Mosaic Monday #84: Going Home

Hand-made postcard for Dear Neighbor Friend

“What’s round on the sides and high in the middle?”  Ohio!

And that is where I have been for the last week.  As I have mentioned in a past post, my mother got sick in late April, and the 14-day quarantine requirement made it impractical for me to visit.  You can bet that as soon as it was lifted, I was on my way!  (This will be a short-ish post; you can expect more in a future post.)

I have 5 living siblings, and I checked in with them on my plans – with my Mom’s advanced age (91!), I needed to be sure that everyone was comfortable with the notion.  A potential show-stopper?  Flying.  Do you see a plane as a Petri dish or one of the safest places to be with the new cleaning regimens and state-of-the art air filters?  

An N95 mask would mitigate many of our concerns, and I shopped the Web to no avail.  One of my older brothers obtained two, and just before he was set to mail me one, my Dear Neighbor Friend came to the rescue.  After this, I also found out that #1 Daughter had access to the same mask.  Never rains but it pours.

So the travel plans were made, and I went to the airport with no idea what to expect.  First, the parking lot at our small airport was nearly empty – unheard of for the Gateway to Glacier in early June.  Second, the boarding process was the most civilized I have ever seen – people truly waited for their row to be called (boarding is now by row, starting in the back) – rather than everyone standing up as soon as first class is mentioned.  Third, my first plane was only 30% full, and most folks were faithful to Delta’s policy that everyone must wear a mask unless eating or drinking.  (Unfortunately, three guys in the row ahead of me were not, and I was disappointed that the crew did not challenge them.)

Fourth, the “beverage service” is now a baggy with bottled water, a cookie, nuts, a Purel packet and a napkin.  If you were hoping for some Starbucks coffee or a bloody Mary, you are out of luck.  Fifth, the second flight was half full; I had three seats to myself.  I can’t think of the last time that happened.  Sixth, and perhaps most importantly, I was alone.  Before my departure, Spousal Unit and I tried to recall the last time we had been apart for a night or more.  Had to be before I retired three years ago.  I sure could have used him for comfort on the descent to Salt Lake City, when rollercoaster turbulence caused my life to flash before me!  Quite frankly, the whole adventure was like something out of Alice in Wonderland – only the hookah-smoking caterpillar was missing.

Hand-drawn postcard for Spousal Unit

My dear oldest sister retrieved me from the airport (the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is located south of Covington, Kentucky), and in Driving Miss Daisy style I was banished to the back seat, which was covered with a sheet.  Upon arrival at her house, the sheet and my clothing went in the washer while I scrubbed any evidence of the virus from my body.  Much more enjoyable to emerge and have a couple glasses of Chardonnay!

Flowers from my sister's garden

It had been suggested by my Mom’s doctor that I “quarantine” for a day or two before going to my Mom’s house, so I had a very pleasant Sunday with my sister before heading north.  The shade of her massive umbrella over the back deck created an ideal location for crafting - she worked a cross-stitch while I endeavored to create postcards for friends and family.  A slight breeze limited my sense of the heat and humidity, quite a change from the cool/dry environment of Montana.  The day was a wonderful interlude between the weird travel experience and what I anticipated would be an emotional 5 days with my Mom.   Come back next week to read about that!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

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