April 30, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Action.

They were here for a total of 30 minutes but they got the jobs done. After brunch yesterday, I asked Christina and the girls to stop at our home to see the new chair in place and to help move the big black chair. As the restaurant was a bit north of us and they had to drive about 5 minutes away on their way home, I thought they might indulge me. And they did. Also, Kate wanted Jen to see our lovely home overlooking the reservoir. The first task I asked Christina to do was to hang three paintings in our TV room. Since we moved the chairs, Ken and I look at two blank walls on either side of the doorway. I had selected pieces from our storage room and set out the hammer and picture hooks. Christina is quick, so that task was quickly accomplished. At the same tome and at Ken's request, Molly checked outside and walked down to the dock to be sure everything was OK. Kate meanwhile was touring Jen. Next task was to move the 2 chairs in the sun room downstairs. Kate connected the new extension to the big black chair and with three pushing it, the chair was moved into place. Christina and I moved the old recliner so both chairs fit in the space, plus a spot for the table. Kate loved the massage chair. Molly too. I think the next time they are here that chair will be their toy. Ken ask them if they would set up all the cushions on the deck. The weather was expected to be fine for several days so Ken wanted to be able to sit outside. And when they left, they remembered to take the movies and plate that had been sitting by the front door for two weeks. The whole visit took 30 minutes but with everyone helping, the action was swift and the tasks were completed. Ken and I were grateful.

April 29, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Strawberry Cafe.

Until today, we did not know that The Strawberry Cafe was one of the best restaurants in the Jackson area. But now we know. Yesterday, Christina and I decided to go out for our usual Sunday brunch. Ken was doing well, so we thought an excursion was in order. Our daytime helper, April, is a very pleasant young lady. While Ken is having lunch, every day she goes out to another local restaurant and brings her lunch home. As she has lived in this area all her life, and has worked in many places in the area, she knows a lot about restaurants. I asked her where we should go for brunch. I wanted to be fairly close to home. Immediately she suggested The Strawberry Cafe. After she looked it up on line, I made a reservation for the 7 of us. I am pleased we did. I had never even seen the restaurant in Madison. It is on a side street right beside a railroad track so it has no street presence at all. Fortunately I had made a reservation, because when we arrived for our 11:30 time, the place was full and people were being seated on their front deck. The place is in a former house so each room which is open one to the next but still separated a bit has a few tables. I had asked to sit in a corner because of my issue with people with colds, so they accommodated us. Our table was all ready for us in the far corner which I appreciated. Mary Frances was in New Orleans with her choir so our party consisted of Ken, April, Christina and Molly along with Kate and a friend from University. We were a merry group of 7. The College girls were excited to be finished their third year of nursing school so we celebrated. And they regaled us with stories from University. Molly especially was thrilled to be listening the conversation. And the rest of us also enjoyed the girls. Kate's friend Jen is from Memphis and spent the weekend with Christina and the family because Jen works at the University as a Residence Assistant and must stay at school until Friday. For us, it was a great pleasure to hear their enthusiasm and energy and excitement. Between the excellent food and the lively conversation, our brunch was a big success, all because April told us about The Strawberry Cafe.

April 28, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Lost Objects.

Our house is not huge. We have all our clothes in one room. But I still can not find the pair of white shorts Ken wore home on the air Ambulance from Mexico. I feel sure he was wearing those shorts because they were comfortable. Rita and I bought them at the Plaza when he was short of comfortable clothes when using the catheter. Now I can not find them. I have casually looked on his shelves but now I must remove every garment and organize. With more than one person getting out clothes no telling where they were stored. I am the only one here who does laundry and I know I have not washed those white shorts. I am puzzled. Where could they have gone? Another object that got lost in the transfer from Mexico to here was the plastic bag holding my sleeping pills. I only used them for 30 days and the prescription as for 90 days, but I was careful to be sure to bring them home just incase I needed them again. Being cheap, I did not want to leave them. One night after we returned I thought I might need those little white pills so I opened the drawer where I felt sure I had put them. Lo and behold, they were not there. I felt sure I must have left them in a case so checked the next morning. But to no avail. I do not need them but I am irritated that I can't find them. Where on earth did that little plastic bag disappear to in my home. Nothing was left in our condo in Mexico. Both Rita and Ian also checked to be sure that we were leaving nothing behind. They must be here someplace. All serves to keep me humble I guess.

April 27, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Nothing is Simple.

Everything seemed simple. I wanted the big ugly black chair moved from the TV room adjacent to our bedroom to an identical space one floor down, right next to Ken's office. The only object in that room was a recliner, which is also ugly that we brought with us from the condo. We inherited it when we bought our condo. Our plan was to put both recliners in that spot so Ken could sit and enjoy the fishermen or use the massage chair which would be right beside it. As no one ever sees that room, including both of us most of the time, so having two big ugly chairs side by side was no problem. We were interested in function. John came with a helper ready to move the black chair. But as the chair was assembled in the room, he discovered that he could not get it out the bedroom door. I suggested they take it apart, which he did not want to do because of the wires and connections for the massage parts. I encouraged him to take it apart, which he did. But he knew he would never be able to put it together which was fine with me. I just wanted that big ugly chair out of the room. John and his helper took the chair down in four pieces, all ready to be put back together. Fortunately, I had the cell phone of the young man who came after work to put the chair together. I called him and he immediately came and put it together, at a cost less than the first time. He was a polite pleasant young man and smart too. When he had completed his task, he admired the art in the downstairs room. It is unusual for a workman to pay attention to art in a home. In fact, even though we have had many occasions to have people working in our homes, I have never noted anyone who paid any attention to the art. So our task which seemed simple ended up a big production. But it is now done. And we now know the cell number of a smart young man who is willing to work and whose name is Dwayne. It was a complicated maneuver but now it is done. Tomorrow, the new recliner will be delivered in the morning so Ken will be able to watch the games in comfort. It was worth all the effort.

April 26, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Pam S.

Pan never expected to spend her retirement years in Mississippi. She and her husband Bill planned to live in Tucson in a retirement community where they already had friends and relatives. But their two children live here, so their plans changed. The more the grandchildren arrived, the more they decided to stay in the Jackson area. They have 11 grandchildren and they wish to watch them grow up before their eyes. I think they made a wise choice. Pam is the mother of Jim S. our good friend and Cheryl G. who are both married to Greaves family siblings. The cousins are double cousins which is fun. Now Pam and her husband are launching a new venture. Eleanor and Jim already live on the family land in Madison. Now Sebastian and Cheryl will move into the Greaves family farm house on the same property, so Pam and Bill have purchased a lot adjacent to the family land and will build a new home. They decided to be closer to the family to make life easier as they get older. So they are moving. Pam thought that they would never move from their present house, which they bought 20 years ago. But times change and they are embracing the move. Pam came to have coffee with me as part of my plan to not feel trapped. Our time together was delightful. I enjoyed her thoroughly. Ken and I have always invited them to all our events but with so many folks around, we never had a real conversation, until today. She was pleased to be invited and surprised too. Pam is in the process of writing a book about the parts of the Bible that helped her the most throughout her life. In other words, words of wisdom from the Bible to help along a successful life. Interesting topic. For me, my plan is reaping positive results. "Out of adversity comes strength". Some clever person coined the phrase and it is true. I enjoyed Pam's company today. So nice to have good friends.

April 25, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Chair.

In Mexico, Ken enjoyed massages to his legs and back, given to him by the nurses just before he went to sleep each night. He misses them. When he was searching on line for a new recliner for our TV room, he spotted a recliner that also gives a massage, so without consulting me, he ordered one. I was irritated because he did not measure the space with the dimensions of the chair. And he had never experienced these mechanical massages. The chairs you sit in to have a pedicure all have these massage features and they are all uncomfortable. I assumed this new chair would be the same. Ken was adamant. "The chair will be great for my legs", said Ken. Th chair arrived yesterday morning. Two huge boxes were delivered inside our front door. It was up to us to hire someone to put it in place. Fortunately one of the young men who delivered the chair agreed to come after work to set it up. And he did. When I came home from next door Ken was sitting in the chair putting it through it's paces. I was horrified because the chair was huge, big and ugly. The space in the small TV room is dominated by this humongous black chair. To make things worse, Ken has trouble getting in and out of the chair. Emma, our night helper asked me how I like it. "I hate it,"said I. Ken thought I as being negative. By morning, Ken suggested we ask our mover to take it down stairs in the space adjacent to his office. We already have one recliner in that space, which is identical to our TV room, but one floor below. He said that the massage part was fine but the chair was not very comfortable for watching TV. John is coming on Friday afternoon to move the huge ugly chair downstairs where we will now have two recliners overlooking the reservoir. Christina was taking me on errands this morning so we went to our favorite furniture store, Miskelly, and purchased a traditional recliner that is not hugs but gives a boost to get up. It is leather and easy to get in and out. Our new recliner will be delivered on Saturday. We are calling the space downstairs "The Massage Parlor". I no longer need to look at that big ugly expensive black chair. All is well.

April 24, 2018, Madison, Mississippi. The Repairman.

The freezer on our older refrigerator was frosting up. Ice was everywhere. I decided that that Sub Zero fridge must have a design flaw because this was the second time it has happened to the same fridge. A similar model had the same problem in Nova Scotia too. What happens is that the drain for the frost free plugs up so the water accumulates in the bottom and freezes so soon the door will not close properly. Thus frost gets on everything and the bottom is full of solid ice. Not good. We have a home owners warranty so I called them on Friday. A repairman would come on Monday between 8 and 5. I was to get a call 30 minutes before the arrival. I was happy. At 12:30, a lady called to tell me she was coming in 20 minutes. Now I have had many appliances repaired but never by a lady, so I was pleased and surprised. Soon she walked in the door with all her tools. She was petite, well groomed and thin. When I told her my problem, she agreed with me that that model had a design flaw. A new part has been designed to solve the problem. Fortunately she had the new part in her truck. She got to work and melted all my ice and installed the new part. She was efficient and competent. I asker her where she learned to be an appliance repairman and she told me that she had attended a technical school in Ridgeland. She intended to become an electrician but decided at the last minute to take the 10 month course for appliance repairs. The day after she graduated, she was hired by Sears Appliance Repairs and she has been working for them ever since. She enjoys her job because she says that every task is different. And she likes the money too. There is a new world out there for the ladies. She did a great job.

April 23, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Hockey Games.

Some nights you just get lucky. First Toronto won their game, thus leaving game seven to win the series. Then Washington won their game ending the season for the Blue Jackets and sending them home. Both Ken and I thought the Caps were done when they lost their first two games, but they have won their round and now will once again play Pittsburgh in the second round. Antigues Roadshow was on tonight so I went downstairs to watch, leaving Bettye to sit with Ken who wanted to see the games and not watch Antiques Roadshow. The helpers leave Ken alone when I am with him but they always keep him company if he is alone. Bettye knows nothing about hockey. In fact she has never watched a game before tonight. We have encouraged her to bring a chair and join us to watch a game with us but she always refuses. But tonight she sat with Ken for almost 2 hours. When I came back up and asked her about the game, she said that she enjoyed it but she had trouble following the ball. I just laughed and I agreed. Clausen had said the same thing about not being able to follow the puck. Clearly Ken did not teach Bettye the fine points of the game such as the puck. Ken has finally bought Ear Buds, those fancy things where you can hear the sound in earphones directly into your ear and at the sound level of your choice. They are a great blessing. Tonight was the first time he used them. The problem is that conversation is difficult, which may be why Betty had trouble following the ball. Ken may have never used the term puck because he was in his own world. I watched the best parts of both games...just at the end. Both games are satisfying. I go to sleep smiling because my teams won.

April 22, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Rain.

Rain falls often in the Jackson area. We get 52 inches of rain each year, which results in lush foliage and tall trees. Everyone who visits is surprised with the look of the place. No signs of desert here. Where we live is as far removed visually from the ranch as you can possibly be. Yesterday at bedtime, the rains began. It rained all night. At times very hard but of course, I only heard the noise every so often. When I heard the pounding rain I was delighted to be in my cosy bed and pleased not to be sleeping in a tent. I like rainy days. All day today it rained too, finally stopping at 6:00. The day was a nightshirt kind of day. I stayed all day reading and watching TV and wearing my robe. The day was perfect as we had decided not to have lunch with the family. But with heavy rains comes other issues, not always pleasant. Around noon, Kendria was sitting in the living room and heard a drip of water come down right beside her chair. She called me and I in turn called Chantes, our handyman. She and I found a bucket to catch the drips and of course moved the chair. Evidently one of our skylights was leaking. With the wind and abundance of rain, we were dripping into the living room. Not much rain came in but too much for my liking. Tomorrow, Chantes and Michael his son will get up on the roof and fix the leak. But other than leaks, I do enjoy a day and night with heavy rain. Tomorrow I will be ready for sunshine and 75 degrees. No more rain until Thursday.

April 21, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Changes.

Just when you think everything is in place, the apple cart gets upset. First our Cuban cook moved to Miami so we do not have a cook. But she referred us to another lady who is also Cuban who also loves to cook. Now, every Thursday morning, she cooks and leaves us enough food for the week. She is also a better cook so we have gotten lucky. Elizabeth has been our housekeeper ever since we moved into our home. She is by far the best cleaner we have ever had but now she is no longer able to work. She is young, maybe 35. Two years ago she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Ken and I knew she could not continue her strenuous work. Finally the doctors have told her she must quit work and shut down her business. In addition she checks our house when we are away and drives me on errands when we are in town. But now we must hire another cleaner. Both this week and last she was unable to work. This week she finally applied for disability. And I contacted another company. Actually, I contacted 2 companies. One was referred by our helper April's mother, Foster Cleaning. On Thursday morning I left a message after looking them up on line, but they never called me back until this afternoon. Beverly's Cleaning service is the company I hired. Bev answered her phone and came to meet me on Friday at noon. I liked her so finally my house will get clean. Perhaps I will be just as lucky as I did with the cook. Changes are always good, even though they are irritating. I still do not know whether or not Elizabeth can drive me. We will find out soon because I have an appointment with the Oncologist on Tuesday. More changes to come probably. So here we go.

April 20, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. TV Room.

When we moved into this home, we set the TV room up exactly the same as the former owner with the two chairs with your back to the water. The small room is adjacent to our bedroom and is all glass. We knew that we were foolish to put our backs to the good view but the cable is on the opposite side so we kept it that way. Ken and I have discussed buying swivel chairs but did nothing about it until Ken decided he needed a recliner. With no discussion, he ordered one on line. It will be delivered on Tuesday. That meant we were forced to change the seating. At first I was not pleased but we figured out a new placing of the TV and the chairs, so I was happy. Ken ordered a new TV stand which came yesterday. Ken was unable to assemble it himself so I called Chantes who came today to complete three tasks for us. One was to install 4 new hand holds in our bathroom. Second was to adjust the brakes on the walker and third was to put together the new TV stand. Chantes went to Lowes to buy the hand holds. And son Michael came to do the work. I moved the furniture myself, which turned out to be easy, so while Michael came into the room with the stand, I was already sitting in my chair in the new place. Our room arrangement is better. The tables fit with a bit of changes. Now nothing gets in the way of the view and Ken can look at the reservoir and the boats. After the recliner is in place, we will buy me a new chair with a swivel so I will be able to not only watch TV but also turn to see the water and the birds. The chair Ken is now using will be placed in the corner of our bedroom. This has been a job well done. Tonight we watched the hockey game in our new spots. And we are both pleased.

April 19, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Florence King.

Over the years I had read articles written by Florence King, but until now, I had not written any books...until now. I am roaring to read her ridiculous upbringing which all took place in the District of Columbia. The book I am reading is "Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady", published in 1985. At some point, I read a review and put the book on a list. Now that I am living in the South, I am reading and rereading souther writers and southern books. Ken ordered the book for me just a couple of weeks ago. It was a good choice. Reading the prologue is worth the price of the book. Over the years, our friends W. and C. have regaled us with stories about their ancestors. Southern culture is more tolerant with eccentric behavior than Canadians. Certainly no ancestors I knew could be the center of a long funny story but in the south, it seems that there are many. This book is no exception. These folks were not really normal. But they were funny. And I am enjoying the book, "Confessions Of A Failed Southern Lady."

April 18, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Chocolate.

Ken is a chocoholic. If there is chocolate in the house, he will eat it, but not all at once. He limits himself to one chocolate bar at a time. Every day he will ask if we have any chocolate. If I say no, he is not pleased. He is also strong enough to order from Amazon so most days the truck brings boxes of goodies ordered by Ken. Some things we need and somethings Ken just wants, whether we need them or not. Late this afternoon, 6 boxes arrived so after dinner, Bettye our night helper assisted me with bringing the boxes to the bar to be opened. As I have no idea what had been ordered, it felt like Christmas. Bettye had never seen so much chocolate at one time. We found 8 large bags of individually wrapped chocolate plus 2 boxes of Hershey bars and 3 containers of dark chocolate bark. In addition we have two large bags of Hershey mini bars. We have enough chocolate to last a year or more. Betty had such fun opening the box that I got in the spirit too. Next I put the chocolate in the pantry in a place where I will remember but do not see every time. With chocolate, I am a purist. I only eat dark chocolate. Ken prefers milk chocolate but will eat dark if nothing else is available, so the bulk of the chocolate will be consumed by Ken. As he is still very thin, the chocolate will be good for him. But the most important thing is that he will enjoy every bite.

April 17, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Luncheon Date.

Eleanor and I made a deal. If she would pick me up and drive to a restaurant, I would pay the bill. She agreed so today she took herself away from her busy life and escaped for lunch with me. In other words, she was indulging me to help me get over my sense of being trapped. Being gracious, she said that she enjoyed taking herself off duty. So we enjoyed our lunch. Slim Chicken was a new restaurant close by so we decided to go there, knowing that if we did not like it, we would not go again. The purpose of our lunch was the conversation, not the food. The restaurant had not been open when we left in late December so I wanted to check it out. And driving by, the parking lot was not full so I was hoping it would not be crowded. The food at Slim Chicken was fine but very casual, more like a fast food place than a good restaurant. Our food was fine as was our conversation. When we walked in, there were 10 people waiting in line, all wearing white shirts and ties with insignias on their shoulders. At first I did not recognize the outfits but soon realized they were wearing summer Salvation Army uniforms. I asked if they were a band. One man said, "Well kind of a band". I asked if they had a real band and they said yes. Of course, I told him I had been raised in the Salvation Army in Canada. One lady asked why I had gone wrong by not attending now. We all laughed. Turns out that they were all officers, just having lunch together. One man came to sit with Eleanor and me for a few minutes to tell us that he had been stationed in Clearwater, Florida so knew many snowbirds from Canada who played in the Clearwater band. He took my name and phone number. Now I wonder if he ever calls. If he were Mormon, my phone would be ringing tomorrow. My luncheon date was delightful thanks to Eleanor. Hats off to her.

April 16, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Who Knew?

On my phone is a picture of a heart that when I touch will tell me how many steps I have taken today. Who knew? My friend Susan came for coffee this morning. As part of my plan to keep from being trapped, I invited Susan and I was pleased to hear that she was delighted to be asked. She walks every morning so I asked her how many steps she took. So she took out her phone, which was the same as mine and told me exactly. I related to her how much fun we had in Mexico with Rita and her fitbit, telling her how many steps she had taken that day and giving her a congratulation when she hit 10,000. Susan also told me that the same was true on my phone. I assured her no. When we looked at my phone, sure enough, my steps were tallied, at least when I was carrying my phone. Such fun. But who knew my clever little phone was keeping track. Now I will check every day. Many folks here seem to have no idea that they are so fortunate. Our trash is collected twice a week. On Monday the recycle bin is picked up early in the morning and in the afternoon the regular trash cans are picked up along with anything else you set out. They take anything and everything on Thursday. The system is wonderful. I am so impressed. And every Monday I remember to be grateful. In Texas at the lake, our trash collection is private so you hire a company and they pick up your big bin once a week. But they only pick up the trash from their own bin. Irritating. The Nova Scotia system is ridiculous. Every two weeks the trash is collected but if your stuff has not been sorted properly, your bags are rejected. In a county with high unemployment why the officials require us to do the sorting. Pay someone to sort. Or buy a machine. To avoid the dreaded rejection stickers, we took to taking our trash to the big dumpster at the cottage. Who would ever dream that we considered keeping the cottage just so we could keep the dumpster system. We were not cheating because this is the same people who pick up at our shore home, and we own property at Moosehorn Estates so are supposed to leave our trash in that dumpster. Who knew that the biggest problem we have in Nova Scotia is getting rid of our trash. What will we do now that the cottage is sold? No one knows.

April 15, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Memory.

My memory is fallible. I am always astonished to discover that something I perform every day has been left out of my routine. How can this happen? Sometimes I will discover that I have forgotten to brush my teeth before going to bed even though I have brushed my teeth before sleeping my whole life. Every so often, I see that my morning medications are still in the box beside my sink. Evidently, studies show that when an event occurs every day, the brain ceases to pay attention to register what has happened, so we do not notice. But it seems weird to me. Last night, after I went to bed, I remembered that I had not written my blog. How could this happen? I have performed the same actions since I was 70 and now I forget to complete the task. Unfortunately, I was almost asleep so decided to write my wee note in the morning but I am still perplexed and have been trying figure out why I was negligent. And I have an excuse. For the first time in my life,I am responsible for filling Ken's pill boxes. In Mexico, the nurses performed that task. Ken has asked me to keep track for him. His situation is complicated and I was not looking forward to the task so I put it off as long as possible, which was when his boxes were empty. On Saturday I filled his night box of medications. My deadline had arrived. The doctors here have taken Ken off several medications so I had to watch the list carefully, then find the correct bottle. Fortunately, Rita had placed each different medication in a plastic baggie and wrote on the bag the name and function. And she placed all the baggies in alphabetical order with one drawer for the meds that Ken was using and another for all the others. Her organization made my life easier. The morning pill boxes were more difficult because I still had 3 boxes full of pills but neither Ken nor I knew who filled them and by whom. My new task was to remove the pills and figure out what was needed and I did. It was not easy and I only completed one week of pills before watching the hockey game. My excuse for not writing my wee web log was Ken's fault. I was preoccupied with his pill boxes and forgot everything else in my life. In addition, The Caps lost another game!! That is my story and I am sticking to it. Nothing to do with memory loss due to old age.

April 14, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. A Fine Time.

What a fine time Ken and I had tonight. We discussed our situation. While sitting in our TV room adjacent to our bedroom, all of which overlooks the reservoir, we ate Japanese food and watched the hockey game. Elizabeth drove me to the grocery store this afternoon and I returned with suchi and shashimi, made right in front of my eyes at the Kroger grocery store. The food was delicious and we enjoyed every bite. The poor Toronto team is not doing so well but by the end of the 2nd period the game was at least competitive so we enjoyed the game. And we talked about our life. Ken was supposed to have a life time of 42 years, and now he is 81 and enjoying his Japanese dinner and a hockey game, while sitting in a glass enclosed TV room in our comfortable home. And he is clearly doing better. Even he thinks so. He is stronger and his latest infection seems to be going away. So Ken is pleased although he wished he was not so uncomfortable so much of the time. With Parkinson's comes pain so he takes quite a bit of Tylenol Extra Strength, which does seem to help. My friend Colleen Q. died this year. Her husband Ed called me tonight to tell me. She had a rare neurological disease which they thought at first was Parkinsons but it turned out to be a rare disease that has no cure. Her head worked perfectly well to the end, but her body let her down. She and I belonged to a wonderful book club, a group I miss even now. When I heard that Colleen had died, Ken and I both agreed that we were fortunate to be enjoying ourselves tonight, dining together and watching a good hockey game. Tonight Ken and I had a fine time. And tomorrow at noon, Christina and the girls will bring lunch and we will eat together. We will remember to be grateful.

April 13, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Playoffs.

The first round is exciting because we get to watch so many games. For the past three nights, four games could be watched, three at one time in the early evening. I love the variety and the different styles of play. Hockey is an exciting sport with great speed and skating skill. And I enjoy watching the fans. Nothing really happens to you if your team does not win but for some reason, everyone feels better when their team wins. My friend Maureen today noted how much fun it was when the Redskins and the Bullets were winning. People actually talked to each other in the grocery store. And the poor Washington Caps. First game lost. The commentators call them to not get out of the first round. Our Nashville team looks good as does the Winnipeg Jets. I was delighted to see Pittsburgh lose. I declare right now that Nashville and Boston will play for the Stanley Cup. In the meantime, we have lots of quality TV time watching all the games. Truth be told, I do not care who wins. The journey from the beginning to the end is what pleases me. I love the playoffs and I will enjoy every minute of the games. But I like it best when Nashville wins!!

April 12, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Trapped.

On Wednesday, my friend Wendy asked in an e mail how I was getting along and how was I feeling. My first response is always "I am fine". But this time I took a bit of self evaluation and decided that I was actually not fine. I was feeling trapped. So I have figured out a plan. The reality is that I am trapped by my circumstances. I can not drive. Ken is too weak to drive. My immune system is poor so I can not really join any groups or book clubs or concerts even if I could find a friend to pick me up, because I do not wish to be around people who might have an infection. So I am really trapped. Here is my plan. I feel better already just thinking about my plan. Tomorrow morning my neighbor Sandy is coming for coffee. Next Monday, Eleanor will pick me up and I will take her out for lunch. Later in the week, Susan M. has been invited for coffee with me. And so I will invite a friend to come and chat. My circle of friends is not large in Mississippi but it is enough. And I will e mail or text my friends who live other places. Our friend Bran Collier lived in California. He was a retired Salvation Army. When he became unable to go out, he wrote a note each day to someone one who had sent him a Christmas card the previous year. And he would tell me what book he was reading, using my card as a book mark. This kept his contacts alive and well. And he enjoyed himself doing it. My home is lovely. We can function on one level. The deck overlooking the reservoir is delightful. We have helpers for Ken who are wonderful. So my situation is ideal even if Ken does not totally regain his strength. And now I am no longer feeling trapped.

April 11, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Cottage.

We loved spending time at the cottage in Nova Scotia. It was quiet and peaceful and pretty. And the cottage was small, with only one bedroom. But now we are unable to function there, for the same reason as the ranch in Texas, which has to do with the uneven terrain, plus the remoteness of the location. Neither Ken nor I have much stability so uneven ground is difficult. Last summer I was unable to swim because I was fearful of not being able to get out of the water. So a week ago, we decided to sell it, again with the house and the contents. We are pleased to say that the cottage is now sold. Ross and Heather have a large cottage just behind us but they were not on the water so used the public dock just down the road. Many years ago, we told them to use our beach and the dock, and they did. A few years ago, when we arrived and their grandchildren were playing at our beach and raft, Ross told their grandchildren to go along to the public dock. But we told them to stay and play. We always enjoy listening children play so it was no problem for us. At that time, they told us that if we ever wanted to sell, they would like to buy it. So when the property was listed and put into MLS on Saturday, Mary Mc. called them. Before the night was over, an offer came to us which we accepted. We were thrilled that they were able to buy our cottage. And they are delighted too. Ever since we bought the cottage, Ross and Heather have helped us. Ross cut the grass and the trees we wanted down and Heather cleaned. We paid them for their work. In addition, Heather provided us with a home made pie every now and again. But when they started to use our place whether or not we were there, they refused to accept any money for their work, so Ross still cut the grass, but we did not pay him. They were grateful. They are also buying the boats in the boat house. They have been good neighbors and Ken and I are grateful to be selling to them. This evening I chatted on the phone with Heather. They have invited us to visit the cottage anytime. They will pick us up and serve us lunch. And they will take us home with a pie. Pretty nifty.

April 10, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Here We Go.

When Diane was here and Ken was obviously getting stronger by the day, she asked me if I was relieved and delighted with his progress. I said that I was pleased but not ecstatic. The last time he had the catheter removed and was doing well, on the forth day Ken stopped being able to urinate so the catheter had to once again be put in. Ever since Ken got sick in Mexico, Ken has a series of getting better, only to get another infection. So I was not optimistic. Sure enough, the catheter was removed on Friday and all was well. Ken was walking and eating and enjoying himself. But in the middle of the night, he felt pain in his testicle. He thought he had a hernia. Rather than going to the emergency room, we used cold and tylenol, and made an appointment with the Internist this afternoon. Dr. M. was substituting for Dr. Gregg, our real doctor. April drove us to the appointment at the Mississippi Hospital Center. Thank heavens for our helpers. After an examination, Dr. M. thinks Ken has an infection of his right testicle, so he prescribed an antibiotic specific for the testicles. Along with extra strength tylenol and cold packs, the good doctor thinks Ken will be better in a few days. Ken also has a high heart rate. Blood pressure is normal. He is not pleased. But he is happy not to have a hernia, which would have required surgery. And we did not force ourselves to spend hours in the ER so we made the right decision, we hope. Now once again, we hope the new antibiotic will turn the trick and return Ken on his path to some semblance of good health. So here we go.

April 9, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. A Simple Life.

Today I wore my night shirt all day. Actually, I am wearing Ken's new night shirt, given to him for Christmas from David and Suzanne. It is made of flannel so is warm and is plaid so is bright and cheerful, so even though folks came and went all day, I stayed in my nightshirt and pretended this was normal. Our life here in Mississippi is simple. This morning the electrician came to add outlets in the TV room and to fix the outlets he installed last Thursday, which did not seem to work. He came back again to fix them. I laughed because in order to make the outlets work, you were required to flip the switch at the door. No one thought of that. The helpers at night switched plugs all weekend. He changed the system. Keeps us humble not to connect the dots. Then the physical therapist came to work with Ken. He always does well when the therapist is here. Something to do with confidence. Then Chantes came to finish the door when he installed the ramp, which works beautifully. So I chatted with him for a bit. Ken took a nap late in the morning and another one late in the afternoon. Ken ordered 4 more bird feeders, which arrived today. It was the highlight of the afternoon. Tomorrow, April will help Ken to set them up, if the bird seed arrived early. I did laundry and unloaded the dishwasher. And I organize lunch and dinner for both of us. The helpers prepare Ken's breakfast, today eggs on toast. Most mornings I read and in the afternoon reply to e mails. I try not to sit in one place for long so I alternate reading with doing chores. Most days I walk in the neighborhood, but not today. Ken walks outside on the driveway and often sits in the sun in the chair on his walker. Soon he will venture onto the street. And tonight we, along with Bettye the helper, watched Antique Roadshow. Diane left this morning, so our home seems quiet and lonely. But we stayed busy so enjoyed our simple, quiet day, which is a good thing, because tomorrow we will probably have another one.

April 8, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. First Outing.

We selected Pelican Cova for our first Sunday lunch. Ken did well. He wore long pants and a vest and looked quite sporting. And he enjoyed himself with the family. Kendria accompanied us, always looking after Ken. Pelican Cove overlooks the reservoir and is close to our home. To get there, Ken walked to the car using the walker, then used the wheelchair to get into the restaurant. He is able to get in and out of the car easily which is a blessing. The restaurant is casual too which made life easy. Ever since we returned to Mississippi Ken has asked to go out with the family for our usual brunch. But we held off until today. Every day this week, he would ask if we were still going out and we assured him we were planning the event, depending on his strength. Yesterday he showered and this morning he was ready and dressed by 11:00, even though we were meeting Christina at 12:30. Everything went as planned. The food was excellent even though the service was spotty. Ken was pleased with our outing. Next week we might select a restaurant a bit farther away. Like everything else, it all depends. Diane leaves us tomorrow. First she flies to Chicago, then on to Toronto. Our home will seem lonely without her. We have enjoyed her presence in our lives. And we are grateful that she took time to visit and help. She deserves multiple gold stars. My hats are off to her for all her assistance. And we had fun.

April 7, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. My Hair.

My hair had not been cut since November. I looked ridiculous. In addition, the Ibrance chemo therapy I am taking thins my hair so my already fine hair is not coming out in bunches but rather just gets thinner and thinner. My hair is wimpy and down to my shoulders. Finally, I made an appointment. LeeAnne who cuts my hair was kind enough to have me come at 5:30 on Friday when few people would be in the salon. My immune system is not good so I try to stay away from groups of people who might have an infection. Diane decided to have her hair washed and blown dry. Another person was able to accommodate Diane. So off we went. Lee Anne suggested I let her cut my hair in a bob to just below my ears. As it was already long and I did not have much hair, she thought it would be better than cutting it short which was my intention. And she layered it all around. It took her about five minutes to cut my hair and another two to blow it dry. And again I looked neat and tidy but odd. Diane on the other hand, has long, thick and curly hair. After a long washing, which Diane loves, the lady blew her hair dry. Diane thought she was never going to stop. Usually, Diane blows her hair nearly dry and lets it curl. But the operator was determined to have every hair on Diane's head dry and straight. When she was finished, it did not look like Diane because her hair was perfectly straight. So we went home, Diane with straight hair and me in a peculiar bob hair style. I did wonder if the folks at home would recognize us. But they did.

April 6, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Dizzy Dames.

Picture this. On the way home after running errands, I noted that our car, driven by Diane, only had 50 miles to go before running out of gas, so Diane pulled into our favorite gas station. Ken always pumps our gas so I asked Diane if she knew how and she said yes. But she seemed dubious. While I am getting out my credit card, Diane asks what side of the car she would find the place to put the gas. Of course, I do not know, but I said there was a picture on the dash. Well I could find the picture of the little pump but could not see the picture clearly, so Diane finally gets out to find she is at the wrong side of the pump. And we giggle while she moved the car. When Diane gets to the pump. she is unable to open the tank so she gets back into the car to find a switch, which she can not find. We looked everywhere. Time is passing and we are still sitting in the car frantically searching. Finally I get out the directions and give them to Diane. I do not have reading glasses so I was useless. Next I texted Christina and I get out of the car. A nice young man wearing surgical scrubs was pumping gas, so I asked him. He politely came over, opened the door, and pushed the button on the floor of the car. It took him 3 seconds. He laughed. By then Christina had given me the correct information. We must have been sitting in the car for at least 10 minutes. We must have looked ridiculous. After a bit of fumbling by the both of us with the credit card, Diane pumped our gas and we finally drove home. And we laughed at ourselves. Diane commented that at least we did not quit. And we ended up with 2 correct answers. We were never able to find any information in the book of directions. We were quite a sight, 2 ladies sitting beside the pump and sitting beside the pump and sitting beside the pump...but never moving. Funny but I did not notice the other cars driving around us to get to the other pumps. Fortunately, in Mississippi, people are polite. Diane and I were dizzy dames today. But we got it done.

March 5, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Southern Books.

My habit has always been to read the history and literature of the place we were visiting or living. I knew nothing about the history of Galveston when we moved there in 1964 but their excellent Rosenberg library caught me up to speed. I read everything I could put my hands on dealing with the history of Galveston. I feel sure I made myself a nuisance spewing out facts and figures of Galveston. When we visited Scotland, I read the history of Scotland. The same with Ireland. When looking at a place, the history makes more sense so I have enjoyed my tradition. Now I live in Mississippi so have been reading about Mississippi and the Civil War. Right now I have sitting beside me two books, both memoirs, that will help me understand the southern traditions. The first one I will read is "Lanterns On The Levee", by William Percy. I am reading it now because I watched the show on the Delta on Mississippi Roads. I have read it long ago, but not since I have seen the Delta, so now I will read with new eyes. The book was published in 1942. My next book to read is "Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady", by Florence King. Over the years, I have read and enjoyed many articles by Florence King. Her wit is cutting and has always made me laugh. Now I am reading the memoir of growing up in the south and I will laugh. Literature is important to Mississippi folks so I will read or reread much of their literature. I have my work cut out for me. So here I go.

April 4, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Update For Ken.

This morning, with the assistance of the Physical Therapist, Ken walked down the short flight of stairs to the deck. And he got back up. I was sitting in the living room and was astonished. Ken was pleased. He was wanting to sit on the deck in the comfortable chairs. Now he will be able to, at least he will when the weather gets warmer. The 63 degrees of today is too chilly to be comfortable. Ken is doing well. He walks short distance with no assistance and is confident doing it. His color is good and Diane is pleased with his eating. Every day he walks outside on the driveway with the helper. And with the help of April, he filled two bird feeders. He has resumed his pattern of ordering what we need, using the iPad or computer. Boxes have arrived with milk, chargers, coffee and tea pods. Tomorrow the books he ordered for me will arrive. So he is still weak, but he is stronger and more confident that a month ago. He takes two naps a day, one late in the morning and another late in the afternoon. Tomorrow he will have three scans in the nuclear medicine department of the Mississippi Medical Center. Diane will accompany him along with April, his helper. I will stay home. Those scans will tell the story of his prostate cancer and where it has gone. Then on Friday he will meet with the Urologist when we expects his catheter will be removed and he should find the results of the scans. Much progress has been made. Slowly and steadily Ken hopes to keep winning the race!!

April 3, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Our New Italian Chef.

Wow. For dinner tonight we ate a salad, made by our Italian chef and fancy bread, followed by salmon and a dish made from squashes and tomatoes. I can not spell the name of the dish. Everything came out of our freezer and fridge, but before our chef arrived today, the food would not have tasted the same. Ken ate everything put on his plate. And enjoyed it too. Ice cream for desert always pleases him. Diane Buckley arrived this morning to spend a week with us. We are delighted to have her company and her expertise. Neither Ken nor I discussed Diane's cooking, until now. But of course she is of Italian descent and Italians like to eat so we should have known. Now for the next week we will be living with our own Italian Chef. And we will enjoy. This afternoon, with Diane driving our car, we went to the grocery store. We had a list but still came home with no salt. Diane and I each had a basket, putting things in our basket at will. The best part of our shopping was the speed. We were in and out quickly. Our next errand was Walgreens. Then it was on to home and conversation with Ken in the living room and finally dinner at 8:30. Ken and I are already enjoying Diane in our home. And we certainly have enjoyed our first dinner, prepared by our own Italian Chef.

April 2, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. A Busy Day.

Lots of action at our home today. Elizabeth cleans our house. She also drives me to appointments and takes me to run errands. Tomorrow, she will drive me to see my eye doctor, so instead of cleaning Tuesday when she usually cleans, she came today. Now our home is clean and fresh, all ready for Diane, who arrives tomorrow. And our new cook came this morning to talk to me. Lourdes had referred her to me, so she will start work on the 12th, which is a Thursday. We hope she is good. If not, we will order food delivered to our home by the same company Linda C. is using. We were also delighted to have the physical therapist evaluate Ken today. She will come three times a week. As he gains in strength, she will cut it down to two. Her name is Trish and she is cute and young. She will come for her first session tomorrow. Ken is pleased to have a routine. He walks every day with the helper, but he tends to work harder when working with the therapist. And of course, our helper Kendria was with us all day too, helping out with Ken. Fortunately, all the helpers are quiet. I suspect they are trained to stay out of the way when not doing anything with the patient. Most of the time I do not even see them, until Ken calls. Then they come running. So our day was busy which pleases us both. We are making progress slowly but surely.

April 1, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Delta.

Mississippi Roads is a half hour program produced by PBS in Mississippi. Ever since we moved here I have enjoyed watching their show. For half the year, the programs are new. Then the rest of the season you get to see the repeats, which for us is fine, because I miss a lot of them. Very often, an area or town is selected for study. Last week it was about Lelend, a town I had never visited. This week the topic was The Mississippi Delta. I learned a lot that I had never known before. Shortly after moving here, Ken and I drove to see the Delta. The most important feature was that it was flat. Very flat. And the soil is fertile so agriculture is king. It is also poor. We had trouble finding a restaurant for lunch. We were not impressed. But since talking with folks and reading, I have discovered that the Mississippi Delta is an area of course but also has an almost mystical place in the minds of Mississippi people. The Delta has a special place in the hearts of Mississippi folks. The music is special. The Blues started there and many musicians got their start there. And many writers are from the delta and still write and work there. The population has decreased almost 50% since it's heydays, all due to mechanization of the land. On the program today, I learned that one man on a tractor could do the same work of 30 people one hundred years ago. People moved where jobs were available. Delta is agriculture. The closer you get to the Mississippi River, the more expensive is the land. For instance, the cost of raw land in the Delta is 4 times the cost of land in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. But I think The Delta will continue to improve and grow. Just like Newfoundland, when you are born there but leave for work, you always return to retire. That is happening now in the Delta. The place is fascinating. Now I must find the book by Percy telling stories of the Delta called "Lanterns on the Levy". Perhaps Ken can find it for me. That would be good because I need to learn more about The Mississippi Delta.