Trippin With Dad

I don't remember bible verses being quoted much in my home.  In fact, my parents weren't regular church goers when I was young.  What I do remember was my aunt Charlotte quoting one particular scripture EVERY time she broke bread with us (which wasn't too often).  It was Proverbs 3:5-6.  As a child I absorbed her words; maybe it was because of the reverence with which she spoke them.  But I hid those words deep in my heart.  And I learned to trust Holy Spirit because of them.  There have been dozens of instances where Holy Spirit, in His whisper voice said, 'do this or, don't do that' and each and every time I have been saved from something detrimental.  Like when we hesitated in booking an overseas trip only to live through the death of my brother, a niece and a nephew the same month we would have been away. Today was no exception.  Dad wasn't feeling his best but he powered through as he always does.  We discussed what to do about his...

So. How did we Three Amigos get to where we are now telling our tales?  I believe there are no coincidences in this life we lead.  We are all tasked and then equipped for those tasks by God to do what only we can do.  We still have a choice as to whether or not we complete the tasks assigned but, make no mistake, we HAVE an assignment. It's funny because I've known most of my life that my assignment would be to take care of my Mom and Dad in their old age.  Shoot, by my Mom's calculations she was already old when she had me at 37. Lol.  Around age 10 I knew pretty much how things would play out.  Looking back on circumstances now I think most of my decisions as I grew up were made with them in mind.  My parents invested heavily in me and I, in turn invested in them.  It's the kind of decision many families make when they know they only have each other for insurance down the road. Growing up, my parents loved to travel.  As the story goes, my...

Three teeth.  That's it.  Just three teeth.  He's lived with these three teeth for what? 85 or so years?  No one wants to part with their O.D's (Old Dentals). But we had two days to decide what would be best in the long run for Dad's health and well being.  After consulting with the dentist and the oral surgeon on Monday, we decided to go for extraction of those three offending teeth.  I hated to have to make that call but, all of the evidence pointed to the fact that those three teeth were causing more trouble than they were worth. Any time my Pop Pop, who is tougher than pretty much anyone else I know, started questioning whether or not those three teeth should be allowed to complete the life journey with him then I knew it was time to put them on the chopping block.  Still, pulling the plug on teeth almost a century old made us pause.  But when you pray about something tough and you let God have it, you can sleep knowing that He will cover it...

10pm Dad:  "hey!  Hey!!  HEY!!! Syl:  What Dad?  Who are you yelling at? *a little exasperated* Dad: That man over there! Syl: Well, what does he want? (I used to say he wasn't there but, just because I don't see him...) Dad:  He wants to take me with him. Syl: Well, is he a nice man or a mean man? Dad: He's real nice. Syl: Do you want to go with him? Dad: Yes Dad: I don't got nowhere else to go! Syl: You can stay here with us if you want to. Dad: *something kinda garbled* Syl: Did he say where he was taking you? Dad: *long pause*. No he didn't Syl: Well. I don't mind you going if you want to go but maybe you'd better find out where he's gonna take you. Dad: You're right Syl:  Once he tells you then you tell me OK? Dad: OK. Syl: Night Dad Dad: Night honey

Stone crab mania Looks like our ship was stranded on the Cay. My Disney booty Disney Princesses

All good things must eventually...transition into other good things.  As sad as I was to end the Disney cruise, I was equally happy to be reunited with my better half.  But between disembarking and reuniting there was more fun and favor to be had.  The Lord tapped me on my shoulder around 0530 to give me plenty of time to get Dad up and secure our final breakfast.  Sure, we had the option to head down to the dining room for a final off the menu meal with our wait staff but I opted for breakfast in our suite on our verandah.  It's not often I get to eat canned corned beef hash after all and what a salty treat that was! We exited our room at about 0745, said our final goodbyes to Lilis our hostess and headed down to the atrium.  Why hadn't I looked up all the other days I passed by the atrium?  What a beautiful piece of Dale Chihuly style red glass on the ceiling!  I've said it before but, the attention to detail on the Disney Wonder was just specta...

I really had no reason to be up at the crack of dawn but there I was, staring off the balcony watching God be God.  It was a spectacular start to the day and it made me want to see more. I decided to give all of the eager families first dibs on exiting the ship so Dad and I could take our time with breakfast.  We headed for the gang plank around 1030 where the Disney crew was happy to help us get transportation to the interior of Castaway Cay.  The tram buses that run continuously all have wheelchair accessible ramps making it extremely easy to go where ever there are paved pathways.  It felt good to know that Dad was safe and secure as we made our way to our first stop.  Be advised that there are sand accessible wheelchairs available on a first come, first served basis if you'd like to dip your toes directly into the water.  Dad wasn't having any of THAT but it was good to know anyway.  We were all about the bar BQ lunch and the fruity coconut drin...

I truly believe that sometimes God taps you on the shoulder early in the morning to make sure you don't miss his majesty in action. It happened the first morning at sea.  My eyes popped open for seemingly no reason and I made my way to the balcony just in time to witness our ship glide into Nassau.  How a ship that size maneuvers with the precision it does is absolutely mind boggling! Mind you, I really didn't get much sleep as Dad seemed convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was letting someone walk out the door with "stuff I might need" later.  He was quite perturbed about this lapse in judgement and spoke loudly about it half the night.  I do have a few tricks up my sleeve for an especially talkative roommate and eventually we both were able to get some rest. Nonetheless I felt like I'd gotten enough sleep around 8:00 am to get our day started.  It looked like half the ship had the same idea I had to grab an early breakfast.  The doors to the ...

If, by chance, you like to cruise and you haven't tried Disney I would highly recommend taking a look at what they have to offer.  Whoa!!!  Wait a minute Sylvia.  I don't have small children, I don't follow all things Disney.  I know my kids are gonna have a ball but, what's in it for the adults?  Why are their prices higher than most cruise lines? Is it really worth it?  YES!! The Disney cruise experience IS really superior to other cruises I have tried (with the exception of Royal Caribbean maybe). The old adage, "You get what you pay for" is kinda true with cruises.  Bargain basement prices typically mean bargain basement experiences.  That being said, I really do believe there is a cruise out there to fit most people so, try several until you find the one that fits your taste, style and budget. As stated in a prior post, I contacted Disney.com Special Services department and found them to be very responsive.  The only item missing from m...

Hey hey hey all.  Welp, we made it back home safe and sound and with a LOT of great memories for the books.  It's going to take more than one post to relate all of our adventures so I will just start off by saying we experienced God's favor at every turn.  You know how you imagine a vacation is going to go, then it just gets better as it unfolds in real time? That's favor!  Each and every day we got a special blessing from someone along the way which all added up to a bounty of beauty. I always look for that daily miracle and it always shows up; a heart of expectancy cannot be overestimated! Before I go any further I have to say a hearty 'Thank-You' to my Honey Lamb, Raymond for holding down the fort while we were away.  Not only that, he was gracious enough to have prepared a lovely dinner of salmon and green beans for us to feast on for dinner.  How grateful I am to have this wonderful man support me in all of the wacky things I do! Dad and I were...

You ever have one of those days where things. just. flow?  The sun seems to shine on you no matter the situation or circumstance?  Well, that was today for me.  Dad and I partied all day long! There wasn't anything necessarily special or spectacular about what we did, but things were just in synch. And real. We had a great breakfast and played good music. Got in a walk in some beyoutiful weather and shared in some real talk about moving on to the next level.  According to Dad, when it's time to go, its time to go and no amount of crying or begging is gonna keep you here.  My response? So let's party until our time comes!  See, I truly believe that the abundant life Christ promised is the one I should be leading. Every day.  It doesn't matter if it's a day filled with laundry and cleaning (which is pretty much everyday ) or a day spent doing nothing at the beach. It's the  inhale  and  exhale  of life; both the 'being' AND t...

Dad and I are busy getting ready for our next adventure. Ok. I'm the one whose busy while Dad is chilling. But we can't wait to set sail on our 4 day Disney cruise to the Bahamas.   One might think packing for a four day vacay wouldn't take much energy but you would be sadly mistaken.  Whether you are traveling overnight or for a month, certain necessities must go with.  Those necessities take up a whole small suitcase so, be prepared.  I always plan for the worst and hope for the best that way I am rarely disappointed. I meticulously pack using a detailed checklist of items Dad needs.  This ranges from his favorite night cap to toothpicks.  No item is too small to be catalogued and packed.  If it truly matters at home then chances are it will matter in another location.  This is a task that takes days to accomplish well so, start early and save yourself considerable stress. We took this trip on another Disney ship two years...

Welcome to my newest creation, Trippin With Dad!  I am super excited about sharing with you what makes the "Three Amigos" work. I'll chat about how we manage to live and travel together and have fun doing it and what keeps us passionate on a daily basis.  I am always surprised when I hear people ask, 'so, how do you do what you do?'  When I ask what they mean, it invariably centers around our full-time care giving responsibilities.  What gives us the drive, the gumption, the nerve, the chutspah to stay engaged with the caregiver role and not "throw in the towel" so to speak and place Dad in a long-term care facility?  Welp. First and foremost, we don't do anything without the strength and support of the God we serve.  I can unequivocally say THERE IS NO WAY we would survive without knowing where our help comes from (more on that later). That we are blessed beyond measure to do what we do is an understatement!  But it all came with a LOT of pre-plan...