March 31, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Big Pharma.

I am not one of those folks who complain about Big Pharma. Both Ken and I would be dead long ago without the have medications developed by the large companies. Ken had lung disease which could not be cured. He was told he would a life expectancy of 42. But he lived to be 82. How did this happen? It was not a miracle. Antibiotics were developed over the years, which Ken took over the years. When his lungs got words, he would take a new antibiotic. And he got better. He always had a productive cough. When it was worse, he took medication. It kept him alive and functioning. He was grateful for Big Pharma. In April of 2015, Ibrance was approved by FDA. It is a chemotherapy specifically designed for people like me. The government fast tracked the approval because it was so successful during the trials. Fortunately, I needed it in May of 2015 because the chemotherapy I was using was about to kill me. My white cells were one, so my Oncologist recommended Ibrance, which I started immediately. After 13 months, the cancer in my bones, which were extensive, was gone. This was not remarkable. It was miraculous, according to my Oncologist in Texas. Ibrance saved my life. In the Fall of 2014, my life expectance was 4 to 5 months. But after potent infusion chemotherapy followed by Ibrance, here I am, still walking and talking. And not complaining. is The problem for the company Pfizer is that the medication will never be needed by many people. It is specifically for post menapausal women with stage four breast cancer. There are not many people in the world for the company to recoup their expenses. The medication is very expensive now and was difficult to develop. Every other meds in the arsenal of Pfizer must pay for me to take the chemo. That is how it works. It takes years to develop these medications, which mostly do not work. I am all for our system and I am always irritated to hear the slurs and arrows leveled on the companies. I say Hats off to them!!

March 30, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Odds and Ends.

Today I had a chest XRay. It was clear. My cough is not totally gone but it is clearly much better. Hurrah for me. The Ibrance seems to be working because my immune system has fallen. White cells at 2. Now if it is also working on the cancer in my bones I will be very happy. It has worked in the past. Friend David N. is home in Liverpool. Now he must eat good food, rest and gain his strength gradually. I spoke to him on the phone and his voice is strong. He is used to bulling through the task at hand but he can not do than now. He must exercise in bits. He is so pleased to be home. And he is looking forward to going on the cruise. Today we had yet another storm. Schools were closed at noon. The wind was unbelivably loud. And the heavy rain came sideways, parallel to the ground. Finally just heavy rain without the wind. One good thing with Mississippi storms in their duration. They do not last long. My house is a perfect place to watch and hear the storm. The physical therapy is going well. She comes twice a week. It certainly should help although the therapist is going to give me more work with balance. My legs are sore the day after a session, which is good. Now I must keep those exercises going after I leave Mississippi. I still keep up my walking: never over 6,000 steps a day and never less than 3,000. My boot means that I do not injure my tendon. Now I seldom feel a sharp pain. It must be getting better too. Soon I may be perfect!!

March 29, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Boot.

I do not like my boot. I wish I had never gone to The Mississippi Sports Medicine Clinic. But I did. And now for the next two weeks I must wear this boot which keeps my Achilles tendon from stretching. Truth be told, I should have asked for an appointment at the clinic when I first hurt it but I thought I could look after it myself. Eventually I made an appointment, which was this week on Monday. The Doctor told me I should have come in immediately. This sports medicine clinic is impressive. They have three offices: one in Jackson, one in Flowood and one in Madison. In each place they have a walk in emergency office. When Molly hurt her knee, Christina took her to the walk in clinic and in 10 minutes, the XRay was done which showed no broken bones. Two days later, Molly had an MRI and the next day Christina and Molly met with the doctor to map out a plan. Christina was pleased with the effeciency and the professionalism of the place. I agree. My Achillies was intact after an XRay was taken on Monday, although strands had been shred. And she said that my ankle eventually would heal but the boot will be faster because I am not stretching the tendon. So I am being a good patient and wearing my boot. Yesterday was difficult because it is big and I kept tripping. Today is better. The good part is that my tendon does not hurt. So here I go with my clunky boot. I do not like it but I am wearing it. For once, I am doing as I was told.

May 28, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Wednesday Television.

Last Wednesday I watched television at its best. The content was informative and the pictures were delightful. Both programs got high marks from me. I have been enjoying them in my mind ever sice. The first hour was an edition of Nature, which airs in Mississippi every week at 7:00. Every program is worth watching but last Wednesday was a marvel. Butterflies were the topic of the hour. I not only learned everything about Butterlfies but I also saw wonderful pictures. The life cycle of a butterfly is complicated and I got to watch the whole thing. I think it can be seen on the internet, on the PBS web site. The hour long program just fley by. Nova follows Nature on PBS on Wednesday. Some times the topics are so esoteric that I do not watch but last week the topic was slime. It was fascinating. Slime is a one celled creature. But it is able to do all kinds on interesting things. The researchers who have studied slime have discovered lots of aspects of slime that no one knew anything about. I could go on and on about what they discovered about slime but I will juust bore you. But it was fascinating. That program can also be seen on the PBS website. The program was fascinating perhaps because I knew nothing about slime. Once again, hats off to PBS for two hours of educated entertainment.

March 27, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Spring.

When I arrived home to Mississippi at the end of February, the back yard looked like winter. I like trees in winter because you can see every branch and limb. And I like looking at the shape of the trees without their leaves. The view from my windows overlooking the reservoir pleased me. In addition, with no leaves, the sun warms up the house. I love sitting in my breakfast chair with the sun beaming down on me while I eat. I look east so the morning sun shines on me and I like it. But now the magic occurs. I have been watching the bushes out of my window and last week I could see tiny buds appear. What used to look like a dead stick is showing signs of life. Next I could see tiny leaves growing. Now I can see the buds on the trees down closer to the water. My whole yard will be transformed. In a few weeks, the trees will be fully leaved and I no longer will be able to have the sun streming into my room. This will be good because soon the temperature will rise and I do not wish the sun to shine into my house. Spring is the beginning. And it is just like magic. In addition, the streets are lined with flowering trees. The whole town is alive with color. The azalea bushes are in bloom too. I have been home for a month but the place does not look anything like it did when I arrived. Spring has sprung!!

March 26, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Physical Therapy.

Until now, I have never had physical therapy. But a few weeks ago, I decided that I was beginning to fall apart so I asked my Oncologist if I qualified for physical therapy in my house. My tendon was hurting and I was struggling to get enough walking. And my neuropothy legs had gotten dramatically worse. My legs probably got worse bit by bit but I only noticed when I hurt my Achilles tendon. My balance got worse so I started to use the walker. And I asked for physical therapy, which was approved. The supervisor came to the house last week and this week I began my treatments. The therapist will come twice a week until I leave for the summer. I know something about exercises. I taught phsical education and my Masters work was in Exercise Physiology/Kinesiology. The first time the lady came on Tuesday, I thought that her exercises were a bit whimpy. But the next day, my legs were sore so she was right to go slowly with me. My second day was Friday and my work was a bit more strenuous. Today my legs again were sore so something good is happening with my muscles. I will perform the exercises on Sunday too so I will have a workeout three times a week. I think I will be able to remember what we did. On Friday I had a different lady. Turns out she lives in my subdivision which makes it easy for her. She has asked to keep me as a patient and she will come on Tuesday and Thursday, probably at the end of her day, which will be fine with me. Now I am set to get myself fit. Finally.

March 25, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Molly.

On April 7, Molly will have surgery on her knee. This week she turned quickly in her bedroom and her knee went pop. And it hurt. Her knee was XRayed immediately and fortunately she had no broken bones. But on Wednesday when she had an MRI, they discovered that she did not have tight ligaments so for the past year, her knee would pop out of place. But then all would be well after a few days of rest. Every time it happened it was a little bit worse. Now she must get it repaired properly. At the moment she is wearing a big brace designed to not allow her knee to bend. And she is using crutches, although she is allowed to stand on that leg. Next weekens Molly will be in the school play. She is Ursula in the Little Mermaid. Fortunately she will wear a long dress. Then the week after she will have the surgery. It will be done via a small hole and a tube and she will have general anethetic. For two weeks she must wear the immobolizer brace. Then she starts phsical therapy three times a week for a month, followed twice a week. Fortunately, Molly has a good spirit with the whole thing. She hopes that the surgery will end her troubles with her one knee. It is unfortunate to be forced to have surgery on your knee when you are in the 8th grade. But Molly is correct that it is better to get it fixed now before it gets any worse. We all wish her well.

March 24, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Underpants.

Wonderful Wendy pointed it out to me. She said that I needed to buy new underpants. The truth was that I had not purchased underpants for 20 years but I had not noticed that they were showing their age. I had kept underwear at every house we own so I had purchased lots of underpants and distributed them so I did not need to carry any with me. I always carried 6 pair of black underpants with me just incase I got stuck at a hotel. Then when the properties sold, I just moved the underwear to another house. So eventually, I had lots of underpants in every place. Except for Mexico. One year in Mexico I used too much bleach when I was first washing my underwear and all the elastic disappeared. I wore them for a while, but eventually I threw them out. I still had three pair in Mexico and along with the six pair I carry with me, that was the extent of my underpants. Of course, I had not noticed. Wendy reported that even my black pants were old and stretched. When I came home, Christina helped me order new underpants, as instructed by Wendy. We selected well. I am now the proud owner of 12 pair of underpants, all in different colors. And they fit perfectly. I wear a different pair every day. Kashine urged me to throw out all my old underwear but I declined. One day I will sort through my drawer, but I am not ready to pitch those old friends. I know I have lots of underpants in Nova Scotia. And Texas too. I must use my new ones on the cruise this May. But I am set for the next 20 years. I should never need to buy more underpants again. After all, I am 84.

March 23, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Storms.

People in Mississippi take storms seriously. Information on every television channel shows information about upcoming storms. The information is run on the top of the screen, telling what the storm will be like as well as the counties involved. If the hurrancane or tornado seems to be heading towards your part of the state, sirens go off, including on the TV. On my phone yesterday, I could see that we would have rain and a storm. I also received a call from freind Suzanne to say that a tornado was coming toward Mississippi. So I paid attention. At 1:00 Christina texted me to see if I was safe. Both she and Molly were home because all the schools sent students and teachers home at noon, due to the tornado warnings. At 11:00 it started raining. And the wind was very strong and noisy. Kashina was with me and wanted to go to the grocery store but Mississippi people do not go out in a storm so we sat tight and stayed at home. Christina was watching the path of the storm on TV and evidently the storm went just north of us. A tornado did set down at the Renaissance shopping area which is not far from us. By 2:00 the high wind stopped so Kashina went to the grocery store. But it was still raining. Every house in Mississippi has a safe room for people to go to if a tornado is coming their way. Most homes here have no basements so people designate a safe place for the family to gather. It might be under a stair or in a bathroom. One good aspect of storms in Mississippi is the durantion. They come and go quickly. But they can bring destruction. Yesterday we got lucky, once again.

March 22, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Television Personalities.

One of the advantages of getting old is that I get to watch the evolution of the television personalities. I have fun watching them pop up here and there. And I enjoy watching their success. I first spotted Katherine Tappitt on the hocky channel. When we moved to Mississippi in 2009, we had no television but that changed in 2014 when I was diagnosed with a recurrance of breat cancer. Son David, without asking, sent us a television set. In addition he ordered our cable subscition, which included every sports channel available. Soon we could watch as much hockey we we wanted. When I was too weary to go down the stairs, I listed to the games, because our bedroom was open to the living room, where Ken would be watching a hockey game. It was just like listening hockey games over the radio. Kathleen Tappitt was on the NHL channel. And she did well. Now I spot her all over the place. She interviews players during football games and I see her during college basketball games. She is having a successful career. And then there is Jesse Watters. I first noticed him years ago when he was working for Bill O'Reilly who was on Fox. Jesse interviewed people on the street, asking questions pertinent to the times. Most folks had no clue about the issues but Jesse played it straight and he did a good job. Then Bill got fired and I wondered what would happen to Jesse. Soon he popped up on The Five. He was not there every time but every so often I could see him. Then I would see him filling in for other programs. And he always did a good job. The truth is that my TV watching is spotty so do not really know how much Jesse is on TV. But I did know that for a year, he had his own show every Saturday night for an hour. But now I know for sure, because he has his own hour show at 6:00 called Prime Time With Jesse Watters. He has come a long way and I have enjoyed watching his journey of success.

March 21, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The First Dance Recital.

Suzanne R. called me this evening and we talked about Kate. She called to find out if Kate was safely in Greenville, S.C. So I gave her an update, that Christina drove with Kate to Greenville and then stayed for a few days to unpack the boxes and books. And they even hung Kate's art, which pleased me. And then Suzanne and I got the giggles as Suzanne described Kate's first balet recital. Kate was four. Christina thought that a ballet class would be fun for Kate. The classes were given by an older lady who just wanted the children to move around the room to the music. There was no attempt to teach the children any ballet, except for running and jumping. At the end of the season, this teacher held a recital at the Edgemoor Club building. I was coming from the office which was very close and I asked Suzanne to come for the fun. Christina often brought the children into the office to meet for lunch and Suzanne always went with us to McDonalds. So Suzanne knew and loved Kate. At the recital, the lady told stories and played music. The children were supposed to follow the music as they ran around the room. All the little girls were the same age. Of course, Kate was a a full head taller than all the other children. What Suzanne giggled about at the time and again on the phone today was that Kate paid no attention at all to the teacher. She wandered around the room, running and jumping every so often but she certainly did not follow the instructions. But Kate had a wonderful time. Now Suzanne is delighted to hear about Kate and her expertise as a nurse. And Kate is still following her own lead and is relocating to Greenville. I am very proud of her. But thinking of Kate at age four at her first ballet recital sent us into giggles. I wonder if Kate remembers the event?

March 20, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Telephone.

I have always lived with a telephone in our house. One telephone for everyone who lived in the house. In our early years, we had a phone line that was used for other families so if they were using the telephone, you could listen to their conversation. It was called a party line. Of course, when another party was on the phone, we were forced to wait until they hung up. I might be wrong but I think that up to 5 families could be on the same line. It was actually kind of fun to listen in on the other conversations but mostly I was not allowed to listen. And long distance was expensive and was cheaper in the evenings. People older than me never did get comfortable talking on the phone but my generation used the phone all the time. In 1960, the Salvation Army International Staff Band toured Canada. Ken and I lived over a hardware store. Alf Andrews , a baritone player in the band, stayed with our family in Vancouver the last time they toured and when I was in London for a conference, I had dinner in the home of Alf and his wife. I invited him to come to dinner in our apartment. While he was visiting, I made a phone call to his wife so Alf could speak to her. They had not spoken since the beginning of the tour. I had arranced with his wife to be sure she would be available and the call went through immediately. Alf was surprised and delighted to be able to hear his wife loud and clear. But I recall their hasts to keep their call short because they did not incure too much expense for me. Clearly, they were uncomfortable talking long distance on the phone. Now we talk and text all the time to people all over the world. And every person has their own phone. It is a wonderful world with the telephone. I own only one land line, and that is in Nova Scotia. Even though land lines work better than cell phones, everyone uses a cell phone. Tim Wu was the first young peson who did not install a land line in his first apartment in DC. He just used his cell. That was a long time ago. Now I enjoy conversations with my friends all the time. This week I talked for ages with friend Florence and tonight I chatted with Doreen. I made good use of a telephone when I was a teenager and I make good use of my cell phone now. This is truly a wonderful world of telephones.

March 19, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Madison Farm.

The plan was to round up a cow or two at the Madison farm, then butcher the meat. My friends Eleanor and Jim and their four children live on the family property, while Cheryl and Sebastian and their 7 children will soon move into the old large farm house. This evening everyone would gather for supper at the old farm house. Eleanor graciously invited me to come for the event and to have dinner with everyone. I loved every minute of my time there. Cheryl moved a comfortable chair from the living room into the kitchen where I sat all evening. Cheryl called it the Queen's chair. Chris my Lyft driver drove me, leaving my home at 4:30. From the time I arrived until I left I sat on my chair and talked with a constantly shifting cast of people. Of course all the children were coming and going, as were the adults. The cows they were butchering were wild cows and first they had to round them up. But the cows did not want to be caught. Finally, late this afternoon, the hunters shot one cow, which they skinned and now is hanging in the butcher shop. All the while I sat talking, first with Pam and Bill Sutherland and Cheryl, followed by Jim Sutherland and Sebastian. A friend from Oxford always comes to round up and hunt up the cows. I had not met him so enjoyed talking with him. At some point, Cheryl served dinner: a delicious soup of venison and spinach, served with biscuits by Eleanor. And brownies for dessert. Greta Barbor drove me home. I arrived home at almost 9:00, fat and happy. I was so pleased that Eleanor invited me to this unusual event. I enjoyed every minute.

March 18, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Physical Therapy.

Finally, I will begin physical therapy in my house. Today the supervisor came to interview me and he told me that Kim will start coming twice a week. Up intil now, I have never asked. It is available through Medicare for 16 weeks but until now I have never felt the need. I walked every day and did my little exercises daily but I decided that now was the time. I can not go to a gym because of my compromized immune system so having a therapist come to my house will be just the ticket. When Ken came home from Mexico after his illness, he had a physical therapist come three times a week. And after we came back from Nova Scotia he attended a clinic for Parkinson's patients. I never paid much attention to what the therapist did with Ken. I was actually not impressed with how much they worked with Ken. But he thought it helped. Now I will find out for myself. I have asked for physical therapy because my legs have gotten dramatically worse. I suspect they have been getting worse for a long time but the damaged tendon put me over the bend. My balance was even worse than before so I decided to ask my Onchologist to request therapy for me. And it has been approved. To keep me upright, I have been using a walker all the time. I have the bigger walker that has a seat, which I use for carrying my meals. And I use the small light weight walker the rest of the time. The old walker is much more study that the new three wheel walker so I must figure out which one to take with me on the cruise. So now I go to get myself more fit. Beginning on Tuesday, Kim will put me through my paces. I will have several weeks of therapy. Then I leave Mississippi. Here I go.

March 17, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. March Madness.

Tonight it happened, something I look for in any tournament. I was delighted. Kentucky, who was seeded number 2 in their bracket, was beaten by St Peter's, a 15th seed. Of course, it helped my glee to see Kentucky lose because I do like neither their program nor their coach. I had smiles all over my face. The game was close and went into overtime. But the St.Peter's players stayed calm and did not get rettled under the pressure. Evidently St.Peter's University is a small Catholic school in New Jersey. And of course, The University of Kentucky is huge with a long storied history of excellence in basketball. But they lost tonight. Once upon a time, our family paid a lot of attention to March Madness. Ken ran off brackets for each of us and we filled then in carefully. It was fun watching the games. None of us ever selected the winners but one year Ken selected his winners by flipping a coin. And his team won the tournament. Both boys and I at the time knew a lot about the different college teams, while Ken knew nothing. But with a flip of the coin at every game, he won. Now for the past few years I have not paid much attention to March Maddness...until this year. I have watched no college basketball games this year and I know nothing about the teams either, so I started the tournament with no base of knowledge. I watch TV during lunch and dinner, so I watched games during that time. I discovered that I enjoyed watching those student athletes. I have watched several games that went to overtime and I have watched the players make terrbile mistakes. But the games were fun. But tonight was the most fun of all, when proud Kentucky lost to little St.Peter's team. Great sport.

March 16, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Players Golf Tournament.

Start with the weather. It was horrible for part of the time. and then it got worse. The tournament was played in northern Florida, just outside Jacksonville. Thursday morning started well and a few players completed round one. But just afternoon the heavy rains came down. And it kept on raining. All night and all day on Friday it rained, so no golf could be played. Then when play resumed at noon on Saturday, the winds were strong, up to 45 mph at times. And the first round had to be completed. But they all weathered on with sunshine but winds of 25mph gusting to 45. Conditions were interesting, to say the least. But it was interesting. The other aspect of the tournament was that all the players at the top of the leader board were players I did not know at all. The big guns were all in the tournament but were never in contention to win. So I got to watch lots of young players play golf. Of course, everyone playing is a good golfer in order to be in the tournament. But they seldon win. The game finally ended on Monday late afternoon when a young Australian took the big prize, an over 3 Million dollar cheque. I watch a bit of golf but this tournament was one of the most interesting and entertaining that I have ever seen. It was great sport.

March 15, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Rains and Pours.

This evening I received a phone call from David Nickerson. He is a friend from Nova Scotia. He is a skilled carpenter, thin and fit, but he was calling me from the hospital in Halifax. He had a heart attack and is now awaiting bi pass surgery. Four arteries are clogged. He is devastated because May 14 we were to board a ship to cruise the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. He was looking forward to the travel and he was looking forard to helping me too. At the moment, I do not know the recovery time for heart surgery but I am not hopeful that he could make the trip. Alexa, on the computer, tells me that recovery from this surgery is one week in the hospital, followed by 4 to 6 weeks of recovery at home. As we are talking two full months he might make it. Fortunately he is in good condition. So I must make some decisions as if David will be able to take the cruise. And I must decide if I can take the cruise alone. I am now using a walker 100% of the time which will actually make it easier for me. Ken had the surgery many years ago but I do not recall his recovery. I know we began going to the farm soon after he was home from the hospital, but that was Ken, who was always pushing the boundaries. I feel so badly for David. He was really looking forward to the cruise.

March 14, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Bird Sounds.

I have friends who live alone and turn on their TV the minute they come home. They use the television for company. And I know friends and relatives to keep their radio on all the time playing classical music. Or they play from their thousands of CD's. In that instance, they are not looking for company but to hear good music. But in either instance, their home is not quiet, which is of course, the whole point. They do not wish to have a silent home so they hear either the television of music. But not me. I am odd but I prefer to have the house quiet because I like to hear what is going on outside my house. Here on the reservoir I hear the boats racing by and I try to figure out if the boat is small or large. And I can hear the fishermen talking sitting on their boat just close to our dock. Canada Geese come through town, honking all the way. I like to hear them come and stay a bit. Then I am happy to hear them as they wend their way north. I listen to other bird songs all day too. Some birds I recognize and some I do not but no matter, I love to hear them chirping or singing out. I can also hear when packages are left at the front door. I do use television for company and information but never do I have the set running all day. I like the house quiet so I can hear the sounds of the birds. Nifty to hear those tiny creatures who have just returned from far away lands. Now I need to gather more information about the different bird calls. My friend Alice Anne recognizes hundreds of different birds. But not me. I am not so clever.

March 13, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Walkers.

I am now the proud owner of 4 walkers. Christina put together my 4th today. It is a walker with three wheels so it is ligh and easy to put in and out of the car. And it does not take as much room in the house too. So I like it. I saw frien Cliffie use a three wheel walker this summer and he also spoke well of the weight. Now I have my own three wheel walker. I still must keep a traditional walker in the house because I use the seat on the walker to carry my beverags and meals from one place to another. The three wheel walker has a bag so I could take things from one place to another but not a plate of food. I will use the new walker when I am going out. Tomorrow, Kashina and I have errands so I will take my new walker with me in the car. I might even keep it in the car. One week ago I started using a walker. Years ago, when I was taking the infusion chemotherapy, my legs were so weak that I used a walker. My first summer in Nova Scotia we had two walkers, one for me and one for Ken. But I got stronger that summer so stopped using the walker. Ken kept one walker on the second floor and one on the main so we still have 2 walkers in Nova Scotia. My legs have been unstable for a few years and many people have urged me to get back to a walker but I thought I could manage without it. But last Sunday I gave up being stubborn. The Achilles tendon issue and my unstable legs put me over the top. I was not safe walking alone so Christina brought a walker from the garage into the house last Sunday and I have been using one ever since. I suspect I will be using a walker for the rest of my life. In the garage can be found lots of devices used by Ken when he was infirm. As I get older, I suspect I will pick away and use stuff for myself. But at the moment, I am using a walker, which is a good thing. This light weight three wheel walker is nifty and I am happy to have it. I might even order a second. Who knows?

March 12, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Day Light Savings.

Tonight we spring forward with the clock. Instead of getting up at 8:00, it will actually be 9:00 so we we miss an hour of sleep. Once upon a time, many years ago, day light savings must have sounded like a good idea so the government passed the law introducing the swith in the time, twice a year. Every state except Arizona agreed to the change. One other statee also does not followcc the daylight savings switch but I forget which one. In Arizona, the clocks do no spring forward. They just stay at standard time. In the world of today, day light savings makes no sense. We have air condition in the schools. Farmers hate it. The whole thing is just silly. But no one does anything about it. Once something is passed and implemented by the government, trying to get the foolish rule changed seems to be impossible. This day light savings time is a perfect example. I have asked many people, and no one likes it. In fact, most folks hate it. But nothing happens so we dutifully switch our watches and clocks twice a year. We are lemmings. I am all for staying on the same time all year. Get rid of the changing clocks. That is my vote. But no one asks me so I continue to spring forward tonight, along with everyone else. I certainly hope to get to the brunch on time tomorrow!!

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

Kashine changes my sheets every Wednesday. The first week I was here, we discussed the flannel sheets. Was it time to switch nthe bed clothes to regular cotton sheets? We checked the temperatures on our phone and decided to keep those flanel sheets on the bed. Every week we have the same conversation. And every Wednesday she puts the flannel sheets back on the bed. And a good thing too because we are in for some real weather. For three days after my arrival home in Mississippi it was cold, in the 50s during the day. But then I have enjoyed temperatures in the 70s. But that is about to change. Tonight the temperature will get to 36 degrees. Tomorrow we will see a high of 43. Then on Sunday and Monday, the night time temperatures will go to 27 degrees, which is colder that Mississippi ever gets. Crazy weather. I am told by my friends and family that the whole winter was similar. First it was warm, followed by severe cold. Then back to warm. I am grateful that my house is warm and that my bed still has flannel sheets. I will be warm and cozy. The best part of living in Mississippi is that by Wednesday, the temperatures will return to the 70s. This time, we will doubtless experience no more below freezing temperatures. Eventually, Kashine will change the sheets to regular cotton sheets. Perhaps Wednesday will be the day.

March 10, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Kate's Birthday Gift.

Both Kate and Mary Frances had birthdays when I was in Mexico so we celebrated at brunch, the first Sunday I was here. I had checked with Christina to see if the girls wanted to receive money or take a shopping spree. Kate selected shopping because she will be in yet another wedding party and she needs a dress for the rehearsal dinner plus several other events. The wedding is in June. Today was the day selected for our shopping excursion. Christina came with us. There is nothing better in life than spending time with your granddaughter, especially when she is enthusiastic and excited. We had a wonderful time. Our routine is for me to sit just outside a dressing room and wait for Kate to come out with yet another garment. First Kate and Christina select the possible clothes. Kate did not need casual clothes. She needed fancy duds. As she is tall, many dresses do not fit so she must try on many many dresses to find one the will fit. Dresses are being worn short but on Kate, that means too short so many dresses looked beautiful on Kate and fit perfectly...but they came to just below her buttocks so they would not work. But she did well and she selected several pretty dresses that she will be able to wear for many years. She was very pleased. We always end of shopping adventures by going out for lunch. We dined at a new Asian restaurant, one that serves Janapee, Chinese, Korean and Thai food. The food was delicious and once again, we enjoyed ourselves. Our birthday gift was a big success.

March 9, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Gifts.

Trying to give me a gift is almost impossible. I need nothing. My husband bought everything possible for the house. He believed in the concept that it was better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. So in our homes we always had everything in abundance. I have a closet full of clothes that I mosly do not wear so buying me clothes is difficult. So giving me a gift is not easy. But every so often someone hits the jackpot and I receive a gift that I did not think I needed but that I now use every day. And I love that gift. For Christmas, Christina gave me a blanket. On one side it is warm and fuzzy and the front side is a knitted fabric. It looks good. I put it into the TV room thinking that I could wrap myself to keep warm. Instead I use it every day. Some time before Christmas I started to use Ken's recliner to take my afternoon nap. I started using Ken's chair in Nova Scotia and it worked well so one day I wondered if the chair in Mississippi would do the same. Up until then, I never sat in Ken's chair. When I first began to use the chair I used a quilt to keep me warm, but after I received my new blanket I use it all the time. It is a perfect size and covers from my feet to my neck. And it is warm and cosy. If you had asked me whether or not I needed a cosy blanket I would have told you no. But I was wrong. I use it every day. And every day I say, "Thank you Christina."

March 8, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Serendipity.

Some times all the plans go awry but in the end, everything comes out better than anticated. Today was one of those days. My plan for the day was to take an excursion with Chris, my Lyft driver. We were to drive on back roads to Meridian, then have lunch at Wiedmans, an old New York style deli. It has been in business since 1970. I was concerned about the journey due to my heel. I am still limping. And I am using a walker at home. My legs are still not doing well either but I felt I could still take the trip, hanging onto the arm of Chris. And starting on Sunday afternoon, my stomach was upset so I was anxious about eating the food. But I was just prepared to eat bland food. So I was planning to go. At 8:30, Chris and I texted confirming the time. And I ask him to come to the door to get me to the car. And all was well. Next I got a text posponing the trip. Chris's car would not start. The trip was off. And I was relieved. At 11:00 the rains started, followed by thunder and lightning. We had a full blown storm. The rain came done heavily all afternoon with intermittant storms. Had we taked the journey we would hae been in the midst of a storn and downpour. We just got lucky. Serendipity in action.

March 7, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Odds and Ends.

The Ibrance will be coming tomorrow, God willing if the creek does not rise. The chemo is coming directly from the company...with no copay. Such a blessing. Today Kashina and I ran errands, after my eye doctor appointment. One of the items on my list was to take my white capri pants to have a new elastic. I told her the white pants were by the front door. She looked everywhere and finally asked me whether they were the same pants as the pink ones. I just laughted and reminded her that once upon a time they were white. Dr. Kosko only works with advanced glaucoma patients. He is a very nice young man who has four children. They are all going to Maine in June and they might come to visit me in Nova Scotia. They would take the ferry. I told him my expectations when I go to the eye doctor. All my life, after an appointment with the opthamologist my eyes got better. Newer glasses meant better vision. I could see the blackboard better. He was sorry to tell me that would not happen with me. But he did change my prescription so I should actually be able to see better. Kashina and I tool all my stuff to the CPA on the way home from the appointment. Another box checked off. Christina ordered me a 3 wheel walker, similat to the one friend Cliffie used last summer. They are lighter and smaller. In the doctor's office this morning I saw a young lady using one. They take up little space. It just lacks a seat but as I have no intention of using the seat I won't miss it. And that is all I know tonight.

March 6, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Three Trouble.

My right Achilles is hurting. I have no idea how I hurt it but it is sore. I have been hobbling since Friday when it first started hurting. I can feel a swelling at the back of my heel. I am taking tylenot. Going into the restaurant this morning, when I stepped up a curb, a sharp pain came in my right leg. Fortunately I was holding Christinas arm. Now my Achilles is worse. Grrr. I was to start Ibrance, the chemotherapy on Friday. Pfizer is proving me with one year of Ibrance free,and sending it directly to me. But I have not received any yet. Grrr. Beginning on Thursday, my legs felt shaky when walking. This has happened in the past and I just keep walking. And I am careful. And my legs get better. But since Thursday, my legs continue to get worse. So after brunch, I had Christina bring me a walker from the garage, which I have been using all afternoon. I am not actually safe walking myself but I am fine with the walker. I knew that eventually I will be walking with a walker. Fortunately we had three in the garage. I am using the one that Ken used on the deck. Grrr. Now I must decide whether or not I need to have a doctor investigate my heel and my legs. Grrr.

March 5, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Tasks.

The number of tasks you are confronted with after returning from a long journey is overwhelming. Firstly, a travel day is tiring. I am not sure why, because all you do is sit, but a travel day wears you out. And it takes a day to recover. And then, if I am not careful, I get a bit frantic looking at all the tasks I am required to do. I try hard to only think of one thing at a time. This week, I have been successful with checking off my list of tasks. A week ago today was my first day at home. All morning I unpacked my belongings and put things away. Bethany and Gardener isolate here for ten days over Christmas. To protect the house from 4 year old Gardiner, Bethany moved a lot of things out of harms way, so I returned tham to their proper place. In the afternoon I opened the Christmas cards and sorted some of the mail. The next day I sorted the rest of the mail along with my magazines.. The rest of the week I had doctors appointments and luncheon appointments. My last big task I did today which was to sort all the important papers on my desk. Christina had carefully stacked the important tax papers on my desk along with all the copies for all my travel plans for this year and next. It took me until 2:00 for that task to be completed. Now next week I will take my documents to the CPA. They are almost ready to go. And I will take my pants to be altered. I also must get money from the bank. I have an appointment with my Opthamolgist monday morning so I hope to have Kashina drive me to get those tasks done. Also next week I must visit the Yacht Club to sign the contract for the December party. My ovens are still not installed so I must work on that. But I have done well with my tasks. My list will be complete. As they say in Nova Scotia, "That is some nice".

March 4, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My Capri Pants.

In Mexico I have two pair of capri pants, one white and the other a cream color. I wanted to wear the white pair when we were going out to dinner. I had already put on a white top. In the closet, I could not tell any difference in the color so I asked Wendy to tell me and to give me the white pair. She found the white pair but in the better light she told me that my white pants were actually pink. I must have washed them with red clothes and they were now pink. "Definately pink," said Wendy. I just laughed and wore them anyway. No one would look at an old ladies pants anyway, so out we went to walk to the restaurant. The color was not the main problem. The elastic was limp so I needed to hitch up my pants regularly. Walking to the restaurant was not a problem becaus I was walking holding Wendy's arm so I could hold them up with my other hand. But coming home was different because I always return with both arms holding arms so I had no ability to hitch up the waist band. But we managed. Regularly I would need to stop walking to fix my pants. Eventually we arrived home without my pants falling around my ankles. I then put the pants into the laundry. When Wendy was folding my pants she brought the pants to show me. Not only were my pants pink but also there were blue stripes around the bottom. Both Wendy and Anne agreed that the pants needed to be pitched. But not me. I brought the pants back with me where I will take the pants to a lady who makes alterations. Next week, Kashina will take me. Then I will store them until I return to Mexico next December. I am not sure if I am just cheap or that I really do not enjoy shopping. I might even bleach them while I am in Mississippi. I will then return with white pants that has good elastic. I will be happy.

March 3, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Passport renewal.

Ken has always attended to the renewal of our passports. My passport comes up for renewal in 2023. And you must have 6 months left on your passport in order to leave the country. In addition, the passport office was taking months for people to receive their new passport so I decided that I needed to apply for the renewal sooner than later. While I was away, Christina downloaded the application. And she filled it in for me. So on Sunday, after brunch, she helped me fill in all the blanks. And she even told me what to do with the application. Christina told me that a very nice lady at the main post office is able to check to be sure your application was complete and also would take my passport picture. And even though the on line instruction says to make an appointment, Christina suggested that if I arrived around 9:00, the nice lady would help me. My problem was getting there. Kashina was working both Monday and Wednesday but I had doctor appointments both days, so I asked if my Lyft driver, Chris, could drive me there and to stay with me to complete the process. This is certainly above and beyond the call of duty. And he did. He even took the application which was not in an envelope to the counter to pay my bill. Christina was correct. The lady has worked the passport sectiom of the downtown post office for 20 years. And she was there to help. All went well. I now have applied for the renewal of my US passport. And being totally optimistic, I applied for a 10 year renewal. The pleasant lady told me that I should receive it in April. Now I must repeat the process in Canada when I am in Nova Scotia this summer. It also expires in 2023. After I have both passports in hand, I will be ready to go!!

March 2, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. My PET Scan.

Every time I have a PET scan I assume it will be clear. But my last scan on Monday did not turn out well. Even my Oncologist, Dr. Sheehan was surprised. The only cancer spot on my rib just before I went to Mexico was on a rib on the back. So we decided to not use Ibrance because the cancer was so small. But that turned out to be a mistake. While I was leading the life or Riley, my body was churning out cancer sells. I have new cancers on the base of my spine. I have a new cancer on my liver. An old lesion on a rib at the front has come back. And the tiny spot on the rib at the back of the rib has now grown. In addition, I have inflamation in my lungs, which has left me with a cough. I am taking antibiotics for my lungs. And starting on Friday I will begin a new chemotherapy treatment. I do not remember the name but it is similar to Ibrance but was approved two years after Ibrance. For the past two bouts of Ibrance I was required to do radiation so perhaps my system has stopped responding. Now I will take new chemo which I must take every day morning and night. And I must read the side effects. When I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in the fall of 2014, I knew that the cancer was everywhere in my body. And I knew the cancer would come back. But the young Oncologist in Mexico told me that breast cancer was a manageable diease. She was correct. My life expectancy in the Fall of 2014 was 4 to 5 months. But here I am in 2022. Some day in the future I expect to have a scan with lesions all over my body. But this is not now. In the meantime, I am managing my diease

March 1, 20222. Madison, Mississippi. The Waffle House.

Never go into The Waffle House and order breakfast when you are very hungry. That is what happened to me on Monday, My PET scan was at 8:!5. Normally I have it at 7:00. I am not allowed to eat or drink from midnight. Kashina and I have gotten into the routine of going to The Waffle House for breakfast. It is in Ridgeland, very close to my home. This Monday, it was 10:30 before we walked into the reataurant. I had had no coffee and I had nothing to eat. I was famished. In addition, I had received 8 phone calls during the scan plus 5 text massages, so I needed to look at my phone, in addition to ordering breakfast. First I ordered coffee, then my food. Next I responded to my texts while Kashina was ordering her food. I vaguely heard waffle, which I discovered she had ordered a waffle for both of us. She told me that we could not eat breakfast at the Waffle House and not eat a waffle so I knew it was coming. I ate the whole thing. My breakfast was to be hash brown and a sandwich of sausage and eggs. It was delicious. Then I had to face the waffle, which I ate with no syrup, just butter. I only ate three quarters of the waffle. But I was stuffed. Next time, I am not going to order so much food. I like The Waffle House. From the outside it is still yellow but inside it is spiffy and shining with black and white tiles. They also have lots of staff so service is excellent. It was a busy place. But I ate too much. Next time I will try to remember. But I must confess that I enjoyed every bite.