2006 - The trip to Vicksburg © Claudia Schlottman

2006 was the year we were able to take Clint to his hometown,Vicksburg, Mississippi, to see his aunt and his best friend Mickey, who was dying of lung cancer.  I was forced to buy a minivan (gag) because Clint could not get into my Yukon.  It was also the year we found our old house for sale and bought it.

17 August - Vicksburg

We made it here, Kristy and Gretchen and Poppy and me, yesterday evening after a 9 hour trip from Macon.  I had so hoped that renting an RV would make for a more comfortable trip for Clint, but instead, we all ended up feeling a little shaken up.  The trip turned out to be rather rough, especially for Poppy, who was lying on the bed in the back.  I went back there and lay down with him a couple of times, and it was a roller coaster.

Now we know, and none of us is really worse for the wear.

It has been a bittersweet trip.  We went to see Aunt Evelyn and discovered from John that she passed away about 14 months ago.  The bonus was that John was so much fun to visit.  He is 93 years old, and he is articulate, has a good sense of humor and looks strong and has good balance.  He is hard of hearing, and that is all we noticed about his age.  The girls were enamored of him, and Clint and I were delighted to see him.  

Then we made the drive to Edwards to see Mickey and Thelma.  Thank goodness Clint got a nap on the way, because we found Mickey a dying man.  He is frail and confused at times.  His cancer is in his left lung behind his heart and is inoperable.  We could see that Thelma is in a world of denial.  Jesus, what a horrible thing. 

Clint did so well with Mickey.  He really got outside of himself and put all of his good energy into the visit.  I am so very proud of him.  He is suffering tonight.  His knee is swollen and hot and red.  I got him an ice bag, and that has helped some.  He is also very sad.  What a hard time for my Darling.  In denial about his own terminal state, he now has to grapple with the fact that Mickey is dying and that he will probably not be able to come back for his funeral.  It is so sad for me to see this.

However, this experience has brought me out of myself and my self-pity.  We have the gift of being able to bring Poppy over here to see his old friend.  By the time Mickey was diagnosed, it was too late for us to get him over to Georgia.  Though, God knows, we tried over the years.  When they were finally in a place where they could come, Clint was too sick.

The Girls at the National Park