You would not believe what is going on as I write this. My poor mother was taken to North Shore Hospital by ambulance on Long Island last Saturday night. She was having a hard time breathing, and after a week of that nasty virus that was going around, she just did not feel well. The emergency room was crazy, but they took her in right away and gave her oxygen. She had a fever of 102.8. They gave her a blood test and a chest x-ray, and told her she had a virus but not the flu.

My sister called me at about midnight and said, “They’re sending Ma home.”

I almost jumped out of bed. “Going home? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Nope, they’re sending her home, because they say that there are too many sick people in the hospital and they don’t want her to catch anything,” my sister said.

I called my sister four times on Sunday, and her answer each time was, “Ma is sleeping.”

I wanted to get in the car and drive down there, but I was very calm and called back again around 5 p.m. My niece answered the phone and said, “My mom and dad are taking grandma back to the hospital.”

They took her back to the same hospital, and now there were over 100 people in line in front of my mother at the emergency room. Thank God they took her in right away. Her oxygen was only 80. She has the flu and pneumonia in both lungs and a temperature of 102.4. Don’t ask—I do not know how she did not have the flu and pneumonia the night before.

The head of the ER came in to see her and she told him, “The damn snot took my temperature up my rectum…” and “Can you go get me a cup of coffee?” She is a corker. Many meds, oxygen, catheter, isolation and lots of prayers. So if you did not get the flu shot, maybe you should.

On a happier note, my husband and I went out for a nice Sunday drive and we found the restaurant Charcoal Chucks, on Route 191 in Lake Ariel, only eight miles from Honesdale. The food was great and the owner Charlie is a really a nice person. You should give it a try.

I went to see my buddy Dolores Manasseri and her husband Joe for lunch. We had a good time and Dolores is coming along. I was coming back to visit them the next day with a crock pot of beef barley soup, but I kind of took the corner a little too fast and my car mat got to enjoy the soup. Keep smiling and give as many hugs as you can.

Solly Katzoff Memorial Park of Cochecton has closed for the winter; re-opening will be in the spring. Please respect the “closed” signs.

Please, please, if any group or organization has anything going on, get in touch with me so I have something to write about.

Have a great week and you can email me at leeniebeans@citlink.net, or call 845/252-3568, if you have any news.