November 30, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Rain.

When sitting at lunch at the camp outside Tuscon, Arizona where Ken and I were working for the summer, it started to rain. The campers exploded with joy. They cheered and poiunded on the table and laughed with glee. They had not seen rain since the last August and now it was at the end of July. The rainy season had begun and the children were filled with joy. The rain lasted about an hour and then stopped. Every day for about an hour, it rained. The the sun would come out. I had never seen such excitement due to rain. After all, I had only lived where rains come regularly. Right now there is drought in the great plains of the US where the crops are grown. They tell me this on the Rural channel. Brazil is experiencing a major drought, so much so that the price of soy beans in the US has gone up. The expectation in Brazil is that the crop will not be good due to the lack of rain. Who would have thought that the price of commodities in the US is impacted by drought in Brazil? We live in an interconnected world. Since I have returned to Mississippi in mid October the sun has been shining. But all day Sunday it rained, sometimes hard and sometimes light, but always rain. The rain started in the middle of the night and just kept coming. Thursday night late the rains came down and kept on raining all night. Early in the morning I was told that we had big storms and thunder. And a tornado set down mid way between Clinton and Jackson. So finally we now we have enough rain. There is nothing like waking up to hear rain beating on the roof. The skylights in the living room seem deafening. But I like the rain and have enjoyed these two days of rain. Being without rain is miserable. Even the Hill Country in Texas has received a decent amout of rain, which is a great blessing. My friend Wendy tells me that rain is the gift to gardeners. And I believe her. Even though I am not a gardener, I like rain.

November 29, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Football.

Yesterday Susan made history. She was the first woman to play in a mens football game. She kicked the ball. All the commentators on the other college football games were a twitter. They all thought it was a wonder. Vanderbilt had two kickers but they were injured so the coach asked Susan to try out for the job. She was the goalie for the womens soccer team so she has a good leg. She could kick field goals in practice so she suited up for the game. She looked like a football player except she was smaller. Unfortunastely, Vanderbuit did not get close enough for her to try a field goal but she did make one kick to start the play. Everyone was excited on both teams. And the feminists of the world thought it wonderful. My question is this. If women can play on a mans team, why could stop a man playing on the womans team? Makes sense to me. We are already seeing trans athletes set records in womens competition which does not seem fair to me. But no one seems to be thinking about that. Certainly, yesterday was the topic of the day when a woman suited up to play in a major college football game. Now I wonder what will happen next? Probably nothing. Susan has had her 15 minutes of fame.

November 28, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Soup.

Fortunately I like soup because for over two weeks that has what I have been eating. Christina sent home made soup with me after our Thanksgiving feast. The container was large so I have eaten small bowls ever since. She made it from scratch and containes crunchy vegetable along with the broth. It is delicious and I have enjoyed it. Now I must ask her tomorrow what makes for the crunch. My down the street neighbor brought soup which served me for three meals. And the acromm the street neighboe brought over two large containers of vegetable soup that I ate on for a week. So I have been living on soup. Over the years I have enjoyed soups in many countries. In Mexico I order tortilla soup. Every rtestaurant has it on the menu and everyone is just a bit different. But it is always delicious. Maryland is the same. Every menu offers Maryland crab soup and everyone is just a bit different. I always order it. Once in northern Italy we were staying at a ski hill which provided all meals. So you just ate what was brought to the table. One evening st dinner, soup was delivered. Neither the boys or Ken and I could eat it. The taste was terrible although everyone at the adjacent table were devouring the soup. And they were enjoying it. Few people spoke english so we never did learn anything about the horrible soup. When Ken was recovering from surgery in 1963, the Russian lady who lived below us in the house made Borscht and brought us a big bowl to help Ken's recovery. We had never eaten it before but it was delicious. The old couple were kind and encouraged Ken to sit in the sun in the backyard to help recovery. But at least once a week, she delivered the delicious borscht to us, just to help Ken get better. Ken and I always recalled the soup and wished we could taste it again. The taste remains in my memory bank as a favorite soup. I have ordered it in restaurants but it was never as good as the old ladies soup. I like soups of all kinds. Now I look forward to the two servings I still have in the fridge of Christina's home made soup. And I will enjoy.

November 27, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Wreaths.

Paty lives in Crafsbury, Vermont. Once a year, I speak with Patty and I order wreaths. This year, I was startled to recall that I have been ordering wreaths from Patty for almost thirty years. She and her family collect the pine boughs, cones and berries from their own woods. And she makes the wreaths. She boxes them up and ships them out just before Thanksgiving. I always want the wreaths to arrive before Thanksgiving so she indulges me. In the early years, her children helped. Now the grandchildren do most of the collecting. This year she will make 250 wreaths. My fingers hurt just thinking about all those wreaths. This week I had occasion to call because she still sends the wreaths from Ruth and Ken. I had spoken to her after last years about Ken bening deceasaed but she forgot. Her own husband had died late in September 2019 so she was not really on top of her routines. But we had a longer concersation last week than we had ever had before. She, like me, is now living by herself for the first time in her life. She married at 19. But my hats are off to her. She keeps my list from year to year and she works hard to get the wreaths completed. They are always beautiful and fresh. My friends are happy to receive those wreaths year after year. Unfortunately she is unable to ship wreaths to Canada. But I enjoy my own wreath every year and hope she can continue for many more years to come.

November 26, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Traditions.

Thanksgiving has many traditions. People yravel home to be with their families. Everyone eats the traditional turkey with all the trimmings. But But this year due to covid, the traditions have changed. People are not travelling as much. Thanksgiving feasts have smaller number of people. And Christina and I broke with tradition. We decided not to eat turkey on Thanksgiving day. We ate steak. It was delicious. From now on, our tradition for Thanksgiving will be steak. I ordered the steaks from Allen Bros. Steaks. The last evening I was in Texas Suzanne served steaks from the Allen Bros. I was so impressed by the meat that I ordered the steaks from them for our feast. I must say they were delicious. In addition, Christina prepared cheesy potatoes and green beans. And we ate at Christina's house. She and Molly had just decorated the house for Christmas so everything looked festive. We were festive too. For dessert we ate cranberry cake, made by Christina. Linda, Christina's mother still stays home from the covid so we took our dessert on her back porch and kept our distance. Now we have new traditions for our family. From now on, we will eat steak for our main course and cranberry cake for dessert. No more turkey and pumpkin pie. We have gone modern.

November 25, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Flowers.

Early this afternoon outside my front door appeared a flower anangement. I had looked out the front window to see if the trash truck had arrived. The trash was still awaiting pickup but flowers were waiting for me. The flowers had been sent to me by Suzanne, David and the girls, who were all enjoying Thanksgiving together at the lake. The note told of them sending the flowers to me just to tell me how thankful they are having me in their life. As I had been by myself all day, the beautiful flower arrangement gave me a shining part of my day. I loved them. Sending flowers as a gift are interesting and make no sense. After all, the flowers last a short time and it seems a waste of money. But there is something delightful about receiving flowers from your loved ones. After all, they know already they love you so why would they send flowers telling the same thing. Perhaps I am fragine and not yet back to normal, but receiving those flowers brough a jolt of sunshine to my day. Now this lovely flower arrangement made up of Autumn colors grace my bar and remind me that my family in Texas is thinking of me, which makes me feel better. At this time of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for my family most of all. And today I give thanks for my flowers.

November 24, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Molly at 13.

Today is acually the birthday of Molly. We have been celebrating all along but today is the real deal. Molly is officially 13 years old. We celebrated her birthday at lunch when we took our shoppinjg spree and we ate at the Italian restaurant in the Renaissance. Kate joined us to celebrate. Today at noon, Christina, Kate, Mary Frances and Molly went out to lunch at Sal & Mookies, a casual Italian restaurant in Fondren. They were to meet at 11:00 because Mary Frances was working at the coffee shop at 1:00. Kashina and I crashed the party and surprised Molly. Kashina found a florist in Ridgeland, Marvellous Market, and after our task at Packmail, we stopped for a flower arrangement. We arrived at the restaurant just before they ordered. And we surprised Molly with the flowers. And of course I sang happy birthday all by myself. Everyone except Christina was surprised. Molly was delighted. Kashina and I chatted and visited for a few minutes. Then we left to come home. This afternoon Molly and Christina will take Japanese food to Molly's other grandmothers home. So her celebrations will continue. Tomorrow, three friends will come over for an afternoon of movies and games. And they will eat cranberry cake, which was her request for her birthday cake. Molly is truly 13 years old.

November 23, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. E Mails.

I have always enjoyed the use of e mails. I like the jokes and stories people sent too. But right now, use of e mails is difficult because I receive so many. Sorting them is difficult. My most effecient e mail system was when I was working, where Regina read my e mails and responded the ones she could answer. Then she put on my desk the ones needing attention. In the early years of e mails, I could easily read and respond. But right now, I receive so many e mails every day that I have a problem with sorting and deleting and responding. I get hundreds every day. My present system is to scroll through and read the e mails from friends and relatives, then delete all the rest. I use the system friend Sara Lou taught me to move the e mails and note the ones for deletion. Then I hit the trash and they disappear. When I check e mails every day, the system works pretty well but it takes me at least an hour. But when I am not functioning well, such as the past two week, my e mails add up. On Sunday afternoon I attacked them, using Sara Lou's syste. But all of a sudden, when I was only half finished, all the e mails disappeared. Evidently, at the top is a caption saying delete all. I inadvertantly elimimnated them all both the ones I wanted to save and the ones I had not even seen. So if you e mailed me recently and I did not respond, please contact me again. I feel sure there is a better system of dealing with the hundreds of commercial and political e mails we all receive. But so far, I do not know what that might be. In the meantime, I still enjoy e mails from friends and family. I just need to get rid of all the rest.

November 22, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Kate's First Car.

Kate has been saving her money and yesterday she bought her very first automobile. She bought a white Honda CRV, 2018. She is thrilled. Everyone remembers buying their first car. Ask anyone and they will tell you when and where they bought their first car. And they will go on for a long time telling you what they boiught. And how beautiful the car was, at least in their mind. Now Kate is delighted to have bought her very own car. Kate has been driving our old Ford Escape. It is the car that Ken and I kept in the south, either in Texas or Mississippi. It is a 1996 so it is old plus has lots of miles. But it has been a good car. When Kate was ready to drive, we suggested she drive the Escape as it was not being used. I was even able to add her name on our insurance policy. So all was well. Now she has stepped up to a modern car and she is excited. My plan is to donate the Escape. It is old and has little value so I will donate it to some organization. It is a good reliable car but no one needs to drive it now as Molly is three years away from a need to have her own car. I am sad to give over the Escape because it has been a good car. But I am delighted for Kate. She saved up her hard earned money and now drives a nice car. Congratulations to Kate.

November 21, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. The Holiday Inn.

Last evening, PBS showed The Holiday Inn by Isaac Berlin. I loved every minute. The film is taken of the broadway revival, which closed just a few days after the the film when it closed in 2017. The musical first played in 1942. So the show is modern. But the best part was the dancing. Lots of really fine tap dancing. And of courase, several tunes have become classic. After the film ended, many of the actors were interviewed. The tap dancer who did the fire cracker dance commented that Mr. Berlin wrote the musical so he could write a song for every season of the year, which he did. I have seen this film before but the interesting thing about watching it again was how many songs were forgettable. Many I had never heard them before although I clearly had heard them all before. And for todays standards, the show is long. And the plot is improbable. But it was such fun watching it again. Last Friday evening PBS showed a tribute on Fiddler on the Roof, which I enjoyed too. But this Holiday Inn was a treasure. So much dancing. Hats off to PBS.

November 20, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Radiation.

Now I must recover. The radiation is over. At the cancer center, they actually gave me a diploma, congratulating me on the completion of treatment. Evidently not every one finishes the program. I must admit that the whole process came as a surprise to me. Twenty years ago I had radiation and the only issue was fatigue. But I am 20 years older and the radiation was in a different place. But now it is over. I had lots of side effects. Nausea was an issue all the time. I actually started using the same medication for nausea that I took with my infusion chemotheraph. And my stomach hurt. Fatigue was constant. No energy at all. For two weeks I did not much more than go to radiation every day. Perhaps the worst part was my sleeping. I woke up after two hours and stayed awake. The doctor prescribed sleeping pills but they did not work plus they left me hung over the next day. I have a suspicious that I spent too much time thinking of the side effects. But now it is over and I will recover my energy bit by bit. And I am not taking any more of those wretched sleeping tablets. No scan to be done until the end of December. No point. I am ready to be energetic again. I am counting on it.

November 19, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. May.

No one really wants to go to the Cancer Center at Baptist Hospital, but when you arrive, May greets you as an honored guest. Her job is helping patients get out of their car. But she does so much more. I spotted her the first day for radiation. I had noticed her before because my Oncolgist is in the same building but somehow or other, I did not notice how good she was at her job. She is energetic and enthusiastic when doing her job and she makes everyone feel better. She is a white haired lady of uncertain age. And she is a bit round. She opens the car doors when they drive into to the covered area of the building and she asks if you need a wheel chair. And she takes you into the front desk, chattring all the way. When you are ready to leave, she helps you find the car that brought you. Almost everyone has been driven to the cancer center so there is always a friend waiting. May remembers the car you arrived in and she finds the waiting friend. And she helps you getting into the car. She works hard to do her job well. And she clearly enjoys her work. I am always impressed when people perform ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. She takes a perfectly ordinary task and turns it into a job that helps everyone, but practically and psychologically. She makes you feel better. And she makes you feel important. It has been a pleasure watching her work. Hats off to May.

November 18, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. The Cutting Board.

I wanted to give a gift to my two neighbors who have been so kind to me during my radiartion. But I was unable to come up with anything clever, until I walked past the cutting board on the island in the kitchen. The board is thick and says "Ken's Kitchen". And it is handsome. On the back of the board is the name and number of the manufacturer so I was hoping the place was still in business. Much to my surprise, the same owner answered the phone. And he remembered my name. He reminded me of the time when he was starting his business and asked to present his product to the agents, which he did. But what he laughed about was that he was given one minute to make his case to the agents at the sales meeting. His product is a perfect gift for buyers. He told me that he still gets orderes from the Gateway agents. And his company is doing well and sells all up and down the east coast. He was delighted to chat with me. And I was pleased that he is still in business. This visit to the agents must have been 20 years ago. So I ordered two of the boards, which will be delivered in ten days. And he gave me a builder discount, just for old times sake. Pretty nice.

November 17, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Flags.

New Zealand does not have a good flag. From a distance, their flag is similar to Australia. A flad must be seen from a distance. And it should distinguish it from any other country. When we were in New Zealand there was much discussion about a new flag. But we were told that the present flag will remain until Queen Elizabeth is no longer sovereign. They even knew their new flag. But recently the good citizens voted down their new flad. Queen Elizabeth was still on the throne. Mississippi just voted for a new flag. It is a good one too. Simple and can seen for a long way. A Magnolia blossom in the center with In God We Trust underneath. When we first moved here, there were discussions about a new flag. The old one was a Confederate flag which was certainly distinctive but was also controversial. Nothing was done. As soon as last Fall, the governor said he did not have the vote to get the new flag approved so no vote was not made. But then along came covid and the riots. Immediately the state legislators voted to remove the Confederate flag. And they formed a comittee to come up with options for a new flag. 5 were selecxted and put out on the internet for a vote. During the last election, the new flag was approved and now proudly flies from the state house and everywhere else. The flad is a good one. Not much detail but very obvious. People seem pleased. During my life time, Canada voted for a new flag. It is a wonderful flag. It is specific to Canada and can be seen from a long distance. Just a great flag. Years ago, a committee was formed to develop a new flag. The options were presented to the people and one was selected. And then denied. Finally the new one was chosen and the population voted. Now the Canadian flag is in the same catagory of the Swiss flag. Simple and distinctive. Pretty good.

November 16, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Sleeping.

All day today I have been stumbling around due to a stupid action I took. Since last Wednesday I have been staying awake at night, tossing and turning until dinally I fall asleep around 5:00. I fo to sleep at the normal time and go to sleep. And I awake up after two hours and stay awake. I do everything including a shower, hot milk and iboprofen. But I stay awake. The same thing happened when Ken was ill in Mexico. The good doctor gave me a little white sleeping pill that worked like a charm. No hang over. Just fall asleep and wake up at six in the morning. I used those pills for 30 days and promply lost them. Christina urged me to call the on call doctor who prescribed me a sleeping pill. I was hoping for a good nights sleep. I took a pill at 10:30 when I went to bed. I woke up at 12:30 wide awake with my restless legs giving me trouble too. So I did a stupis thing. I took another. Whe Kashina arrived I could barely make it to the door to let her in. I slept until 10:00. And I managed to get through my day...but barely. I know better. Now they tell me that I should never take one of those pills after 10. And if I take two, not after 9:00. I still have no idea why I am not sleeping. Perhaps the radiation is winding up my system. Also the radiation Doctor I saw today encouraged me to take the same nausea meds I used throughout the infusion. So I started it this afternoon and will continue throughout the treatments. Only 4 more. I am hoping that tomorrow I will be able to walk a straight line. No double duty tonight.

November 15, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Kind Deeds.

Thursday on the way home from radiation with my neighbor Donna, I mentioned that my stomach hurt and that I was a bit nausiated. The first thing she did when we got home was to bring me two containers of her home made soup. So not only did she did a kind deed by driving me to radiation but she also gave me home made soup, which I have been eating ever since. I eat a small portion at every meal. And one container is in the freezer. Friday, friend Carrie drove me to radiation. Saturday morning we were to go out for brunch. But at 8:00 I was forced to cancel due to lack of sleep and to nausea. At 6:00 that evening, she texted to ask if I would like to have her home made soup for supper. She and Brookes arrived with the soup, a batch of fresh rolls, a loak of home made bread, a tart made of slivered almonds and apricot and a container of chocolate mouse. Such an array of good food. I ate a small amount of soup and rolls. Today with Christina and Molly we ate a piece of the decilious tart. The goodies were indeed a kind deed. I have not been sleeping well since last Wednesday. When I told Christina, she urged me to contact the doctor on call, which I did. I actually spoke to the nurse, who got in touch with the doctor. She prescribed a sleeping pill which she called into the drug store. Of course, I have no way to get it as Kashina and Christina had gone home. So I called my Lyft driver Forrest. He immediately offered to pick up the prescription and bring it to me. No fuss nor muss. I reimbursed him for the meds and a bit more for his efforts. Once again, I observed a kind deed in action. I appreciated these three kind deeds and feel fortunate to have such friends. Amazing really, how kind people really are. I am grateful.

November 14, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Misery.

I seldom admit that anything is the matter with me. If I as asked, I always say walking and talking and that I am fine. And I am, except for all the other things that are the matter. But today I must admit. I feel miserable. This morning I was to go out for brunch at 9:30 but at 8:30 I as forced to cancel. I went back to bed and slept until noon. Greta Barbour called to bring me coffee and have a visit and I had to tell her no. Contacts with friends are important to me and I hated to cancel. But I was not up to the task today. Tomorrow, CXhristina will bring food here as I was not up to a visit to a restaurant. This is not good. I was not expecting difficulties with this radiation so it has caught me unawartes. After all I had radiation in 2000 and I was working. I did put a rollaway cot in the bathroom so I could nap but other than that, all was well. But I am older. And the radiation goes through my stomach. Starting Wednesday my stomach hurts and my food does not seem to digest well. I am keeping up my walking and exercises but not very vigorously. Fatigue seems to be a factor now too. I must get up my resolve to get the easiest tasks accomplished. But the worst thing is that for the last three nights I am not sleeping. I go to sleep and wake up in two hours only to toss and turn. I get up and drink a cup of hot milk. And I take Tylenol. Nothing works. At 3:00 in the middle of the night I took a shower and put hot water on my back and legs, both of which hurt all the time. I feel better just telling you how miserable I really am. Sorry to impose.

November 13, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Decorations.

This week Bradley installed the outside Christmas lights. They come on at 5:00 and turn off at 12:00. I like them and have kept them on. Ken loved outside Christmas lights so we had a lot. But when Ken could no longer put them up due to Parkinsons, he felt badly so I hired Bradley. They are all white and look elegant and lovely and the lights remind me of Ken's love for more and more Christmas lights, So they please me. Last year I put out no Christmas decorations inside because I was leaving mid December. But this year I asked Molly and Christina to come and put out my decorations. Most were given away but I have two boxes which Molly put out this afternoon. I give her full reign so things are put in unusual places but Molly is happy and so am I. Now the house has just the right amount of Christmas. Usually I decorate the day after Thanksgiving but this year I decided to enjoy the Christmas scene for just a little longer. I feel a bit like the stores and radio stations who are already running Christmas goods and music. I might just do it every year. But for now, I am grateful for Molly for placing objects around the house. They please me.

November 12, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Wandering Moose.

Moose is the older of David's dogs. He has always been endearing. And he has always been smart. He could open the doors into the house from the backyard so if any door was left unlocked to the backyard, Moose would open the door and come into the house something he was not supposed to do. Often he could be found sitting on the leather couch wagging his tail. He is never allowed to sit on the couch. Crush, the yellow lab, would stay on the deck until invited in, even though the door was open. But not Moose. Since they moved into their new smaller yard, Moose has taken to escape. David and Suzanne were out for Halloween dinner. All was well when they returned but the next afternoon, when David was walking the dogs, a yound lady down the street stopped David to comment on his friendly dog. Moose had escaped from the yard and wandered down the back lane. The young lady was having her wedding reception in her back yard. Moose walked around, visiting all the people and left. She did not know the dog but she said the dog was perfectly polite. The family on the other direction stopped by to tell David that Moose actually opened their door into their TV room while they were watching TV. He jumped up on the couch and stayed two hours until Moose asked to go outside so he could go home, which he did. David was not aware Moose was gone because they were out. The man down the street was delighted that Moose opened the door and made himself at home. David was not so pleased. The back yard has a high fence but the wood is light and Moose is able to take it apart. David has made repairs and also added heavy rocks at the bottom of the fence. It is only a matter of time before the fence is replaced. At least Moose knows where he lives. That dog is too clever by far. And funny too.

November 11, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Three Down.

Seven yet to go. Today I had the third radiation treatment. As I had observed before, the radiation department is effecient. When I arrive, I had been told to call a special phone. After I am identified, I am to park and go into the building where the young man will get me immediately. And so that has been happening. I come into the building and immediately the young man takes me to the treatment room. I use his strong young arm to take me. No waiting. No fuss or muss. Donna, my across the street neighbor drove me yesterday and Kashina took me on Monday and today. We leave at 10:40, ready for my appointment at 11:15. And we are home by noon. This evening, I noticed side effects. My stomach hurt and I was a bit nausiated. And of course, you can not avoid the fatigue. But I walked 4500 steps and I took a pill I used for nausea from the time of my infusion chemo. I drank a cup of chicken broth and a baked potato for dinner. Now I am fine. Knowing side effects are always difficult because you always get them. Mostly I ignore the symptoms but not tonight. Tomorrow, Donna will take me again. She would not hear of me taking a Lyft so she will drive twice a week. She is the same neighbor who sends me over dinners now and then. I am grateful for the help of my neighbors. The system is working well. Only 7 more treatments and I am done.

November 10, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Free Speech.

Once upon a time, many years ago, Ken and I moved to Galveston, Texas. People studying and worked at the medical center had come from all over the world and the medical community was small, so people we got to know at the social events included students, residents and professors. The conversations were lively and controversial. It was 1964 after all. But people spopke their mind and no one got upset or angry. Nor did anyone stomp off in anger. Free speech seemed to be in vogue. But soon, several topics were off limits. People got upset if the topic of abortion was raised. And the Vietnahm War. So over the years, free speech was eroded so you had to be careful what you discussed at a dinner party. One evening at a dinner in Nova Scotia, the question of President George Bush was mentioned. I quietly mentioned that his position could be defended. One of the guests stormed into the kitchen and did not speak to me the rest of the night. Another time in the pool at Playa Royale a lady was extolling the virtues of Hillary Clinton. I merely asked what significant events had Hillary done as Sect. of State. The other lady in the water looked at me in horror and anger. And she avoided me. My observation is that you can only speak about a topic with anyone when they already agree with what you are saying. A difference of opinion is not acceptable. Free Speech has disappeared from society. And the culture has been diminished.

November 9, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. My Pantry.

After Ken died, I was determined to eat all the food from the pantry. Over the years, Ken had ordered lots of boxes of food, somw of which we ate and some we did not. So I decided to eat everything in the pantry. I still have a few boxes that I feel sure should be thrown away. Then I was left with an almost empty pantry. No canned goods, no soups, no boxes of rice. So I sat down and replentished my supply at Amazon. But I made a few errors. I am now the proud owner of 6 very large cans of select cut green beans. The cans are industrial size. My pantry looks as if I was running a summer camp. I have figured out what to do. I will open a can and drain the juice. Then put the beans into plastic bags and put them in the freezer. I figure I have two years of canned green beans. In addition I have 24 cants of tune in water. Also 12 small cans of kernal corn. I also have 12 cans of vegetable soup. So Now my pantry looks almost full, although the contents are peculiar. Ken made several errors which we are still living with and laughing about. I have 18 bars of shower soap. And 6 unopened bottles of Plax. Fortunately there are just a few bars of chocolate which Molly still enjoys. But I have turned into Ken, ordering 6 huge cans of green beans. I just laugh when I look in the pantry. One day soon I will gather up my strength and pick up one of those huge cans. But not tonight.

November 8, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. My schedule.

For the next two weeks, at 11:15, I must report to the radiation department of the Cancer Center of the Baptist Hospital. I must budger 30 minutes. The treatment lasts 20 minutes and with setting up and then finishing, I was told to budget 30 minutes. So far, the department was on time and I was given instructions to be on time for my time slot. When I arrive, I am supposed to park, then call the phone number they gave me on a card. They will come out and get me from the car and take me directly into the radiation room. No sitting in a waiting room. I am to wear comfortable clothes with an elastic waistband and a loose fitting shirt wih no bra. And I must stay perfectly still for the whole 20 minutes. Kashina is working Monday and Wednesday so she will take me to my appopintments on those days. My good neighbor Donna, offered to drive on Tuesday and my friend Carrie from down the road has offered to drive on Friday, so I will only use Lyft for Thursday. My calendar is filled in for the two weeks. So I am set. Normally, I avoid reading about the side efects of a procedure or medication but the good radiation doctor told me before I could stop her. Anyway, the side effects are minimal: some fol;ks have difficulty with irritation of the skin and sometimes stomachs get upset. She also told me that the treatment is 80% successful. I am hoping I have nothing else that will cause me trouble. And of course you get tired with radiation. The last time I had radiation arter my lumpectomy they clipped my left carotic artery, causing it to harden, thus causing me to lose my words when the artery was blocked. But I am hoping for the best. Certainly my belly and sides are marked up so my body is ready for them to do their work. For the next two weeks I will be busy. But I am ready.

November 7, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. The Shopping Spree.

When Molly turned 11, I took her on a shopping spree for her birthday gift. Kate started the ball rolling when she turned 11 and Ken and I took the family to Tysons 2 for Kates birthday shopping. Kate, Christina and I went shopping while Ken took Molly in the stroller along with Mary Frances for a walk. They walked to a Godiva chocolate store. Mary Frances still remembers being told by Ken that she could anything she wanted in the store. So our shopping spree was a big hit and we all speak fondly of our shopping trips together. For Molly's gift, I gave her several options. She selected shopping so today was the day. What she wanted was tops for the winter. She has grown taller so her tops from last year are too short. We found everything she wanted in the first store and she is pleased with her choices. Molly is taller than me but she will turn 13 later this month so fitting clothes is difficult. She must have tried on 50 objects and rejected most. But bit by bit she is now set for the winter, which in Mississippi is not very cold. I even bought two shirts for myself. Outside the dressing rooms is a delightful area just for Christina and me to evaluate the fashion show. It even has a chandelair. Our shopper excursions always end with lunch at a fancy restaurant. And Kate joined us for lunch which made the day even more festive. We dined at an Italian restaurant. Molly was pleased with her shopping and her lunch. Nothing pleases a grandmother more than having a happy and content grandchild. Today, everyone was happy.

November 6, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Simulation.

The place is all very high tech, both the machines and the people. Yesterday I was called to come in for the simulation for my radiation. They go through the particulars of where the radiation will go, making sure the two places for radiation will be covered. My appointment was for 10:30 today. Forrest, my lyft driver took me. And we were on time. The radiation department at Baptist Hospital is effecient. I waited one minute before being taken back. After the Ct scan, the technitians wrote on my belly while watching the scan. Today they did the same thing except today they were also manipulating the radiation machine. I lay on a very hard table. My instructions were to stay perfectly still, which sounds easy to do but is not. They would have preferred me to put my arms over my head but I can not do that so my arms were by my side. The machine comes from the right and the left and sometimes was right over my belly. Lots of numbers were called out from one to the other. The radiation doctor came to approve the numbers. And finally they wrote on my belly and side again. The old marks from Tuesday were washed away. They will hit me with radiation from three places, which is supposed to be more effective and causes fewer side effects on the skin. I now have a square right in my middle. Charming. After Forrest took me into the Cancer Center, he drove a gentleman to Madison, then headed back to pick me up. The timing was perfect. I was told that the simulation would take 30 minutes and they were right. I waited 2 minutes before Forrest arrived to take me home. Everyone seemed competant and pleasant. Now my radiation will begin on Monday at 11:15 and and will take in total 30 minutes. The actual radiation is 20 minutes with a few minutes to get set up and finish. The treatments will be for two weeks. Between Kashina, my neighbor and my Lyft dsriver I should be able to get myself there. Once again, here we go.

November 5, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Isolation.

One of the difficulties of being isolated is that you begin to like the isolation, which I am sure is not a good idea. My covid test was on Friday morning and until the test results were given, I was required to isolate myself. The results come back in 2 days but then there were Saturday and Sunday. So everything for the weekend was cancelled. No shopping with Molly and no brunch on Sunday with Christina and the girls. And I was by myself on Monday too. Both Gill and I agreed when we were both quarentined that we kind of enjoyed being without any company. So I did well both in Nova Scotia and here in Mississippi. Kashina was working on Tuesday but she will not be working until next Monday so this week I am again alone. And I am fine. I am practicing for when I go to Mexico. This winter will be exactly the same as the summer, when I had no company at all. So far, no one is coming to visit me. The main difference is that none of my friends are also not going to Mexico so I will not have friends by the pool to talk to. In Nova Scotia I had local friends, plus my helper Anna, who worked two days a week. But this week I am practicing. Tomorrow I go to get the similation for the radiation. Then the radiation will begin next week, I hope. So I must get to the cancer center of the Baptist Hospital every day for two weeks. I will not be alone for those two weeks. Tomorrow, my Lyft driver will take me. I read an article a few weeks ago telling me to be connected as I age. Social contact is what they advocate for living a happy and long life. Biut what then about the quarentine and isolation required by the virus? Could not be good for a person. But both Gill and I have learned to like it. Interesting.

November 4, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Water.

Yesterday when attempting to get into the gate at my Roses Bluff neighborhoos we noted a sign telling us to boil the water. And the gate was roped off, so we turned around and entered at the small gate, which had been kept open. The same boil the water sign was also at the small gate. Kashina and I knew something was up. As we drove by the road we normally had been on Kashina could see that the road had all been ripped up. When we got home, we had no water. Boiling was not an option. We could not even flush the toilets. Water is something we never think about. We know that the water is clean and always available. We are spoiled. In Nova Scotia where we have wells, the water will not run when the electricity goes out so you can not flush the toilets. Generally we know a storm is coming and we fill the tub with water. But here, all of a sudden we have no running water. Fortunately I had a case of bottled water in the car so Kashina brought it in and put it in the pantry, where I am using it. The boil the water is still in force although we did get the water running last evening. Comcast was working at a house just inside the gate when they hit a water main, spewing water everywhere over the road. It flowed for an hour before it was turned off and the water lifted the brick tiles on the road, the one that was just replaced last year. Now we have running water but we are still supposed to boil the water before drinking. Without water to the house reminded me how fortunate we are to be living at this time and place. We have clean water, electricity, internet, television and garbage collection. We live like kings.

November 3, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Popeye.

Someone told me that the fried chicken at Popeye was good but I had never tasted it. But today when I was at the office of the radiation doctor I got hungry for friend chicken. My appointment was for 1:00 which is a difficult time. I was to see the doctor and also have a CT scan so I knew I would miss lunch. I ate a bit of a snack at noon and we left at 12:15 so I did fine but I was hungry when we left at 4:15. Kashina knew about 2 Popeys on the way home so we decided to bring some chicken home. I was hungry for fried chicken, something I have not eaten for months. Drive through is required. The first one we saw had a long line so we went to the one on County Line. I thought we were in good stead because there were only 2 cars ahead of us in line. But the wait was long and I was wishing I had not suggested we go to Popeys. Eventually we gave our order, then paid at the next window. Then we waited. And we waited. Finally the food was brought to the car and we headed home. My early dinner was delicious. I ate green beans and rice and red beans along with the fried chicken. I loved every bite and I bought extra to eat tomorrow. I am already looking forward to eating another biscuit along with the chicken. But the wait was not worth getting the chicken even though it is good. But for now, I will enjoy myself eating my fried chicken. It will be a long time before I have any more and will probably never go to Popeys.

November 2, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Sand Glass.

You will find no sharp edges on the sand glass you find in Nova Scotia. Rather the glass is as smooth as a baby's bottom. I mention it because a friend noticed the small sign on the back of the picture and asked the question, "What is sand glass?" So I explained. During the summer of 2019, the first year I was by myself in Nova Scotia, my friend Ruth, who was staying with me, invited a friend from New Brunswick to visit us for a day and a night. As you would expect, we had a good time. When she got home, she wrote me a thank you note. The card was purchased in Liverpool and was hand made. It was simple but charming. There was a black stem, made by ink. At the top of the stem were pieces of beach glass, collected on the beaches of Nova Scotia. One green colored glass in the middle and seven white encircling the green stone, making it into a flower. I liked the card so I kept in on the desk by the telephone. My intention was to have it framed and hang it in some bathroom. But there are no framers in Liverpool so the card stayed on the desk. In 2020, when getting ready to come home, I decided to bring the card home and have it framed in Jackson, which I did. Kashina found a framer in Ridgeland close to home so thanks to GPS we found the framer and in 6 days the little card was all set to be hung. Now if you visit friend Eleanor, you will find it on the shelf in the Family room, along with china and fancy porcelain. I took it to her when she was having cookies and tea for the ladies. The little card is still charming but now it looks a bit elegant. Eleanor is pleased and so am I. The sand glass has found a home.

November 1, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Home & Comfort.

When we moved into this home in the Spring of 2015, this home was certainly not comfortable. When Wonderful Wendy came to unpack our boxes, no shower worked properly. But soon the plumbing was fixed as were all electrical matters. And the locks worked too. But the house was still not comfortable. Our bedroom and TV room were hot in the hot weather and cold in the cold weather. We realized that the windows in the rooms adjacent to the bedroom and Ken's office had single pane glass, as did the very large window high in our bathroom. So we replaced those windows. And things got better. But the house was still not comfortable. Our bedroom was too hot in warm weather. So we installed a third unit for our bedroom and bathroom. Now all is well. The whole house is comfortable. Chantes installed a light in the TV room because our lighting was inferior. He discovered that no insulation was in the ceiling of the TV room. At one point it was supposed to be a screened porch. Now the whole house must have good insulation because the units almost never turn on. Lst night the outside temperature went into the 40's but the heating system only came on a few times. My home is comfortable and I am grateful we fixed it up. Nothing not to like now. Wonderful Wendy could shower in every bathroom and the showers would work properly. But it was not like that in 2015 in the Spring. But we fixed every problem. Hurrah.