Welcome to another week in my life. I sometimes wonder why anyone would care to read along with the stories I share, especially lately when life has been such a mess. But the writing definitely helps me, so I'm glad that you follow along on the journey. I must say that this week seemed a little easier, a little less exhausting, maybe even a little better. I think some of that can be attributed to the routine that we've gotten ourselves into, and I think some of it can be attributed to the quality of the time spent with my dad. No matter the reason, I'm glad it was a better week.
On Sunday, we visited my dad in the morning. The day started out cool enough that I could bring the girls along, park them in a nice shady spot with the windows rolled down, and let them relax in the car while I visited with dad. I started out a little later than I had planned, had to make a stop for gas before leaving town, and also had to deal with an unexpected issue with a tire with low pressure, but once we got the car ready to go, it was smooth sailing for our drive. I arrived mid-morning and planned to stay until lunch, when I knew my mom would get there to spend some time that afternoon. Brezlyn showed up with her boyfriend Cam for a short visit right at the beginning of lunch, so I stayed to enjoy her visit too. My dad is always so happy to see any of his grandkids and I love to see him in his element as Grandpa.
When Brezlyn left, I decided it was time for me to leave too, since I had stayed longer than I had planned, and I had things that I wanted to get done around the yard that afternoon. I had planned to get the girls out for a little adventure before we made it home, and as we drove along, I decided that adventure should take us to Chelsea. The Chelsea Chamber of Commerce has started a Chelsea Trail Challenge this year which includes a BARK ranger component for dogs, and I've been wanting to check it out. I decided Sunday was the day to start.
I explored the website and BARK Ranger eligible trails in the area, and decided we'd start with an easy one-the Chelsea Sculpture walk . This walk takes you along the sidewalks of downtown Chelsea to view some of the street art along the way. The temperature had warmed up nicely for the afternoon, and I figured this would be a shorter and easier walk for Peaches with the heat. We walked around enjoying the downtown area and had a nice walk of just over a mile.
We had really enjoyed our afternoon exploring the Chelsea area, and as we began the drive home, I realized how late in the afternoon it was and that I hadn't eaten any lunch. So I decided to find a place to stop and grab a bite to eat in Jackson along the way.
On Sunday I also got this picture of Fiona running on the Lake Michigan beach where she, Nicol, Tyler, and Picasso where spending a few days of vacation time this week. While I wasn't at the beach myself, seeing her enjoying it made me smile.
I was so tired after my busy day, that we didn't get out for any fun. But the girls did spend some time outside, and I enjoyed making myself a nice dinner and relaxing for the evening. I was happy when Peaches decided to snuggle up beside me.
Tuesday, the shelter put out a plea for someone to help transport two little turtles to a rescue in Fenton. Since that is only about 20 minutes from where my dad is and I had a visit planned for the evening, I offered to take the turtles along for the ride. I took a late lunch to get the girls out for a run at the dog park and to pick up some strawberries from the farm, then I took the girls home and headed to the shelter to pick up the turtles. Then I headed out to drop off the turtles and to visit my dad.
Because of the transport, I arrived at the rehab center a little later than normal for my visit. Dad was sitting in bed, but wide awake and ready for my visit. He shared that he had had some challenges during the day and that his therapy hadn't gone as well as he had hoped, but I was glad to see he was still in good spirits. Our Tuesday visits always seem to go really well, and this was no different. He was talkative and we talked a lot about how he's feeling. Some of it was deeply personal and very special, and he felt bad at one point for making me cry, but I am so glad we had the talk we did. It was very special to me.
I woke up on Wednesday morning with a bit of a headache, and so I sat on the bed with my laptop for a bit getting some work done. The girls happily stayed with me enjoying the quiet for most of the morning. But eventually they were ready to move on to some time outside, and I moved to the office to continue my workday. I took the girls to Padgett Park Dog Park over lunch so that they could burn some energy because I want to keep them happy, especially on the days I won't have much time for them in the evenings.
After work, I headed to the shelter for our Wednesday Dog walk, which was slightly derailed when I got there to find that all of the dogs who could join us had been adopted. There were a couple of dogs that had recently had surgery and are on restrictions, and I learned that there were three new dogs who had moved from Genesee County earlier that day, so I was able to spend some time with a few dogs, which made me happy. These dogs always find a way to make me smile.
Thursday was a little less crazy at work, and I was able to take the girls for a really good visit at Padgett Park over lunch. I came home with too pooped pups who happily napped away the rest of the afternoon while I worked. Then after work, I headed out for my Thursday evening visit with my dad. He was in a pretty good mood again for my visit, and I really enjoyed our time together. It's crazy that either of us have anything to talk about really because neither of us are doing much right now, but I came prepared to share with him a little success I had had with a minor repair at the house. I figured he could have a proud dad moment. Next, I used a brilliant new idea I have to ask him a random question about his childhood, some long gone family member, or other subject he is interested in to get him talking. It worked so well!
We talked about fishing and his grandpa Nixon, what his favorite fishing spot was and what is his favorite fish to go fishing for. Then the conversation turned to a variety of other topics, some of them brought up due to the amazing book that Nicol had purchased for both of my parents for Christmas a couple of years ago that asks a series of questions about their lives. It's a great way to compile their memories to share with future generations. He and mom have been working on his book a lot lately, and it has gotten him thinking about a lot of things. So our conversation turned to his favorite restaurant. A lengthy conversation ensued about Mr. Hot Dog and their all you can eat buffet and Friday night fish fries that I remember so well from my childhood. With all of his struggles physically over the last 18 months, it was nice to just sit and talk to him about life and memories. I really enjoyed it and I think he did too.
Friday arrived and I had a list of to-dos that I had to finish for the day before I would be out of the office all next week on a much needed vacation. So I worked with focus and determination until the dogs reminded me around 1pm that they needed some fun. So we made another quick trip to Padgett Park for a few rounds of fetch and some sniffing around. They were happy, and I finished my work for the day feeling like I had accomplished a lot. Then I made the drive to visit my dad for our weekly Friday night visit.
I arrived early because we had talked about the two of us going to the little Flag day celebration the facility was having with bomb pops and some other activities, but he was in bed and snoring away when I arrived. My mom was still there, so we talked a bit and she shared his therapy successes for the day. He'd worked hard and was wiped out, so the the therapist wanted him to rest for a bit, so he'd been napping for about an hour when I arrived. When he woke up, we all talked for a bit, then I left to pick up my dinner-the Friday night walleye fish fry from the Eagles down the road. Mom left when I got back, and dad and I enjoyed some good conversation while I ate dinner. Our Friday conversation was about which states he had visited and other places he had traveled. A lot of that conversation led us to all of the placed he'd been during his time in the Army and in Vietnam. I even heard a couple of new stories and learned that he'd been to Okinawa Japan...even if it was for only one night, I thought that was pretty cool. I had a nice long visit, but eventually it was time to go home. I treated myself to some strawberry shortcake when I got home and headed to bed early. It had been a pretty good day.
Saturday started with the morning shelter dog walk. We don't have a lot of dogs at the shelter right now, but the group we have is just fantastic. Jakarta, above, and Santiago, below, are probably my favorites right now...and I just met Santiago for the first time yesterday. These boys are just the sweetest things!
After our group walk was done, I took the time to get Mumbai out for a little one on one walk with me since she was the one dog we had left behind. She doesn't really care if she walks far, but she loves being outside, rolling in the grass, and getting lots of love and attention. I'm glad I got her out to give her a break from shelter life, even if it was only for about 20 minutes.
After I was finished with my morning of volunteering, I met up with Vanessa at a local geocaching community event. The girls joined us, of course, and we spent a couple of hours out on a little adventure. I didn't get any pictures, but we had fun.
After we got home and had a late lunch, the girls were happy to take a nap while I sat and relaxed for a bit too. While I had some things to get done, I also wanted to just enjoy some down time on a beautiful day.
Eventually, I got around and took the girls for a trip to Preuss Pets. Mina was really interested in the Koi pond in the garden center, and I was convinced she was going to jump right in with the fish. Luckily, she did not.
Inside, they visited the little critters. Peaches wanted nothing more than to say hello to the rabbit, and Mina made friends with a Chinchilla. They also got to see all of their favorite employees and, of course, I bought them a few treats before we left. And before heading home, we took a nice one mile walk around Old Town. The girls both really enjoyed this trip. After getting home from our trip, I did a few chores around this house that really needed to be done. Overall, we had a really great day.
My Sunday will be spent visiting my dad. It's Father's Day, and while I really wish he could be home, that isn't our reality right now. But that doesn't mean we can't make the most of his day. Nicol, Tyler, and Fiona will be visiting him too, so I'm excited to see them as well. The Senior Center is having a special Father's day luncheon which my dad is excited to join, and the weather is going to be nice so we should be able to spend some time outside with him too. Later in the day, my brother will visit him after Brezlyn's softball tournament. I know he'll be happy to spend time with all of the family. I really hope he has a great day.
This week I'm on vacation and I'm looking forward to a much needed break. We aren't going anywhere-just staying home to do some yardwork and maybe a couple of short outings for a little fun, and I think it will be just what I need. Next weekend, I have to leave town for work, and we'll be leaving late in the week to add a little fun to that trip.
Happy Father's day to all the dads! I hope everyone has a great Sunday!
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