May 31, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Interior.

I eat breakfast sitting in a comfortable chair in the corner of the living room. The windows are beside me so the morning light is excellent for reading. Unless I turn my head, I do not see the view out the window. But I do look at the rest of the house. Most of the time I read but sometimes I just drink tea and look at the objects I can see from my chair. I can see a lovely tile we bought in Scotland. I use it as a trivit on the end table of the couch. It makes me smile just looking at it from across the room. It is a picture of Scotland with blue and green and gray in the ceramic tile. The potter who made the tile was outgoing and fun and I still recall with pleasure the time we chatted with him, along with David and Suzanne. Behind the couch and above my desk is a painting done by Eleanor Sutherland. It is a still life and I love it. Every time I look at the painting I wish she was painting now. On the top of the book case is a small picture of my grandmother Houghton, taken when she was a young child. It is in a filigreed gold frame. The little picture pleases me. A man named Thomas Clerc published a book in France called "Interior". He lives in a 900 square foot apartment in Paris and the book is a description of all his object. It was translated from the French in 2018 and now is being reviewed. One of the reviewers wondered if a list and description of peoples stuff could be considered Literature. This year the paperback has been published in the US so the book is being widely read. I enjoyed the review but I do not intend to read the book. But I spend quite a lot of time appreciating the objects in my house, just as Mr. Clerc did in his book. Sometimes I even mention those objects when I write my little blog. But I certainly do not consider those objects significant except me. But I did laugh when I read the review. And I continue to admire and appreciate all my stuff.

May 30, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Andrea and the Riots.

In 1968, Andrea and her daughter lived in an apartment on 14tth Street NW, in Washington, DC. They had lived there for several years and they liked it. Her daughter walked to school and public transportation allowed Andrea get to work. They lived over a store. Then Martin Luther King was killed shortly after lunch. Riots broke out in DC. Andrea was afraid because her daughter was home by herself. Andrea immediately took a Taxi and had the driver get her as close as possible to her place. Then she walked through the mobs to get home. Andrea is a little lady, not ever five foot tall but she was feisty. Her daughter was in grade school. She found her daughter, Mary Beth, was safe at home but scared. They took only a backpack each and they left the apartment and walked until they could get public transportation and they stayed that night with a friend. Remember this was pre cell phone so they arrived at the friends house unannounced. And they watched the riot on TV. Fortunately, they got out because the whole block where they lived was burned. Businesses were looted and cars set on fire. By the time Andrea told me that story she was still frightened. The area before the riot was a pleasant, vibrant community but after the riot was over, the whole place was boarded up and stayed boarded up for over two decades. Andrea never went back to that apartment. A friend with a car removed anything of value. She worked cleaning my house for several years and I enjoyed her company. But since her experience with the riot, she will not go into crowds of people. And she lived in Bethesda. It was not as convenient but it was safer. And that is the true story of the 1968 DC riot as told to me by Andrea..

May 29, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Old.

Most of the time I know I am old. I am careful when I walk, even around the house. I never move fast. I get a decent amount of exercise everyday. And I try to eat a healthy diet. For the most part I eat no sugar. So I am doing pretty well now that I am old. But every so often I forget how old I really am. My friends Joyce and Robbie sent me frozen meat for Christmas. Now that I have no cook, I have enjoyed having the good meat in the freezer. When I ran out of the gifts, I ordered meat for myself from the same company, Omaha Steaks. While I was ordered, I noted that they were having sales, so I ordered more than expected, knowing that my freezer was empty. The frozen meat arrives in styrofoam cases so I knew what to expect. But when the boxes were left outside, I realized that the boxes were bigger than anticipated. I had over ordered. When I first went outside I noted one large box and another about twice the size. I tried to pick up the smaller of the boxes and decided it was too heavy to lift for me, so I went inside to call my neighbor for help. But when I went back in the house, I decided that I was being a wimp so I went back outside and picked up the smaller box and brought it to the counter. Then I went back outside and dragged the heavy box to the kitchen. Next I opened the boxes and put the frozen meat away. Fortunately it all fit into the freezers. But the next afternoon I had an aching back which surprised me because I do not have trouble with my back. I thought about my back and decided that carrying and dragging the boxes caused me to have a bad back. Also bending over to empty the boxes did not help. So I took a shower and ran hot water over my ailing back. Two days later, my back no longer hurt. And I learned a good lesson, that I was not a wimp, I was merely old. Next time when heavy boxes arrive I will call my neighbor, whose son will cheerfully give me assistance. I must remember that I am old 100% of the time.

May 28, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Odds & Ends.

I misunderstood. I merely need to have blood drawn on June 17. So I am pleased. No PET scan. My friend Sara Lou knew all about the story long before I figured it out. Joey and Rory Feek married in 2002. They were successful musicians. She died of ovarian cancer in 2016 when their daughter was 2. Rory started a blog when Joey was diagnosed with cancer. it is "This Life I lead.com." The TV show is taken from his blog and just started in March, 2020. One other part of the puzzle is that I had seen Rory playing on a TV show called Muletown, a Saturday evening music show featuring country musicians. He is also an associate producer. N0w I think I know the whole stpry. And one other thing: Rory raised his first two daughters by himself. When Joey and Rory married the girls were 13 and 16. Now they are young adults. A friend asked me recently about the Salvation Army bellringers at Christmas. She was told that the bellringers get a tip, a percentage of the take from the red kettles. I had no idea but I doubted it. Saturday evening, for 30 minutes I watch "Ray Stevens Cabaret" from Nashville. He is older but still good. I knew nothing about him or his history in Nashville but since I have been watching his little show, I see him on TV all the time, here and there on many programs. Interesting what I learn from TV.

May 27, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Doctor Appointment.

I was hoping my appointment today with my Oncologist would be the last before leaving for Nova Scotia. But no such luck. I have learned that one doctor appointment leads to another. Dr. Sheehan wants to have another PET scan before I leave which means more blood drawn after the scan followed by a tele conference with Dr. Sheehan. They will be done the week before I depart. As predicted, my blood work has deteriorated. My white cells are 4 where they were 9.5 three weeks ago and my red cells are down too. That is what happens to the immune system with Ibrance, which is why I keep my social circle very small. This test result is a good reminder to keep away from crowds and public places. The last two times I used Ibrance I got no infections because I was careful to keep away from anyone who could have a cold or flu. So in Nova Scotia I will not be able to attend concerts or big parties which I enjoyed last year. But I did it before and I can do it again. Because of the shutdown in Canada the whole year of The Reader's Festival has been cancelled so at last I will not be missing those events. With any luck I will be able to attend in 2021. So one more appointment before I leave. I was hoping I would be finished today. I should have known better.

May 26, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Covid Virus Deaths.

US deaths from the current virus are high, at this point over 100,000. But the method used to calculate who died from the virus is astonishing. I picked this information up a month or so ago when the NY Governor told everyone that the reason so many people died the day before was because 3,000 people were switched from dying from other causes to having died of the virus. What has happened is that if a person dies and test positive for the virus, they are counted as having died of the virus. Clearly, that is not accurate. Over 50% of virus deaths in the US occurred in nursing homes, so these people were in the homes because they were already sick. But when they died, and tested positive, they died of the virus. Yesterday this fact came to my attention. A man died at age 24. He tested positive and was called a virus death. Except he had been in an accident and subsequently died but as he tested positive, he was on that long list of virus deaths. Many people had heart attacks and strokes but because they tested positive for the virus they are added to the long list of covid virus deaths. So now I take the number of US deaths with a grain of salt. "It ain't necessarily so."

May 25, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Puzzle Solved.

Saturday evening, my puzzle was solved. Finally, the pieces fit together. One evening, I saw a couple singing gospel songs. She was beautiful with a lovely voice while her husband played the guitar and sang. She was holding a young child, perhaps 18 months. The child had Downs syndrome. I did not know the names of the singers. But I remember the image. Next a few months later I heard a young man sing on TV. He made his living singing country and gospel songs. Bill G. was interviewing this young man in between the singing. They young man had a wonderful voice. He was very disabled but he sang like an angel. One thing they talked about was when the young man sang at the funeral of a young lady, Joni, who was a professional musician and who had just recently died. I did not know the lady. The next piece of the puzzle was when I spotted a 30 minute TV show on the Rural Channel, called "The Life I Live'. The show is charming. It tells about a young man who is trying to make a difference with his life. He is raising his daughter by himself living in the country, surrounded by his sisters and their family. The child has Downs and his wife had recently died from cancer and is buried in the family property. The show is current. I just watched episode 6, which refers to the virus. Finally I got the whole pieces of the puzzle. Saturday evening, Bill G.was interviewing the same man from the TV show. When I was flipping channels I recognized his name. Unfortunately I missed the first half of the program but I found out the whole story. The young couple were professional musicians who made their living singing. They decided to stop touring and build a little house alongside his family. And they did. They converted the barn into a music hall and they held concerts with visiting musicians. It was a success. And his wife got pregnant which pleased everyone. The baby whose name is Indiana, was born with Downs. 18 months later she was diagnosed with cancer and she died six months later. The reason the the man was being interviewed by Bill G. was that a new disc was released with Joni and Rory singing so I got to see lots of pictures of both of them singing. She had always wanted to record her favorite hymns which they did shortly before she died. Now I know the whole story. The little TV show is one I look for because you see how Rory and Indiana are doing, which is well. Finally I patched together these four facts. Now I know the whole story. Whew.

May 24, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Pedicure.

I had my last pedicure in Mexico. The day before Mississippi was locked down, I called VIP, the place I have my pedicures. They told me that they had people waiting and the wait would be at least an hour. So we stayed home. The next day when I called they had closed. So I was overdue but I waited. This week, Mississippi open3ed salons and barbers to the public so I called on Tuesday to be sure they were open. And to make a reservation. Normally, a customer just arrives and has a pedicure but when I called, they were taking reservations for regular customers so I made a reservation for Wednesday at 9 for two, Kashina and me. In the past, when I was taking Ibrance I would go at 9:00 because no one was there except the workers. But this past Wednesday, by 9:15, the place was full. And the p[lace stayed full all morning. They had 6 workers which meant the customers were spread out. As I watched, more folks walked in the door only to be told that they would have to come later. For the first twenty minutes, people made reservations for Friday but by the time we left, people were making a date next week. Clearly, there had been more people than me who needed pedicures and manicures. I never have manicures but Kashina needed her nails done so I suggested we both have one, along with the pedicure. I can no longer cut my toe nails so a pedicure is essential but I normally just clip my finger nails. They grow quickly so I do them every two weeks while I have a pedicure every three months. And I never apply polish to my finger nails. I just pick them off. But this time, I enjoyed the manicure. They soak the nails and they massage my hands. And my nails are even. But I suspect I will never have another. Sitting still for the pedicure is all I can stand. Both Kashina and I were delighted that Mississippi allowed the salons to open. We were both very much in need of their help.

May 23, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Lunch.

We felt as if we had been let out of prison. Yesterday, Christina, Molly, Mary Frances and I ate lunch at Sal & Phils, my favorite restaurant for lunch in Ridgeland. Christina and the girls brought my pig so I convinced them that I would be safe. Our spirits were high. The restaurant is perfect for me. The tables had been moved well away from other tables so we were separated from other people. Actually, that new system will work well for me as my immune system goes down. In the past when we went to restaurants we either ate outside or sat in a corner of the restaurant away from other people. So the arrangement was perfect for both the virus and my compromised immune system, We are used to dining out. But with the restaurants closed we did fine by bringing food to the house. And we were happy. But we were all excited to eat at the restaurant something that we paid no attention in the past. So we had a good lunch and a festive lunch. We were so successful that on Sunday at Brunch we will dine at Sombra, our favorite Mexican restaurant in the Renaissance. Perhaps Kate will join us too as we are dining outside. I have not seen Kate since the virus as she is in contact at the hospital every day. I still have her birthday gift. Today was the first meal in a restaurant since the lockdown.. The first of many I hope and pray.

May 22, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. My New Pig.

My new pig is named Sylvester and sits on the front stoop guarding my house. The pig is a gift to myself for good behavior. On Thursday morning, Kashina and I visited the Mississippi Craft Center. Whenever I want to give a gift, I visit the Craft Center and I shop. They have wonderful objects and I can spent a lot of time admiring the works of art, all done by hand. My grandniece and her husband purchased their first home in Lafayette, In. and I wanted to send them a house warming gift. Mississippi has wonderful pottery so after chatting with Katey I decided to send Mississippi pottery. The lady in the large store helped and we quickly selected the gifts. I have learned that the checking out is lengthy so I sit across from the check out place on a comfortable chair while the lady wraps up the objects. As I sit and wait, I look at the objects I can see from my chair. One object I spotted was a pig. The artisan makes his art from recycled metal. The body was made from an old propane tank, painted pinky/brown. He was charming but I did not know if he would fit outside my front door. Also I was unsure if Kashina and I could carry the pig. I asked for the price which was affordable. Kashina measured and I decided to buy myself the pig so I called the Center and paid for it. Today, Christina and the girls picked up my pig and installed him outside the front door. I love my new pig. He pleased me every time I walk along my front walk. That by itself is worth the expense. Hurrah for me. My home now has another pig.

May 21, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Naps.

Several years ago, the Neurologist told Ken that he might try to put his feet up every afternoon for an hour. This was after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Ken ignored the advice but instead took naps in a recliner chair. But I remembered after my neuropathy legs developed after the first infusion chemotherapy. So I took to putting my feet up on the bed every afternoon. It is supposed to make my legs feel better especially at night. Mostly I do not sleep when I nap but I do lie down covered by a quilt and try to stay on the bed for an hour. Sometimes I sleep for a short while and mostly I am ready to get up after 30 minutes but I try to force myself to stay an hour. I actually have no idea whether or not the nap helps my legs. But by now it is an excuse to take a nap every afternoon. The best time to take a nap is when it is raining. This week, I could hear thunder in the distance so I headed to the bed and stayed there as the storm came closer, followed by the rain. At first the rain was light but soon it poured. I was snuggled under my quilt listening to the rain. And I decided that there was absolutely nothing better in life than taking a nap while listening to the rain. I fell asleep and when I woke up the rain had stopped. My nap was perfect because I was lulled to sleep by the rain. Pretty nice.

May 20, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. My Good Neighbor.

Yesterday, my across the street neighbor Donna and her Mother came over for coffee. Donna does many kind deeds for me but we never have actually sat down and talked so I invited her for coffee. I invited her last week and settled on Tuesday. Monday her Mother drove down from her home close to Oxford in Mississippi, specifically to celebrate her two grandchildren, who were born on the same day four years apart. There was no chance for a birthday party but they arranged a drive by celebration, with lots of honking and hooraying. When Donna texted me to say we needed to reschedule, I suggested that her Mother might enjoy joining us. And she did. So we three enjoyed a couple of hours together which I think we all enjoyed. The Mothers name is Maria, but because the first grandchild could not say Maria, he called her Murray, and it stuck. Now everyone calls her Murray. Marie's Mother was a war bride. She was French and married an American soldier . After the way she joined her new husband in Mississippi, to a small town called Sartoris. The grandmother was from a wealthy French family while the husbands family was poor and farmers. But they thrived and stayed in the same town till they died. The grandfather worked for the Corps of Engineers while the grandmother became a successful Avon salesman. When the grandmother arrived in Mississippi she spoke no English and she always spoke with a strong accent which people in town thought was charming. So I loved that story. When they left, we had such a good time that we all hugged, although we are not supposed to be hugging. At 7:00 last evening, I received a text from Donna. Her Mother had made spaghetti for dinner and she made too much, so she wondered if I would enjoy some of their dinner. I was just beginning to wonder what I would prepare for my dinner so the timing was perfect. Donna brought over the whole dinner of spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and dessert. What a treat. This virus has been kind to me. My good neighbors just keep getting better and better.

May 19, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Decisions.

Ken and I made decisions together. We discussed options. Then we made the decision. We had no difficulty making them. For us it was easy. We assembled the date and spelled out options and then made a decision. But now I am on my own trying to figure out what to do. For the last few weeks I have been mulling the question of when to fly to Nova Scotia. I was booked to fly on June 7 but the border is still closed to Canada. I finally got confirmation that I could enter Cadada because I am a citizen of Canada. But NS has been closed to flights from Ontario so I was unclear about the journey. In addition, NS required a 14 day quarintine upon arrival. So I asked my Wonderful Wendy for help. Both her Ken and Wendy gave me information. Ken gave me the web site that gave me the number to ask about citizenship and Canada. But they both urged me to stay in Mississippi a bit longer. With my reduced immune system plus the virus risk of infection, they both urged me to stay put. As I had no urgency to be in Nova Scotia on June 7, I decided to rebook my flight to June 29. It turns out that my flights would have not worked anyway as a time change left me unable to get my connection. So I hope by then the border will be open and the 14 day quarantine will lifted. But no matter what, I will get on that plane to Halifax. My day will be long. I leave Jackson for Charlotte at 7:00. Next a flight to Toronto and finally a flight to Halifax, arriving at 11:15. I took me awhile to make my decision but finally with a boost by Wendy and Ken I have made my decision. June 29 is the day.

May 18, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Civil Disobedience.

People stayed home because they were told the new virus was extremely infectious. And they obeyed because they they were told that when the numbers of infections decreased along with the deaths the restrictions would be removed. The virus turned out not be be so infectious after all. And the curves flattened and went down. Then the goal post was changed. People were told that the restrictions to business would stay in place until a percentage of the population had been tested. And people got upset. And for good reasons. The policy made no sense. Finally, there is resistance. A Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin declared the Governors edict to stay at home unconstitutional. So people could get out of their homes. The Governor of New York still has the stay at home rule even though sixty some percentage of the people who died in nursing homes in NY. 3000 churches have joined together and will hold church services soon. And a town in California has declared it a sanctuary city for business and will all return to work. Demonstrations are taking place in many many states. Good for them, said I. Who gave the mayor or the governor the right to tell the citizens what to do? it is not in their job description. Unless the officials get off their power high and mighty edicts, the country will see more civil disobedience, something the country has not seen since the sixties. And it is about time.

May 17, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Deadlines.

Most of my life I have had more things to accomplish than I had time to finish so I got used to working with deadlines. I would make a list of what needed to be completed first and then added every task. Then IO started at the first with the nearest decline and worked down the list. It was a type of triage where we look after the sickest patient first, then go down the list. Now I have few real deadlines so I make them up. I look at my day and figure out what needs to be done. And I calculate my time and the activities that need done before the event. And I make a deadline. For instance, last Sunday Christina and the girls were bringing lunch, arriving around noon. I needed to shower and set the table. Kashina was not working due to Mothers Day. I like to watch Ariel America and Mississippi Roads, which ends at 11:00 so I calculated that I could eat breakfast and watch my TV shows and still be ready after showering and dressing. But I knew it might be tight. I could have showered before breakfast but I selected a tight schedule with a deadline which left me little time for error. In other words, I add tension to my day, all artificially induced. It is a game. When reading after breakfast, I wait till the very last minute to get up and get on with my day. Often I outsmart myself. The other morning, Kashina and I were going to the lady to alter my shorts. She lives at 12:30 so I needed to dress and be out the door by 11:00. But I did not dress before breakfast. I still had plenty of time until my phone rang. My deadline got smashed. But I figured I always had another day so that was what we did. Deadlines work for me even when I make them up. Pretty funny.

May 16, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Dinner with Carrie and Brooks.

My evening was delightful as well as delicious. When I first arrived just after 6:00, Brooks was sitting on their front porch so the first thing we did was to sit on the front porch and drink a glass of red wine. The evening was pleasant so the three of us sitting on the porch was perfect. They told me all the changes that had made in the interior of their home. I watched as the weeks went by and the work on the house kept on going so I knew lots of work was going on inside. This evening I got to see the results of all their efforts and good ideas. The home is lovely. When Carrie was ready to cook she invited us into the kitchen so we could nibble while she cooked. The kitchen is beautiful. They installed a large island in the center so Brooks and I sat at the island nibbling cheese and crackers and nuts while we watched the action. Next step was dinner in the dining room. On the wall are hung family photographs which are charming. And our dinner was delicious and elegant. Scallops, my favorite. Carrie likes to cook and tonight I could see the results of her expertise. Dinner was delicious. Along with a separate plate for a salad I was part of the clean plate brigade. Dessert was gelato and fancy cookies. Whew. What a meal. Both Brooks and Carrie along with their two dogs and cats walked me home, which I appreciated. When they take the dogs for a walk their cat always walks along with them. Very sweet. I had a wonderful evening. Between the good company and the good food I had an evening fit for a Queen. I certainly felt as if I was a Queen all thanks to Carrie and Brooks for their kindness. They are good neighbors and I am grateful to call them friends.

May 15, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Three Surprises.

The first surprise occurred last evening. My across the street neighbor, Donna, texted me to ask if I would like to have a hamburger for dinner. They were just lighting up the grill. Of course I said yes. When she brought over my dinner at 7:30, we had a little chat which I also enjoyed. I devoured my hamburger with all the fixings and French fries done in the over. Plus cheesecake for defeat. One of the side effects of the virus is that I have gotten to know Donna and her family better. She has offered to get groceries for me and more than once she brings dinner. This was a lovely surprise number 1. This afternoon, Christina texted to ask if I wanted them to bring dinner from Pig and Pint. Mary Frances had been shopping in Fondren and spotted the little pub and suggested we dine tonight on their food. So we did. Mary Frances came straight in her own car which meant she and I had a conversation all by ourselves. And Christina and Molly picked up the food. Our dinner was delicious. I ate brisket which was tender and juicy. And I have enough left over for tomorrow. After dinner we sat and chatted in the living room. And we had a jolly good time. That was my surprise number 2. This morning I received an e mail from my new neighbors down the street, inviting me for dinner either Saturday or Tuesday. I selected Saturday so tomorrow evening I will walk down the street at 6:00 to have dinner with Carrie and Brooks. They will walk me home in the dark. I had stopped by to welcome them to the neighborhood several weeks ago. I have ordered one of Brook's books and look forward to talking to them some more. They came for coffee a couple of weeks ago when we mostly talked about him and his family. Tomorrow evening I must ask questions about Carrie. So this was my third surprise. I am just bursting out with pleasant surprises. I am a lucky lady.

May 14, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Plumbers.

When the plumbers left, all issues had been resolved and I felt righteous. For quite a while, perhaps years, I have been putting up with three plumbing issues in the house. None were particularly important so I did not call a plumber. I ignored them. The three problems were the toilet that ran sometimes after a flush in the powder room, a tap that dripped in the big never used bath tub and only used by the cleaning lady to fill her bucket and the hot water tap at my sink in the bathroom that a small stream of water comes out. So I put up with these items because I could fix them. My fiddling with the powder room handle I got rid of the toilet and by turning the tap hard in the tub IO got rid of the drip and I just used the second sink, Ken's sink in the bathroom. But one day I could not stop the drip so I called the plumber, the same one who fixed all our issues when we moved in. Two days later they were here, the main plumber who I knew from the past and an assistant, who turned out to be a lady. I did not know she was a lady until she brought me in the bill. I was delighted to see women getting jobs in the trades. When they arrived, the two plumbers quietly went about their business and after 90 minutes everything was done. They told me what they had done and asked if I wanted to check if all was OK but I told them that I counted on their expertise. So I just wrote them a cheque and thanked them for their service. After they left I felt great. Those three items have irritated me for too long. Ken never would allow anything left unattended so he would be pleased that all is in order in the plumbing department at home. It makes no sense but I felt satisfied with myself when the plumbers left. I felt so pleased with myself that I wondered it took so long for me to call the plumber. Next time I will remember...maybe.

May 13, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Grocery Shopping.

I did it. Everyone else has been using this new system for a couple of years but today was the first time I picked up my groceries after ordering my groceries on line yesterday afternoon. The reason I took so long is that I actually enjoy shopping for food. I walk up and down every isle and get lots of ideas for meals. I also use shopping to get in my walking, especially in inclement weather. But now I can not go to the grocery store. My neighbor has been picking up items when I run out but I decided that I could do it myself. Christina set up my account with Krogers so I was set. My first attempt with ordering took a long time. Everything was new but eventually I figured it out and got my order done. I selected today to pick up the groceries between 9 and 10 because Kashina was working today. She brings the bags into the kitchen. Then we both put the food away together. The system worked perfectly. When we arrived, we call to let them know we are ready and which spot we were waiting. I expected a wait but two minutes later, the lady was putting the groceries in the back of the car. Pretty nifty. I actually forgot to order several items and also ordered some items twice. And I did not receive any meat. They give you a list of any items I did not receive and deduct it from the total but they give no explanations. But I was happy to find a fridge full of food. The moral of the story is that you can teach an old dog a new trick!!

May 12, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Universities and Colleges.

Ken and I were delighted when our granddaughters went off to college and University. They have selected excellent schools which suited them to a T. We knew nothing about Mississippi College when Kate chose it for her nursing program. But when Ken looked up the school and its reputation, he was delighted. Within the four year program, Kate was granted a B.Sc plus her RN. Now she works as a nurse on the Cardiology floor at the U.of M. Abigail is going into her fourth year at Furman University in South Carolina. The campus is beautiful, just outside of the small town of Greenville. It is a small liberal arts education. It is a perfect school for her. She loves it and is doing well too. When she completes her education she told me she wants to be in sales, which pleased me. We knew lots about the University of Texas so when Sarah decided to go there we were were also pleased. This year she has graduated and now is deciding on law schools. She has been accepted at two good schools and is awaiting two more. Mary Frances attends a small college in Jackson, Millsaps College. The school has an excellent reputation and she is pleased with her education. She is an English major with minors in art and business. She lives in the dorm but always comes for brunch with us. When the first two girls were selecting their schools and were moving into their residences, Ken commented that their university life would be vastly different than either of us. Ken never lived in a dorm or joined a fraternity. He could afford neither. And he cobbled together the money to attend university. I lived at home at Teachers College and did graduate work after I was married. So our experiences with our education were vastly different to our granddaughters. Samantha had as her first choice of schools, The University of Virginia but she was on their waiting list so she decided to attend Virginia Tech. On Friday, she was informed that she was accepted at U.of V. so she has decided to tell them yes. I am pleased for her. The campus is beautiful and historic and also an excellent school. They have one of the top Kinesiology departments in the nation, which she has selected to study. So with Allison at the U.of Colorado, Boulder and Samantha at Charleston, we are set for the moment. Molly is already discussing where she should go to University but as she has just finished 6th grade, she will have a few years to ponder the question. Ken commented one day that he would have been delighted to attend any of the schools that our grandchildren are attending. And I agreed. These girls are fortunate.

May 11, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Sleeping.

I always thought that sleeping was normal and automatic. Over the years, if I did not fall asleep quickly, I knew there was a reason. If I drank coffee in the afternoon I stayed awake. Same for getting over tired. Ken, who was a poor sleeping thought me not fair because I always fell asleep immediately, at least according to Ken. Actually, he never knew if I was not asleep because once upon a time I read an article that said a person received benefit if they rested quietly in bed. So that was what I did. Ken on the other hand always got up if he was not going to sleep and read a book until he felt sleepy. The same thing during the night. He was prone to wander around the house in the middle of the night. Sleeping for Ken was not normal or automatic. But when Ken was ill in Mexico I would fall asleep immediately and sleep for three hours, then wake up. I could not go back to sleep. Finally I was given sleeping pills which did the job. I used them for 30 days and never again. But now, often I stay awake when I go to bed. At first, I go through my day to try and figure out why I am awake. Did I eat dark chocolate after breakfast? Did I drink too much iced tea at lunch? Did I not get enough exercise? Did I go to bed too late? I have this little experiment going on in my brain to try and figure out why I am staying on duty. Sometimes when I stay awake I get up and drink a cup of hot milk. Because I must eat something with my last meds I often get indigestion so I get up and chew one of Ken's Tums. If it gets to be 2:00 and I am still wide awake I get up and take 2 Ibroproven which generally will do the job. I no longer think sleeping is automatic. But sleeping is closer to magical these days. I have no idea what will happen next when I go to bed. But I am trying to figure it out.

May 10, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Neighbors.

On one side of my house in Mississippi is a beautiful big house. I have always wanted to see in that house because in the entrance, stands a lovely sculpture. We moved into our home in April, 2015. I have seen the couple twice. Other folks tell me they are friendly people but we never cross paths. I know why. I am only here in the Spring and the Fall. They both work at their own business so they travel for business. They own a house in New Orleans and a country place in Colorado. They also are always either coming or going. But today I got lucky. I got to get to know my neighbor. The day was beautiful. Sunny and 73. I went for a walk at 4:45. As I passed my neighbors house I heard a voice call out "Hello". So I stopped to look. I greeted her and told her my name. And we both laughed. The wife is a very nice lady and we chatted for 15 minutes which was difficult for me because I had nothing to hold me steady. I learned a lot. They are both pilots and own their own plane so get to places in their own plane. Since the virus took hold, they are both staying home and she is enjoying her lovely home. Normally, they are only home for short periods of time. But now they are home and having a good time. I already knew they have 4 Bentleys in their garages, which they have 6. But we did not talk about them today. They take the virus seriously because her husbands mother died of the virus last week and she had been ill with the virus a month. Of course she was in her upper 80's and had health issues. Also her husband's father died a month ago from other causes but they are both getting over the two deaths. My other neighbors were correct. My neighbor is a nice lady. And I got lucky by going for a walk just when she was outside. Now I must find out her name.

May 9, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Temperature.

People in Mississippi are loving the temperature. This moment, the outside temperature iS 54. It will drop tp 48 overnight. Tomorrow will be 70, the highest for the day. This feels like winter and folks are loving it. Normally, the temperatures are in the 80's. So they are enjoying the cooler days and nights. Kashina enjoys the heat so she does not enjoying what she calls "the winter weather". Yesterday it rained, beginning in the middle of the night and ending at 4:00 in the afternoon. And it was blustery. Today no boats were on the reservoir because the wind was strong. Waves actually came over my neighbors dock. But the sun shone all day which was a blessing. I do not like to fiddle with the three thermostats. I like to turn on the cool and leave it. But yesterday when I got up from resting my legs I discover that my nose was red and cold. I looked at the temperature on the living room and saw it was 68 so decided I needed to switch to heat, which I did. It was a good thing too because the night time outdoor temperature was 45. No the house is again cosy. The insulation in this house must be good because it takes a long time for the interior to change. Ken and I replaced the windows that were single pane, which were the high large windows in our bathroom and in the two sun rooms. And we installed insulation in the attic over our TV/sun room off our bedroom. Even if the outside temperature goes high, the interior of the house barely changes, at least for a while. I have made some rules. I change to heat when the interior temperature goes below 70. And I switch to cool when it gets to be 80. Kashina was chilly last Sunday and asked to put on the heat. When it was 72, I told her it was against the rule so she I suggested she put on a jacket, which she did. But I think she thinks I am nuts. Tomorrow will be chilly too but starting on Tuesday, the temperatures will get to 80. The Mississippi folks are enjoying these wonderful cool weather. But I tell them that in Nova Scotia this would be a warm summer day. Temperature is so relative to what is normal. Interesting the difference.

May 8, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Eye in the Wild.

The technology is amazing. Clever people make a model of an animal or a big or reptile. The model is made life like. And parts of the model moved. The eyes have cameras so when the model get into place, whatever is happening, we get to see. The model animal also moves from one place to another and even under water. This is the first season I have seen it. The show is incredible. The program is part of the PBS Nature series so here in Mississippi I see the program on Wednesday evening. The model is placed in an area with similar animals. The live wild creatures always come to check the model out but soon pay no attention and just get along with their lives. So we the viewer get to see what is happening with those wild creatures. It is great fun. This week we looked at beavers even watching the babies play. Another sequence was bears fishing for salmon. We were up close to two baby bears who got bored with learning to fish and soon were rolling around tussling in the shallow water. The photographers bring us great shots of wild life, using patience and long lens, but these model creatures bring another dimension. We are right in the pool with the beavers, building the lodge and even entering and leaving the underwater entrance. The technical innovations are remarkable. They are robots made to look like animals. And we get to watch the action. So far, I have seen two programs, both excellent. I will certainly look for the program next week too.

May 7, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. The Stanley Cup.

While I was flipping channels, trying to find something to watch as I eat my crackers before taking Letrazole, I spotted the hockey game between Las Vegas and Washington. It was the fifth game in the series and it was in Las Vegas. It was lots of fun because it was the last game of the series. I caught it just at the end of the second period when the score was tied. At the beginning of the third period, Las Vegas scored. The crowd went wild. Soon the Caps scored to tie it up again. The play was wonderful with opportunities on both sides. Just near the end, the Caps scored. And they held on to win the series. I watched the game in real time but enjoyed it even more yesterday. Pure joy on the faces of all the players on the Washington team. Pure joy. In my life, I have seen many final games in the Stanley Cup series. All teams to the same thing and it is always fun. But I do not think I have seen a team enjoy winning the Stanley Cup more that the Washington Capital team. Success in the playoffs was hard to come by for the Caps. Year after year, they lost, often in the first series even though their season had been strong. Now they had won the prize and they enjoyed the celebration. It was fun watching grown men act like little boys, just jumping for joy. Several good things have come out of the virus. Replaying the final of the Stanley cut was great fun for me. During normal times, I would have been watching a game in real time. But here I was reliving the game. I enjoyed every minute.

May 6, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. PET Scan.

The technology is wonderful and amazing. The machine looks into your body and tells you what is in there. The only reason I go through the process is because of the results. At some point in my life I might just say I am never having another. The best part is the staff. Each one is competent and enthusiastic. They make the procedure tolerable. This morning I had another in a long series of Pet scans. And I had blood drawn. But I did not wait to meet with Dr. Sheehan. The plan was to have a teleconference with her at noon. So no more waiting. I just needed to be by the phone at noon. My results were some good and some bad. My blood work was normal, which is good. But my scan showed four more cancers in my bones. One is good sized and in the same spot as the first scan in 2014. The other three were on ribs, one in the front and two in back. And all three new. So it is back on Ibrance for me. It has worked in the past so I assume it will work again. The chemo has been ordered at the pharmacy and approved by my insurance. The pharmacy will sent the meds and will appear at my door. This is a big change from 2015 when Ibrance was newly on the market. Only one specialty pharmacy in Florida made the drug and it was very expensive. Now 5 years later, Ibrance is old hat. It will actually come from the Baptist Hospital's own pharmacy. The main issue with Ibrance is the immune system. My blood counts go way down so I must stay away from people to avoid infections. I was practicing social distancing long before the virus. So no parties or crowds, nor visits to the grocery store. I did go out for meals as long as I sat away from people. Outside restaurants are the best. I have been off chemo for 18 months. My system worked just fine. I had no infections. I am used to the drill. So here I go.

May 5, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Boundaries.

I am pushing out my boundaries. This morning I had coffee at the home of Greta Barbour and John. We sat on their front porch and enjoyed the beautiful weather. But no hugging which in Mississippi is most unusual. Everyone hugs here. But not now. Greta Barbour offered to come to my home for coffee but I suggested I could come to her. I used Lyft. The driver who took me to the eye doctor and who was helpful offered to have me call him for a ride. The system is for me to call him on his cell. When he arrives, I call for a Lyft and he responds immediately that he will take my ride. And we proceed to my destination. He came to pick me up in 90 minutes. John commented that I have my own chauffeur, which I do. Good system for me. We sat on the porch and talked. One thing we talked about was being late. Greta Barbour said that she is always late so we three tried to figure out why. Our family is never late. In fact we are more often early. Next we discussed the state of the country and the power grabs we see from the governors and mayors. The situation is ridiculous. 50% of deaths occur in nursing homes. Yet we have the young and healthy folks locked up at home. Let the old and infirm stay home. Everyone else should be going to work. We all agreed. Mississippi is beginning to open up. Restaurants can open with 50% capacity. Except the mayor of Jackson says no. Stupidity in action. We all three agreed. I enjoyed the excursion, the coffee and the conversation, I have pushed out my boundaries, just a bit and I enjoyed every minute.

May 4, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Dictators.

Once upon a time, many years ago, I asked my boss Jack what he thought was the most important task for him. He said that hiring managers was by far the most important task in his job description. Furthermore, he told me that if he makes a mistake, the company can easily lose one million dollars. As an example, he has hired a good agent, who got along with everyone. But when he hired the agent to become a manager, the agent became a little dictator, strutting around the office as Napoleon. "How could that happen?" he asked me. I was reminded by that conversation when I watch some of the State Governors. Once they got some power, such as telling people to stay off the beach and stop going to work, they seem to enjoy the power. At first people were urged to stay home until the curves flattened. When that happened, they changed their mind. Now more testing must be done. School aged children have not been attacked by the virus but schools are still not open. For peoples mental and physical health, parks and trails need to be available. But many Governors have still kept the parks off limit. Same for the golf courses. It is stupid behavior. But some Governors seem to delight in their control. What happened to the constitution? People are beginning to rebel, finally. After all, folks who have had trouble are the elderly folks with other medical problems. For some reason, older folks with diabetes and who are over weight struggle to stay alive. But most other people recover. It is time to get everyone back to work. Let the elderly stay away from everyone else. These little dictators need to go back to their office and stop telling the citizens what to do. But as we all know, putting the genie back in the bottle will not be easy. But it can be done. It is time.

May 3, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Presidents.

This evening, an hour length document on Andrew Jackson was on TV. I have read several biographies about him and have found him interesting. When he was alive, he was a hero and was so for many years after his death. But his reputation has fallen and now people in New Orleans want his statute pulled down. His home in Tennessee is still open to the public and is popular but because he instituted the Tale of Tears and ran his farm with slave labor, people want him excised from the record even though he was a successful general and president. One interesting fact about President Jackson was that he hated the press and they hated him. They hated him and wrote terrible things about him. It does reminded me about the present President. When President Trump was elected, the liberal left had a nervous breakdown. They assumed that Hillary Clinton would win. But she lost. And it was all Trumps fault. When a friend was sounding off about the newly elected President I reminded her about democracy. "What part of the democratic system do you not understand?" I asked her. I thought they and the press would get over it. In America, that is how it is done. But they never did. Nothing that President Trump says or does is ever good even though he used the same words as the former president, he is said to be stupid and a liar. It is actually tiresome. Instead of trying to work on behalf of the people in the country, they are still trying to bring him down. It is pathetic. And irritating. Instead of investigating China or the top folks in the FBI and the CIA, the Democratic s in the house say they are investigating the Present's handling of the virus. Stupidity in action. And certainly not helpful to the country. These liberals on the left need to take off their blinkers and notice that good things have happened in the country. But most of the liberal press will never say anything good about anything the president does or says. President Jackson also was badly treated by the press but not as bad as President Trump. But time will set the record straight, eventually. I am counting on it.

May 2, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Carol Miriam.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. She would have been 85. She would love to have been 85 but she died when she was 77. Her death came as a surprise. One evening at her home, she was reading in the living room while her husband was watching a hockey game on their bedroom. She stood up, and fell over. She never regained consciousness. Surgery was done to help the bleed in her brain but to no avail. She died a few days later. As she was energetic and fit, we all assumed she would live a long life. I miss her. Carol and Ken visited us in our homes. Every autumn, they came to Nova Scotia. Ofter they brought friends. Ken and I always overlapped with them for at least a week but then we went home to Maryland while they enjoyed themselves tripping around the countryside. Every other day they drove to a new place so they have been to many many places. Carol's system was to put on dinner in the slow cooker, the one she bought for the house. Her husband was a whiz with maps so every evening he would map out a plan for the next day, with Carol driving and Ken navigating. Alternate days they stayed close to home. She always said they made that plan because staying at home overlooking the water that they were inclined to just stay home. But they investigated. They did the same thing at the farm in Pennsylvania. They visited more things within 50 miles of the farm than we ever did. They were always exploring. Every time they visited us, Carol brought a gallon of maple syrup. Ken loved maple syrup so we always were well supplied in all our homes. It took us a year or so before we actually ran out. But after Carol died, we sorrowfully were forced to buy our own maple syrup. I have been blessed with a good family. Carol was my only sister and she was a good one. Yesterday my brother Dave called to celebrate her birthday. We both wished that she had lived to be 85.

May 1, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Tea at Ten.

With the shut down, I had not been able to get together with my Mississippi friends. But I decided that enough is enough, and I invited Eleanor to come for coffee today. And she agreed. Then, as she is a busy lady and I am not, I suggested that Kashina drive me to their home in the country, to avoid her drive to see me. In addition, I would also enjoy the ride in the country. Friday is not a normal day for Kashina but she was ill one day so came today instead which worked out perfectly for me. Eleanor and I decided to drink tea rather than coffee. She has beautiful china tea pots and beautiful tea cosies Madde by her so I like the scene, So we drank tea at ten o'clock. The day was perfect so we sat on the porch off the kitchen and enjoyed the warm air and beautiful surroundings. Eleanor is a good cook. She served us dew berry cobbler, made from the wild berries on their property. Dew berries are similar to blackberries but bigger. I had never heard of the berry but the cobbler was delicious. So we drank, ate and talked. Jim was going into work for 1:00 so he joined us which was an extra treat. Eleanor is a wonderful painter. The still life over my desk was done by her. But for the past two years she has not been painting. Today we talked seriously about the question. I must be boring because I always encourage her to get back to painting but today we delved into the question while we drank our tea, I know she is busy but I still feel she could find time in her day to paint. Finally she admitted that after her Mother died and the objects from her Mother was given to her, they were left in her studio. She can not paint with all those objects in the way. That made sense. But I suggested that her daughter Gabriella could help because Gabrielle has been asking for painting lessons. It is none of my business as to how she spends her time but her talent is so obvious that I hate to see it going to waste. Until our conversation today, she did not realize that the family objects in her studio were causing her not to paint. But now she knows. I have just gotten a text from Eleanor to say that she spent two hours this afternoon cleaning up her studio. I was delighted. My excursion for tea at ten was splendid. Now I hope it will motivate Eleanor to get back to the easle.