October 31, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Neighborhood Tragedy.

We saw many police cars, fire trucks and emergency vehicles on the road in our sleepy little subdivision. Keshina and I were returning from the pharmacy. The emergency vehicles were not there when we left. I wondered if someone had a fire. She suggested that someone had fallen. But we went home and forgot about it. I never even mentioned it to Ken. Then I received an e mail from the secretary of the homeowners association to tell me the story. This afternoon, while Bill was power washing his deck, a railing gave way as he backed into it and he fell onto the rocks. We live on a bluff. He died from trauma to the brain. Now I do not know Bill but someone who is active enough to power wash his deck does not need to be dying. It is a true neighborhood tragedy. The e mail to me was to tell us what had happened and to warn us about the press and media folks. Evidently, the TV reported the tragedy, including the address and subdivision. People had already been driving by to look at the subdivision. Our neighborhood is small with a gate. We are alerted to not allow folks to come in after you enter. How you do this I do not know. But we are supposed to tell authorities. Needless to say, so trick or treaters came to our door tonight. A tragedy had occurred in Roses Bluff Subdivision. On another note, our friend Don turned 85 today. Doreen has reported that she is now officially living with an old man.

October 30, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Good Reports.

The Neurologist was pleased with Ken's progress. Dr.H. was the young doctor who suggested that Ken's wandering days were over and he should stay in Mississippi where he could get excellent medical care. We laughed and agreed that was probably a good idea. But near the end of June, we began to think we could follow through on our summer plans. And we did. We had made an appointment with Dr. H. for September but we switched to the end of October, when we were home. Now we have made a believer of Dr. H. After watching the walking and the sitting up from a chair and the lack of a tremor, even he agreed that the summer for Ken in Nova Scotia was positive. And he agreed with us, finally, that we should do whatever we are able to do. So that was a good report card on Ken. The scan I had on Monday showed no cancer in the bones, or anywhere else in my body. So once again, I will not continue with Ibrance. I will continue with the Letrozole, which is a hormone. The first time I was on Ibrance it took 13 months before my scans were clear, which was a miracle. After 6 months of remission, the cancer had come back in my back ribs so I took Ibrance. Once again, my scan is clear. This time it took 10 months of therapy. Ken and I are pleased with my report. Now my immune system should return to normal. Neither of us are perfect but we are making progress. Good reports are always the best.

October 29, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Settled.

Kashina has been a big help. The four cases and backpacks are unpacked and clothes put away. The laundry has all been done. Each piece of mail has been opened. But now comes the hard part. My desk is not organized at all. I have stacks of papers to read to take action on or to pitch. A two foot pile of mail must be read and evaluate. It sits in front of the couch. My bed side table is covered with objects that must be placed in the proper place in the table. The top of our big dresser is covered with bottles and medications. No one can do anything with all that stuff but me. I will tackle things one at a time. In addition, as soon as I get caught up and settled in, I must move things in my closet because Kashina put things in the wrong place so I must put things to right. But I have made progress. The cook will cook for us this week. The cleaning lady will be here tomorrow. I ordered Christmas wreaths and sent Sarah her late Birthday gift. This morning Kashina drove me to have a scan and to see my Oncologist. We left home at 6:15 and returned at 10:10. Before I receive the results the Radiologist must compare my last scan to the new one and as the last scan was done at the University Cancer Center and the new one was done at the Baptist Hospital Cancer Center I must wait. Today my blood counts were low which one would expect as I am in my last week of Ibrance. I should hear tomorrow. Dr. Sheehan assured me she would call me today. But we are settling in. Both Ken and I walked each day. Bit by bit I will get things done. But it is slow going. Progress has been done, just not as quickly as I would like. "One thing at a time," I keep reminding myself.

October 28, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. Ooops.

"Do you want to use Tide or the other pods of detergent?" Kashina, our new helper was doing the laundry and asked what soap to use. I walked into the laundry room and pointed to the box of small packets. And I walked out. She came to me and asked if I really wanted to use the Cascade, which she told me was for the dishwasher. I was confused so went to look. Sure enough, the box I pointed to was Cascade. And I had been using it. I laughed and took the Cascade to the kitchen and transferred it to the already open Cascade box. Fortunately, not many were used up. But I am surprised Ken did not get a rash. He did report skin being itchy. When Rita and Ian were with us in Mexico, I took my laundry to the machine. The machine was busy but Rita told me she would load my dirty clothes after she was finished. And she did. Afterwards she told me that she had also removed the spots from my dress, spots that I had never even seen. She hoped that was OK with me. She commented that she had always admired the dress but wondered why I did not remove the spots. I laughed. My question is to wonder what else I am doing which is stupid without realizing it. Probably lots of things. But people are just too polite to say anything. It certainly gets me off any high horse!! I have always felt that I was competent. But now I am beginning to doubt it. Once again...I am kept humble.

October 27, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. We Did It.

Our arrangements to come home were perfect. Our driver picked us up at our hotel and after loading the car we hit the road, riding in our rented van. The day was perfect and the car was comfortable so with one stop we were home by 1:30. Bob our driver was pleasant and quiet and careful. We are pleased. And he would be delighted to drive us to Nova Scotia!! Ken and I are delighted to be home in Mississippi. Everything is easier for us here. Ken's recliner with the boost is in the TV room adjacent to our bedroom so he has privacy to snooze anytime. Now I have the task of unpacking the cases, which I will do tomorrow with the help of our new helper. Laundry must be done and everything put in place. Fortunately, clever Christina shopped for us so we are set for eggs, bread, fruit and berries and chicken. We have eaten two meals here both prepared by me. Now I must clean up the kitchen. We knew our summer plans were ambitious but Ken was determined to carry on with our plans. Everything worked out with just one mishap. But I think Ken is weary and we are both thrilled to be home living in our most comfortable home. Now we both can relax. We are home. Tomorrow, Christina and the girls will come for lunch after Christina picks up food from our favorite Thai restaurant. That will give us more joy. Our summer has ended.

October 26, 2018. New Orleans, LO. A Sunny Day.

Right outside our door is a lovely old Spanish fountain. Once upon a day, the parking lot was an interior courtyard. Just at the end of our road is The Ursulan Academy, the only building left standing after a great fire. Once upon a time, the place was run by the French, thus the old area is called The French Quarter. But them the Spanish took over. Then a huge fire decimated the place. The rebuilding was all done by the Spanish, so all the old building of the French Quarter was built in the Spanish style. Thus you see the iron balcony railing and the iron on the windows. The whole scene is charming and very Spanish. The sun is shining today and the temperature is 72. Ken and I went for a walk all around the parking lot. We knew we needed to walk and we knew we could not fight with the sidewalks so we staying in our little compound. I brought us a late breakfast in our room, which we will probable do tomorrow before we leave. Today I will once again pack our cases ready to drive home tomorrow. And we will eat more pizza and wings. We still have left over salad in the fridge so I will try a bit of it. So far my gut is behaving. Once upon a time, we could explore. But not now. Tomorrow, we will be pleased to be home.

October 25, 2018. New Orleans, LO. A Quiet Day.

In the middle of the baseball game last night, Ken and I decided we needed a quiet Day. Ken's wound was still bleeding. The bandage we put on was soaked with blood so we thought that Ken was working his arm too much. Pushing his walker on the terrible sidewalks and going up and down curbs were causing his arm to bleed so rest was in order. Today at breakfast, even though we wrapped another napkin over the bloody bandage, the waitress came and brough more napkins and duck tape. Perfect. And a couple hours after my delicious gumbo, it all came right through me into the commode. So I thought my gut needed a break. So we decided to stay in our room. The breakfast restaurant is next door so mid morning we went to eat. Ken ate a fancy French Toast and a cappachino while I ate a slice if toast and green tea. About mid afternoon, I got in the spirit of the day and began to think the whole thing was funny. I read and answered e mails and mid afternoon I ordered pizza and wings, perfect for a quesy stomach. Ken and I sat with chairs together and ate our meal, using plastic bags for plates and fingers for utensils. We had fun, although I ate only one wing and one piece of pizza. Fortunately we have a small fridge. The hotel front desk lent me a pair of scissors. Ken and I re bandaged his wound. And we let it air. Since our work, no blood has appeared and the arm looks like it was done by a professional. Amazing. Our day was the smart thing to do. My gut has settled down and Ken has stopped bleeding. Some days you just have to what you have to do, which was to have a quiet day. And it worked.

October 24, 2018. New Orleans, Louisiana. A Successful Day.

The second excursion was easier than the first. Ken and I decided that we have gotten used to the sidewalks in The French Quarter, which are terrible. First, for breakfast, we ate the last of Ken's lunch from yesterday. After I tried out the shower, we went out for coffee and a sweet. The hotel staff directed us to this wonderful spot just two blocks away, so we headed out. Walking was a nightmare for both of us. The sidewalks are not level and are all broken up. Ken quickly took to the street. But we made it. And the almond croissants were delicious as was the coffee so it was worth the difficult walk. By 12:30 we were home and Ken had a shower. I washed his hair. He kept his bandage on while he showered so next up was removing the wet bandage and re do the bandage. The only problem was that I could not get off the tape. Again, we needed a real nurse. Eventually, everything was done but not properly. When we got home late afternoon we discovered he was still bleeding which unfortunately left blood on the bed cover. Next up was an early super. Once again, the hotel staff directed us to Coop's a place two blocks away. we wanted to get out and home before dark. This time we did better. And the food was tasty . Typical New Orleans food. Ken ate blackened red fish and I ate a bowl of seafood gumbo. Now we will once again watch the World Series. Our day was a success. We are happy.

October 23, 2018. New Orleans, Louisiana. A new town.

We have not been in New Orleans together since 1970. Ken was attending a meeting and I came with him, leaving the young boys with helpers. The boys did fine without us and Ken and I had a wonderful time. I have been here several times since that time, for real estate meetings. I love New Orleans food so Ken and I will try to enjoy good New Orleans food. Our hotel is in the French Quarter so if the rain ever stops, we will wander around. We are just blocks from the river so we should have good rambling. Driving from the boat to the hotel was interesting. After a summer spent in Nova Scotia, seeing the traffic of New Orleans was interesting. We were pleased to see the charm of the French Quarter, with the iron railings and balconies on every building. Our room is pleasant and private. The hotel is old with 15 foot ceilings. Fortunately the place has been made modern but is still charming. Both Ken and I were weary after we left the boat. Getting organized to leave took its toll. Fortunately, our room was ready when we arrived at 9:30 and we both took a nap. So far, we have eaten our first meal here and it was delicious. Like many New Orleans restaurants, it was unassuming and was not fancy but the food was wonderful. I ate Crepes Florentine. As it is pouring rain and we ate at 2:30, we will eat our left over food here in the room. Tomorrow we will venture out, one way or another. I did wonder what we were thinking when we decided to explore a city on our own. We will figure it out.

October 22, 2018. There Mississippi River. The Last Hurrah.

Tomorrow we leave our boat, The American. Ken and I loved being on the river and we appreciated all the fine service. We have had a happy time. And we almost made our whole summer without any untoward incidents. Once again, I needed Doreen or Diane or Suzanne or Kate to attend to Ken. But we almost made it unscathed. Our summer plan was ambitious and now we have only two steps before we are home in Mississippi. We will stay in New Orleans until Saturday when we will enjoy good New Orleans food. Saturday, a man who works for Professional Drivers will drive us home. He has rented an SUV for us so we should be comfortable, I hope. Now about Ken. In the middle of the night, Ken got up to go to the bathroom but lost his balance and fell back on the bed. Unfortunately he was crooked and his arm went down between the table and the bed, knocking over the lamp and his water jug and scraping a big chunk of skin off his arm. Once again, we had lots of blood and no supplies. So we improvised. We wrapped a face cloth around the wound and held it in place with two elastic bands, which did a good job. We were given 4 big bandaids at breakfast. But it kept bleeding so at dinner we asked for help. The first mate arrived with a large bag of goodies and he removed the bandaids we were using and the elastic and bandaged it properly. The bleeding stopped. All this was done at our dining table fortunately all by ourselves. This afternoon Ken removed the old bandage and with the supplies the mate left with us, we are back in business. Ken thinks it looks pretty good. I do not like being a nurse. As my Father once said to me, "Ruth, as a nurse you would be a better plumber". And he was right. Ken is disappointed that he has once again, with a big bandage. But we have laughed about the fact that we almost made the whole summer without trauma. Almost, but not quite. We did the trip which is a minor miracle. And soon we will be back home in Mississippi. Whew.

October 21, 2018. The Mississippi River. Listening In.

I love listening to peoples conversations, especially when they do not know I am listening. It is even better when you can not see them. This boat has been a wonderful spot to listen. We have not met the folks in our adjacent cabin but I know lots about them. I can hear them through the walls. The first conversation I heard was when I was reading on the balcony. They did not know I was outside and they were chatting. The husband also talks on the phone and I hear every conversation. Just now they had a conversation with their grandson Jeramy, who is in graduate school. I know all about his new car and about the classes he likes. Our neighbors are nice people, Jeffry and Lara and are from Indiana. When I overheard the first conversation, Lara commented that soon we would be on the other side of the boat because soon we would be traveling south rather than north. He laughed and suggested that they would not be going to the other side of the boat but rather would be looking at the other back. She laughed and agreed with him. And they both laughed. Some conversations were inane. On the phone, someone asked what he had for dinner and he described each course in excruciating detail. I felt like knocking on the wall and tell that that enough was enough. We dine in a rather large lounge so people come and sit and chat, paying no attested to us, who sit off to the side. Staff members come in for coffee or water and chatter away with each other, while ignoring us. But we are not ignoring them. One hot topic was the breath test taken one night. Whew. Staff members were sent home while others were restricted to the boat. One guest discussed the cruise with one of the speakers. The lady had a long list of complaints about the cruise. While Ken and I were disappointed that we missed the top of the river, this lady seems to hold the cruise line accountable for the flooding. She listed complaints that Ken and I did not knew existed. What a waste of her time. Rather than enjoying herself she carried on for thirty minutes with what was wrong with her cruise. The poor visiting speaker was left to either defend of agree. As soon as possible, the speaker got away. Fascinating conversation. Who knew? But I heard it all because I was listening in.

October 20, 2018. The Mississippi River. Celebrations.

Sixty five years ago, Dave and Irene were married in Vancouver. Today they celebrated by giving a party for family and friends at Wendy's new home. I have heard of good reports. As Dave said this evening, "It is hard to believe that we have been married 65 years because it does not seem so long ago." Their children were all there as was most of the grandchildren and nephews. The had friends from their tennis club and from Salvation Army friends along with the family. The caterer did his job well so all the food was tasty and well presented. And they wisely had the event during the day. So congratulations to Dave and Irene. Pretty nifty. I am sorry we missed the party. Their actual wedding date occurred on Tuesday so Dave and Irene went out for a quiet celebration at lunch. They ate at a lovely restaurant overlooking the water in Burlington. When they arrived and told the waiter they were having a celebration, champagne was brought. They have celebrated their wedding both privately at lunch together and at a big party with family and friends. They are pleased with both. Ken and I are celebrating our 60th anniversary on the Mississippi River. Every day we feel grateful. It is a minor miracle for us to be taking this trip so we celebrate every day. But no one knows but us. Celebrations are special. We hope to attend many more such celebrations.

October 19, 2018. The Mississippi River. The Food.

In the early years of cruising, the cruise lines loaded their customers up with food. A midnight buffet was served every night which was ridiculous. That customs has been stopped. Now cruise lines try to serve delectable food with small portions. On this American Cruise Line, they offer half portions. The soup is always served in a small cup. The dessert portions are small too with a two inch of pie on the plate. Of course, we always ask for ice cream with any pie or cake. And you are welcome to have second of everything. So the cruise lines have done a better job of managing the food. Every breakfast offers choices of five specialty items which include eggs Benedict to waffles pancakes. And you can order anything at all from the egg and sausage list. This morning Ken ordered Oscar Benedict which is crab meat with poached eggs on an English muffin. I ate oatmeal along with a fruit plate and a muffin. When we come up for breakfast, a plate of fresh fruit is on our table along with either scones or muffens. My coffee is poured immediately while Ken waits for his cappachino. We are soiled rotten. Ken always orders soup for lunch while I usually eat a salad. For our entree today at lunch we both ate haddock and sausage. Ice. cream for dessert. The lunch menu always gives us five choices. One is always vegetarian and one a fish. So the variety is extensive. The dinner menu offers five meals too. Tonight I ate turkey while Ken ate swordfish. Last evening Ken ate roasted duck while I ate prime rib. The pastry chef is excellent so we never miss the desserts. And Ken always eats a scoop of vanilla ice cream with every dessert. The pastry chef knows I must eat something with my Ibrance so every night on the table is a container of a different type of freshly baked bread. His bread is delicious so the two slices he leaves me wrapped in a linen napkin is a lovely touch to my evening. The food on this boat is excellent and as we always order half portions, we are not too stuffed. We are enjoying the food and the service. Certainly, everything to like.

October 18, 2018. The Mississippi River. Sunshine.

When we travel, we try to ignore the weather. The rule is always to not complain. We can not do anything about the weather so we try to pay attention to the activity. And we dress accordingly. Today the day sparkled. The sun was shining all day. We had no rain and no heavy clouds. All day we heard comments from people about the sun. People were so happy to have sunshine. We did too. The first day on the cruise, we sat on our balcony and enjoyed watching the river, but since that first day, we have been unable to sit on the balcony. Either it was raining or the temperature was too low to sit outside. Today was perfect so we both enjoyed sitting on the balcony to enjoy the river and the activity. And a big white bird put on a show for us. At first I thought it was a giant egret but I wondered if it was a white heron. Someone came on the intercom to tell me it was a white heron. That was exciting to watch that big bird right adjacent to the boat on the shore. Even when we think we ignore the weather, Ken and I were delighted to have a beautiful day to enjoy the outdoors. Actually, we are as much pleased to see the sun as everyone else. If you ask me, I would tell you that we ignore the weather but in truth, we love good weather. Sunshine makes us happy along with everyone else.

October 17, 2018. The Mississippi River. Camela.

People call her Chi Chi. She serves us our meals in the Paddlewheel Lounge, which is on the second floor. She must go up and down as the kitchen and main dining room are on the first floor. In addition to bringing our food, we talk. When we first met her, we knew something was different about her so we asked. We learned that her background is indeed unusual. Her great-grandmother was taken as a child to Nigeria, where the parents were missionaries with the Seventh Day Adventist church. Her great-grandmother was Irish and blond. That ancestor married the son of the village chief and they had 12 children. Chi Chi's grandfather is one of those children. He became the chief of their village. He married a lady from their village and they had 10 children. One son was Chi Chi's father, who is now the chief of their village. They are all still involved with their church. All those children emigrated to the US. They have become doctors, lawyers, nurses and businessmen. They think of themselves as Nigerian. Chi Chi's father has a high position with Nabisco and her mother is a nurse. Some of her aunts and uncles are light skinned as are her cousins and some have black skin. But they do not speak or act like a normal American black person. Something in her manner is different which is what we caught when we first met her. Chi Chi has graduated from college, a school run by the Adventists. She wants to get more training with the American Cruise Line and this evening was interviewing with the boss, who has been visiting our boat for the past few days. She wants to be a manager trainee. We have enjoyed getting to know her. It has been a pleasure to hear her background and to hear what she has been taught by her parents. She has gotten her education. She has saved her money. She is advancing her career. Now her problem will be finding a husband. Ken and I have suggested an arranged marriage!!

October 16, 2018. The Mississippi River. A Day on the River.

Life is pleasant on the boat America, cruising down the Mississippi River. Our life is uneventful but lovely. We eat breakfast in our elegant splendor at 8:45. As soon as we arrive, Chi Chi brings us water and coffee and takes our order. She leaves us a plate of fruit and scones as we wait on our food. And a second cup of coffee is always available. If the boat is docked, as it was today in Vicksburg, Ken and I spend the morning reading in our cabin. Ken does his exercises faithfully twice a day so he does his first set mid morning. I check e mails and read. If the boat is traveling, Ken and I watch the river. The two comfortable chairs in our cabin we have moved to the big windows of the sliding door, so even if it is raining, we can sit and watch the river banks and activities on the river. Rain has kept us off our balcony but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm. Most people today took the excursions so the boat was quiet. Our lunch is served to us at 12:45. After lunch we read and then walk on the boat. If the day is clear, we could walk on the dock area. When it rains, we walk the passageways of the boat. We always take a short nap. My legs do better when I get my feet up. Dinner is served at 6:45. Any lectures given during the day we listen in our cabin. A new speaker has come on board so I look forward to her talks. Bill, the on board historian has been excellent. He informs while he entertains. After dinner we again retreat to our cabin to read. TV is limited but last night we watched a bit of the football game. Our days are not exciting but they are pleasant and hassle free. We are relaxing and enjoying the food and the scenery and the lectures. So far so good.

October 15, 2018. The Mississippi River. Greenville and Vicksburg.

This is familiar territory. This morning we docked in Greenville, an important town from earlier times. Two tours were offered today: one to the B.B.King Museum and the other to a historic tour of Greenville. The tour of the town left every thirty minutes, which tells you how much history was done in Greenville. People could be dropped off in town to wander around before picking up the shuttle back to the boat. One lady we chatted to told us that it took 45 minutes to drive to the museum and only one hour to see the museum before driving back. She was disappointed. Ken and I take no excursions. We stay on the boat. I do not wish to be stuck in a bus with lots of people and Ken has difficulty with mobility, so we stay home. Our biggest thrill is to be on the river. At the moment we are cruising down to Vicksburg, a distance of 100 miles. The tour of Vicksburg cemetery tour will be given by the officials from the Military cemetery. A morning and afternoon tour will be given, but as we have toured the cemetery already we will once again stay on the boat. We have a good time too. The barge activity has increased down here. Ken and I wish the traveling was always taken during the day light. We enjoy watching the river. These river towns were important in the 19th and early 20th centuries but now they are tourist towns. We have seen many barges being pushed by big tugboats but the trains passing by are huge compared to the barges. But they are picturesque. And the tugboats are enormous. The historian on the boat gives talks every day which are interesting and entertaining. Tomorrow evening we go to Natchez. As best as I can tell, the guests are looking forward to Natchez. Ken and I will stay on the boat.

October 14, 2018. The Mississippi River. Cruising.

Everything is done to make you comfortable on a cruise. Everything. While we are at breakfast, the steward makes the bed and changes towels. In general, he cleans the cabin and empties the trash. While we digest our breakfast and read in the cabin, our refrigerator is filled with water, juice and ginger ale and sprite. Our waitress looks after us at every meal. This cruise line offers half portion at every entree which we like. Portions on a cruise are always small and this cruise line is just the same. Soups are always served in a small dish. When we return to our cabin after dinner, our bed has been turned down and a "sweet treat" left for us on the desk. Last night we ate small cheesecakes and tonight we will eat a brownie. During the day, all the lounges are left with coffee and sodas along with treats and warm cookies. The staff are pleasant and cheerful and always speak to you in the halls. Their task is to make you happy. I have folks tell me that they would not enjoy a cruise. I just laugh and tell them that once they experience the life on board a cruise line, you would want to do it again. We are looked after in every possible way. And we love the attention. We are being spoiled rotten. Eventually we must make our own coffee, but it the meantime, we will continue to sit back and enjoy the service. And we will smile.

October 13, 2018. The Mississippi River. Almost a Disaster.

I made two errors which fortunately did no harm to me. But it could have been a disaster. Tuesday morning at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, breakfast was held in a lovely round room on the top floor. Everywhere you looked you could see windows. The room was designed on tiers. One step down to the chairs and tables and one more step down to another set of chairs. Each set of stairs included a ramp in the center. The food was on to top level. A helper took Ken to a table and helped him down the ramp. I got my food and forgot the first step and I fell down the one stair. Food went everywhere and I was helped up and taken to the table where Ken was sitting. I was fine. But it could have been worse. After breakfast we went to our room before meeting at 10:00 to board the bus to the boat. We both stretched out on the bed. Then we went to get on the bus. As we was sitting in the front of the bus I discovered to my horror that I had forgotten to pick up my purse. I had left it on the bed. I quickly got some help. A young bellman offered to run up the room and retrieve my purse, which he did. I was so relieved when he came around the corner from the elevator holding my purse. I hugged him and gave him a tip. When you travel, you must keep your wits about you at all times. I knew I had just had three days of stress and I should have been on high alert. Instead I left down my guards. Fortunately my stupidity caused no harm, except to keep me humble. But it was nip and tuck.

October 12, 2018. The Mississippi River, Paducah, Ky. The American Cruise Line.

This is the most unusual cruising company in that they hire all American staff. On all other ships we have been on, most staff members come from many different countries. But as this is an American company that work in American waters, they hire American staff. In addition, they pay American wages. One young man we chatted with told us that he can earn more money with American Cruise Line than he could on land. Many of the young staff members are working in order to go back to University. The young lady who looks after us for meals has been accepted at Penn State and will get a Masters degree in Hospitality Business. She is a manager in training. The other aspect of their system is that the staff members sign a four month contract. At the end of their contract, they must either quit or ask to be trained as a manager. The cruise line does not allow their staff members to sign on for an additional four month cruise, working at the same level. The result of that practice is the staff is new. Our observation is that the cruise line in understaffed. The stewards were trained to look after 10 cabins but now they are looking after 13. Everyone does double duty. The most important aspect of the staff is their friendliness. They are unfailingly polite and encouraging. The policy of the cruise line states that the staff are not allowed to accept tips. The tips are included in the price of the cruise which is another unusual aspect of the business plan. The American Cruise Line is a sister company with Pearl Sea Cruises. I don't know what that means but I do know they are connected. So this is an usual operation and we are enjoying understanding their system. Our friends Freddie and Phyllis are on the cruise of The Colombia and The Snake Rivers with the same company. I look forward to finding out their experience. For us, we are enjoying being on the mighty Mississippi River and we are loving dining in solitary splendor!!

October 11, 2018. The Mississippi River. Dining Alone.

This small boat has one dining room with tables set for either 6 or 8. Meals are served at specific times. Everyone eats at the same time. The dining room is lovely with windows on both sides. But Ken and I do not like the room. For me, there is no place I can get away from anyone and for Ken the room is noisy so conversation for Ken is impossible. We said nothing for four meals but in the middle of lunch yesterday, Ken left and I brought food to him in our room. And I talked to someone in charge and explained our issues. I had some suggestions and she agreed. We are loving our meal times now. Ken and I dine in solitary elegance in the Paddlewheel Lounge on the second floor. The room is lovely with windows on all three sides. We have our own waitress. We love it. The room is quiet and we do not need to have the same conversation with different people for every meal. So we are happy as clams. The lady in charged offered to bring meals to us in our cabin but I said no and asked to be served in one of the lounges. Last evening was our first meal by ourselves and it worked well. Today three meals were served us in our private dining room. Our server is pleasant and enthusiastic and seems pleased to look after us. Most guests would hate it but we are enjoying being by ourselves in a quiet room. Many years ago, David and Suzanne travelled with us in Scotland for a week. We stayed at lovely Inns. One night, we four dining in a large high ceilinged dining room. A large fire was going at each ends of the large room. One table was set for us. Nothing else was in the room except for stuffed animals high on the walls. The room was magnificent. We four loved dining by ourselves in this beautiful manor house. Ken and are reminded of that dinner. Our room here is smaller but it is beatifically furnished. And we are dining alone with our very own attendant. Meals can not get any better. Once again, I have become like Adrea. I asked. And I received. Nifty.

)October 10, 2018. The Mississippi River.

Ken and I are not a typical guest on a river cruise. We are here to see the river. I have decided to only read after dark. The rest of the time I am watching the river. Our balcony has two comfortable chairs and one table so we are enjoying watching the river flow by. This evening, just before dinner, we saw the Ohio River merge with the Mississippi. The Ohio is a big river too and brings lots of suspended soil along with the water, making the Mississippi cloudy and dark. Another trip on the same cruise line goes from St. Louis to Pittsburg, another trip I would love to take. But the weather is not helping. More rain fell in St.Paul and now the boat will not be able to go even as far as St. Louis. Tomorrow we stay at Chester. If you wish, an excursion will take guests to St Louis for the day. But not us. We are here to experience the river. Unfortunately we will miss the Upper Mississippi. Too much flooding. This afternoon an historian gave an hours talk on the past of the Mississippi. We could either attend the lecture which was held in lounge, or listen over the intercom, which we did. I take some risk being in enclosed spaces with lots of people, so we will listen to the talks in our own cabin, which pleases us. We feel fortunate to be taking this trip. And we are enjoying it and bit by bit making our selves even more comfortable. So far so good.

October 9, 2018. Mississippi River. Arkansas and Tennessee.

We are under way, heading north on the wide Mississippi River. Our flight from St. Paul to Memphis of just over 90 minutes was uneventful. Our room at the Peabody was lovely and after a room service of salmon for dinner we slept well. After breakfast in a large sun room on the top floor we assembled for the bus to be taken to our small boat. Capacity of this boat is 184 but rumor has it that several folks cancelled with the switch to Memphis to begin the trip. Most folks are not grumpy but a couple we had lunch with today gave me all the reasons they were irritated with the change. He had been looking up the history of all the towns we were to visit and now we will miss them. We will go north up to Chester, Il. but then we turn back south. Most people on this cruise are retired and many of them are challenged with mobility. I have seen few young folks. Our cabin is big, as cabins go. Our bedroom is a separate room and our balcony is roomy enough to eat breakfast, which we will do tomorrow. Our lunch today on the boat was delicious. I ate a cold seafood salad which was high on seafood and low on greens which is perfect for me. We look forward to dining well. Portions on any cruise are small, fortunately. The river is wide and the topography is flat. We have passed three barges being pushed by a tug boat. The barges are long and they move quickly. But we pass them by. Destination tonight is New Madrid, Mo. We arrive at 7:30 tonight. Dinner is 6:30 with music of the Mississippi presented at 8:15. I hope the musicians are good. I would hate to hear Old Man River sung poorly. So far so good. We are here in one piece so now we will enjoy ourselves. We already knew it but The Mississippi River is big. Most importantly, our bed is comfortable. Cheers.

October 8, 2018. St.Paul, Mn. Mission Accomplished.

The Ibrance arrived this morning and was delivered to our room. even though we had a long and tiring day, Ken and I were able to arrive in one piece. Y the time we arrived at the hotel Ken wS having difficulty walking. But we made it to the room and ordered a filet for his dinner, which he ate. We made a couple of mistakes. Getting onto the plane was difficult. I carried two rolling cases and two backpacks which was not easy. Ken suggested he king the two rolling cases but all outmedications were in the cases. Nextfime I could put all our medications into the one case. In Halifax no people are hired to push wheelchair passengers which Doreen discovered when they were leaving. The airline staff take you in the wheelchair whenever they have a chance. So you wait. In Boston, a Delta official pushed Ken to the next gate which wAs fortunately just a few gates away. I walked. In St.Paul, we had to convince the two people pushing us to take us to the baggage glam area and on to the taxi. They wanted to put us on a cart. I knew there would be no one to help us there. They finally realized our problem and they agreed. At the hotel, Ken was able to use the walker so all was well even though he was exhausted. But we made it. Mission accomplished.

October 7, 2018. St.Paul, Minnesota, Air Travel.

We did it. And we are all in one piece. Gill just flew home from New York. She commented to me that traveling by air is no longer fun. I agreed with her but today during our flights, I tried to find something to make the event pleasant and not just a hassle. So this is what I found: People were kind and helpful to us, especially to Ken. A gentleman helped Ken get to the bathroom on the first plane and a lady got up to give me a chair so I could sit next to Ken who was in a wheel chair. The staff was unfailingly pleasant and encouraging. While we were waiting at the gate to board the plane to St.Paul, I chatted with a young man who was returning to The University of North Dakota. He was sitting beside me so I could not see him with my lack of peripheral vision but even though I could not see his face, he and I had a great rapport. He is a math major, in his fourth year, probably heading for graduate school. I asked him what he wanted to do with his mathematics degrees. Much to my great surprise he said that his dream was to work in the insurance business as an actuary. I was so surprised. No young person has ev er told me they wanted to be an actuary ...until now. Talking to him was worth a plane ride. Another young lady I sat beside waiting for the plane attends Bolling Green University. She is studying geology and she is a sophomore. She came to Boston with several other students who were working with high school students during mock mediation sessions. The class she is taking is Mediation for solving Disputes, so this visit was part of the course. Interesting. And all day I evaluated the clothing of the travelers. Only one man wore a suit and tie. Every one else was casual, some looking better than others. So I had a happy day. But we are weary. At the end of the day, I have decided that in order to have a pleasant day, you must work at hot.

October 6, 2018. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Evaluation.

Today the weather was beautiful with chilly air, rolling waves and full sun. A perfectly gorgeous autumn day. I am not sure I prefer leaving when the day is gloomy or when the day is fine. Anyway, we are leaving tomorrow. Everything is set. To complete our mixed up schedule, Ken was unable to check us in this evening. He does not know why. But we leave tomorrow morning with a hope and a prayer. Tomorrow we get to St.Paul where we will stay the night. Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Memphis to stay at The Peabody, the hotel with the famous ducks. Tuesday we board our boat. The new itinerary has been set, but is not yet in stone. Evidently we will travel up the Mississippi as far as possible, so we will visit Iowa and Missouri. We still arrive October 23 in New Orleans. So here we go. Ken and I have evaluated our stay here in Nova Scotia. Ken feels stronger than when we arrived. He does not know if that is because of his walking and exercising or due to the Photobiomodulation. Or perhaps the clean air and good company. He is not perfect but he is better than when we arrived. The next few days will tell the tale. When we booked our flight to St.Paul, we thought he would be better than he was two months before, and we were correct to make that prediction. Now the next three days will put us to the test. We leave our home in better shape than we arrived. The new living room furniture is splendid and the new deck functions well. This summer the weather has been better than ever, when it was hot in town but cool at Western Head. We enjoyed our company. Actually, we did not do much except enjoy the scenery and the weather, along with our friends. We spent little time with our local friends. But both Ken and I are pleased we were able to come. It took us until June until we decided to come. Now we wonder about next year. Tomorrow we leave this lovely place and as the weather is cool, it is time for us to move on. We gave ourselves an A for our decision. Now here we go.

October 5, 2018. Western Head, Nova nScotia. The Mighty Mississippi.

The Coast Guard has spoken. The upper Mississippi is unsafe for navigation from St. Paul, where we board the boat. Instead we must begin in Memphis. Same time just a different place. They have not told us the itinerary. Perhaps we will go upriver a bit or perhaps we will go up the Ohio. But for us, our already difficult situation got worse. My next month of chemotherapy is being delivered to our hotel in St.Paul so we have no choice. Ken and I will fly commercial to St.Paul on Sunday and stay at the St.Paul hotel. FedEx will deliver the medication on Monday morning. At 5:45 we fly to Memphis to stay at the Peabody Hotel. Tuesday morning we board. It might all work out. Katie has parked the truck in the garage. Three of our cases are in the garage ready to leave. Just one to go, which is Ken's small bag for medications and overnight. All windows are locked. The freezer is almost empty and all leftovers have been eaten. Ken and I are a bit tired of eating them but at least we have not wasted food. Ken commented that our meals this week was a bit like visiting memory lane. Tomorrow, Katie is bringing her daughter to visit us which will be nice. I just must organize Ken's backpack, so I do not have much to do tomorrow except to set the thermostats. And I get to watch some more baseball. We are pretty well set to depart to cruise down the mighty Mississippi River. But now we start in Memphis, which is almost home to Jackson. No matter what, we will enjoy. But first we must get there!!

October 4, 2018. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Katie.

Since we arrived at home here in Western Head, Katie has helped us. She haas worked Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. She is fun and funny and we like her. She is trying to get ahead, which is difficult. Being a single Mom with no help from anyone, she is on her own. Somehow or other, she does not get many breaks. Part of her problem has to do with the choices she has made but other things are just bad luck. Her Father died when Katie was 12 and her Mother died when Katie was 19. Her sister is married with two children and live in Lunenburg but her sister has a neurological disease and shakes most of the time. So not much help from that side of the family. She has an aunt and uncle in Lunenburg but they are busy and only see Katie at Christmas. She has worked with Earth Angels for four months. She has her certification from the province. She has worked steadily since she joined the organization but now she is worried. When we leave and she stops working with us, her schedule from Earth Angels is not steady. She needs to work every day. If Earth Angels have no steady clients, they can not guarantee her a job. She gets paid when she works. Since she started working here, she has moved. She was renting an apartment in Bridgewater and had been there for one year. She found a trailer on a nice lot in Mahone Bay. I asked her about a lease and she assured me she had a one year lease and after that it would be month to month. But she did not look at the lease, which said that after one year, unless the tenant has given notice to vacate, the lease is automatrtically extended another year. Oops. The landlady released Katie from the lease but withheld the deposit. Katie has rented a place with a yard. It is also $160. less than the last place. So that is good. She is moved in. But the water pump has broken so she has no running water. That certainly is not her fault but it does make difficult for her and her daughter. Poor Katie. She is wonderful with Ken, making sure he does his exercises twice a day and chattering away with him cheerfully. But her future seems bleak. Except she loves her daughter. Now if she can continue to stop smoking, lose weight and get a full time job perhaps she will really get aheads. I hope so. She has been a wonderful help to us this summer. And we will miss her. And we wish her well.

October 3, 2018. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Alterations.

Sherry lives in Liverpool on Old Port Mouton Road. Her house is old, as is the barn but a large room has been added to the old house so Sherry can sew. Her work room is large but cluttered so the room seems small. She works at a table in the center with three machines across the table. She is a lovely lady who does good work. I always ask her what she is working on and she shows me her work, which is beautiful. Last year she had just made two bridesmaid dresses and one bridal gown. Nifty. Yesterday she showed me a dress to be altered. The young lady is in a wedding and she ordered the dress on line. Sherry will make it fit properly. When I returned from the Ontario wedding I knew I needed elastic in the waist. I intend to use that outfit on the cruise. So I took it to Sherry on the Tuesday after my return. She promised to be finished in time for my departure on Sunday and she was true to her word. I picked the pants up yesterday. On the way over I told Katie about Sherry. I told her two facts: The first was the quality of her work and the second was that she under charges. In other words, she under values her work. Sure enough, when I asked what I owed her, she told me $6. I gave her a ten dollar bill, for which she was grateful. Last year in Mississippi, I had the same thing done to a skirt and I was charged $30. Katie and I were trying to figure out her charges. We wondered if she gets paid by an hour and figure out the time it took to complete the task? Or does she have a scale based on a chart? Last year when she fixed my old dress, she charged me a small amount to put on new pockets. Her charge was small and when I suggested she should charge more she told me it only took twenty minutes. But she does not take into account her brains behind what she does. What she did for my dress was clever. What I suggested her to do was nothing what was done. It was better. I am pleased she stays in business in Liverpool. One day I will ask her about her pricing. But for now, I am happy...and so is my pants.

October 2, 2018. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Lunch With Larry and Jan.

Larry actually enjoys cooking and Jan does not mind entertaining so an invitation for lunch at their home means we are in for a special treat. Everything is prepared and from the moment you arrive you are treated like an honored guest. I always feel special. We were a party of eight: Don and Doreen and Ken and I along with Mary and Walt. First we sat and talked in their lovely living room and admired a new painting Larry purchased at an auction for $85. The last painting that sold at auction by the same artist sold for almost $4,000 and he paid $85. Clearly no collectors where in attendance. We all loved the painting. It pays to attend auctions. After an hour of sipping and nibbling, we were directed to the dining room. A large platter covered the table, filled with a most wonderful Greek salad. Mary dished up the salad, pretending to be the mother. I could have eaten three servings but instead ate only one. But I did pick out a few extra olives. Next course was a dish that I can not spell. Larry put6 chicken on a stick and cooked them on the barbecue. First he had placed the chicken pieces ion a marinade. We wrapped the chicken and a special sauce into a flat bread, heated to just the right temperature. They were delicious. I ate two!! We ate and talked and talked and ate for ages. For dessert we ate fresh local blueberries. We eight retired back to the living room while we digested our wonderful meal, Being invited to Larry and Jan's home iS a special event. This lunch held a couple of weeks ago did not disappoint us. This time, I did not spill a glass of red wine on their white slipcovers, so perhaps we will get invited again. I certainly hope so. Our lunch was wonderful.

October 1, 2018. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Out of Sorts.

Walt and Mary came over the afternoon. As Mary came in the door, she said, "Be careful. I am out of sorts today and I am likely to be cross.." Walt agreed with her. And we all laughed. I had to admit it that I too had been sharp with two people on the phone this afternoon. For me, that was unusual. Even if I am irritated and not patient, I usually am polite. But not today. The accountant's assistant called for questions, which I had already answered months ago. Now of course, I must look up the answers because I had paid not attention to the answers the last time. I had never spoken to the lady before. Barbara, the head of the company is my friend. I hate inefficient people and I told the assistant how irritated I was. I was not kind. Next I wanted to watch the baseball game and could not find it on my TV. I knew the game was being played and I again was irritated. So I called Eastlink only be told that in order to switch one Chanel for another they must cancel the order to put my system on vacation because they can only process one order at a time in their system. Stupidity in action. I finally gave up. It took me thirty minutes to process the order putting thee systems on vacation and I certainly did not wish to repeat the process. Next season I will get it straight. But not today. Then Mary came and we all laughed and I realized I had been ridiculous. The problem I think was my feet. Normally I wear wool socks when the temperature drops. Today was a lovely autumn day but I should have put on my socks. Tomorrow I will not forget and I will try to not bite off anyones head. It was all the fault of my socks.