The Hanscom Family Weblog

We have been staying in state parks or relative’s driveways most of the time, although we had guest rooms at LaRae’s, my uncle Bob’s, and Sally’s.

We are doing pretty well — a couple times of “clarification”, but that’s nothing new! John’s been sick all the way. He coughs much more than usual, has great head drainage, and has been generally miserable. At the beginning we alternated driving, but he hasn’t felt up to it for ages. He was so miserable he even went to an urgent care “doc-in-the-box” in St. Joseph MO, a couple weeks ago. She said his lungs were fine, so no flu or such, and she said it was probably “just allergies.” She gave him a cough medicine prescription that helps him sleep, and recommended Zyrtec. When he ran out I said to take the Benedryl we had, and that actually is working better than the Zyrtec. Healing prayers requested, though, so he stops coughing and has energy again.

Walgreen’s is pretty neat, as they have a national computer system. So they are keeping track of our meds, refills, and insurance. It’s very convenient.

We’ve had a great time visiting my family. We only have one cousin to go, in Pennsylvania. Even Uncle Bob, who has two homes and also travels among his three sons, was at his Wisconsin/Michigan home and we spent some time with him. The driveway to his home starts in Wisconsin, but the building itself is in Michigan! He has macular degeneration, as did his sister, my mom, but we went out in his boat on the lakes where he lives. He could see some, and always new where we were. With our help for eyes, all went well. He enjoyed the freedom, and his sons had fits. Oh well.

We are now in Martinsville, Indiana, in sister Susan’s driveway. She has four dogs, including two pit bulls, two cats, and her son Eric and new wife Amy also live with her. We can’t go into the house unless someone has locked the pit bulls in the studio, a garage converted into a quilting studio. She sleeps out there with the big dogs, and Eric and Amy have the house with the two smaller dogs and the two cats. It’s very strange.

Tomorrow we meet one of my high school friends for lunch, then the schedule is a bit unknown, depending on availablility. We have our neice Katy and her boyfriend (8 years older, not liked by the rest of the family), my HS boyfriend Jay and his wife, John’s best friend in HS, and his brother Doug, Pam, and younger daughter, Hannah (a year younger than Hannah). John’s best friend, Syd, is preaching at the Methodist Church in Sharpsville this Sunday, and Susan has a service next weekend in an town near here, that we will attend.

We went to Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence, Missouri, which was Bess Truman’s church, a couple (three?) weeks ago. It was so nice to have “real” chuch again, after a few weeks of either nothing, or visiting my cousin Paula’s Presbyterian church. That one was good, though, because John was the “liturgist” for the service! He really does a good job at that. — but I’m now going to think about that now.

We’ve changed time zones and I haven’t made the change yet, AND I slept late this morning/afternoon no matter which time zone you were working in, so, it’s after midnight, and I’m wide awake.

Reba: I shared your dueling signs email with Paula and she enjoyed it as much as we did.
Jo: You are always in our prayers. We’ll be able to help with chauffering again in late January.
Nancy: Our adventures are tiny in relation to what you and Alice are enjoying!

We love and miss you all.