Mother's Day Surprise????

Mother's Day. A nice Sunday afternoon BBQ at the home of friends. It's about 5:30, the day is winding down. My phone rings. It's Lani wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. While we talk, my phone beeps to let me know I have a call waiting. I look at the number - don't recognize it & go back to my conversation with Lani. My phone beeps again letting me know I have a message. Lani & I say goodbye. I listen to my message. Some strange woman who knows my name - tells me my parents have been in a serious car accident on the Interstate. She tells me she is a nurse. She has listened to their heart & lungs... those seem fine. Mom is shaken up. Her chest hurts. Ambulance is on its way. The driver's side door is being cut off the car so Daddy can be removed from the wreckage. Sheriff's deputy says they're going to Y*** Hospital. The line goes dead.
I panic! Me: "Jerry, we have to leave now!" Jerry: "Why?" Me: "I'll tell you on the way!" I grab my purse. Barely say goodbye to our friends, let alone thank them for dinner! We leave. I explain the situation. I hit "send" to redial the number that called. She answers. Very vague information. Mom & Daddy seem okay... Daddy is bleeding from his head. They're both conscious!
We stop at home, feed & water Skeeter & put him outside. Off we go to the hospital. I'm calming down some. It's a quiet ride. As we come upon the site of the accident I see my parents' car on the flatbed trailer. It is horrifying! Behind it is a LARGE RV with an SUV in tow. I start falling apart again. I call my Aunt Kathryn's phone number - my cousin Glen & his wife Sharon lives there now. Sharon will call the family & Mom & Daddy's pastor.
At the hospital, they are in separate exam rooms but are next to each other. They've begun running x-rays & scans. Medical information has been given. Waiting on the back-boards with their necks in braces - they are growing impatient from the pain. Doc says there are no broken bones!! Mom has some cracked ribs. Morphine! Daddy has a cut on his eyelid & one below his eye, a few superficial cuts on his head, a cut on his elbow. His knee is the size of a VERY ripe canteloupe. The skin on his shin is gone. His glasses are broken (Mom had one lens in her hand) & missing.
Back & forth. Room to room. Talk to this nurse. Talk to the doc. Make a couple more phone calls to family. Surprise! Cousins happen to be in the vacinity & show up!
After what sems to be an eternity, both Mom & Daddy are taken off the back-boards, neck braces removed. The nurses wheel Mom to a room. Another nurse is still getting info from Daddy. Finally he is taken to a room directly across the hall from Mom. They're given something to help them sleep. We make the long drive home.
MONDAY: Jerry & I go to the junk yard to retrieve Mom & Daddy's belongings from what's left of their car & take some photos. Back to the hospital. My brother & his wife are on their way from Pennsylvania. Jerry & I spend the day with Mom & Daddy. Back & forth across the hallway visiting with them. They each go on a little outing with a nurse - up & down the hall with a walker. By 6:00 I'm pooped! Doc had told them they could probably go home tomorrow! They can't ride in our truck!! I start making arrangements to have them taken home.
TUESDAY: That's today! Doc says they can go home after lunch!! Showers taken. Lunch eaten. Dressed! Sharon & Shirley arrive to help with the transport. Parents loaded into the car. Away we go!
FINALLY HOME!! They arrive safe & sound. All they want to do is sit in their chairs & relax. A few phone calls from other relatives. By 7:30 p.m. both parents are medicated & tucked into their bed.

This is SO not what I had planned for a Mother's Day Surprise!!

Coming Home for Mother's Day!

Alex is home from Iraq for a couple weeks. It's good to have him here. He missed our appointment to pick up Skeet from the vet & the story from the vet tech. It goes like this: Both vet techs have told me that Skeeter is one of their most favorite boarders... even tho' he's a bit high strung they LOVE his personality (or personality disorder? What he lacks in manners he makes up for in enthusiasm!). I didn't realize that the techs actually take the dogs for walks as part of their stay... but Sunday nite this particular tech took Skeet for a walk at the park across the street. She said he had his nose to the ground taking in all the smells... she noticed a "creepster" (her word) leaned up against a van watching her... and evidently Skeet noticed the creepster as well. She said the hair on his back bristled, he bared his teeth & was growling... loud enough the creepster could hear him. Creepster got back in his van & stayed there until she & Skeet left the park. GOOD BOY!!!
So... Alex spent some time with Skeeter... observing what he's learned during the 15 months he's been with me (sit, down, head in the dirt, wait, up, hugs, shake, other hand) and had a chance to play fetch with Skeet with his tires, sticks & tennis ball. We also took Skeet to a lake so he could play in the water.
Alex was talking about getting a house in Ft. Leonard Wood. I told him he'd have to have a fenced in yard for Skeet to run or he wasn't going. He got kinda quiet then said he wouldn't have the time to spend with Skeet like I did. He said "Ma, I think Skeeter needs to stay with you." So... I guess Skeeter is now an official family member! A great Mother's Day gift!