My sister called me yesterday from NJ. My own mother is now in the hospital. Seems she was in a lot of pain - first chest, then stomach and back. They believe it is pancreatitis. A gall stone between pancreas and gall bladder. Possibly she will have to have gall bladder removed. I talked to Mom twice yesterday and again today. She sounds good. Yesterday had no discomfort, today some but bearable.

I asked if I needed to return to NJ. Sister, brother and Mom tell me no. I will take it day by day. If I need to go, Len will have to stay here to continue care of his mother.

Len's mother had a good day yesterday, when we saw her this morning not so good. She might be tired from yesterday. As far as I could tell, she got up early and did not take any naps all day.

Starting tomorrow Len and I will be sitting with her all day until the weekend. We will stay over in the house on Tuesday night. Len has told his family we will have to go to South Dakota for a week in May to get our drivers licenses. We also plan to return to NJ for a month in June. However, this is all up in the air as if we are not here during weekdays it leaves one sister-in-law to provide all the care during those hours. It is too much for any one person.

A schedule is set

We arrived back in Louisiana mid afternoon on the 14th. Our sister-in-law Susie was at Mom's along with family friend Christina. Susie really needed relief as she has been here most days tending to Mom.

We are parked next to Mom's house. There was water and electric available and Len ran pipes to get us sewer hookups as it appears we will be here for a length of time.

Royce and Susie stayed with Mom Wednesday night. We stayed all day Thursday. Brother Bobby and sister Laura stayed with her last night and will today. We met with brother Jerry, Laura, Bobby and sister Sissy last night. They worked out a schedule until late next week. We will stay in the house next Tuesday night. During the weekend various siblings will stay with her. Starting Monday the days will have to be covered by Susie, Len and I along with help from Christine.

As we are right here, even on days when it is not our full responsibility, we will be in and out checking on things as will all other siblings when their schedule permits it. Most of the siblings and in-laws work so their responsibilities will be mostly nights or weekends.

Len is again, trying to find work to supplement our meager income. If that happens, I will stay with Mom weekdays. That is fine as long as Christine is here too. She is able to lift Mom. I would not even attempt to try. I have seen times when Len has difficulty. Mom is completely limp when moved. Her legs drag and get tangled up causing a tripping hazard. Each time she is moved it takes two people, the stronger one to lift and the other to move her legs.

I am proud of how the family is getting together and each helping in their own way.

Hill Country of Texas

Sunday, April, 11. We left Seguin late morning and drove to Big Chief RV Resort at Buchanan Dam about 10 miles outside Burnet TX. This is a view of the lake from our site.

This is clearly the best time of the year for wildflower sightings. Looking across the lake, we see a mass of purple. These are Texas Blue Bonnets. Why they are called Blue, I don't understand. They sure look purple to me. Whatever they are called, they make an amazing display.

This is a picture of bald mountain at a State Park outside Llana, Tx.

A field of Blue Bonnets.

Monday, April 12. We went to the Post Office in Burnet then called Granddaughter Tiffany. We were only about 9 minutes from her house. We visited with her and Great grandson Alec for a little over an hour. Needing to stock the larder, we stopped at the local HEB for supplies.


Tuesday, April 13. We drove about 70 miles to Fredericksburg, TX. This is a town of mostly shops and resturants. Many of the buildings were quite interesting. This building is now a store/wine shop, but according to the old signage on it, it was once a hospital.

Our cell phone reception was very poor at the campground. A call would come through but as soon as answered, we would lose coverage. We had to run into town or up a hill to make call backs. Early in the day, Len had called his brother Jerry to check up on his Mom. He indicated everything was under control. Late in the afternoon, Len's phone rang and he saw it was Jerry calling back. We hopped in the truck and found an area we could call out. Jerry said we were needed back in Louisiana to help out. We packed up and pulled out of the campground Wednesday morning.

Wednesday, April 14. We set up "camp" in Mom's side yard. There is water and electric service already. Len worked to give us sewer. We will be taking rotations staying in the house at night but most days we will be here in the house sitting with Mom.

We have several commitments in the next few months. I will cancel them as necessary. Our most immediate obligation is a NOMADS project in Missouri. We were scheduled there on April 24. I will call Carla at the office later today and let her know we will not be available again for the forseeable future.

Seguin, Texas

Week of April 5 to 11, 2010. We spent this week outside Seguin, Texas at the home of Terri's friend Sharon Smith and her friends Anne and Marcia. Below are two of their goats who "play" like this several times a day.

The front deck of their home.

One of our meals on their back deck.

That is Sharon with the big smile and her mother, who also came from NJ for a visit, left of her. Anne is in the blue and the back of the head of Marcia.

Three of their four horses. Two are ready to foal in two months.

April 9, 2010. This is Peggy and David. I have been talking to Peggy for a few years on the Weight Watchers RV and Campers thread. Peggy and David are also fulltimers. They are working for a year at the Escapees Park in Hondo, Texas. We met in San Antonio at the Little Red Barn for a steak lunch. It is always nice to meet people I have "talked" to online. We do hope to meet again down the road. Perhaps we might stay for a while in Hondo later in the year or early next year.

New Braunfels and LBJ Ranch

Wednesday, April 7. We drove into New Bruanfels, TX for the day. The weather was at first drizzly and overcast but as the day progressed, the weather improved. We spent time outside New Bruanfels at the Guene (pronounced GREEN) historial district.

The most exciting part of the visit was being in Guene Hall. This is an oldtime country dance hall but more important it is where George Strait got his start with his Ace in the Hole Band. He played there most weekends for a number of years before heading off to Nashville. As some of my friends know, I am a fan of George.

Thursday, April 8. We drove up to Johnson City and on to LBJ Ranch. Len and I had been there several years ago. When we were there before, tour buses took visitiors around the ranch. They now provide a free CD directing guests on a self driving tour.

We stopped in Johnson City at a small cafe for lunch. For the first time I tried Buttermilk Pie. It is to die for! Yummy.

President Johnson is buried in a small family plot on the ranch right across from the house (a reproduction) of where he grew up. This is his and Lady Bird's simple headstones.

The house he lived in on the Ranch is not elaborate nor ornate. Just a simple home. At the time of his presidency it became known as the Texas White House.

Crawfish boil followed by the Alamo

Hello and welcome to this blog - Happy Campers!

Sunday, April 4. Easter Sunday. We attended church at Vinton United Methodist church. When we arrived back at Len's mothers, all three of his children, 9 grandchildren and our one great-grandchild was there. We had moved our fiver from the campground into Mom's side yard Saturday morning. Above is the group. It includes us, daughter D'Juana, son Lennie, daughter Cassie, their spouses, and their children.

Here are our five generations. Mother Alice, Son Leonard, Grandson Leonard Jr, Granddaughter Tiffany and Great-Grandson Alec.

Following our day with family and extended family including Len's four brothers and spouses and two of his sisters, one brother-in-law and their children and grandchildren, we hit the road headed to Seguin, Tx. We stopped along I10 at a Texas Rest area for the night.

Monday, April 5. We arrived in Seguin about 9 am. After finding our "home" for the next several days we were greeted by daughter Terri's friend Sharon. Shortly after we arrived Sharon and her friend Marica left for the airport to get Terri and her husband Steve and Sharons mother Marge. We were taken on a tour of the property by Annie. They have 4 horses and four goats and three dogs. The property is about 11 acres back a gravel road almost to a deadend. They had installed electric and water hookups for us. Most of the day was spent visiting.

Tuesday, April 6. Len, Terri, Steve and I had breakfast then went into San Antonio. First business was touring the Alamo.

After the Alamo, we did the River Walk, stopping to have a great lunch at a Mexican Restaurant. The weather here has been somewhat humid but bearable. We now need to make plans for the next few days.

Met with Hospice Nurse

Yesterday the Hospice nurse met with most of the family. Mom had had a good nights sleep, got up very early but became tired around 1. She slept in her chair most of the afternoon. Around 4 she asked to be put in her bed. The nurse came around 5:30.



He said that she will have spells of being awake and spells of sleeping long lengths of time. This is due to the changes in her heart's pumping blood. He can not predict how long this will continue. She might live days, weeks, months like this. More and more she is living in the past and her conversation makes no sense to us. We are told this is usual.



The family is preparing for a large crawfish boil in Sunday. Len and I had planned on leaving the area Sunday afternoon headed to the San Antonio area. Terri and Steve are flying in on Monday and we will be staying at Terri's friend Sharons.



Len and the family tell me that we all need to continue with our lives and do what we had planned. We will be only 4-5 hours away for the next three weeks.