Home

I'm home.
Arkansas was lovely.
My mother-in-law is still confined to a cast,
but somebody else is taking a turn at being the nurse.
She is healing well and not suffering any pain.
I read over a dozen books--a bunch of old Perry Masons, some Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Ngaio Marsh and three really good Ted Dekker--Black, Red, and White.
I also suffered through more television than I like--mostly game shows and Matlock in the evening. Whatever does one do during all the commercials? I tried to do exercises and read my book and water the flowers on the patio.
Cooking was pretty well hopeless. I tried, but she had no appetite and wouldn't try anything I fixed, so I fed her Equate and ice cream, strawberries, crackers, cereal...and gallons of green tea. You just don't argue with an 84-year-old invalid.
Every day I did the cryptoquote and the crossword puzzle from the paper.
Sometimes, if she was feeling well enough to sit without me for a few minutes, I ran up to a church gym nearby and walked the track. (They were wonderful about it).
I played dominoes and rummicube and visited with countless well-wishers.
The phone rang all day long. I played secretary.
I drove her to therapy, church, the bank, the grocery store, the doctor, Stage, and to her Bible study on Thursdays--which I taught both weeks. They wouldn't hear of anything else.
Yesterday I drove nine hours--straight home.
After two weeks, I'm frightfully glad to be here...even if all the bathrooms need cleaning and the carpet needs shampooing and there's laundry enough for a few busy days.
Maybe before long I'll even catch up with this blog.