July 25 – “Preparing for a trip”

I'm journaling early because today is the day for my trip to Bay City.  I plan to leave right from church if I can get someone to give Mom a ride home.  Chris said her Mom has had a rough couple of days.  I'm hoping to mow the grass for them and maybe get their computer modem hooked up while I am there.  Her Mom said she wanted to try to go to church, but this morning she wasn't feeling too well.    It has been interesting doing the preparations for this trip.  Not quite as involved as a hurricane evacuation, though.  I emailed Kel and Christina last night with all the different instructions.  I told them I was planning to go today, but I didn't really get specific with departure times or what needed to happen while I was gone.  The plan is to text them when I do leave town so they will be on alert.   Mom is the primary area of concern.  She has to have eye drops twice a day.  She is also good about not really eating well unless you just tell her what's on the menu (or take her to Golden Corral, of course).  I know Christina will be good at handling her.   The dogs are a bit more involved.  We have Scooter for the weekend.  He is Nathan and April's Boston Terrier.  He's not a problem at all.  He plays well with Fritz in particular, and they all eat well together.  When Lucy (Kel's dog) comes over we have to separate them at mealtimes.  The morning care plan for the dogs is to make sure the door with the doggie door in it gets opened in the mornings, make sure they have plenty of water throughout the day (the three of them really go through the water), and put their food out so they can eat whenever they want.  At night the door needs to be closed and the gate moved to keep them in a more confined space.  Oh, and Fritz has to have his medication.  He has an infected "hot spot" caused by too much scratching in one area.  He has to take pills once a day now.  Steroids and antibiotics.  He does well, though, as long as they are crammed into a little hunk of cheese.  Ah, the joys of pet ownership.  Or of being owned by a pet, for you cat lovers out there.   The camp service led by the teenagers who went to Ridgecrest, North Carolina, is this morning.  I must admit I am kind of excited about it.  Since Chris and I didn't get to go, I really want to hear what the kids have to say about how they were affected.  And I want to see their reactions to the goofy song I wrote based on the feedback they sent me throughout camp week.  "I'm a Nut."  (That's the name of the song, not an evaluation of my personal psychological condition).   Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 says, "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil — this is the gift of God."   Father, sometimes I forget what "happy" means.  Remind me with an unmistakable  flood of your peace and contentment.  Amen.