Kim lives in Holland MI about 2 hours NW from here. We weren't supposed to get any rain or severe weather but we got some as well. We needed the rain so it's not a bad thing but this region has had more then it's fair share of bad weather this Spring/Summer...actually and Winter as well with that huge ice storm.
I did manage to have some fun today. I have some friends I hang out with over at a Nursing Home and I stopped in over there for awhile earlier this morning. I just love a guy over there name Jack. He's a great buddy of mine. His wife is still able to stay at their home 20 miles away so it's hard on him sometimes because he really would rather be home but his health really prevents it. So he wasn't very talkative when we first met but now...whoa does that man have some interesting stories to tell.
Like a lot of the men there right now, they are in their late 80's, early 90's and were in the service during the War (WWII). That kind of life experience and the stories that go along with it never ceases to amaze me. Jack was a Combat Engineer which is a bit different then it sounds. Sure they could build roads or bridges...but often they were called in to remove mines (under enemy fir of course), blow stuff up like German Concrete Strong-Points and tanks.
The time I spend there at the nursing home has me thinking a great deal about how we look after our elderly in this country. the staff over there is good, I like them and they seem really professional and like they really do care. The media often tells us horror stories but we rarely get to hear about the good ones. It's a bright, pretty cheerful environment, very clean. Every client has their own apartment and as much freedom as they want.
I feel really privileged to know these folks...it's sad but so many of them do NOT get regular visitors. Which is truly SAD because they have relatives who live 5 minutes away? So it is impossible to not feel lonely, in spite of the efforts of staff to play games and do other activities to get folks involved. That can seem a bit surreal because these are folks who lived through the Depression, often fought in a War...they are not kids and they can take care of themselves. It's natural to want to help them do stuff but they really don't need help. That can bother some of them and I think it bugs Jack some though he couldn't be nicer about it all.
OK well i'm going to shut this down and see how things are doing up in Holland. Catch you next time...
