New England Blogs

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Vermont......... It's all I need

My good friend CT called me last week to see how things were going with my Dad. During our conversation, we began talking about a trip she will be taking to visit her daughter in Hawaii and asked if we had any trips planned. I told her nope. Nothing special........"just going to Vermont. It's all I need." She told me we should make bumper stickers with that slogan. This could be the new Vermont tourism slogan. (I LOVERMONT is soooo yesterday anyways) :-)
So,if you start seeing bumper stickers saying "Vermont......It's all I need", you will know where they came from.
T-shirts may follow. :-)
Which brings me to todays photos and todays blog.
For the past 21 days straight, I have been visiting my Dad in the hospital.....some days staying for 10-12 hours a day. I needed to decompress. Mr. S knows exactly what I need.....and all it took for him to say was "Let's go to Vermont for the day", and I was there.
We drove up at 5 am this morning. Just me and Mr. S on a roadtrip to my happy place.......my favorite place on the planet. There were no sights, sounds, or smells from the hospital. There were no words exchanged between us such as pain, TPN, ileus, fistula, bowel movements, foley catheter and CT Scan. There were no sounds from IV pumps, heart monitors, blood pressure cuffs and footseps of  Drs., nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and portable x-ray machines.
I see and hear these things on a daily basis while doing my job at work. But, when the patient laying in the bed is someone that you love, these sights, sounds, and smells somehow become exaggerated, and hit a nerve.
Yes, today was a day to decompress and get away from it all. As soon as we pulled up to our house in Vermont and got out of the car, two kids were driving tractors down the road. The smell of manure was wafting in the air from the farm across the street. I was in my glory! These are the sights, sounds, and smells that bring me peace. (Yes, I find comfort in the smell of manure....does that make me strange? Perhaps....but I don't care) :-)
Vermont......It's all I need.

I hope my two sisters and my mother can find a happy place to get away from it all too. It's good for the soul. My brother has arrived from Ohio, so our whole family is together. My father was transported to a hospital in Boston this past week. I will update again at some point.
By the way......hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

6 comments:

  1. Oh Carol: that was the most inspiring, rejuvenating and touching post yet. You and I are going to get that bumper sticker made! But we need some lawyerly advice, so maybe dear Andy could help out! LOL! And he can't take a cut either!

    Vermont: It's All I Need! Love it! But most importantly, Carol, friends like you? You're all "I" need.

    Hugs and special wishes for your Dad.

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  2. Awwwww thanks BNVT. That was so sweet of you....you put a tear in my eye! Yes, we must get those bumper stickers made.
    YOU can ask Andy for the help. :-)
    Love yah girlfriend!
    Carol

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    1. Love the pictures! SO happy you had a great day!! Next time I call you, think of Vermont before you answer the phone : )
      Love You!!

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  3. I'll try to be in my happy place when you call Miss J. Sorry for all of the crankiness during the evening phone calls over the past 3 weeks.
    Haappy place....happy place........happy place....

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  4. I was wondering how things were with you and your dad. Illness is rough on everyone. I am glad you were able to get away, even if only for a day, to rejuvenate your soul. Now, you can once again, give to your dad who needs it now. Take care.

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  5. Very well said Tracy. Thanks so much!

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