Everyone's home again.................

I received emails from Australia and New Zealand today.

My cousin in OZ just got back from his trip to Borneo, he's spending his retirement well, traveling around, something he loves to do. Always so interested in history and geography. His daddy would be so proud! Glad he got back in one piece, back to his life as a caregiver to his mom, who is suffering from dementia and lives in a "home" across the street from him. He also came back to spend time with his kids and his ex wife, who is in the last stages of ovarian cancer...
Not a good time for that family, but they have each other...for what it's worth...
My thought are going to be with them...

My brother and his wife got back home to winter from their European trip. The trip of a lifetime for them. They spent a good deal of time with our parents and our sister and brother, and after that that traveled to Italy and Greece, and visited their daughter who lives in London...From the post cards and stories I understand they had a marvelous but very hot time. Good for them!

I heard that my parents were truly distraught after they left. They had to take the bus back to my sister's (where they were staying) after their last visit, and had to wait a while. It was so hard to stand there waiting for that bus, seeing my mom on the balcony, waving and waving...
My parents had a bad week, they are convinced they will never see them again...my sister told me they cried for days...

Their lives are coming to an end. They were independent for so long. They had their car, the one thing that kept them able to fend for themselves. But after my fathers last little glitch, and after the doctor told him "no more driving!!!" the car was history...

Now he uses his electric scooter. Come rain or come shine. Mom is getting one too, and I can just picture them zooming around the neighborhood on those. At least they can get their loaf of fresh bread every morning.

They have so very clearly come to a certain mile stone in their lives, and they know it!
Especially mom complains: we'll never go anywhere ever again!

By that she means, little trips out of town, little trips into town, my dad driving to his fishing hole...his stamp club...evening trips to Kijkduin; the beach....

I spoke with my sister yesterday and she is planning to borrow her son's car (a four door, larger car, as opposed to her little two door cookie jar) and take them to Schevingen for a day. They love the casino, and perhaps they can make a spin along the boulevard.

Of course at times like this I feel so far away, and also guilty not being able to do my share.
To carry the burden of taking care of these two. As positive as we all are, we are just waiting for the shoe to drop.
But...I know we all have our own little situations where we are needed. My brother in New Zealand with his mother in law, my cousin with his mom and his family, and lil ole me here in my little hole in the ground.

It's alright, we all have our script to the play, and we are all trying our best not to screw up our lines.

So today is Wednesday. My back is feeling a little better, at least I don't need the cane. Boo Boo will be here at noon, and I need to make a run for some groceries this morning.

It's already hot and muggy here, so it will be a Mumu day :>)

Have a wonderful day y'all!

SGMKJ!

PS

Bugs got the day off after all YooHoooo!!! She brought Boo by for an hour so she could still do some paperwork. But Boo was tired, so right now she is trying to take her nap.
Such a relief!
Hehe...nice surprise....for all of us.