March 31, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. A Retirement Trip.

Wendy and Ken decided to take a small trip, just because they could. They are both retired. Last evening, 4 inches of snow fell in Ontario, which is the reason they wanted to get out of town. They were looking at Nevada and Utah and Arizona. I suggested they come to Jackson and travel in the South, using my house as the headquarters. So they did. As well, they would visit with me and of course help me too. Their plan was a good one and I am enjoying their company. Yesterday morning they drove to Memphis. They enjoyed their visit and toured Graceland and ate barbecue. And they drove across the Mississippi River several times, something that is always impressive. After staying overnight just outside Memphis, they toured Oxford and the Faulkner home. And they brought me a wonderful book from Square Books. Next up was Tupelo. Then back home tonight at 7:30. It was lots of driving in the two days but they enjoyed their time in the country. Now they have a better idea of Mississippi. Tuesday they will drive to New Orleans and come home via Natchez, arriving back home on Saturday. I thought it was a splendid idea to get out of Ontario during the last of the winter weather. They are enjoying traveling in Mississippi and I em enjoying their company. Everybody wins during this retirement trip.

March 30, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Clinton Nature Center.

The Clinton Nature Center looks a lot better on TV than it did today in real life. Mississippi Roads did a segment about the Center last week, clearly filmed another year. Large Cypress trees were discussed on the program. Pictures showed the trees sitting in water which is typical of them. But when I asked the young lady in the Center where the Cypres were on the map she did not know. I think she was a clerk, not a biologist. Keshina and I walked for a bit but not long so we were both disappointed with the place. We selected the wrong day. A wedding was being held in the amphitheater and the reception was being held on the deck of the building. The place was full of wedding people and workers. And we went on Saturday so families were there hiking the trails. It had rained in the morning so the wooden bridges and gravel walkways were slick which make Kashena anxious. The paths were too narrow for her to walk beside me to hold her arm. She did not want us to continue. "There were too many steps," she said. "We need to go back to the car because I am afraid you will fall." So after a 15 minute walk, we returned to the car and found a place for lunch in the historic district of Clinton, which is right beside Kate's college, Mississippi College. We were both disappointed with the Nature Center but we loved the restaurant and the students. Several students were taking parents and prospective students on a tour on the town. The girls all wore shorts and college T shirts. It was fun listening and watching them in action. Perhaps I will return with Ken and Wendy when I feel sure they will not be so nervous about walking the trails in the woods. I would like to try it again.

March 29, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Vicksburg.

The most exciting part of getting to Vicksburg was driving over a short steep bridge. Ken had found us an interesting route, driving on small roads south of the main highway. When going through the small town of Edwards, Wendy could not see the other side of the bridge until we were at the crest. We all gasped. But we were fine. In the Military Park we watched the movie and drove the route, stopping here and there. Everything brings back the horror of that war. The Cairo was impressive. Ugly but impressive. We found a restaurant overlooking the river and we ate delicious New Orleans food. The biscuits were the best. At our late lunch we decided to drive north hoping to see the flooding on the Mississippi River. And we did. We saw houses surrounded by water. Both sided of the road were full of water, where we were supposed to be looking at fields. Many roads were closed, some with no barriers but full of water. Wendy had to concentrate to be sure we stayed on the road. When it was time to head for home, the roads going east were closed due to flooding. So in order to drive south, we were forced to drive further north. We saw much more of the Delta than anticipated. Finally we were able to get east in order to drive south. We had been told that Yazoo City was impassable but we were able to drive straight through., And we arrived home safe and sound at 6:30. We had a long eventful day. The beautiful weather also added to our enjoyment. We all agreed we had had a stellar day, thanks to Ken's navigating and Wendy's driving. All I did was enjoy myself.

March 28, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Wonderful Wendy.

So far today Wendy has filled all the bird feeders, repaired several slats on the deck, cleaned out the leaves from the table with the fire in the center, used tools to open the door to the propane tank which would not open, oiled and repaired the latch, started the fire in the center of the table, thrown out broken flower pots, made us all lunch and came with me on my walk. She is a whiz. Wendy and Ken arrived yesterday afternoon. Ken had a bad cold so we all decided to chill out today and hang out at home. So Wendy went looking for things to do. And she found things, all of which I appreciated. They came to get away from the cold weather in Ontario and to visit New Orleans and Memphis. I live in the middle of the two cities so they decided to stay with me as well as tour the cities. While they are here we will take trips in Mississippi. Tomorrow we will drive to Vicksburg, then go north in the little roads close to the Mississippi River. Nebraska is flooding but the Mississippi down here is not yet at flood stage but we want to see for ourselves. Saturday they will go to Memphis. I will stay home. For the first time this season, we three sat on the deck enjoying the warm evening air. Boats were out in force, with three sailing boats making our scene perfect. I am enjoying having Wendy and Ken here in Mississippi. Sitting on the deck and sipping a glass of wine was delightful. I am glad they are here.

March 27, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Prostate Cancer.

Prostate Cancer must run in a family. In 2017, Cousin Ian had his prostate removed because it had cancer cells. Radiation followed. Now he has negligible numbers with the test. He is fine. When we were in Mexico in 2018, the doctors found that Ken had prostate cancer, so he had surgery to remove it. He was required to have a shot of something every four months. Other than that, the prostate cancer gave him no trouble. Late in February, when son David was having his annual physical, the doctor was running down the ailments in the family and David said that Ken had his prostate removed last year due to cancer. The doctor suggested that the test be done, just to be sure. To everyones surprise, David's numbers on the test were very high, in the high 350's. For a young man under fifty this was stunning. A biopsy was done which was positive for cancer, so the doctor urged David to take out the prostate. Yesterday the surgery was done successfully. David is at home resting. And the rest off us are relieved. Next we await the report from the pathologist, which will determine whether or not David will have radiation. David as you would expect has put it out go his mind until the deal needed to be done. He is positive about the outcome, as are all the doctors. But it does raise anxiety in the family. I for one am pleased David is home and resting, with the family keeping him company. It does seem that prostate cancer runs in families.

March 26, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Major Watkin.

Major Watkin was a quiet man, not a normal image of a Salvation Army officer. His wife was little and quiet too so they were a good pair. He worked as the assistant to the head of the Public Relations department, who was Major Flannigan, the father of a good friend of mine, Jeannie. In 1954, I was asked to work in that department for the summer. I helped out doing whatever needed to be done but mostly I worked with Major Watkin. We had lunch together every day, both of us bring lunch from home. His wife fixed his lunch. He was nice to me but I could not imagine how he could put up with his tedious job for the whole year. One day I was asked to fill in for the telephone operator at lunch. In those days there were plugs that had to be connected and pulled out. I was a quick study, they thought, so I soon got the hang of it and was doing great, until Major Flannigan came out to tell me that I just disconnected him when talking to the Chairman of the Board. The call from the big guy came in and I apologized and connected the call to Major Flannigan. But I did it again. Again, no yelling. But I felt terrible. After my shift and was having lunch with Major Watkin, I told him my tale of words. And he giggled. I could have hugged him. The reason why I was thinking about Major Watkin is that the son, Fen Watins just died at 96. Fen was a marvelous musician. He was a whiz on the piano and also was a conductor, arranger and composer. But what he received the Order of Canada for was to run the musical in Prince Edward Island of the Anne of Green Gables story. He was the musical Director for 40 years. It was famous. But right to the end, he played the organ at the Agincourt Corps of The Salvation Army. Major and Mrs. Watkin attended our Corps, Danforth. I knew of the expertise of their son Fen, and I could never fathom how such an outgoing marvelous musician was brought up by those two little people. They did not seem to fit. But this Friday, Fen's funeral will be held at the Agincourt Corps, which used to be Danforth before they moved. Everyone will be sad that Fen will not be playing the organ.

March 25, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. March Madness.

Once upon a time, many years ago, our family spent a lot of time and energy on the NCAA basketball tournament, called March Madness. The boys were in high school and played on the varsity basketball team. Ken printed us all the brackets so we could select our winners. We watched as many games as possible. We had great fun. One year, Ken selected his winners by flipping a coin for every game. The rest of us knew the odds for each game and we had favorites. But that year, Ken won. He had more winning games than the rest of us. Not fair we said. Over the years we lost interest. Often we were in Mexico. No tournament on Mexican TV. Last year I did not see a game. But not this year. I have had great sport this past weekend watching the games. I had 4 games on the television at any time. I always cheer for the underdog except for the teams from Mississippi and Maryland. All those teams are out so now I can just cheer for the lower seeds. I was delighted when it appeared that Duke was going to lose. I still don't know where UCF is from. I never watch one whole game. I switch around from game to game. I never watch commercials. I am like the mad clicker sitting by myself in the TV room switching every few minutes. It pays to have a bit of ADD. Now I look forward to the weekend for the Sweet Sixteen games. One problem. I don't think that Wendy and Ken like college basketball and they are coming on Wednesday. It is years since I paid any attention to March Madness but I am paying attention now. And I am enjoying every minute.

March 24, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Sweet Potato Queens.

Jill Conner Brown wrote the books. There are 8, many reaching the top of the best seller lists. Now the first book has been made into a musical, which premiered in Jackson this month. I heard an interview with JCB on PBS on the program Conversations and discovered that the first production anywhere was being held in Jackson so I immediately ordered tic kets for todays matinee. All the other shows had been sold out. Kashina came with me or rather, she took me there. Turned out that she had never been in a theater before and certainly not a musical. Jill Conner Brown was born and raised in Jackson and still lives here. She has always written humor. The book is a spoof of southern women and is very funny. And saucy too. I enjoyed the show and its many songs, 18 in all. And sometimes there were 3 verses to the songs. If it ever gets to Broadway, somebody will cut out some songs and verses. But the lines are clever and spicy and the audience loved it all, which surprised me because the audience mostly had grey hair. The cast received a standing ovation. For the past few years Ken and I have not attended concerts or plays. Now I hope to be able to rectify the loss. Today was the first. I am hoping not to be back on Ibrance so when I am in Nova Scotia I could attend the Astor theater for their shows and movies. At least I will if Gill will take me. I enjoyed the show today. It was great sport.

March 23, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. My Evenings.

A friend at BSF said that for her the most difficult time of the day since she has been a widow is the evenings. Her solution is to keep a book to read after she eats dinner. It is a book she only reads at night so during the day she looks forward to reading the book. Of course, she must always be sure she has a good book at hand. But that helps her to keep happy in the evenings. My solution is different. I have activities to be done. By 4:00 my daytime activities are finished. I walk at that time. After my walk I change clothes into what I call my evening dress, which is a flannel night shirt of Kens. It keeps me warm and cosy. At 5:00 I drink my orange drink while checking on TV for what will be available that night. Next I go downstairs to do my exercises with the weights. At least I do them three times a week. I open the mail and check e mails next. Some time between 7 or 8, I heat the food that Reisys has cooked for me and I eat while watching TV. Then I go to the computer to write my blog. Finally I go back to my e mails and plug in my phone. Ken set up a. charger beside the place on the couch where I read e mails so it is convenient. Or I watch TV if I have found interesting programs. I do not read at night, other than e mails. My eyes by then are weary. Between 11 and 12, I remove my flannel evening dress and put on my sleeping gown, which is not hot. Then I go to sleep. My evening activities are odd but they fill ups my evening and keep me engaged and happy. During the day I talk to people and go out into the world but at night I am by myself so keep busy with the activities that keep me engaged but are not difficult. My system works for me, which of course is all that matters.

March 22, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Cheryl.

Up till now, I have never had a friend who had 7 children. Now I am fortunate to call Cheryl a friend. She and Sebastian have seven children. This morning, she came to have coffee with me. She arrived promptly at 10, looking relaxed and happy. We talked until noon when she needed to go home to prepare lunch for 9. The children are being schooled at home so not only does Cheryl run a household for nine, but she also homes schools the children. I have never seen her out of sorts or weary and I have always wondered why. Today we got to talk about how she manages her time. Cheryl is the sister of our friend Jim Sutherland, who is married to Eleanor. Her Mother is my friend Pam who comes for coffee with me once a month. Her husband Sebastian is the brother of Greta Barbour and Eleanor. Her younger brother lives in Jackson too so all family members are living close by. She has a lot of support, which is one reason she always appears relaxed. She is happy with her task and it shows. The home school association is holding a senior Prom and Cheryl is making a fancy dress for her eldest daughter, who will graduate this year. Once upon a time, Cheryl learned how to make patterns so she and her daughter together will make a pattern and cut and sew the new dress. And have it ready for mid April. She is looking forward to doing it because it is a major challenge. In addition, she will teach the older children to prepare lunch a few times in the week so she will not need to stop the sewing. Cheryl enjoyed the peace and quiet of our coffee together but I appreciated her even more. She is a charming, delightful lady who is pleased with the many hats she wears. Not an ounce of complaining from Cheryl. She was the only person I saw today but she was enough to keep me happy. I feel fortunate that these young ladies indulge me by coming for a cup of coffee with me. I am grateful for them.

March 21, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Polishing Silver.

Great reward comes from polishing silver. What was once black now is shining bright. So my problem is what took me so long to get around to polishing silver. Last week I set out all the silver in the breakfast room. I told Kashina that the next time she was here we would together polish the silver. She set out an old sheet on the table so we would be ready. But when we were ready to get to work, we could not find any silver polish, which means that I had not polished the silver since we moved in in the Spring of 2015. I could not imagine that we had no polish. I told Kashina where to find it but the only thing she found was polish for brass and stainless steel. No silver polish. So we were forced to wait. My neighbor and I went for a walk the same afternoon and offered to pick up a jar, which she did. Yesterday was the big day. After our excursion to the museums and lunch, we still had time to polish the silver. Two interesting occurred. First, Kashina had never polished silver so I had to teach her, which took a minute. And with both of us working, we were 80% finished in an hour. Kashina is an assistant nurse, not a housekeeper and her fingers were sore from rubbing. But we both agreed that our efforts payed off. The silver, which is back in the china cabinet, shines out at you. With another 30 minutes we will be done for another few years. Polishing silver is a little like walking, in that doing the activity with a friend makes the task easier. I will wait until Saturday when Kashina will be here. Until then, I am still beaming with pride when I look at the silver in the cabinet. But why did it take me so long to get around to the task? I will never know.

March 20, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. More Museums.

Keshina and I are continuing to explore the city of Jackson. At 10:00 we had an appointment to tour The Manship House and Museum. The place is actually being renovated but the lady in charge agreed in a phone conversation last week to give us a tour. And I was pleased she did. Most of the work right now is to the outside so we were not bothered. When they began the restoration two years ago the house was in poor condition. During the initial evaluation, the engineers informed them that the house was 13 inched off level. And the roof was leaking. After the yahoo clay was removed and pillars sink down 35 feet, the house structure is solid. And the new roof keeps everything dry. The house was built in 1857 and was used by Union officers during the war so it did not get burned. I liked the house with four large rooms with 14 foot ceilings and a center wide hall. The large dining room was entered from outside. Touring the house was worth our time. Next we walked in front of the oldest house in Jackson, The Oaks House and Museum. It is only open Tuesday and Thursday ao all we could do was to look. It is small but charming, built in 1827. The last stop was to tour The Governor's Mansion, built in 1845. The Mississippi Governor has lived in that house ever since, which makes it the second oldest in the US. The house is grand with period furniture everywhere. The Governor lives in a new home at the rear but the old section is used for official entertaining. Tonight a cocktail party will be held for visiting dignitaries from some other country. The place is grand and gorgeous. But the guide gave us thousands of details about everything which wore us both out. I was impressed with the Governors Mansion and again worth a visit. Huge rooms and high ceilings made my day. Manship Restaurant may be the best restaurant in Jackson so as we were closeby, we went for lunch. It was crowded so we sat at the bar and enjoyed ourselves. Our day was complete.

March 19, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Spring.

Magic happens in Spring. A house close by has a hedge green all winter. The hedge is a semi circle in front of the house. I look at it every day. The half circle runs the whole width of the house, which impresses me. And it is always well tended. But yesterday that hedge was amazing. The whole hedge was bright red. It appeared to be on fire. The azaleas had bloomed and are beautiful. I had not known the hedge was an azalea as we normally are not here in March. But now I know. In the morning, from my bed I see the sun rising across the water. I face east. I can see the new buds coming on the branches outside my window. And my own azalea bushes are in bloom too. The pampas grasses down the road were cut in the late fall. Now spikes have appeared from the bases of the plants. The crepe myrtles are putting up shoots. Spring has arrived in all it's glory. Years ago, when the boys were young, we bought a bag of what looked like colored stones at the toy store. When we got home, we put the stones into an empty fish bowl and added water. And we watched. It was magical. The stones grew spikes. We always knew it was not magic but it always seemed to me it was. Each time you got another bag of stones, the growth was different. No two sets were the same. I still do not know what that bag of stones really was but we always assumed it was a bag of chemicals that grew when water was added. Every Spring I feel the same as watching those stones grow. It is magic right in front of my eyes. No Spring is exactly the same. But every Spring is wonderful. In the south, Spring has sprung.

March 18, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. My Jacket.

Today I wore my jacket, the blue, green white and red jacket that Peppy tried to throw away. After Ken died and the family had gathered, the girls were selecting a jacket of Ken's to keep for themselves and they all wanted that jacket because it was "so retro". But I told them that jacket was mine and would stay in the closet. Many years ago I retrieved it from a trash can. Sara Lou and I each bought a jacket at John's golf club. It is a windbreaker with a lining and a hood, the perfect travel jacket. And it is big so a sweater could fit under and it was wind proof. When we went on trips with people from work which we did often, everyone wore pretty little light sweaters to us in the evening. Often we would be dining outside in the tropics and a light sweater or jacket would be needed. But I took my blue, green, white and red windbreaker., Mostly I did not need to wear it but I would put it on the back of the chair incase I got chilly. This went on for years so eventually I began to be teased about my inelegant jacket. One year while dining outside in a magnificent location overlooking a deep chasm in the D.R. my jacket was missing. Everyone was ready to return to our hotel and I could not find my jacket. At first I thought that I did not bring the jacket. No one said a word, until someone giggled. And I found my jacket in a trash can. Everyone roared with laughter. And I continued to wear my jacket, the one that cost $19. and was intended to wear golfing. Today I wore my jacket with pride, knowing that I was wearing a desirable jacket that was retro. And I laughed.

March 17, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Light Bulbs.

When we were young, burned out light bulbs just got replaced. Our shelves were always full of bulbs ready to be put in service. But as we got older, the task was difficult. Eventually it was impossible. At a time when we could actually replace burned out bulbs in Nova Scotia, Mal started to change any needing to be replaced. Now his help is essential. One year when Pat and Mal were unable to come to visit we were forced to ask George our builder to replace the kitchen bulbs. Once at the lake house in Texas the light would not work in our shower which meant it was dark. We felt sure the fixture was defective so we called the electrician, who came only to replace the bulb. Ken and I laughed and called it the $100. bulb replacement. When I came back from Mexico I discovered 5 burned out bulbs. I asked Chantes to replace them but he has been busy and has not gotten around to it. The young man who looks after our yard enjoyed talking with Ken and felt sad Ken has passed away. He assured me that any time I needed help to call him, so I did. He graciously did the job. While his helper was weeding and trimming the yard, Lanny replaced the bulbs. Our shelves only had two new bulbs so he went to the store for the replacements. And he directed me to buy 6 more bulbs, leaving an empty box to be sure I could buy the correct bulbs. Our lights are all glowing, thanks to Lanny. He again assured me that any time I need anything, I should ask him. He is happy to help, which is just what I need. It would have never crossed my mind many years ago that I would need the yard man to change my light bulbs. But I am grateful.

March 16, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. A Special Dinner.

For Christmas we were given a box of frozen meat. Our friends Joyce and Robbie were thoughtful to give us the delicious meat. Dreisys the cook has been cooking the meat for me but I saved the filets and kept them in the second fridge. Last year, before we could say anything she took two of the filets, cut them in half lengthwise and oooked them well. Christina and I decided to eat the good beef during Spring Break and settled on the evening after the French Coffee Party. But that was too long for the dog to be in the crate so instead of dining at my house, we decided to eat at their home. Christina was always going to be the cook. At my house I had rice and the meat and corn so that was what we ate except Christina used her frozen corn and made the corn fancy. Kate had a previous engagement for dinner which was fortunate because we had four pieces of meat. While Christina cooked, Mary Frances, Molly and I talked and patted the dog Rose. We ate dinner sitting around the coffee table in the room adjacent to the kitchen. The meat, corn and rice were delicious. And for dessert we ate another eclair. Before I left, Kate arrived home from her dinner with friends so joined in the conversation. There is something quite wonderful to sit and talk with your grandchildren and also enjoy a delicious dinner in their home. Everything is so pleasant and relaxing except for poor Christina who did all the cooking. My evening was delightful thanks for good food wonderful family.

March 15, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. French Eclairs.

Eleanor spent a year working as a Nanny when she was 17. She wanted to learn French and to learn how to make French pastries. The family she lived with bought their pastries at the local bakery so she got no instructions from them. But she bought a cook book and learned and experimented, which pleased her employer. The best part is that she remembered what she learned. Yesterday the ladies and the girls were invited to a French Coffee Party. We were served coffee made in a French Press along with home made eclairs. Eleanor and Isabell made 52 eclairs, half filled with vanilla. cream and half with chocoolate cream. To say that the eclairs were delicious is a gross understatement. They looked wonderful and tasted even better. We all ate two. And Eleanor sent one home with each of us, making a total of three chocolate eclairs for the day. They were worth the calories. All the girls from the three families along with the three ladies and one grandmother sat in the family room eating and drinking and talking, all served on china and silver. The event was elegant yet comfortable and all ages enjoyed the conversation along with the eclairs and coffee. Eleanor even made herbal tea for me as the party was at 3:00, past time for me to drink caffeine. We were all so pleased that Eleanor decided to make eclairs. She said it had been at least ten years since she last Mae them. Our French Party was delightful and delicious and I enjoyed every minute.

March 14, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Lyft Drivers.

Today I was Mrs. Independent. Eleanor invited the ladies and the girls to have a French Coffee and eclair party. The time was to be 3:00 but Christina had an air conditioner repairman at her house at 2:15 so I took Lyft to get there. Because Christina did not need to pick me up, she was only 10 minutes late so I was pleased. In addition, the driver and I enjoyed a lively conversation. He competes in long distance paddle board races. Who knew those races existed. He had been training on the reservoir yesterday and paddled right past our dock. He and his wife have two children. After five miscarriages, they had decided to adopt but the 6th pregnancy was the charm. Much to their delight, their daughter was born healthy and perfect. Then their son was born 18 months later. I do not know how we goto talking children but we both had fun. After dinner at Christina's home with the girls, I insisted on taking a Lyft home. The driver came to pick me up in 5 minutes. We were talking about the Jackson roads which are terrible and the driver mentioned that he had just returned from Chicago and had forgotten about the bad streets. I asked him how long he had been in Chicago and he said three months. Of course, I asked him what he was doing there and he told me he was a professional photographer. He returned to Jackson because he has been hired by a corporation to take pictures of Mississippi. For three months he he will travel the highways and byways of Mississippi. After the three months, he will give all the pictures to the client and they will then do what ever they select. He loves his job. He drives for Lyft to keep him in gas and spending money. He is a self taught photographer but he urged Samantha to pursue it at college. "You can make a living as a photographer," said he. His dream is to travel the world and take pictures and be able to see enough of the pictures to keep him afloat. He uses the internet and social media to put out his work. He keeps busy and is excited with his job. When I arrived home, the driver accompanied me to the front door and waited for me to go in. I might have felt independent, but I did need a helper to get me up the walk. In fact, he had to insert the key into the door. But my day of independence was a success. I did not need anyone to ask for a ride. That is a good thing. I feel like a 2 year old. I can do it myself.

March 13, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Reading Glasses.

All of a sudden I needed reading glasses to read anything. Ken ordered a dozen pair so I keep a pair beside everywhere I might need to read. I have a pair beside every chair including the chair where I watch TV. I have a pair in the bathroom to read the medicine bottles. And a pair under the microwave. I carry a pair in my purse to read menus. I keep a pair in the car and one in my backpack. The small pair in my purse has a cloth case. On Monday at the restaurant the glasses were not in my purse. I thought I had left them at the restaurant on Sunday, so I called them. But the helpful man could not find my glasses which are distinctive because of the case. The man at the restaurant invited me to come and check their drawer full of reading glasses. He commented that many folks leave them on the table. Now that was good information. Yesterday I ate lunch with the family and could not read the menu. The hostess was still chatting with us so I asked her if I could borrow a pair of reading glasses. She laughed and said she had a big drawer of them and she would bring a few to try on. The first pair did not work. The second pair was the best of all my glasses so I thanked her for bailing me out. She said,"You may keep those glasses. They could have been in the drawer for either a day or a year but now they are yours". Who knew that restaurants have drawers full of reading glasses? It makes sense of course. Now I am pleased to be carrying an excellent pair of reading glasses, thanks to the hostess at the restaurant.

March 12, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. A Big Day.

Kate purchased the dress she will wear at the rehearsal dinner when she is the Maid of Honor at her friend's wedding in November. Mary Frances was delighted to buy a jacket she has looked at for six months. She loved this funky garment immediately but it was way too expensive. After Christmas the price was reduced 50% but it was still out of her budget. But today, only one of these warm cosy jackets was on the rack and the price had dropped in half again. So she bought it. She was excited and so was I. I gave Kate and Mary Frances a shopping spree for their birthdays. As I wanted them to buy summer clothes, we decided on Spring Break for our shopping expedition. Today was the day. We had a fine time. We visited four stores. Now the girls are set for the season. Both girls have good taste and it is fun to watch what they select. Kate needs to try on lots of clothes because most will not fit. She does not mind trying on clothes. Her comment coming from the dressing room was priceless. Christina and I sat and inspect with each garment. Molly helps to bring in clothes to Kate. To celebrate our shopping we ate lunch at a new restaurant, The Seafood Restoration. A dozen raw oysters started our feast. Wonderful food. Enthusiastic group. A day like today does not get much better for an old grandmother. We all had a big day.

March 11, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. The Natural Science Museum.

In the early years of living in Mississippi we went to the Science Museum at least once a year. The girls loved it and so did we. But since Ken got Parkinson's and I was taking chemotherapy we stopped going. Until now. Greta Barbour and the two younger children met Christina, Molly and me at the museum at 10:00. And we enjoyed our visit. One thing I like that museum is the size. It is not huge. By 12:30 we were at lunch. Todays special show was on the oceans so we got to see large fish in multiple large containers of water. The most impressive part of the display is the Mississippi River Basin. They have a large electronic map that will track the water from where the water goes. The area drained by the Mississippi is huge. A Child can pour a bottle of water in a tube, then decide on the map where the water entered the system. Then you can watch on the map to see where the water travels. And how long that water takes to enter the Gulf. I loved the display years ago and was delighted to see it still operating. My habit with the boys at the zoo was to allow them to select a gift from the gift shop. I always told them the budget. Then they selected and we came home with happy children. I always did it with the Mississippi children. But I forgot about it today until the end. I was chatting with Christina as we were leaving and I asked her about it. She reminded me so I told the three children the drill. The budget was $10.. Then they could select a gift to take home. Molly had already visited the gift shop, hoping I would do it again, so she selected her gift immediately but the Mills children had a hard time selecting. I chatted with the cashier to ask if there were enough object for sale for under $10. She assured me there would be plenty. Finally we were ready for lunch, which we ate at a new Greek restaurant in Highland Colony. I had a wonderful day and hope the children did too.

March 10, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Daylight Savings.

David hates it. "Serves no purpose," says he. But we all go along with the program whether we like it or not...except for Arizona. Last afternoon before Kashina left, she changed all my clocks so I would not get caught in the morning. Fortunately, we were never able to change the clock in the car. Following the instructions in the Subaru does not work. So we gave up. Now we are back on the correct time in the car. Fortunately, cell phones change the time automatically, which is a blessing as does the computer. Soon sunrise and sunset will be opposite. Spring Solstice will be here. Every day I check on my phone to see the weather and the times for sunrise and sunset. Just one of those little pleasures. But twice a year changing the clocks for day light savings is just a nuisance. I am with David. We should get rid of it. Farmers hate it. But once a system is put in place, getting rid of anything seems to be impossible. So we might as well keep on changing the clocks, especially as Kashina did the task. I got lucky.

March 9, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Church.

For the first 27 years of my life I was active at church and so did Ken. We sang and we played in the band. And we enjoyed it. Then we moved to Galveston where every other weekend we hit the road exploring Texas. We discovered that we liked sleeping in on Sunday morning. After moving to Bethesda in 1970, every Sunday our church was exploring Washington, DC. Along with the boys, we visited every place available to explore. Of course, the boys were young so our museum trips had to be short. But for four years, every Sunday morning we were out exploring. It took us that long to get through the list of places we wanted to visit. When the boys were 6 and 7, we joined the Prince George's Corps of The Salvation Army. Both Ken and I sang and played. And we played in the Area band, which meant traveling on some weekends. The boys played in the junior band. And all was well. But we ended up with a second full time job. But after many years, we stopped. Life became too hectic. So we stayed home and enjoyed our Sunday mornings best of all. Since Ken died, I decided to get myself out and into the world so decided to check out the Jackson Salvation Army. The first time I went I loved it. I enjoyed the band and the singing and the spirit. So I went the next week. But I discovered many aspects of the service were irritating, which were all the things I had forgotten. The worst thing that happened was a prayer. The lady officer has a good voice so first thing each Sunday she has the congregation sing choruses together, none of which I knew. We are standing to sing. Then she opens the service with a prayer by her. The first week I thought it unusual but the second week was the same. This lady prayed for 15 minutes, all the time with people standing. This is just stupidity. I timed her. At some point during her prayer, I looked around and half the people had sat down. They knew her pattern. If she wanted to give the sermon she could given it at the appropriate time. Last week we ate an early brunch so I could not attend. Before I return, I am going to find a way to get that lady to pray 15 minutes by herself. Perhaps I will call the DC or perhaps I will invite her for coffee and gently tell her to change her habits. But it all came back to me, all the years of ignoring the parts I did not enjoy at church. Some time soon I will attend the families church. But not tomorrow. I will not return to the SA until that lady learns to pray a short prayer.

March 8, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. The Trunk.

I lived in several cities. My parents were frequently transferred from place to place in Canada, moving from one furnished quarters to the next. The trunk came with us everywhere we went. The trunk is older then me. I do not know the history of the trunk but I do know that it lives now in the closet of Ken';s office in our home in Mississippi. When we moved to Texas in 1964 we took only what would fit in our car. We left a box of china with Dave and Irene along with the trunk full of my precious belongings. I do not know how my Mother allowed me to use the trunk but it has been in my possession ever since. The trunk is old with wood holding it together. It might have been the trunk my mother used to take her belongings to Training College but it looks older than that so perhaps the trunk came from England with the Houghton family when they emigrated to Victoria in 1911. Or perhaps the Buckley family brought the truck from England to Calgary at about the same time. The leather handles at both end are broken which makes it difficult to move. And the lock at the front does not work. But the trunk is sturdy and useful. Every time I go through my belongings I throw away more objects. My Mother knit me a diamond sweater when we lived in Vancouver. The back and arms were dark green and the front had diamonds. I wore it for years and was washed so often the wool got thin so I stopped wearing it. But I kept it my trunk. It was a treasure but now it is gone. No one else but me knows anything about that sweater so I threw it out. Also in the trunk was the treasure used by Andrew to use going to sleep. I gave it to Christina. The number of objects still in the old trunk is smaller than the last time I sorted it. But the trunk is still with me, the same trunk that followed our family from Toronto to Peterborough to London to Calgary to Vancouver and finally to Toronto. Where it started I do not know but it was a useful trunk used by my parents and for me it is a treasure.

March 7, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. The Massage Chair.

I never liked that chair. From the moment Ken told me he had ordered a massage chair on the Internet I knew it was a mistake. I had felt mechanical massage chairs at the pedicure. I knew they hurt. But I was slow getting out to buy a recliner so Ken took it into his own hands. When the chair was set up in the TV room, we both realized that the chair needed to be down stairs where it stayed for the year. I did not actually know how often Ken used it because Ken would go down with his helper but I know he did not use it often. Since we returned from Nova Scotia Ken only went downstairs once. I always hated the chair. It was big and black and ugly. But all the grandchildren loved to use it and urged me to keep it. This weekend I was downstairs looking at the big ugly massage chair and realized that just looking at it makes me feel bad. I am reminded of Ken;'s bad judgement of the past two years. I decided to donate the chair. No one has used the chair since Ken died. I asked Kashina if she knew any one who wanted the chair. I was thinking a retirement home or nursing home. She surprised me by saying she would love to take it off my hands. She and Ken used it and she used it more than Ken,. I immediately called friend mover. This afternoon he came and took it apart and transported it to Crystal Springs, where Kashina lives. I no longer must look at it. The sun room has been restored to it's former glory and I am pleased it is gone. Now I await the ire of my wonderful granddaughters. But I am happy. I always hated that big ugly black massage chair. Now it is gone.

March 6, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Museums.

The idea was clever, to build two new museums in the same location. They share a common parking lot and restaurant. and yet they are unique in their own way. The museums are new to Jackson last year. Finally I got to visit them. Keshina and I took our fourth expedition. Today our plan was to tour the State Capitol and visit the two new museums, Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. When we arrived at the Capitol, we discovered that we could find no parking. Every parking slot was full. We asked a gentleman about parking and he said that the legislature was in session today so the place was jammed. He told us about a lot two blocks away but we decided to go on to the museums and return another day. We enjoyed our visit to the museums. First we walked the History Museum. 18,000 years of human life is covered in the museum. They have interesting displays and lots of videos and interactive activities. Lots of early artifacts from the two main tribes living in the area. And many from early settlers. Life was not easy in the 19th century in Mississippi.Ken always said of museums that the brain is unable to take in so many facts so quickly, so he hated guided tours. Fortunately, we wandered on our own. The Civil Rights Museum spans 40 years. Most of the displays were known to me but surprisingly, Kashina was not aware of the history, at least in not as much detail. The format is that there are 9 circles, one leading to the next until finally you hear the singing and the celebrations in the 8th circle. The 9th circle is about the future. The pictures are wonderful and the people who were instrumental in the success are well described. Between the two museums we ate lunch at the restaurant on site. We enjoyed the food and the break from walking. The lights in both museums are kept darker than I would have liked. But we enjoyed our day. Next time we will get into the capitol.

March 5, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Cold Weather.

Last night the temperature dipped to 25 degrees, which is as cold as Mississippi ever gets. People are staying home because it is so cold. Of course, most people in Mississippi have no clue how to stay warm. I did teach Kashina how to stay warm but I still see her wearing her shirt not tucked into her pants and wearing light socks. But like the snow, they know the temperature will go up soon. By Friday, the temperature will be 70, which is normal. When I was writing about cold weather walking and my teeth, I realized that it had been years since I walked in cold weather. Perhaps my teeth have changed. So this afternoon I walked in 45 degrees, wearing gloves and a scarf. I walked for thirty minutes and I was fine. For many years, Ken and I followed 80 degrees so I have not been in cold weather for ages so when I think of cold weather walking I am speaking of the good old days. As we know, memories plays tricks with us but I still expect to walk in moderate temperatures. Fortunately, the home here is cosy. Every time I come back into the house I am pleased. Now that the third system was installed for the bedroom and TV, everyplace is comfortable. I am cosy everywhere even when the outdoors is cold. Again the thermometer will read 26 but I am happy in my cozy house. And when I go out I know how to stay warm because I am a Canadian!!.

March 4, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Walking.

For me, today it was too cold for walking. My teeth ache if I walk when the temperature does not reach 40, so I walked inside the house. I also never walk during a rain because the ground is slick. And walking is difficult when the ground is uneven. In other words, I am a fair weather walker. My favorite thing to do is to walk with a friend. Ken and I had been walking for 63 years. We walked thousands of miles together. For most of the time, Ken had to walk slower then normal so I could keep up but for the past few years, I was slowing down for him. More recently I was unable to walk with him at all because I could not walk slowly enough. I am like a bicycle that must keep moving in order to stay steady. When I get up some speed when walking I look almost normal. These days, I almost always walk by myself here in my neighborhood. When Kashina is working with me, I have her walk with me. It is good for her to walk and she keeps me company. The best places for me to walk are the most boring. The track around the hockey rink in Liverpool was perfect but it was boring. It is level and has a railing. Also the balcony outside the condo in Mexico was perfect for me, but again boring. Again, there is a railing, and the floor is level and smooth. When the weather is warmer, Kashina and I will start walking on the trail adjacent to the Natchez Trace. I can not do it myself because it is isolated but soon we will venture forth to new worlds of walking. Nothing changes in my neighborhood but I am not complaining. The roads are smooth enough and there are no dogs so I am happy to walk every day in my neighborhood. But only on fair weather.

March 3, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. The Brain.

Every so often, I have noticed that my brain goes off duty. I see it in other people too. Often when something incredibly stupid is done by someone, others will ask,"What were they thinking?" The answer is that they were not thinking. Their brain was off duty temporarily. For instance, yesterday I spent fifteen minutes looking for my regular glasses. A pair of reading glasses is beside every chair where I sit as well as beside the microwave. Often I put on the reading glasses to read something, like directions for the microwave, and I forget to put back on my regular glasses. So I often search. The places where I might have left them showed nothing so I looked at everyplace else where I also keep reading glasses. No luck, so I decided to watch a bit of TV to try to think through what I could possibly have done with my glasses. Finally, I tried to rub my eye, only to discover that my regular glasses were already on my head. Oops. Earlier in the week I took a new plastic glass from the pantry to take water to my chair. In order to obtain the cold water, the door of the fridge must be opened. I then must hold the cup under the spigot while pushing a button. So I did it but water came down my hand and on the floor. I assumed I was not paying attention and had the cup off center. I did it again to the same result. I tried again, watching more carefully. Water still spilled everywhere. Finally I looked at the cup. No wonder water was pouring out. There was a hole in the Bottom. Now if my brain was on alert, I should have checked the cup first but I assumed the whole mess was my fault. When I was much younger, I often would schedule two appointments at the same time. I now pay more attention but how I could write down an appointment on the same calendar as another appointment I was never been able to figure out. But every now and then, when I am not paying attention, my brain goes off duty. Keeps me humble for sure.

March 2, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. A Weekend in New York.

In the summer of 1960, Ken and I worked at the Salvation Army camp in Sharon, Ma., just outside Boston. Ken taught boating and led the camp band while I worked with The Golden Agers and the women and children campers. When the campers changed, we explored the area. Once, it happened to be a weekend so we decided to go to New York. Of course, we had no money but we had our camping gear. But no camp spots were available in downtown New York so we drove out to Long Island. Eventually we spent the night sleeping in our VW bug parked in a school yard. We woke up to kids playing. I remembered that family friends, Jean and Wilf M. lived in Manhattan but we could not find a phone booth so we found the SA headquarters and fortunately it was open. We used their restrooms and then asked to use the phone. Except we had no number so they looked it up. Jean and Wilf welcomed us with open arms. Ken and I played tourist, then met for dinner at their home. And they took us to the Rockets. We were wearing camp clothes so they outfitted us with their clothes. We slept on a mattress on the living room floor which was perfect. After a splendid breakfast we four attended a fancy church, again wearing borrowed clothes. We left to drive back to camp but not before we ate yet another delicions meal. Ken and I were lucky. We had a wonderful time in New York thanks to the hospitality of Jean and Wilf. We often laughed about our stupidity in thinking we could camp in New York. But we had a great time camping on the living room, and so did Jean and Wilf.

March 1, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Little Free Library.

This is such a good idea. A box is installed outside by the street, and painted and decorated. Inside the box can be found books. Anyone can take a book or leave a book. Just like that. Almost 200 of these little free library boxes have been installed in Mississippi. Hattiesburg has 35 all by itself. The whole thing is done by volunteers. Anyone can put up a box, decorate it and put a sign on the side. That is how it got started. Now 2000 have been installed in the US, mostly in rural areas where people have difficulty getting to libraries. I spotted the idea of these little free library boxes on the program, Mississippi Roads, which I watch every week. The program takes me to places in Mississippi that I had not been. Last evening the whole program was on libraries, which included the little free library boxes. Some boxes are fancy and some are plain but they are all useful and are well used. The box in front of the Eudora Welty house is a miniature replica of her house. Several other of the boxes were clearly not made by amateur builders. The whole concept is appealing, where people take it upon themselves to help others. And also put out the books they no longer need or want. Now there is an organization and an e mail address. littlefreelibrary.org. At Playa Royale there is a bookcase in the large reception room. It works just the same way. People read a book and leave it on the shelf. Anyone can leave or take a book. The system is perfect, just like the little free library boxes. Such a clever idea.