December 31, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Happy New Years Eve.

 Once upon a time, many years ago, we attended the New Years celebration at Paradise Village.  Our Texas family was here with us.  This was the first year that the children were allowed to stay up to celebrate midnight.  We had a great time.  The event was held on the beach at the end of the resort.  They served a wonderful buffet dinner  plus lots of entertainment.  The young girls danced all evening, sometimes with other and other times with strangers.

During the evening, we all got chilly so Suzanne was able to find jackets for us.  Three of those fleece jackets are still with me at Playa Royale.  David paid the bill.  At the stroke of midnight, the fireworks started and lasted a long time.  We all enjoyed ourselves but especially the girls.

Once again, I am at Paradise Village where they are holding a big event this evening.  But Wendy, Ken and I are not going to attend.  Firstly, it is too late and there is too much food.  But also the price is amazing.  2950 pesos for each, which is about $250. American.  We will stay home in our lovely little unit.  And we will celebrate by drinking a glass of red wine,  the one Chris gave to Wendy and Ken at Christmas.  So our celebration will be delightful and quiet.  And we will be in bed before the fireworks.  Tomorrow we will make our resolutions.  

December 30, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.. Moving On.

We have enjoyed 12 days of living in the Villa.  it is big and beautiful.  But now we must leave.  someone will be taking over.  Ken Wendy and I are moving into a 2 bedroom unit at the time share of Paradise Village.  We dy and Ken have been taking our belongings bit by bit so when we finally had to leave at 11:00, all we took with us was my backpack and one bag of goodies.  The shift was very efficient.  

Last evening I wrote my blog but just as it was published,  poof went my blog.  So now I am repeating the process.  Our unit has been newly renovated.  We will enjoy ourselves in our new home.  And in one week we move again but next time to Playa Royale.  We feel sure that we will not have troubles with the Internet.  So here we go to enjoy our new home for one week.  

December 29, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Bathing.

The easiest place for me to shower is in my Mississippi home.  I have hand holds on the four walls of the shower plus one outside the shower so getting in and out is easy as well as holding on to when showering.  I have discovered that the older I get, the more difficult is for me to shower.  My bedroom in the Villa has a large shower but there is not a hand hold in sight.  So showering is difficult, if not impossible.  Once again, Wendy stepped in to help.

Wendy found a plastic chair on an outside balcony on the second floor which fits perfectly into the shower.  She wears her bathing suit in my shower and after she gets the water hot I sit on the chair and I scrub.  There is a hand held shower with a long wand which easily reaches me in the chair.  Wendy hands me the water and I rinse off.  Then she washes my hair.  And I wash my face.  We are quite a sight.  When I am all clean and Wendy turns off the water, Wendy wraps me in big towels, one on my head and the other around my shoulders.

Next I sit on a towel in a chair in my bedroom while Wendy goes upstairs to get out of her wet bathing suit.  But first she put a towel over my legs so I would be warm.  And I drip dry.  I am quite a sight wrapped from top to bottom with big white towels.  I suggested to Wendy that I could have a picture taken for my Christmas card and call it "After the Bath".  But no one thought it a good idea, except me.  But the most important aspect of this whole exercise is that I am clean and fresh, all done with my Wonderful Wendy.

December 28, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Neighbors.

We have been in our Villa for a week with Alana, Nick and Chris.  And the Villa was very quiet outside.  Chris commented several times how quiet it was.  There wasn't even any noise coming from the boats in the marina.  But not any more.  

Right now, we can hear music coming from a boat not too far away.  And several people have moved into the Villas, beginning yesterday.   Immediately to our right a Mexican family moved in and quickly began enjoying the pool, especially the children.  Of course, we did not know what they were saying but we knew they were enjoying themselves.  Then about 7:30 they must have gone out to dinner and we have not heard them since.

On the other side of us an American family moved in.  Their children played in the pool all afternoon and evening.  They left for an hour, then returned to sit outside on the patio and talked. until midnight.  But now we could hear what they were saying, so we came inside and closed the door.  I was interested to hear that the children sat out with the parents until they all eventually went indoors.

Then today two other families have moved into Villas down the road.  All day the children played in their own pools.  Our row of Villas must now be full.  And I must say that nothing in the world sounds better than happy children playing in a swimming pool.  This morning, Ken found a ball floating in our pool so he threw the ball over the wall into their pool which I feel sure made the children happy.  Clearly, New Years week is busier at Paradise Village than Christmas week, which surprises me.  Our patio is no longer quiet.

December 27, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Our Villa.

 Six years ago, we stayed in a Villa.  Ken and I, Wendy and Ken, Katey and Brock and Alana were here.  And we had a great time.  What we remember about that vacation was that the place was beautiful and spacious, and that we had our own pool that we all enjoyed.  What we had forgotten was the steps.  I recalled long circular stairs to the second floor, and that was all.  That year, Ken and I stayed in the bedroom on the first floor and gave the massive master suite to Wendy and Ken.  My Ken was not up to the long set of stairs to the second floor.

Chris and I walked into the entrance foyer.  Then into the kitchen.  I discovered to my horror that there were three steps from the kitchen to the dining room.  With no railings.  Then I looked at the living room only to find two more steps into the living room and back patio.  At least there was a railing for those steps.  I have no recollection of those multi levels in this lovely Villa.  Wendy also did not remember thee steps in the main rooms although she does remember the long set of winding stairs to the bedroom level.

So I am not able to go into the kitchen by myself which is fine because I never go into the kitchen.  My bedroom is on the dining room level so I can get into my bedroom and bath by myself and using the railing plus a couch I can get over to my spot on the couch.  We leave my walker at the top of the stairs.  If I want to go outside, I must either take someones arm or bring my walker down the two stairs.  So I can manage very well even with these two sets of stairs.  I just cannot get to the front door by myself.  I need help.

Our Villa is now half full.  Wendy, Ken and I are still enjoying our Villa.  This is a nice place.

December 26, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Boxing Day.

 Most Americans know nothing about Boxing Day.  Several friends, when I use the term, think it is a time for boxing matches.  But that would be wrong.  I was told about the English custom of Boxing Day activities but I do not know if my information is accurate.  During the 19th century of the big manor houses with huge parcels of land, the workers had the day off the day after Christmas.  Instead, the rich owners held a big party for the working folks.  And they boxed up the old toys and gave the workers gifts. That what I was told anyway.

I never understood why the workers children were given old toys.  Evidently used clothes were boxed up and given to the adults.  Why did the rich not buy new gifts for the workers.  It did not seem fair.  Now, the only aspect that continues from Boxing Day is the name, Boxing Day.  In Canada and England it is a holiday.  The tradition is to spend Christmas Day with family and Boxing Day with friends.  My sister always rented a skating rink and invited family and friends.  My sons, David and Andrew learned to skate at those skating parties on Boxing Day.  It was a great custom.

Alana and Nick are on the plane for snowy Hamilton.  Chris is still waiting at the gate, 2 hours delayed.  He will be stuck in Houston and miss his connection to Jackson.  Fortunately there are hotels at the Houston airport.  One year Christina and the girls got stuck in Houston both coming and leaving Puerto Vallarta.  Our Villa will be quiet.  But we enjoyed having the younger ones here.  Now we look forward to another visit from them another year.

December 25, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Christmas Day.

All six of us had an unusual Christmas Day.  Our day was lovely.  Chris was the only person who played Santa.  The rest of us decided not to exchange gifts but no one told Chris so we all enjoyed receiving his gifts to everyone.   The palapa was on the front row looking out to sea so four folks enjoyed the palapa in the morning.

For lunch we ate at at my favorite restaurant, right at the end of the resort.  We sat under shade .  The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and we enjoyed our leisurely lunch.  I came back to the Villa for a nap while the four others returned to the palapas for their last hurrah.  Alana and Nick leave for Ontario tomorrow while Chris will head back to Mississippi.  Fortunately the temperatures in both places have gotten warmer.

For dinner, Wendy and Ken brought Mexican food from Jude's, the restaurant in the Plaza.  We sat in the living room enjoying our burritos.  And we all agreed that our Christmas Day suited us just fine.  Unusual for sure but for us, we enjoyed our Christmas Day.

December 24, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta. The Weather.

 My wee blog of last evening has been lost .  Even i can not find it let alone my friends and family.  The internet does not always work well.  

what I said on my blog was all about the weather.  Everywhere has been extremely cold.  Even Greenville where Kate lives and where Christina and the girls are spending Christmas has been cold.  And this is North Carolina at 8 degrees.  But not in Nuevo Vallarta. where we have 80 degrees and sun.  I am pleased to be here.

December 23, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Fishing Trip.

Bright and early this morning, Wendy cooked bacon and Alana scrambled eggs, all so the fishermen would go off with a hearty breakfast.  Alana booked a fishing trip from a man on the beach.  They were to appear at the dock by the yacht club at 8:00 this morning.  The trip was a four hour journey.  And sure enough, they all three walked into our Villa at 12:15.  And they were happy.

Chris, Alana and Nick did everything they wanted the fishing expedition to do.  They caught fish but not big fish, but enough for them to be kept busy.  And they saw whales pretty close to their boat, and dolphins too.  When you book an excursion on the beach you never really know what will happen.  But they got lucky.  The boat was fine, at least big enough for the captain, one crew member and our three.  And they brought beer.  But, Nick was the only brave one who drank a beer.  

Chris was close to getting sick but didn't.  Alana felt a bit woozy too but was fine.  Nick was fine except when he was back at the Villa, he got a headache.  Too much sun and not enough water forced him onto a nap in the shade.  But now everyone is well.  And the fishing trip is over.  But it was a success.

December 22, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Lazy Days.

 We are all enjoying lazy days at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta.  Wendy books a palapa every morning for the next day.  She books them for 9:00 am.  The rule is that you must claim your palapa within an hour.  If not, they might give it away to someone else.  Ken generally wanders down first followed by Alana and Nick.  Chris walks around checking the resort or the Plaza every day and often joins them.  

Every morning, Alana and Nick swim in our little pool and do some exercises.  This morning, Alana, Nick and Chris had breakfast at the buffet at the Tulum restaurant at the resort.  They came home stuffed with good food.  Since then, all four have spent the day at the palapa while Chris bought a hat at the Plaza.  Tomorrow, Alana, Nick and Chris will take a fishing trip for four hours, beginning at 8:00, so Chris needed more than a visor to protect his head.

My foot was acting up yesterday when Alana changed my bandage, so I stayed home yesterday and today. Perhaps I have been walking too much.  Tonight, they will go to our favorite restaurant, La Isla for dinner, but I will stay at home.  I could take a taxi instead of walking with everyone else, but the chairs are wooden and I will be more comfortable staying home in the Villa.  They will bring me back a delicious dinner.

Every evening before dinner we gather at the large patio beside the pool.  We overlook the marina so we watch the lights come on the boats.  Our days are lazy and pleasant, perfect for a vacation.

December 21, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico Tacos.

 Just outside the Plaza sits a new taco restaurant.  It is very small with only three tables.  People have told us that the tacos are good and inexpensive.  Chris and I wanted to eat breakfast tacos our first morning but they are not open until 11:00.  So we ate at Judes instead.  Right next to the taco place is the place where you can buy frozen yoghurt.  That place has been in business for years but every so often the adjacent place changes.  Last year was an Italian restaurant.  Now it sells tacos.

Tonight the young folks went to bring us back tacos for dinner.  They tried to bring back some guacamole but the place only sells tacos.  We sat outside on the patio, enjoying the warm air and eating our taco dinner, which was delicious.  The food was tasty.  We ate every one they brought home.  The place was quick too.  They returned much sooner than we expected.  This new taco place is a winner.  It cost $100. to serve the 6 of us for dinner.  And we were all full.  Now I hope they survive more than one year.  I am always pleased to fine new, good restaurants.  No one needed to cook.  And dining outside on your own patio was a great pleasure.  We hit the jackpot tonight.

December 20, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. All in Our Places.

 We are all in our places with sunshine faces.  And feeling smug because a big snow storm is coming to Ontario later this week.  Everyone arrived last evening.  And they had no wait to check into Paradise Village.   After we all got situated in the Villa, Wendy, Ken, Alana and Nick were hungry so went to the bar for a late supper.  When they returned, we talked until almost midnight.  We are all pleased to have a full house.

Alana made coffee early and all four sat outside enjoying the warm air.  Next we went to the Mexican restaurant for breakfast at the Plaza.  Next,  Alana and Nick went to the beach and to explore the resort while Wendy and Ken bought food at the market, the same one we do not like but are pleased it is there.  We all had a lazy, happy day.  Alana and Nick tried out the little pool at the Villa  while the rest of us enjoyed the lounge chairs and the patio.  And tomorrow they have booked 2 palapes all day.  Their vacation has begun.

December 19, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Recovery Day.

Our goals for the day were modest.  We need to eat three proper meals even though we had no food in the Villa.  We needed to exchange dollars for pesos and I needed to have my picture ID taken.  I am pleased to say that we accomplished all our modest goals.  In addition, we bought a small amount of stuff at the market such as coffee, cheese and crackers.  Wendy would not do well without coffee in the kitchen.

In addition, both Chris and I took shot naps both morning and afternoon, and we had a pleasant day too.  For breakfast we went back to Jude's at the Plaza, the same place we ate dinner last night.  One of my favorite places for lunch is the Yacht Club, so we took the shuttle and enjoyed our lunch overlooking the 18th hole.  And this evening at 6:00 Wendy, Ken, Alana and Nick arrive at the airport, so we will meet them in the main building.

Once again, traveling is tiring.  And, Chris walked a long way in the airports so his legs are sore.  And of course, we got lost last night and that extended our walk.  Today we only walked as much as necessary.  And we both feel better today.  Tomorrow will be even better, if history serves us well.  So our recovery day has been a success!  So now onto the next step.

December 18, 2022. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. We Made It.

 We were expecting a long day, but we were not expecting a long line to check in to the resort.  Chris was in line for well over an hour while I sat in a comfortable chair.  Then I joined him when he was at the front of the line.  And we finally got the keys.  Chris has logged us into the internet.  We ate supper at Jude's, in the Plaza.  And, we walked home in the dark and promptly got lost.  Chris found us back to our Villa 3.

Our flights went well.  Everything worked as promised.  Except when we were ready to leave Houston, the Captain could not be found.  Eventually, he appeared,  and actually we were only late 5 minutes.  But both Chris and I are weary.  Tomorrow will be a recovery day.  and we both want to do more walking.  We started by walking home from the Plaza.  Tomorrow I will organize my stuff.  Soon, I we will be in bed.  The temperature when we arrived was 79.  And the Villa is lovely.  We are pleased to be here.

December 17, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Portia.

Portia has been my helper since I returned to Mississippi in mid October .  I knew I had a good one the first day when she asked me to bring coffee.  i gave her the four steps needed to operate the coffee maker.  And she did it without asking for further directions.  I was impressed because everyone asks for more directions.  So I asked her if she was smart.  Her response was not arrogant.  She said,"I have always done well at school."  And indeed, Portia has been a winner for me.

Portia is fun and funny and enjoys her life and working with me.  She is a pleasure to be with.  I am all set for my journey because Portia has organized each case.  I would describe what needed to be done and she carried out the activities.  So bit by bit, we got everything done.  Yesterday we obtained the last of my medications.  Now they are packed carefully in my small carryon case.  She even set out my morning medicines for today.  So now the only thing I need to do is pack my chargers and the computer cord, plus my reading glasses.  Then close the case.  And I will be ready.

Tomorrow Chris will pick me up at 4:45 to go to the airport and the flight to Houston and then on to Puerto Vallarta.  It will be a long day.  But we will be there where the temperature will be 80 degrees and sunny.  Wendy, Ken, Alana and Nick arrive the day after at 6:00pm.  Then our Villa will be full.  and we will begin to enjoy Mexico.  So here I go.  Portia will return to help be when I return March 11.  She has been an excellent helper to me.

December 16, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Good Neighbor.

 Donna is my across the street neighbor.  She has been a good neighbor.  We go out for lunch once a month just to be sure to get together.  She was a nurse so when I needed to check my glucose levels each day twice a day, and my evening helper was fired, I asked Donna if she would come across the street to check my levels every evening and on morning and evening on the weekends.  And she agreed and has been doing it for the past ten days.

But beginning this week, she has also brought me dinner.  She told me that as she was already coming to see me, she decided to also bring me dinner.  So every evening she has brought me a delicious home cooked dinner which I have devoured.   Every evening about 7:00 Donna comes over to check my levels.  Then she brings me a tray with my dinner.  And we have a short visit.  Last evening, her daughter Anne Avery came too which I enjoyed too.  

Portia always sets out food for my dinner when she leaves at 2:00  But nothing is as good as eating home cooked dinners from my neighbor.  I am enjoying the cooking.  And I am grateful for my neighbor Donna.  I feel very fortunate.

December 15, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Dimmer Switch.

 The dimmer switch caught me again.  Several years ago, shortly after Chantes installed a new overhead light in our bedroom, the light stopped working.  I assumed that a defective light was installed and the light that was supposed to be a long life bulb had already burned out.  So I called Chantes, my handyman..  He asked me to check the dimmer switch, which I did.  I did not even know the new switch had a dimmer switch.  Sure enough, I had inadvertently pushed the dimmer off.  And the light worked.  We moth laughed.

This week, the same light would not work.  But as I was leaving Mississippi, I decided to call Chantes upon my return so I just put up with dim light in the bedroom.  Yesterday afternoon, the light was working.  I asked Portia how she was able to get the light to work and she said that she turned up the dimmer switch.  Duh.  I had forgotten all about that little dimmer switch.  Now that light works just fine.  And I once again am reminded to keep humble.  Now perhaps the next time the light will not work perhaps I will be reminded to push the little button on the side of the switch so I can turn up the dimmer switch.  Or maybe not.

December 14, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Cards.

 I actually enjoy writing Christmas cards.  I like to ponder each person and remember how important that person was to me all those years ago.  And I write each person a little note.  But this year will be different because I have no cards.  Christina ordered my cards but they will be delivered the day after I leave.  So I am going to have Christmas in March.  When I return to Mississippi the cards will be waiting for me.  And I write them and send them upon my return.

This will be the first time in my adult life that I will miss sending Christmas cards.  It seems weird.  I am enjoying receiving the cards so far and I feel like shouting out to tell my friends that my cards are coming...later.  I feel sure that folks will think that I have gone to heaven.  But they would be wrong.  I will be in Mexico enjoying the 80 degrees and sunshine.  And sooner or later I will write my cards for Christmas 2022.  And I will mail those cards in March.  I promise.

December 13, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Organized.

Portia is helping me with all the details.  And we are getting there, ready for me to leave Mississippi for Mexico on Sunday, the 18th.  My two cases are set out on the dining table and bit by bit we are filling them up.  We will be spending over three weeks at the time share in Paradise Village so I must take clothes with me when I arrive.  The first 10 days we will be in a Villa, a lovely large home complete with its own swimming pool.  Then Wendy and Ken and I move into a 2 bedroom unit until we go to Playa Royale on Jan.7.  I am looking forward to the warm air and sunshine.  And the good food. And my Family.

Today I sent the gifts to the San Antonio family.  And we went to the bank.  I never know how much money I need in Mexico.  For some reason I can never remember.  Tomorrow I have an appointment to cut my hair.  I see my primary care physician tomorrow too.  And my Oncologist on Friday.  I have yet to get my medications needed for the three months.  I will need my regular meds, my oral insulin and my chemo.  My numbers are below 200 today so I should be able to take the chemo in Mexico.

So here I am.  Almost all set once again.  The number of details are astonishing.  But with Portia helping, I am getting everything ready. Whew. 

December 12, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Chemo Therapy.

My Oncologist is upset.  She does not want me to go to Mexico.  And here is the reason.  My new chemo was a big part of my glucose spike which put me in the hospital.   While I was in the hospital and until my levels went down, I took no chemo.  And my glucose levels were under 200.  But Friday night I started the chemo and for a few days, all was well.  My levels stayed under 200, between 150 and 180.  But this morning  the level was higher, at 235.  So we will watch for a day or two and if it stays too high, I will not be able to take that chemo.

The Oncologists problem is that as I am leaving on Sunday, she is not able to start a new chemo which she must monitor as I started the new medication.  I suggested to her that I go to Mexico with no chemo, which does not please her.  But today she admitted that that is what I will probably be doing.  So for the next few days we will watch my levels.  Portia checks first thing in the morning and my neighbor comes and checks in the evening.  

Dr. Sheehan, my Oncologist knows that in 2015 the young Oncologist in Puerto Vallarta administered my infusion therapy and did a fine job.  I just might contact her to see if she is still there.  The Mexican doctor was the first person who told me that breast cancer is a manageable disease.  And she was right.  We have been managing the disease ever since.  So here we ho.  Another adventure.

December 11, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Canada Geese.

Where I live on the Reservoir, Canada Geese give me only pleasure.   They stay down by the water and if they come on the land,  they never come up to the yard or the decks.  They remain on the banks.   When we lived in the condo, they walked along the walking paths and the parking lots, so walking was difficult.  But not now where I live.  Sometimes when driving to the grocery store I see bunches of them on the fields but never on the roads.  So again, these Canada Geese make no mess for the people.

Instead I hear them honking.  And I like that.  Sometimes I even hear them in the middle of the night when they should be sleeping.  What they are doing in the middle of the night I have no idea.  Mostly I hear them in the morning and evening.  

I know that when the Canada Geese do not migrate and stay in one place they can be a big nuisance.  But here on the banks of the Reservoir these Canada Geese give only pleasure for me.  Pretty Nice.  

December 10, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas/Birthday Party.

 Every year for many years, early in December I host a party, both for my birthday and to begin the Christmas season.  Every year since we moved to Mississippi, we have had the same party.  We invite our friends and their children.  For the past few years I have held the party at the Yacht Club, just down the street.  The food was so good last year that we decided to repeat the same menu so I had nothing to do except book the date.  Tonight was the night for the party.  It was a great success.

The children are seldom invited to Christmas parties so it is special for them.  One of the pleasures of the evening is to watch the young people growing up so nicely.  I only see them once a year, at this party so it is fun to watch them from across the room.  And of course they always come over to thank me to invite them.  I enjoy the evening.

The food was great.  The company was excellent.  I sat in one place and chatted as folks stopped by to say hello.  A week ago I was in the hospital.  But tonight I hosted the party.  Hats off to the doctors.  

December 9, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. A New Helper.

Both Christin and Portia wanted me to hire another helper for the afternoon shift. so we called the same company, Sitters Inc. to find a helpful person from 3 to 8 plus 9 to 4 on Saturday and Sunday.  So on short notice, they found K.K. a young woman who is also attending Junior College.  The first day, on Monday, she just came to find me and get to know me.  She was supposed to arrive at 3:00.  Instead, she knocked on the door at 3:40.  With no apologies.

I could only think of two tasks she needed to do, which was take my glucose test and serve my dinner, the one Portia had prepared during the morning.  She was clumsy with her hands so the glucose test was difficult for both of us.  But she finally did it.  And she heated and brought me supper.  The rest of the time she sat in the living room and worked on her homework.  Both Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday she was late 20 to 30 minutes.  With no explanations.

Portia had warned her not to talk on the phone at work.  I do not like it.  On Wednesday she got up and went outside.  She was gone 5 minutes with no explanations.  A few minutes later she went outside again but this time she was gone for over 20 minutes.  When I asked her what she was doing she told me she was on the phone to her father.  I reminded her that she was being paid to look after me.  She was not pleased.

Today she did not appear at all.  Portia and I were very late getting home from the Oncologist she Portia was still here when K.K. should have arrived.  So Portia called her to find that she could not come today.  Evidently she contacted the boss Ben.  But he has no record of her call or text.  So I fired her.

My neighbor Donna has kindly agreed to take my glucose test in the afternoon and on the weekend.  And I must look after myself the rest of the time.  A normal person could take the test themselves but not me.  My vision and my shaking makes it impossible for me.  Since March 2018, Sitters Inc. has provided us with excellent helpers, until now.  K.K. was hopeless.  Now she is gone.  Thank you God.

December 8, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Health Issues.

 Today I visited a pulmonary lab to be tested.  After an X-ray and the three tests, I met with the doctor in charge.  I passed all the tests.  My X-ray still shows shadows on the lungs, which he said will gradually disappear.  And he reported that after reviewing all my reports from my two doctors, he reported that all parameters of my situation have improved.  And he also urged me to go to Mexico, where the air will be warm and where I can gradually get back in decent shape.  So that was a good visit today.

My situation is complicated.  Poly neuropathy body.  Breast cancer managed by chemo therapy.  High glucose, managed by oral insulin, we hope.  Recent lung in infections, pneumonias and RSV.  Unstable legs so I must use a walker 100% of the time.  High heart rate, although it is going down, but not yet normal.  I am feeling better.  I am sleeping with no sleeping pills. I still cough but not much.   So I am clearly on the mend.

The good part of my recent illness is that I have lost weight.  As we know, something good happens in every situation.  Whoopee.  I have lost weight.

December 7, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Birthday.

Yesterday was my birthday.  I turned 85.  My Grandmother Bought lived to be 95.  My Brother Dave is 90.  But I am the oldest person other than those two who ever got to be so old.  Amazing really to have lived so long.  I like being old, despite my health issues.

My birthday was pleasant even though I did nothing fancy.  My neighbor Donna brought lunch and we sat in the living room and enjoyed our good food from Arbys.  And we always enjoy each others company.  Beautiful flowers arrived from Suzanne and David, just in time for lunch.  I talked on the phone with family and friends.  And I read my birthday texts and e mails. So I had a quiet but pleasant day on my 85th birthday.  Quiet but pleasant can not really get much better.

Today, Linda, Christinas mother brought me lunch and again we enjoyed sitting in the living room enjoying our good food and good company.  Extended celebrations are always the best so today I celebrated my birthday with Linda.   On Saturday night I will host a Christmas party at the Yacht Club just down the road.  Again, I will celebrate my birthday.  Pretty nice.  

December 6, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Private Room.

 My room at the hospital was just fine.  Most importantly was that I had a private room.  It had a couch, a recliner and my hospital bed.  And I had my own bathroom.   Of course I was always hooked to an IV so I was mostly stuck in bed.  Right beside my bed was a commode chair so I could use the toilet all by myself.  And I had a good television with lots of channels.  Mostly I rested in bed, except for meal time when I sat in the big chair.  As I did not have a walker with me, I needed to get to the chair with some help with a nurse or helper.  I could function well in my little private room.

My room also had an outside vestibule so anyone entering my room first has to enter the outside room, then come right into the room.  The first night in the hospital was busy.  Lots of tests.  lots of shots.  And me not sleeping at all.  They drew blood four times the first 12 hours.  Vital signs every few hours.  It was a busy place, my own private room.  

So I listened carefully.  My room was quiet with two doors between me and the hall.  But I could hear the outside click of the door.  Then I could heat the door opening right into the room.  Several times throughout the night, my door opened and quickly closed.  The next morning early, I asked what that door opening and closing was all about.  Evidently, she told me that an aide must enter each room to check that all is well.  They are supposed to enter the room, walk over to  the patient to check.  Butt in my room the person never entered my room.  They opened and closed the door.  The nurse assured me that the worker did look at me.  But they never did.  I just laughed and suggested that they needed to check their system.

December 5, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Opps. My Pants Fell Down.

I arrive at the hospital wearing a pair of Depenz.  So of course it was put into the trash.   In my private room, I had a commode chair right beside my bed and I wore only a hospital gown in bed where I spent the bunk of my time.  For meals I sat on a chair but a bed pad was put on the chair.  But coming home, I had no underwear.  I was wearing a night shirt and robe.  So we asked for underwear.

The nurse gave me a pair that had no elastic but had snaps.  She hooked me up and we thought all was well.  However, when I transferred to the car from the wheelchair my new pants fell right down to my ankles.  Christina was at the wheel and was laughing.  I was trying to extricate my feet from the underwear and was laughing.  The nurse was the only one who did not think it was funny.  Of course, she was trying to be sure I did not fall so she was afraid to help with my underwear around my feet.  Eventually I was able to kick my feet away from my pants.  And Christina and I drove home with my underwear on my lap.

Of course, The car was at the main entrance of the hospital with lots of comings and goings.  Which made the whole scene even funnier.  You just never know what will happen next in a hospital.

December 4, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Hospital.

 I had never been so weary.  Since I came home to Mississippi I slowly got weaker and weaker.  Ultimately, it turned out to be a combination of a lung infection and a new chemo therapy which sent my glucose levels soaring.  So on Thursday my Geriatric specialist admitted me to the University Hospital to try to figure out what was the matter and then to fix it.  now this afternoon I am home and I hope I will soon be fit as a fiddle.

My heart rate was high.  I was urinating all the time.  I was weak as a kitten.  I was loaded with tests and fluids.  My numbers were high 12 on the A scale and 375 on the glucose level.  The gave me insulin.  And I was treated well by my doctor and the Resident Doctor.  The first day I could do nothing but rest but by Saturday I was up to television and football, which is a good sign.

Now I am on oral insulin and must prick my finger twice a day to check levels.  Already my numbers are 159.  And my heart rate 98.  For the moment I am not using the new oral chemo, at least until my numbers settle down.  I am sorry not to have written my blog but I was too weary to do anything much except rest.  Now I am on the mend.  With good medical care and a fine staff of nurses, I  will bit by bit get back my stamina.  Slow and steady is what I am reminding myself.  And thank you for your love and concerns.

November 30, 2022. The Worker Bee.

 Today was a beautiful day full of sunshine and breezes.  Abe is enjoying the weather here in Mississippi so he wanders around outside, just looking.  Both yesterday and today Anna and Abe went for a long walk, which means he is getting better.  But he is still not supposed to begin any real work.  But you can not hold him back.

This afternoon I saw him fiddling with my front door.  In order to close it properly, you had to close the door with a bit of a band.  If you just close the door quietly, the door opens by itself.  So Abe fixed it.  Now no matter how you close the door, it stays closed.  I asked him about working and he assured me that he did not stretch or strain.  "Now it is fixed," he said.

Then later in the afternoon I could hear a machine from outside.  I asked Anna what Abe was doing.  But she did not know.  Eventually he came inside and I asked him about the machine outside.  He laughed and told me to listen carefully for the man blowing his leaves next door.   Then he admitted that he had blown the leaves on my property.  So he fixed it even though he knows he is not supposed to be working.  Clearly he is doing well.  His recuperation in Mississippi has been a success.

Anna has been my helper in Nova Scotia the past four years.  Abe is her husband.  I knew he was a worker bee but I have never seen anyone quite like him.  Now I wonder what he would do to fix my house if he was well?

November 30, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Beer Steins.

In my house in Mississippi are three chairs I sit in every day.  One chair is in the corner of the living room, beside the window.  I sit in that chair every morning for breakfast.  And I read.  Opposite that chair is a couch.  I sit at the far end and read e mails.  Right beside me on the couch I keep my ipad plus chargers.  Then in the little TV room is my chair where I eat meals when I am alone.  All chairs are comfortable.  Beside each chair can be found a beer stein, full of water.

Beside the breakfast chair is a beer stein I bought just outside of Hershey, Pennsylvania.  It looks old, because it was made in the style of the first settlers.  The stein is brown with black flecks.  When fired, charcoal was placed inside which gave the black marking to the pottery.  I bought it at an antique store, when I was at a RE meeting in Hershey.  The store owner was quick to tell me that the pottery was not old, but was made in the old style.  I like it.

Beside my email couch is a Blue Mountain Pottery stein, which is made in Ontario.  I bought that stein for $1. in Galveston in 1964, at a yard sale.  The owner had no clue where the stein was made.  Bit I did.  I have enjoyed it ever since. 

Beside my TV chair is a blue pottery stein from Austria.  I brought that stein home with me one year when we were skiing.  It is heavy.  It has pretty markings which I like.  So every day my helper Portia fills my three steins.  Sometimes the TV stein needs refilling.  These three steins bring me pleasure.  Memory is a wonderful thing.

November 29, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Tasks.

Abe is visiting me here in Mississippi specifically to recover from his hernia surgery, which he had done in Indiana..  So he is supposed to be resting most of the time.  But truth be told, he just can not help himself  from being helpful and fining tasks needing of fixing.  

The first thing Anna and Abe did was to fix the arm of my computer chair.  It was wiggling.  She Abe found the correct screwdriver, while anna actually did the work.  Now both my arms are steady.  Next was my toilet seat.  My seat had gotten off kilter and Anna fixed it so now it is straight.  The first time they went out to the back deck they struggled to get the door open.  It was stuck.  So with Abe telling Anna what to do my door now opens easily.  "If I was well, I would fix them both properly", said Abe.  But that must wait for another visit.

I have a dimmer switch in the dining room.  Both Anna and Abe were pouring over my Atlas to mark their routes during they time in the US.  They use the GPS which does not tell them what is around them.  So they had the light up bright.  When Abe went to turn off the switch, he discovered that the switch was hot. So he asked Portia to get another switch, and promptly replaced the switch.  Actually, the problem was the grounding.  Now that switch does not get warm, let alone hot.

So Abe is resting and recuperating.  But he also has completed many tasks.  For that, I am grateful.

November 28, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Our Sunday Brunch.

We were not sure that Abe would be able to go out for a restaurant, so today Christina brought brunch to us.  She brought food from an Asian restaurant so brought Japanese for the girls, Chinese for Abe and Anna and Thai food for me and herself.  Our food was delicious.  We sat around in the living room as is my habit.  Sitting in a wooden dining chair is excruciating for me so I eat my food sitting in a comfortable chair.  I kind of tell if the chemo is working by the level of pain in my back.  This summer I knew the Ibrance was not working because of my back .  So we sat around the living room enjoying our food snd each other.  And we had a good visit too.

After Christina and the girls left, Abe and I took a nap while Anna went for a long walk in the neighborhood.   Anna and Abe have never experienced this temperature so they are enjoying the weather.  They go out on the back deck every day and Anna has taken to run up and down to the dock, which is not an easy feat.  While I drank my orange drink, we watched football.  Then after supper, we read the psalms.  And started to listen some clips about Dolly Parton on Abes phone.  We listened to some interviews and we heard several songs.  We had fun.  Our Sunday brunch was lovely as well as the whole day.  I feel fortunate to have Anna and Abe living in my home.

November 27, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. A Rain Day.

 Anna and Abe are enjoying the temperature and the sunshine in Mississippi.  Of course, if they were not here they would be in Pennsylvania, where it is already cold.  Up until today, the weather has been perfect.  But today was different.  It rained all  day.  I mean all day.  Anna could not even go for a walk.  But it was a perfect day for napping.  Abe is recovering so takes a nap both morning and evening.  He is doing well.

We had a good day at home.  Anna makes sure I soak my foot three times each day and she prepares our meals.  Rain all day made everyone pleased because they know how dry Mississippi still is.  We are short of water.  The Mississippi is still short of water.  One thing we have been doing since their arrival is to read the Psalms from the King James Bible.  After dinner, Anna and Abe take turns reading a psalm or two.  I love the language of the King James Bible so I am enjoying hearing them out loud.  So far we have read 10 psalms.

We watched an hour of Gospel music on the Rural station.  All three of us enjoys gospel songs.  So we had fun.  Later we listened to Reba McIntyre during a fund raiser for PBS.  So our day of rain passed.  And we were happy.

November 26, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Thanksgiving Feast.

Three years ago, Christina and the girls celebrated with me for Thanksgiving.  We were to be all by ourselves.  So Christina and I were discussing our feast.  Suggest that I would order the turkey and trimmings from Primos, a place I had used in past years.  Christina admitted that she does not really enjoy eating turkey so we quickly changed our plans.  And we developed our new custom.

For the past three years, we have eaten steak for our Thanksgiving.  Our feast never varies.  We eat good steaks, cheesy potatoes and green beans along with orange rolls and dessert.  I order the steaks from Allen Brothers, the best steak house in the country.  And Christina does everything else.  The dinners were delicious and the clean up is minimal.  We all agree that we we enjoy our new tradition of steak for Thanksgiving.  Delicious and time saving.  What could be better.   

November 25, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Chris and Mexico.

I have not been at my best since returning to Mississippi.  My Pet scan was not good.  I developed a cough and I had a pneumonia.  In addition, my foot started hurting again.  And it was red and swollen.   I have asked my helper, Portia to work every day because I really was not able to look after myself.  So I was worried about traveling to Mexico by myself.

First I asked Portia if she could accompany me and stay for a few days of vacation.  She does have a passport but the timing was bad as it was too close to Christmas.  I mentioned my problem to my Lyft driver and he told me that he also had a Passport.  Further more, he was willing to travel just before Christmas.  I asked him if he would be willing to help me and look after me until Wendy and Ken arChristmas.  rive.  And he agreed.  In addition, he will stay with us in our Villa for a bit of a vacation.  He was reluctant to bother us  but I assured him that the accommodation was big enough for all.

So that is what will happen.  We leave on December 18 and Wendy and Ken, Alana and Nick will arrive on the 19th, at 6:00 pm.  Then for the rest of the week he will enjoy a little vacation in Nuevo Vallarta.  He is thrilled.  And so am I. 

November 24, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Anna and Abe.

 This summer, I invited Anna and Abe to come to Mississippi so Abe could recover  from hernia surgery.  It seemed like an impossible dream.  But it has happened, just as we dreamed.  Abe had his surgery in Indiana on Monday.  The doctors told them that there would be no problem for Abe to travel right after surgery.  So they drove four and a half hours before stopping for the night.  Anna drove while Abe rested while recling in the front seat.

The next day they drove the five and a half hours to my home in Mississippi.  They arrived at 4:30.  We were all so pleased with their arrival.  What seemed like a pipe dream has become reality.  Abe is a worker bee and I know if they returned to their family in Pennsylvania Abe would be tempted to begin working.  But here he has nothing to do except rest.  He is doing well, taking a nap both morning and afternoon.

Anna is looking after Abe, changing his dressing once a day along with everything else.  In addition, Anna is looking after me, which she was not expecting to be a part of the visit.  But she is a good soul so she has taken on the task.  I am back to soaking my foot, except now I must soak three times a day plus take an antibiotic.  And she is doing all the cooking.  I bought frozen meat from Omaha Steaks so the freezer if full of chops, steaks etc. 

Before they arrived Anna wanted to know how they could contribute to the food.  I told her not to worry.  I will provide the food if you will cook and clean up.  And she is doing a good job.  Our meals have been delicious.  Tonight we ate chicken, carrots and potatoes along with gravy.  Home cooked hot meals can not be beat.  Now they are settled into the house.  And I am enjoying their company.  It is a treat having them live in my house.

November 22, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Cleaning the Vents.

Irene and I thought it as a good idea to clean out my air vents.  We have never had them done and I feel sure the former owners never did.  So Monday, my ac and heating contractor came to do the job.  They have a power scrubber that gets all the dust off the walls of the vents.  Then they suck out all the junk using a powerful vacuum.  He thought it would take two days.  But he was finished in one long day.  I do not have a lot of furniture to move so the job went quicker.  And he reduced the price.  He carried out multiple bags of dust and he assured me that I would notice a difference.  

Today I was amazed at the difference.  I have a ceiling fan in the living room, which I never use.  I am not a fan of fans.  But this morning, my fan was running very slowly.  I thought that the cleaning lady must have turned on a switch so had Portia check all the switches.  Nothing  .  And then the fan slowly stopped. The next time the heat went on, Portia noticed the fam moving.  We realized that the increase in air flow from the clean vents was making the fan runs.  I was amazed with the difference.  All of a sudden, my air flow was dramatically stronger.  My contractor was correct.  Clean vents made a big difference in my home.  

November 21, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Decorations.

My house is decorated for Christmas.  The outside lights have been installed and look beautiful and festive.  My wreath is hanging on the front door, Made by Patty who loves in Vermont.  I have been ordering wreaths from Patty for over 30 years.  The boughs are fresh, gathered from the woods behind her house.  The final touch are two poinsettias, given to me by Eleanor and Jim when they visited last week.  As I will be gone before Christmas, I have left my decorations in the boxes, to be used another year.  My house now looks like Christmas.

Several years ago, Christina decided to put up their Christmas decorations prior to Thanksgiving.  The family wee going to busy every weekend prior to Christmas, so she decided to decorate at a time that gave them time to put everything up, including the tree.  Christina and the girls discovered that they all enjoy the extra time to enjoy the Christmas look.  So ever since that time, Christina and the girls decorate prior to Thanksgiving.  Christina finds that the lack of a busy schedule is pleasant.  No rush is always a good thing.  Their outside lights have also been installed, but she never turns them on until Thanksgiving day.

This year, Christina and the girls will join Kate in Greenville for Christmas.  This year the tree was not decorated.  No sense decorating a tree if there will be no gifts underneath the tree.  So the Dickie family are set for Christmas.  Clever Christina gets laughed at for decorating so early but she just laughs.  The early decoration works for her.

November 20, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Winter.

My Wonderful Wendy drive to Indiana to spend time with her daughter Katey and the new baby while Bock, the daddy attended a conference.  The weather was perfect during the drive south.  And she was expecting to drive home to Ontario, leaving on Saturday.  But then winter set in so she waited for the roads became better.  Tomorrow she will head north and she hopes that the interstate highways will all be clear.  Indiana got only a small amount of snow.

At Dave and Irene's home in Ancaster, winter has arrived in full force.   They have had lots of snow so the whole area would be pretty.  There is nothing better to see than the first snow of the season.  And it has been cold too.  So winter really has arrived in the north.

Here in Mississippi, the temperatures have been low too.    Daytime temperatures have been in the low 50s while at night the temperatures have been 30.  People here comment that the winter has arrived in Mississippi.  But it does not seem like winter to me.  If you could see the people  you would think it really was winter.  Lots of scarves and coats seen by everyone.  I must say I enjoy the Mississippi winter.  But I love to remember the snow!!

November 19, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Mississippi Friends.

I do not have many friends in Mississippi.  But the ones I have are stellar.  

Friday, Greta Barbour and John brought lunch at 12:30.  They picked up food at the Alladin, a Meditarean restaurant in the Fondren area of Jackso, very close to their home.  I enjoyed their visit thoroughly but what I enjoyed most was the conversation.  I was staring seeing my friend.  For the first two weeks I had appointments with doctors.  Then I got too sick to visit with anyone so I cancelled all the engagements I had set up for lunches and coffee.  But after resting, this week I arranged for friends to visit.  And so we had lunch at my house.

I had not seen Greta Barbour and John since I left in Mid May so we had a lot of things to discuss.  I needed to be kept up to date with the lives of their children.  And John's father has been fighting cancer and is getting worn down by the chemo.  John makes a winter garden at their home and he is busily harvesting different types of squash.  Our conversation was wide ranging.  They both their full meal but I was more interested in them than their food.

I ate after they left at 2:30 and I ate a second meal today.  I still have more food for tomorrow too.  I am grateful for my friends in Mississippi.

November 18, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Doctors.

 Portia, my new and excellent helper, commented  to me that she was looking forward  to my appointment with my Oncologist on Wednesday.  I laughed and asked her what she expects will happen when we meet with Dr. Sheehan.  Portia said that she expected the doctor will find out what was the matter.  She clearly has an elevated opinion about doctors.  I urged her to lower her expectations.  And suggested that the good doctor will have no clue why I was feeling so miserable.

So we met with Dr. Sheehan who had no clue as to what was the matter with me.  But she ordered a Ct scan  that day and she wanted more blood  to obtain different tests  So Portia and I went out to lunch then returned for the scan.  So I had twice taken blood and now the nurses needed to insert the dye into my veins, which they struggled to accomplish.  After thirty minutes of beating on my arms I decided that at some point in the neat future,  I was going to stop gelling all those high tech tests.

Turns out that the scan showed a pneumonia so the doctor prescribed an antibiotic which my neighbor picked up that afternoon.  So I was wrong and Portia was right.  Now I just need to get better.

November 17, , 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Sunday Night Football.

 I enjoy watching Sunday Night Football although I do not watch much football all day.  I stopped watching football several years ago when the NFL handled the ontroversity with the taking the knee for the anthem.  And there were too many flags.  So I quit watching football.

But I like the song.  It was the first time I ever hears Carrie Underwood.  She looks great.  And she had a wonderful voice so I would look up the game just to see the beginning.  Sometimes I also watched the game.

The second reason I like Sunday Night Football is one of the announcer.  Christ Collingsworth is by far the best commentator on any channel.  And you could only listen to him on Sunday evening.    I always learn something from Chris but his comments are never complicated.  Neat trick.

So I always turn on Sunday Night Football even though I do not often watch for long.  But I enjoy.

November 16, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Mississippi x Two.

Another aspect I enjoy about living in Mississippi is the time zone.  All my favorite programs come on at 7:00 here.  In Nova Scotia, I am on Atlantic time  which means try favorites begin at 9 and end at 11, which means I am too late going upstairs.  So I just skip evening television.  Here In Mississippi in the Central Time Zone I love it.

The second thing I enjoy in Mississippi is the gospel music on the television.   I live in the south, in the Bible Belt so am able to watch good gospel music all week.  Just an hour here and a half an hour there keeps me happy.  I was brought up on gospel music but in Nova Scotia I was never able to see any on TV. But not here.  Great fun for me.

November 15, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. An Excursion.

Two weeks ago, Christ and I had planned  on an  excursion to Natchez.  And we were taking lunch at the Magnolia Grill.  But I was sick so had to cancel.  We rescheduled for two weeks.  So today was the day.  When yesterday came along, I knew I could not manage a drive to Natchez so I suggested that we drive on the Natchez Trace along the Reservoir.  So that was the plan.

I am still not really up to snuff so I almost cancelled.  But Portia urged me to go  as I have been in the house for three weeks.  So I went.  I am still coughing a lot, especially when talking.  But we had a good day.  No rain but overcast so perfect for a drive in the country.  There were almost no cars on the Trace.  Then after another 15 minutes on the Trace, we turned east, then south and enjoyed highway 25 as we wended our way back to Jackson.

We decided I was up for lunch so we went to a Thai restaurant in Madison.  We left at 10:30 and returned home at 1:30.  And I did well.   Then I slept for 2 hours. 

November 14, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Lights.

Ken loved to put out the outside Christmas lights.  Every year in after Christmas sales, Ken would buy more outside Christmas lights.  He hung so many light that the house was a bit garish.  But we did not mind.  Ken was so proud of his handiwork that we all cheered him on.  He even decorated the farm with outside lights that our neighbors loved.  People came from far and wide to see the farm decorations.

But when we moved to Mississippi, Ken had Parkinson's Disease and installing the outside lights was dangerous, so we stopped doing them.  This made Ken especially sad and mad.  The second year we were here, Bradley , looked after our exterior lights which were a mess.  No lights worked although there were fixtures and cords running everywhere.  But Bradley got it all together and we were happy with the exterior lighting.

Then I casually asked him if he ever installed Christmas lights.  He just laughed and told me that he has a separate company just to install Christmas lights.  So we hired him.  And Ken was happy.

Today, Bradley installed my Christmas lights.  He uses his lights.  Installs them.  And then takes them down to store until next year.  No fuss nor muss.   I also do the same for Christmas lights for Christina and Suzanne, but of course a different company in San Antonio.  The lights are lovely.  And I am happy.

Novermer 13, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Allergies.

 Tomorrow morning, the ac and heating man is coming to measure my ducks.  On Friday morning, Irene wondered if there is something in the house causing me trouble.  Interesting enough, in the middle of the night, I wondered the same.  The only thing we could figure out to do was to vacuum out all the air ducks. So I will figure out if it is affordable.  If I agree with his price, he will complete the work this week.

We have lived here since April 2015 and we have never had the ducks cleaned out.  I feel sure that the former  owner never did it either.  So we will see if it helps.  I am not prone to allergies and I keep the ac and heat running all the time.  There is no criteria in the attic.  The exterminator was here two weeks ago and all was well.  So we will see if cleaning out the ducks will help.  I hope so.

November 12, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Mississippi.

I never dreamed that I would ever live in Mississippi.  But I like it here.

I like my house, which overlooks the reservoir.  And the house is not grand but I have everything I need on the main level.  Downstairs I have a guest room with a full bath, Ken's office with another full bath.  Ken also enjoyed the solarian overlooking the water where he could watch and hear the fishermen.  There is also a small television room plus a furnace room.  I never venture down.  It makes me feel sad.

I also like the neighborhood which is quiet and safe.  My across the street neighbor is wonderful and helps me in many ways.

The people who live in Mississippi are gracious and friendly.  And literate.  You can discuss books with anyone.  Musicians, writers and artists are everywhere.  And I have enough good friends to keep me happy. From my standpoint, I see no racial tensions.  So I also like the people in Mississippi.

I can not attend right now, but there is a theater, a symphony, and two ballet schools who put on shows.  And touring musicals come to town too.  So there is plenty to do if you live here.

I am surprised that I like living in Mississippi.  Of course, I am never here in the summer or winter.  At some point, when I can no longer gallivant around, I will be living in Mississippi full time.  Then perhaps I will not enjoy the weather.  But at the moment, all is well with me and Mississippi. 

November 11, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Weather.

All this week we have had warm weather.  The furnace has not run for 10 days.  But in the middle of the night, the furnace came on in the bedroom.  I knew the weather was about to change.  Today we had a high of 75.  But in the middle of the night, it was 50.  Now it is raining pretty hard so I knew a front was coming.

All week, we will have chilly weather.  During the night, it will be 35 and tomorrow it will be 59.  And the forecast gets cooler.  During the night on Sunday it will be 29.  During the day it will be 53.  It will be the same all week.  Night temperature in the low 30s and day time not over 50.  So it will be time to get out warmer clothes.

Mississippi natives love these cold spells.  And they are disappointed if the temperature begins to get back to the 70s.  But it looks as if the cool weather will last 10 days or so.  My friends will be happy.  And we certainly are pleased with the rain.  The barges are still having difficulty getting up and down the Mississippi, especially with a full cargo of goods.    We should get rain all night.  And next Thursday, the forecast is for more rain.  It seems just like the Texas churches who all have signs Pray For Rain.  The churches in Mississippi need to do the same.   In the meantime, we will all enjoy our cool weather.

November 10, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Coughing.

 I have never understood coughing.  For instance, when a person coughs, they take drink of water.  And it seems to help the coughing, even though the cough comes from the lungs up a tube and the water goes into a separate tube into the stomach.  Even Ken had no idea why it worked.  There are a lot of things about coughing that I do not understand.

Ken had a life long cough.  I always knew where Ken was in the house because I could hear him cough.  Sometimes he would go to bed and go to sleep.  Other times, when he went to bed, he could not stop coughing.  Great hacking cough which did not stop.  So Ken was required to get up, walk around, drink water, read, then try again to go to bed.  I asked him once if he could tell ahead when the coughing would begin.  And he said no.  He had no clue but it was certainly difficult for him.

After a cold or flu, I have always been left with a cough.  This has happened all my life.  Sometimes the coughing lasted for weeks.  Several times over the years, Ken has admonished me to just stop coughing.  My lungs were clear as was my head, yet I kept coughing.  He suggested that I had just gotten into the habit and urged me to control my coughing.  I was actually able to control the coughing  for a period of time.  Then I would begin coughing again.

Ken told me a trick to stop coughing.  He would take very deep breaths and let them go.  And repeat it.  Keep repeating it.  Much to my surprise, sometimes it works.  He had no idea how it works but he often used the technique when he was in a situation when coughing was difficult. Recently,  I have been using this drill.  But so far I am still coughing.

November 9, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Social Life.

Ken and I always kept up an active social life.  We entertained and we were in turn entertained.  And we always attended plates and concerts.  But as we got old, our social life decreased.  We still entertained a lot in Nova Scotia but not much anywhere else.  But since my immune system  became low, we stopped attending big parties.  We still had friends for dinner but never with big groups.  And we attended dinner parties at friends homes when we knew who would be coming.  

Since I am alone, my social life is limited to lunch with friends, which I enjoy.  I do not have many friends in Mississippi, but I have good friends and they keep my amused and happy.  But  since I have been coughing, my social life has come to a screeching halt.  Since the past 10 days, I have been cancelling events.  Just today, friend Lisa was coming for coffee at my house but last evening I cancelled.  I was just not up to company.  I am still taking two naps a day.  Christina has urged me to take more rest inorder to get better.  Portia says the same.   But so far it has not worked.

So my paltry social life in Mississippi has been reduced to zero.  And of course, my walking program is non existent.  I just walk to get around the house.  But I am counting on a better week.  Cancelling a date is not my favorite activity.

November 8, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Election Day.

Watching the results from an election is similar to watching a football game.  If your team is winning, you continue watching, at least according to friend Carolyn.  Some years Ken and I have watched the results late in the evening and other years we paid no attention.  I have no idea why we were interested and other years we paid no attention.  But it had nothing to do with who we thought would win.  But this year is different.  I live by myself.  And I was hearing that the Republican wave was coming.  So I watched all evening.  And it is not over yet.

The Republicans will take over the House but control of the Senate is still in doubt.  It might take days for all the ballots are counted.  So at the moment, there is no Republican red wave overtaking the Democrats.  Florida was a big win for both the Governor and Senator but many races that the pundits would counting a win for the Republicans ended up going to the Democrats.  It appears that many Republicans will be sad.

The whole process of elections I find fascinating.  When you lose the governors race, you must move out of the governors mansion and turn it over to the next person.  No fuss or muss.  Then when a person wins a Senate seat for the first time, the winning candidate must move to Washington, DC which is never easy.  I love the whole routine.  But it must feel terrible when you lose the election.  You have spent a year working to get elected.  And the voters say no.  What then?  But that is democracy in action.  And it is impressive.

November 7, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Better.

How do you know if you are getting better?  Years ago, I had the flu and I stayed home in bed.  One day, Ken came home from work and asked me how I was doing.  So I told him that I was still resting in bed.  He asked me is I had a fever and I said no.  So he told me that I had been sick long enough to have recovered.  So he urged me to get out of bed and start regular activities.  Much to my surprise, he was right.  I was fine.  But Ken is not here to tell me anything.  So I must figure it out on my own.

Portia, my helper told me today that my cough is still the same as Friday.  Not good.  I am still blowing my nose especially after a bout of coughing.  I still have no fever.  My legs continue to be weak and shaky.  I am taking two naps a day.  I struggle to get any walking done in the day.  Last week, I cancelled all my engagements which did not please me.  On Wednesday, friend Lisa will come for coffee so I will see how I manage.  

So I have no idea what is the matter with me.  And I have no idea when I will get better.  Where is Ken when I need him? 

November 6, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Rain.

There is nothing better than hearing rain falling in the middle of the night.  I don't mean heavy rain.  I mean lightly falling rain.  I do not enjoy storms with thunder and lightning with pouring rain.  Those storms in the middle of the night make me fearful.  But just the pitter patter of the rain  in the middle of the night brings pleasure.

The same is true doing an afternoon nap.   No better nap than when it is raining.  This week I have had both.  The other night it rained during the night and yesterday it rained in the afternoon.  Our problem here is that the rain did not last very long.  We are dry.  Normally, Mississippi gets 52 inches of rain each year.  I had never lived with that much rain.  But the rain here comes in torrents.  And then it stops.  But not this year.  The Mississippi River is so low that the barges can not navigate.  Since we lived here, he River has flooded three times.  But this is the first time that the River was too lacking in water.

Next week, Chris and I will drive to Natchez to see the River when the flow is low.  So I especially love to hear the rain at night because I know we need the rain.  But we need more.  In Texas, at church, they pray for rain.  Normally that is not necessary here.  But perhaps the churches will begin to ask people to pray for rain in Mississippi.  .  We need it.

November 5, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. A Champion Again.

The Houston Astros won the World Series tonight in the 6th game of the series.  They won 4 to 1.  All the action took place in the 6th inning.  The bullpen has been perfect the whole playoffs so they put down the last 9 batters in record time.  And once again, the Astros had won the World Series.  They last won in 2017.  Only 6 of the same players had been on the roster for 2022 so the team has changed including the manager and the director of operations.

Everyone was happy for Dusty Baker to win the series.  In all his years as a successful manager, he had never won the World Series.  But now he has.  And all the players are delighted.  This team has been a good team.  I had watched them several times this season and my observation was that the team has no glaring deficiencies.  Every part of that team was excellent so it was a pleasure to watch them win.

I always enjoy watching grown men bouncing around with glee as if they were 8 year old boys.  They are like pin balls, bouncing up and down.  I worried that the players bounced around Dusty so strenuously that I was afraid he might fall over.  After all, he is 74.  But now the party begins.  These players worked very hard this season.  Now they have won the World Series.  Congratulations to the Houston Astros players and coaches.  Champions Again.

November 4, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Taking a Rest.

 When Ken was recovering at home in Mississippi, after his illness in Mexico, he commented that getting better seems the same as watching paint dry.  You know it is happening but it is difficult to notice.  This week, Christina mentioned that I could try to get more rest.  I am not in love with resting but I decided to give it a try.  On Thursday  morning, while I was still eating breakfast, I fell asleep while reading so I decided to go to the recliner and put up my feet.  I slept for 2 hours.  Then I returned to finish my breakfast.

By then, it was time to have a real nap so once again, at 3:30, I took to the recliner.  And I slept for another 2 hours.  Next up I drank my orange drink, meta mucil.  And I watched baseball and ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup later in the evening.  I only walked to get around the house.  I did no exercises or sustained walking.  In other words, I took a rest most of the day.  Today I felt the same as yesterday so again I did nothing strenuous.  And I cancelled all appointments this week.  Christina will also bring brunch to my house so I can continue to rest.  But by Monday, I will stop this resting business.

The rain has just started to fall and tomorrow we are supposed to rain all day.  The oncologist thinks  I have a bad case of allergies so perhaps the rains will send all the allergic things away.  I have stopped taking the meds given to me by the neurologist because it made my legs shaky.  I am still not recovered.  But with the rain coming, the air will be clean.  Perhaps I will stop coughing.  I have had just about all the rest that I can tolerate.

November 3, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. A Close Game.

 This was a great baseball game.  The score was close the whole game.   My friend SaraLou turned off her light and went to sleep in the bottom of the 8th inning when it seemed as if the Phillies were mounting a rally.  She wanted the Astros to win and hated to watch the Phillies go on to win the game.  But the Astros won the game with a score of 3 to 2.  Wonderful defense by the Astros in the 8th and 9th inning which allowed them to win the game.

This game had everything.  Good pitching.  Timely hitting.  Good defense by both teams.  Just a wonderful game to watch.  And of course, the series returns to Houston for game number 6 with the Astros ahead 3 games to 2.  I will be here watching.

November 2, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Doctor Appointment.

This morning I had an appointment with Dr.Sheehan, my oncologist.  Two weeks ago, I started on a new chemotherapy plus a new hormone.  Neither of my old ones were working.  Unfortunately, I had come down with a bad cold so I got checked over.  Fortunately, I had no Covid.  Also no flu.  And my chest X-ray was clear.  I have no fever.   So that was good.  My sugar numbers were high.  And of course, my white cells are low, 2.1 today so I must continue to be careful around lots of people.

I have no idea how I caught a cold.  I have not seen anyone since I arrived in Mississippi.  And I have never been around people.  But I am coughing and sneezing so I cancelled my activities this week.  I had a busy week ahead of me too.  I have seen Christina and the girls on Sunday at brunch.  And I see Portia on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  But they are all healthy.  And when I went to my doctor appointments I wear a mask.  Who knows how I caught a cold?  With my immune system, the nurse suggested that my cold may take awhile to recover.  Today I felt miserable.

But I am counting on feeling better tomorrow.  After all, it is a week since I first had symptoms.  My doctor appointment went well  although I have lesions in my mouth from the chemo.  My observation has always been to get another appointment from the one today.  First I had my nose swabbed to check for Covid and the flu.  And I had to have a chest X-ray.  My appointment was for 8:50.  We got home at 1:00. So my  question is this: if everything checked out negative, why do I feel so miserable?  The good doctor had no answers.

November 1, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Winning & Losing.

 I have never understood why you feel bad when your favorite team does not win.  Or why you are elated when your favorite team wins.  After all, nothing happens to you whether or not your team wins or loses.  I do not bet so I have no reason to care.  But we do.

I talked with my friend Carolyn last week.  She attended college at LSU and she was born and raised in Baton Rouge.  So I asked her if she follows LSU football.  And she does.  She watched their games unless they are losing.  Then she switches channels.  She loves to watch them win but refuses to watch if they are not winning.  

This Saturday was a bonanza of winning.  Baylor won.  Ol Miss won.  Jackson State won.  Houston Astros baseball team won.  Everyone I knew was happy.  It did not make a dimes difference whether these teams won or lost but we all feel happier when our teams win.  It makes no sense.  But who cares.

October 31, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Halloween Party.

Every year I enjoy the Halloween Party, held at the home of friends Greta Barbour and John.  They call it a porch party.  Their front porch stretches across the whole house and is 18 feet deep.  And it is full of chairs and benches.  John cooks a big pot of Louisiana food.  And they serve hot mulled wine.  So as a guest, you can just help yourself, find a comfortable chair on the porch and watch the trick or treaters come on the porch for their candy.  I love the party because I get to chat with all my Mississippi friends.  And I meet new people too.  People can spend an hour and leave, or stay all evening.  It is a great party, loved by the old and the young.

Greta Barbour and John invite all their friends and relatives along with their neighbors.  The neighborhood has sidewalks so the children go out to gather their candy with one of the daddies accompanying.  The rest of us just watch the fun.  Sister Eleanor bakes dozens of ginger cookies which are the hit of the party.  No matter how many hundred of cookies she bakes, we always run out, they are so good.  Tonight the weather is perfect.  No rain and 73 degrees.

Unfortunately, I had to miss the party because I seem to have a cold.  I am coughing and sneezing so decided I should stay home, which I did.  Mostly I ignore colds.  But not tonight.  Instead I watched Antique Roadshow, my normal TV watching on Mondays.  And the World Series was rained out too.  Tomorrow I have also cancelled an excursion with Chris, my Lyft driver.  We were driving to Natchez for lunch.   We have rescheduled for the 15th.  Tomorrow I will hear about the party from Christina.  I am sure it was great.  Maybe next year I will be able to attend.  

October 30, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The World Series.

 I have never really understood they call it The World Series because most of the world is not involved.  Only one team competes from Canada while all the other teams play in the US.  It should be called the North American Series.  Perhaps, major League Baseball thinks that the whole world is watching.  And maybe they are.  I for one am watching although I did not enjoy watching Houston lose the first game.  

I think I have paid attention to The World Series my whole life.  My father loved baseball and always listened to the games on the radio.  And of course, at Edith Cavell School in Vancouver my teachers in the 7th and 8th grades allowed us to listen to the games during the day time at school.  So I got hooked.  And this season,  I have enjoyed the playoffs leading up to the World Series.  Nothing better than watch the Houston Astros sweep the New York Yankees.  Now the Phillies are feeling frisky and will give the Astros the run for their money.  The series should go to 7 games.

And I am hoping the Astros win, if only to watch their manager Dusty Baker get his first World Championship trophy.  He is 73 and has done everything in baseball possible.  But he has never won a World Series.  So I am cheering for the Astros.  But it will not be easy because the Phillies are on a roll.  They have peaked at just the right time.  So we will see what  happens.  And here we go.  The third game is tomorrow in Philadelphia.  

October 29, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Packages.

Ken ordered everything on Amazon.  Every day, packages came to our door.  He had been doing it for years, because I did not go to the grocery stores due to all the people and his Parkinson's made shopping difficult, he ordered everything on the internet.  And it worked well.  I would bring the packages into the house and put things away.  All I needed to do was to tell Ken what we wanted.

During Covid of course, it worked like a charm and I continued Ken's system.  But as my eyes deteriorated, ordering on line was difficult so every Sunday, when Christina would drive me home from brunch, she would order anything I wanted.  So that worked well until now.  Since I have come home from Nova Scotia, I have had trouble.  I must use the walker and I am unable to pick up heavy boxes to bring them into the house.  The small packages are fine but I can not use both arms to pick up a large box.  So they sit on my front stoop.

Fortunately, I have a very nice across the street neighbor so when I have a box sitting outside, I text her.  When she is home, she comes and picks up the box and brings it into the kitchen.  It is a bit pathetic.  But it is true.  I need a helper to bring a box into the house.  My neighbor Donna tells me that she is happy to help.  I certainly am grateful for her help. 

October 28, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The First Baking.

There is something special about the first time of anything.    So today was a big day in my household.  Portia used the new ovens.  Since they were installed on Thursday morning, I have admired them but today I was delighted to have put them to use.  Portia baked a crab and cheese pie.  The pie was too big for the toaster oven so I have been wanting to bake it for ages.  Up until today, it stayed in the freezer.    Today was the day.  Portia figured out how to operate the oven and she set the timer too.  It smelled delicious during baking.  And it turned out looking beautiful.  The oven works.

For lunch today we ate a piece of crab pie and a salad, made by Portia.  And we both congratulated the oven for doing such a good job.  As you can tell, it does not take much to pleases me.  Often the little things give great pleasure.  Today was no exception.  After a year with no ovens, I was quietly delighted to be eating a pie baked in my own oven.  It was a red letter day for me.  

October 27, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Saga of My Ovens.

 In the summer of 2021, Peter and his daughter stayed in my house because of Covid.  Peter is Christina's younger brother and his daughters were at camp in Alabama.  But one of the girls got Covid and needed to leave the camp and isolate.  So Peter flew from Boston to pick up his daughter.  Christina asked if they could isolate at my house, which was empty.  I was in Nova Scotia.  He discovered that the ovens would not work.  Kashina had been using them just a few weeks before but now they would not work.  I did nothing until I got home.

Chantes, my handyman ordered the ovens.  But even though the measurements were correct, they would not fit into the space, so back it went.  Another oven was ordered to be ready in December.  But the ovens did not appear.  In February, I gave up on Chantes and contacted an appliance company.  Mr. Hains measured and ordered the ovens to be delivered in May.  No luck.  Next the ovens were to come July 11.  Again no ovens.  Mr. Hains and I were in touch regularly.  Every time he contacted the distributer to report that they were on the way.  The response was always that they were on back order.

Yesterday, October 26, Mr. Hains called to tell me that my ovens arrived and today at 9:00 my ovens came into the house and were installed by Mr. Hains and his son.  He was tickled pink to be installing those ovens.  He had 2 ovens ordered at Southern Appliances and they both arrived yesterday.  Now he can be paid.  It took over a year to get those ovens.  The supply chain is truly broken.

When my ovens could not work, I bought a toaster oven which has served me well.  The new ones are much better than the old ones of 25 years ago.  But now I have two fancy ovens in the kitchen in addition to my spiffy toaster oven.  I am truly a modern madam.

October 26, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Getting Old.

A wise person once told me that getting old was not for sissies.  And she was right.  Things keep changing.  When the babies were little, Ken used to joke that by the time we as parents figured out the babies new routine, they were just about to change their routine.  Just when I get my situation in control, something happens to me and I am required to make changes in my patterns.  And everything must be done gracefully.  No one wants he hear me grousing.

At the ranch, our neighbor was a perfect example of how to not grow old gracefully.  He and his wife and son and daughter in law bought the adjacent ranch.  They all moved from Corpus Christie, where they had a construction business.  They had everything they needed to enjoy their life.  They had enough money.  The son and daughter in law lived in the main house while the old folks lived in a lovely apartment next door.  But every time we saw them, all he talked about was his inability to do when he once did.  And he talked about his ailments.  It was difficult to be with him due to all his complaints.  I do not know how his wife could stand it.  Rather than enjoying what he had, he was busy spoiling it for everyone around him.

I have learned several things since I have gotten old and that is to dwell on what I am able to do, not on the parts of my life that I can not do.  If I think about them, I get irritated and sad.  So I pay no attention to what I used to be able to accomplish.  So I enjoy my life.  And I have become patient.  No point in being difficult.  I just keep a list and ask my helper or Christina to help.    I just focus on what I can do and enjoy.  My motto is that if I am walking and talking and not complaining, I am good to go.  All old people should do the same.

October 25, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Friend Gillian.

Today I received an e mail that sounded more like Gill.  Up until now, her e mails were full of anguish, which one could expect.  But today she told me that she is very busy, doing all the tasks at David's house that must be done when the person living there was not expecting to die.  For instance, finding a home for David's cat is not an easy task.  And David was supporting a young man at college who was living on the third floor of David's home.  Where will he go to live now that David is no longer supporting him?  And thousands of other details I am sure are on her plate.

She will leave Seattle on November 5 and will spend a week in New York, with the family.  Then she will go home to Toronto.  She and Tim are writing the obit for the Globe & Mail.  And they are planning the funeral, which will be held in Toronto, in the same chapel as Alan's funeral.  David's ashes will be held on the wall alongside Alan's.  Another spot will be saved next to them for Gill, when her time comes.

When such a tragic event occurs, I am left with no way to help Gill.  When Alan died in 1981, friend Mary M. and I flew to Toronto to help Gill and the two young boys.  But I can not help Gill now.  I would be no help to Gill in Seattle.  So I e mail her every day, just a short hello so she knows I am thinking of her.  Other than keeping her in my thoughts and prayers, that is the only thing I could think of to help.  I was grateful to see her e mail today.  She is in work mode once again.  I am pleased for her.

October 24, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Driving.

Driving is almost a right of passage into being an adult.  You get a driver's license around 16 years of age. And you drive for the rest of your life.  Of course, if you are brought up in New York you never learn to drive.  A friend in Nova Scotia is a terrible driver because he lived and worked in New York city.  When he retired to Nova Scotia, he needed to drive.  But I do not like to drive with him.

When my eyes went wonky and I was not able to drive, I had no problem turning the driving over to Ken. Most folks have great anxiety when they are not able to drive.  It is a traumatic event in their life, perhaps because they resist getting too old to drive.  But much to my surprise, I had no trouble at all.  When Ken was ill, we used the helpers get us to the appointments.  And when Ken died, I hired a helper.  And my grand niece Alana set me up with Lyft.  Now I have my own Lyft driver, Chris.  It is like having my own chauffeur.  I text him at the beginning of the week and let him know when I need to be driven.  And he appears at my door at the right time.  It is almost better than driving myself.

My brother Dave has been urged by his family to stop driving.  He has neuropathy feet and even though his eyes are good, he has no feeling in his feet.  So at the moment, his car sits in his garage and his family members drive him to appointments.  He is much more bothered by not driving than I ever was.  He says that it is a nuisance not to be able to go to the store anytime he wishes.  So he will either get used to the idea of not driving and be happy or he will install hand controls for his car.  We will see what he decided to do.  But for me, I am happy with my helper and my Lyft driver driving me.  And I feel fortunate.

October 23, 2022. Madison, Mississippi.. Saturday.

I had a wonderful Saturday.  I watched two baseball games and talked to several people on the phone.  Most of the time,  Saturdays are slow days for me here in Mississippi.  I am always on my own.  My family and friends are busily involved with their family activities so I seldom have any visitors or lunches.   I always work hard to get things done.  And I look for something good on television.  My day yesterday on Saturday took the cake.

I decided to call people on the phone that I had not talked to recently.  First I chatted with Doreen and Don.  Actually I talked with Doreen and we had a pleasant conversation and found that they are both doing well.  Mid morning I called an old friend and manager, Barbara Stone.  We exchange Christmas cards but we had not talked since I retired ten years ago.  She loves to travel so we talked travel.  It is now on her list to cruise the St.Lawrence River and Great Lakes, plus the Rocky Mountaineer. 

 Mid afternoon, I talked with friend Carolyn DeWolfe.  Her husband died about a year ago so is getting used to living alone.  I had not talked with her since the Spring.   We chatted for ages.  And we talked ancestors.  Her husband Tom was born and raised in Maine.  His ancestors arrived  in Maine in the 17th Century.  And they never moved so Carolyn had a wonderful time digging through his ancestors.  Next I spoke to friend Butch, who I talk to about once a month but not since I got home.  Finally I talked with Dave and Irene, my brother and sister in law because I had not spoken with them since I returned to Mississippi.  

And of course, I love baseball.  So between talking on the phone and watching baseball I was in hog heaven.  I had a wonderful day.

October 22, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My New Plan.

My doctor appointments have been completed.  Now I have a new plan to keep me walking and talking for a bit longer.

There is no plan for my eyes.  They are not going to get better so I live with them.  And am grateful for the vision I have right now.

The neurologist prescribed a new medication for my neuropathy body.  I take the pill just before bedtime because it causes drowsiness.  It is supposed to help with neuropathy pains.  So far, I have taken one pill.  After two weeks, if I am not getting substantially better,  I am supposed to take two each night.  But I do not think that I will ever do it.  I will stick with one.  The young neurologist said it would help.  We will see.

My Oncologist has switched chemotherapy.  Starting last evening, I take one pill every night before bedtime.  And I am taking a different hormone.  My old one did not seem to get the job done of suppressing the estrogen.  I must take that pill with some food, which I do last thing at night with a couple of crackers.

My geriatric doctor is not alarmed with my diabetes number.  The number is fairly normal for my age, according to her.  The neurologist, who is young, was alarmed.  She is my primary care doctor, so we have decided to give it 8 weeks and check my numbers again.  I will become a purist and not eat any sugar.  And limit pasta and bread.   And we will will hope for the best.

And that is my plan.  New meds.  Eliminate sugars.  And enjoy my life.  I certainly will not worry about my health.  I feel better already.

October 21, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. A Good Idea.

Why didn't I do this a year ago?  I started using a walker last April.  I use two: one small with three wheels that I use around the house and take  out in the car, and the larger sturdy walker that has a seat, which I use to carry food in the house.  Ken used that part of the walker all the time to carry objects around the house.  The walker I use has a soft seat so when I was carrying liquids, I could only carry one thing at a time.  When my foot hurt, walking was difficult.  The house is wide and I struggled to get all my meals to the TV room where I eat.

Last week, I wondered if my tray would fit on the walker.  Miss. Tomlinson gave me her hand painted tray, which I have only used for decoration.  Much to my surprise, that tray fit perfectly on the seat of the walker.  Now I have a firm carrying surface so when I carry breakfast into the living room, I can carry both my cup of tea and also by breakfast plate.  The system works beautifully.

My only question is why it took me so long to start using that tray?  It has been in my kitchen all along.  The answer is probably that I had no difficulty walking from one place to another in the past.  But when I returned for the summer and my foot was still hurting, getting around was difficult so I figured out an easier way.  My system works like a charm.  Whoopee. 

October 20, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Weather.

When I returned yo Mississippi the temperature  at 6:30 was 76 degrees, which is close to perfect.  And it continued to do so for several days.  Clear and sunny every day with the temperature in the 70s.  Lovely weather.  But then it got chilly and I had to learn all my warm weather drills.  At night, the temperature had dropped to 35.  And during the day it was in the 50s.

I was forced to turn on the heat even though I knew that warm weather would come again.  I was cold so I asked Teresa, my cleaning lady to change all three thermostats.  And the heating  company will come tomorrow to check the systems for the season.  Tonight I put on Ken's big flannel night shirt as the TV room is cooler than the rest of the house.  During the day, I wear a light fleece jacket to keep me warm.  And I wore woolen socks when I went to my PET scan on Wednesday.  So I remembered how to keep warm in cold weather.

But tomorrow the warm air will come again.  Right now the temperature is 53 but early this morning it was 33.  Tomorrow will be a high of 83 with a low of 50.  I expect I will switch back to air conditioning although I hate to do it.  For some odd reason, I do not like to adjust the three thermostats.  Ken always dealt with the temperatures in the house so I am not used to dealing with them.  And my vision is not so good reading the little things.  I do not like to change those thermostats.  But I bet I am forced to do it.  Oh bother. 

October 19, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Update on My Health

 First I saw my eye doctor.  The good news was my eye had not gotten any worse, which is good.  The bad thing is that I have terrible vision.  But I can see.

Next I saw a new neurologist.  And yes.  I have a bad case of neuropathy, actually called poly neuropathy because I have it everywhere in my body.  The good thing is that she has prescribed medication which should help with the pain.  She also ran blood work to check for diabetes because of several symptoms.  Sure enough, my numbers are 8.1, which she said needs to be checked.  She does not treat that disorder so I must go to my primary care doctor for further discussion.  I will pick up the meds on Friday for the neuropathy.  It was ready today but I ran out of time with my helper.

Today I had a PET scan.  Ibrance is no longer working for me.  All the lesions have gotten bigger and brighter since the last scan, which is not good.  This summer, I felt that the cancer in my back ribs had not gone away because I had difficulty sitting on a wooden dining chair.  Also the cancer in the liver is double in size.  So we are switching chemotherapy and hormone.  I will see the oncologist in 8 weeks to see if the new therapy is working.  No scan at that time.  Just blood work.  So here we go onto new therapies.

My foot apparently had no involvement with the bones.  The wound is still not totally healed.  And it still hurts.  I had one day with no pain in my foot.  But it came back again.  I have no idea why it hurts so much.  But it does.

The truth is that I am falling apart.  But I am 84 and am still walking and talking.  And not complaining.  She here we go.