Well, we have good news about my dad! He’s doing so well on the medications that he may be able to come home early next week! This is quite a relief. He’s relatively young (he’s only 59) and stubborn…two criteria that seem to be helping in the recovery process. (Well, the “stubborn” portion of that mix can go both ways, as I’m sure most of the nurses on duty the day he went to the hospital can attest.) 
But, just as we were all sighing a big sigh of relief in this situation, things took a bad turn for my maternal grandmother. Sadly, she suffered a massive stroke yesterday morning and is not expected to recover. She has been unresponsive since the incident, so the end is near. 
I know it’s cliché to say that she’s 90 and lived a full life…but it’s true. It doesn’t make the sadness any less powerful, but it does make me thankful that she’s been able to experience life to its fullest. My hope for her is that she’s at peace soon and not in any pain.
Of course, in the midst of all this, time marches on. Because my dad was in the clear, we continued full-steam ahead with our vacation plans. Even with these new developments, we’re still moving ahead with our trip to the mountains for a weekend get-away with my brother-in-law. (He arrived from out-of-state just in time for dinner on Thursday night.) We’ve been looking forward to this trip for a while, so hopefully this long holiday weekend will serve as a nice way to recharge after this incredibly stressful week and store up energy for what we could be facing next week. Time will tell if we need to cut our trip short, but my relatives have assured me that there isn’t anything that can be done at this point. Go! Try to enjoy the holiday! Easier said than done? Perhaps…but we’ll try.
Depending on what happens, we may be making a pit-stop at home on our way eastward. Or maybe we’ll have time to regroup before heading out again. It all depends on what transpires over the next few days. Nothing like living life on the edge!
In other news, I won’t have access to the blog while in the mountains, but Merlin has begged and begged to do some guest posts for me, so be sure to check those out. Something tells me that they won’t be nearly as insightful as Jasper’s, but like bloggers everywhere, every kitty has his own style.
In showing Merlin how to look through the photos, I found some Festive Photos Fit for the Fourth, so here they are.
Claire is 7-months old in these photos, and it’s hard to believe that two years has passed! In these photos, I was posing her in her 4th of July dress. And, the last photo captures the personality that still shows through today.
Click photos to enlarge.
Clicking a second time will show more detail.
There’s the rascally Claire we know and love!
So, we’re off! Have a happy holiday, and don’t eat too much birthday cake.
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