Winter, Family and Furry Friends

Texas weather. One day panting from the heat, the next shivering from the cold. Not sure what this little cold snap brought with it from the north, but my head has ached all weekend from some kind of allergic reaction. Neither Tylenol Sinus nor Maximum Strength Bayer is giving me any relief and I've spent one of my rare Sunday afternoons in bed with the dogs, napping.

It was a good weekend, nonetheless. Saturday evening was a belated 74th birthday dinner for my father. I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with a cousin, fill myself full of catfish and cherry cobbler, and later in the evening visit with my aunt who came down to watch Mother while I was out. Mother had a fairly decent weekend. She's been pretty well sick of both me and her health worker lately, so thoroughly enjoyed the change of audience and the opportunity of talking with someone who shares the long ago memories where she spends much of her time these days.

It's a good thing I have overnight company every so often. It forces me to clean bathrooms and straighten bed rooms. Caregiving tends to wear you out and housekeeping sometimes gets put on the far back burner for weeks at a time. I'm the queen of the lick and promise school of housework these days, but for the moment I don't have to close my eyes when I go upstairs.

The dogs learned that they can be babysat by someone other than Uncle David. They were dog-tired last night when we got in, worried that Mom and Uncle David had disappeared for good. They've stuck to me like glue all afternoon, glad for the opportunity to catch up on their rest.

So the cold weekend draws to a close. My head still hurts, but I'm surrounded by the good feeling of recent family visits and the little warm bodies of three dogs who are gently snoring beside me. It's a cozy feeling on a Texas winter night.

LSW