March 31st: There are so many changes piggy-backing on so many changes - either happening in the moment, or happening at some point in the next few months.
But changes are happening 🤔
Today, we drove Aunt Gaye into Bullhead City-AZ for a Dr. appointment: her left ear has been deviling her. It is very painful, and she has been having trouble with her hear aid in that particular ear.
Her appointment was for 10:45 AM, but we left a bit earlier because there is road work happening that has been holding traffic up every day: Holland was wanting to avoid that hassle.
When we arrived at her home, she was ready - a raring to go 😊
The drive was sunny and warm … and convo was lively & loving 🥰
Along the route, Aunt Gaye pointed out several areas and gave some history behind each attention grabber - and Holland was nodding with remembrances: they both remember when the drive from Bullhead City to Kingman (and visa versa) was nothing more than desert and a 2-lane highway. Now Bullhead City and Kingman are really living up to thriving city standards (still small as far as cities aspirations go, but larger than they used to be 😉; they both remember when Havasu didn't even have a street light!) … now casino high-rises run the entire length of Bullhead City along the Colorado River, Havasu is a sprawling playground for the rich and wealthy - and a 4-lane freeway runs through it all.
I listened, and learned. Holland calls Kelso-WA, home … but he has actually spent more time on the highways, byways, and freeways of AZ that anywhere else. Aunt Gaye has lived in AZ half of her life. They have interesting stories to tell 😊 - and I like to hear them.
Interesting hill, along the route to Bullhead City-AZ
The Casino Gaye & her late husband used to go to; Bullhead City-AZ
Traffic was not as busy as anticipated, and we arrived abot 15 minutes early.
But the Dr. Office was very busy, and Gaye was kept waiting a good 45 minutes before she was seen; and her ear attended to:
Half and hour over her scheduled appt.; so tired.
Vacuuming out liquid infection.
She has a severe ear infection, and will need ear surgery; so, that process was set in motion before we left the building.
Back in Kingman, we picked up mexican meals (at a place she has been wanting to try) to take to Aunt Gaye's.
The food was awful … the time spent enjoying each other's company was good.
Aunt Gaye will not be checking into the Assisted Living Senior Complex she had hoped to - but she is still planning on selling her house & her car; and will continue looking into, and checking out other senior living facilities: these are not nursing homes, but rather individual apartments. But she still refers to them as nursing homes, even though they are worlds apart in operation.
Anyway … it will be a good change. She will enjoy life better with less stressful worrying about aging alone - and everyone who loves her will rest easy too, knowing she will be in a safe environment.
Holland also did research on the resale value of her little car, and it is a very good price. She was overjoyed because she had figured it to be a whole lot less. When her son comes for a visit the middle of April, he can help her with the selling process.
Change is hard - giving up even a bit of independence is brave.
She is no longer self-sabotaging.
She is engaging in self-affirmation talking 💓
We all gave each other pep talks because we are all going through various changes:
"You are brave".
"You are capable".
"You are resilient".
"You are smart … and your ideas are sound".
"Everything is figureoutable" 😉
She was very happy when we said our good-byes. And we were happy knowing that she is no longer fighting the changes that must be made.
When we got back to Independence, Holland looked into the weather patterns in the regions we will be traveling through when we leave here; weather is sketchy, but doable - as long as the wind will not be an uncontrollable force to be reckoned with, we will be okay as we forge ahead. Everything is figureoutable … and Holland is good at figuring out everything when it comes to traveling highways, byways, and freeways 😘
I worked on another pair of slippers. My feet spend half of their time in slippers, so I want them to be comfortable (feet and slippers). While my hands worked at shaping the yarns into the slippers I wanted, the winds tonight were strong; they were tearing through here like a wild beast - loudly howling, and rocking Independence with broadside gusts.
Looking up a slipper pattern … and listening to the wind rage.I'm happy with the way the slippers turned out ;-)
MOD KNIT CONTRAST SOLE SLIPPERS; Kingman-AZ: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/04/mod-knit-contrast-sole-slippers-kingman.html)
The slippers were finished around midnight - but the winds raged on as I climbed the short flight of stairs to the warm bed, and husband that awaited me.
Life is good.
Change happens.
And everything is figureoutable ❤️
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