Driving Aunt Millie Day 1

We started later than planned, hearing aides wouldn't work, and Alabama closed its welcome center but it did not dampen our spirits!

Day One was a. travel day. In the early planning days, seeing Memphis had been the plan. It even says so on our t-shirts. However, by the time the trip arrived, we changed plans to stay west of Memphis. And when we reached Memphis , the driver was ready to simply get through and get to our stop in Forest City Arkansas.

I had intended to stop at all of the Welcome Centers for the four states we entered yesterday. Due to various reasons , we only made it to the Mississippi Welcome Center. I did introduce mom to the world of Buccee's.

It was a good day of travel. I was grateful for a nice , clean room with a comfortable bed at the end of it.

 So I'm doing this from my phone ( as I left my computer at home) and I don't know why but these pictures are showing upside down and sideways. If this is how they show up on the blog , I apologize. Meanwhile Maybe tilt your computer and I will see if I can figure it out before the next post.

Packed and ready

 I told them it was a little early to get in the car , but they are just so excited that they couldn't wait. Pete the cat and Rufus are all buckled in and ready to go. Mom and I loaded the car this evening with plans of being on the road by eigh am tomorrow. My plan is to post a picture or two a day with a couple of the day's highlights. I won't send out emails. If you want to follow along with our progress, just check the link every day or two. Let the adventure begin!

Looking ahead

 Currently, I am busy looking ahead.

At work, we are in the throes of Summer fun.  This summer, our theme is Snapshots Across America, and each week the theme revolves around a specific place.  This coming week, we will imagine that we are at the Florida Beaches.  We have 7 more destinations following that including Hawaii, a Texas dude ranch, and New York City, just to name a few. These summer weeks are so much fun, as I get to be so creative.  It is also fast-paced, as each week I am implementing one theme while making sure I am ready for the theme of the coming week.  I am grateful for the others who help me make this all happen. And it is the excitement of the kids that keeps me going.

I am also looking ahead to this coming Saturday when mom and I head off on our big "Driving Aunt Millie Road Trip."  We have been planning for two months, and it is almost here.  We have our t-shirts, hostess gifts, hats, Pete the Cat with his backpack, snacks, and a big Rand McNally Atlas. We appreciate prayers for good health leading up to and during the trip, as well as safety for travel.  We desire that we will be a joy to those we visit, and that this will be a special time together with great memories. My plan is to journal the journey here on the blog while we are traveling.

I have to confess that I am also looking ahead in fear for Peter.  He is showing the signs of stress, which appear to stem from the full-time work, and taking responsibility for himself financially and physically.  While this is the goal for any young adult,  I do think this is more of a challenge for Peter mentally.  My great concern is his ability to get along at work so that he does not lose his job.  He has shared things with me that have me concerned.  He has made a few changes to his personal schedule that he hopes will help his stress level. And this evening, he shared that through some research, he has found cheaper car insurance.  The cost of his current insurance provider is ridiculous and causing him a lot of worry.  I am so proud of him.  He is really working hard to be independent and responsible with his money and his time.    However, we have been down dark roads that began similarly to what I am seeing now, and this is what makes me nervous. He is in the crossover of Medicare to his insurance through work, and is receiving no more SSDI financial support. I don't know how this will affect his doctors and medicine.  I also wonder if an additional med might help him handle the anxiety. Please pray for him, as you are led.  I do appreciate your prayers for him, especially while we are gone.  There has been a history of his experiencing major challenges while I am gone, which has me feeling a bit anxious. And yes, I know where to turn with my anxiety.  (Cue the sounds of "what a friend we have in Jesus" in the background.) Yet it really helps to know others are praying.

Thank you for your prayers for us as we go forward in the upcoming weeks.  I am grateful for your prayers that have supported me in the days past.

The calla lillies are in bloom!

While I worked at Camp Willow Run following college, I met my lifelong friend, Helen. During  my single years at camp we were buddies. She taught me about rural life in north carolina, we created the Littleton excursion club, and we watched a lot of movies and popular television together (ER, Friends etc). We went through a phase in which we watched quite a few old black and white films. One Saturday , we watched Stage Door with Katherine Hepburn.  If I remember right , Katherine's character was an actress on the stage. The ending scene has her walking out on the stage with a bouquet of flowers and she says, "The calla lilies are in bloom." And the movie ended. We thought the movie sad and depressing with an odd, abrupt ending. But that last line has lived on in the friendship between me and Helen.

First of all , I'm pretty sure I didn't even know what a calla lily was until that movie. Over the years, we have occasionally gifted one another a calla lily. Several years ago , we both started growing them in our gardens. For me it was for the  purpose of being able to say, "The calla lilies are in bloom." I've come to love the flower and would call it my favorite at this point. Then again  I have a lot of favorite flowers. 

Over the past eight or more years I've had this one little calla lily plant in my front flower bed. It has roduced beautiful pink blooms. That plant was disrupted a few years ago. I actually was afraid I'd killed it. I found a 3.99 bag of yellow calla lily bulbs at Aldis a couple of years ago and decided to give it a try. Then somewhere along the way , I was gifted a another calla lily , that I also put into this space. This year they have exploded. I can proudly say "the calla lillies are in bloom!"

Here is a little amendment. Writing this post had me talking with Helen about the movie Stage Door.  I found a few clips on youtube. The line is actually "the calla lilies are in bloom again." And it's not the very ending , there's at least five to ten minutes more. Crazy what we remember and what we don't.

Nonetheless , the calla lilies did bloom again and they are beautiful!

Hi

I will skip the apologies and explanations and simply jump back in where we were 6weeks ago. Peter is still working for CJ Logistics. He says he is doing ok there. Some of the positives are that he is making decent money. It is full-time with consistent hours. He likes the 3:30 PM to 12 midnight shift. He can maintain his workout schedule. Peter is proud of how he is managing his budget and is paying back debt to Mama Millie and me for dental work and car repair. The job has benefits. Peter took the initiative to contact the Social Security Office about his job and was granted 2 more monthly checks before it will end. He is grateful for his reduced rent housing and the SSDI money he has received. He doesn't seem to hate the job and appears to be managing the cold environment well. I don't hear from him as much since he is working when I am off and vice versa. We have managed Friday lunch the past few weeks and are in the midst of negotiating breakfast plans for tomorrow. Peter continues to take Mom to church most Sundays. That's all good, and I am grateful. 

 And yes, some things concern me. Peter's tolerance of people at work is what I believe fueled his loss of a job at Lowe's. He has already shared about some conflict at work with a coworker. Its concerning. His car insurance did go up considerably after the February accident. He just needed more costly maintenance done on his car. He is openly claiming atheism. His view of himself is rather elevated. The transition from Medicaid to the company insurance is still in limbo. I have encouraged Peter to inquire about when it takes effect and also to try to get info on procedures for discontinuing the Medicare. It's easy to teeter to the side of worry and concern or even fear of "what could happen next."  Yet I am grateful for the many good things concerning Peter and daily working on "trusting" and "releasing."

I went to the mountains in March with May and Beth, and we had a lovely time. Laughed, talked, rested, and ate really good food.

A couple of weeks later, I met up with Helen on Pawley's Island for our 6th annual spring Sea View Inn weekend.  This year was Easter, and we stayed four nights.  It was so lovely.  The weather was great, and our time was refreshing.  I will share just a couple of pictures.  My traditional before and after pictures of my time at Sea View plus two that show the essence of what we did for 4 days.

upon arrival

after 4 relaxing days

Work has been fast-paced and fun as we are wrapping up our school year in two plus weeks and gearing up for our summer program.  Planning events and activities for our summer program is great fun and has my mind whirling in many directions. I am super excited about our summer theme.  Last year, we had a world travel theme, so this year, we are keeping it in the USA.  We are calling it "Snapshots of America".  (Thanks, Tonya, for the excellent idea!) Our first week of summer starts May 26.  So I am scrambling to find supplies, prep crafts, and get ready to pop out one exciting happening after the other.

We will have two weeks of summer programming before the school is closed for a week due to the church's VBS (June 8-12).  That week, Mom and I will have a big adventure with a 9-day, 9-state road trip to visit friends and family.  We are having lots of fun planning it.  Yes, we will have matching T-shirts, an itinerary book, and a travel mascot.  We will also be collecting stickers for our water bottles to mark our journey.  And I will try my best to share our travels with you along the way.

Until next time, thank you.

Peter's got a job

Hi. I intended this to be more , but it's late. I did want to tell you that Peter starts a job tomorrow. It's a full time job. It's a warehouse job in  cold storage for a company called CJ logistics. I am grateful he was offered something as he was getting discouraged at not being offered anything. I do have my questions and my concerns. I appreciate your praying for him as he starts it. 

I will be out of town this coming weekend. This year , Easter fell on my annual April trip to Pawleys island. So today, I attended church with mom and Peter then we had lunch and pretended it was Easter. It was good to be together.

I will try to share more soon. I'll send a picture from the beach. Meanwhile thank you for praying for Peter as it helps reduce my anxiety knowing that you are.

Mountain bound

 I would love to give you a long narrative of the latest; however, I am headed for the Virginia Mountains early in the morning, and well, I am not packed. But there have been some happenings, so I thought I would do a quick bullet point report.

• Peter did get approved for Medicaid that will pay for Medicare.  
• I have a great Insurance Guru (who helps me navigate the Marketplace) who is helping us navigate this latest change in status.  I am grateful for Chelsey.
• This change in medical insurance could affect who he sees for his doctor and counselor.  This might be for the good.  Praying for the navigation of that change.
• Peter has yet to be hired anywhere.  He has had more than one interview where he has left quite confident. And yet there has been no return call.  Honestly, I think this "confidence" may be hindering him from getting hired.  
• Peter received a tax refund that will help him for a few more weeks while unemployed. 
• Peter will benefit from a job - trusting God for the right one and the right time.
• Peter could benefit from a medication change - and yet that is so tricky.  There is a lot of good going on with Peter that it makes me nervous. Experience shows medication changes can cause a downward movement as likely as an upward.
• Peter has a new roommate after 6 months or so of living solo in his apartment. Trusting this is a good thing.
• Peter accompanied Mom and me to Atlanta today for Mom's Doctor appointment.  He heard "Atlanta" and wanted something to do (and a free meal.) He helped navigate as we located the building I had the wrong address for.  And he added some humor.
• I am grateful for the people we encountered at today's appointment.  It was addressing Mom's swallowing issues, and it was very helpful.  I am hopeful that this will lead to some resolutions and the expansion of her diet.
•  This weekend I will be with my friends Beth and May.  These are the two women who raised me in my post-college years.  This is the second annual "Matriarch Weekend," and I am looking forward to being with them as well as being surrounded by the Blue Ridge Parkway and the beautiful valley below.
• Oh, did I tell you I fixed my own leaky (I mean running) sink? Pirate Handyman on YouTube and a $4 repair kit from Lowe's helped me.  I am so proud.  The fact that the knob doesn't turn in the same direction it used to for off is not really concerning to me.  One day, I will pull up YouTube again and figure it out!
• Thanking God and Thanking You!!!