Summer Bummers

 I think I live a quiet, sedate, completely normal life. Sometimes a bit of chaos gets tossed into the mix.
I am always believing that Life is just about to calm down and be normal.

Normal is a setting on the washing machine.

As of today, I am four weeks away from leaving for our Big Trip. I am gathering what I can gather. Listing my lists. Slogging through whatever comes along each day.

My Dad has had a turndown in his life since the first part of June. Everyone is coming to grips with the new 'normal' for him. It's a sad place when you know your mind is betraying you. The Parkinson's disease is slowly stealing his life away, and he realizes it. He's fighting against it.
His brother came to see him from California. Dad improved so much while his brother was there. Mr C and I drove to Texas and got to see Uncle for a couple of days. Two days after Uncle flew home, Dad had (another) bad fall- this time breaking his wrist. It's a simple break, straight across one of the bones, it should heal fine.

I got home from Texas on a Monday evening. We started getting things caught up, you know, back to our normal routine. Son Ben has given the fight against the suspicious mass in his nether region a hard battle. It's been just over a year of he and Paula throwing everything they can at it. Having done all, Ben felt backed against the wall. He made the Doctors appointments, and armed with the results of all they have done, was diagnosed with a solid mass tumor. It had to be removed. I flew down within a couple of hours of the call, and sat with Paula as the tumor was removed. It had to be sent off to Pathology for diagnosis. It was a seminoma- one of the most treatable forms of cancer. We will learn later this week what the next steps will be for Ben.

I flew home Sunday, as Nickole had an orthodontist appointment today. She goes back in just over 3 weeks to get her braces off!

Meanwhile, the day Uncle flew back to California, my Mom took sick to bed. She's had a fever and terrible cough. The fever comes, goes, comes, goes. her throat was so very sore. She finally went to an urgent care clinic. It's covid. This sent the entire family in that area in for testing, as well as their friends. All came back positive. Mom's been the most sick, but she did just get over pneumonia less than 2 weeks ago, so her system was down anyway. A call to Uncle in California sent that household out for testing. Yep... it's a big quarantine party in two states.

Meanwhile, I am just getting started on the blog for the big trip. Coddywomple is in its early stages.
I hope you have a great day today! Prayers for my family are really appreciated.