Indiana-Kentucky

The next stop on our trip was to southern Indiana/northern Kentucky. This was a different visit to see family than in years past. The most significant change was that this was our first trip as a family since the passing of my father-in-law. The implications of that fueled much of what we did over the course of the visit. While it didn’t necessarily result in a heavy atmosphere, it was certainly something that was a sort of backdrop to activities and conversation.

bridge walk in Louisville

Though the weather was the usual July hot and muggy when we arrived, it soon cooled and it ended up being one of the more comfortable trips we have spent in southern Indiana.

cool shot of Kiran at the front of the Kentucky Science Center

One of the first areas of attention was assisting my mother-in-law to settle into her new house. A while back I advocated for them to consider leaving the house out in the country (off a long, windy, sometimes precarious road) and move to town. The desire was multi-fold and seems somewhat obvious to an outsider. They needed to be closer to health care. I was increasingly concerned about their safety with the amount of time they spent going back and forth on that windy road, particularly during the winter. Socially they were more cut off from their church and other friendships. It was also simply inconvenient to be so far away from basic amenities such as groceries, the pharmacy, the YMCA, etc.

Kinaya getting wet at the Science Center

There was obviously a flip-side to this. The house was remarkably functional and could accommodate visitors (ex. us) well. The grandkids were less than a hundred meters away. It was quiet and just a peaceful place to be. There were obviously trade-offs but as time went by, the rationale for remaining was diminishing and it eventually became just a matter of time before the move would happen.  

the beautiful male cardinal

It wasn’t easy, both practically and emotionally. Even though I have known for a long time that this was the right thing to do, I have a developed nostalgic side to me. I was sad to see the old place go. Early in our visit, we stopped by the house to pick up some final things. Looking around the now-empty rooms I thought back at all the memories we accumulated during our semi-annual visits. I should say that over the years, with all of change built into my life, I dwindle less on things like this than I used to. I suppose I felt a sort of sweet sadness, the kind that comes from acknowledging both loss and a sense of delight looking back. Soon we were back in the car, looking forward.

catching a AAA baseball game in Louisville

We had visited the unfinished house over the Christmas holidays. We knew generally how it was going to look. So there were no big surprises to see it completely done. It’s nice and I think a good fit for what Priya’s mom needs. Given that it was a new house in an area that had not been residential before, I was eyeing some of the growth that was lining the backyard. It was overgrown and had reduced the space by about a quarter. One morning, with temperatures in the upper nineties Fahrenheit (and with the blessing of my mother-in-law), I tore into the overgrown limbs and brush with reckless abandon. I had a general idea of what needed to be done when I started and it more or less went as planned – except for the poison ivy. It’s true that I’m not too bright sometimes. Since I was very young I have had a habit of tearing into things without fully thinking them through. This impulsiveness has resulted in several broken bones. I’m sure there’s a positive side to this quality but I’m still sorting out what it is. In this case, I did not have proper coverage of my legs and feet. Sure enough, a couple days later the area below my knees was covered in itchy welts and blisters.

Louisville Slugger Field at sunset

Needless to say it was more than uncomfortable for a couple weeks. But the end result was quite satisfying, I have to say. It will need maintenance to keep the growth back away from the house but it will likely be much easier going forward.

happened to catch a home run in the making

One of the key events of the trip was a weekend at a large cabin in the hills not too far aware from the old house. I’d never been to this area and I was surprised how quickly one can transition from farmland to a thick forest. The cabin is perched on a hill overlooking a small lake. The air remained thick and hot, unlike the thinner, cool air that I’m used to in forested areas. But you felt as though you were more remote than you really were.

cabin with a view

The house was able to accommodate the dozen members or so of the southern Indiana family. Some of the rooms had AC. There was a game area in the basement complete with a nice pool table. It was without a doubt the warmest lake I’d ever swum in. It was like bath water. I’m not sure that it was very cooling but it did make it easy to get in and out.

time for reflection

Other than pulling the family together, one of the main reasons for the weekend was to remember Priya’s dad. To avoid making it an overly sad event, we did some fun activities as a means to lighten the atmosphere. There were, and still are, sad moments but that’s expected and appropriate given the tremendous impact he had on the people around him.

even some time for a horseback ride - very fun

After a very pleasant weekend, it was back to the flatland (and to internet access). We would spend the next week and a half hanging out with family, running errands, doing more things around the house and going into Louisville. I’ve grown to enjoy Louisville and each time we visit I discover something new. It would be a livable city if it weren’t for the insanely hot weather and lack of real mountains...

Soon we would be wrapping up the visit. Always shorter than we would like but far longer than what most people have on their vacations, particularly since we would still have another two weeks in Idaho. So we can’t complain.