Quick Update

Sitting at MSP. Boarding soon.

News:

Mom fell down the stairs at church last Sunday and hurt both ankles. I flew home the next day to help take care of her.

One leg has a bruise the size of her hand and an open wound the size of her nose.

The other leg has a bone chipped off which isn't as big a deal as the "very very bad sprain" [doctor quote] that has turned her leg from knee to heel a lot of colors you never saw on a human before.

First she was in a wheelchair. This made for a whole new way of life for both her and me. Every task takes three times as long. But I was happy to learn the ropes and she was happy to let me help, except in the middle of the night when she slowly groped her way out to the thermostat to turn it up and over to the microwave to heat up her rice bag. I was sleeping on the couch. "MOM! WHY didn't you wake me up???" I fussed the next morning.

"Oh, you were sleeping so nice, I hated to wake you up."

Once a mom, always a mom. Happy Mothers Day to Mom and all the rest who qualify.

Now her worst leg is in a big black boot and she can get around with a walker. This makes things much easier but she also tries dangerous stuff like going down the steps to lock the front door at night.

Minnesota: where you lock the front door but leave the car keys in the ignition 24/7.

Dad is doing amazingly well. He has prostate surgery next week. The Lord willing.

Dad wears black leather high top lace up shoes that he bought secondhand in Montana in 1964.

Mom and Dad's house is being invaded by ladybugs. I bet I vacuumed up a thousand dead bugs.

Our former bishop, John C. Yoder, died while I was there. I hated to miss his funeral and all the old friends and acquaintances who will be there.

But I am going home for Mothers Day, yes I am.

Now in Chicago Midway.

More news:

My sis Rebecca, after dithering for months about whether things were bad enough that they should leave Yemen or not, and of course this was not a straightforward go-or-stay decision but had many tentacles of weighty things to balance, decided this is her sign, and she is coming. Yes she is. When I heard this I thought of the chapter in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice where Jane is home holding things together and then Elizabeth rushes home and Jane says, "Oh, Lizzy, I am so happy to see you!"

Not that things get into an uproar much at Mom and Dad's, but I wanted a sister there real bad, and a sister who is a nurse and one of the most supportive people ever, well, I was very happy to see her.

I picked her up at the airport on Thursday evening. Driving back to Grove City, history repeated itself:
Me
in snazzy little red rental car
headed west
on Highway 55
stopped for speeding
and let off with a warning.

Whew.

Off to Portland.