It seemed like this trip to Ohio was the shortest ever. I know it wasn’t because we were here for three weeks. But the weeks were packed with a variety of necessary activities. Which means that our short stay in Ohio had plenty of things for us to do.
During our short stay we saw our doctor and got our prescriptions renewed. We also talked to our family physician about getting a MMR vaccine. I read an article from the Immunization Action Coalition that said that people born between 1957 and 1966 might not have the desired immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella. The first MMR used an inactivated measles vaccine which might not provide adequate protection today. People born before 1957 are most likely immune because they experienced measles epidemics.
We visited our dentist. We got the RV and truck washed and waxed. Thanks Speedy Ks! The RV and truck look beautiful again! We went grocery shopping and clothes shopping. Shopping in Columbus is easy because everything is available somewhere. Stuff that is harder to find we ordered from Amazon and picked up at John’s house.
Our favorite thing to do when we are in Ohio, of course, is seeing friends and family. This trip was mostly family. Mom and Dad are getting ready to move into a retirement community, so we helped them with sorting out some stuff. We didn’t help much with that, because they are really doing great on their own. They have lived in their house for 54 years and it is packed with memories and things. Once you separate the memories from the things, sorting is easier. The memories go with you, even if the things don’t.
Mom and Dad also had some chores for us. Just household kinds of things that are always necessary. We were happy to help with cleaning out the gutters, washing windows, repairing bricks on the patio, and cleaning out closets.
John and Jackie also had a few chores for us during our short stay in Ohio. John wanted some more raised garden beds for his Fartley Farms peppers. The problem was it rained every weekend we were in Ohio. One Saturday John and Tom got all the material and carried it to the garden in the rain. They leveled the ground and dug holes, at which point it was raining harder. Finally I suggested they come inside and we would try it again on Sunday. It never occurs to Tom that he can quit something before he is done. They agreed to that plan and Sunday turned out to be a much better day to work outside. Tom and I put the lining in the boxes on Monday while John was at work. It was raining while we did it.
I helped Jackie pick out some plants and then plant them around their house. I also edged the flower beds in the front yard. Tom spent a lot of time mowing. I spent most of my time at John and Jackie’s walking the dogs. Sully and Kiera think that I am the dog walker. As soon as they see me, they run to get their leashes and stand by the front door.
We loved spending time with Mom and Dad and John and Jackie during our short stay in Ohio. We are glad we will be here longer in November and December so we can see the friends we missed this time. Time with those we love always goes too fast.