to “carry” it down the steps.

I chatted with my barber about having my lawn cut this year (she and her husband pay to have it done, as well) and not doing any gardening. She said she saw some TV show (maybe Extreme Makeover – Home Edition?) where they specialty built a raised bed garden for a wheel chair-bound guy. They measured the height and length he could reach while sitting in the chair and made the bed accordingly. That gave me a whole raft of ideas that I’m not going to share right now, just think about.

After the haircut, I headed for Lake Orion with my rope, some bubble wrap and the cottage keys. The cottage seemed twice as cold as it was outside (but it always does in early Spring). Joe and Kathy were still there, along with Julie’s family. They all helped me with my various missions, such as carrying the high chair down and putting it in the trunk (it just barely fit, thank God). We looked for the deck of cards Jake and Carla had mentioned and found several. I took them all as I don't know which one is the right one. I bubble-wrapped the two candle holders and put them in a plastic grocery bag.

Joe said I should take that survey map of Lake Orion that indicated depths, marshes, etc. that Jake had gotten and framed for Mom. At first I said no, he just wants the cards, but then I relented. So after they got it off the wall (somebody used duct tape as well as hanging it from the hanger), that went out to the car as well.

A wonderful and most touching thing then happened. Probably none of you remember this (I may NOT have written about it in the Blog) but, long before my mother died (even before she needed Cora, I believe), she made me promise that, after she died, I would get all her diaries and burn them WITHOUT reading them. Well, when she died, I was in that stupid sling for my rotator cuff surgery and did not help clean out the New Baltimore house. And, those who did swore there were no diaries, anywhere. I was bummed, but then decided she must have gotten rid of them herself (perhaps not trusting me).

Well, back then, Joe and Kathy looked inside a beer case and saw a bunch of spiral-bound steno notebooks. At the time, they just carted them home along with everything else. For some reason or another, they finally looked in the box recently and discovered that my Mother had switched from those little diary books that I remember her using (you know, the ones with a key that teenage girls used to write in – now they just put it on Facebook, I suppose) to the spiral notebooks! Note: There are some of the real “little diaries” that were under all the notebooks, as well.

So, they brought it out to the cottage. The beer case went into the car as well, and I can now fulfill an oath I made years ago to my Mother.

Joe and Kathy both kept asking me if I wanted anything else and I kept saying, “No.” But, finally, I did take two old saucers (after making sure there were no matching cups as I didn’t want to ruin a set) and a one-cup metal measuring cup. I said my goodbyes and headed home with my treasures.

Sidebar: If you are wondering about the walker, I obviously couldn’t go up the stairs with it (although coming down would have been quick, lol) so I used my cane while I was there.

I got home just before noon. I was kind of beat (probably as much from emotions as from physical effort) so I took a pain pill and laid down for a bit. When I was feeling better, I unloaded the car. I must confess, it took me a hell of a lot longer to get the high chair out of the trunk than it did for Joe to put it in (I told you it just barely fit).

I wrapped up the playing cards and mailed them off to Jake and Carla. Then I carefully washed the candle holders and the two saucers and let them air dry.

Jake called later to see how I was doing and what I was doing, so I told him about my morning. I said I mailed all the cards and they could decide which one it was they wanted. He thought about it and said he would like that survey map of Lake Orion and to put it with his other stuff. We talked for a little while and then he told me to go take a nap as I sounded tired.

I did lay down with my brace off, but never fell asleep. Finally, I got up and reheated the last of the beans and franks for my dinner. I wasn’t really hungry, but I needed to take my night meds.

My brother Jim called (and I was awake this time!) and asked how I was doing and if I had gotten Amy’s high chair and my candle holders. I said yes and apologized for not being able to help much cleaning out the cottage. This is the second time I have had to let my family obligations down.

I had the rotator cuff surgery just before they had to clean out the New Baltimore house and now this stupid spinal fusion. Jim said he can’t help either (it being so close to tax time). So, it’s all on Joe’s shoulders I guess, unless Carl wants to show me up and hurt himself by helping out. I suggested renting a 40 yard dumpster (after the St. Clair house, its Jake and my answer to moving, I think!) and hiring a crew. He said Joe would take care of it and not to worry.

I watched home improvement shows on the DIY and Home and Garden channels and thought about how to garden without bending until I started to doze and then went to bed for real just after 9:00 PM.