Please keep us in your thoughts

Charlotte is fine, sitting behind me as I post this. So that's good news.

But my mother is very sick again.

While on vacation with my sister's family in Wisconsin, she began vomiting blood. They took her to a hospital in a town called Portage, where they stabilized her. But her doctor acknowledges he doesn't have the capability to diagnose and treat her there, so tonight she's in Madison, having tests done.

Their goal in the new hospital is two fold -- 1) to find the source and stop the bleeding and 2) ward off pneumonia. Some "old" blood is unfortunately in her lungs, and for a woman of 77, that can be dangerous.

Fortunately I have lots of airline miles and am able to fly up there tomorrow morning for just $80. Booking this was difficult because my modem has been winking and blinking all day and it timed out before the transaction could go through. I actually made the reservation with my tablet at Starbucks. Without the internet, I feel like I'm roughing it a pioneer woman!

Being in Madison I will be surrounded by my sisters, which is always awkward at best. But I keep reminding myself that this is not about us, it's about my mother.

As Sir Paul sang in a song called "Two Of Us" .... she and I have memories longer than the road that stretches on ahead. That's what this is all about.

She sent me a note that I just received yesterday. She thanked me for helping her put together a get well gift for my niece/her granddaughter, who is scheduled to have her wisdom teeth pulled out next week. When we were talking about this last week, my mom was sad about not having the money to buy my niece anything, so I picked up a Bath & Body Works gift set in the scent she likes and told  my mom to send me a "get well" in her own hand for me to stick in the package. No reason why that can't be from my mom, right? Then my mom is happy AND my niece is happy.

In the note I got yesterday, which accompanied the get well wishes for my niece, she wrote, "Thank you for being so helpful with this. You are quite a special kid and I love you."

I cherish that note, even as I'm frightened.