71:365

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

wow. I am exhausted.

My parent's home is like Grand Central Station. I think the phone never stopped ringing.. and I have to wonder how the entire county seemed to figure out someone was home.
Got some laundry done.... got some groceries.... visited with my niece. That was really about it... in between all the phone calls. Did I mention it never stopped ringing?

I only took 4 photos today in totality... so I was very limited when it came to my photo for the day project.

Ah well. Hopefully it is OK.

At the grocery store... I found some wonderful items... including the makings for some fabu blue cheese and spinach bruschetta...which I am making right now. Yes... this very minute.

It's been raining all day. Weird. My niece reminded me that the last time I was here... that it rained most every day.

My dad seems a bit better today. According to my mom; the doctors seem a bit baffled as to the source of his internal bleeding... supposing that it may be a reaction to the stress of surgery, etc. But... 2 units of blood later... the bleeding has slowed, and there is some color in his face. He continues to be quite distended, and they are suspecting a bowel obstruction... which they are working to resolve. He is still in alot of pain... but fortunately, is getting some pretty good meds for that. Mom has moved into his hospital room from the guest house ... and is trying to rest in between stuff. She sounds completely tapped.
At this point, I am planning to drive to the hospital on Monday... in anticipation of his transfer to our local hospital. This will put me there.. hopefully not too early so as to just wait around and stay in a hotel.... but be there to drive my mom and all the stuff back to our hometown. In the meantime, I am fixing some stuff around the house, and tomorrow will clean my dad's car (my mom thinks it's filthy)..... course... she is a bit OCD....

70:365

-----------------------------------------------photo by Elaine A. Russell

Today we woke up and left the hotel around 9:30. We drove until lunchtime... and stopped at a Waffle House in Indiana. Those of you who know me... know I love diners. I know the food isn't the best for you... I know the music is generally awful.... I know they are usually all sorts of tacky.... but I just love 'em. There was a park nearby, and Sabrina was so happy to see actual grass... she ran around and ran around and rolled in it; smiling and panting the whole time.

We made several short stops today... but basically concentrated on driving and getting as far as we could. Surprisingly, there is very little snow about. I remember it usually having tons of snow still in March... so it really surprised me.

We saw tons of police en force on the highways.... really. Not sure why. ... but things were pretty uneventful. Kristin did have a relatively close encounter with a groundhog... she even got a photo of him... which was pretty cool.

Had my last Starbucks around dinnertime... figured it was the last one I was going to be near for awhile. It was good ♥

Made it to the backwoods of PA... about 2hrs from our destination when I got a call from a friend of my parents to call my mom "immediately." So I pulled off and called. Turns out my dad has had a turn for the worse. This am; they had told my mom that he was going to be transferred tomorrow to our local nursing home for rehab... and that he would be leaving by ambulance tomorrow.. and that I would need to come and get her in Geisinger. Well. Apparently he is not doing well...and that is all on hold for now. I am anticipating driving the 3hrs to the hospital tomorrow sometime to be there.... but my mom told me to just stay put for now.

So... At this moment I am at my parent's house in PA... doing laundry... and unpacking.

I have a "1 bar" connection here.... so ... internet is sometimes fleeting...but I will post when I can.

9:365

Some days are the kind where you wish you would have/ could have ... stayed in bed. Lazy days where the bed seems way too comfortable to leave... and the floors seem way to cold to be on....

Today was one of those days. My dear hubby is sick today... something that only happens about once a year. It is cold and dreary out. ......And yet, today was also the last day to submit entries in my "give-away" --- me giving gifts in celebration of this blog site being one year old. So it was with excitement that I went through all the mail that I had received ... tallying up who all had entered..... And so... in the next few days I will be getting addresses from some lucky winners... who will each get a present in the mail.

So, today I did some laundry, picked up the house a bit... took my photo for my "Photo a Day project; year 2010".....made wontons and rice.... ran a couple of errands....went to a Pampered Chef Party briefly....and got back home in time to make my honey some tea and make sure he had taken some medicine.

Tuck yourselves in ... dear readers. Read a good book, watch a good movie... snuggle with someone you love. See you all tomorrow :)

Living Simply tip for the day: Get enough sleep for you. Don't be embarrassed if you have the opportunity and inclination to take a nap. Likewise, if you do better on less sleep... enjoy the extra time doing something you love. This will ultimately reduce your stress, increase your health and well-being... and will make your life much more simple.

""The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "magic number." Not only do different age groups need different amounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual. Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of sleep you need to function best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender.""

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell