June 30, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. A Perfect Swim.

The day was hot. 95 degrees in the shade. I waited until late afternoon to go to the pool. Even then, it was too hot to walk comfortably. But on the way, I passed a group of men just loading machines onto trucks. They had spent the whole day taking down a tree at the house across the street, so as I was complaining to myself about the short distance to the pool, they had been working outside in the heat all day. I commented to them about working in the heat but they just laughed and said that actually working close to the reservoir means a breeze all day. Amazing what you get used to doing. No one was at the pool which is my normal. I have my own private pool except I do not maintain it. Half the pool was shaded. Getting into the water was delightful which was just cool enough to be comfortable and refreshing but not so cool that you get chilly after 30 minutes. I loved it. The sun was hot as was the air but the water made me feel delighted. Everything was perfect about that swim.

June 29, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Evaluation.

Ken and I are discussing and evaluating what we need in a helper when in Nova Scotia. And I have asked our day time helper for assistance. We have had no difficulty without the night time helpers, which is good. Now that Ken is more independent, we are trying to figure out what is essential. So we are testing. On July 4th, we are having no daytime helper. And on Saturday the 7th and 14th we are doing without a helper. During the daytime now, Ken does not need much help but the question is what is essential for him. Ken had Kendria walk infant of him coming downstairs today. And she helped him with his exercises, standing beside him while he does some exercise without holding on...The helper prepares his breakfast but Ken says he could do it himself. So we are trying to figure things out. I am not foolish enough to think we need no helpers in Nova Scotia. I am just evaluating how many hours a day and how many days a week. One of the issues of aging is the changes. By brother calls it "the new normal". Health situations are altered and all off a sudden you must alter behavior. I was not expecting these changes and we both work hard to maintain function. Kendria offered to help with chores such as folding clothes and unloading the dishwasher but I told her that at the moment, those chores are my job and I must get them done myself. I will rest if necessary after the chores are done. So our process of evaluating our competence is ongoing, not just when thinking of Nova Scotia. I am meeting with the lady the day after we arrive in Nova Scotia so I want to be sure that Ken can function the day we arrive and for the day after. We are having a test case. July 4th is day one of no helper. This remains to be seen the success.

June 28, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Clinic End.

The four weeks went by quickly. Today Ken graduated. Now his instructions were for him to perform those same exercises twice a day for the rest of his life. Ken is not inclined to do the same thing day after day so he and I have laughed about whether or not he will be able to follow the therapists instructions. We will see. The exercises are unusual but it is clear that Ken has been helped by using those exercises. The program was developed by a research group at NIH. There are 10 exercises. The instructions have the patient have different things with arms and legs and forcefully have the limbs returned to the side with a slap. They look odd and Ken says he has never been asked to do these exercises in the past. But Regina, the therapist, had Ken walking by himself, with a belt around his waist in case he lost his balance. And he walks better too with big strides most of the time. Ken was intrigues by the exercises. At first he thought them silly but he began to see the wisdom of the program. It is something about programming his brain. He liked it that Regina knew a lot about Parkinson's Disease and understood what Ken was dealing with. And she has been pleased with his progress. But most of all, Ken was pleased. He completed the four week program. Now it is up to him to continue with the program on his own.

June 27, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Every Day.

Our artist friend in Nova Scotia used to write us long letters, sometimes 16 pages long. He wrote in long hand so reading them was difficult. Last season, I asked him to use the computer and e mail us but the first time I e mailed him he failed to respond. It seems that he did not know how to send a message but we got that sorted out. Now he writes us long messages about every two weeks. He tells us everything he does in a day including cooking and eating meals. He gardens a lot and works outside for exercise and he works with his crafts but he is not painting which does not please me. But what is apparent is that he loves his life and revels in the variety of his existence. One thing he does every day is to find something extraordinary, and then keep that the focus of his day. Some days it will be the abundance of daisies in his yard. Another day he wrote of the charm of a new fawn by his pond. He sat watching for an hour until finally the mother appeared and took the fawn away. One day he waxed eloquent because of the sun on his face when sitting on his little deck. Every day he looks hard to find something wonderful. Then he is grateful for the rest of the day. One of the charms of Bernard is his zest for life. He is grateful for all the travel he and Toni took over the years and he write of those trips very often. His energy remains high even though he is older than us. But I love best his little habit of looking every day for something to bring joy into his life. He always seems to be on the sunny side of the street, at least in his letters. He is a great role model and a super idea to emulate.

June 26, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. More Cutting.

Just before we left for Mexico at the end of December, Ken had squamous cancers cut out from his legs, done by Dr. Black. One scar healed well but the other did not so Ken was concerned. And so was Dr. Black. His office tried to call Ken multiple times but to no avail. While Ken was ill, he did not answer his phone, nor pick up his voice mails. The calls for Ken were for him to return to remove more tissue. Finally they sent a registered letter urging us to contact them, which we received two weeks ago. Tomorrow afternoon is the appointment. Ken has yet another procedure to cut out more tissue in his leg. The doctor's office called this afternoon to ask if Ken has questions. By now, Ken knows the drill. Dr. Black has the surgeon who has worked on Ken many times since we moved to Mississippi. I have changed contact information from the doctors to my phone. Ken still does not answer his phone. He uses his phone to look up information or to check his e mails. But he does not listen to his voice mails as it is too difficult for him to hear. Now the calls for Ken from the doctors and the pharmacy come to me. Fortunately I do answer my phone and pick up voice mails so our system is working. I hope his leg wound heals quickly.

June 25, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Some Days.

This morning was enough to make me humble. First thing I did was to make my tea and prepare my breakfast. When I sat down expecting to enjoy a sip of tea, I realized that I was about to drink hot milk. I had forgotten to put a little pod of tea into the machine. This one cup coffee maker works well but you must do things in exactly the correct order or the machine will not work. Now I know the drill but today I forgot to get the tea pod. After breakfast while I was waiting to leave with Ken for his therapy, I emptied the dishwasher. My habit is to set all the clean dishes on the counter, then place the dishes in the cabinets. And I dump the clean cutlery onto the counter too. Fortunately, I noticed a dirty spoon. Then I realized that all the dishes were dirty because I did not run the machine last night. It was not full so I intended to wait until after breakfast. Now I got to load the dishwasher for a second time. Fortunately, no dishes or cutlery had been put into the cupboards or drawers. But I felt stupid. When Ken is having therapy I take a walk. If the day is hot, I walk the halls of the building, which was what I did today, as the temperature was 95. I walk about 30 minutes. In the middle of my walk, I stopped into a rest room. While sitting on the toilet, I picked up the only roll of toilet paper, which was sitting on the top of the holder. There was no paper in the proper holder. As I picked up the roll, I dropped it. The stupid thing rolled right across the room and was in the opposite corner. I had left my purse with Kendria so no Kleenex was available. Fortunately, I had carefully tucked a Kleenex into the top of my jeans. Whew. For the rest of the day I was careful to make no decisions because clearly I was not capable today. Some days are like that. It all works together to keep me humble.

June 24, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The King's Singers.

Today we listened and watched two times. Just by chance I found a wonderful concert, first recorded in 2016 in Salt Lake City, by the Tabernacle Choir and The King's Singers. The concert was playing on the BYU channel and was called Summer Music. We listened this afternoon and again tonight and was well worth the second edition. We are short on listening to good choral music so today was a treat. We first heard The King's Singers during their very first tour of the US. The group was first formed in 1968 at King's College, Cambridge and we heard them in 1971 at The Smithsonian Institute in DC. Our friends Carolyn and Tom were visiting us from Virginia and I ordered tickets to their concert to be held in the old Smithsonian building, thinking that an evening concert downtown would be a hit. And it was. The hall they were singing in seated about 300 and was full. It was also intimate and we loved the whole thing. After the concert, we four stopped in Georgetown for dessert. While wandering around waiting at the corner we spotted the King's Singers. Of course, we told them how much we enjoyed their concert. And they chatted and told us that they were on their first US tour so were delighted to know someone could recognize them. They were charming. We have been following them ever since. After 50 years they are still wonderful. The Tabernacle Choir is always good and along with the excellent King's Singers, the concert was tops. It was the treat of the day!!

June 23, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Manship.

A few weeks ago, while walking in my neighborhood, I spotted a catering van, reading Manship Catering. Obviously, one of the folks were having a party, and Manship Catering was there to work. I had seen the name on a lost of caterers given to me by Ken but that is all I knew about them. Ken has therapy at 10:30 and at 1:30 he had an appointment at the eye doctor so we needed to have lunch in-between. The day before, I had spotted a restaurant just driving away from my own appointment and the words said Manship Restaurant. The next day, we parked the car just outside the eye appointment office, and without even leaving the building, we entered the Manship Restaurant. Talk about luck. The restaurant was wonderful with linen tablecloths and napkins and genteel ambiance. Fortunately their executive chef is excellent and the food was unusual and tasty. Our timing was perfect. I just stumbled on the restaurant. It is in the same building as my eye doctor and the same restaurant I had spotted during my walk. We have enjoyed lunch there twice. It turns out to be one of the best restaurants in Jackson. Unfortunately, it is not open on Sunday so we can not go there for lunch with the family. And we do not dine out at night. But their lunch menu has plenty of variety and is inexpensive. We will go there again. Sometimes, we just get lucky.

June 22, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Cuban Cooks.

Cuban cooks do unusual things with meat. Our present cook called me to the kitchen when she had finished her work. She likes to show me her handiwork. That day she had made a pot of chicken vegetable soup, a pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs and finally, four pieces of steak. I had asked her to use meat from our freezer because friends had given us meat for Christmas which we had not yet used. Plus we had purchased meat when friends had visited. But I knew we had no steaks, except the filet mignons Ken had ordered, using a gift certificate. Sure enough, she had thawed two of the steaks, cut them in half to make four thin steaks, sautéed them then coated them with cheese. At dinner that night, I served two of them, which we enjoyed. They were tasty. But before she came the next time, we made sure that Ken cooked the other two filets, which were delicious. I had to admit that her method served us for two meals. Then yesterday, she cooked a pan of pork, cooked with a sauce and onions. We ate two pieces tonight. They were delicious and tender. But I knew we did not have thin pork. What she had done was to slice the think boneless pork chops before cooking them, so instead of us eating one thick pork chop each, she made them last for two meals, which is probably better for us. The first year our cook Lourdes worked for us, I asked if she would like to cook a fancy Cuban dinner for our friends. She was delighted to be asked. We were to be five adults and seven children. Her plan was to do some cooking at home, then arrive at 4:00 to finish up at our home, with dinner to be served at 6:30. When she arrived, she showed me her ingredients, which included a lovely piece of steak. She was excited to tell me that she went to a fancy store to buy the steak, which I could see was a piece about four by six inches. I did wonder how she could cook for twelve with one piece of steak. But I never said a word. What she did was to cook the beautiful steak well, then shred the meat and serve it with beans and rice. The dish was wonderful but you could not really see the meat by itself. But that meat went a long way. Our present cook, Reides, is a much better cook than Lourdes. She is younger and uses more meat and less lentils and beans. But she is still from Cuba and she still makes a piece of meat last a long time. Her sauces are delightful and we are happy with her cooking. We will just be sure to put the really good meat in the other freezer.

June 21, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Update.

My scans are unchanged from the last one, which were done at the end of March. The good news is obvious but I wonder why the cancer in my ribs have not gone. I see my Oncologist before we leave so I will ask. By blood counts also look pretty good. Not normal but better. So that is good too. Today I saw Dr. O., the lady who performed the last procedure on my right eye. My pressures remain normal so the procedure was a success, which is more good news. Ken has completed three weeks of the physical therapy clinic. By the time Thursday rolls around he is exhausted. He continues to be more independent. In fact, the helpers do not have much to do so we send April home at 6:30. He does have to have a cancer cut off his leg. That will be done next Thursday. The cardiologist changed medications but generally, his improvement continues, which is a great blessing. He cooked steaks for us on the kitchen grill last week. And he continues to enjoy his desserts!! He walks 10 minutes at a time twice a day. He is pleased. But he is far from normal. He remains positive there will be a breakthrough with Parkinson's Disease. In the meantime, he takes his medications. And here we go.

June 20, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Waiting Room.

Ken, April and I were minding our own business in the waiting room of The Retina Center. We had been there 5 minutes. A half dozen folks were waiting too. The television was showing a program on home renovators, but no one was watching. One older lady was chatting with her daughter, but for the most part, the place was quiet. In the door walked a tall well dressed lady and asked if anyone was watching the TV, because if the answer was no, she wanted to turn to the NCAA World Series baseball game being played by Mississippi State. We all agreed so the white haired tall lady tried to change the channel but was told by one of the receptionists that the channel could only be changed by the attendant and they were busy, which did not please anyone. Eventually, the channel was switched. And everyone started talking to each other. The NCAA World Series was on and I did not even know. In the past, I have enjoyed watching their games because the games are exciting. You never know what will happen. But I was focused on The World Cup. People talked about the number of years they have supported Mississippi State, or the fact that they always cheer for the University of Mississippi. The Mississippi State folks were happy because they won the game 12 to 2 over North Carolina. Eventually, the tall ladies husband appeared where he had been watching the game at the Manships restaurant. He was even taller than his wife, and equally well dressed. I have noted that folks in Mississippi wear clothes a few notches up from my regular garb when going to the doctors office or grocery store. Soon we moved into the back but the conversations continues while we were waiting for tests. I asked one older couple how that got to cheer for Mississippi State. She had a grandchild attending the school but she said that most people bond with their college. In Mississippi, people will cheer for Mississippi State of The University of Mississippi. But certainly not both. Folks are never neutral. Now that I know the games are on, I will cheer for Mississippi State. They need one more win to get into the finals. I was most interested with the impact the tall lady had on the waiting room. The atmosphere went from quiet and boring to enthusiasm. And I am grateful for her for bringing up the College World Series. And as an aside, Ken's retina if just fine.

June 19, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The World Cup.

Even some of the games have been exciting. Six goals were scored during the Spain Portugal game. And the teams seem to be more geared to offense which makes more interesting, at least to me. Several years ago the games were boring because all the teams were playing not to lose. But not this year. The World Series of baseball is really North American teams. The rest of the world just watches. But the World Cup, held every four years involves countries all around the world, some countries small and some large. For two years, the national teams in a region play each other, with the winners to be one of the 32 teams who compete in the World Cup. In other words, you must qualify to play at the big tournament. This year, neither Canada nor the US qualified so their national team watches from home. But little Iceland did. I cheer for the underdogs. I was delighted to see Germany fail to win their game. The same with Spain. Colombia was expected to win their game against Japan today but Japan won. I have been a happy camper. But the most fun at any game is to watch and listen to the national anthems. The players sing out loud and strong but not particularly well. But watch the fervor of the singing. It is worth the price of admission. Definitely, the World Cup is world class and I do not even enjoy watching soccer. But I am enjoying every minute this year.

June 18, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. A Busy Day.

My scans were to be done at 7:30 so Lakita came to pick me up at 6:45. I call her Ki. She has been driving me to my appointments. She is an ambitious young lady. In addition to working as a helper, she also works part time at Target. And she has one children and one husband. She wants to go back to school. So we talk while she drives. I would like to have never have another scan. If I ever get to be ninety, I am going to refuse to have them done. I have had so many scans that I have become an expert. But I still do not like them. First they put in an iv in my arm. Then they inject the dye into my veins. Next I drink a whole bottle of some fancy water. For an hour I snooze. The scan itself takes just over 20 minutes. Next I must have blood drawn in the lab before hurrying home because Ken has his physical therapy clinic at 10:30. Fortunately, our timing was perfect. Ki and I arrived home just as Ken, with Kendria to drive him was ready to leave just before 10:00. Both helpers drive our own car. While they were gone, I arranged to buy a new sofa and love seat from Shelburne Furniture. My friend Mary had looked at the ones I had chatted with Brenda about. She is the same lady who helped us when we furnished the Guest House. They must order the set, to be ready in 3 or 4 weeks. They will deliver and remove our old squishy couch, purchased in 1999. After lunch and a nap, Kendria dropped me at the grocery store. When I was finished she picked me up. We never leave Ken by himself for long but she assured me that I needed to go to the grocery store. And when we came home, she brought all the bags in and helped me put everything away, which was a big help. So I had a busy, productive day. Now we would like to hear what the scans will be saying.

June 17, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Bradley Walker.

As we get old, we get debilitated and we slow down. And many times we complain about it. But last evening while watching television, I realized that rather than complain, we should be thanking our lucky stars that we were able to run and talk and eat for most of our lives. While flipping channels, I spotted a Gospel Hour on PBS, which I thought unusual, so I watched and what I saw amazed me. A fairly young man was singing and singing well. He was in a motorized wheel chair and his hands were turned back in peculiar fashion. And he was very skinny. At first I thought he has cerebral palsy but in an interview, he mentioned that his parents were told early in his life that he had a rare early type of MS and that he would be a vegetable. His parents did not believe the doctor, fortunately, because he is now on national TV and makes his living singing gospel and country songs. He was born and raised in a small town in northern Alabama, where he still lives. The group of musicians playing and singing with him were good and their arrangements are jazzy. But looking after him must requite full time helpers. He mentioned spoke gratefully of his Mother who encouraged his singing and now he attends the same Baptist Church, which always had an extensive music program. But he puts us all to shame. Every comment he made told about the gift of life and how fortunate he has been throughout his life. Now I must Google his name so I can find out more about him. Of course, we were both brought up singing gospel songs so we enjoyed his singing but mostly we enjoyed his spirit. He is a remarkable young man and I was grateful for PBS for putting him on TV.

June 16, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Misunderstood Words.

Years ago, for five minutes, I had a conversation with a friend concerning gifts for children and nieces and nephews. We were discussing CD's. We discussed the pros and cons of giving a gift of a CD. Our responses seemed reasonable and helpful. Eventually, I discovered that we were discussing two different objects. She meant CD music and I money. We both laughed...eventually. Ten years ago, in the Spring after we bought the cottage, we asked the former owners to come and see us and give us information, which they did. I asked about the temperature of the water. I asked about the comfort level of the water. I wanted it to be warm. She told me cheerfully that the water was beatifically cool, which was not what I wanted to hear. She waxed eloquently about the water getting cooled on the other side of the lake so our side was perfect, and cool. I asked them for the temperature of the water, but clearly they had never measured it. After several questions on my part, I gave up. It finally dawned on me that the previous owners wanted the water cool while I wanted it warm. And she kept assuring me that I would love the water, because it was cool and fresh. She misunderstood my question. But she was correct. The lake water was fresh and comfortable. Just a few minutes ago, while I was walking with my neighbor Sandy, we walked past the little pool close to our house. I asked if the water was warm. She assured me in no uncertain terms that certainly the water was not warm, but beautifully cool. This time I caught her meaning immediately. When you live in the South where the weather is hot, when you get into the swimming pool you want the pool to cool you down. I of course, am still thinking I want warm water to get into, not the 65 I grew up with. This afternoon, when I entered the pool water, I was delighted to find that the water cooled me down. My neighbor was correct.

June 15, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Short Storms.

While we were at lunch today, at a downtown restaurant, a storm rolled in. The rain poured and we could hear thunder although we saw no lightning. By the time we were ready to leave, the storm was over. We saw remains of the storm with puddles everywhere but other than that, the storm was but a memory. Earlier in the week I was about to take my walk but the trees were being blown around by heavy winds. With all the trees in our neighborhood, walking in a storm is dangerous because limbs come down in the high wind and heavy rain. So I sat in the living room and watched the storm come across the reservoir. It was dramatic. But the storm lasted only an hour. Then everything returned to normal and the sun came out. The next day, our good neighbor and his son came and collected the branches that had broken off during the storm. At last 15 large branches are now piked by the road waiting to be picked up. The garbage collectors pick up everything, except it seems for large branches. In Texas we have heavy storms with lots of rain but nothing as short as the storms in Mississippi which could be very short. People know to just wait. The storm will soon be gone. Short and severe I call the storms. Interesting.

June 14, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Man in the Optician Shop.

Eves dropping is a rewarding pasttime, especially when the person speaking does not know you are listening. After the session with the expert on prisms, Ken needed to have new lens cut so we stopped at the Optician on the same building as the eye doctor. With prisms it is important to deal with an expert in prisms. While Ken was busy having his glasses measured and checked, which seemed to take a long time, I spent my time looking around the shop...and listening. I was fascinated with the conversation I overheard. The man I observed was about 45. He was trying on new glasses. The lady attending him was bringing to him to try on. They discussed size and shape and color. Next he called his wife to ask advice. Finally, he took a picture for her evaluation. Each pair was put through the same drill. I could hear her conversation as he put his phone on speaker. It was an astonishing behavior of adult incompetence. He appeared to be normal and must have had a responsible job but her he was asking for advice from his wife. I wondered if he ever made decisions without his wife involvement. Or perhaps the wife insists. I had never seen anything like it. Picture after picture until finally she selected the right frames. I would love to have asked the man how he normally makes decisions but of course, he never did know I was listening to the whole conversation. I was fascinated by the scene. But I did wonder how he managed to survive without his wife's advice.

June 13, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Another Procedure.

Needling is what it is called, which sounds terrible. But actually, wha happens is that tiny needles are used to open up the scar tissue in the holes in your eyes. The little bitty shunt that was installed in Texas is not draining properly so these needles opened up the drain. Now the pressure in my right eye is 6 while before the procedure it was 20. My eye surgeon, Dr. K. has been worrying along my right eye. The pressures in my left eye remain at an acceptable 10 but my right eye continues to creep up. First he put me back on a glaucoma drop. Then in April he added another. The pressure was 18. I have advanced glaucoma and have already lost all side vision so he is anxious when the pressure goes up. When I saw him last week he suggested a consultation with another doctor, so today I met with Dr. O, also a surgeon who specializes in glaucoma. She is also an expert in needling. One option was to add more drops, but as she correctly said today, we have tried it and it is not working. The second option would be to perform another bout of eye surgery, which I really did not want to do right now. She and Iwe decided to try these needling procedure. It was all done in the office. The nurses prepare my eye and the doctor performs the operation. Immediately you learn if it is working. The procedure does not hurt but is uncomfortable. I was happy when it was finished. Immediately my pressures in my right eye was 6, so the tiny shunt is open and working. Now I must use two drops four times a day and then return in a week. One drop is an antibiotic and the other is a steroid. No more glaucoma drops. Dr. K. will be pleased. And I hope my pressures stay down. I am looking for more magic.

June 12, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Capital's Parade.

Even on TV the parade was exciting. On the Mall, the sea of red shirts stretched as far as the eye could see. The folks in the whole DC area were ready for a champion and they came out to celebrate. I wondered how many times the captain had hoisted the cup over his head since they won. He has been elated ever since. And why not. He waited a long time and many doubted it would ever happen. But they won. And they have been celebrating ever since. In past years when the Capitals would not win in the early rounds, I commented to Ken that during the season the team played with joy but in the playoffs they got tight and anxious. But the centerman, Backstrom during his speech, commented that finally they figured out how to play hockey the same way they party. I enjoyed watching them win. They played with joy and verve...and they won. That was the best part. Now comes the part where each member of the organization gets to keep the Cup for a day. It is unique in sports but is a wonderful idea. One man travels with the Cup because once it got lost and left after an event. Now The Keeper of The Cup goes everywhere with it. No longer will the cup get lost. But each player gets to take the cup home, to visit the schools and the restaurants. It is great fun. So the party goes on. Winning the Stanley Cup is a bonanza for the organization and the community. They are celebrating in style.

June 11, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Machines.

A box was delivered to our door, which is not unusual. But this one needed a signature so I stayed home while Ken went with Kendria to his therapy. I left it to Ken to open when he returned but he seemed uninterested so I left it on the counter. He could not recall ordering anything interesting but eventually he opened the box containing a machine. For a while he could not figure out what it did but finally decided it was a machine to make a drink. I just laughed. As he does not drink any alcohol, I do not understand why he would order a shiny machine that when you add fruit, sugar and yeast you produce cider...hard cider. Over the years we have owned many machines that we used for a bit and then stopped so we were left with machines taking up space. From the kitchen cabinets to the garage to the Goodwill was the path. Right now on our kitchen counter is a Bullet that makes smoothies and other drinks. Lourdes assured me I needed one so I could get healthy, so Ken ordered one, which we used for a few months. Now it sits. We have owned pasta makers and bread making machines, And food processors both large and small. And we had a juicer, given to me by Susan K. to help me get over my first bout of breast cancer. We even have all those machines in Nova Scotia too. Eventually we stop using these fancy machines and eventually we give them away. When we sold our big house on Franklin Street, we made a rule, that if we had not used an object for one year, we would donate it, Ken would say it was my rule but he agreed. After all, we were moving to a condo. Unless it was a family treasure, we just donated stuff to the the Greentree Shelter. One evening i walked past Ken when I was carrying an expensive food processor. Ken asked what I was doing with it and I told him I was taking it to the truck of my car to be donated. He was astonished. But I told hime that he had not used it for over a year, so out it went. I will soon take the new shiny machine into the pantry, awaiting attention. If Ken does not use it, I will move it to the garage. The next step is Goodwill, which is just up Highway 51. In our house, the machines come and the machines go. It is inevitable.

June 10, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Summer Activities.

Kate is working at a candy store for the summer. The place is famous in Jackson so the store is busy. They make candy in the back of the store so sometimes Kate gets to help. Last week she made chocolate covered strawberries. She brought some over to us as they do not last overnight. Of course, she has other activities too. She was required to take a course at Mississippi College last week. From 8:00 am to 9:00 pm they kept them in class so she could only work on Saturday. And she is going with the Creath family to their annual Maine vacation. But the rest of the time she will be working. Molly goes to camp tomorrow. She loves to go for one week but has no interest in any more. Christina will drop her off in the morning. The rest of the summer, she swims every day at her grandmother Creath's pool and stays busy with friends and the dog. Mary Frances has volunteered to be an assistant director for a summer play, The Miracle Worker. She would have enjoyed being in the play but they will leave for Maine on opening day. Every day she works afternoon at the school. Yesterday they spent the whole day building sets."Great fun," said MF. "I used the power tools". Sarah is now in Switzerland taking one course at Lausanne. She is excited. Classes are help from Monday to Thursday, so she will have the long weekends to travel around Europe. She has with her a rail pass. Several other students from the University of Texas are with the group so she hopes to get around safely. Abigail has taken one course at Furman University, something they call May Semester. She took a required course so was happy to get it under her belt. She is the Manager of the men's lacrosse team so must travel with the team, which is time consuming. Samantha and Allison are doing a lot of babysitting. And they go to the lake with the family for weekends. All the grandchildren are busily engaged in productive endeavors. And they are also having a great time. Hats off to all. I am proud of them. .

June 9, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Our New Cuban Cook.

We just got lucky. Our first Cuban cook, Lourdes, was a fine cook and we were happy with her cooking. Just before we left for Mexico at the end of December Ken and I joked that if we lived in Mississippi all year, we would need to expand the food selection at home. We ate lots of beans, rice, lentils and vegetables and small amounts of meat. The food was nourishing and tasty and we enjoyed Lourdes' cooking. But then she moved to Miami. I was shocked that she said nothing to us until she was leaving that week. But she put us in touch with another lady, younger and with better english. And she was happy to cook for us. Her name is Dreisys and she is a good cook. She cooks two dishes each week, that will serve two meals each. In addition she cooks a big pot of soup. We keep the food in the fridge and all I do is serve it up along with a vegetable or salad or rice. Her food is delicious. Tonight we ate chicken which was succulent and well seasoned. Ken was pleased with his dinner. And we both commented that even though we had no part of the planning, we are fortunate to be eating delicious meals every night. Often we plan and organize and the results are mediocre. But all at once, with no input from us, we have this wonderful cook making our meals. Some days you just get lucky.

June 8, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Magic.

I sat in the examining room when Ken was seeing the specialist for the first time. The new doctor's specialty was the focusing of the eyes. The Ophthalmologist Ken had been seeing in Mississippi seemed fine but his solution for the double vision Ken was experiencing was to have Ken perform eye exercise, which did not work at all. Ken could not drive. Fortunately at that time I was driving. The eye doctor in Fredericksburg suggested that prisms in the glasses might help and it did. Ken had read about prisms but the Mississippi doctor said it did not work. But it did. Ken asked me to ask my glaucoma specialist what could be done because Ken's double vision had returned. Dr. K. said that Ken needed a specialist. Fortunately, there were two specialists in the same practice so I immediately made an appointment for Ken. Today was the day. Also something is happening to Ken's left eye, the one he has had retinal detachments, so now we have an appointment with the Retina Center. The vision in the left eye has dramatically decreased so must be checked out. But in that room today, I saw actual magic being performed. Neither Ken nor I had seen these pieces of equipment but with a few changes of this piece and that piece, all at once the double vision disappeared. The good doctor wrote new prescriptions for Ken's glasses, including a change with the prisms. Once Ken gets his new glasses he will no longer see double. I was thrilled and excited. Ken on the other hand, is waiting to be enthusiastic until he finds the glasses work. But not me. I was so impressed with the expertise of the doctor. His work deals with eye muscles, pediatric patients and focusing problems. He was the perfect doctor to help Ken. We both hope that when Ken regains strength and has single vision he will be able to drive. That really will be magic.

June 7, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Corn On the Cob.

Everywhere we have gone, people tell us that their corn is the best in the world. Everyone tells us the same story. So Ken and I eat the corn on the cob and enjoy it. We even compliment the corn. But we never admit that it is the best corn in the world because mostly the corn is just a bit inferior. We have eaten corn all across Canada and the US and heard the same story. But the best corn we have ever eaten was grown in Pennsylvania. Our farmer friends, the Jays would pull corn fresh from the field and cook it immediately. We would join them sitting outside the butchering shop and eat corn. We would eat lots of corn. Once we ate 10 in a row. That corn was delicious and clearly was the best corn in the world. Nothing compares. The genetic engineers have changed the corn so now the corn lasts several days and is still sweet and tender. In the olden times, the corn had to be eaten quickly after it was picked. Not anymore. Tonight Ken and I ate corn on the cob purchased at the grocery store already shucked and packaged. Much to my surprise, the corn was good. Not as good as Pennsylvania corn but edible. We enjoyed it along with a small steak. Ken and I still recall with pleasure the corn we ate at the farm. Nothing better. Ken and I have often laughed about the comments on the corn and wondered if these folks had ever eaten truly great corn. When we were in Scotland with David and Suzanne many years ago, we were fortunate with the weather. Everywhere we went, people commented on how fortunate we were with the weather. Finally Suzanne said,"I have just figured it out. The people in Scotland do not know what good weather really is". Ken and I felt the same about the corn. They just have not tasted great corn.

June 6, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. This Summer.

Many people think we are nuts to be leaving our lovely hime and wonderful helpers to spend our summer in Nova Scotia. But Ken wants to go and son David agrees with Ken. Better for Ken to have something to work towards than deteriorating here in one place. So we are going and bit by bit we are putting together the puzzle pieces. Ken has already had three of the sessions with the therapist at the clinic. The exercises are specific for Parkinson's patients and the therapist spends all her time with them so Ken is comfortable doing the exercises. As part of the package, he is supposed to repeat the same exercises at home in the late afternoon. For three days he has done his exercises at home. He wants to go to Nov Scotia this summer. Our plan is ambitious. We will stay in Nova Scotia until October 7, when we have booked flights to St. Paul, Mn. where we will stay 2 nights until we leave on a cruise down the Mississippi River to celebrate our 60th anniversary. On October 23 we get off the boat in New Orleans, where we will stay until Christina and Molly arrive to enjoy the city for 2 days before they will drive us back to Jackson on October 27. Today I arranged to meet a lady from Earth Angels, a company that provides helpers for people like us. She is coming on the day after our arrival and will evaluate Ken's needs. And we must figure out how many hours a day Ken needs a helper. Our helper here, Kendria, thinks we need someone just we have here, which is 12 hours a day. We have had no trouble without our night helper. In addition, in a conversation with Ivan, the artist who has made a new sculpture for our yard, he mentioned a new doctor in town, who has established a new clinic treating Parkinson's patients using light lasers. I chatted with his wife today and Ken is busily reading up on the technique, which has is still in clinical trials. I feel sure that Ken will meet with this retired doctor from Moncton, who now lives at Summerville Beach. Our plans are ambitious but we are going to try. Our first step is to get on a Lear Jet July 19 and fly non stop to Halifax. Pretty nice. But expensive. Whew.

June 5, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. After The Rain.

I started to take a walk but as I walked across the room, Kendria called to say that she thought there was a storm coming. As I left out the front door, it was obvious. This was no time to take a walk. Winds were blowing hard and leaves were turning over, so being pragmatic, I turned around and came back into the house. Within two minutes the rains came. In the distance I could hear thunder. My timing was perfect. The weather forecast here in Jackson is mostly accurate so I looked up the weather and sure enough, the rains were to stop and by six o'clock, the temperature would be 78 and cloudy, which would be perfect for walking. We have had several days of hot dry weather so when I went walking after the storm the foliage looked sparkling. I walk along the same road every time. Today I saw blossoms blooming which were not there earlier in the week. All the grasses glistened and I spotted several birds taking a bath in the puddles on the side of the road. My walk after a heavy rain was delightful. I was not aware until now how beautiful the world seems after a rain. Now I know for the future. I also learned to check the weather forecast before leaving for a walk. The storm and the rains came up quickly so had I left 20 minutes earlier I would have been caught in the rain and heavy wind. Our area is loaded with big trees and bushes so walking in heavy wind is dangerous. I got lucky today.

June 4, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Together Alone.

Tonight is the first night since early January that Ken and I are alone together in our house. We have had nurses or helpers every night. We might change our minds, but we have cancelled our night helper, at least for the moment. For the past few weeks I have been monitoring the activities of the night helper and decided that they really have little to do. Ken dresses himself in the morning and gets ready for bed at night. If he needs to get up to the bathroom he gets there himself. Often at night he will go to his comfortable chair in the TV room and read on his iPad but he gets up and down himself. They check to be sure his bottles of water or juice are full for the night but other than that, they don't have much to do. When we first arrived late in March, Ken needed help every time he walked anywhere but not anymore. Our night helpers were called several times every night. Not much sleep for them. But no more. we are cutting one cord. And we will see how Ken gets along with just me in the house. I am not really steady on my feel either so I know Ken is anxious. During the daytime, we will keep our helpers but for the moment, we will be alone together. And we like it like that.

June 3, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Miss. Ruth.

Here in Mississippi, everyone calls me Miss.Ruth. Everyone. The helpers call me Miss.Ruth, whether the helper is 25 or 70. And every workman calls me Miss.Ruth. On the phone today when speaking with the owner of the company providing us with our helpers, called me Mrs. Dickie I was shocked. But then I realized that she had never seen me. Even the children of our friends call me Miss.Ruth. The children in Mississippi are taught to be polite as are the Texas children, but in Texas the children are taught to call adults by their proper surname, so I am called Mrs.Dickie by the children of our friends. But not in Mississippi. I am called Miss.Ruth by the young and the old. Even in a store, once I have given my credit card to the clerk checking me out I will be called me Miss.Ruth. I have seen it time and time again. When the family were here for the graduation, David commented about the people and their interaction with him. They were friendly and polite. Now they live in Texas where people are very friendly but David observed a higher level of graciousness in the Mississippi folks. We have always said that our friends who were born and raised in Alabama are the most polite of any of our friends. All our friends are polite and friendly but our Alabama friends top the list. David liked the behavior he heard here in Mississippi. It is interesting to note the use of Miss.Ruth to me. The term is not formal and not familiar. It is just a friendly term and I quite like it.

June 2, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Swimming.

The afternoon heat was oppressive so instead of going for a walk I headed to the swimming pool. My swim was delightful. The last time I was swimming in a pool was when we lived at the condo just down the street, but since we moved into this subdivision in 2015, I had not yet visited our swimming pools. The reason is probably because we have never been here in hot weather. Yesterday at 4:00 the temperature was 93 degrees, perfect for swimming. Just a month ago my neighbor told me that the subdivision actually maintained two pool, one beside the club house and tennis courts and one closer to our home. The main pool is fancy and free form with hot tubs and bathroom facilities with many tables and chairs and club house and exercise room. The one close to us is a plain rectangle, with a few chairs and tables on the deck. The facility is perfect for me because the pool is deep. I broke a swimming rule. I went swimming alone. Not a soul was there so I enjoyed my solitude. The pool is private and shaded and well maintained. No bugs or leaves were in the pool so I did my exercises in the deep water and enjoyed myself. The pool is not big but big enough for me. I loved every minute I have been swimming all my life but now I have issues. My eyes cause problems when I put my head under water so I don't do it. And I discovered that my right hip joint hurts when I swim breast stroke. Interesting. Last summer at the cottage I did not swim. I was fearful of not being able to get out of the water, so I have not been swimming for a long time. But yesterday it was perfect with hot weather and full sunshine and the pool by myself. I will swim tomorrow too but hope other folks are there too. Swimming alone is breaking the rules.

June 1, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Men In the House.

For two days in a row, our house had men wandering our bedroom and bathroom installing the new air conditioning system. For three mornings I had trouble dressing. They arrived early while I was still in my robe and nightshirt and so I was stuck. I could have taken clothes and dressed in the powder room but the chairs in our closet had moved so I was unable to access my drawers. For two days I wore the same clothes, which was my night shirt and robe. They must think I always wear my robe at home. I had my nap while they were coming and going, ignoring me the whole time. I wanted to go for a walk so yesterday I brought clothes into the bedroom to dress, with my back to the door. The workmen were either in the attic or outside, so I felt that I was safe to dress. But I was wrong. While I was trying to get on my underwear a man walked into the bedroom and walked into the bathroom and then up the ladder to the attic. I assumed he had not seen me because he said not a word. I had been careful to put on underpants and jeans but just at the time when my robe and nightshirt was removed, the footsteps came. I ignored him and kept on dressing. Of course, when you try to rush is when you slow down. I did laugh. Getting dressed in my home has been difficult. The first day I washed my face and brushed my teeth while they were busily working. I knew they had to come today to clean up and install a vent cover but I made sure to shower immediately upon awaking, but sure enough, the man came. Fortunately, Kendria told them I was in the shower so they left. Unfortunately they have not returned to complete the task. But at least I was able to shower. Having men wandering in and out of your bedroom and bath and closet makes life difficult. But we are done now, except for one small task. And a good thing too. I do not wish to wear my robe every day all day.

May 31, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The New Air Conditioning.

Ken and I have never lived in Mississippi in the summer. In a normal year, we would be right now in Texas, followed by our summer in Nova Scotia. But now we are here where today the temperature was 95. We had noticed in the winter that the heat was less in the bedroom and TV room which was fine as we prefer the bedroom to be cooler but that does not work for the air-conditioning. As soon as the temperature went up, our bedroom was noticeably warmer than the rest of the house. We asked out ac man to see if something could be done. He tested and then brought two other folks. They all agreed with us. The bedroom and TV room are warmer than the rest of the house. When the house was built, two ac systems were installed, one for the lower level and one for the main floor. The problem is that the house is wide so by the time the cool air gets to the bedroom, it is warmer than the breakfast room. According to the experts, a third system should have been installed, serving the bedroom and TV room. In addition, they noted no insulation at all in the TV room. On the plans, the little room is shown as a porch but at some point, it was enclosed and someone forgot to add insulation. How the former owners put up with a warm bedroom I will never know. The solution was to install a new system. The men started work on Wednesday morning. By this afternoon it was running. They have a little cleaning up to do but the system works beautifully. Now when we walk into our bedroom it is not warmer than the rest of the house and we can keep the main part of the house warmer. Ken is happy. Now we must pay the bill.