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The Green Robe

By Linda H. Barnette

Before his 70th birthday, my dad got very sick.  He had difficulty walking and with mobility in general. His doctor, George Kimberly, sent him to the Baptist Hospital for tests.  After several days and all kinds of tests, we brought him home—no meetings with doctors and no diagnosis.

Within a few days, Mother called and told us that Daddy had fallen out of the bed. My husband and I went over, got him in the car, and took him back to Baptist to the ER. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I recall the resident who was on durty telling me that Daddy had a disease called polymyositis and that he would die if he were not started on prednisone immediately although he could not prescribe it. He told us that as only a resident he was not supposed to give us that kind of information, yet he felt that he had to in order to save Daddy’s life.

We brought Daddy back to our beloved little Davie County hospital and told the person on duty what we had found out.  Dr. Kimberly came out, prescribed the medication, and kept Daddy in the hospital

He stayed in the hospital for weeks, and because I was not working at that time, I was able to go by the hospital at least twice a day to help Daddy learn to walk again.  I would get his green robe on him and walk behind him holding onto the belt of the robe. He gradually regained the ability to walk on his own and was able to go home and live a comfortable life.

Thanks to the resident who saved his life and to Dr. Kimberly for always taking good care of him. He lived for another couple of years before he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died at our little hospital. But those were years that he would not have had were it not for the resident’s bravery.

For many years I kept the green robe, which to me represented Daddy’s courage. I wish I still had it, but old people understand things very differently than young ones.

Airbnb

By  E. Bishop

Today’s world offers many options of how we spend our vacations and where we lay our heads down at night. Hotels and motels are great for business trips, overnight stays, or being closer to an event you want to attend; they may offer free loyalty programs, free breakfasts, and general travel advice. But now that we can start traveling again, other experiences should be considered. Airbnb is one option I prefer.

Airbnb was founded by three friends who were struggling to pay their rent in San Francisco. They began by renting out a bedroom with air mattresses thus the name Airbnb. It took them awhile to get the company going, but in 2009 their idea really took off, and today is worth $31 billion. It is an online marketplace for lodging and tourist activity with 6 million active worldwide listings. In general, these are cheaper because Airbnb does not have to pay overhead costs; they coordinate the rentals and take a fee from the actual owners of the property. Airbnb offers a free comprehensive level of protection which includes booking protection guarantee, get what you booked guarantee, 24-hour safety line and check-in guarantee. Individual hosts create their own listing detailing what they offer and what is expected of the guests. At the end of the stay, both have a chance to publicly and privately give feedback, which helps future renters (and owners) determine if it’s a good fit.

Reasons to consider this type rental are numerous.  It will feel more like home, more personable, especially if you are traveling with children. Most have appliances, dishes, linens,  etc.; you can save money by not having to eat out for every meal.  Some may be hard to locate but you may want that extra “off the grid” experience. Some unique stays could be at a vineyard, treehouse, beach, historical homes, chef’s kitchen, tropical or countryside; these categories are now listed to help you discover one-of-a-kind homes. The purpose of your trip and the social aspect helps determine where to stay. You can get a feel for what it would be like to live among the locals if you choose to. Most require a minimum two night stay but long-term arrangements are possible also.

One place we chose to stay a few years ago was a very secluded one-room cabin in the mountains overlooking a river; it was a very nice quiet weekend getaway. Another stay was indeed a unique memorable experience in a quirky little house where we were greeted by a huge turkey upon our arrival along with gracious hosts who had hot muffins ready for us.  Next, we’re looking forward to spending time with family at a Hilton Head Airbnb.

Locally, there are quite a few Airbnb homes for those who need a place to stay while visiting family, attending a wedding or graduation or just wanting to check out what the area has to offer.  Some choices include a restored log cabin (romantic getaway), farmhouse with playground, chickens and cows, secluded 3-bedroom home where you may see deer and turkey strolling by, or a more upscale apartment or home in town.  Look for the Super host sign under airbnb.com, choose your destination and go.