My Mom's 92nd Birthday

My mom and dad live in a retirement community in Vancouver, WA. Obviously we couldn't have our traditional party honoring my mother. So my sister came up with the idea of having a parade going by their house with balloons and singing. 

I have two siblings that live in Vancouver and I live in Portland, across the river, so we each had our appropriately distanced cars. My brother had his young family, and my mom's best friend came in her own car. We ended up parking in front of their house and singing happy birthday so she could see us. The administration sent over a staff member to sanitize what we brought: birthday dinner, complete with cake; dinner that I'd made and frozen for another time; cards, balloons and a vase of flowers from my garden - todays' blip. 

Not the most perfect of photos, but the meaning is so significant. It's a bittersweet time indeed - so hard to be separated from them and not knowing how they're really faring. Thank goodness they have caregivers in a couple times of day and food delivered from the dining room, as well as a cleaning person. But it was such a relief to see them, even from a distance (see extra).  

These times take creativity. I hope that you are all well and figuring out how to negotiate these strange, new times.