Five Simple Tips When Caring For The Elderly or Disabled

If you are caring for an elderly parent or a chronically ill loved one following are some simple tips to help you keep them more healthy.

1. Our skin is our biggest organ and the first line of defense for the body. Keeping the skin healthy and intact goes a long way in keeping a person healthy. When you are assisting a disabled person with personal care remember to keep skin clean and smooth. An open sore on someone's skin can lead to an infection or worse.

2. As a rule people generally do not take in enough fluids. When you are caring for a disabled loved one remember to push fluids unless otherwise indicated by the doctor. One should try to drink at least 2 quarts a day. I know, I know, that sounds like a lot! When you take in enough fluids you have better skin integrity, less pain, better digestion, and overall better functioning of the body. Remember, our bodies are made up of 2/3 water.

3. Keep moving as much as you are able even if you don't feel like it. It is not good to allow a loved one to sit or lay in one position for long periods of time. If this happens one can develope pressure sores. Also, the old saying, "if you don't use it you lose it" is very true. If you are taking care of a disabled loved gently persuade them to get up and walk every hour or so. If they are wheelchair bound at least assist them in changing their position often. Pictured above is an elderly gentleman I have cared for. He walks with the assistance of a walker. He loves to go to church with me.

4. People are social creatures. When they are left alone for long periods of time their health usually declines. This is especially true in the elderly and physically disabled. If you are caring for a chronically ill loved one remember they need to engage in some socialization. Everyone is different but I believe that if someone socializes for just 15 to 30 minutes a day you will see a difference in them. There are lots of ways to socialize. A few examples are: Visiting one on one, taking a ride in the community, going to church, family functions, adult day programs and volunteering or getting a pet.

5. Often times when one is chronically ill they do not want to get dressed. They would rather stay in their p.j.s as it takes such an effort to clean up and get dressed for the day. Believe it or not when one cleans up and puts on fresh "street" clothes they usually feel better. Staying in the same clothes and not taking care of yourself daily can lead to depression and greater physical illness. If you are caring for a disabled loved one encourage them to start the day by getting cleaned up an dressed. Pictured on the right is an elderly gentleman I cared for several years ago. He got up every morning and dressed in a jacket and tie.

I have taken care of people for over 35 years and have followed these tips throughout my career. These tips have proven themselves over and over again. Of course there are many other variables that go into caring for people with disabilities but the above 5 simple tips are a sound starting point.

A Few Tips on Caring for the Elderly

I am Sonja Burns, LPN, founder of Air Companions. I have also taken care of people, mostly the elderly, since I was a teenager. Over the years I've picked up picked up a few tricks of the trade and thought I would pass a few along. I know there are many people out there caring for their loved ones and perhaps will benefit from some of the things I have learned working as a caregiver for over 30 years. Since this is a blog for Air Companions I thought it would be appropriate to start off with tips on traveling with the elderly.

By the way, the photo below is a picture of my husband's grandmother, Beatrice. She was 100 years old at the time. She lived with my husband and I for a couple of years at the end of her life. She passed away in September 2009 at the age of 101. She was quite a character!

1. Make absolutely sure your loved one has a picture ID. I have discovered that older people who no longer drive and need care often do not have a picture ID. If you do not have one when you enter the airport you will not be able to fly.

2. If a person is wheelchair bound and cannot walk through the metal detectors at the airport they will be required to be patted down. So, if you are flying with a loved one who cannot walk please give them a heads up about going through security. They will be patted down.

3. Airports offer escort services in the airport. I have discovered that airports often contract with a company that provides those services within the airport. I have also found the escorts to be very helpful and courteous. They can help you get checked in, take you to your gate, and assist a wheelchair bound person on and off the plane. I honestly don't know what I would of done without their help when I have been accompanying very disabled people from one destination to another. Another good tip is to remember these people enjoy a good tip, money that is. :)

4. I always carry a small package of wet wipes in my purse. When you are traveling with someone who needs assistance with their care wet wipes are invaluable for numerous reasons!

5. Always bring along extra supplies for your loved one. If they are incontinent bring extra incontinent pads/underwear. If they have an ostomy bring extra ostomy supplies. And so on ans so forth......

6. Make sure your loved one dresses comfortably. I would suggest a fleece outfit as it is warm and roomy.

7. When purchasing a ticket the best solution is to go first class. But, not everyone can afford that. If you have to fly in coach ask for seats by the bulkhead. There is more leg room by the bulkhead. Tell the agent you are flying with someone disabled. The ticket agents really do try to help you out.

8. If your loved one hasn't flown in a long time it might be a good idea to tell their doctor about the upcoming flight. If you think the flight might stressful to your loved one perhaps you could ask the M.D. for a mild sedative to help them get through the trip.

9. Make sure your luggage has wheels! When you are pushing a wheelchair it is very difficult to carry bags on your shoulders. A small carry on bag on wheels is a very good investment!

10. If all this sounds like too much work contact Air Companions! We would love to accompany your loved one in air travel! Or, any kind of travel for that matter. We would love to hear from you.

I hope these tips have been helpful. Next time I will give some tips on general care of the elderly.

A Recent Testimonial

How are you doing? Gee, it's interesting how connected I feel to the people who helped me out with the folks and the move!

The above statement was written to me in a recent email from a satisfied customer. I blogged about the trip. Check out "From Freeport to Freeport".

How To Mess Up a Referral

I am so upset by this I have to blog about it! Last week while driving in the car I received a call for Air Companions. Let me back this up just a little....Last week while driving in the car and answering a call and trying to placate a confused elderly gentleman I was caring for a call that I did not recognize came in on the other line. I answered. To my delight the lady calling was inquiring about Air Companions accompanying her mother from Syracuse, N.Y. to Long Beach, California on December 23rd. She also wanted Air Companions to accompany her mom home from Long Beach on January 3rd. The lady, who told me her first name but I have forgotten it, said that her mother was 80 years old and in good health. The very nice lady went onto say that her mother was some what fearful of flying and would just feel better if she had an escort. I told the lady that Air Companions would love to accompany her mother. The lady then asked what I charged. At that point I told her I was in the car. I told her I would be home in a half hour and at that time would call her back so we could discuss the details. She was agreeable. I told her I did not have access to pen and paper but I knew her number was on my phone so there was no need to write it down. We said our goodbyes. Little did I know that it would be forever!

Once I got home, got everything and everyone settled I made a couple of calls to help me accurately price out the potential trip to Long Beach, California. Feeling fairly confident I picked up my cell phone to retrieve the number to call the lady back. To my horror I could not find the number! I looked everywhere I could in the phone. (Mind you I am 53 years old.) In desparation I called my 33 year old daughter and told her, almost hysterically, what had happened. I could see her rolling her eyes even though we were talking on the phone. She said in an exasperated way, "Mom, the number has to be on the phone. Are you looking under Missed Calls?" I told her I had looked everywhere that I usually look to retrieve a number and the number wasn't there. At the time Rachael was caring for three children; her son 1.5 years old and her niece at 4 years old and her nephew at 10 months old. Needless to say, she was very preoccupied. I know I had to go another avenue so I sarcastically thanked her for her help and told I would call the phone company.

I called the cell phone company and told them my terrible plight. I asked them to please rertrieve the number for me so I could call this lady and at least explain why it had been over an hour since I had last spoken with her. I was put on hold for a few minutes. Finally the customer service lady came back on the line. She asked if the call from the lady had been a call waiting call. I told her it was. She then told me that there was no way to retrieve the call due to the fact it had come in as call waiting. I was stunned! I couldn't believe my ears! I am a big fan of Law and Order and CSI. They seem to be able to retrieve cell phone numbers from anywhere and everywhere! Now the cell phone company is telling me what I am asking is impossible! I felt like throwing up. The customer service woman was very apologetic and very sad that she could not help me. I thanked her for what she did do. Defeated I said goodbye and hung up the phone.

I could feel myself getting more and more stressed but then I said a prayer and told God that the only person who could fix this was Him. I was hopeful the lady would call me back wondering what had happened. It's been a week and she hasn't called. Despite all this I have learned a BIG lesson. No matter what if you have to get back to someone write down their name and number. Do not trust the cell phone!

If by some miracle the lady who called me is reading this blog I would very much like to talk to you about accompanying your mother to Long Beach, California for the holidays. I am so sorry this happened. Believe me, it will not happen again!

Diabetes and Family Caregivers

Did you know that November is National Diabetes Month and National Family Caregivers Month. Check out the links posted below to learn more about these very important subjects.


http://www.nfcacares.org/

http://www.diabetes.org/

Ten Reasons You Should Consider Using Air Companions

1. Your disabled elderly parent needs to fly across country and you are too busy with the husband, kids, job and other commitments to do it. Air Companions with treat your parent as if he or she was their parents.

2. You are divorced and your developmentally disabled grown child visits his/her other parent out of state. You and your ex need someone you can trust to accompany your special needs child throughout the trip.

3. You live alone and are struggling with a chronic illness and need to travel back and forth to a hospital for regular treatments. The treatments are exhausting and you are unable to drive yourself back and forth.

4. You or a loved one winters in the south each year. You need someone to accompany you/your loved one to your destination, drive the car, help get settled and fly home. That is one of Air Companions specialties!

5. You have always wanted to take a train across country but feel very vulnerable doing it alone. You would prefer to have someone with some medical training accompany you. Air Companions loves trains.

6. You have always wanted to go overseas but you are physically disabled in some way and your are afraid of flying and navigating the airports alone. Air Companions would love to accompany you.

7. You are getting married next year and are planning a huge wedding. Many people will need to fly to the island in Maine where your wedding is being held. It's the breath taking setting that you have been dreaming of your whole life. You so want your dear grandmother to be there. But she is wheelchair bound and suffers from mild dementia. She needs someone to help her get dressed every day and to make sure she takes her medications. She hasn't flown in years. But, it just wont be the same if Grammy isn't at your wedding. Air Companions to the rescue!

8. You would love to send your aging parents on a 2 week cruise somewhere warm in January after the holidays. But, they need someone to go along to help them out to make things easier and more fun. Air Companions has been on cruises and seen that many elderly people would have a better time if they had a travel companion with some limited medical skills.

9. You or a loved one struggles with mental illness and find that you need to travel for whatever reason. You have difficulty navigating your way through airports and feel afraid in big crowds of people. Air Companions can cut your stress level in half!

10. You have an elderly disabled loved on in a nursing home in another state and you want to bring that loved one to your state to live in a nursing home closer to you. Air Companions has done this sort of trip several times and it has always been a success.

So the next time one of these scenarios comes up I hope you will think of Air Companions. Remember we are not just "your guardian angels in the air" We are "your guardian angels everywhere!"

From Freeport to Freeport

Hi All. It's been a while and I apologize. Summer is so busy. Time just flies by. Before you know it it's almost fall and you haven't been on the computer for weeks! I guess I'm grateful I have such a busy life. I could be sitting at home wringing my hands and wondering what to do. So far this has not happened to me. In fact, quite the opposite and I'm happy about that.

Let's see.....where did I leave off? Oh yes, a lovely couple from Freeport, Maine hired Air Companions to go to Freeport, Illinois to accompany the Mrs.' elderly parents from a nursing home there to a nursing home in Maine. Since both the elderly man and woman were very compromised and in wheelchairs I decided to ask my husband to go along to assist me. I was very excited to have another adventure! Plus I was happily anticipating seeing some of the state of Illinois. I really had never been there. I have landed in O'Hare a few times, but that doesn't count.

We flew out of the Portland Jet Port on Monday evening, July 26. The weather was perfect as it has been all summer in Maine. However, our flight was delayed because of mechanical problems with several of the planes. We landed in O'Hare about an hour later than originally scheduled. I said a silent prayer that there would be no delays on our flight back to Maine the next day.

As you can see I snapped a picture of my dozing husband on our flight out to Illinois. I hope he really got some rest on the plane because we surely didn't once we got into the rental car at 9:30pm and started the second leg of our trip from Chicago to Freeport! Once we left the city it was quite dark out so we didn't have much of a chance to enjoy the scenery. One cool thing we did notice was that the city didn't just gradually fade out to a suburb to a town to country. We were in the city and all of a sudden we were driving through miles and miles of corn fields. Just like that! City....corn fields.

Finally, after what seemed hours of driving we arrived in Freeport, Illinois only to find that the main roads were blocked. There was no detour and no reason posted as to why the roads were closed! For the next hour or so we drove around in corn field and prayed until we found an open road into the heart of the town. At 1am we drove into our hotel parking lot. Needless to say we were exhausted. We asked the friendly clerk why all the roads were closed. He told us that the town was flooded from heavy rainfall over the weekend. We told the clerk there were no detours mapped out and it was only by the grace of God that we found the hotel. He was as perplexed by that as we were. We got our room keys, found the room and collapsed into bed!

Next morning we got up, got ready, ate breakfast called our contact person and headed for the nursing home. When we arrived we met the elderly couple, their son and daughter in law and the staff of the nursing home. All were very nice and helpful. I will call the elderly couple "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". Mrs. Smith is a small woman who suffers from dementia. She also walks with a walker. Mr. Smith was in the end stages of Parkinson's Disease. He could no longer walk and he was very stiff from the Parkinson's. He also suffered with dementia. I could see that the trip home was going to be a challenge and I was so glad my husband had come along. I could of not done it without him! Once we got all the instruction we needed and all the necessary things were packed we got our new friends into the rental car and set out for Chicago. It was another beautiful day and we really enjoyed viewing the scenery. Even Mrs. Smith commented several times about the beauty of the state of Illinois.

When we got to O'Hare Airport we were greeted by wonderful people who immediately came to our aid. All airports contract with companies who provide in house escorts. I think we were assigned the nicest escorts ever. They helped us in every way possibe and and made our time at O'Hare easy and pleasant. I took a picture of the two young ladies who assisted us. They were awesome! I truly do not know what we would have done without them. O'Hare is like a city unto itself!

Once we got to our gate we had to wait for about an hour before we could board. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith were cooperative and patient and even seemed to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the airport. We all ate a light lunch and soon we were on our way on non-stop flight to Portland, Maine.

The flight went amazingly well. We had first class seats which was a big help because the seats are bigger and there is more space to move around. The Smiths sat beside eachother. Mrs. Smith held and patted her husband's hand thoughout the trip. It was very sweet.

When we landed in Maine a very nice group of young men employed by the escort company assisted us all the way to the sidewalk and waited with us until my husband came around with the car. The young men even helped get the Smiths into the car! I was so grateful. From Portland we started the last leg of our trip. We took the Smiths to a nursing home nearby their daughter's home. At the nursing home we met up with our employers, the Freeport, Maine couple. We assisted the Smiths into the nursing home, gave instructions, said our good byes and left for home. Another Air Companions job well done!

July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day

In commemoration of the first woman pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, July 24 has been named Amelia Earhart Day. Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 and disappeared after July 2, 1937. Below I have pasted a few words written about Amelia from her official web site. To learn more click on the link below.

"Amelia Earhart was a strong, successful woman and really a pioneer for women. She never allowed anyone to tell her she could not accomplish what she had put her mind to.
As most everyone knows Amelia is known for her dedication to flying and her final flight. The last flight she ever took was attempting to fly around the world. She knew that no one had ever successfully done it, but she just figured she'd be the first.
She disappeared during her trip never to be heard from again, but that single attempt made her a role model for young girls for years to come.
In 1932, she was the first woman to ever fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, she was the first female to ever receive the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. Only a few women proceeding her have been able to receive the same honor."



The Official Website of Amelia Earhart

Part 2 of Air Companions is on the Job!

Picking up from my last blog I believe Doris and I had arrived at the Fort Walton Airport in Fort Walton, Florida, returned the rental car, confirmed our airline tickets and were heading for security. Once at the security area we were asked to show our picture IDs. I had my passport on me so that was not a problem. But, (and I mean a BIG BUT!) Doris did not have a picture ID. I instantly became nauseated for reasons I'm sure I don't have to explain. All I can say is that if something like this had to happen (and believe me it will never happen again on my watch!) I am so glad it happened at a little airport in the South. Can you imagine what it would of been like in New York City or Boston? Not fun.

The security guards were so nice and accommodating that I could hardly believe it. They apparently called Washington, D.C. to run a check on Doris to try to determine her identity. Meanwhile time is marching on and I am praying (literally!) that we would not miss our flight. Finally, after completing some paper work they confirmed Doris was who we said she was and we were sent through security. However, we didn't get off that easily as they had to "pat down" Doris. Female security guards completed this procedure. They were very kind and considerate. I can't say enough good about these people! Did I ever learn a lesson! Always make sure you and the people you are traveling with have a picture ID!!!

Because Doris is wheelchair bound they had to put her into a special chair to get her into the plane. Two strong young men gently lifted her from the wheel chair and placed her onto the special chair. They strapped her in for her own safety and carried her onto the plane. Then they undid the straps and gently lifted her from the special chair and placed her in her assigned seat. I was very impressed. I snapped this pic on your right from my window seat.

Once the plane took off Doris told me she was a little nauseated. I gave her a pill that the doctor had prescribed specifically for her trip to Maine. Twenty minutes later Doris was feeling much better. The stewardess was extremely helpful and waited on us by inches. When I got off the plane I told her she was the nice stewardess that I had ever met. One hears so many complaints about the service in airports and in flight and I did not see any of that the entire trip.

The flight to Atlanta was not long. We had a 2 hour lay over there and then the next leg of our trip would take us to Maine. Good thing we had a 2 hour layover because we certainly needed the time. As I said in my previous blog, the Atlanta Airport is HUGE! First Doris needed to make a stop in the ladies room which took a good 30 minutes. Once we came out we sought out help from the airport staff. They gave us an escort to our departing gate which, of course, was on the other side of the airport. We finally got there with very little time to spare. I grabbed something to eat and it seemed it was time for us to board. Doris and I were the last to board as she needed to be taken on the plane in the special chair. Again 2 kind young men assisted Doris and the whole thing went very smoothly. On the right I have posted a piture of the crowd waiting for the flight to Maine.

We were happy to be on the last leg of our journey. Doris was such a trooper. Mind you, she had not even been in a car outside of the nursing home for over 2 years! This trip home to Maine was a very big adventure! We finally arrived in Portland in the late afternoon. Doris' daughter was waiting for us. After settling our business I helped Rebecca get her mother into the taxi. I hugged both of them goodbye and wished Doris all the best. I got into my car and headed for home. What a great day!

Air Companions is on the Job!

Air Companions was on the job last Sunday, June 20, 2010, Father's Day! I flew out of the Portland, Maine Jetport in the late afternoon. I snapped this photograph right from my window on the plane.

I sat by two young men. We were all strangers. The one in the aisle seat was very quiet and busy doing his numbers puzzles. He did tell us he was from Scotland. The young man sitting in the middle seat was a fellow Mainer. He was young enough to be my son and he enjoyed the art of conversation. We talked steadily for three hours! It was very interesting, though. His name is Tim and he is an engineer. It seems that engineers can have very diverse careers just like nurses. Tim inspects railroad bridges. He flies all over the country inspecting railroad bridges. Sometimes he has to wade through swamps up to his chest in disgusting swamp water! He does wear waders, but still?! GROSS! He told me he sees huge snakes and spiders all the time. I was sickened, yet enthralled. Anyway, I told Tim that it's a good thing God didn't make us all the same. He agreed because he couldn't imagine doing what I do. When we landed in the HUGE airport in Atlanta we parted ways. Tim was going to Savannah, Georgia to inspect railroad bridges. I was going to the pan handle of Florida.

I arrived in the Fort Walton Airport at about 11p.m. I rented a car and drove about 18 miles to a little town called Crest View. I got lost trying to find the hotel and stopped at a convenience store to ask directions. The young man standing outside kindly gave me directions and I found my hotel easily. By the time I got to my room it was almost midnight. I didn't sleep well. I was too psyched to do my new job! Finally I guess I got a few hours sleep but I was up with the birds.

I ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and headed for the nursing home to pick up my client. We were flying out of Fort Walton at 10:20a.m. Once in the rental car things went downhill rather quickly. The night person at the hotel had printed me out a map to help me navigate to the nursing home. Even with that in hand I somehow got VERY lost! I found myself on a divided highway called Route 10 heading for Tallahassee! I was scared and sick to my stomach. What was I going to do?! Up ahead I saw a rest area and it looked to be an information station, too. I parked, got out and saw it was indeed a rest area but it was unmanned! It had bathrooms, vending machines and information, but no people! I was getting sicker by the minute. I knew I was going to blow this job and Air Companions would never get off the ground! I walked back to my car desperately trying to figure out what to do. Low and Behold I saw what I thought was a policeman! I was never so happy to see a policeman in my life! In my mind I'm thinking police escort to the nursing home!

I walked up to the policeman and discovered by that he was a security guard. He was very nice and asked me how my day was going. I told him it wasn't going well and relayed to him my troubles. He told me that the next chance I had to change my direction was 10 miles down the road in Tallahassee. I knew that I would miss the scheduled flight. Then this wonderful man said that if it were him he would maybe do a U turn on the median. He reminded me that this was an illegal thing to do, but he was just finishing up for the day and had to go out back to tidy up. If I was going to do a U turn maybe that would be a good time. He then drew me a map and explained in detail how to get to the nursing home. I figured out why I made the mistake I did. Believe it or not I usually am not bad at directions. I think the "guardian angel of the air" met up with her guardian angel at a rest stop in Florida.

I made the U turn and headed back to Crest View and found the nursing home. The staff was waiting for me inside. My client was just about ready to leave for her adventure. Her name is Doris and she told me that she had not even been out of the nursing home in at least 2 years! Doris' husband was there helping her get ready. He still lives in their home nearby. He visits Doris faithfully everyday. He is staying behind for a week to get the house packed up and he will fly to Maine in early July.

Doris is wheelchair bound. She suffers with some dementia and she has a G tube. She is very thin and tall. She needs assistance with most everything. Doris was somewhat apprehensive about flying but she was a real trouper. I instantly liked her. She told me she was a teacher and taught children how to read. I told her my grandmother was a teacher and taught children how to read.

Finally we were ready to head out for the airport. We said our goodbyes to the wonderful staff at the nursing home. (Have you ever noticed how very nice the southern people are? I really love that about them.) I wheeled Doris out to the car and helped her transfer into the front seat, stowed the wheelchair in the front seat and we were off! Doris thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the airport as she had not been out for a ride for a very long time. Once we got to the airport we turned in the rental car and headed into the airport to go through the rigmarole one has to go through to get on a plane. Little did I know what a rigmarole it would be! I'll give you a hint: Doris did not have a picture ID on her!

I'm going to stop right there and let you imagine what happened to Doris and I at the Fort Walton Airport when we went through security. In a couple of days or so I will write the second half of my story about Air Companions first job.

In honor of all those who have served.....

I was going to do a special post for Memorial Day but never got to it. Then I was shooting for Flag Day and never got to it. So, I'm doing it now. I think that we all have a patriotic feeling from Memorial Day right through July 4rth. Of course we should all year, but I think this time of year really stands out. Anyway, I have a dear friend who served in combat in Vietnam. I sent him an email about Memorial Day and he sent me back the following email sharing a very solemn experience. I think what he has to say says it all about war and what our troops give up so we can be free. My friend did not want me to use his name except for the letter T. Here's to you, T, and all of our troops who have served in times past and present......


To share a nugget of experience which I seldom do on this subject...

For a time, my unit was at Tan San Nhut Air Base in Saigon to re-organize. We were delegated to sleep right next to the flight line. Each night at 11 p.m., a fleet of large, low-bed, open trucks would arrive and park in the row of aircraft standing by to deliver the scores of that day's casualties home. The scene was etching as the moonlight reflected off the coffins, too many to count - predictable, night after night after night. Each was transferred to an aircraft with utmost reverence, each soldier receiving the respect of patience and time as each coffin was handled ceremoniously by comrades who worked through the night to avoid the revealing daylight image that would demoralize our own and cheer the enemy. At first, I would watch for a time, somehow compelled to face the reality of my own presence. Later, I only waited to hear the trucks arrive before falling asleep playing the nearby scene in my mind. It was every bit as stirring as it sounds, and I shall always remember it as if it was yesterday.

The Trip to Rehobeth, Delaware with Sherman

A year ago last June (2009) my sister and I split one week's rent on a condo in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. She had been there several times, but I had never been there. My mother and Molly's best friend joined us along with our husbands and Molly's 8 year old son, Sam and his friend, Mabel. Dan, my husband, and I decided to bring along the 84 year old man I care for in my home. So, all in all there were 9 people going on this little vacation (if you want to call it that). To your right is a picture of my nephew, Sam. He's pretty cute and a great kid.

My sister, Molly, drove down a day before I did. And it's a good thing she did or we would probably still be looking for the condo! We started out mid-morning the next day. As I remember, it was a beautiful summer day; perfect for driving.

It took us hours to pack. The roof of my 2003 Ford Escort station wagon reminded me of the Beverly Hill Billies as everything but the kitchen sink was tied to the top of the car, including a commode/pot chair. I'm sure we did not go unnoticed down the highway!

The trip was fairly uneventful for most of the way. We made a lot of stops along the way so that Sherman could move around and stretch. It took us 13 or 14 hours to get there and then we got lost! Of course, it was dark and raining which made everything harder to see. I think we drove at least ten miles beyond where we should of turned off before we realized we were going in the wrong direction. All I can say is THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES! What did we do before they were invented?!

When we travel I like to drive and my husband likes to keep an eye on the map. But, when the going gets tough things don't always work out that way. I have to say that our worst arguments have been over finding a destination. I called my sister, Molly and she talked us through it until we got to the condo. By then it was at least 11 pm! Sherman was not happy and neither were we. The condo was on the second floor so we had to take everything up via stairs or the elevator. Not fun when you are tired. Finally, I got Sherman settled into bed and my husband and I collapsed in bed shortly afterwards.

Rehobeth is pretty, but very commercialized. It was not really my cup of tea. I prefer a little adventure to nonstop shopping and lying in the sun. Sherman, on the other hand, didn't like any of it. He suffers with dementia and nothing was sitting well with him. After all, I had taken him out of his familiar environment. It made his dementia worse. Things seemed to be going down hill fast. I pretty much regretted going to Rehobeth Beach from the minute I landed there.

We suffered it out for a few more days but then both my husband and I just wanted to go home, not to mention the Sherman was practically yelling it from the rooftops! So, 4 days into our vacation we set for home and we were never so thrilled to get home as we were from that trip!

Sherman is pictured above at a Christmas partly last December with my dear friend, Marie.

I learned a big lesson from that trip. Sometimes people just don't want to go on vacation and when you take them you are not doing them or yourself a favor!

The Herald Gazette: Business Expo showcases local commerce

The Herald Gazette: Business Expo showcases local commerce


Air Companions, Inc made it's debut at the Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. It was a great day and Air Companions even got a write up in the Friday, May 28th edition of the Herald Gazette! Click on to the above link to learn more!

National Women's Health Week

In honor of National Women's Health Week. :)

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Please click on the link below to learn more about strokes; prevention and recognition.



I am dedicating this blog to my dear friend, Marie McIntosh passed away on May 10, 2010. She was a stroke victim. I have posted a picture of Marie taken at our church's Christmas party this past year. Marie was just 70 years old.National Stroke Association

National Nurses Week

May 6 marks the beginning of National Nurses Week. Nursing is a very diverse career. Most often people think of nurses as working in a hospital setting, but nurses do so much more. For example, I am a LPN and have started this new business called Air Companions. Air Companions accompanies people with limited medical needs in air travel. This new venture is a dream come true for me. I, too, have worked in hospitals, nursing homes, done case management for Area Agencies on Aging, and run senior assisted living communities. Also, for the past 20 years I have cared for disabled adults in my home. And now I am beginning a new chapter in my life. It's very exciting. Because of that I want to celebrate National Nurses Week. A career in nursing has been very good to me and I want to celebrate it! I'm sure you have a nurse in your life. Thank her for all her hard work and wish her well.

Below you will find a link to the American Nurses Association website. They are celebrating National Nurses Week big time. When you get a chance, take a look.

Happy National Nurses Week to all my nurse friends!

Above is the only picture I could find of myself in a nurses uniform. It was taken at least 25 years ago. I had just gotten out of work and attended a family reunion in Hope. The photo is a five generation picture of my mother's side of the family.

National Nurses Week

Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month. In honor of that I have pasted a linked to the Administration on Aging website. Just click on the link below and you can read about Older Americans Month and this year's theme and the history of the Older Americans Act.

So, think about the older Americans in your life. It has been said many times that they are the greatest generation. Do something nice for your older American. You won't regret it. Below is a picture of my parents. They are both in their 70s and still very active.


Older Americans Month

April is National Poetry Month

I just discovered, while reading the Bangor Daily News, that April is National Poetry Month. Thankfully I realized this while it is still April! In honor of National Poetry Month I am going to post one of my late son's poems. Vinny passed away in July 2008. He was only 32 years old. Vinny was bigger than life. He was a world traveler, an adventurer, a linguist, a staunch republican, a Christian, a muscle man and a poet. Vinny also suffered terribly with alcoholism and it eventually got the best of him. Perhaps he felt too much. The poem is quite deep and speaks about his struggle with alcoholism. Poetry is written, often, to make people stop and ponder the words. I hope you will read this poem and ponder it's words.


I have posted several pictures of Vinny while he was serving as a linguist in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kirghistan . Most of them were taken shortly before his death. One of the pictures shows Vinny sitting in one of Saddam Hussein's castles in Iraq. Another photo is of Vin with his girlfriend, Saltanat. She lives in Kirghistan. And, there is a picture of Vinny standing with his pastor, Rev. Thomas Schallor.


Weak Men Love Much......

Haven't I brought disgrace to Thee?
Haven't You always provided for me?
What's to question? I know my heart is drenched with wicked sin.

Please, oh God, forgive me and let grace through faith begin.

Each time when I am up my failure comes as sudden rain.

I crave it in my bones, my heart is wanton and I cannot foresee the pain.

There in the midst of my misery, You I do not forget, You are all about me.

Here, there, all my thoughts lead to You; there is no place to flee.

Though further into separation do I sink.

I welcome the oblivion of my mind so I do not have to think.

This is not what I want, this is so wicked, my mind judges me still.

There is no peace in me. I can never get my fill.

Haven't I left this place behind?!

It came so suddenly I must be blind.

What kind of monster am I to do such wicked things?

Lately when I come to worship I cannot even sing.

I feel so wrong I cannot even look some men in the face.

Because I know it's You they represent in Your place.

What have I become? Please rescue me from myself.

How? How is it You call me Your treasure and wealth?

I am a man of unclean lips and a perverse heart.

Will I ever have the stability to let Your love start?

Oh, my judging, Pharisaical life.
What sort of husband would I ever make for a wife?

I just can't seem to get ahead.

Seems I am better imprisoned or dead.

Who am I to judge even one time?

When your wrath has been slight for the multitude of iniquity that is mine.

You haven't maimed me. I always have food to eat.

You gave me a mum whose words are tender and sweet.

I feel like a child that gets another chance.

Your mercy and grace make me want to dance.

I, from a generation that is wicked as the day is long.

I'm not worthy but you keep giving me your song.
What love? What love is this?

Instead of wrath You gave me a heavenly kiss.

What is it? How You are I cannot begin to understand.

What a masterful, marvelous, wonderful plan.

Thank you, God, thank you for being so patient with me.

Each time You make me Your trophy it helps me to see.

It's not my sin, nor is it any longer I.

You do not change, You do not lie.

I'm in Your hands. I'll never be taken from You.

You're with me until the ends of the earth, what ever I do.

Myself, being the worst and wretched of all.

I always puff up before I fall.

I expect the hail, the warrior cherub's fiery swords.

I wait for plagues and curses by the hordes.

I hang my head in shame, walking through Your doors in defeat.

Yet, You speak to me softly and tell me I am loved.

You tell me I am hidden heavenly places above.

You speak of times, of days of old.

When You strengthened men and made them bold.

You speak of meager men whom you have made great.

You speak of men to proud to meet their heavenly fate.

You speak of nations who lead an entire nation fold.

You speak of a Royal Heavenly status that, even now, we hold.

You speak of our adversary and how we must flee.

Thank you for this hope that excites me and keeps me alive.

Thank you for loving me and telling not to strive.

Thank you, Dear Father, for calling me son.

How special I feel that You gave Your life to make me one.

Your birth had one purpose; to free my life and make it Yours.

This was done for all; You died for the generations, men and women by the scores.

Oh yes! That is my purpose! To tell those lost about your plan so sweet.

Thank you that I can always run to You.

Without You, God, what else would I do?

Vincent Paul Galkowski 12/75-7/08

A Trip To Maryland With My Autistic Friend

I can't believe it was March 30 when I last posted a blog! Wow! Time does fly! I've got to pay better attention! Anyway, did you know that April is National Autism Awareness month?

And, since April is recognized as National Autism Awareness month, I thought I would write about a road trip I took with an autistic young man whom I was caring for at the time. Because I need to protect his privacy I will call him Roger. Roger was about 31 years old and he was nonverbal except he could say a few words. He did understand what you were saying to him and he could respond appropriately to yes and no questions. He also used a computer to communicate with others. Physically he seemed to have no disabilities. But he could not be left alone and he needed assistance with his personal care. He lived with me and I was his caregiver for about one year.

My sister, Stacey, had invited Roger and I several times to come visit her. Roger loves to travel and really wanted to go on this adventure. Roger had traveled some in the past and had done quite well. In fact, he had flown on an air plane accompanied by a caregiver. But, that was before I knew him. Finally, we found the time and got all the necessary permissions from everyone involved in Roger's care and we took off for a few days to visit my sister in Maryland. She lives on a beautiful old farm in Baldwin. Stacey is pictured on the right with her husband Johnny and two of their horses. Above is a photo of the peacock that wandered freely about the farm.

The drive to Baldwin, Maryland is 12 to 14 hours from Warren, Maine, according to traffic and other problems that arise. I know it took Roger and I 14 hours to get there. We stopped at least every two hours to move around, eat and use the facilities. Thankfully, it was summer and the weather was nice. We finally arrived that evening. Roger was so tired that he ate a quick snack and I helped him get ready for bed. He slept well.

Over the next few days we enjoyed the farm life and my sister's company. Roger loved interacting with all the farm animals. Stacey took lots of pictures of Roger holding chickens and petting other animals. Animals are so great for bridging the gap in communication. They don't care who you are. They like you if you like them and Roger sure liked them! I can't post the pictures Stacey took of Roger, but I can post photographs of my sister's farm and some of the wonderful sights Roger enjoyed. The pig's name is Charlotte. If you look closely, you can see that there are two donkeys in the picture below. Their names are Jack and Alice. They are married. They roam around the farm free and do very funny things. Roger got a big kick out of them. Who wouldn't?

We did fun things like eat supper at the picnic table on Stacey's veranda in the middle of her beautiful flower garden while listening to the cicadas. We did make a trip into Baltimore to go to church at the Greater Grace Ministry and we went out to eat. Roger handled everything quite well and I know he had a good time. So did I.

Finally it came time to go home. We had a good trip home except for one little incident. At a highway stop a man approached us in the parking lot asking for money. Although I didn't let on I was a little nervous as I was a woman alone with an autistic young man. Roger didn't seem to be upset. I gave the man a couple of bucks and he went on his way. Whew!! How do you spell RELIEF!? The rest of the trip home was uneventful.

Roger doesn't live with me anymore. But, I have to say during his time with me I learned a lot from him. I don't regret one minute of it. I had never cared for an autistic person before so Roger sort of paved the way for me. He did a great job and I will always be indebted to him. Thanks Roger and I'm glad we had that trip to Maryland!

Air Travel Humor

I often peruse the "Woman's World" magazine. It's easy to read and has lots of good information from recipes to diets to beauty tips to humor. Actually, it's a great magazine to take along on a trip..for all those times you are stuck waiting in the airport! And, I always recycle my magazines by leaving them in a sitting area for someone else to enjoy. Anyway, in the March 15, 2010 edition I read a humorous true story sent into the "Was My Face Red!" section of the magazine. I thought it would be fitting to tell a little air travel humor on my blog:

O.Y. of Princeton, NJ wrote: "On a flight home from visiting family in California, I was thankful to get a window seat. About halfway into the flight, however, I needed to use the restroom. The man next to me had been sleeping soundly for the better part of two hours, and rather than wake him, I decided to try to step over him. I gently placed my left leg over his legs and began swinging my right leg over when the plane hit some turbulence. I lost my balance and fell into his lap! He woke up to a strange woman straddling him just as the pilot made an announcement to 'buckle up'. I apologized and removed myself as quickly as I could, but boy, was my face red!

I also surfed the web and found lots of sites for air travel jokes. One site: http://www.unique-southamerica-travel-experience.com/travel-jokes.html was quite interesting. I've copied and pasted one item I found particularly funny from that sight.

Murphy's Travel Laws:

1. No flight ever leaves on time unless you are running late and need the delay to make the flight.
2. If you are running late for a flight, it will depart from the farthest gate within the terminal.
3. If you arrive very early for a flight, it inevitably will be delayed.
4. Flights never leave from Gate #1 at any terminal in the world.
5. If you must work on your flight, you will experience turbulence as soon as you touch pen to paper.
6. If you are assigned a middle seat, you can determine who has the seats on the aisle and the window while you are still in the boarding area. Just look for the two largest passengers.
7. Only passengers seated in window seats ever have to get up to go to the lavatory. (See the "Was My Face Red" joke above.)
8. The crying baby on board your flight is always seated next to you.
9. The best-looking man\woman on your flight is never seated next to you.
10. The less carry-on luggage space available on an aircraft, the more carry-on luggage passengers will bring aboard.

Don't you love it? :)

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Did you know that March is recognized as Deep Vein Thrombosis month? You may be thinking, "What the in the world is Deep Vein Thrombosis?!" Well, it is a very serious condition that can affect people of all ages. Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT is a blood clot in the "deep" larger veins, usually in the legs. If the blood clot dislodges from the vein wall and moves through the venous system, it could eventually block a vein in the heart, brain or lungs. This could cause a stroke or even death.

If you are a frequent traveler, whether by air or automobile or even if you are a long haul truck driver you need to be particularly aware of DVT. Sitting or standing for long periods of time makes your veins work harder and increases you chance of venous problems. I have listed a few travel tips:

1. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
2. Wear compression stockings or socks.
3. Stand up and move around often.
4. If you can't stand up point and flex your feet 10 to12 times. Repeat often.
5. Maintain a healthy weight.
6. Avoid smoking and excessive sodium and alcohol intake.

To learn more about Deep Vein Thrombosis and how to recognize the symptoms check out the following web site: www.myleghealth.com Also, I got most of the above information from a brochure put out by Juzo. You may want to also check out their web site: www.juzousa.com

'You taught us how to fly' Bangor Daily News 3/11/10

I read a really neat article on the front page of the March 11, 2010 edition of the Bangor Daily News. It was about th 200 women who piloted planes during WWII but never got any recognition until now. I have posted a link to their web site. It's worth reading. Isn't it amazing how far we have come?! http://www.wingsacrossamerica.us/

Mother Mission Trip to Poland and Ukraine Part 3

I'm finally back and writing, what I hope is, the last installment. However I cannot guarantee that. Anyway, let's get started. Oh yes, there is one thing I forgot to mention in my last installment. I love borscht! It's very good and everyone makes it a little different, sort of like beef stew. Everyone has their own little way of making it. Definitely try some borscht when you travel to Ukraine.

Near the end of my stay in Ukraine Rachael and her boyfriend and most of the little Lviv church I told you about traveled north (I believe) to a place that was a real tourist attraction (to the Ukrainians). I know Rachael could, but I cannot remember the name of the place. It was in the mountains and near a mineral water lake that everyone liked to bathe in because it was very good for what ailed you. It was a very hilly area and everyone walked up and down the hills to get where they wanted to go in the small mountainous village. Believe you me, I got my exercise that weekend! In fact, I really exercised the entire time I was in Ukraine. Everyone walks everywhere. It was good for me, but I was sweltering the whole time and my face was pulsating and beet red throughout my entire stay. (Not a good look for a single middle aged woman.)

On with my story....we all gathered in this pretty little village in northern Ukraine for a weekend missionary conference. Churches all over Europe and Eastern Europe and Asia that were affiliated with Greater Grace World Outreach were invited to attend this conference. It took place in a large building that could accommodate big crowds as you can see in the picture on your right. This building also had a cafeteria where we all ate. It reminded me of an old black and white movie of a mental institution cafeteria. It was grey and white and unattractive. The women who cooked and waited on us reminded me of matrons in a mental institution who made you tow the line or else. It was kind of creepy in a adventurous sort of way. Rachael and I stayed in sort of an Alpine inn, but Ukrainian style; meaning no frills and not that clean.

I met several people from all over the world. It was very cool. I remember in particular a young couple who had pretty much walked all the way from one of the "stan" countries. (You know, Pakistan, Kirghistan, Afghanistan, etc.....) They were married and very young and very sweet and very poor. The young man was sick with a sore throat. He had a scarf around his throat to keep it warm. Mind you it was probably 90 degrees outside. He told me he had never taken any medication! That in itself is mind blowing if you are an American citizen. I happened to have acetaminophen 500mg tablets on me. I gave him one tablet for his sore throat. He thought it was a miracle! His sore throat went away! I gave him all the acetaminophen I had left and told him to use it sparingly for aches and pains. The young man and his wife were so thrilled you would of thought I had given them a million dollars! I snapped a photo of them near the end of the weekend when he felt better. The missionary conference was a good time. I also met several Americans at the conference and I have since met up with some of them in the Greater Grace church in Baltimore, Maryland.

The time was nearing for me to go home to the U.S. and Rachael was still very much into her Ukrainian boyfriend. By the way, he had not been that nice to me during my time in the Ukraine. Rachael knew this but chose to ignore it. So, one morning in our "Alpine Resort" I broke down crying and told Rachael how I really felt about her situation. I explained to her that even if a man does not like his future mother in law he at least should try to fake it while he is courting her daughter. I went on to say that it is really bad when the future mother in law is a foreign country (his country!) and he is rude to her. I told Rachael that if he was so crass as to treat me this way for the short period of time he had to spend with me then he would never be good to her after the honeymoon was over. I told her I did not think he was right for her and that I truly felt she would be very unhappy if she married him and moved to the Ukraine for life. I reminded her that she was a wonderful girl, but a material American girl and the Ukraine did not have a lot to offer in the way of material things.

A few days before we left for this missionary conference I had called my sister, Molly, in Hope, Maine, USA. I was desperate to talk to her about my feelings on Rachael. The phone call cost Molly a couple of hundred dollars! I asked Rachael what she was going to do when she needed to call home. Was it only going to be a monthly call for 3 minutes? Rachael didn't give me a lot of hope. So, all I could do was leave it to God as I surely had no control. Later that day Rachael's boyfriend and another young man from the Lviv church gave me a ride back to Lviv where I caught a train that would take me to Warsaw, Poland. Rachael stayed at the conference. Let's just say it was a somber ride back to Lviv.

Once on the train I met a Polish lady who was traveling in my cabin. I forgot her name, but she was very nice. Thankfully, she could speak English. We talked and talked and got to know each other on the way to Warsaw, Poland. It was a very interesting trip. I love to ride on trains and it was so nice to see the countryside of Ukraine and Poland. I felt like I was in a fairy tale, except for one thing. Growing up in Maine I am a great believer in fresh air. I love to throw all the windows open and let the wind blow in to change the air. Well, the Ukrainians and the Polish people don't believe that way. No matter how sweltering it is they do not believe in opening windows. So, I was boiling hot all the way from Lviv to Warsaw! I think you can tell that by my picture as my face is beet red!

When I got back to Warsaw, Poland I was met at the train station by a lovely young Polish couple. They let me stay in their apartment in Warsaw overnight as my plane flew out for home the next day. Again, I cannot remember their names. They were very sweet and gracious. The young woman took me on a tour of down town Warsaw and showed me buildings that had been damaged in WWII. She showed me the building where the movie "The Pianist" was filmed. It had many bullet hole markings all over the front of the building. "The Pianist" had not yet come out in the states but you better believe I went to see it as soon as it came out. I thought it was a very interesting movie. I've seen it a couple of times.

The lovely young couple only had a one bedroom apartment. They let me sleep in their bedroom and they slept on the couch in the living room. I gave them my jar of peanut butter as they had never tasted peanut butter. I may be terrible at names but I will never forget their kindness to me. They are pictured above on their living room couch.

The next day I flew out of Warsaw and was very happy to arrive back in the states. Rachael stayed in Ukraine for a couple more weeks. Shortly after she got back home, she informed me that she had broken up with the Ukrainian. I thanked God for answered prayer! Not long after Rachael met her future husband, David and not long after that they were married. Now they have a beautiful son named Henry. Rachael's Ukrainian boyfriend was not happy that she broke up with him but he finally moved on with life and got married and had children of his own. So, all's well that ends well and that's where I am going to end the Mother Mission story.

Mother Mission to Poland and Ukraine part 2

I think we left off last time at the Poland/Ukraine border.  If you read the first installment of this story you know that we had to pay a bribe to get over the border.  There was a little fear and intrigue going on in my mind, but we lived and, after all, it was quite an adventure!  So, from there we went on our way to Lviv. 

Have you ever read the book "Everything Is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer?  It was also made into a movie not so long ago.  Let's just say I have the book and I watched the movie and I can relate a lot to what Jonathan said about driving through Ukraine.  You should read it or rent the DVD.  It's a wonderful story. 

Anyway, back to my story......We finally arrived to our destination, Lviv.  I have to say it is a beautiful old city.  But, it is very poor.  I feel that most Americans could benefit from visiting a very poor country.  You do not come home the same.  And you become very thankful for how God has blessed our country. Most of us have no idea how things really are in other parts of the world.  On the right I have posted a photo of one of the beautiful streets in Lviv.

There are many things that I liked and didn't like about Lviv.  As I said, it is a beautiful old city; amazingly beautiful.  But, the people on the street are not that friendly.  They avoid eye contact and do not say hello to you on the street.  I'm sure that stems from living under strict communist rule for so long.  However, once you are introduced and they get to know you a little they start to open up.  The people in the church were very sweet.  I liked them all. The one thing I liked the least was that there were very few, what I would call, toilets in Lviv.  Their public toilets consisted of literal holes in the floor/ground.  As a woman you do the best you can to "hit" the hole without falling over or peeing on yourself.  And, a word to the wise: BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER!!

Another thing I really like about Lviv is that everyone had a beautiful fence around their yard and they had every inch of that yard planted with fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, etc.  To me it was breathtaking.  I got a lot of ideas about gardening from the people in Lviv.  They sure know how to garden!  One fresh herb everyone grows and loves is dill.  I like dill.  But, the Ukrainians take it to a whole other level.  They eat fresh dill on everything and I mean everything!  I saw someone in a quaint little restaurant eating what looked like pancakes sprinkled with fresh dill.  I don't know about you, but in my book, that's taking the whole dill thing a little too far.

Rachael and I stayed in a big old house on a side street in Lviv.  For a very meager amount of money we rented a room from an older lady who attended the church in Lviv.  Her name was Ponnie Ella.  Ponnie (I know I am not spelling this right) means Mrs. in Ukrainian.  She was nice, but very quiet and we rarely saw her.  We slept on, what I would call, sleeping couches.  They were fairly comfortable.  The bathroom did have a toilet which was a big plus to me.  There was also a tub for bathing, which I prefer.  But, (and this is a big BUT) in order to warm up the water you had to turn on a gas heater above the tub.  The heater looked to be as old as when they first invented them.  Let's just say it took a lot of guts for Rachael and I to strike the first match to ignite the antiquated heater in order to have a warm bath.  After all, we were there for a week and needed to bathe once in a while!  Again, we lived through it, we did not burn the house down and we chalked it up to yet another adventure. 

I feel I must mention one more thing that I did not like about Ukraine.  (I hope that if any of you are planning to visit Ukraine or just about any Eastern European country you should be writing all these little tips down.  You will not regret it.)  The Ukrainians love mineral water.  That is what they drink, mineral water.  I could barely choke it down.  This did not sit well with Rachael's boyfriend.  But, I could not help it.  I hate mineral water.  I have been to Cuba, too, and they all drink mineral water.  Believe me, it's an acquired taste.  Rachael and I visited Ukraine in August and it was hot.  We also did a lot of walking which was good for me, but it made me very thirsty.  We finally stopped by a little cafe in the city.  I asked what they had to drink.  Thankfully they had 7Up!  Usually I am not a big fan of 7Up but when your choices are very slim you take what you can get.  I drank FIVE 10 ounce bottles of 7Up before we left that cafe!

There were many things that I found very interesting.  In fact, they are too numerous to mention in this blog.  But, one very interesting thing sticks in my mind.  You are going to think I'm weird.  It was the cemeteries. Yes, the grave yards! I now know how Bram Stoker came up with the idea for Dracula.  He must of visited a cemetery similar to the one I saw.  It was so creepy and beautiful that I couldn't stay away from it. We toured the entire place! It was huge and woodsy and kind of scary, but I loved it!  The picture I have posted here gives some of the feeling, but it's a place that you simply have to be there to get the real feel of it.  By the way, Rachael really liked the grave yard, too.  It must run in the family.

Okay, by now you're thinking, "when are you going to tell us if Rachael ended up with the Ukrainian?"  I guess it's not going to be in this blog because I still have a lot more to tell about this trip.  Please hold on until the next installment.  You won't regret it.  See you next time....... :)

The Mother Mission Trip to Poland and the Urkraine

A little over ten years ago my daughter, Rachael (of http://www.meanderingmaine.com/) and I took a trip to Poland and the Ukraine. Rachael had been there before on a missionary trip with her church in Baltimore, Maryland. (http://www.greatergraceworldoutreach.org/) She was in Bible College at Greater Grace and her studies required her to do some kind of "hands on" outreach. Rachael loves mission work so decided to go to Eastern Europe and visit a couple of the affiliated churches over there and assist where ever needed. Also, Rachael's maiden name is Galkowski and the Galkowski's are from Lublin, Poland. She really wanted to see the little town where her father's family was from. I thought it was pretty cool idea, too.

The reason I wanted to go on this trip was, of course, to see part of Eastern Europe and to meet all the lovely people from the affiliated churches, and to see the town where the Galkowski's came from. But, the biggest reason I wanted to go was because Rachael was in love with a Ukrainian man. Rachael was in her early twenties and had fallen in love with this Ukrainian man who was an assistant pastor at his home town church in Lviv. He was a nice enough man (I guess) but she wanted to marry him and live in the Ukraine FOREVER! This did not sit well with me for a multitude of reasons. I decided I needed to go on a Mother Mission and find out just what the deal was. So in early August of that year we set off for the very long flight to Eastern Europe.

The flight from Portland to London was 5 or 6 hours long. Once we landed at the Heathrow Airport we caught another flight to Warsaw, Poland. Perhaps that was a couple of hours long. We were met at the airport by several young adults who were part of the affiliated church in Warsaw. They were going to let us stay with them overnight. The next day we were going to meet up with Rachael's boyfriend and his friend. The plan was that they would drive us to Lviv, Ukraine.

We were quite jet lagged by the time we arrived as the time change was at least 6 hours ahead of us and we had not slept. It was early in the day when we got there and we were dying to sight see so we ignored our tiredness and forged ahead. It was well worth it as the group of young people who were our hosts were very kind and sweet and really wanted to show us their city. Warsaw is an amazing city full of history. It is a very old city and so very different from our American cities. We toured grand gardens of a past king that the city had converted into a park. The gardens were spectacular as you can see in the top photo posted. Rachael and our new friends are sitting on the bench. We also went to the oldest part of the city to see the Jewish Ghetto that had been erected during World War II. It was very sobering to see such a thing. The picture above is a photo of what was left of the wall that surrounded the Jewish Ghetto.

After a good night's sleep we got up the next morning, met up with Rachael's boyfriend and his friend and set out for Lviv, Ukraine. On the way, we did stop for a quick visit to Lublin, Poland. I felt like I was stepping back in time as the town was all cobblestones and very old buildings. The name of the Catholic Church there was the Vincent Paul, my oldest son's name. We thought that was pretty cool. The picture on the right is of some of the buildings in Lublin. Beautiful.

The road trip from Warsaw, Poland to Lviv, Ukraine was quite long, but very interesting. One thing that seems to stick in my mind is that I saw white storks everywhere and I also noted that many people had built some sort of tower beside their home. The storks built nests on top of these towers. I think it was sort of a good luck thing. When I saw that sight I suddenly remembered that when I was a little girl my mother read me a story that involved storks and the book had illustrations of these towers with the stork nests on top of them. To this day I can't remember the name of the book. I've asked many people including my mother and no one can seem to remember. Can you? I would love to know the name of that book. Please email me if you know what I'm talking about. I would love to solve that mystery.

I greatly enjoyed our little journey through the Polish countryside. It was an adventure that I will never forget. Then we came to the border of the Ukraine. Talk about interesting and a little scary! There was a long line of vehicles to cross the border. And the border control workers had all the power and loved and abused it (I think). You did have to show them your passports and all that, but what actually got you over the border into Ukraine was money. That's right, bribes! Whoever paid the most money got out of there the quickest. We had to wait an hour or so, but finally were allowed to cross. And, yes, we paid a bribe. No one gets out of there without paying a bribe, especially a car with Americans in it. I felt like I was in a movie.

I thought I could get the whole trip into one blog but I can see now that I've got to write a part two, maybe a part three to this story. So, I hope you will check in to this blog in a few days so you can know "the rest of the story" to quote Paul Harvey. Does Rachael marry the Ukrainian and live in Lviv FOREVER or does a mother's love win out?