September 12, 2014. Western Head, N.S. Martha and Dale.

Martha and I worked together in Galveston in 1965. Over the year we have kept in touch and seen each other a few times but only for short periods of time. Dale and Martha have been married for 20 years but we only met Dale at our 55th celebration in Texas and had little opportunity for sustained conversation. Now we are catching up. It has been great fun. Yesterday they got lost coming to Liverpool but today they drove into Liverpool by themselves and visited the Visitor's Center, The Fort Point Lighthouse and Memories Restaurant and arrived home in plenty of time to take a nap. The rest of the day we sat on the deck enjoying the wonderful weather and each other. But true to form, I could not avoid lecturing. I suggested to her that she was using her stroke of 5 years ago as an excuse. She often refers to what she can not do anymore. I suggested to her that she stop speaking of her stroke but that she figure out what to do to help her deficiencies. Fortunately, she has a good sense of humor so we all laughed together and we all made suggestions. Nothing in her actions would lead you to think she had had a stroke but she still thinks of what she can not do rather than what she can accomplish. This attitude is a menace and an excuse. Rita and Ian and Martha and Dale and Ken and I are having many laughs together. The setting and the weather has contributed to our sense of well being. And tomorrow is another day.