Time flies

We're still here! Sorry for the long delay between posts. Between caregiving and working and taking care of our various family responsibilities, we've fallen behind in our updates. I apologize, and I know some of you were wondering what's going on.

Things are going pretty well. Mom is still recuperating from her back and hip injuries, and she's able to sit on the side of the bed a little more each day. We had a ball watching old TV series yesterday -- Father Knows Best and Dennis the Menace had us in stitches. We were laughing so hard, Daddy came back to see what on earth had us in such fits. Last night, we watched the debates, and Mom and I thought for sure either President Obama or Romney were going to throw a punch. We were backtalking to the TV quite a bit.

We discovered something mundane but important yesterday. Turns out there isn't a single set of queen-size percale sheets in this house. Everything is sateen. Percale is much cooler than sateen, and since it's still in the upper 80s here in North Texas, the coolness would be welcome. Mom and I both prefer percale, and since she's in bed 24/7 for now, why shouldn't she have what she wants?  Luckily, I know where to get fantastic, crisp percale sheets. (You knew I was good for something, right?) Good ones are hard to find these days.

Speaking of good, I'd like to brag about our neighbors. They are tremendously thoughtful and caring; we're talking good old-fashioned neighborly neighbors. Frank and Joanne from across the street bring over dinners and flowers and cheerfulness. April from next door brings over dinners and magazines and is equally cheerful and upbeat. It gives Mom such a boost; her spirits are lifted for hours afterward. It's so nice to have old friends as neighbors, and vice versa. Everyone should be so lucky. Thank you all.

Old friends are the best, aren't they? Yesterday, a postcard arrived from Cape Town, South Africa. My dear friend Glenn, who is also one of Mom's former students from Clovis High School, sent her a note from afar, telling us about his experiences and giving us something grand that we could dream about, a little mental adventure of our own. It was a real treat to get a card from nearly 9,000 miles away. Thank you, Glenn! You totally made our day.

Speaking of Clovis, I recently learned that a teacher there (from Yucca Junior High, where I spent my 9th-grade year) is fighting glioblastoma multiforme. Sigh. He received the diagnosis a few months after Mom did, and he's facing challenges similar to the ones Mom has been through. Chuck Tipton and family, we are praying for you.