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Today is monday... and I have had very little sleep. I am beginning to get cranky and exhausted... and so I took some extra time this morning to rest.

I picked up my mom from the hospital after lunch, and decided to take her for a drive in the countryside. It was a beautiful day today... and it was wonderful to enjoy the sunshine... the very blue skies.... and the plant life bursting to life around us.

We went onto some of the backroads today... and it was teeming with the critters and such of springtime. Bunnies... hawks... cows... goats and sheep and horses... even a turkey vulture looked at us as if we were disturbing his springtime frolicing.

I have been taking lots of movies and music up to my dad... and we have been enjoying them all over again. He rests alot in between times... but every so often he will burst into laughter and grin like a kid at Christmas over something.

It is a joy to see.

I am trying to make sure my mom is well rested and eats...

sometimes this is easier said than done.

But for now... here are a couple shots from our drive today...

------->all photos by Elaine A. Russell

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...the phone started ringing at 9am. I am not a morning person... thank goodness my mom is.

We ran lots of errands today... and actually got quite a bit accomplished. Then we spent the afternoon visiting with my dad... who; according to my mom.... was the most alert he has been since I left 2 1/2 weeks ago. Not that he wasn't confused... or easily distracted... and fading in and out of conversations... BUT... he wasn't sleeping, and he even drank some fluids while we were there.

We left and had supper, and then we brought my brother and his son back with us to visit this evening. My nephew and his fiance also came... so it was sort of a small reunion of sorts.

My father was very affectionate with my mom today... lingering with his hugs... kissing. It was so good to see. I am so glad that he and my mother had such a good day when they celebrated their wedding anniversary a few weeks back ( it was their 58th anniversary).

Tomorrow, the son of a friend of mine is getting married. I am not sure if I will be able to go... but I was thinking of them today... and how it is a glorious time of year to get married. I wish them all the best.

And in a few weeks, I will be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary with the best guy on the planet... and I love you honey

♥ ♥ ♥

photos by Elaine A. Russell

(from top to bottom: a mock cherry tree in afternoon light, wild white trillium flowers, and flowering pink dogwood)