January 31, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Ian.

Ian is a big fellow but he was no match for a big wave. Of course, the red flag was flying, which means be very careful of going into the ocean, but Ian and Rita went into the ocean anyway. Rita was in shallow water, about to her knees, and she was watching Ian, who had ventured further out but still not in deep water. Suddenly, a big wave smacked him down and he disappeared into the water. When he finally stood up, his bathing suit was around his ankles, exposing his very white bottom. With both hands he was holding his glasses. His hat was no where to be seen. It was such an odd sight that Rita laughed out loud, as did Ian. Finally, Rita found the hat and Ian pulled up his bathing suit. Now he has new respect for the power of the waves. He was fortunate in holding onto his glasses as it was the most expensive object he was wearing. Had the glasses come off his head he would never have found them in the sand. It must have been a funny sight. When they came up to the condo later in the afternoon and told us the story we all together joined in the laughter. I am only sorry I missed the opportunity to take a picture. First we had a topless beach with Rita and now a nude beach with Ian. Mexico may never be the same.

January 30, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Another Outing.

Five years ago, the restaurant began as a taco shop. The five tables were under umbrellas. The tacos cost $1.00. Since then, the restaurant has grown and now a proper tent covers the whole dining area and the menu is extensive. Two years ago, Don and Doreen named it our favorite restaurant because the food was excellent and the prices were modest. But so far, we had not ventured down the road to check it out…until yesterday. We six walked down for lunch, which was the furthest a ken and I had walked. We discovered that the food was still good and the prices cheap but they no longer are open for dinner But you can go for breakfast. After lunch, we took the trolley all around the complex. This was the first time that Rita and Ian had seen across the canal and by the golf courses. They were surprised at the extent of the resort. The weather was perfect so our outing was a success.

January 29, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Hats.

Now I have five here in Nuevo Vallarta. And I am wearing every one. Ian brought me two scrub hate from Ottawa, similar to the ones used in operating rooms, except my scrub hats are fancy. The fabric is light and tie behind my neck. One scrub is bright pink and I wear it when walking on the back corridor. The other scrub is black and had a butterfly on the front, in sparkling studs. I really look fancy. I think I will wear that scrub back on the plane. Rita chose a hat for me at the mall but I admonish her to not buy an expensive hat for me so she did not buy it. Instead she brought us both a hat at Wall Mart. The hat is made of a soft straw and is very pretty. The ribbon ties at the back and hangs down my back,just like a little girl. Rita wore her hat today when we went out for lunch but I wore my old red floppy hat with the wide brim, the hat that belongs in Mississippi. I might leave the hat that Rita has given me in our locker. It will be a constant remind of her tender loving care given to me here in the condo in Nuevo Vallarta.

January 28, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. The Lost Top.

Every day, Rita and Ian go into the ocean. Rita is short so does not get into deep water but yesterday she ventured out further with Ian. Suddenly, a wave broke right over her and she was tumbled. When she came up, sputtering and full of sand and water, she discovered that her top was missing. Both of them giggled. Finally, Rita realized that her top was around her waist. Over the years, the straps had stretched and the waves lifted them right off her shoulders. Her top was now useless. The tops at our mall were expensive so this morning they took the bus to Wall Mart. Unfortunately, none were available but the lovely shopping center right next to Wall Mart were able to provide what she wanted, which was just one top. And it was cheaper than our mall too. Tomorrow will be the test as to whether or not the top will stay up. Rita hopes it will.

January 27, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Farmers Market.

Right across the street from us is a new open air market, held every Tuesday morning. They call it a Farmers Market even though there were only three booths selling fruit and vegetable. Rita and Ian went over this morning at 10:00. It opened at 9:00 and already Rita bought the last of the tomatoes. Evidently it is a popular place. In addition to the the vegetables and fruit, there were many tents selling Mexican stuff, probably 20 in all. And there was music and dancing too. Rita and Ian reported that it was great fun, looking at the objects for sale and listening to the music. They arrived home loaded down with vegetables and fruit, also fish caught that morning. In addition, Rita bought a small tray similar to the one Gill gave us, and a pair of leather sandals. This market is a welcome new addition to this area. We will be sure to visit the market next week.

January 26, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Storms.

7000 flights are cancelled. The streets are to be shut down as of 9:00. Subways and other transportation options will soon close. Cancellations are the norm. Even two professional basketball games have been cancelled. The northeast is in for a big storm, at least according to the forecast. But my friend Wendy keeps track of the number of times the forecast is wrong, and she gloats. Even Nova Scotia is supposed to get 2 or 3 feet of snow, beginning at 2:00am. The news is all about the big storm coming to the northeast. The advise is to stay home. When we first moved to the Washington DC area, we would laugh with the customs when a storm was coming. Everything was cancelled with the forecast of snow without waiting for the snow. Folks stayed home from work, Schools were cancelled as were the parties. For a Canadian, it seemed ridiculous. But soon we joined in the fun and we too cancelled our appointments and events with the forecast for snow and we stayed home just like everyone else, except for work. I never missed a day of work due to snow. I could always count on Regina and Suzanne to make it to the office and keep things running. We are feeling smug, sitting on the balcony watching the sunset with no snow in sight. How fortunate for us!!

Ahh Winter

January 25, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta. Food Friends.

My error was actually correct. On Jan.21st, I had meant to write "my good friends", but what I ended up saying was "my food friends". I had made a mistake. But our good friends, Don and Doreen who came to look after us here in Mexico, were more correctly our food friends. The did all the shopping and Doreen cooked dinner each night so from now on, I will call them my good, food friends, and I would be correct. My nephew Norman brought this to my attention and for that I am grateful. He also spoke of the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynn Truss. I have the book someplace but I wish I could read it right now. It is a charming book, all about punctuation. First published in 2003, it remains a best seller. I loved the book. If anyone has not read it, buy it and keep in on your bed side table. I like to read it once a year, just to make sure I am doing things properly. Actually, I usually know when I make errors but I am doing it for a purpose. This little book will set you straight, but will do it with a chuckle. "Eats, Shoots and leaves", is well worth reading.

January 24, 2015. Nurvo Vallarta, Mex. The Outing.

Finally, we left our condo. The outing was not fancy, but it took us almost three hours and we managed well. I have been walking the outside corridor on our floor but today we ventured away from our home turf which made everyone anxious for me. Our task for the day was to go with Don and Doreen to the Time Share. Ken had arranged for them to have a two week vacation there so we needed to check them in. In addition, I suggested that we all eat lunch at my favorite restaurant at the end of the property. Rita and Ian had not seen the Time Share/Hotel until today, so this was an introduction to Paradise Village for them. Don and Doreen stayed there two years ago so they are familiar with the place. First we took the shuttle from Playa Royale to the Hotel/Time Share. Next we waited while Ken checked Don and Doreen in. A walk took us to the restaurant where we six ate a hearty meal, our main meal of the day. Dining at this restaurant is delightful, sitting in the shade and looking out at sea. A walk back to the front of the building and a golf cart back to our condo ended our outing. We left Don and Doreen waiting for their keys. By the time we arrived home I was weary and pleased to be home. But I enjoyed the outing!!

January 23, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. The Australian Open.

The timing was perfect. After all the football games are over, I get to watch tennis from down under. Tonight I had two channels showing two different matches on TV, plus on my iPad I could watch any game that was being played live. So I flipped from one channel to the next, all the while watching another game not on TV. It was great fun. If I was a really big fan, I could watch in the middle of the night. I hate it when Federer does not win. He is such an elegant competitor that I love to watch him play. But the Canadians are winning, which is fun, and both Williams sitters have won their matches too so I am pretty happy. No one else enjoys watching tennis so after dinner we sit in the living room while I watch tennis. Everyone else has ear phones watching a movie on their device, or they are reading on their Kobo. No one is bothered by the tennis. It is the modern world for sure and I love it.

January 22, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. The Salvation Army.

My niece, the Wonderful Wendy, sent me a link to a You Tube, giving the history of The Salvation Army, including the life of William Booth, the founder and first General. In the video, they show early clips. Some of the films are the first ever recorded anywhere. It was fascinating to see the pictures of the early bands and the uniforms, which were definitely not standard. The history of The Salvation Army is familiar to me but I enjoyed it anyway as the organization was important in the life of my family. My grandparents Walter and Polly Houghton lived in London, on the north side, living a proper middle class life attending the Anglican church. Around 1895, when Walter was walking home from his office, where he worked with the family firm as an architect, he stayed and listened to William Booth preach at an open air meeting. When he got home, he told his wife that they should go and listen to that man, as he was preaching the real gospel. The next evening, they both went to listen. To their great surprise, they joined the organization, which had huge implications for their family. Their extended family were horrified, but my grandparents became loyal members of The Salvation Army for the rest of their lives. They brought up their five children in the organization and two of their children became officers, one being my Mother, Frances. Now, four generations down from Grandma and Grandpa Houghton, no one is associated on a daily basis with The Salvation Army. My grandparents would definitely not be pleased!!

January 21, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Full Family.

Our Nuevo Vallarta family is now complete. Rita and Ian arrived this afternoon from Ottawa so tonight we 6 dined together in our condo. We were a happy group. Doreen cooked, as usual, but Rita has brought her apron, so we expect to see Rita's cooking some time soon. They are here to enjoy the warm air and to look after us. Ken and I are fortunate to have such food friends and family. Right now, everyone is sitting on the balcony watching the stars appear. The moon is just a sliver and the sky still has a hint of red so the view is beautiful. In addition they can watch the boats out at sea. This is the first visit to our condo for Rita and Ian in Mexico so they are taking in all the sights, but most of all they appreciate the warm air, which is certainly a change from Ottawa. We are delighted that our family here is now complete.

January 20, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. The Pool.

The area is lovely but for many reasons, today was the first time I ventured down to sit by the pool. There is ample shade under the little huts and plenty of lounge chairs along with straight back chairs too. And of course, there is always a breeze, so it is a perfect spot to read or watch the people or swim. More people at Playa Royale are over weight. Lots of people floating in the pool on inflatables enjoying the sun. But the best part of the pool area is the foliage. The blossoms are everywhere and the palm trees tall. The groundkeepers do an excellent job of maintaining the plantings. Ken loves them, especially because he does not need to trim any of the bushes or hedges. Each year there is something new. The lounge chairs are new this year, and the large huts housing the barbecue grills have been enclosed with sliding doors. But basically the area looks the same. The large iguana ambles around the grass, but the people change. We all get older and a bit infirm but I still enjoy the pool area although this year I can not swim because of my catheter. Perhaps next year!!

January 19, 2015,. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Sky Divers.

First you see them cavorting around the sky, doing rolls and loops. Finally, the parachute opens and they descend quickly to the beach with a whoosh and a whistle. At first we can see nothing when we look up at the sky but finally we spot them and watch the descent along with the fancy gyrations. Two years ago we saw them for the first time. The landing spot was right next to the restaurant in front of our condo so we could not miss them. Gill was here so we chatted with some of the sky divers, who were all incredibly fit and agile. Why you would want to compete at a sport where you fly through the air without the parachute in order to perform tricks, only to open the parachute just in time to land safely I do not know. But they seem to love it. Now they are back again. Their landing spot is down the beach but we can watch them do their tricks and we can watch the parachute open but we miss the swoosh and the whistle. We can hear their plane but we can not see the sky divers jump from the plane. Eventually we spot them hurtle through the sky. It is very exciting. My Oncologist here told me I could do anything I was able to do, except no sky diving. "Not a chance", said I.

January 18, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. The tray.

The wood is lovely, with two dark stripes down the top to bottom. On the back it says,"To Ruth and Ken with love and memories of Sky Divers. From Gill. Feb. 19, 2013." The tray is made from one piece of wood and is 14"x18". At one end is a slight indentation area to allow objects to stay in place. Since Doreen and Don have been here, we have used this tray every night. We use it for our sunset food on the balcony. Ken, Gill and I had taken the trolley across the canal for lunch. When we got there, we realized there had been a market so before we ate, we looked at the objects for sale. Gill bought one of these lovely objects for herself but I demurred, saying that we would soon be leaving PV and we did not wish to leave more things in the locker. So Gill bought one for us. It has been in the locker for the past two years. The tray is made from a beautiful piece of wood and is just primitive enough to be charming. I thank Gill for giving us this tray. I can not imagine what I was thinking not wanting to buy it myself. Cheap I guess. But we enjoy it even more since Gill gave it to us. Thank you Gill.

January 17, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. My Present Life.

Gill warned me that my treatment would be no joke. She further told me to gather together my resources and strength for the ordeal. So I did. One of the items rolling around in my brain are all the songs and choruses that we sang as kids in the Salvation Army. If you were a young person in The Salvation Army you sang, so whirling around in my brain are snatches of those tunes, most of which are upbeat and cheery. When I walk, I sing them. People must think I am nuts but they make me smile…and they keep me going. Never in my life until now have I rested anytime I felt weary, but I do now. The first week of my treatment I rest three times a day. I close my eyes for an hour at a time. Throughout each day, I see no people other than Don, Doreen and Ken. Fortunately they are good company. But what gives my present life it's variety is my iPad. My friends e mail me reports of their lives, which gives me all the company I need. Over my life, I have been blessed by my friends and now they are all coming home to roost and for that I am grateful. In many ways, my life is odd but it also has charm. And of course, the temperature is 80 degrees every day!!

January 16, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Curling.

The game moves at glacial speed. First the players try to figure out what they want to do. Next they must execute the shot. The options to the players are unlimited, which is one of the aspects of the sport that is interesting to the spectators. We watch only expert curlers so we expect to have the players execute the shot they are attempting. Doreen and Don were curlers and they tell us how difficult the shots are being made by these top drawer curlers. Technique matters in curling but the cerebral part is just as important, which is why we like it. Tonight we are watching a Skins Tournament being played in Banff, Alberta. Only top players are there so we are looking at experts. They are making their shots, most of the time. But it is difficult for the players as the Skins Game only developed in 2008 so the players are not used to the format. As it is in golf, each end is a game by itself and you win money or not for each end. The players are used to catching up in order to win the game, but in the Skins Games, there is no catching up. All you can do is win the next end in order to make some money. Canadians are the best curlers in the world. Players from around the world come to Canada to train and compete against the Canadians. Just since we have been paying attention and watching curling, the quality of the play has gone up. It has been fun to watch. This tournament is being held so the Canadians can get used to the format. Up until now, they have played very little Skins curling. The scoring is complicated too. I hope the announcer tells us sooner or later but don't count on it. They assume you know all about it!!

January 15, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Reading.

Most of the time, our condo is quiet, because the four of us are reading. It is not that we don't talk to each other, but much of the time we are all reading. Right now, at 8:30 in the evening, Don is reading on his iPad while Doreen is reading on her Kindle or Kobo. Ken is reading a magazine. And every morning after breakfast, we spend all morning reading. During the afternoon, Don and Doreen go down to the pool, where they swim and hot tub…and read. It is the one thing we can all take ourselves away to somewhere else, even though we stay in the same place. Christmas morning we were sent a picture from Vancouver of the Buckley family, taken just after the presents had been opened. All four family members were surrounded by presents and every one was reading a book, undoubtedly a new book just opened. Dave and Irene always watch TV while reading a book and often when their families visit, all members can be found reading. It is a wonderful tradition to be a reader. I have always been grateful that I was brought up in a family who loved to read. No one ever told me to get my nose out of the book and do something useful. My parent knew I was setting myself up for lifelong pleasure.

January 14, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Darts.

Once upon a time, many years ago, our family was in The Canary Islands. David and Suzanne were newly married and Andrew was in law school, so we were together for two weeks over the Christmas and New Years weeks. Every day we went out to explore. The weather was perfect and we arrived back to the time share weary. Our custom was to eat our main meal out at lunch. In the evening, we just picked from the fridge or pantry. And we wanted to sit around and watched TV. Unfortunately, the International Dart Championship was being held in Germany so every evening, we watched darts. At first we just laughed but soon we got interested. We figured out the scoring and the strategy and even the personalities of the players. By the time the tournament ended, we knew everything about technique and winning. A Canadian won the championship, which still is the only time a non European has won the championship. I learned an important lesson, which is that everything is interesting if you know enough about the topic. Once after a baseball game, Joe commented to me that the game was not terribly interesting. Not so, said I. We saw a squeeze bunt and two pickoffs and on and on I went. He just did not know enough about baseball to know what was going on out on the field. Suzanne and I still laugh about the time we watched darts every evening…and enjoyed it too.

January 13, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Antiques Roadshow.

I love to watch Antiques Roadshow but often we have no TV so son David records them for me. When we visit, we sit and watch bunches of shows all in a row. It is fun. Here in Mexico, we have no PBS channel on the TV so I will miss the new shows. Last Monday, David told me that the day after a new show, Antiques Roadshow is put on the internet, and he told me how to access the program. For two Tuesdays in a row, I have enjoyed the new show, filmed in New York, while sitting on the couch and watching the show on my iPad. I loved it. New York people have good stuff. One painting tonight was estimated to be half a million dollars, and last week a collection of old baseball cards were appraised at one million. Who would ever pay that much for baseball cards? Every time I watch a show I learn something, often which is a big surprise to me. Many years ago, I was at a real estate meeting in Toronto. Antiques Roadshow was filming at the same time and we were staying in the same hotel. On the elevator, we chatted with two of the workers and we commented on the people lined up to get into the building. She laughed and said that when they first started, they were fearful that anyone would bring in their antiques to be appraised. But they no longer worry about that. The show has been a huge hit, thanks to people like me.

January 12, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Treatments.

Gill tells me that my treatment will not be neutral. Graham admonishes me to stay strong. I on the other hand, have no clue what to expect from my treatments. On purpose, I have not read the side effects of the drugs. And I refuse to read much about what will perhaps happen to me. And folks tell me to get plenty of rest. I try not to pay attention to what is happening to my body. I take my anti nausea pills and I take ibuprofen on schedule. And I try to keep busy. I rest when I am weary, at least the first week after treatment. I walk a bit every day, even though my legs are shaky. This afternoon I walked the back hall of the condo, which overlooks the mountains and is out of doors, but has a railing. I eat good food, thanks to Doreen. One thing interesting to me is my hair. My hair is almost all gone. It doesn't seem to bother me a bit, which is a surprise. To me, it shows that the medicine is working. When out of the condo I wear a hat. I am trying to be a good patient. I stay strong, even though I do not know what that really means me to do. And I rest when necessary. I distract myself at every opportunity which is why I appreciate the e mails. And I am doing as well as possible!!

January 11, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Football.

This weekend was devoted to football. As my friend Jose said, "This is the most exciting weekend of football all year". And we get to watch the so called National Championship on Monday evening too. Our cup runneth over. Some of my teams won and some did not, which is normal. But what I found most interesting was that often I did not watch the TV when the games were being played. I think I got football indigestion. Three cheers for Indianapolis, Seattle, New England and Green Bay. We get to watch them all next weekend. Also this weekend, from a Canadian channel, we watched curling. The Continental Cup was being held in Calgary, between Europe and Canada. The tournament started on Thursday, for a four day event. We switched from football to curling at each advertisement. Great curling. The tournament in addition to regular curling also had skins games too. We had never seen skins in curling so it took us a while to figure out the complicated scoring. Ken finally looked it up on the internet. CANADA WON THE CONTINENTAL CUP. We four loved it. Next year the Continental Cup will be held in Las Vegas in January but I am not going. I prefer to watch it on TV.

January 10, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Doreen.

Ian suggests we call her Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, but that does not begin the extent of her role with us here in Mexico. So we don't know what to call here. Doreen thinks we should call her Friend but I want to give her a proper official title. I just don't know the word that would appropriate. Yesterday she accompanied me at my treatments. She speaks spanish so could converse with the very sweet nurse. Doreen is also a retired nurse so could ask pertinent questions and observe the protocols were in order. So far today, she gather the breakfast dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Then she and Don took a taxi to the big grocery store and came home loaded with groceries. Now the fridge, freezer and pantry are full. She and I put the groceries away together, then she fixed lunch for the two of them. Finally, she took herself off duty and went to the pool to read. As we all had eaten a late lunch, Doreen prepared sunset food for us while we watched football. Crackers and cheese, salami and olives, followed by ice crew. And of course, she loaded the dish washer, which is running right now. She really is a jack of all trades and certainly is taking good care of us, which is a godsend to us. But I still don't know what to call her. Perhaps I will call her Chief…or perhaps The General!!

January 9, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta. Mex. Celebration.

Tonight we celebrated. My treatment went well in PV. The Oncologist is competent and pleasant and is using the same drugs and doses as my Mississippi Oncologist. The nurse too. The office is modern and the chairs comfortable. The time flew by. I am not usually a person who needs another along to lean on but having Doreen with me today was a huge help. We chatted with each other and with the doctor and nurse. The taxi driver found the office with no mistakes. The whole day was a success. Ken and I are relieved. So we celebrated by dining at The Riviera Grill, a restaurant just down the road. The chef is from Mexico City and is wonderful. All four enjoyed our dinner. When we left, they gave us a pineapple. Now I have never attended a healing service, when the preacher puts his hands on the infirm and shouts "Be Healed". But I have read about them. During my treatment, I was dozing. I looked up at the medicine bag as it dripped into my IV and heard a "Be Healed" in my mind. I laughed out loud. I think of the drugs as my medicine that is getting me better. My brain is instructing the bag of drugs to heal me, I guess. I discussed with the Oncologist the negative aspects of the term used for cancer, chemotherapy. She agreed. She further stated that cancer now is a sustainable disease, similar to several others which she listed to me. My next treatment is set in PV for February 2, 2015. Tonight we celebrated in style, dining outside at 80 degrees and listening to a singer playing old tunes. Life is good but never easy.

January 8, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Friends.

Our friends Don and Doreen have come to visit us. They are here specifically to look after us. That means they are good friends. Tonight they are weary as they got up at 4:00, but they have already lifted our spirits. And tomorrow Doreen will come with me for my treatment. Soon she will go to the grocery store to fill our freezer, fridge and pantry. I do so appreciate their friendship. I have been blessed with good friends. My friend Wendy e mails healing hugs every day along with other interesting tidbits of her life. My e mail friends send me information and pictures and jokes. Eleanor tops the list but Wilma and Kate are not far behind. Friends who I have not spoken to for years are e mailing me regularly, often on a weekly basis. I had an interesting discussion with Paul M. recently about managing time. Jose and Joe are in touch too along with Sara Lou and Suzanne and Susan K. All these missives to me are helpful. Ou friend Graham has review my medical history and as he is a retired Oncologist, his comment that I am getting excellent care give comfort. Karen in Liverpool is a friend but now she greets me regularly as does friend Gill. There is no doubt that I am blessed with friends along with my supportive family. Every link in my chain makes me stronger.

January 7, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mex. Hats.

For 23 years I wore a hat each Tuesday morning for sales meeting. I had not planned to wear a foolish hat every Tuesday, but that was what happened. Blame my friend Gary if you wish because he gave me my first hat, which I wore at the next meeting. From then on, agents began giving me hats, some beautiful and some ridiculous, and some even expensive. I wore every one in turn and loved them all. When I retired, I had my grandchildren select my hats one after the other until they were gone. They still turn up at Halloween time. The girls like them. Now I will again become a hat lady. My hair has fallen out so I must cover my head outside. I will not buy a wig but I will wear a hat. Right now I have two hats. One a floppy red hat with a wide brim and the other a tan color Australian type with a chin strap. They are both comfortable and look fine to me. But I am betting that cousin Rita, who is French and has great style, will march me off to the hat store in our local mall and encourage me to purchase some spiffy new hats. Then I will really be in style, probably for the first time in my life!!

January 6, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Progress.

Ken has always been confident about my treatments in Mexico, but I was not so sure. We have been told that the Mexican medical authorities approve the same medications as the Americans, so again Ken was sure the drugs would be available for me in Mexico, but making the connections was the hard part. Then the two holidays interrupted work patterns. But on Monday, progress was made and now I actually have an appointment on Friday to have my next treatment in the office of the Oncologist's office in Puerto Vallarta. I spoke to the Oncologist the day after we arrived. She seemed pleasant and cooperative but communications became a problem. It ended up a problem at the Mississippi end, which surprised me. My patient records including drugs and doses needed to be sent to the Oncologist here. Even though I had approved the transfer of the records, the University would not allow the records to be e mailed. Unfortunately, no one uses a Fax machine any more, so on Monday we got stuck. Then I e mailed Christina, who spoke to my Doctor and her friend Dr. Gregg who figured out a way to e mail the records to me, which I then e mailed to the Oncologist here. It helps to have friends. Now we are set. We know the budget and I have an appointment on Friday morning. This is indeed real progress. I do not need to return to Jackson for my treatment.

January 5, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Control.

With many things in life, we have no control. How tall we are is certainly out of our control. As are the color or our hair. But what we can control is our response it what happens to us. This afternoon while taking a shower, my hair fell out. While I was shampooing, huge gobs of hair appeared in my hands. Just yesterday I looked at the mirror and realized that my hair had gotten long. The damp sea air makes curls so I was wondering if I should have my hair cut. But no longer. My hair has gone. I just laughed. This is early in the treatment for hair to depart but I just figure that the medicine is working. Now I have a bit of hair but no curls. My style is to keep control of the details of my life, but with this latest disease, I am not in charge at all of what has happened to me and to what will happened to me in the future. I have decided that the whole thing is just one big joke being played on me. So I will laugh right back and watch as the medicines repair the damage to my body. I will wear no wig but I will once again be a hat person. When I need to rest I will rest and I will control the part of my life that I can control, which is my attitude to my disease. I will do my best to control that part of my life…I hope. I guess you can call it my duty.

January 4, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Journey.

Every journey is an adventure. Poor Christina and the girls. Coming to Puerto Vallarta, they stayed the night in Houston, due to delayed flights. In all the years of traveling to PV, Ken and I have never been stuck in Houston. Now it has happened twice during one visit. Today, the flight leaving PV was late, which meant that Christina and the girls missed their flight to Jackson. Once again, they are stuck in Houston for the night, and will stay in the same hotel as when they came down. Molly will not be pleased to miss school tomorrow. Our intention had nothing to do with having Christina and the girls look after us. The goal was R&R. But things have changed and what happened with their visit was a godsend to us. They went to the market for us and left us enough food in the fridge and pantry to last a few days. Now we do not need to go out for every meal. We can eat breakfast leisurely. Last evening they brought everything from the lockers. It look them ten minutes while it would have taken us an hour or more. But the most important part of their visit was their presence. Last evening we ate pizza watching the sunset while sitting on the balcony. It was delightful. They diverted us with their presence. We are so grateful they came. Now I will be happy when they get home.

January 3, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Parents.

My parents knew what they were doing with their lives. They knew they were doing God's work by working as officers in The Salvation Army. They saw it as their duty. It is not only that they felt required to do the work of the Lord but they were also required to perform their work joyfully. In our family, there was not a wife of complaint or criticism, at least as far as I could tell. It was a tall order but they managed to carry it out. Both of my parents were still committed to service and joy until they died. Their impact on their children has been interesting. We three children were a bit more cynical than them, but the concept of service and duty has been part of our lives. It is again a tall order, but I have always expected to do my duty and to do my duty with joy to the benefit of those with whom I work. It is not actually religious in spirit but it seems pretty close. Now I have a dire disease. The treatment is not pleasant. But my family ethic would have me walk down that path joyfully, while helping others along the way. It is my duty and it is my service. Now I must figure out a method of carrying it out in the every day of my life.

January 2, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Thin.

This is certainly not a scientific survey. This afternoon while eating ice cream and watching the beach crowd wander past, I commented to Ken that everyone was thin. I don't mean that most people were thin. Everyone was thin. I wonder if this is a trend? Or perhaps the round folks of the world are not attending beach resorts? Five years ago, lots of folks were more round than flat, but not this year. I observed the same thing over Thanksgiving at the Hard Rock Hotel south of Cancun but I put that down to the fact that that we were staying at a family resort, with many teens and parents in attendance. Paradise Village is a Time Share/Hotel and serves old and young. There are lots of teens and young adults along with oldsters like us and also the very young. But still we see no really round people. It is interesting to observes the difference. I am perhaps the most overweight person here, but even after eating ice cream I am 15 pounds lighter than in the summer so I am not actually obese. Perhaps the people of the world are getting thinner or perhaps the obese are staying away from resorts. This is a good trend. It is certainly nicer to see the thin of the world!! I wonder if this is accurate?

January 1, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The First Day.

The Winter Classic and Football. What could be better for the first day of the year that that? Ken and I did not even care who was playing football. We just watched a part of each game and enjoyed every minute. And to top it off, the Capitals won in the last few seconds at The Winter Classic in Washington, D.C. This is the sixth time they have held this outdoor hockey game. It seems astonishing to me that folks attend the game where they can barely see the rink, let alone the puck, but it is a huge success and a definite trendy event. The game in Washington was sold out in hours, I am told. Add to the TV, we enjoyed both lunch and dinner with Christina and the girls. An unexpected pleasure tonight was dinner at the Japanese restaurant in the mall. It is a restaurant that opens only for dinner and normally we ate out at lunch but tonight we decided on Mexican but quickly changed our plans when we realized the Sushi bar was open. The food was excellent. By the time we left, they were crowded so our timing was perfect. It was a fine way to begin the new year; Winter Classic, Football, Loving Family and Good Food.

New Years Eve 14/15