Foster Me Up

I don't have a single friend or family member who has taken so much time off that they are about to go nuts -- except ME! To date (over the past year), I have been on SIX vacations and am, can you believe, FED UP with time off! Matter of fact, during this last trip, I never even got out my camera!!

I'm looking at other bloggers' pages and noting their regular posts. Though writing my book is currently my main vocation, I blog to get better at writing and to keep my nogg'n go'n. It helps my mind think, so to speak. (Kim, I KNOW you know what I mean -- Remember when summer rolled around after a semester of nothing but study, research, and read, read, read and then BOOM -- all intellect went out the door due to major brain shutdown?!) Problem is, I'm not home enough to keep up with what I love to do - WRITE. Feeling like a failure but hoping all who know and love me and hopefully read my blog, realize I am doing my best.

The good news is, this last trip was a camping excursion that took us up north into the pines AND it was with family, a couple friends and their kids. Though we just spent time with M&M's bro and SIL just a week and a half prior, they flew in from KS and we were blessed with their presence once again! [His sister showed up from KS too (though stay-tuned as her visit was short-lived)].

Two of the neatest things that took place was 1) Poppa Wahala came with us. He's 76 years old, has Neuropathy, Parkinson's and Dementia, but he opted to travel with us so he could be with everybody together; and, 2) Seeing all the brothers together. They were a riot -- they have similar mannerisms and stories and sing to the same classic tunes (while pretending they can play the guitar to boot)! Naturally, there was lots of laughter, a feeling of community and good food (including of course, S'Mores)!

The bad news is, there was an ATV accident right out of the gate - the first day we arrived. M&M's sister and the local SIL bit it, and I mean in a real bad way! Sister from KS (SFK) actually ended up in the hospital with one ankle broken and the other shattered!! She had to have surgery and spent the rest of the trip on morphine and an IV. Local SIL had to have stitches in her face and though she came back to be with the rest of us campers, was in pain for quite some time afterward and immobile for a short bit too. She snapped out of it pretty quickly though, and was on it in every way -- as usual .... (She was even cooking and cleaning b4 all was said and done!)

Everybody is back at home now with new memories and in some cases, leftover pain....Oh, except for SFK and momma Di who actually got waylaid in OK due to lost luggage (of all the luck)! [Other bro & SIL (from KS) got stuck as well due to bad weather but landed safely last evening. Pics from them to follow any day now, I'm sure of it ;)]

Now on to clean-up, doing TONS of laundry, buying groceries and repairing the hole that we accidentally put in the camper we borrowed...but most of all, prayers for the wounded and happy thoughts to everybody who came out to play. Here's hoping we do it again some time real soon.