Grandpa Update
Paul's grandpa was moved to a different hospital that specializes in rehab. After being there for a week he was completely weened off of the ventilator. Sadly, it doesn't look as though he is going to come back to us. Both hemispheres of his brain were damaged, and while his lower cognitive thinking is present (waking, sleeping, scratching itches, eating) he will likely never speak, walk, or even communicate other than squeezing hands of people he knows. He drifts into sleep after only a few minutes of wakefulness. His body is strong though so it could be a long time before he goes, or he could have a stroke tomorrow . It was heart-breaking to see Paul with him as he said his goodbyes.
Henry Ford Museum
We took James to the Henry Ford Museum. He had so much fun looking at all the cars, tractors, trains and everything else there. Sometimes it was hard to keep him off of exhibits. He's fast!
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| with his "pee-pa" in the Rosa Parks bus |
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| Ford's Model-T |
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| "choo-choo!" |
Greenfield Village
My favorite part of the trip was Greenfield Village. We went for Memorial Day and they had a Civil War re-enactment going on. It was awesome! I'm a huge American history buff and this place is just full of it!
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| Henry Ford home |
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| Robert Frost home |
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| Robert took this picture...the mural was cool. You'll just have to believe me. |
Detroit Zoo
We had really looked forward to the zoo, but it was sort of disappointing. A lot of the animals weren't out due to construction going on. There were also about a million obnoxious kids there screaming and throwing things at the animals. We stopped what we could and really tried to stay away from the groups, but ultimately we just hurried out as fast as we could to get away from them. I guess I should really stop comparing zoos to the San Diego zoo. I'm pretty sure I'll always be disappointed otherwise.
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| Looking at all the butterflies in the Butterfly House |
Ghetto Tour
We took a tour of the city of Detroit while we were there. I'm sure I've said it before, but there is such an absence of the spirit there. So much sadness, hopelessness. As you drive through the neighborhood it's obvious that a hundred years ago these homes belonged to wealthy people. They probably didn't lock their doors and their kids felt safe on the streets. Nowadays that's furthest from the truth. I hate seeing such beautiful homes cared for so poorly. I just can't get over how there is no pride whatsoever in these communities. And it isn't just limited to homes. Churches, libraries, high rises, old factories are all left abandoned, shot out, burned up, graffiti everywhere. It's sad.
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| this entire place has had all the windows blown out of it, graffiti is sprayed all over the rooms. And it's not the only huge complex left empty like this! |
The Rest
Paul ended up helping Robert really fix up his place. He replaced about 9 light fixtures, installed a whole drapery/window panel, fixed all the locks, hooked up the tv and did a bunch of other various things around the house. I'm sorry he didn't get to relax more, but he is a very giving guy.
We had a cupcake party while we were there.
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| James' cupcakes |
We visited grandma a few days. The last day we spent all day with her. When she found out that I love American history she went ahead and showed me her vast collections. She even gave me some very retro school posters (which are coming in the mail. I'll post pictures once they arrive). She has every book you could ever want to read as American authors go. It was a lot of fun listening to her stories and watching her excitement to share something she is so obviously passionate about.
The flights were long (layovers each way) and we are very tired. Paul is back to work already and James and I have the singular goal of unpacking and getting back into our routine. It's good to be home.
