Another Monday.

It was a difficult weekend.  If you want to just X on the corner of your browser now, I completely understand.  

Robb was out of town on Friday and Saturday, out to Wisconsin to trade cars with Maddy and Matthew.  While I was totally jealous of his trip to see them, I was also anxious to see my mom and dad too.  

Meri came with me again.  Third weekend in a row!  She's great.  We know exactly which areas on the trip are cell phone dead zones now and can almost tell you which mile markers to just turn off your movie/spotify/youtube videos and just tune into a local radio station.  Or just talk...  

We left early again and got into my hometown around 8am.  Picked up the keys, kissed Dad and headed to the church to work on the coffin again.  The time just flew and suddenly it was 10am already.  Most of the final work was on me.  Meri was watching the Twilight series and using up my data plan while I hot glued, stapled and sewed more ribbon strips.  

At 10, we headed over the nursing home to see the folks.  We invited Mom to go thrifting with us at a nearby Goodwill.  She's always been gung ho for thrifting and hadn't wanted to leave the nursing home for some time except for attending church with Dad, so this was a big deal that she went with us.  

I held her hand as we browsed and she picked out a summer shirt for herself, a lion costume for a great grandchild and a London mug for Dad.  Meri went off and browsed for clothes for herself.  Mom sat down in any chair that she saw and rested.  When she and I were done, we sat down and looked through my cell phone pics until Meri was done, then headed back to the home.  Dad was up from his 2nd nap of the day and joined us for lunch in the dining room.

For years, I've told the kids how when I go to take a picture of Mom, she always puts something in her mouth.  In her opinion, a photo is more interesting if there is action.  As far as I can see, it just makes you look like you eat all the time...  So when I asked Meri and Mom to get together for a pic at lunch time, Mom instantly grabbed her bottle of water and put it up to her mouth.  MOM!!!  So Meri filled in for her and did the action part of it instead.  sigh...  Will I GET a good picture with those two?

Then when they went down for their 3rd nap of the day, Meri and I headed back to the church.  We actually got done with the coffin lining!  It took two weekends and lots of work in between, but it's done.  I had brought lots of family photos to stick in the pockets but Meri took the picture of that and I don't have a copy yet.  Will show that later.

We didn't get done in time to join Mom, Dad and a sister for afternoon chapel at the nursing home, so I took Meri to ye ol' ice cream joint where my dad would take us for the tallest ice cream cones you could imagine after a garbage dump run on Saturdays.  YUMM!!!  They don't make them that tall any more but the guy working there tried his best when I told him how tall they used to be.

As I drove along, I'd point out what used to be there and apparently Meri decided to get snarky...  She'd point to a car wash and say, "That's where I got picked up by the police for loitering on the corner."  "And that's where I used to... " fill in the blank...  It's a good thing I'd already bought her ice cream, because little girls who mock their mothers, don't GET ice cream.

We got back to the nursing home and spent maybe 30 minutes visiting.  I would have liked more time, but after talking with Robb, found out that the central to eastern part of Iowa was very yucky due to all the snow they had and were getting.  Since I was on the west side of Iowa, I didn't know how far I'd be able to drive without snow and ice hindering us.

I feel bad that we couldn't stay longer, but promised Robb that we'd be safe.  So we said our goodbyes and Dad left at the same time, leaving Mom at the door waving to us as we drove away.  I plan to come back next Saturday too.  

But this time was the hardest to leave.  Mom is getting more and more jaundiced every day and is so much more colorful than last week.  

I've cried a lot spontaneously in the last couple days, but keeping busy helps.

The puzzle is almost done.

the Christmas decor is 50% put away.

laundry is getting caught up.

I'm not sure what is going to happen, but this week, I live in hope that I get to see her again this next weekend.