WHO YA GONNA CALL??

It's been a long, long two days in Columbus, without a computer and the urgent need to get this written ASAP. On the trip down, I suddenly realized that in all my writing, I've failed to share with one and all the two neighbors that Mom and Dad have called upon for years in times of need, and that I have simply continued. Joe and Terri Mitchell, who used to live next door, and Bob and Dee Clary, who live across the street from us, have dropped whatever they were doing more times than I can count to come and rescue us in the last two months.

In this picture, Bob has his back to us, in the blue T-shirt, (sorry Bob!) and Dee is facing us, with the sun in her face. This is the best photo I have - so far! In the pink shirt and sunglasses is Terri and next to her is her hubby, Joe. The photo was taken during the combo inauguration of our new deck and going away party for Terri and Joe. They have moved to Toledo to be closer to their kids and grandkids, but we really miss their support and prayers. I doubt if anyone, even Joe and Terry, realize how much help they were to me personally during those first few weeks of Dad's diagnosis when he was so very ill. I miss them each and every day.

But, thank you God, we still have Bob and Dee. And there have been days when I simply don't know what we'd have done without them. I know Mom and Dad would be lost without their friendship, caring, and support!

It was Dee who actually drove us to North Coast Cancer Center in Clyde, since she knew where it was. Thank God she was with us. I'm not sure I could have driven home that day. She took wonderful care of us. That weekend, when we had our first major scare with Dad, it was Bob and Dee who came on the run, holding our hands, and waiting with Mom and me until Hospice arrived to allay our fears and get Dad stabilized.

When Mom tripped over the fan and sliced her hand, Dad called, dragging Dee out of bed at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m.! She immediately came over, barely awake, but ready to do whatever we needed, calming all of us in the process. She ended up going and staying with mom in the E.R. while her hand was sutured, while I took care of something urgent here at home that eludes me at the moment. When Mom and I went to Doctor's appointments, she stayed with Dad, to make sure he was okay, before we trusted others to stay with him, when he was so very ill.

I've lost track of the number of meals she's provided for mom and dad, and she's even trained one of her daughters to include servings for mom and dad when she bakes for Dee and Bob! When I'm in Columbus, I can always count on Dee to check on Mom and Dad at least twice a day, to make sure that they're okay. She helps mom remember her meds, and checks on Dad! (Personally, I don't know how she finds the time; the woman NEVER stops. If she's not mowing her grass, planting new flower beds, mulching, making beautiful, hand-crafted Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday, etc, cards or some other craft, sewing for her kids or grandkids, she's off and running over creation!) I think Bob has given up trying to keep up with her - it's just not possible!

Speaking of Bob, he's turned into our "on-call repairman". No job is too big, too small, too tough, or even an inconvenience! The poor man came over to measure for a shelf mom had asked him to put over the hot water heater in Dad's bathroom so we'd stop putting stuff on top of the water heater itself, and I found three other "little things" for him to do. Bob NEVER complained once, just sighed deeply, and took care of the stuff. The man has been constructing cabinets in his own garage for a couple of weeks now, and yet, he drops everything to be at our beck and call! Daddy's coffee table leg fell off, and Daddy got it back on - backwards, and we got Bob to fix it. He just looked at it, shook his head, and put the leg on the right way. When the full-length mirror came off the door in the "guest room" (aka Deb's room), Bob brought over this wonderful bonding stuff, used the caulk gun, and got the mirror back on to stay. Unfortunately, the other panel came off about three weeks later . . . . and Bob thought it was the same one at first - silly guy - should have had more faith in his own work - I know that mirror is never coming off. So, out of the bonding stuff, he used tape, and viola'! the second panel is on to stay! He makes it all looks so easy - and his workmanship is flawless!

It scares me to think that come the end of October, Bob and Dee will be headed to Florida for the Winter, returning next May, I think it is. It's clear that I've got to have my house packed up and contents stored by then, and work on getting that transfer to somewhere in the area by the end of the month. As I drove to Columbus, contemplating all this, it suddenly dawned on me how much I depend on them to keep an eye on the parents when I'm not around. And they've known Mom and Dad for over 30 years, so there's a solid foundation of a relationship as well as years of history and observations that are enormously helpful.

So, who am I gonna call in time of crisis? Bob and Dee are the first call I will ALWAYS make - before little brother, Hospice - anyone. Knowing I can count on them is such a blessing! I could never have continued working even on a limited basis at CVS, without their support, encouragement and just plain taking care of mom and dad! I hope that each and every person is as fortunate as we are to have someone like the Clarys to depend on, take care of them, and just maintain their friendship in a situation like this. Cherish it! And I thank God each and every day for them and their "neighborliness"!

Deb