Back to Reality

I had a great time last week when I got away for several days with my parents. It's so neat that Mom (age 79) and Dad (age 81) are still able to travel and have fun. Their best friends came from California and met us in southern Oregon at a little town called Shady Cove. I'd never heard of it, but since mentioning the name to people, I've had numerous responses of, "Oh, I love Shady Cove!" I guess it was a well-kept secret that I'm now in on! And I'm sharing it with you!

We spent four nights at the Edgewater Motel, set on the banks of the beautiful Rogue River. When we arrived on Sunday and opened the French doors on the river side, we saw rafts and boats floating past our doorway. It looked like a lot of fun. I've never gone rafting, but maybe it's something I should try.

During our time there, Dad and Dick went fishing every day at a nearby reservoir while we women stayed at the motel and played umpteen games of cards and went out to eat. Seems to me that we got the better end of the deal. The best part was that I got to celebrate my 57th birthday while we were there. Mom and Joanne made the day special by taking me out to lunch in the old gold rush town of Jacksonville. The richness of the decor and the ambiance of the Jacksonville Inn stirred my imagination as a writer. The trolley car tour we later took of the town only added to my vivid pictures of life in the 1800's.

So where does reality fit in with this, you ask? How can "real life" break through amidst dining out, living in the past, and maid service? Well, it happened when I returned home to find a $1200 bill (not covered by insurance) for blood tests I had done in the process of trying to find out what's wrong with my feet. (Talk about having to foot the bill!) And if that weren't bad enough, the next day I got notice that I've been summoned to appear for grand jury selection next month!

I've decided my best bet is to not open any more mail!