Trip to Bemidji

Ready to go (and no, I didn't go First Class!!)
The REAL Paul and Babe

The house I grew up in (it wasn't that cute when we lived there - no shutters, boring white, not gray, different front door.) Everything else is the same.

Looking east to the lake

West - overlooking the field

Diane Zaske came from Pine River and spent the night Friday night

Good ole Tippy

The bald eagle and it's nest. I'd just mentioned how I hadn't seen it and I looked out towards the lake and saw a male and a female flying

She's doing really well

Taking out a missed staple. The knee was the whole reason for my trip.

Me and Mom the morning I left. She told me not to put it on my blog, but how could I not?

Lake Bemidji from the air, and the city named after it

Beth came and picked me up during my layover and we went to TGIFridays for lunch. It's become something of a tradition when I have a couple hour layover. Doesn't she look great - cancer-free and her own hair!

Mom had knee surgery January 27, and I had plans to stay with her February 11-18. She fell while in the hospital and ended up in intensive care for 3-4 days which set back her recovery. My sister Sherri was there while Mom was in the hospital, then my brother David came for a few days. He brought her home from the hospital Tuesday February 10 and left Wednesday before I got there as he had a doctor's appointment in Minneapolis he had to get to. I was really glad I went to help out. She actually did pretty good most of the time, although she had one night that was really bad. Other than that, she started to get her appetite back by the time I left and she was getting around (using her walker) quite well by the time I left.

This was fairly relaxing - she lives in a beautiful spot overlooking a lake to the east, fields and creek to the west, and woods on both the north and south sides. She didn't get up until 9:00, laid down to read or sleep from about 1-3, and often went up to her bed around 8:00 or so to watch TV or read. I made her meals, washed some clothes, and straightened up, but other than that (which wasn't much at all) I could do pretty much what I wanted to. I slept in, went through 15 scrapbook magazines, watched TV, did some blogging, and generally - had little stress. I didn't have to work or worry about work. That was really nice!! I slipped away for a little shopping trip to town and visited the store I always shop at when I go there. I even found a skirt on sale for about $8, normally $45 - hooray!!

It was hard to say good-bye to Mom - you never know anymore at her age if it will be the last time you'll see her alive or not. She's 77, although she's pretty fiesty so she'll probably last quite a long time!!