Good Day for Sitting By the Fire

Sunday night Angel came in about 8:00 PM and stayed the night with me at Mom’s house because she had to meet the house inspector in the morning and she had an appointment in Pittsburgh in the afternoon. Mom was asleep by the time Angel arrived so she didn’t get to see her. While I got Mom up to get ready for day care, Angel was getting dressed to leave. We figured it would be better if Angel didn’t go in the kitchen while she ate breakfast because it would have confused Mom. We went on our way and Angel waited for me to come back. Two Feather and I followed her to the house to get a short tour while the inspector was doing his work. It’s a very nice home with beautiful hardwood floors and a nice yard, and it’s only eight miles from our place. After her appointments, Angel headed back home to Mechanicsburg.

She’s moving closer to home and Stacey just moved back to Alabama. :( One of these days I’ll get to see Stacey’s house down south. Stacey called today and said she got a job. She starts tomorrow. She sounded really excited about it. I can’t wait to hear from her after she’s there a few days to see how she likes it.

When Two Feather and I got home from seeing Angel’s house he made a fire in the fireplace. The crisp cold air seemed to go right through us while we were walking around outside. It was a good day for staying indoors and sitting by the fire.

We made buffalo steaks again today for lunch and sat in the living room and watched TV while we ate. The day seemed to fly by so quickly.

I picked Mom up from day care and they told me she complained she had a stomachache about fifteen minutes before I got there. She was having a difficult time in the bathroom as well. The beautician came today and styled Mom’s hair. She does such a beautiful job on Mom’s hair. Next month it will be done the Monday right before Thanksgiving, so Mom will look great for the holiday.

On the way home, Mom said she was hungry. I’m glad all I had to do was heat up dinner when we got home because her appetite doesn’t last long. Since Two and I had eaten such a big lunch, I wasn’t hungry, but Mom sure enjoyed the buffalo steak, baked potato, and squash I brought home for her. Two Feather came down and sat at the table and talked with Mom and me while she ate. She didn’t eat a lot, but at least she ate some and she thanked Two Feather for making such a delicious meal.

He went home shortly after and Mom went to bed. I went to bed once Mom was asleep.

Little Things Matter The Most

Friday came and went too quickly. I took Mom to adult day care and went straight to my house to visit with Two Feather. We went to the post office to mail the bills I’d worked on the evening before and then we went to the store to pick up a few groceries. While we were at Wal-Mart we bought a few new releases to add to our collection of movies that we watch during the cold winter months.

When we got home, Two Feather was full of surprises. He built a fire in the fireplace and told me to lie on the couch and relax. I guess he could tell Mom and I had a long night. Without telling him, Two Feather always seems to know whether I was up most of the night or whether I was able to get some rest. He always encourages me to rest when I’m home even though that is our only time together.

Watching the flames surround the logs in the fireplace was hypnotizing. The heat from the fire warmed the living room and my heart knowing that Two Feather does whatever he can to make me comfortable when I get the chance to relax in our house. He knows that it doesn’t take much to make me happy, and it’s the little things that mean so much to me and matter the most.

I dozed off watching the fire and before I knew it Two Feather was waking me up at 1:00. He stood above me smiling and asked if I felt like eating. When I said, “Yes,” he said, “Good, sit there. I’ll be back in a minute.”

It took him less than a minute to bring a tray into the living and set it front of me. He’d made buffalo tenderloin and fried potatoes while I was sleeping and had already slipped one of the movies into the DVD player for us to watch while we ate our lunch together.

Two Feather cooks his own dinner every evening since I’m not there to do it. He seldom comes to Mom’s to eat because he doesn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. Our meals together are far and few between.

The meal he made was wonderful for a lot of reasons. Buffalo is excellent if cooked properly, and Two Feather knows exactly how to cook it. The meal was also wonderful because I didn’t have to cook it. Here someone whom I should be cooking for was catering to me. What more could I ask?

We watched the movie Fracture while we ate. I’ve always loved Anthony Hopkins. He’s such an excellent actor. From Silence of the Lambs to Hannibal, the deep psychological parts he plays never cease to show what an amazing actor he can be. Fracture was no different and his part delved into the deep recesses of the mind once more.

When the movie was over, Two Feather and I talked for a bit and it was time for me to leave to pick up Mom.

Friday was a joy. It was one of the best days I’ve spent at home in a very long time--even if it was for only a little while. But…it’s the little things that matter the most.

Great Trail Festival--Our Day of Respite Care

Two Feather and I never plan anything because when we do, nothing normally goes according to plans. We did have an idea for our day together, though. We were hoping to enjoy something we’ve missed for a few years—The Great Trail Festival. It’s a combination of a woodsy craft show, rendezvous, and time period encampment.


The last few times Two Feather and I attended the festival we dressed in time period clothing along with all those who set up their wares. This year we decided to enjoy the festival in street clothes rather than regalia and we thought about getting there early in the morning so we could spend the entire day perusing the makeshift shops.

Early didn’t come. It felt strange sleeping in my own bed. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had such a relaxed, comfortable, full night’s sleep. I slept so comfortably and sound, Two Feather didn’t want to wake me, so he let me sleep until 8:00. That’s late for me since I’m normally up at 6:00 every morning. By the time I drank my second cup of coffee and pried my eyes open it was 9:00.

We left at 9:30 AM and arrived at the festival at 11:00. I stopped near the entrance and took a picture of the buffalo on the hill.

As soon as we walked through the front entrance we knew there was a huge change from the years we’d been there before. There were fewer vendors, fewer attendees—fewer everything. It took only an hour and a half to walk around the entire festival, twice. The four vendors whom we were looking forward to glancing through their wares were not set up this year. It was a bit disappointing, but we still enjoyed the atmosphere and we did spend some time with our friend Dave.

We left at 12:30 and were home by 2:00 PM. So, what to do, what to do? We suddenly have all this time on our hands without having to watch a clock to be back or end our day together by a certain time, and we were at a loss as to what to do. And because we have no life other than taking care of Mom, we really have nothing new to talk about. That’s terribly sad. Even the saddest situations Two Feather will find the good and nurture it into something better. He either will give you something to think about or he’ll leave you smiling. Normally, for me, he leaves me smiling.

We’re both movie buffs, so every time we go to Wal-Mart we buy the newest release to add to our collection and watch during the winter months when there’s not much to do. Recently we bought a few movies, and there wasn’t much else to do, so he tore off the plastic wrap on the first DVD and stuck it in the player. For the next two hours he sat in his chair and I sat on the couch and watched Hills Have Eyes 2. When that movie was over, we took a short break, went outside and walked around the yard, grabbed a cold can of Coke, and went back inside to watch the Zodiac Killer.

During both movies, we glanced at each other, smiled, and returned our attention to the show. It felt strange for both of us to be doing some of the things we so much took for granted before I moved in with Mom. Sitting across from each other in our living room hasn’t been a normal site for quite some time. Sitting across from each other and smiling at each other, enjoying each others presence, and knowing I didn’t have to get up and leave gave us both a serene feeling, yet an uncomfortable feeling. We enjoyed our time together immensely but we didn’t want to get used to it; had to keep pushing the thought in the back of our minds that it would end soon and I’d be back at Mom’s house and he’d be alone in ours.

Time together like this is wonderful. It’s sort of a renewal of our commitment to each other and renewal of our energy to fulfill my commitment to Mom.