Back home from visiting my parents. Mom will likely be gone within the next few days. She rated her pain at an 8 today when hospice was over. Hospice bumped up the pain meds. When I left, I felt a little guilty. I don't want Dad to be alone when Mom does pass, but at the same time am not sure I'd be able to handle being there when she does. In the house I could probably handle, but not at her bed side. There was one point yesterday where her breathing got a little labored and I thought "this is it." I just sat there for 15 minutes and watched her chest rise and fall, praying that God would answer my prayer to end her suffering and let her leave her broken body. Guess it isn't time yet.

I came home in a way I've not traveled for several years. Instead of immediately going south, I went through Pipestone and continued west into SD and hooked up with I-29. It was odd to go that way. I think the last time I went that direction was the day I went to Brookings to get all my stuff out of storage and move to Yankton to start my career. That was March of 1997. Odd how some of the most familar trails become less familar and yet still welcome us back. I saw a lot of changes. The largest is the wind turbines on Buffalo Ridge. They stretch as far north as the eye can see. I also saw the new high school in Pipestone (also with a wind turbine - progressive, no?) and had a flood of memories of going to one-act play contests in high school (Mom was director every year except one) and gong there for speech meets. The meet at Pipestone was the first that I placed at as a senior (okay, it was the first of the year) - and was the first where I won an actual trophy, not a ribbon. Last change was that I saw a herd of buffalo grazing near Flandreau. Awesome sight.

Going to close - bed is starting to call.