Our Hoosier Moms Visit

We try to visit the moms and other family at least twice a year in the Hoosier State. It is exactly 500 miles from our place in Virginia. Not exactly a quick drive. After stops for lunch, coffee, and restrooms, and more coffee, we take about 11 hours to get to Greencastle. This trip was something of a special visit…

There were basically three main objectives on this visit. To celebrate my mom’s 90th birthday, to help Pat’s mom with house cleaning and cooking freezer meals, and to visit with other local family. Pat and I are both originally from Indiana, but have been living in Virginia for 26 years. We love our Virginia mountains, but are still Hoosiers at heart.

Both of us understand how fortunate that we are to still have our mothers still alive. They are both a blessing and we keep in frequent contact through phone calls.

My Mom’s 90th Birthday

My mom lives in a very nice assisted living facility in the northeast part of Indianapolis and has been there for about four years. She has had a few health issues, but does get along fairly well now using a mobility scooter to get around. She told me that on one visit to see her mother in a nursing home, she asked my grandmother if she wanted to go out for a walk. My grandmother responded by saying “honey, I can’t really walk anymore.” Mom says that she is now in the same situation as her mother.

For the past few months, I have been calling and reminding her about her birthday and our visit. On one of the days of our visit, we took her out shopping for clothes and she had a grand time. I’m not sure if she really needed anything, but she was happy to get out and about for awhile.

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She has mostly handled the transition to the facility quite well. Can you imagine selling your car and independence along with it and moving from your retirement home in Florida?

My brother Kevin, his son Drew along with Pat I took her out to a local restaurant that is located on a lake front. Beautiful views and good food. We sang happy birthday and I think she enjoyed the day.

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Pat’s Mom

Pat’s mother is also doing very well, but with her own health issues. She is as sharp as a tack and is a delight to talk to as she remembers everything. I enjoy hearing the old stories of how life was back in the 40’s when she was growing up.

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One new story that she told was a trip with her parents and brother and sister sometime in 1944. They were living in Wisconsin and under war rationing for gas and tires. When they were about three hours from returning home, their truck had a flat tire. Her father walked into a nearby town to get help. While he was gone, a semi truck came along and the two men asked if they needed help. Her mother (Pat’s grandmother), said yes, you can help by taking the three kids back to their hometown three hours away, which was on their way. The complete strangers in the truck put the three kids in the trailer and they rode on an old tire back to their town. The truck drivers even stopped for lunch along the way and asked the kids if they wanted anything.

I can think of a dozen or more ways that the story may have gone bad, but it turned out very well. It was a different era back then of trusting and helping others. In many ways things are certainly better today than in 1944, many more conveniences, but I don’t know…

Most of Pat’s siblings will visit their mom to clean her condo and make meals for the fridge. We cleaned all the floors, bathrooms, and left over 100 new meals in the freezer. Plus saw siblings Alan and Sandy and had a great lunch at Gray’s in Mooresville. A successful visit!

One day while Pat was busy cooking, she let me loose to wander the county. I found this cool covered bridge, the Houck Bridge.

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Back Home & Mountain Lake Lunch

It seemed to be twice as long of a drive back to Virginia. But we made it safely back home. Getting rested up for a few days, we drove up to the top of a mountain for one of our favorite places for lunch: Mountain Lake. A beautiful old stone lodge built in 1938 that replaced the old 1800’s wooden hotel. Here is a LINK for more info.

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Wrap Up

Thanks for following along. We have a few small trips planned this summer and some more projects around the house. What are your plans this summer? God bless and take care.