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.

October 18, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Brunch.

We all enjoy our custom of eating brunch together on Sunday morning at 11:15.  This past Sunday we went to a new restaurant in the Renaissance shopping area.  It is called the Red 8.  They serve four different types of Asian food; Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Korean.  We have been there before and they are all equally good.  And of course, this was the first time the Autumn that we were together so we were excited to be together...finally.

When our food was brought to our table, it came by a robot.  The little cart came with music and flashing lights and stopped right at our table.  All the waitress had to do was to lift the plates off the cart.  It was such a surprise.  And it was fun.  The same cart arrived with our desert.  But that time we were ready and watched the robot wend its way across the restaurant.  This was the first time for us but I feel sure it will not be the last.

We spent the whole meal catching up with each other.  Mary Frances is into her new job and is learning a whole new way of writing.  Molly is in a new school and is enjoying her classes, of course, some more than others.  And Christina is enjoying her teaching about computers.  Also she is pleased with the clothes she acquired at the little store in Liverpool.  So our Sunday Brunch was, as usual, a great success.  It is a lovely tradition.

October 17, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Portia.

I have a new helper.  Her name is Portia.  And I like her.  My former helper of several years has moved to Texas, temporarily I think, but she is not here to help me now,  so I asked the same company to recommend a new helper for me.  They suggested Portia.  And I am pleased with their choice. 

She is younger than Kashina at 28 years old.  And she is tall and husky.  She played center on her high school basketball team.  She is a certified nursing assistant, which means 2 years of college.  And she is busy trying to get accepted into the last two years of college to become a nurse.  So she is ambitious, which pleases me.  

And she is smart.  I gave her verbal instructions for the coffee maker.  It requires a five steps which must be done in the correct order.  She made my breakfast team with no trouble.  Portia is also a good driver, which is important to me.  Many of the helpers who drove me when Ken was ill drove too fast.  Even when I asked them to slow down they did not totally follow my instructions.  But Portia is a good driver.  And she has a great smile.  So far, we have had fun together.  I look forward to two months of working with her.  And I am grateful the company selected her to help me.  I think she will fit me very well.  Whoopee.

October 16, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. David Wu.

This past week,  David Wu, the beloved younger  son on my friend Gill Wu died at his home just outside Seattle, Washington.  He was 48 years old.  Gill is devastated, as is Tim, David's brother.   A service will be held in Seattle and another held Dec.3 in Toronto, where he was brought up and where he started his business.

David was working very hard, trying to complete two new computer games before he moved back to Toronto.  He had already started the packing and he had just sent the two games to the 13 testers who check out his games before the games go on the market for sale.  David has always been a single focus person, working on the project for hours at a time.  He must have forgotten to eat or drink because he died on an enlarged heart and from untreated diabetes.  He died of hypoglycemia.  It is all so sad.

David was a generous, gregarious person and a wonderful son to Gill.  We all appreciated his expertise with the computer.  He developed many tricks with the computer that everyone now takes for granted.  But it was David's brains and hard work that causes these things to occur.

David was happy to be returning to Toronto.  He was actually on the verge of buying a new townhouse downtown and until his own place was ready, he was going to stay in Gill's condo.  We all loved David Wu and are so sorry for Gill for the loss of her boy David.  May he rest in peace.

October 15, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. The Conversation.

The drive was long and slow.  I was being driven from downtown Toronto to the airport.  And it was rainy. My driver was on time and spoke with an accent.  Most times, I sit quietly and watch the world pass by but on that morning, I engaged the driver in Conversation, by asking where he was born.  From then on until I got out of the car, we talked.  I asked question after question.  And the time just flew by.

He was born in Iran but emigrated to Toronto after he graduated from University.  He could see no future in Iran.  That was 1990 and he was 24.  He spoke not much English but eventually opened a successful Pizza restaurant.  And he thrived.  He married a lady in Iran, an arranged marriage, and they moved to Toronto.  Their only daughter, who is now 23,  was born in Toronto.  She has just graduated from University and is organizing for graduate school.  My driver and his wife are separated.

The year before Covid he sold his business and started driving for a company.  He said that he was trying to figure out what to do next.  But Covid came and no one needed to be driven anywhere, so he decided to visit his Mother and Father in Iran just to spend time with them and help them at home.  He was pleased he was there because when he was home, his father died so he helped his Mother.

The day he was coming home to Canada was the day that the protests began in Iran.  He was fortunate he got out when he did.  All internet communication has been cut off.  Also telephones too so he has not spoken to his Mother since he was home.  She is an older lady who mostly stays at home so she is safe but several hundred people have died in the protests.  

The conversation was interesting and I was delighted to hear first hand about the situation in Iran.  Incidentally, he does not believe the government will fall but he thinks they will make changes.  We will see.

October 14, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Evaluation.

Our train ride across Canada was excellent.  We five enjoyed ourselves.  But some parts we liked better than others.  The hotels were excellent.  We stayed at the Fairmont hotels every place we stayed.  The rooms were lovely and the restaurants were excellent.

The two days on the Rocky Mountaineer was the hit of the trip.  The dome car with the restaurant below was comfortable.  And of course, the views were spectacular.  We all agreed that we could recommend that journey to everyone.  The hotel in Kamloops was not wonderful but it was adequate.  The only issue was that we needed to board the bus for the train at 6:00am.

Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper is of course beautiful with the bold granite mountain tops.  We stayed 5days in the area and took bus tours every day.  I loved just driving around the roads getting from place to place.  But the other folks found the trips too long.  Most day we started our day at 9 and did not return until 6 or seven.  If we did it again, we would hire our own tours with just the 5 of us, as we did in Niagara Falls.

The train trip from Jasper to Toronto was interesting.  The food and service were excellent.  The dining car was elegant  and we enjoyed our meals.  Our cabins were the largest on the train but even those were pretty small.  We had our own full bathroom.  But the train ride itself has not improved in many years.  The train rocks and rolls and lurches.  You were forced to hold on at all times.  We enjoyed our 3 night train trip.  And we had a lot of fun.  But we would not recommend that journey to friends.

We five just got lucky.  We got along very well.  And the weather was perfect.  We all five enjoyed the journey, but like all travel, some parts were better than others.  Several other friends and relatives of Larry and Lynn have already signed up for the Rocky Mountaineer for 2023.  

October 13, 2022. Madison, Mississippi. Home at Last.

 I am home in Mississippi. Ur I am not at my best.  Between the case and my computer I lost the cord, so I am writing on my iPad which I have not done for years.  

All went well.  The whole trip home went as planned.  The whole travel industry worked like a well oiled machine.  From the beginning of the day until I walked in my home everyone did their job in a timely fashion.   So here I am.  Tomorrow I will have a new helper as Kashina is still in Texas.   Ur for now, I am going to bed.  A travel day takes the stuffing out of a person.  

On another day I will report on an interesting conversation I had with my driver this morning.  It was raining so the drive from the Fairmont hotel to the airport took a long time.   It. I enjoyed our conversation.  More to come.  Now I will rest.  

October 12, 2022. Toronto, Ontario. A Day in Niagara Falls.

We five drove to Niagara Falls today.   We were picked up at 9:00 and brought back to the hotel at 3:30 so it was a quick trip.  The other folks had never seen the falls and I had not been there for many years.  Once again, the weather was pleasant and the Falls were still spectacular as was the garden area.  The town itself has grown and is not very pretty.  But we had a delicious lunch so we enjoyed our day with our own driver.

At dinner tonight we ate our last supper at the steak house in the hotel.  It was festive and we all agreed that we enjoyed our train journey.  We toasted everything we had enjoyed.  But we all agreed that the Rocky Mountaineer was the best part of the journey.  I had not seen Butch for over ten years and I had never met Lynn, Larry and Margo, but we got along very well.  And we had a good time.

Our next trip together is when these four good folks come to Nova Scotia  to visit me.  I am saving the first two weeks of September for them.  I am looking forward to seeing them again.  The three indispensable folks were a huge help to me and I appreciated their help.  I just got lucky.  Tomorrow I will be home in Mississippi.  And I will be glad.

October 11, 2022. Toronto, Ontario. Three Nights on the Train.

 Three nights on the train and no Internet.  We stopped for 50 minutes but it was dark and I needed to go into the station which was a long hike.  So I gave up.  Sorry.

The service on the train was excellent as was the food.  The dining was was a hit.  The young car was several cars away so I only went once.  Getting from one car to another was difficult for me.  Our cabins were the largest on the train but still pretty small.  The window was big and our bathroom was adequate.  So our accommodation was acceptable. But the trains rock and roll and jerks all over.  I took the train across Canada in 1953.  The tacks seem the same.

But we went for the view.  I loved watching the prairies with all the wheat all set for the winter.There is a lot of flat land in Canada.  In Ontario we saw the leaves.  And now we are in Toronto at the Fairmont Hotel.  Tomorrow we have a private tour to Niagara Falls and the wineries.  One more day and our journey will be complete.

October 7, 2022. Jasper, Alberta. A beautiful Drive.

 The drive from Lake Louise to Jasper is the most beautiful drive in the world.  I remember it from years ago and today I was not disappointed.  The drive was wonderful.  We spent all day stopping at the highlights.  But for me the best part of the day was the drive.  Spectacular.

One highlight was going up to the glacier.  The Athabasca glacier  is still big so we took a large vehicle right up so everyone could hike out on the glacier.  I struggle standing on level ground so elected to stay in the big vehicle while everyone else hiked around.  It was still pretty special.  Butch also elected to stay in the big vehicle.

Now we are staying in the Fairmont  Lodge at Jasper which is a spectacular place.  It is old with the accommodations scattered around the huge property.   After checking into our places, we dined in their restaurant, which was busy.  The place is family and dog friendly and the place is fully booked.  Unfortunately we are only here for one night.

Tomorrow we board a train for Toronto.  So here we go again.

October 6, 2022. Lake Loise, Alberta. The Indispensable Three.

This trip with the five of us was not planned.  It evolved.  And has worked out very well for me.  Lynn, Larry and Margo have become indispensable to me.

It started out as a conversation.  On the phone, I was cajoling Butch to do something.  Due to illness and Covid,  my friend Butch had done nothing for the past three years.  He was living in Annapolis by him self doing nothing and going nowhere.  I asked Butch what he would like to do and he said that he would like to take the train across Canada.  And he agreed to take the trip if I found such a trip.  So I found out the journey and we both booked our reservation.

Butch asked his brother , Larry and wife Lynn whether their daughter Margo would consider coming with him  Butch was anxious about traveling  with just me, who had health issues of my own.  So they asked Margo who said yes.  In addition, Larry and Lynn suggested that they might like to accompany us.  I was asked about the idea.  I thought it would be a fine idea.  This was 18 months ago.  I felt that we would have a good time but I did not realize how important these three able bodied adults would be to me.  But they are.

They help me in every direction.  These hotels are huge so they help me find my room.  And Margo and Lynn set up my room and turn on all the lights and find the plugs.  And as I now use a walker, I am unable to carry my bags by myself so they bring me and my bags in the morning to meet the bus.  My vision is limited so either Margo or Lynn hold onto my walker to keep me going to the correct direction.  Plus a million other things every day.

I had no idea when we planned this train journey how important these three adults would be to me.  But they are.  And for all their assistance I am grateful.  In addition, we are having a grand time.

October 5, 2022. Banff, Alberta. A Day in Banff.

Our day in Banff was glorious., Not only the scenery but also the weather.    The temperature was 72 and it was sunny.  Local folks were loving it because by now, winter has started to set in.  In fact there is a forecast for snow next Tuesday.  We were picked up in a bus just after 8:00 and brought home host after 3:30.  And we toured and stopped at all the high spots.

First we went up the gondola, an elevation 2200 feet above our hotel..  The sights was amazing.  Next we stopped at Bow River Falls, then the hudo's, followed by a cruise on a big lake.  In addition we stopped for lunch at a new hotel.  We also stopped at several other vistas so we could enjoy the grandeur.  All in all, it was a lovely day in Banff.

We were here on a good day because the summer crowds have gone and the winter folks have not arrived so Banff was not too crowded.  Of course, I knew the scenery was lovely but I always forget how beautiful it really is.  The town is nestled by mountains.  We are staying in the Fairmont Hotel?Banff Springs Hotel, built in the 19th century.  The place is huge and beautiful.  My room has spectacular views.  Again, I feel fortunate to be in Banff.

October 4, 2022. Banff, Alberta. The Rocky Mountaineer.

 Oh what a day.  The scenery was spectacular, all day.  One gorgeous vista after another in an unbelievable display of beauty.  This trip is an unending series of beautiful sights.  I have seen this terrain many times but I am always surprised by the views.  In addition to the scenery we ate breakfast and lunch on the train. But it was a long day.  We left our hotel at 6:00 and arrived at the Banff Springs Hotel at 9:00. So in addition to the gorgeous view, we got weary.

In addition to the views, we saw four black bears, several long horned sheep, one bald eagle and two elk.  Nifty.

Today we followed the valleys of seven rivers,  And as we increased elevation, we came upon the rocks above the tree line, which is special to the Canadian Rockies.  These mountains are beautiful and majestic.  And we loved every minute.    This two day trip is truly a trip of a lifetime.

October 3, 2022. Kamloops, British Columbia. The Rocky Mountaineer.

This is a trip of a lifetime, except I have done it once already.  Today  we left Vancouver bright and early.  And we followed along the Fraser River.  The scenery was spectacular with gorges and bridges and lots and lots of trees and mountains.  Then we left the Fraser River to follow the Thompson River all the rest of the day.  Except the trees got scarce and the rocks increased.  At some point we were in arid country where we saw many rock slides.  We saw long horned sheep.  And we saw kayakers going through the rapids.  The scenery was spectacular.

Our happy group of five enjoyed our day on the train.  Butch and I had no trouble getting on and off the train.  And we ate breakfast and lunch in our same train car but on the lower level.  The staff was excellent and fun.  Lynn and Larry stayed outside on the viewing area and had lots of fun waving at the people they saw.  So far, our first day on the train was a winner.

Now we stay overnight in Kamloops.  We ate dinner here.  But now we are all weary.  And we will soon all be in bed because we begin our day  by getting on our bus at 6:00.  Tomorrow, the scenery will be even more spectacular.  We will enjoy.

October 2, 2022. Vancouver, British Columbia. What a Day.

 My day began by eating breakfast in my hotel room.  I always enjoy this luxurious event.  

Next item on my agenda was having lunch with nephew Kenny, wife Anne, grown children Eric and Elise and Anne's brother Robert, who I had never met before.  We at in the hotel, just keep it easy.  It was a wonderful event, getting to know Robert and seeing the children again.  I had last seen them in Ancaster at Dave's 90th birthday.  I am so impressed with our young people who are working hard in their chosen fields and are still doing interesting activities outside work.  These young people are impressive.  Robert is blind and finding out how he gets through his life in his independent way is equally impressive.  We met at 12:30.  And we left at 4:15.  I did enjoy being with these good folks.

Then our happy group of five had dinner together at an excellent restaurant two blocks away.  We walked there which was the only time I had any time in my day to take a walk.  Lynn paid the bill which pleased me because I did not take my purse.  The food was excellent and the piano player was quiet.  And we had a good time.  Now we are set for tomorrow for the train which begins tomorrow.  But today was a hit.

October 1, 2022. Vancouver, British Columbia. Getting Stuck.

We are all five in Vancouver, ready to get on the train on Monday.  But this morning I got stuck getting out of my room at the hotel.  I asked when checking in on Friday how I could get over to the airport.  It is not a long walk but now that I must use the walker, I thought I needed help.  But the hotel has no staff to help me.  They used a cart to take my stuff to my room so I wondered if I could push the cart myself with my walked on top of the bags.  So I did.  This morning I loaded my bags on the cart with the walker on the top.  And I headed out to check in with Air Canada for my direct flight to Vancouver..

But I did not get far.  As I was going out the door, the walker slipped off the cart.  I was at the back of the cart and my walker was at the front with the cart jammed in the door.  I tried my best but I could not get anything to budge.  Finally, I called the front desk.  The young lady came to my rescue.  And I was on the way, but not with a little trauma.

The walk is not far but with the heavy cart, the walk seemed long.   And with no warning, I was walking on a down slope that I could not control.  I ran into a railing on purpose to control my speed but a lady noticed and asked if she could help.  So even though she was going in the opposite direction, she accompanied me all the way to the Air Canada check in counter.  So I made it with no more trouble.  Next time I will ask for help right from the beginning.  But I made it to Vancouver and our happy group of 5 are all here, ready to rest  tomorrow.  Hurrah for us.