October 31, 2015. Madison, Ms. A Celebration.

Today we celebrated by eating more friend food than we have had for over a year.    Today, Don turned 82 so Doreen suggested she take us all out for a birthday dinner.  As we had eaten a late breakfast, we decided to go for a late lunch to celebrate.  Ken suggested Shuckers, a restaurant and bar that is close to home.

 The rain was coming down cats and dogs, so Don kindly brought his new car into the garage.  We all walked along the covered walkway into the garage and the car.   At the restaurant, he dropped us at the canopy leading to the restaurant.  Pretty good service from Don on his birthday, as none of us got a drop on rain.

Shuckers is a place with plenty of local color.   It looks very like a Mississippi joint, except it is big.  Today the waitresses were all in costume and a live band was playing beginning at 3:00.  It was certainly not a place you could dine in Toronto.  We had a good time, and the food was excellent.  We were full after the appetizers.   But the worst part was that Don payed the bill, even though it was his birthday.  We were happy to celebrate the 82nd birthday with our friend Don, to whom we have been friends for over 60 years.   All 4 of us will remember our good time at Shuckers celebrating the birthday of Don even though it was an odd place to celebrate.  It was definitely not a fancy restaurant!!

October 30, 2015. Madison, Ms. Hallowe'en.

Tomorrow night is supposed to rain so the powers that be in Jackson and the surrounding area  encouraged everyone to celebrate Trick or Treating tonight instead of tomorrow.  Here,  weather forecasts are mostly accurate so people paid attention and tonight became Hallowe'en.  John and Greta Barbour had invited us to their Hallowe'en party tomorrow night so they too moved their party up a day.  We all obliged so tonight we went to their porch Trick or Treating Party.

John had made white chili made of chicken cooked in his smoker.  We enjoyed dinner sitting on their front porch watching the parade of costumed children coming for their treats.   Tonight the numbers of children was low but they still ran out of candy.  The party was delightful.  They suspect that tomorrow evening they will have many more Trick or Treaters tomorrow night too.  We left a bowl of candy on our steps but no one came to our door.  This switching of Hallowe'en is confusing.  But tonight we thoroughly enjoyed the porch party at the Mills Family.  But the children liked it best of all.

October 29, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. The Yacht Club.

The Sunday Brunch was even better than it used to be.   Last Sunday, for the first time since we moved into our new house,  Christina and the girls joined us for Brunch.  Molly was delighted.  And we were pleased to see Kate, who drove back from Mississippi College to be with us for Brunch.   She seems to be managing well at college and is getting to classes and turning in assignments in a timely fashion. And she reports good grades too.  She looks grown up and happy.

Molly now calls the Yacht Club by the proper pronunciation.  Years ago, when she did not pronounce the y, she called it the Aucht Club.  Then it evolved to be The Hot Club.  Now that she reads, she calls it The Yacht Club, so no more baby talk for her.    For a while, we all called it the Aucht Club, but no more.

Their food Sunday was excellent.  The executive chef is the same,  so you would expect to be served excellent food.  Along with all the breakfast foods, they served rack of lamb, chicken and fish with many vegetables and salads.   This coming Sunday we will bring Don and Doreen and with the family will celebrate our Sunday Brunch at The Yacht Club.  We will all enjoy our tradition.

October 28, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. Wee Willie.

Our new bull in Texas had no name.  The old bull was called Big Tex, so named by the Texas granddaughters for obvious reasons.   But the new bull had no name.  The girls could not name the bull without seeing him so he stayed nameless….until now.  Now his name is Wee Willie.

Last evening, son David was having a drink with a man from London, England, who he has known in the past.  They were both at an insurance meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.   For some reason, they were discussing ranches in Texas, specifically  Longhorn cattle.  In passing, the question of our new bull came up.  It turns out that the young mans son, who is 3, would like to name the bull Willie after himself, whose name is William.  I received a text asking about the name but as I was watching the baseball game, I did not answer until this morning.  Of course I agreed to Willie but added the Wee in honor of the young man, who is probably wee in height.

The young man has never seen a longhorn bull so he is wanting David to send a picture of his namesake.  Wee Willie is definitely not wee but the name will be a reminder of the young English lad of 3 who is fascinated with Texas ranches and Longhorn cattle.  We will smile every time we use his name.  Wee Willie is a ridiculous name for this bull and we love the name.  Wee Willie is our bull.

October 27, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. The Scans.

"Overall, moderate improvement in disease burden, with minimal residual active disease within the chest and of a few sub centimeter osseous lesions.
There is continued re-mineralization of several osseous lesions in keeping with good response to treatment, now nearly all without abnormal hyper metabolic activity.  A few osseous lesions remain partially lytic with only very low-level FDG-avidity."  Quotes from my scan report.

So I am doing better but am not perfect.  In addition, I have an infection in one lung so am now on a five day Z pac to get it gone.  It is an infection not a cancer.  Today I had a new chest Xray.

The Oncologist was pleased with my progress and my activities.  My blood counts are again low so she will keep me at the same level of Ibrance for another month.  I see her in two weeks and then will decide to bump me back up to the higher dosage.   It is interesting to see that the cancer in the bones is partially gone and new bone is replacing the diseased areas.  My body is doing good work, thanks to modern medicine and the efforts of friends and relatives.  Between Reiki treatments via the airways, multiple prayers from multiple people. good clean air and excellent food, my body is recovering.  Thanks be to God.

October 26, 2015. Madison, Ms. Storms.

Storms are exciting, especially when listening to the howling wind from the safety of a warm and cosy bed.  I kept trying to figure out where all the noise was coming from.  We have no surf crashing in as we have on the ocean in Nova Scotia.   The noise last night in the middle was deafening and exciting.  But when I went to the bathroom and discovered water dripping on my head I decided that the storm needed to be over.  I spread towels around my sink and went back to sleep, hoping the rain would stop.

This morning we discovered three windows leaking water.  The rain was pounding horizontal at the house and the old caulking failed.  Not much water came in  but between the high wind and the heavy rain, our windows failed.  Now we need someone to calk.  Fortunately the rain stopped this morning but the wind is still very high, which means no one will climb a ladder any time soon.

For the first time at the house,  we saw large waves crashing into the shore.  I had read that the boaters must pay attention to the weather because the reservoir does become rough quickly.  No boats were on the water today.  Part of the sound last night was the waves.  The rest was the wind howling in the trees and around the house.  It was dramatic.  But I can do without water dripping on my head while standing at my sink!!

October 25, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. Rain.

Our new house is a wonderful place to be when it is raining.   I watched football this afternoon in the room adjacent to our bedroom, the small room that is floor to ceiling windows on the two sides adjacent to outside.  It is a spectacular place in the rain especially with the wind gusting and the leaves falling.  Mississippi has been short of rain this fall so it comes as a relief to find the rain falling.  The rain has been the best of rain, falling gently beginning in the middle of the night and continuing all day.  Now it is raining hard enough to hear on the windows.   I like it.

 The reservoir has been very low, in fact,  many of the sail boats at the yacht club can not budge from the dock, as the water is too shallow, but today there was a race held today, due to all the rain that fell over night.  And Texas has again had a deluge of rain.  The rain fell at the ranch which was a blessing but in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas they had flooding and everyone was told to stay home.   At our condo in Nuevo Vallarta, everyone was taken to the casino during the storm Patricia, but they were lucky when the storm hit land south of Puerto Vallarta at a place with little development.   Everyone was relieved, especially Joyce and Robbie whose nephew was at his condo in the same building as us.  There were anxious moments but fortunately, all is well.   Our new home has proved better than we expected, as it is even great during rain and wind.

October 24, 2015. Madison, Ms. Frascati.

Living near an Italian restaurant is always a good thing, but until tonight, we have never eaten at our local one.   They are only open for dinner and as we eat out mostly at noon, we never tried their food…until tonight.   We have driven past many times and often commented about dining there and finally, we took the plunge.

Fortunately, this little restaurant is unpretentious as we went in our work clothes.  Much to our surprise, the food was excellent.   Many other people had heard about the place too because when we left, the restaurant was almost full.  Frascati restaurant has been there a long time, with two separate rooms to seat customers.  I did not count the tables, but the place is small, with about 8 tables in each room plus an outside porch.  It would have been warm enough to sit outside tonight.

Ken was feeling hungry so ordered stuffed mushrooms.  We shared the appetizer and wolfed them down.  The salad was the hit of the night: ground olives and tomatoes served on lettuce.  It was delicious but after the mushrooms and the salad, we were both almost full so we ate a bit of our dinner but brought the bulk of our entree home.  We are delighted to know that a good Italian restaurant is just down the street from our home.  And we will enjoy our dinner again another day.

October 23, 2015. Madison, Ms. Claremont Review of Books.

More books are published every year than I could possibly read.  Even when the books are valuable and interesting,  I can not get to read very many in any month, so last year I started to subscribe to Claremont Review of Books, which as the sub title states, is a Journal of Political Thought and Statesmanship.  My system is simple.  I have the hard copy mailed to Texas so when I am there, I always have something new and interesting to read.  As the books have already been published and I probably will never get to read the full book, these extensive reviews work well for me and I am enjoying reading them.

Ken reads what he calls classical trash, but I do not.  If I am going to read, I like to read a literary book or non fiction.  The review is published by the Claremont Institution for the study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy and as I am interested in history and political philosophy, these reviews are right up my alley. I started my subscription last year but it was not until this time at the ranch that I was able to devote time to the journal.  And I enjoyed them thoroughly.  Ken thinks I am nuts to read the paper copy rather than reading on line but I prefer the hard copy.  I often skip around and sometimes begin at the back.  My system works for me and I will stick with it!!

October 22, 2015. Madison, Ms. Normal Life.

My good friend Joyce will be delighted to know that I have had my hair trimmed.  Since my immune system had improved, my life has become almost normal so I called the hair salon and asked for an appointment without any worry about lots of other people around me giving me an infection.  Now I look neat and tidy.  Tomorrow I am going to the grocery store.  My normal life is returning.

When we were in San Antonio,  I attended two volleyball games.  The Oncologist suggested that I might get a cold if I went to the games, but it would not be a life threatening event for me and that my immune system would be strong enough to fight the infection in the normal way.  So that  happened.  I seem to have acquired a cold with no fever but lots of sneezing and coughing.  I am just having a regular cold.  I am already feeling as if my cold is better and I was not really ever sick.

The house is feeling normal too.  The heating and ac systems have been installed and the carpet is complete.  I have been prowling around the house making life comfortable for myself such as water on my desk and coasters on the table where I read.  The house looks prettier without my stuff around but it would not feel like my home.   Normal feels pretty good.

October 21, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. More good news.

The nurse called me to give me good news.  The Oncologist, Dr. Sheehan, had reviewed the scans from yesterday, and wanted to tell me that they look much better than the last ones, which is very good news indeed.  Until I meet with the good doctor next Tuesday, I will not know what that really means for the future of my treatment but at least we are moving in the right direction.

The carpet on the lower level was put down today.  They will finish tomorrow, along with the stairs.  Gloria thought the carpet looked old and worn and needed stretching so we decided to change it.  She selected the carpet, which was supposed to be installed before we returned but the carpet was delayed.  Interesting to note, that one section of floorboard was rotten and will need to be replaced tomorrow before the carpet in that area is completed.  Soon we will have replaced every corner of this house.  But it certainly looks good.

The pressures in my eyes were down too.  I saw the Eye Doctor this afternoon.  He switched one eye drop to a new more powerful drop.  And of course, I return in 6 weeks.  So three sets of good news today: the scan, the pressures and the carpet.   And Ken sorted all the mail.  Progress all around.

October 20, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. Another Busy Day.

The TV was delivered and installed, turning a useless space into into a TV room.  Gloria ordered a bracket for the wall with a swivel so watching TV from the two chairs at the end of the room is easy and comfortable.  Best Buy delivered and installed the set and were there at 9:00.  

AT&T arrived at 8:30 to switch out Internet and TV service to them.  The young man was helpful,  polite and competent.  We were expecting problems but although it took him 6 hours to get the job done, by the time he left both the Internet and the TV's were up and running.  We were all impressed.

The healing and AC contractor came to check our system for the season and was at our house at 8:00.   He had installed a new system at the condo years ago, when it broke down, so we knew him and liked him.  Unfortunately, our systems are old so we will replace the whole thing.  He will begin the work on Thursday.

Suzanne drove with me to get my scans, then drove back home all by herself.  I wrote her directions, which she preferred to the GPS.  Then when I was finished, she drove back to pick me up.  She now is a pro at getting around Jackson.

Later in the afternoon, she and I went to a consignment shop to try to find a small table for the end of the breakfast table, where we intend to place a computer.  I wanted a small, antique desk but we could not find anything suitable.  On the way to the truck we found a table that is the perfect size and is sturdy but is an old fashioned kitchen table.  It fits perfectly and will be useful. although not fancy.  It will do just fine.    Todaywas a busy, productive day.

October 19, 2015. Madison, Mississippi. A House Transformed.

The difference is remarkable.  Gloria and Gary were here for 6 days and the house has been transformed.   Our new home is delightful now.  Christina and the girls came for dinner and after dinner we sat in the living room and enjoyed the ambiance of our new living room.  The furniture is all new down to the rug and it all fits together including the cushions.  And it looks spectacular.  Actually, it looks like our own home.  Mary Frances noted tonight that she liked seeing all the same art and artifacts that she remembered from the apartment and the farm.  We like it too.   Our new house was always wonderful but now it is also beautiful.

We ended our journey by driving the Natchez Trace from Clinton on Highway 20 to Ridgelend and the Mississippi Craft Center.  After the busy Highway 20 which is full of huge trucks it was a relief to drive and see no commercial vehicles and where you drive 50 mph.   For a short time it is a pleasure which it was today.  Our day was exciting, arriving at home and seeing our transformed house. then having dinner with Christina and Mary Frances and Molly.  Now tomorrow I have the scans.   Suzanne drove the whole time today.  So nice to have competent friends who help us.  We are blessed.

October 18, 2015. Henderson, Texas. Another Road Trip.

Ken and I have driven all over North America.   We must have taken several hundred road trips.  And we have enjoyed every one, even when we drove in a VW with no air conditioning.    Today was no exception.   The goal of our journey was to get us from our ranch in Texas to our new home in Mississippi, which will take us two days, thus spending one night on the road.   In addition, my friend Suzanne has once again come from Bethesda to help us with the driving.   Our journey today was splendid.  We three enjoyed the changing topography and the good company.

Ken started off the driving and quit at Johnson City when Suzanne took over.  I sat in the back seat and never budged even though I became a back seat driver when I kept advising Suzanne of the speed limits.  

Our lunch was excellent.  As it was Sunday, this local restaurant was full as folks just coming from church.    We were the off balls.  Firstly we did not know everyone and secondly, we did not order the buffet.   But we did as everyone else did, enjoy the piano player.  Ken found the restaurant on his new smart phone.

Small pleasures are important during a journey.  In mid afternoon, Suzanne bought us an ice cream bar, just  to have a bit of a walk around.  Ice cream never tasted so good.  Now we are tucked into our respective rooms in Henderson, the small city  we selected prior to leaving the ranch.  Tomorrow we have less than 5 hours before arriving home.  Again, the weather will be fine and the traffic not terrible.  God is good.

October 17, 2015. Harper, Texas. Gate Girl.

Ranches and Farms have gates.  The rule is always the same.  If the gate is closed,  close the gate after you go through.  If the gate is open, leave it open.   At our Texas ranch, we have two gates to open and close when driving from the ranch house to our Top House.  Our friend Suzanne quickly observed that she is the fastest person to attend to the gates.   She elected herself and became our gate girl.   And a good one she was.  This is her first visit to the ranch but already she loves the place.  And we like here here too.  It takes her half the time to deal with the gates than it does for me and a quarter of the time it takes for Ken.  So we are happy to have our new Gate Girl in residence.

But this will be short lived because tomorrow, we three get in the car and begin the drive to our home in Mississippi.   Our destination is Henderson, Texas.  The weather will be lovely and we are looking forward to a pleasant six hour drive.   I can guarantee that there will be no gates to open and close on the highway.  Our new Gate Girl will soon be relieved from responsibility.

October 16, 2015. Harper, Texas. Suzanne R.

The plan worked perfectly.  By 11:45,  Suzanne arrived by cab to David and Suzanne's house where Ken and I were waiting.   Her direct flight from Baltimore was on time and other than thirty minutes of rough air coming into San Antonio, the flight was easy, except she had to leave Bethesda at 5:30am.

Today was new topography for Suzanne as we drove west from San Antonio heading for the ranch.  For lunch we ate at Comfort, the town called The Antique Town, which is also charming and very German.  Because Suzanne has a short time to stay at the Hill  Country, we drove home the long way and drove straight north to Fredericksburg so she could at least see a bit of the town.  Perhaps tomorrow she will drive into Fredericksburg by herself to visit the museums and the shops.

The most startling impression on Suzanne was the lack of traffic on the roads.  Once you get west of Boerne, the traffic disappears and you have the road to yourself.  And at the ranch she realized just how isolated we really are.   But the beauty of the place is in the quiet.  After a walk before dinner, we three sat on the porch for a glass of wine.  The air was a perfect temperature and the air was still, which is unusual for the Top House.  And there were no sirens, no honking horns, no screeching brakes.    We all agreed that our Top House was perfect and we three felt fortunate to be here,  together.

October 15, 2015. San Antonio, Texas. Sarah's 18th Birthday.

Today Sarah turned 18.   We were here in San Antonio to celebrate the event.  Tonight the Varsity volleyball team was honoring the Seniors and their parents at their game so we all attended this very lovely event.  The five Seniors were introduced along with their parents and when that was all done, everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.  The stands were packed, so it was noisy.

But the best part of the evening was the play of the team.  They played very well and won the match in three games.  I got to see a real volleyball game with passing and spiking and blocking and setting.  They were an impressive team tonight.

Sarah was given a picture of the 6th grade volleyball team whose girls all played on that same team.  Four of the Seniors have played together since that time.   That year they won the regional finals.  They also gave Sarah a picture of this years five Seniors along with an action shot of Sarah,  with Abigail also in the picture.   These are lovely mementoes of her years on the volleyball team.  She was pleased with the evening and so was I.

October 14, 2015. San Antonio, Texas. Trouble for Samantha.

Her penalty was to write a five page essay telling of the life of General MacArthur.  The trouble was climbing the statue  at school and hugging the Generals legs.  Some one took a picture and posted it on a web page.  Their school is The Episcopal  School of San Antonio, also called Texas Military Academy, of which the good General attended.  He is perhaps the most famous alum.  The school rule is that no one is allowed to climb on the statue.

Samantha is a good student and a well behaved girl.  She is also spirited.    One afternoon, when hanging around with friends, she climbed the statue.  Someone saw the picture and showed the principal.  Both Allison and Samantha were called into the office.  The twins are identical so the principal knew one of the girls had climbed the statue but did not know which one, so he asked them which one was guilty.  Samantha confessed so Allison was asked to leave.  Samantha received a lecture for disobeying the rules plus the need to write the essay which she has already done.

Believe it or not, but this the first time Samantha has  gotten in trouble at school.  She does not intent to get in trouble again.  But she did think the part where the school officials had no idea which girl was at fault was funny.  In addition, she did not really know about the rule.  But she does now!!

Ranch in Autumn

October 13, 2015. San Antonio, Texas. The Volleyball Game.

Samantha and Allison play on the 8th grade  volleyball team.   This afternoon, I went to the game.   This was the first volleyball game I have attended this season and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I expect an 8th grade team to make mistakes but what surprised me was how well they played.  The team actually played real volleyball, with passing and setting and slams.

But the part of the team that was most impressive was the serves.    That speaks well for the coach.  They only made three serving errors the whole match.  They play to 25 points and to win the match, you must win two out of three games.  The girls do not get upset when they have mistakes and they encourage each other with their efforts.  These girls have the makings of a good varsity team in future years.

Our team won in two games which is always a satisfying feeling.  But the most important aspect of the game was to watch the team work so hard to win each point.  The team members are energetic and enthusiastic as well as talented.   My hat is off to the coach and each members of the team.

October 12, 2015. Harper, Texas. The Last Hurrah.

Today I had my final appointment.  And it was a good one.  By any standard, I am much better than I was when the Oncologist first saw me in May.  The markers in the blood for breast cancer are more than half what they were back then and my blood work is pretty close to normal.  My body is pumping out lots and lots of new cells.  All this shows in how I look, says the good doctor.   My color is good and I look energetic.  He actually suggested that even if I get an infection, I would not have a life threatening event, which would have been the case in the Spring.  So now I can attend the volleyball games when we are in San Antonio this week.  Hurrah!!

I am scheduled for both the Pet and Ct scans on the 20th in Mississippi.  At that time, we will really find some answers.  But in the meantime, I will continue along my path of good health, and keep up  my exercise and walking routine.   And I will continue taking the Ibrance.  It seems to be working.

October 11, 2015. Harper, Texas. Canadian Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and relatives.   The crops are being harvested around this time of year so Canadian Thanksgiving is actually a giant Harvest Festival.   Canadians eat the same food as Americans at Thanksgiving so turkey is the food on everyones table.   As there were no pilgrims in Canada, they have no customs associated with the Indians.  All Canadians give thanks for the bountiful harvest and because they live in Canada.  They like their country.

For several years, Ken and I were in Nova Scotia for Canadian Thanksgiving so we celebrated our turkey dinners with Walt and Mary at their house.  If we plan carefully, next year we will try to be in Nova Scotia and get invited to their house again to enjoy Mary's wonderful turkey dinner.   Walt's aunt and uncle were there too.  I was impressed with them because  at 90 and 92 they both remembered our names all through the dinner.   His uncle has died but his aunt is still going strong.

The Thanksgiving is held on the Monday but many Canadians serve Thanksgiving dinner on the Saturday or Sunday, thus allowing travelers to get home on the Monday.  Also, if the big turkey is cooked on Saturday, the company can eat the leftovers for the whole weekend.  But Monday is officially Thanksgiving Day.  It is also the weekend when cottages are closed up for the season.  Wonderful Wendy, my niece, is at the cottage for the weekend along with Dave and Irene and the two girls with boyfriends.  And Norm and Diane are joining them for the day of the feast.  Canadian Thanksgivings are similar to Americans in that families gather from far and wide to give thanks together.

For me, I celebrated by phoning many of my Canadian friends and relatives.  That was a celebration for me.

October 10, 2015. Harper, Texas. Texting.

Last year, my son David urged me to buy a new phone, one that would easily send text messages, so I did.  I am enjoying the texts a lot.  Last evening while watching the baseball game between the Dodgers and the Cardinals, David and I texted each other many times, telling who we were rooting for and why the pitcher did not get a hair cut and several other comments which were just as innocuous but were fun.  I was by myself watching the game so it was good company to have him share his comments.

And Christina sends us comments and pictures of of the girls.  It is quick and easy and I can look at the pictures immediately without sitting down at my iPad.  That phone is wonderful, especially now that I have a bigger phone to see the pictures.

Yesterday there were four baseball games on TV, which was almost too many for me.  But I watched part of every game and enjoyed every one.  The expertise of the players is astonishing.  They are so good at what they do.  And there are many more playoff games in store for me to enjoy.  And I can text on my phone right from my couch.  The modern world is wonderful.

October 9, 2015. Harper, Texas. Burn Ban.

Ever since we have arrived at the ranch, the Burn Ban signs were everywhere.  The ground is dry and brown.  We have had no rain this autumn.  And the Pray For Rain signs are back up at the church in Harper.   In the Spring when we had flooding, the sign went down, but now it is up again.  The problem for us at the ranch is that we burn our trash.  Soon we will leave the ranch and drive to Mississippi and we do not wish to leave our trash for David to deal with.  Our plan was to take all our trash to the lake when we drive there on Tuesday and fill our big container, which we would leave by to road to be picked up.

But we got lucky.  Last night it rained about half an inch.  Ken looked out first thing this morning and saw that someone had been burning, so this afternoon when we had no wind, we went to burn our trash in the fire pit.   With a bit of wood and lots of paper trash, we enjoyed a nice little fire.  Nothing is better that sitting by the fire, even when you know you are only there to burn the trash.  The fire pit is a pleasant cool spot too, sitting in the shade under the trees.  Other than the balconies at the Top House, the fire pit area is the nicest spot on the ranch.  Today we enjoyed it for the first time this visit.

October 8, 2015. Harper, Texas. H.E.B.

My life is so sparsely populated with activities that going to the grocery store is the highlight of the day.  This is especially true when I am shopping in a H.E.B.  For the second time in a year, I went grocery shopping.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  These Texas store are the best.  Each store is laid out in a similar fashion so you can find your way around.  And the variety seems limitless.  Today, on my grocery list was berries but I came out of the store with $80. worth of delicious articles, including a lemon chess pie.  On the way home we munched on miniature cinnamon rolls.  Delicious.

Our grocery stores in Liverpool are good and the Krogers stores in Mississippi are excellent but nothing comes close to H.E.B.  I don't really know how they do it,  but the next time you are in Texas, be sure to visit one of their stores.  You will be like me, and make it the highlight of the day.    But perhaps you will not be as deprived as me that I actually wander over the store inspecting the goodies and loving every minute.   I feel like the Russians who first shop in our stores when they are utterly delighted and overwhelmed.  I just had fun today.

October 7, 2015. Harper, Texas. My Hair.

My solution to the situation is to never look in a mirror.  Joyce is encouraging me to have my hair cut.  What has happened is predictable but irritating.   When all my hair fell out, I was not upset because I knew the chemotherapy was working on the cancer as well as my hair.  I also knew that when hair grows back,  the new hair would be different  But it never crossed my mind that my hair would be difficult.  I had hoped my new hair would be curly and red.  No such luck.

Firstly, my hair is growing in very very slowly probably because one of the side effects of the Ibrance is  loss of hair.  My hair started to grow in June so it had been growing all summer.  By now it is about one inch long.  The hair is fine,  almost like baby hair and it sticks out in all directions.  I look ridiculous.  On the top, it might get curly but on both sides it sticks straight out.  I look very funny.

For an hour after I shower, my hair looks fine but as soon it dries, I look like a porcupine.  Perhaps I could use a hair dryer but I don't have one at the Top House so I ignore the problem.  Sooner or later my hair will get longer.  Then I will get it trimmed.  In the meantime, I will eat humble pie...and avoid the mirror.

October 6, 2015. Harper, Texas. Odds and Ends.

The playoffs have started and already good things have happened.  The Yankees lost the wild card  playoff to the Houston Astros.  It was a well played game with no errors.  The fun has begun.  But the Yankees will play no more this October, while I will enjoy the excellent play of the Blue Jays.  I suspect the St.Louis team will win the World Series.  They are an excellent team.  But I will cheer for the Toronto team.  I got to like them when living in Nova Scotia.  Don enjoyed watching their games and I often joined him.  I even got to know the names of the players.  But I love the baseball playoff season.  You just never know who will shine.

Ken is struggling with pain in his shoulder.   If he works the shoulder,  it hurts.  If he does not do it, his shoulder seizes up and won't move.  But it still hurts.  The same with walking.  Yesterday, because we were in Fredericksburg, we went walking.  Today he commented that we may have walked too far.  Always a difficult balance between too little and too much exercise.

Our friends the Perry's have had infections so have wisely stayed away from us, and with Joyce and Robbie in Puerto Vallarta for two weeks, we have been isolated.  So this morning,  I talked on the phone with my friend Wendy for thirty minutes.  It was the ticket to a happy day.

October 5, 2015. Harper, Texas. Success.

Every so often, all day long, everything goes right.  Today was one of those days.  Our first task was to drive to Fredericksburg and ask Dr. Stotz to sign the paperwork for the handicapped license plates.  In addition he was required to fill out a statement saying that the disability was permanent.  We left the form around 11:30, hoping he would sign it over his lunch, but as he is a busy man, so we were not sure he would be able to complete the task.  But we left it with his receptionist and thanked her for her help.

Next task was to visit an art gallery to shop for Christmas gifts for the Texas family.  The bags of goodies are complete but included nothing of real value and the bags for David and Suzanne were empty, which is not good when we will be leaving in less than two weeks.  But the Fredericksburg gallery had a wide range of styles and prices so I was able to purchase appropriate gifts for all.  I was pleased.

Our lunch was taken at a new Mexican restaurant.  The food was tasty.  This was the first time we have eaten Mexican food since arriving in Texas, which is unusual.  Immediately after lunch we stopped at Dr. Stotz's office and hurrah for him.  The form was ready.  We immediately went to the court house to obtain our new plates.   The lady who looked after us was pleasant and efficient so we were soon on our way, having the feeling that we have now graduated to handicapped license plates.

On the way home we stopped at the little place in Harper who repairs cars and he quickly changed the plates.   "Hurrah,"  we said to each other.  Everything on our list had been accomplished, at least for today.

October 4. 2015. Harper, Texas. The Wild Mississippi.

People say that television is no good but I have observed that if you read the guide on the screen, I am able to find engaging programs.  I agree that much on television is junk, but with so many channels, programs of value can be found.

This morning I was checking the guide on the TV to find when the football games begin, when I spotted a program on the National Geography channel called The Wild Mississippi.  As I live part time in Mississippi but know very little about the state, I assumed the program would be about the wild life in Mississippi, so I started watching.  But I was wrong.  The program was about the wild Mississippi River from the north to the Gulf of Mexico.  I began watching the program when commercial fisherman were fishing through the ice in the river in the cold north.    I did not know they did that.   That season, the ice on the river was thick and the snow was heavy which meant flooding all along the mighty Mississippi.

The whole program was a two hour show but I had missed the first half hour.  The film was made the Spring of the flood so the show showed wonderful pictures of the flooded river and the impact on the wildlife.  The pictures were astonishing.   At one place the river was 3 miles across.  They showed a flying squirel  remove her babies from their nest because a snake was beginning to climb the tree.   And beavers could be seen close up building another den when their old lodge was flooded.  Watching that show this morning made paying for the Dish satellite TV worthwhile.    The Wild Mississippi restored my faith in TV.

October 3, 2015. Harper, Texas. Christmas Shopping.

Today was the day I went Christmas shopping in Harper, Texas.   A new Dollar General store has opened in Harper so this morning I purchased the items to fill up the Christmas bags for the Texas girls.  Dollar stores are great and this new one is especially so because everything is new.   My task was to go up and down every isle and put in my basket four of everything that would be appealing for teenagers.  Of course, the items I select have changed over the years but the girls still get a kick of opening their big bags Christmas morning.

I am shopping today because we go to San Antonio on the 13th and will leave the bags with Suzanne to be brought out on Christmas morning.  Normally, by now I will have several gifts set aside for Suzanne and David for Christmas, but I have stayed away from stores so have nothing to wrap for them.  I bought bags for both of them but I have nothing to put inside.  The dollar store will not work for them.

Christmas shopping for the girls last year was the only gifts I purchased.  No gifts for any adults.  Also no cards.  This season will be better I think as I feel much better.  However, I have just noted that I have forgotten to give Samantha and Allison any birthday gifts at the end of August.  I realized it when I was reminded of Sarah's birthday this month on the 15th.  Most grandmothers I know never forget a birthday but here I am getting ready for Christmas when I have forgotten the birthdays.  Shame on me.

When I checked out at the Dollar Store, the lady asked me what I was shopping for, so of course I told her about my Christmas bags of goodies for my granddaughters.  She thought it a splendid idea and will use it for her own grandchildren.  Now I hope more people will shop at the Dollar General store so it will survive.  I like that little store.

October 2, 2015. Harper, Texas. Handicapped Plates.

Can you believe it?  Ken and I are filling out the forms to be able to drive the truck using handicapped plates.   Today I did the paper work and on Monday we will drive in to have the Neurologist sign the application so we can hand carry the form to the tax office and get the plates right then and there.   It was Dr. Stotz who suggested we get them.  Both Ken and I have been reluctant  because we assume we would get better  but the good doctor thinks we should get them anyway.  He commented that when you get better you no longer will need to use the space for the handicapped, but in the meantime, he told us to get the plates.    I am thinking that he thinks Ken's improvement might be meager.

I hate to see people, who appear perfectly normal,  park in spaces reserved for the handicapped.  You see it all the time.  Once when I was a manager, I had to ask an agent to leave the office, because of  violation of ethics.    When I reviewed the whole episode, I tried to see where I went wrong in the interview process.   The only hint I could have seen was when I saw her park in a handicapped parking space, and put the tag on the rear view mirror, signifying handicapped.  But she was not handicapped.  When I asked, she told me that before her father died of heart disease, she had a temporary tag for his use.  She still kept it in her glove compartment in case she could not find a parking space.    That should have been enough to keep her out of the office, but I did not think it important.   I was wrong.  In six months she was gone.  If you will cheat at parking you will cheat at real estate.

Ken and I will not cheat but our lives will be made easier with those handicapped plates.  I feel as if we have graduated.  This is not really a good thing...maybe.

October 1, 2015. Harper, Texas. The German Bakery.

Don't miss eating breakfast at The German Bakery whenever you are in Fredericksburg.  Ken and I had forgotten how good their breakfasts really were, but this morning it all came back to us as we both ate every bite of our full breakfast plate.  Ken had to have a test at the hospital that required him to fast from midnight until the blood was drawn.  The problem for Ken is that he get hypoglycemic if he does not eat quickly after getting up.   The drive from the ranch to town, then wait for the test, makes him not  function.   To compensate, I drove to town and as soon as the test was done, we hurried to the German Bakery for breakfast.    I also had not eaten breakfast before we left so we were both starving when we arrived at the Bakery.

Years ago, I ordered skim milk when ordering breakfast at the German Bakery.  The waitress laughed and said "This is a German Bakery.  Only full fat milk allowed".  So I drank whatever they brought and it was delicious.   Today, we arrived at 10:00 for breakfast and the place was almost full.  Obviously, a lot of folks in Fredericksburg also enjoy a late breakfast at the Bakery.   Our food was excellent and when I checked out I bought three loaves of bread plus two wonderful sweet almond chocolate things and two big cheese and sausage rolls for our lunch, which we ate at 3:00.  It is a good thing we do not eat breakfast at The German Bakery every morning, but every so often it was a delight.