This summer, June to be exact, I took a trip with my grandmother to Indiana. This was no vacation, but a time to say goodbye. We were visiting my great grandmother, Wilma. This Wilma is no ordinary grandmother, but a beautiful soul that is only afraid of dying. She is 89 years old and doesn’t have much time to live. She has a strong case of dementia combined with Alzheimer’s and is growing weaker by the day. She lives in an assisted living facility, Roland’s Golden Memories, which really does grant some beautiful memories, but in some cases, grants unpleasant memories too. The residents enjoy seeing a new face and always smile when they walk by you, or roll by you in their wheel chairs. There is one specific man who always has a smile on his face even though it looks as if he is in some kind of pain. He is one hundred and two years old and doesn’t let one frown onto his face when he’s out of his room. On the other hand, I went to lunch in this place with my great grandmother and within the first few minutes I knew trouble would only entail. Our waitress did not seem happy at all, stealing glares and frowns to portray on her face. She had an attitude that made a lion seem joyous and cute and seemed as if one wrong look could cause her to bite a head off.
Of course lunch is a necessity for a good day, so the next day we went to a cute Irish restaurant called Claddaghs. We were served out on the patio and the service was spectacular. The options to order ranged from chicken kildare to shamrock chicken. Both are delicious, but what truly makes the final decision was the shamrock sauce served with the shamrock chicken. The shamrock sauce is a mix of different hot sauces and is originally from Ireland. Consequently, it is not available except through the internet, this restaurant, or by going to Ireland. Even so, once it touches those taste buds, sparks ignite and the taste is magnificent until the need for something cool to wash it down takes over the senses.
Our next stop was to a fine winery where the live music brought smiles to the people who came. On this night, a group of 5 school teachers were standing on the stage, ready to sing their hearts out. Their songs ranged from singing about peanut butter to Henry VIII and back to traditional 70’s songs. There was wine available to buy for the 21 and older and food was selling hot. The temperature was a perfect combination of heat and a soft breeze which kept the skin at ease.
This trip meant the world to me and I would recommend visiting places like the winery or the Irish restaurant, but unless you want to have an overly emotional day with tears and sadness involved, don’t go to Roland’s. I go because I have a loved one there, but even so, if you want to cheer up someone’s day, it is still the perfect place to go. I learned in Indiana that the best way to gain a smile on your face is to give one to another. The smallest things or places can make a day that much better. Taking chances brings a new adventure to life, even if it is trying a new hot sauce that is delicious, yet can burn your tongue off.
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