Five days later

My California trip ended as it began, with me once again having my own row on the airplane.

I could get used to this.

Unfortunately, the ten days in between were a lot less pleasant.

Oh, there were some good moments, to be sure.

I definitely enjoyed spending time with my sisters.

And it's always a treat visiting old...

and not-so-old friends.

Still, the purpose of the trip was to forcibly move my physically healthy but cognitively impaired, eighty nine year old mother out of her beautiful but falling down home. 

If any part of that sounds like fun, let me assure you: It was not.

Worse, I'm not even sure that our efforts thus far will have a lasting effect. It's very much a moment to moment situation.

I've been home for a couple days, but my thoughts and emotions remain in California. There's still so much to do, and for better or worse, I won't be available to help with any of it until mid May at the earliest.

Until then, I guess, I'll just keep taking things one step at a time and reminding myself to breathe.