It's a Great Day to Be Alive!

[draclvr]

We just returned from a trip up to NW Iowa to celebrate my mother's 94th birthday. Considering that last winter and spring we would have never dreamed she would still be with us, let alone be able to enjoy it, it was quite a birthday! We had the big common room at the nursing home reserved for Saturday night and had a meal with all the grands and great-grands. Then to top it all off, she got to go to Waddy's with the rest of us Sunday morning. Waddy's is an old biker bar in Hudson, South Dakota just across the Big Sioux River about 20 miles away. The town probably has a whopping population of about 500 people, but Waddy's is well-known state-wide for their Bloody Marys. We are unable to take mom with us like we used to as she has a catheter permanently and can no longer assist us in getting her into a vehicle. So she has been VERY upset when she can't go along on our ritual Sunday morning trip to Waddy's.

One of the CNA's at the nursing home offered to come in on her day off and drive her there in the facilities van. It turned out to be a sunny crisp morning and was in the middle of harvest up there, her favorite time of the year. As Tanya was securing her wheelchair in the van, she said, "What a great day to be alive! What a great day to be alive!" It's probably been at least a year since she's been able to leave the nursing home unless she was in an ambulance. She doesn't eat much at the home, but she had a full order of popcorn shrimp and about half of my sweet potato fries. She was bound and determined to have a Bloody Mary at Waddy's for her 94th birthday, and by golly, she HAD a Bloody Mary at Waddy's for her 94th birthday! We tipped Tanya $50 for making her birthday awesome!

[Val]

Oh my goodness Drac! How fabulous that you were all able to do that. Cheers to your Mom, Happy Belated Birthday and hope there will be more Bloody Mary's to savour in the future. Bless her. x

[JKEerie]

That must have been a grand gathering. So happy you were all able to be with your Mom, Drac, and celebrate in style! Cheers to her and best wishes to her in the next year of her life!

[Stella]

Sounds like she had a wonderful day!

[LadyKestrel]

It sounds like a wonderful celebration, Drac, and it was very kind of Tanya to use her day off for the outing!

Happy 94th Birthday to your mom!

[Diat60]

Three cheers to your mother and her fantastic outing! Popcorn shrimp and a Bloody Mary - what more could a birthday girl ask?

[StarLite]

94 years young, glad everyone had a wonderful time