Turn Down the Air

I'm back to blogging after a long hiatus. However, I will have to say I have friends who have taken a 1 1/2 year hiatus from blogging, so just a few weeks isn't too bad! This past month, Mike and I have spent a total of 25 days in the states due to various family concerns. The time with family was invaluable, but it's very good to be back as a family and back into the groove of overseas living.

While in Kentucky one of my most precious memories is taking my mom for a ride in a convertible. I was borrowing my father-in-law's car, who is restricted from driving due to his recent heart surgery. It was mid-November in Kentucky, and we had unusually warm weather the day I visited with my mom. Since I didn't think I'd be taking the top down in mid-November, my father-in-law never gave me instructions on how to do it. But as it warmed up, I was sitting in the car reading the owner's manual on how to get the top down. After figuring out I had to do a maneuver in the trunk, I was good to go.

My mother is in the mid-stages of Alzheimer's Disease and is in an assisted living. The progress with Alzheimer's has taken its toll on her sweet mind and body, but she continues to be in good spirits most of the time. I felt a drive along the lake with the fall leaves in peak season was in order. So I got mom settled in the convertible and put in my Elvis Greatest Hits CD. We cruised to Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, and all the other timeless classics. My mom thoroughly enjoyed the music and the ride. We stopped by the lake and I got a picture of her. She looked really precious in the convertible.

On the way back it started to cool down a little, and I got a kick every time my mom asked me to turn down the air. I just stuck my hands in the air and told mom to look up. She'd laugh, and then she'd ask me to turn down the air 5 minutes later. We finally turned down the air when we pulled into the parking lot of her assisted living. I put the roof back on the car, and that fixed the air problem.