On The Sick Pillow

Whatever the ailment might be, my oldies and I refer to it as being "on the sick pillow." The unwritten rules are:

You may (and are encouraged to) stay in bed.

Napping is mandatory.

You are allowed to choose the menu based on what sounds good and what you think your stomach will tolerate.

All household chores are removed from duty; you have no duties.

You get the television remote.

Ice cream is encouraged -- you must keep up your strength!

You may bathe but then it's fresh pjs and right back in bed.

You get to decide if the house is too warm or too cold.

People must come to you instead of you getting up and walking to them.

My father has been on the sick pillow since Saturday afternoon. All rules are in full force. My mother is a little suspicious that he enjoys being on the sick pillow and might milk it a bit. I don't know if he enjoys it but two little dogs are reveling in it.

Family Photo Rules

My Uncle Ken had a rule about photos, particularly photos that captured the event. It could've been a holiday or a family reunion but the rule was this:

If you are not related to or married to someone in this family, please step away as we take the family photo.

The first time he ever met the husband, we were not married. My father had not seen his sisters together in decades. An aside: We don't go to many reunions and we get a lot of grief for it. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Strange. It's a little jarring to be driving through the countryside, looking for a particular park or gathering place and watching for signs that say, "Strange Family Reunion." God does have a sense of humor.I think it was 1992. We have a photo of my father, his sisters, the husband (who was not a husband at the time) and me. My mother keeps this photo on her desk. I visit it in my mind.A few months later, my Uncle Ken came to our home and performed a wedding blessing ceremony for us. He loved us but I'm also convinced he was validating the photo.