August 12, 2026, PA trip, slumpy, Poetic Asides

 

Slumpy

 

Feeling a little slumpy

after five days on the road

with one more to go

from Pennsylvania

to back home in southwest Colorado

with a disabled husband

and all his equipment:

wheel chair, walker, bath chair

unloading and reloading the stuffed car

at every stop.

 

I’m thankful our son came with us

to share in the driving

and do the road trip planning.

We had a wonderful time,

at our family reunion,

but feeling slumpy,

like you do when you’re working

nine to five and it’s only three o’clock,

or like a rose in need of water.

It will be good to get back home.

August 12, 2026, PA trip

 

Lincoln to Denver

 

We packed up in the morning

Stuffing our car

Said good bye to Judy

Then we traveled far

 

From Lincoln to Denver

It took all day

With not too many rest stops

Along the way

 

The good news we learned

Laura Ann was born today

To Pastor Aaron and Kortni

Hip, hip, hooray!

 

Our hotel was nice

It was a studio

Full kitchen and couch

Lots of room, you know

 

We ate out at Chilis

With not a lot to say

Went to bed thinking

Just one more day!

 

 

 

August 11, 2026, PA trip

 

Gamers

 

Spent a day in Lincoln

And in Adams, too.

Saw two sisters and their families,

What a fun thing to do!

 

Played Splendor again with Judy.

It’s a type of addiction.

Then spent some time with Linda.

With a similar affliction.

 

We like to play Quiddler,

A short form of Scrabble.

I also read in her book.

I’m glad we didn’t skedaddle.

 

We had home baked nachos

And ice cream for dessert,

With a plethora of toppings.

Then Judy called going berserk.

 

It was hot and humid

And her AC broke down.

We stayed the night anyway

With a smile not a frown.

 

It was hard to be cheerful

with us all knowing.

That in the morning

we’d pack up and get going.

 

 

August 10, 2026, PA trip

 

Splendor

 

Made it to Lincoln

What were we thinking

Glad Loren could eat

Seemed like a feat

Played Splendor with Judy

After our drive

She was the winner

Three out of Five

August 9, 2026, PA trip

 

Walkers are for Walking

 

Made it to Molene, Illinois,

but with a big bump.

At a rest stop,

Loren fell on his back

while trying to use his walker

as a wheelchair.

 

Several people stopped

and helped him up.

 

At the hotel,

he threw up five times.

Slept the night.

We didn’t take him to the ER.

 

Should we have?

We’ll see tomorrow.

 

Lord, please heal Loren.

August 8, 2026, PA Trip, Poetic Bloomings, trees

 

Family Quotes About Trees

 

“There must be seven million trees.”

Quote from my five-year old great nephew

from the cornfields of Nebraska.

And several us from the Shannon Reunion

followed the trails in Cook Forest, PA

in awe of the towering eastern white pine,

eastern hemlock, northern red oak,

white oak, black cherry and red maple,

some over three-hundred years old,

some nearly two-hundred feet tall.

I remember when my Wyoming husband

came to see me in PA for the first time.

He said, “All you can see is trees!”

And I said, “That’s what you’re supposed to see.”

What I said of Wyoming?

“It looks like God left it unfinished.”

 

August 7, 2026, PA Trip

 

Old Vacation Stomping Grounds

 

A bunch of us went farther North

To a shop called Hallers

It was a place we remember

When we were little fellers

 

We ate out lunch

Where we ate it the day before

We played some games

And played some more

 

Packed a bit

For tomorrow

Our reunion will end

With a bit of sorrow.

 

We may not see each other

For a year or more

Where next?

I hope somewhere we adore.