SL Core H Week 23 "C" Sophie, Vacation to Indiana, with "L" family, IN State Fair Aug. 6-12, 2017

SL Core H Week 23 "C" 

Vacation to Indiana, with "L" family, 

IN State Fair 

Aug. 6-12, 2017

Hello, Friends.

As Dickens said, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." in A Tale of Two Cities, the same could be said for our week.  The "L" family invited Dd and me back to visit Indiana and go to the Indiana State Fair with them this year.  We arrived on Monday around 4:30 pm and left Friday around noon.  Our time in Indiana was terrific and we had a lovely visit with our friends, our friends who feel more like family than our actual family if that is possible! The worst of times is because little did I know at the start of the week that this was going to be Sophie's last week, which she spent with Giz & Grampy, not me.  We went from being so happy to feel crushed by Sophie's rapid decline, her cancer taking her way too soon.  Our week was the best and the worst.  I'll start with the worst of it---Sophie.

Sophie to G&G's:

 Since Dh works until late every day and wouldn't be able to let Sophie out during the day,  his parents who live an hour south of Indy, offered to babysit Sophie for us during our visit with the "L" family.  We just had to drive an hour south of our destination to drop Sophie off with Grampy, and then the hour back north to arrive in Indy. Grampy drove an hour north and we drove an hour south, so it made my driving an hour less than if I had to drive all the way to Mitchell, IN.The night before our trip,  on Sunday, we had had a thunderstorm and had given Sophie one of her anti-anxiety pills (1/2 pill).  Then on Monday morning she still seemed very loopy, but we hoped for the best and prepared Grampy for her needing a little extra help.  

Sophie's decline:

After giving Sophie to Grampy we drove north and arrived at the "L" home around 4:30 pm on Monday.  At the end of our week's adventures we left around 12:00 noon on Friday to head south to G & G's house, 2 hours south of Indy to pick up Sophie.  Well, long story short--Sophie seems to have had a stroke or something.  She didn't recognize me at all, never wagged her tail, her back legs were giving out, she couldn't see out of one or both eyes, and when I tried to walk her she just kept walking in a circle, forever turning right.  She was a mess. It was apparent that she needed to be put down.  I'd asked Dh to call his parents each day to get reports on how she was doing, and the reports were all positive, which made her actual condition quite surprising.  I was in tears and felt so awful to see that Sophie had been suffering while Dd and I had been having such a good time.  I had Grampy call our vet in Mitchell to see if they could get her in, but they couldn't.  Then Grampy thought to call the vet in the next town over, but no one answered their phone.  I called Dh and he called our vet in Grand Rapids and they could see her in the morning, Sat. at 11 am.  We had no choice but to get back in the car and head home, even though we had already just driven 2 hours.  So, we got Sophie in the van, which was difficult, and started for Michigan.  We left around 2 pm and arrived home around 11:30 pm--about 12 hours driving on Saturday.  The hardest part is that Sophie would not just lie down, she kept trying to pace or walk around and kept bumping her head and stumbling.  We had to take turns, one of us would drive while the other sat on the floorboard holding Sophie.  Dd had a harder time holding Sophie so she did most of the driving, I just did the driving during rush hour in the city, which took about 2 hours to get through.

Despair:

Once home I got an air mattress and slept on the floor with Sophie, trying to keep her down and resting.  We kept finding her standing in the bathroom with her head in the shower curtain.  For some reason she wanted to keep her head in corners, standing in the oddest places.  It was a very long night and I didn't get much sleep; maybe 2-3 hours total.  B/c Sophie weighs 95 pounds I didn't think we could carry her out of the vet, so thought ahead to ask if the vet could come out to our minivan and they agreed.  The Lord really took care of the details.  Dh went into the vet's office while I kept petting Sophie while we waited and she fell asleep.  She was happily snoring while I had my last moments with her.  The vet and her assistant came out and were very kind and caring.  They administered the shots and Sophie went onward to heaven.  We took her home and buried her in a grove of evergreens--the most beautiful spot.  Now, I'm struck dumb at being without my dear Sophie.  In the fall the vet had removed that big tumor in her mouth and told us she had a very aggressive and fast growing cancer and that we would have about a year, and I knew our time was limited, but I don't think I would have ever been "ready."  For the first time in our marriage, Dh and I are without a dog, or cat for that matter.  Dd's kitty, Agnes, has been very sweet and let me have extra pets, but my heartache is huge.  

Seeing our old house:

So that is the 'worst of times,' now for the 'best of times,' our visit with the "L" family!  Before we showed up at the L's house we drove past our old house to see how it was doing.  We arrived just after the school bus had dropped off some kids, we recognized the first two as neighbors two houses down, but there was a new little girl, with a Hello Kitty backpack...and she walked right to our house! We got to the little girl who now plays in the play house we built!  How fun is that?!  

Best of times: Monday:

Dd woke up at 5:40 am, she was that excited to go she our friends!  

Our arrival at the L house went well; even the littlest L was happy to see us!  I was afraid she might be shy or not remember us since their visit to Michigan last fall, but that was not the case! She acted like we had been there just recently!

Heather made a great dinner--she used the green beans Grampy brought us that Giz had picked from her garden and snapped already too!  Plus we had corn on the cob, Jasmine Rice (love), and she also made a Basil Butter---Butter with smashed fresh garlic and salt--to put on the veg or rice..or on everything!  Yum!

Tues:
Heather made GF buckwheat pancakes for breakfast that were awesome.  

Dd scheduled a visit with her good friend, G, at a bakery in town.  We didn't know it at the time, but it was G's birthday! It was so great to see our friends!

Then we went for a nice long hike around Eagle Creek.  We saw lots of birds and butterflies.  It was a really beautiful day and just perfect for a hike.  Lime's disease, the one that is transmitted through ticks, is really active in this area so we put on lots of bug spray!  




After the hike, we went back to her house to make our lunch sandwiches.  



Brown lunch bag in hand, we piled into the car and headed to the Indiana State Fair, eating our sandwiches on the way.  We really learned a lot from the Global Food exhibit that was so well done.  



We watched the lady carving the huge blocks of cheese again this year, went to the AG building for all their exhibits, the can sculptures, the tallest corn and sunflowers, the honey ice cream that Dd loves to eat, and the gourds. 



 Heather's family always goes to the Dairy Barn for soft serve ice creams, which is always a major hit with the crowds!  So many people!  



We saw so many things before we got in line to buy ride tickets. 

Dd and J went on the "White Water" ride.  This was Dd's first non-Ferris Wheel ride---

Yup, they got wet!

 The kids rode one ride before we all got together for our Ferris Wheel ride. 



 It was after 9 pm, so it was dark, the moon was full and shining (until we got to the top of the circle and then the clouds covered up our moon and our opportunity for a great photo of the moon!) and all the neon lights were shining!  



After that ride we called it a good day and went home.



Wed.:
Heather made cantaloupe with blueberries, GF zucchini muffins, and sausage for breakfast! YUM!  Then we went to the Pike Library before heading back to the Indiana State Fair for our full day seeing the sights.  



Highlights: the kids fished the pool for fish--and they all got one (or two!), DNR building with the always fun 'flood exhibit,' rug-hook displays, quilting displays, bowl carving/wood working, penny candy store, and bees wax display/store.  



We were fortunate to get there just as the workers, in their old-timey outfits were sitting down for an old fashioned meal!  They bowed their heads and said a prayer before digging into the meal---the apple-salad looked excellent!



Little L went through the "Little Hands of the Farm" and got her prize.  We watched big machinery do farm chores using coal to run their tractors.  Lots of animals here and there--giant oxen among the group.






This year the Indiana State Fair had put up a "Sky Ride," which is like those chairs skiers use to get a ride up to the top of the mountain so they can ski down.  The chairs don't ever stop but slow down enough for you to quickly sit or pop out of the way at the end of the ride.  We all got a ride on the new Sky Ride, sitting 2 per bench, and enjoyed looking down at all the action at the fair!



One of our favorite things is the 4 H building with the chicken/turkey eggs hatching in the incubator while the crowds watch.  The building was full of fowl--all sorts of birds: ducks, turkey, geese, and chickens.  Plus, they had a lot of adorable bunnies too!



When we got home the kids wanted to go to the pool to swim and cool off after a dusty hot day.  After swimming, Heather and I had a nice cup of peppermint tea before heading to bed!



Thurs.:
Eggs, cantaloupe, toast and homemade strawberry jam were our breakfast.  I had brought eggs to share and so it was nice to have a little taste of home!   For years I've heard Heather talk about Goodwill's 'Pay by the Pound' store, though I had no idea where it was and never found it.  This trip Heather took me there to see it for myself!  We spent hours there!!!  I can't even begin to tell you everything we bought!  The one extra special thing I found was a book---Webster's Encyclopedia of Dictionaries--which my dad had given me for Christmas back in 1978 or 1979 or somewhere around that time.  I used to love this book and remember using it for research on school papers I had to write.  Well, dad died, divorce, move to state after state after state after state and somehow I hadn't seen this book in like 35 years, but, there it was on Thursday--at this Goodwill!  As soon as I saw it my heart lept!  Boy, what a treasure!  You know I have gone to so many used book sales and never, in all these years, have seen that book!  What a great find!  I'm so happy to once again hold that wonderful book again!!!!  It is like having a gift from my father all over again! I'm thrilled!

After Goodwill, we had Taco Salad and a rest-hour (nap for me!).  An hour later the kids were getting their bathers on and we headed to the pool.  It was so much fun watching the kids playing together.  Heather went off to the grocery store to get a few things she would need to make her special Asian dinner.  H and her husband had spent around 2 weeks in Asia---Thailand and some place that is escaping my memory right now!  They took a four-hour cooking class and learned how to make quite a few dishes.  While the kids watched the Lego Batman movie I watched Heather make this elaborate three-course dinner! 








Up first was the Spring Rolls, then Green Papaya Salad, then Pad Thai--rice noodles, chicken, garlic, carrot, shallots, chives...and finally for dessert:
Mango Sticky Rice!!!!  Oh my!  SO delicious!







Then the kids took a box full of sparklers and we went outside for their fun!  They lit sparkler after sparkler and had a blast before they held their "traditional Disco Night" party in the living room!







Fri.:
GF WAFFLES for b-fast and boy were they good!!!!  After eating we headed back to Eagle Creek Park for another (shorter) hike.  Heather spotted some milkweed plants and happened to spot a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar!!!  A few weeks ago I thought I had some, but they turned out to be only brown moth caterpillars, though I am still caring for and feeding them in my jars.  We were so excited we looked over each milkweed and ended up finding THREE caterpillars.  



She kindly let me take two of the caterpillars and she kept one for her family.  She felt awful taking them from nature, but at least with us those caterpillars will definitely reach the butterfly stage.  After the hike, Dd and I packed our car and headed south two hours to Mitchell -- to see Sophie, Giz, and Grampy.  Giz was babysitting her great grandchildren on Monday so we didn't see her and again on Friday so we missed her both times.  Once we arrived at G & G's house, and saw Sophie I went into panic mode--trying to find a vet who could put Sophie out of her misery...which lead to us getting back in the car and driving 8 hours to Grand Rapids for her appointment at the vets on Saturday at 11 am.

So our week had such wonderful times with Heather and her family---2 girls and 3 boys.  And then we had the devastating situation with Sophie.  We miss her so much.



Academically, the Indiana State Fair is full of learning.  Dd went to church and Sunday School on Sunday.  She went for a hike at Eagle Creek Park.  For Physical Education she swam in the pool twice.  So, she did get a little "academic" points for the week.

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