Jackson Browne Live!

Yesterday we drove across the bridge to Cincinnati, to the Riverbend Music Center. It's an entertainment complex overlooking the Ohio River.

It's right next door to an amusement park... Coney Island.

They have picnic tables set up and a big tent where food is served.

You could choose free metts, brats and cole slaw, or buy hometown Cincinnati food.

There were bars to buy wine, beer and other drinks.

This is where the concert was held.

Jackson Browne came out and introduced himself:

The concert was great! He had people up and dancing in the aisles. It was a fun Saturday night.

Small Town Michigan

My husband was born and raised in a small town in Michigan. His brother and sister still live there. Every year he goes back for a golf tournament. The golf tournament is a memorial for his dad, who was the football coach in their small town, to raise money for the Athletic Department. He and his brother always play together.

The golf tournament was last Thursday. We drove five hours up to Michigan on Wednesday. Here are some photos I took while we were there.

We had dinner in a cool local restaurant:

Mom's Birthday - Take Two

Mom had to celebrate her 88th birthday in the hospital, after she had a stroke last week. We brought her a birthday cake, but we were not allowed to light the candles in her room. Now she is back home. She wanted another birthday party where she could actually blow out the candles on the cake. So we got the family together on Sunday and had her second celebration.

She was surrounded by children and grandchildren:

Munchkin's Audition

This was Munchkin's audition for "cutest kitty".  She got the part!  (Really, it was my first experiment with my Flip video camera.) And to think, she started life as a feral cat.

Now She's Hearing Voices

My sister just called. She has brought our mom home from the hospital. The neurologist okayed her to be released.

There has been a new development, though. Now she says she's "hearing voices". Specifically, voices singing things like "Battle Hymn of the Republic". What on earth can that mean?

Mom's Birthday

My mom turned 88 years old yesterday. Unfortunately, she was in the hospital. My sister and I celebrated the day with her. I have two other sisters who were too far away, but they sent cards, flowers and balloons.

We brought her a cake.

We put candles on it and sang "Happy Birthday" but we weren't allowed to light the candles because of the oxygen tanks in the hospital.

She was in good spirits, and I believe she is being allowed to go home today. Thank you for your kind wishes in the comments.

Aging Parents

My mom called me early this morning. I was surprised because she doesn't usually call so early. She was slurring her speech, saying "I can't... I can't...". I realized something was wrong; she couldn't complete a sentence. I called my sister who lives close to Mom and asked her to go over and check on her. I called another sister, a doctor, who is on vacation with her family in Maine. My sister took Mom to the emergency room and she has now been admitted. Mom has had an MRI and CT scan, and is waiting to be seen by a neurologist. It seems she has had a stroke.

Mom has been living by herself since May, when Dave, her husband of sixteen years had a stroke. He has been in and out of the hospital and nursing home. Two weeks ago he was staying with his son, when he fell and broke his nose and several cervical vertebrae. Now he is back in the hospital. Mom can't stay in their house much longer; it's too much for her to maintain. So, on Monday my sister and I took her to look at some senior living apartments.

So now Mom is is one hospital and Dave is in another hospital. What will be Mom's outcome? We don't know. Will she be able to return home where she lives alone? Will she be able to live in an apartment or will she have to go to a nursing home? What about David? He is in the hospital now but can not stay there indefinitely. His son is trying to get him into a VA home. Their future is uncertain at the moment. My three sisters and I are trying to help them figure it all out.