An e-mail from my uncle around noon revealed that our relatives from Germany didn't get to make it on board in Germany because the wife had a mini stroke at the airport and now needs to be under observation for a few weeks. My aunt and uncle had offered his younger brother and wife an all expense paid trip to Tampa as long as they would care for Nan for several weeks. With the unexpected mini stroke, this means that my aunt and uncle's plans have taken a setback.
My aunt will still go to the Philippines in two weekends; however, my uncle's plans to go to Pennsylvania will be shelved. Their trip together to Hawaii after my aunt gets back is in limbo. These people deserve time off. They never planned on having to take care of an elderly parent (Nan) 24/7 who suffers from dementia. My aunt and uncle are in their mid-60's for crissakes! What happened to being wild empty nesters?
I made a decision. I wrote my uncle back (a phone call was too emotional) and told him that I would give them two weeks of my vacation to stay with Nan while they went to Hawaii. Cabal and I would move in to be with Nan. Now I would be detained at their home until a home health care nurse would come to relieve me a couple of hours a week which would give me time to go grocery shopping and maybe visit the booksellers to have time for myself. I don't care. When you two love people very much as I do my aunt and uncle who are like parents to me, nothing is too much. And this is what you do in a real family -- you offer help.
My uncle wrote me back after a couple of hours and was very surprised at my offer, but will let me know if they need me the latter half of next month. Nan may be accepted at an assisted living facility for that time. I don't care for assisted living facilities except in extreme situations and I don't want Nan to feel even more confused in unfamiliar surroundings. She should be surrounded by people who know and love her. My cousin Angie would fly from Los Angeles for a bit, too, to help take care of her Nan.
In the end, it is not my decision, but theirs and what they feel comfortable in doing. At the very least, they know they have options. I took a step to let my boss know that I might be gone for two weeks very soon or do a combination working from home a couple of days remotely; he told me just to let him know what I needed.
While the news settled down, I kept watching this video on some crazy man's idea of real sailing. All I mentioned was being able to feel the water around you...the undulation of the vessel you're on and to feel the wind teasing your hair from your face...i like to lean down and look at the water and see if small creatures are brave enough to swim up...maybe in a few years, i will be brave enough to get certs in diving as i love to explore. Apparently it wasn't exhilarating enough a vignette so he sent the link. Maybe he's right because I keep watching it and remembering all the times I have been in waves that insane. Yeehaw!
Met Kristey in the woods again for a four mile walk at 5:30pm. The temperature was perfect and the humidity low. I didn't sweat at all. Oh yeah -- damned pesky black bugs were everywhere! I had to fish one out of my mouth along the way. The one magical thing about nature is that being surrounded by all the trees has a very calmative effect. I needed it.
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