January 31, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Walking.

Fortunately, I have been walking all my life. Ken and I walked tremendous distances every Sunday morning while the boys were at college and befor we bought the new farm. Because of all that walking, I have had no problems with either my hips or knees. And my bone density is good. Of course, one positive in being overweight is that your bone density is better than those ladies who are extremely thin. One good aspect of living at Playa Royale is that you walk naturally. We always walked to the Plaza or to the hote/time share. And we walked to restaurants. But now I am not able to do that by myself. I need friends or family here. So now I walk to be walking to keep fit, not to get someplace. This morning I decided to try walking downstairs on the parking area surrounding the five towers of condos. After one trip I decided that walking on the balcony is easier and safer and does not give me any additional pleasure. I must keep watching the pavement right infront of my feet so I can catch the changes in pavement. And I must keep track of cars driving in the parking lot. On the balcony, I can look out to see the mountains and the birds because I know the floor is level. I do not need to watch my feet. So after one loop of the parking lot, I walked to the beach restaurant for lunch. I did the rest of my walking after my afernoon rest, all on the balcony. I have never understood why sometimes exercise is easy and sometimes everything feels bad. I have heard even elite world class athletes say the same thing. I do not know if it is the mind or the body. I walk at least 10 laps a day on the balcony but never moe than 6 at a time. Some days when I start I think I will have trouble walking 2 laps. But I kep going and soon I have finished 4. When my legs give up, I go inside and come back to finish. Walking for me is not easy anymore. I feel as though I am walking on stilts, except my legs hurt. And they get numb. But the best part is that my legs work just fine even though they feel odd. So I am walking and singing most of the time. Pretty good for an old lady.

January 30, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Moving Day.

Yesterday was moving day for Suzanne and David in San Antonio. All their belongings were moved into their new home. The renovation is complete. Now the fun begins. Earlier in the week David started to bring the art from the temperature controlled storage unit so they started hanging paintings all week. This evening Allion sent me a video of the new spots for their art. It looks great and I was pleased to see it. They were clever by making up the beds immediately so they all stayed in the new house last evening. Sarah and Abigail are at school but Samantha and Allison were there to help. Both of their bedrooms are set up. David and Suzanne have ordered a new bed frame so they are sleeping on a box spring and a mattress on the floor. But they were pleased for the four of them to sleep in their new home. Samantha goes to school tomorrow but Allison willbe home to help the unpacking next week because she leaves for school next Sunday. I could see from the video that books are on shelves. But lots of boxes are ready to be opened and put away. Allison said that they were surprised that the four of them working all day accomplishe more than expected. And according to Allison, the dogs are happy in their new home. They did not particularly enjoy the Tiny House so the dogs stayed at the lake when the girls were there for Christmas. They did like being at the lake with the girls who walked them every day. Now the back yard work will begin. David is not sure what to do with the dogs when the men are working in the yard.Maybe doggie day care. Or the kennel. But no matter what, my Texas Family has made the move into their lovely new home.. They are excited. And so am I.

January 29, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Another Day.

And today was another day when I am still wearing my night shirt. First thing this morning I pulled on a pair of pans under my night shirt, which I am still wearing. No walking at all. No structure in my day. I have no idea how this happened. The system here with fractional ownership is that you request the weeks you want on line one year before the month you want. At 8:00 Pacific time I was able to request the month for February, 2022. At exactly 10:00 here, I needed to be at my i Pad to send a request to Cindy, the lady in charge. I had already been approved for January, 2022. I could not shower before the deadline so I prepared my breakfast, which I ate immediately, then read until the correct time. I was right on time and was approve for the month shortly after so it was worth getting organized. But I just kept reading until it was 2:00. And I am still in my night clothes and have not yet showered. After my nap I decided to make the pasts sauce, which I did. I had thawed the groundbeef so it needed to be made into sauce. I cook very sendom but the directions came back to me quickly. I sauteed onions and browned the meat. I had three different types of tomato sauce so I mixed them together and added a salsa can. Then I added everything together after the sauce cooked a bit. Tomorrow I will cook the pasts and eat it for dinner. The rest of the pasts I will mix with the left over sauce so I will have many meals ready. And I read sgain before sunset and the orange drink. Still no shower and still no walking. No structure in my day at all. And I have no idea why. My day just got away from me.I watched a bit of a hockey game between Chicago and Columbus. But then PBS was calling at 8:00. I did watch a PBS special from years of concerts at the Holluwood Bowl. The first hour was jazz and the next hour was Broadway tunes sung by new singers, which I loved. Tomorrow I will shower, I promise.

January 28, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. My Days.

I am alone here in Mexico. I suspect no one is going to visit me and no friends who normally are here for the winter season will be here too. Usully I chat with people at the poot and the hot tub but everyone is required to keep their distance so getting to know people is impossible. Only three people are allowed in the hot tub at the same time so you must be so far away that conversation is impossible. I don't even try. Much to my surprise, I am content. And I am enjoying the weather and the condo. All morning I read while I eat breakfast. And if I am likely to talk on the phone that will be the time. I like to get half of my walking before lunch. I walk on the balcony because it is a safe place for me to walk. And it is pleasant. I eat lunch around 2:00. Then I put my feet up and take a nap of 30 to 60 minutes. Next I walk again. I walk between 5 to 7,000 steps every day, not as many as Gill or Rita but pretty good for me. Next I read and responf to e mails. Next up is the orange drink and susnet, which I watch every evening. PBS has prgrams I enjoy t 7:00 so after sunset I watch my favorites: Antique Roadshow on Monday, Finding Your Roots on Tuesday and Nature on Wednesday. Next up is dinner at 8:00. My chores are done bit by bit. I have just started the dishwasher and tomorrow morning I will run the washing machine. At 9:30 I take me evening medications and then write my wee web log. Finally I eat crackers before taking my chemo. I like to get to bed around 11:00. My days have a structure and much to my surprise I am doing just fine being all by myself here in Mexico. With good reading material, my i Pad and my phone I am happy, along with a limited amount of TV. I always watch a hockey game with dinner. So that is how I spend my days all by myself at Playa Royale in Mexico. Surprising me for sure to be enjoying my solitary life.

January 27, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. My Meals.

I have just finished my third rotissere chicken. My main meals nclude chicken. Fortunately I like them. One chicken lasts me a week. For dinner tonight I ate the last of the chicken and a salad, made with the last of the bag of greens and a cut up tomato. Last evening I ate a piece of chicken plus two small potatoes, cooked in the microwave. I have one more chicken in the freezer ready to get out tomorrow to thaw. Fortunately I am happy to eat the same thing day after day. Odd but true. For lunch I eat either a sandwich or a cup of soup. I order sliced turkey and ham with every order of groceries. I make myself a sandwich of sliced meat and cheese along with romain lettuce. I freeze one type of sliced meat and use up the other. Rita left packages of dried soup in the locker so I have used two packages in the pot and cook them. Then I use the leftover in the fridge for the next time. I pay no attention for what they are. These soups taste good and last for several meals. Then I must make more. For dessert I eat fruit, either a tangerine or grapes. My breakfasts are boring. I make coffee every three days. I drink one cup every morning and leave the rest in the pot. Next day I just heat up yeserdays coffee, which tastes perfectly fine to me. I eat toast with either cheese or peanut butter on alternet days. And I always eat fruit, a banana until I run out of bananas or another piece of fruit, either grapes or a tangerine. My grocery list always includes more fruit but I never get anything but bananas, tangerines and grapes. But I am pleased to get them. And that is how I survive here in Mexico. Tomorrow I will cook a meat sauce for pasta. I will cook the whole package of pasta and keep the leftover in the fridge and eat on it until the pot is empty. I order groceries every two weeks with Marlin. So all is well. And I am not fading away!!

January 26, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. "Biloxi."

Many months ago I watched a program on PBS called Conversation where the guest was Mary Miller. Marshall Ramsey is the host although his day job as a polical cartoonish, headquarted in Jackson. He is a good interviewer. Most guests are writers. Most writers live in Mississippi. I always enjoy the half hour show and after the Mary Miller program I ordered her latest book, "Biloxi". But I put in the pile of books I want to read. I did not read it until now. For the past few years I have been reading non fiction. I am not sure why I have rejected fiction but I did. This Biloxi book was fiction. During the interview they discussed the humor in the book and the plot seemed interesting so I thought I would enjoy it. The author lives in Oxford but when she was writing this book she lived in Biloxi, a small city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I have taken four books with me to Mexico along with unread magazines, Commentary and The New Critrion. I have now finished three books. I was not much interested in this Biloxi book until the middle. I kept looking for the humor and the plot. I was interested in the fact that the main charachter was an 63 year old man who lived alone. His wife had left him 6 months before and when his father died he retired because he thought he would inherit money. But at about the middle of the book I wanted to be able to read faster. I ended up enjoying the book. I discovered humor and I appreciated the huge detail of the interior dialog. All is well as ends well. This is the third book by Mary Miller. Another is in the mill. Finally, I could recommend this book but it took me awhile!

January 25, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Dredging.

Across the street from me are two huge containers of water. These huge tanks have plastic linings. Sometimes the tanks are full and some have less water. Last year was the first time these huge containers were installed so I asked at the front desk and was told they are holding tanks from the dredging in the canal. Ever since we have lived here the dredging of the canal has always been a fixture. At fist the big pipes carring the sand was dumped beside the rock groins but I suppose the areas were full. Now they bring the water and sand in big trucks which are empties into the tanks. Evidently evaporation takes care of the water, leave the sand behind to be used for construction. I paid no attention last winter, but this year I have paid more attention. I have spotted large white birds fishing for their dinner in those big tanks. I did not think about this before I spotted the birds but as they suck up the sand and water, fish also get brought into the big tank. And the big white birds have spotted them. I watch the action every day. Huge pipes spew the muddy water into the tank. When the tank is full, that tank is left alone while the other tank has other workers who remove the sand. I do not know where the sand goes next. But it is an interesting work. There are lots of other birds over fishing too but they are too small for me to see without binoculars. Unfortuntely I do not have any here. Grrr. On the plans for this area, the large lot across the street was to be a rehabilitation facility. But the owner was never able to obtain the permit. Now half of the lot is taken up by parked boats and the other half has these monster tanks of water. Now it is a great spot to watch birds too. I see them every afternoon when they come for their evening meal. They keep me amused.

January 24, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Happy Hour.

The Beach restaurant infront of the edge of our resort holds a Happy Hour every evening from 4 to 6. You order one drink, but you get two. So when you order one beer, you receive two. In years past, the place was busy. Very busy. Yesterday only 4 tables full of people were enjoying the Happy Hour. I had forgotten about Happy Hour but late yesterday afternoon I decided to go down and enjoy the beach and order guacomola dip, which I love. The day was beautiful. Also I decided to drink a beer, something I had not done for months or maybe years. I ordered guacomola dip and a carona. While I was waiting for my order I look up and down the beach which is always interesting. I spotted a volleyball game at the next resort. The players were surprisingly good. And I watched the dog walkers on the edge of the water. The vendors were packing up and heading home towards Bucerias. Three young men had been selling Mexican blankets. I watched as they folded their blankets very tightly so they could fit into their backpacks. They were just at the edge of the restaurant so I could see their blankets which looked beautiful. Just before they headed away, the heavy packs were hoisted to their back and off they went. Once again, I was pleased I did not sell objects while walking along the beach. Tough way to make a living. The guacoloma dip was delicious. And I ate the whole thing all by myself leaving nothing to bring up to the condo. They brought me a pail of ice. Hidden inside could be found two cans of beer. The waiter had to tell me what was in the pail. For half of the first beer, I really enjoyed the taste. It was cold and bitter and was perfect with the dip. But the second beer I brought home. Before I left, I ordered an avacado filled with shrimp to take home with me. I ate it for lunch today, which was delicious. Once every three weeks is a fine idea to atend Happy Hour. I thoroughly enjoyed myself so in three more weeks I will do it again.

January 23, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Hermits.

Across the street from us in Nova Scotia is a blue house. The folks who live there are hermits. We never see them. The first year we lived thee I went to introduce myself and to invite them to a dinner party. They accepted the invitation for the cocktail hour but would not stay for dinner. The wife has physical issues with a crooked back. So all was well and they seemed to enjoy talking with people. As they were leaving I accompanied them to their car through the garage, because it was level. As they were leaving, they thanked me for the invitation but asked me not to invite them again. "We do not attend social events," she said. And that was the last time I have seen them 21 years ago. They are hermits. I had never had neighbors I never saw so I found it wierd. Now fast forard to the pandemic. Now there are lots and lots of hermits, including me. My friend Butch lives by himself in Annapolis. His brothers visit him but he sees no one else. He never goes out. The restaurants are closed so he has no where to go. He is alone. Linda C. has no one visit her house and never goes to a restaurant. Sara Lou the same. Dave and Irene see Wonderful Wendy when she brings grogeries. Here in Playa Royale I too am a hermit. I spend my time in the condo or walk the balcony I talk with Marlin. In Mississippi I was not a hermit. Kashine came three mornings a week, I saw Christina and the girls every Sunday and I organized luncheon dates with friend. But now I am truly a hermit. Who would ever thought that I would be a hermit. But here I am. And the odd thing is that I am enjoying myself. Grandma the Hermit, that is me.

January 22, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Chilly or Warm.

I walked into the office of Marlin. She was sitting at her desk on the phone. I watched her in action but as she was speaking spanish the only thing I could do was watch. And I looked at what she was wearing. She was wearing a pair of black jeans. And a pair of boots that came over her ankles. On the top she was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, open at the neck. And she wore a fleece vest, zipped alost to the top. She was comfortable mid January in Mexico. I was wearing a light cotton dress and teva sandals. I was comfortable in mid January in Mexico. She and I discussed our business and we discussed the resort. Our conversation included her son, who was spending three weeks in the US as part of his training in the hospitality business. As I was ready to leave, I commented that I was going to walk outside. Marlin shivered and commented that it was chilly so I should be careful of getting cold. I just laughed and said,"Marlin. I was born and raised in Canada. This does not feel chilly to me." And we both laughed. Once again I was reminded about temperature differences, which are always relative. When we moved to Texas in 1964, Ken and I laughed the first winter when we noticed everyone was wearing warm coats while we were wearing sweaters. But after a summer in Galveston, Ken and I the second winter also started wearing a coat in the winter. We had gotten accomodated to the temperaure and now the winter seemed chilly. Funny how that happens. That is why I feel warm here in the winter in Mexico while Marlin knows it is chilly. And she dresses in winter clothes while I wear light weight summer clothes. Same temperature, just different response. Interesting.

January 21, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Expectations.

Last evening I had every expectation of a lovely sunset. I took my orange drink and sat at the table, looking forward to watching a beautiful sunset. I even took out Rita's hat to protect my eyes. But my expectations were dashed. The whole sky was dark blue. In every direction I could see only dark sky. There was no sign of sun anywhere. I had not noticed during the day. But as I sat hoping while drinking my orange drink, all I could see was dark sky. There was no sign of a sun at all. The only sign I could see that sunset was coming was a big sail boat, that comes out for a sunset sail every evening. Tonight was different. Everything was different. I was the same, with the hat on my head and my drink in my hand. But nothing outside was the same. The sun was shining, in fact it looked like a highway between the horizon and the beach. It as if a car could drive along the sun highway. The sky overhead was bright blue and clear. Just over the horizon I could see clouds, which means the sunset might be espcially good. The evening was perfect. My expectations were not dashed tonight. My respone was the same as yesterday. I just think that both evenings were interesting. Living here has been surprisinly pleasant. I expected to have difficulty living by myself with no friends to meet and geet at the pool. But I am having a good time. This afternoon my second grocery order arrived. This time Marlin ordered my list on line yesterday and were delivered this afternoon. One of the cleaning folks brought the groceres to the condo and helped me put everything away. Now I have enough food for the next two or three weeks. My expectations regarding getting enough food have been wrong. In fact my anxiety of living here by myself has been better than expected, which is a good thing. Rxceeding expectations is always good. I am once again fortunate.

January 20, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Another Cold Night.

As I was reading Travels with Bobby about camping in the mountains of the west, I was reminded of all the times Ken and I camped in North America. I was thinking of the time we camped in a National Forest in the mountains north os Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the three years before the boys were born, Ken and I travelled as much as possible. On alternate weekends, Ken was off duty so we headed out to explore Texas. We camped in every state park in Texas within 4 hours drive from Galveston. We had a new fancy car and we kept our camping gear in the trunk of the car. The weather was perfect and the state parks were empty. We had a grand time. We travelled to New Mexico for a week, camping going and coming. One day we spent the day in charming Sana Fe, then drove north from the city into the National Forest, which was huge. Our plan was to just poke around, seeing what we could find. But it got dusk and we had no place on the map we could find with a camping spot but all of a sudden, while driving in the forest we spotted an open hut. Two sides of the hut had walls, making it into a room, with a fireplace in the corner. And there was a roof over half of the room. The other two sides were open with the floor open to see the sky. We could find no signs so we decided to stay the night. Ken made a fire in the corner and we ate dinner and we watched the sky. We were at elevation and it got cold but we laid out our sleeping bags beside the fire. Ken said we could stay warm with two side protecting us from wind and the coals of the fire keeping us warm. So we went to sleep. I woke up in the morning and was warm and cosy all night. The fire still had coals in the fireplace, which surprised me. Turned out that Ken had woken up every few hours to keep a fire going while I stayed asleep. Once again, Ken had looked after me..and also himself. Pretty good system we had going.

January 19, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Football.

When we lived in Texas we always cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. Then we moved to DC and we rooted for the Washington Redskins. On the weekends at the farm everyone cheered for the Pittsburgh Steelers so of course, we cheered for the Steelers. Now that we don't live in any of those towns we still cheer for the three teams. Funny how that happens. People who go to a college always stay a life long supporter of their college team. Lots of people who live in Jackson have a condo in Oxford so they can stay in their own condo while they attend the Ole Miss. games. I am not so loyal. For the past three seasons I have not been watching NFL games. They bcame too political for me. I just watched the Super Bowl. But now that I am living by myself in Mexico with no company, I have been enjoying the playoff games. I have watched them all, in between my walking on the balcony or preparing meals. It has been fun. I was sorry to see the Steelers lose their game. Same for New Orleans. People who live in Mississippi almost all cheer for the Saints, including me. I just want to see other teams get to the big game. I was hoping to see Cleveland win but pleased to see Buffulo in a final game. This Sunday I will again watch both games. And I will enjoy myself even though I hate all the yellow flags. Even though Brady is always a pleasure watching him play, I hope he does not get to the Super Bowl. He already has enough rings. For the rest, I do not care. I just hope to see good, high scoring games. Let the best teams win. Of course, they always do!!

January 18, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Sunsets.

Every susnet is different. We all know that but now that I am alone and watching every sunset by myself, I am paying more attention. I drink my orange drink while watching sunsets and I have no distractions. I never take sunset food to the balcony and with no one to talk to, I watch the evolution of the sunset very closely. The variety is amazing. For the last few evenings, the sky on the horizon has been dark gray. The sky overhead last evening was blue. For about thirty degrees, the sky seemed to be solidly gray but as the sun went down behind the dark sky it was clear that the clouds were not solid. It had striations. So as the sun sank, I could see spots where the sky would break through. Then the big white sun appeared just over the horizon but then a thick veil covering the sun. And the sun glowed like a halo. The sun dropped below the horizon bit by bit. No green flash yesterday. Within ten minutes the clouds along the horizon turned pink and orange. The whole horizon was beautiful. The bright colors lasted until dark. And it was amazing. I thought that the sunset would be a bust. But I was surprised. Every sunset is different and last evening came as a big surprise to me. And every evening the sun sets just a minute or so later. The days are getting longer but very slowly. And I watch every sunset. Amazing.

January 17, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. "Travels with Bobby."

I am enjoying this book. I will be sorry when I finish reading my last chapter. Perhaps I am enjoying this book because the author lives down the street from me and along with his wife Carrie, is a good friend. Or perhaps he has written about areas of the west where Ken and I travelled and loved. This is the firt book written by Brooks when he retired. It tells about 6 trips that he and Bobby took in the western mountains. Once a year they took a hiking and camping trip into the mountains. They had both camped but never in the mountains so they learned the hard way. These two Mississippi men, both lawyers, love being outdoors in beautiful places. Maybe that is the reason for the charm of the book. They are both in love taking these annual journeys to the mountains. They started taking these trips when they were 50. All of these stories were places of beauty where Ken and I travelled and hiked in all but one. Now I am keen to get home to Mississippi to talk with him about these places they hiked and camped. Sometimes they backpacked, which Ken and I have never done. But we hiked in all the places. And they remain in my mind. The brain is a wonderful camera. As Brooks describes the scenes of the lovely alpine meadows beside the crystal clear lakes, my mind puts those pictures in my mind. Amazing really because some of our trips were taken many years ago. But the pictures are all in my brain. Hats off to Brooks Eason for providing me such a delightful reminder of the beauty of the west. He is now working on his fourth book, but not about more Travels with Bobby. I am pleased he wrote this one.

January 16, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Dust Bowl.

Today I stumbled on a documentary about The Dust Bowl. The program was excellent with old pictures of the plains and the dust and the people. The times were difficult. Many people were interviewed who were children during the thirtees. My mother called it the Dirty Thirtees. She was born in 1902 and was a Salvation Army Officer, stationed on the prairies so she knew how difficult it was, although the worst drought and dust storms were furthur south. First came the drought. Next came the wind followed by the dust. During the show I saw pictures of a huge black cloud, covering 200 miles wide and travelling at 40 miles an hour. No wonder people moved to California. The fine dust managed to get into every home, sometimes to a foot deep. A man was interviewed after 2020. He commented that 2020 was the worst year in the history of the US. When I heared him, I womdered if he had never studied history. My immediate thought was the time of the Civil War. And how about the Great Wars? Even the pandemic of 1918 and 19. Surely all those years were more difficult than 2020. Now that I watched The Dust Bowl, this year of 2020 does not even come close to the distress and difficulty experienced by many Americans. I suppose most of the people who were affected were living in the plains but even the east received dust storms. When dealing with difficulty, a bit of knowledge is a good thing to keep everything in perspective and to keep an even keel. The documentary I watched today was a good reminder of past troubles...and of future success of the people.

January 15, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Condo.

Many years ago, Ken and I purchased 10 weeks of condo 3701. Our condo is on the seveth floor of the third building. It is called Fractional Ownership. We could have purchased a regulat fee simple ownership. But Ken did not wish another property to look after so we purchased the fractional ownership, where we live here for 10 weeks each year and the association looks after the maintenance. It was fully furnished so we just arrive and move in and live. We have 2 lockers on the same floor so we keep clothes an shoes. We arive with medications in a small case plus a backpack. The system has worked well for us. When something is the matter, the maintenance folks come and fix it. Since I arrived, the water in the kitchen sink was running away slowly so this morning I called the front desk, who asked maintenance to come. Within 3 minutes someone was at the door to check the sink. And fix it they did. When I first arrived, the safe would not work properly so again the maintenance folks were here immediately. If you have full ownership, you the owner are responsible for maintenance. If something is broken you must pay. There are only three floors of fractional ownership in Playa Royale. Of the 5 towers, only three floors in one building has the fractional ownership. This system works for me but most condos here are owned outright.. The place is well looked after. Once a week the condo is cleaned with new towels and sheets. The lady makes a thorough clean of the place which is not small. It is all included in our annual membership fee. Our type of owndership has worked well for both Ken and me. And I still like the system now. This condo is pleasant and big enough to be comfortable whether there is one person or eight. I especially like it when the maintenance person comes immediately to fix the problem. And much to my surprise, the maintenance person today was a lady. Progress in Mexico for the ladies.

January 14, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Cold# 2.

The coldest night I ever spent was in Yosemite. Ken and I were camping on our way home from our summer job in Arizona. We stopped for a couple of days in Yosemite. We hiked and we drove all around. When it got dark, we happened to be in the high country. Our day was wonderful in the valley. The place is spectacular. And the evening was beautiful and pleasant so we decided not to pitch the tent so we could see all the stars. We had primitive camping equipment. No stove. No sleeping bags. No air mattress. We slept on a ground cover with a quilt under us and a quilt over top. So we went to sleep. But we were in the high country and the temperature dropped. It got cold. And we woke up feeling very cold. In addition, we could hear bears rooting through the trash cans. We could hear them go from one can to the next. Ken did get up to get our jackets but it did not work. We just were miserable the rest of the night. As soon as the sun came up and the bears went away we got up, packed up and headed to lower level where we could get warm. Our visit to Yosemite was excellent, in fact it was the only time we ever visited the wonderful park. But if you ask either of us what we did in Yosemite, we would say that we froze all night in the high country. Poor judgement on our part. But a good story.

January 13, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Alone.

Shortly after Ken died, I had a conversation with friend Butch about living by muself, which I had never done before. Butch said, "You will be surprised, but you will find there are advantages living alone." My comment was to ay that I would let him know. The first time I was living here after Ken died I was in the pool. A lady told me that she was living here with her sister in law and friend, all widows from a little town in Alberta. As I was a new widow, I asked for some advice. She told me that anytime she feels blue or lonely, she thinks about what she could do that day that she could not have done if her husband was alive. I thanked her for her advice and kept it in my memory bank. Sunday I spent a day that could have only been done when I was living by myself. Nor could I spend my time on Sunday if Ken had been alive. Just before 11:00 I checked to find what channels would be showing the 3 football games. As I was scrolling through the channels, I spotted a biography of Frank Sinatra with lots of his singing. The movie started at 10:30 so I missed the beginning but I kept watching until the movie ended at 12:30. Immdiately, the second part of the HBO special came on so I watched it till the end at 2:30. I loved every minute. The whole movie showed lots of his singing. I never did find any games during the day. But when I was ready to eat dinner, I searched out the evening game. And I watched the whole game. I enjoyed it too. Now I could never have watchef those two long TV bouts if I had company or if Ken had been alive. So I have to tell Butch that I just learned something to my advantage by living alone. I certainly enjoyed my day.

January 12, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Cold.

The coldest day I ever spent was when we were in San Francisco. Ken and I had worked at a summer camp outside Tucson the summer of 1961. To get home by Labor Day, we decided to drive to the west coast to visit my aunt Lil and cousin Joyce who lived in Oakland, then drive up the coast to Vancouver, then right across Canada and home to Toronto. We wee driving our 1953 VW bug with no airconditioning. And we were camping. After a visit with relatives, our plan was to spend the day in San Francisco, then drive north to find a camp spot. We parked the car in the city, and used trolley cars and public transportation throughout the day. Our last stop was Golden Gate park. That place is windy. We were wearing light clothes and after hiking around and taking tea, we were really cold. In fact we were both shivering. We got ourselves back to the car and immediately headed north, keeping our heater to get us warm. We had jackets in the car and we figured that as Canadians, we could tough it out. And we did. But I still recall that day we spent in San Francisco. I don't think I have ever been colder. Of course, we were stupid. Everyone knows that San Francisco was cold, even in August. Also I was wearing a cotton, sleeveless dress and sandals. And we left our jackets in the car when we headed out for the day. But we knew nothing and we paid the price. But we had a wonderful memory.

January 11, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Television.

I watch television when I eat dinner. I am looking for programs that provide me with information. And I am looking for a game. My habit when I move to a new place is to spend time checking out the channels to see what is being shown. And I write them down on my handy pad of paper. Tonight is Monday so I wondered if Antiques Roadshow would be on PBS at 7:00. Sure enough, I looked at my list of channels and put in 51.22. I was delighted to find my favorite show. They were showing an old program from Baltimore, first filmed in 2007. Then they updated the appraisel for 2021. A mask from South America was appraised at $20,000. in 2007. But in 2021, it was worth $1500. I hope she sold it years ago. Goodness. The channels here are not good. I can watch 2 Canadian channels and 2 German speaking channels. Lots of Spanish. On in French. I always find at least 2 channels showing soccer. And a National Georaphic in Spanish. This year we have new television sets in the bedrooms. Last year we had a new larger set in the living room but the old outdated units were still in the bedrooms. Now we have gotten modern. In Mississippi I watch TV when I eat lunch but not here in Playa. Nothing to watch. In Mississippi I watch 2 travel shows at 1:00 but here I usually eat closer to 2:00 so I read. Now that I have been here a week, I am now an expert on what channels will be good for me. I am all set with my channels.

January 10, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Sports.

In any game, the result is often unexpected. For instance, befor the football game tonight between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, every expert commentator selected Pittsburg as the potential winner. But at the end of the first quarter, the score was 28-0, for Cleveland. Now the game is not over so perhaps the game will change in Pittsburg's favor. But it was stunning to watch. The Junior hockey championship is another example. The Canadian team was by far the most talented team, with 19 first round picks on the team. Everyone "knew" the Canadians would win the gold medal. The goalie had only allowed 3 goals during the first 6 games of the tournament and they were all power play goals. Every writer and TV commentator thought the Canadian team would win the gold. Even I thought the same thing. Prior to the gold medal game against the US, the Player who bacame the MVP of the game commented that he thought that the goalie had not been tested. And he said the same about the whole Canadian team. But the players on the Canadian team were so talented I felt they would overcome any situation. During the first period, the Canadian team came out playing as if they had read their reputation. They were flat. They expected to win before the game was played. Soon, one minute into the second period, the Canadian team was down by 2 goals. They played hard for the rest of the game. But they lost 2-0. The sports psycologists will have a field day trying to find out what happened. Was it coaching? Was it complacency? Was it aggogance? Was the American team under estimated? That is one of the reasons I love all athletics. Until the game is played, you never know who will win, which of course is why they play the game. Until th game is over, the game is never over. I am still cheering for Pittsburgh.

January 9, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. A Close Call.

Sometimes I do stupis things. My first night here, Sunday, was one of those times. All week I was keeping my stupidity to myself but today I dcided to confess. I was weary and needed a good night sleep. The last tim I met Dr. S. my Oncologist I complained about the sleeping pills she had described so she suggested another type. Evidently, the nw meds works well. But she did warn me to stay in bed for 8 hours. I forget now what it was called but when I told Kashina, she told me to be sure to be in bed before I take the pill, because she said it works quickly. But she said that I would sleep sondly all night. My problem is that I get up to the bathroom at least once every night so I decided not to use the new medication. Instead I used the first one which I was working. So I just kept the new sleeping pills but never used them. When I am extremely tired I struggle to fall asleep so at the last minute on Sunday night, I decided to take one of the new meds, the ones that keep you asleep for 8 hours. As warned by Kashina, I fell asleep immediately. And I stayed asleep until 5:00 when I needed to get to the bathroom, which I did. But my legs wee shaky. When I went to sit on the commode, I was turned and ended up sitting half on the toilet. Fortunately I had my back and side to the wall along the shower and the toilet tank so when I leaned back I ended up against the wall which woke me awake. To make sure I had not leaked, I pulled a towel in front of the commode. And I went back to bed and asleep. One of the side effects of this medication are dreams. When I woke up in the morning, I tried to figure out if I had been dreaming. I actually needed to verify that the towel was on the floor in front of the commode. I will not use those sleeping pills again. Had I sat on the other side of the commode I would have fallen back to nothing but the wall and the marble floor, which would not have been good. Again I was lucky. And I also was stupid to be using a new sleeping pill in a new place. Ken would not have been pleased.

January 8, 2021. Play Royale, Mexico. Marlin.

Marlin is the conceriege at Playa Royale. She has been in that job since we moved here for the winter, many years ago. She does her job well. She is helpful, enthusiastic and effecient. Her job requires her to multi task. Over the years we have had many doculents sent to her to print. We had no printer. When we were involed in real estate transactions, we would send her the documents to print. Then we would go to her office to sign them. Next she scanned them and sent them back. When both Ken and I were in the hospital at the same time, we needed to move from the time share to our condo at Playa. Marlin went and brought all our belonging to Playa. Yesterday my groceries arrived thanks to Marlin. Our plan was fo me to give her my grocery list on Wednesday when she would put the order in on line. Thursday was the day the store would deliver the goods. But Marlin was forced to take two personal days off from work and she was concerned with my groceries. So she came to my condo in the middle of the morning to get my list. In the afternoon, she actually went to the store herself and purchased my goods. When she arrived with the stuff, I paid her for the bill. She never told me what she was doing earlier in the day but it is a typical response from Marlin. She was concerned with my groceries nd went way beyond the norm, which of course is why I apprecieate her so much. Actually, as I am alone, I told her that she is my only friend at Playa. No one is visiting me, and my friends from other units are not coming this year. We both laughed and she squeezed my hand. I may have only one friend here at Playa Royale, but I have a good one in Marlin.

January 7, 2021. Playa Royale. My First Day.

My first day was a reminder of why I like to live here. The first thing I did was cut up the papaya. Marlin had purchased the fruit ripe so It was perfect to eat. I ate beakfast on the balcony watching the little boats bobbing around trying to catch fish. I drank coffee and ate toast and butter along with the papaya. The condo looks out to sea facing west so unil about 4:30 the balcony is shaded and very pleasant. And I look for the island which I could not see. I could hear children chattering away in the shallow pool so between the view, the warm air and clidren's voices my breakfast was delightful. Then I went to the restaurant on the beach, another location that brings pleasue. Usually that restaurant was crowded and the service slow but not on my first day. I was the only customer but by the time I left at 3:00 the beach folks were coming in for a mid afternoon drink. The water was sparking and the waves were high. No one was in the water. Always, when sitting looking at the water and the beach I can see lots of action. People were still walking the beach but not in huge numbers. The vendors still ply their wares all up and down the beach. The wind is still blowing. And my lunch was delicious. My first day was a good one.

January 6, 2021. Play Royale, Mexico. "Fortunate Son."

Brooks Eason lives down the steet from me on Roses Bluff Drive. He and his wife Carrie moved in the Spring. When I was out walking, I spotted them and stopped to introduce myself. And I invited them for coffee in a few days, which they did. During our time togther, he told me that he is a semi-retired lawyer. So I asked him what he does with all his free time. Much to my surprise, he told me he writes books. I then asked him what he writes about. And he told me about the first two. I bought the books. Now I am finally reading his first book, "Fortunate Son". He told me the whole story at that time which I found i to be interesting and unusual. So even though I know the whole story, I am finding it to be a good read. He was born and raised in Tupelo. Both he and his sister were adopted. His life as a son was happy and he had no reason to delve into his birth mother's story. But when he was 50, he got a call from an attorney in New Orleans saying they had been looking for him all over the world. Now they found him. What they were calling about was an inheritance. And that is how the story unfolds. The book is a memoir and is interesting. Brooks goes back several generations so you must keep your wits to keep all the people straight. Everyone has a story but not everyone writes a book about that story. But Brooks did it. Now he has completed and published three books with another well on the way. But this book, "Fortunate Son," is definately worth reading.

January 5, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Oops.

Just as I was coming through the gate to get into the pool and resort area, all three boxes of food fell out of the bottom of the bag. There was a big mess right infront of the open gate. I stood staring, trying to decide what to do. I knew I could not get down to pick up all the stuff. Fortunately, a waiter on the way to deliver food to the pool area came to my rescue. He called the boss who quickly took charge. While the waiter held the gate open and I watched helplessly, the boss picked up the food from the walkway and told me to go to my room, where he would deliver more food to me. And tht is what he did. Soon the boss rang the buzzer and and appeared with three boxes of my order. I had already eaten half of the avacado and tuna but had not touched the wings. After lunch sitting at the beach restaurant, I was preparing to return to the room with dinner tonight and lunch and dinner tomorrow. When I stood looking at my meals spread out on the pavement, my thought was to wonder what I would eat tomorrow. But the boss man bailed me out. Now I had a full order of both items, along with a box of chips. Pretty good service. Now I did not drop those boxes. While I was sitting after lunch, the waiter put the three boxes in a bag so I could carry them. He had done it yesterday. But this time, the bag was big and had been used. The bottom ju gave way and all the food ended up on the floor. But I got lucky. And I was pleased...but felt foolish.

January 4, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Easier Life.

Just after breakfast, at 11:00, I went down to pay my grocery bill to Marlin, the conceriege of Playa. She had kindly offered to get a little groceries in the condo so I could eat when I arrived. I gave her a short list: butter, fruit, multi grain bread, cheese and yogurt. Unfortuntely she forgot the cheese and yogurt so for dinner last evening I ate two pieces of toast and a delicious large tangerine. Sh also bought strawberry jam. But I do not eat jam. I paid my bill of 150 pesos, about $12. And we chatted. Then I asked her for the name of a person who I could shop for me at the large grocery store. "No problem, " said Marlin. "I have an account at Walmart. If you give me your list, I will order the groceries on line. They will deliver the groceries here to my office the next day. And I will send the groceries to your condo. The housekeepers will be happy to help." My life just got easier here at Playa Royale in Mexico. On Wednesday morning I will giver her my list. Just as I was leaving, I told Marlin that I was going up to bring all my belongings from the locker. Again she intervened and offered to send up a housekeeper to help. And she did. In a Mexican minute, which took about 5 minutes, one of the young men came up to empty the locker. It took him 5 minutes using one of the new carts to bring everything and set them carefully on the dinibg table. After asking if there was anything else he could do for me, I asked him to plug in my three chargers plus the extension for the computer. Such a help. It took me four times for him to accept a tip. Those two actions on Marlin's part made my life in Playa Royale so much easier. Once again, I am grateful.

January 3, 2021. Playa Royale, Mexico. Old Dog. New Tricks.

By the time I arrived at my gate in Dallas, I was nausiated and exhausted. No sleeo. Early to the airport for a 6:00 flight. No breakfast and no tea. I was miserable and I had over three hours to wait. Th lady who pushed me kn Dallas left me a wheel chair so I could use it as a walker and put my bag and backpack on the seat. So I decided to get some exercise and find a restaurang and a restroom. I walked a long way and got better with every step. Then my good idea kicked in. I spotted the American Airlines Club. I went in to see if I qualified. Negative which I felt sure was the case. But he told me that I could buy a day pass as I was travelling business class. At first I demurred. But then I calculated how much I was paying per hour and took his bite. I gave him my credit card and he gave me the pass. It was a bargain. This club provides complementary breakfast. And I ate a bananaI drank two cups of tea. First one English Breakfast with milk and the second Earl Gray clear. And I ate a piece of avacado toast. You were offered lots of stuff on top, uch as eggs or bacon or cheese. But I just wanted avacado toast. The place was large so I walked up and down multiple times. Every so often I sat in a comfortable chair and closed my eyes but I did not sleep. It seems my body has forgotten to go off duty. I left the Club and walked to my gate. And I had 5 minutes before boarding. Two and a half hours later I was in Puerto Vallarta. A delightful young man pushed me through all the steps at the airport. Fortunately the airport was not crowded. He made sure I was safely in the taxi. And I was at Playa Royale before 5:00. I made it. Tomorrow I will feel a whole lot better. But thar time at the American Club bailed me out. Whew.

January 2, 2021. Madison, Mississippi. The Mississippi House.

As soon as we decided to purchase a house in the Jackson area, Ken started looking on line to check to see what was available. We owned a charming but small condo on the water so we wanted to be on the reservoir and we wanted the master bedroom on the main level. He spotted the house we eventually bought immediately, in the Spring of 2014. But it was too expensive. We were not going to purchase any home until we had sold the farm in Pennsylvania so we were in no hurry. Ken watched as the price came down and down. The farm sold when we were in Mexico and by the time we returned to Mississippi, all contingencies had been removed. The next day we went looking with friend and Realtor, Susan. We looked at 3 houses. When we walked into 511 Roses Bluff Drive, I looked at the first floor, sat down in the living room and never went downstairs. I told Ken that this house would be just fine. So we made an offer that afternoon, sitting in the little kitchen of our condo. This was March, 2015. I was still taking the caustic infusion chemo, which was draining on my energy. We settled just before Easter in 2015. This purchase was not a mistake. Living here is pleasant, comfortable but not too big. The house did not sell for three reasons. The agent took pictures of the interior using a wide angle lens, which made the rooms look large. If you looked at the pictures and wanted a grand house, the purchaser would walk in and immediately leave. This is not a grand house. Secondly, the house was not staged. There must have been a thousand objects on the first floor. The furniture was too big. The house looked small and cramped with all the furniture. And lastly, the house was in bad shape. There was deferred maintenance everywhere you looked. But we were buying for location and configuration. We juat got lucky. On the lower level is Ken's office and sitting area. I feel sad that Ken only was able to use that office for a few years, which was the best office Ken ever used. But there is also a guest room and two full baths down there along with a TV room. The lower level provides privacy for guests and if I ever need a full time helper, there is a place for them to live. Ken and I did a good thing when we bought this house and then fixed it. I am grateful every day.

January 1, 2021. Madison, Mississippi. 2020.

For most people in the world, 2020 was a difficult year. Jobs just disappeared. Education became isolating. Social life disappeared. Life was not easy. But for me, my life was not so different. As I was on Ibrance all year, I was already required to stay away from people who I did not know did not have infections. That was my system when I was on chemo before so I just continues that plan, long before social distancing was popular. I stayed away from the grocery store and the drug store already so life did not change. The restaurants were only open for carry out so Christina and the girls brought our brunch home to me and we ate at the dining table, staying apart. Kate stayed away from me as she was in contact with the virus at the hospital. As soon as the restaurants became open to dining inside, they were required to keep the tables well away from other tables, which actually made my life easier. In former times when I was on Ibrance we always looked for the table at the outer corner, or we ate outside. Now with table spaced apart, my life is easier. The same is true for flying. I was the only person wearing a mask on the planes but now everyone wears one. And the planes are cleaner as is the air. I have a small circle of friends in Mississippi so I only contact a limited number people in a week. So I have managed to avoid the virus by doing what I have always done when taking chemotherapy, which was to avoid people. My life actually got a little easier . But no matter what, all my family members have thrived and survived in 2020. And for that I am grateful.