Sunday, October 11, 2015

Sunday Snapshot ... Home.

Good morning!

I'm not supposed to be home this morning, but I am.  I should be finishing up an overnight stay in a hotel somewhere near Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Real life, unstaged view of this sunny Sunday morning.  Dorothy in my lap ...


When my husband and I made plans to travel to attend Doug's funeral yesterday, we decided to spend last night at a hotel and head toward home in the morning.  (It's a four-and-a-half hour drive from here to there.  Doing it all in one day didn't seem to be a wise idea.)  We figured that there would be no problem finding a hotel room for the night after we finished for the day ... we figured wrong.

Winnie snuggled under her down throw, with Ruby lounging on the other side of the sofa.


For some mysterious reason, every hotel we called was completely booked.  We started calling hotels near where we were in Allentown, then we progressed to calling hotels along our route toward home ... Reading, Lancaster, York ... nothing.  The clerks we spoke to were very helpful, and most could report the status of other hotels near them, but there was nothing else they could do for us.

So .... we drew in our breath, squinted our eyes with determination, and kept going.  When we reached Maryland, we were tired, but it seemed silly to attempt to stop with only two more hours to go.  In Virginia, road work on I-95 added an extra half hour to the trip.  We stopped a couple of times along the way, to stretch and walk around and work out the kinks that had developed from a total of 10+ hours in the car during the day.  Finally, at 12:45am, we pulled into our own driveway.

Now you see her, then you don't.  Having poked her head out to check on things, Winnie burrowed back into her 'cave'.


I have to admit, despite the grueling car trip, it was really nice to fall sleep and wake up in my own bed.  Yesterday was a whirlwind ... visitation, funeral, graveside, wake, and a stop at Doug's house to pick up plants ... but it was a good day.  Sharing memories and grief with dear friends lightens the load ... thank you very, very much for your concern ... we are all fine.

Since I'm not traveling today, I plan to be outside in the sunshine, working in the garden, listening to football ...  sounds like a perfect day!

Happy Sunday, Everyone!!

17 comments:

  1. I've done that before and the closer I got to home I just went continued and got home. It is nice to wake up in your own bed. Have a restful day!

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    1. That's exactly how it felt! We joked at least once during the day that there would certainly be room at the 'Inn' and that we wouldn't be forced to sleep in someone's manger ... only to have it happen after all. Today feels like a bonus because of it.

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  2. We've had that happen, but usually book ahead just in case. Sometimes it's a local homecoming or football game or something college related. As long as you are home safe, that's what counts!

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    1. I always book accommodations ahead of time, but I didn't for this trip. I guess there was too much to do in such a short period of time, and I truly believed that there would be rooms available. Turns out, at least in that end of Allentown, that there was a huge soccer tournament that was filling the hotels. Booking in advance may not have solved the problem ... and my husband pointed out that not finding a room ahead of time may have discouraged me from making the trip at all. Perhaps it all worked out as it was intended.

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  3. Wow! No hotels. Well, I'm glad you got to wake up in your bed to a lovely day. And I'm glad the service went well.

    I once drove from Richmond to Boston (9 hours), packed my stuff into a moving van with three friends, slept four hours and drove 9 hours home. Sometimes there's just no place like home!

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    1. And I'm guessing no time to look for the perfect boots either.

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    2. The service was wonderful. No one there was surprised to learn that Doug planned it all himself. He was pastor of the host church for 25 years, and the sanctuary was full of friends, family, and parishioners ... all of whom loved him. I did fine sitting there during the service, until the pastor's voice cracked and he had to compose himself.

      No boot shopping, darn it. I was actually more interested in antique shopping during the planned drive home on Sunday. A friend told me about a cluster of antique shops near Adamstown that he found to be irresistible.

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  4. I've done those trips before, and know the exhaustion you were feeling, and the relief when you get home safely. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the day, despite the Redskins losing...

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    1. Oddly, I was okay with the Redskins loss. They played well, showed guts and heart, and they lost it so suddenly with that last play in OT. The old 'Skins would have rolled over and lost it after Atlanta ran up the field during that last drive to take the lead. I like what I see in the team and the way they play this year.

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  5. That was quite a day and I bet you are glad (in a sad way) that it is behind you. Hope you had a peaceful, restful day today. xo Diana

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    1. Exactly! Glad in a sad way. I'm always bummed when friends and family see each other mostly at funerals. It happens that way when we get to that certain stage in life, and it sucks. Fortunately, we have made an effort to get together otherwise already, and we reaffirmed the determination to visit at least in the spring while our gardens are at their best. Doug would have liked that.

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  6. It's been a lot of years since I've travelled that long in a car. I don't miss it. Glad you made it safely!

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    1. I'm okay with car trips of a couple of hours or so. Four and a half is a bit beyond my comfort zone. Fortunately, my husband doesn't mind stopping every 100 miles or so to get a drink, stretch, and clear our heads.

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  7. That happened to us once and my husband will never go anywhere now without a reservation in advance! Glad you are home tired but safe!

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    1. It was a long day. As I told Julie, above, if my husband told me that he was strangely glad that I didn't call ahead for a reservation. There was only a few days notice once the funeral plans were finalized, and the soccer tournament in town appeared to be the reason that rooms were all booked. There probably wouldn't have been a hotel for us either way, and I may have rationalized myself into not making the trip.

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  8. So glad you made it home safely.Your day was a full one and it was good to get home as there is no place like it.

    Love and hugs and have a great week ~ FlowerLady

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    1. No place like home indeed! As much as I like traveling and visiting with friends, I am, at heart, a true home body.

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