February 28

When I arrive this afternoon, Bill was in process of taking Dad for a walk. It was chilly but the sun was shining and there was no wind so it was not bad. Dad said that he didn't feel like he was strong today but he was pickin um up and puttin um down. He didn't walk as far as usual but he sat in the sun for a while while we chatted.

I spent two hours with Mom and Dad this afternoon just visiting and catching up on family and friends. Mom and Dad both look great and were in good form.

Mom had a mole removed from her foot last week and it was diagnosed as a melanoma. She will be going back to the doctor on Tuesday to discuss the next steps which will in all likelihood be to have more of the surrounding tissue removed and analyzed. She has not had any pain and it has not hindered her mobility so far and hopefully we can take care of this expeditiously.

Dad has not had any other episodes of weakness or disorientation since his last visit to the doctor. Maybe the new med is helping, even though the difference between baby asprin and $200 per month prescription is pretty hefty, I guess you get what you pay for.

We had a good visit and quite a few laughs during our time together.
Aunt Kitty (Dad's sister) called while I was there and she read Dad an obituary from someone about her son ( his nephew, my cousin), Tom who passed away on the 22nd of a heart attack. Tom was a larger than life "character" just like his mother and dad and for that matter his whole family. He will be dearly missed. Tom and Dana were faithful readers of this blog and faithful in their support and prayer during Mom and Dad's ordeal.

Some of my fondest memories of childhood visits to Alabama were on the Hobb's farm. I always loved our winter visits there because I knew we would get to go squirrel hunting on their farm.

I didn't realize it until after Tom's transition that Dana had been blogging about Tom's condition since last July. Dana is a much better blogger than I am and I am still reading the early entries. It is a beautiful expression of their journey through the last months of Tom's illness and their steadfast love for each other, their family and God. I will link it to this blog for those interested.

Dad's weekend caretaker Bill will be traveling to Little Rock in the morning to have an oncology evaluation on his wife. Please remember them in your prayers. They are facing many challenges at this time.

God is good.