more on my vacation

I went home in May to see my mom, sisters, and their families. I was to have gone to Europe but God intervened and so I went home. I have to tell you that I was afraid to go home....home as I remember it isn't there anymore. My mom is in a nursing home and she doesn't speak and we don't know that she understands what, where, or who any more.
Ellen and I go early on Sat morning and when we arrive she is sitting in a chair with her back to us. I walk around and lean in and say "hi mommie", she kinda jerks, turns ,looks at Ellen and then she grabs me and we hug and she doesn't want to let go. We talk and she stares at me and hangs on me the entire time. Of course I was hanging on to her as well. Ellen asks her if she wants to show me her room and up she get and we take off down the hall. At the first room she stops and looks in and continues doing the same at each room. When we come to her room she does the same and I say "mommie are you sure this isn't your room?" She turns to me and says" nooooo" just as plain as day. It was an anguished sounding no and very drawn out....but she spoke!
So in between visits with mom I stayed with Ellen and the family came to visit. I got to see my neices and nephews and their families. We did a lot of talking and laughing and yes crying. I am so glad that this is the path I choose rather than going to Europe which will always be there...MOM won't be.
Mothers day we took mom to a program and she would place her hands togehter like she wanted to clap and she hugged CD and then I had to say goodby. Just thinking about it makes me cry so I won't go into details but I came away with these thoughts.

I needed to go home and my God knew that so he made a volcanio go off so I would go to Iowa instead of Germany.
I know that mom knew who I was and that she was very glad to see me. I here as well.
I Loved seeing my sisters and their families....I have missed so very much with them
I am sooo ready to go back just have to find the time to make it happen.

Thank you, GOD, for sending a volcanio to wake me up to what was important. Now you may let it go back to sleep and let Europe begin to recover.

Yesterday

Yesterday was bitter sweet...

18 years ago , come Oct., I watch my grandson be born...yesterday I watch as he graduated from high School. He plans on going to college this fall, however as I watch him receive his diploma, I think about all the time we have spent together and the time we have missed. I wonder what out Lord has in store for him and how he will deal with them. I wonder how he will do out in this big bad world.

I have another grandson who turned 19 in May. I have been forbidden by his parents to have anything to do with him and his brother. Yesterday he was there and I cried when he reached out to hug me. Yes he did some bad things, but he was very young. My heart begs to know this boy, to know who he is. I miss him and his brother so very much...and his mom...I love her and miss her very very much. I missed their graduation...will not be there for their weddings...first child...and so many more things that I would love to share with them.

I know I will never have the option to know them as adults so I take joy in yesterdays touch and I think GOD for that small moment. I pray for more small moments and that God will bless me with one for Cory.

I pray that they know that I love them and no matter what I will always love them.
God forgives us anything so why can't we as humans forgive and just allow love to transform all.

Disney World Summary

I never thought it was a place I wanted to visit..how wrong I was. We were there 4 days and took in a lot of events but hardly scratched the surface. The concert we took in at House Of Blues , downtown Disney, featured Ben Harper and Restless 7, with Alberta Cross opening for them. Throughout the visit we were treated to music with bagpipes,and several different types of instruments that I will add later. All told I lost my fear of rides and fell in love with the Disney Experience, I now see why people go back over and over again.

Sunday

It is our last day at Disney World so we are up and out...kinda. Hollywood Tower here we come! Laura and Eric has joined us and so we are going to spend the day doing as much as possible. We start out with Holloywood Studios, riding the Rocking Roller Coster, and Hollywood Tower. Moved on to Aimal Kingdom where we explored the Dinosaur Land, Expedition Everest, and the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Enjoyed seeing the Tree of Life and the other amazing things. Now it is off to Epcot for more rides and dinner followed by fireworks, which is an exceptional way to end a visit to Orlandos Disney World.
For a lady who doesn't do rides, I rode the following: Rocking Roller Coaster (twice), Hollywood Tower (twice), Star Wars, took a safari, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest(wonderful ride), Splash Mountain, rode the train, It's a Small World, Snow Whites scary Adventure, Space Mountain, the Merry go round, Mission Space, Test Track, Soaring Land . We visited the Tiki Hut, the Tree House, and many other attractions. My favorite attraction was the Reflection of China, we went twice. We ate at the Germany Biergarten Restraunt, which was a smorgaoard, Moroocca Restraunt Marrakesh, and Chinas Nine Dragons Restraunt. All the food was unique to the area we were in.
Our night ended with the fireworks and a run to catch the bus back to our resort.
Oh wait I stood in line for like 20 mins. to see Micky and get a picture with him. I told Micky I had waited 4 days to visit him and he gave me a hug kiss on the cheek and sent me on m way. I thought the stars would be more visible and we did see a lot but to get any special pictures it was a wait so I just snapped and ran. Did not get shots of Winnie and Tiger but they were out and about and I did see them. Ready to take another trip.
Thank you Bonnie for suggesting this tip.

Boggy Creek

Sat. no parks for us today we are going out and yes I am driving. Time for me and the Bitch to interact again.
Boggy Creek is where we are going to ride the Airboat and hunt for alligators. It is on a lake (can't remember the name) which is at the beginning of the everglades (s0 says the operator). On the way out we see some beautiful territory, the trees are green and big and hung with moss, the birds are plentiful and I am very happy. If I had been alone I would have stopped and shot may pictures of birds as it was I only stopped once to get some magnificent shots of Sandcranes.
So we are here and have to wait for the next boat so we hang out and wait. I take a couple pictures of Turkey Vultures and Common Brown Greckles and turtles.
So it is our turn and the boatman tells us "the water is only about knee deep and if you fall out and the gator doesn't get you, you'll be fine." Off we go out thru the backwater with all its plants and birds and YES gators. For about half an hour we just drive around and enjoy the wildlife including a bald eagle, a racoon, multiply types of Herons and Ibris, and the gators.
When we are getting ready to leave we spy a fishing tournament and I walk over and ask permission to watch, even took a picture of a bass that weighed in at 8lbs 15 ozs.
So we are off back to town and a bit of shopping.
It was a great day which ended by Laura and Eric joining us for the next to days.

House of terror

So we have arrived and visited a couple of parks and I have ridden Space Mountain. I have not been on any ride (except the merry go round) since 1991 and Bonnie puts me on Space Mountain. I truly don't know if I enjoyed it or not, since I kept my eyes mostly closed and breathed hard to keep from screaming my lungs out. Hell yes I was scared almost to death. From there we went to Splash Mountain which I loved and on to the Hollywood Tower. OK how bad can it be? Bad enough that if I concentrate I can still feel my stomach and backside separating from the seat. Did I go back yes I did and I would again. I"m not sure what happened up there in that elevator but I lost my fear and began to have fun...lots of fun

The Bitch

Let me tell you about this bitch of a GPS....she took us in circles tried to tell us that Disney World was in a rundown section of town which was a big empty field. Ok getting ahead of myself.
Bonnie brought her home GPS to help us get around Orlando. Great ideal except neither of us played with it before hand, so do we know how to use it..of course not. Nor did the gentleman at the parking grage where we got our car. Ever persistant Bon doesn't give up and finally we have a setting but no voice..so off we go and over all we do very well, until as you read above, Disney World isn't where it took us. Never to be outdone Bon goes into a store and askes directions and off we go again. Ok we are finally where we need to go and we won't have to use her again until Sat.
Off we go on Sat and by now Bon has programed the voice and she takes us straight to Boggy Creek, however on the way back she again tries to take us to the empty field. We are smarted than she is now...well almost and it only takes us a couple of hours to get back to the room. So is it the Bitch or the operators? She was funny as hell when I would go one way and she wanted the other she would advise me that she had to recalucate. We contributed to getting lost because we decided to shop on the way home instead of follow the direct route.
On Sunday we give it to Eric and Laura and we follow them...onto an incorrect highway and once again we are backtracking. Needless to say we made it to Cocoa Beach ( I didn't get too far from Erics bumper).
Bitch time again for us to find our way back to the airport and once again she lead us in circles. To give her credit she was giving us street names when there wasn't any signs and I missed a couple of turn offs that common sense should have told me to take. Even though the Bitch tried to sabatoge the trip we never stayed lost long and oh hell we can get lost even on foot and with no help from our friend the Bitch.