March 31, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Walkers.

Walkers are a huge help to those of us who are a bit unstable.  They allow me to be independent.  When I was in the hospital in December, the physical therapists stopped by to check to see if I would be able to go home and live by myself.  I discovered that they did not like my walkers with their big wheels.  They preferred the walkers that you must pick up in order to walk.  The reason is that the wheels get away from you.  I just laughed and told them that I would stick to my walkers with the big wheels.  But I promised that I would be careful.

I did find that when going down a ramp, I was fearful of going too fast so I was forced to having someone hold on the walker to slow me down.  I know I could use the brakes but somehow or another I can not slow down by myself.  I have no trouble going up a ramp, but down ramps make me nervous.  

The other evening as I turned from the computer, I inadvertently pushed  the walker which was right behind me.  It scooted right across the breakfast room and ended up beside the table on the other side of the room.  I just laughed.  Then I had to figure out how to safely get over to the walker.  Fortunately, I use a desk chair on wheels so I pulled my feel along the floor.  So I was rescued.  That was the only time when the wheels of the walker got away from me.

Once in Mexico, Wendy and I were doing something in the living room.  When she left for the beach, I realized that she had left the walker on the other side of the room.  I could not figure out how to safely retrieve the walker, so I just waited until Wendy returned.  And we laughed.  I had been stuck in place.  Without my walkers, I would really be stuck in place.  Hats off to walkers.

March 30, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Good and Bad News.

First, the good news.  I look great and I have all the energy I need.  My vital signs are normal as are all my blood counts, even my white cells which are normal.  My glucose levels are with acceptable numbers.  My foot wound is totally covered with new skin.  Dr. Gregg, who I saw on Tuesday and who is a geriatric specialist told me to do nothing with the thumb.  No more cream.  Just watch it to be sure it does not get any redder.  I am going out for lunch regularly.  So I look fine.  And I feel fine but I am not perfect.

The bad news is the breast cancer.  When you are given the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, you know that the breast cancer will come back.  Eventually the breast cancer will take over.  My Pet scan told me that the cancer had grown.  When the Oncologist asked for specific numbers he told a bad story.  I have a new cancer on the top of my spine and a bigger one at the base of my spine.  There is a new cancer in the liver and the old one is bigger.  So we are not winning this fight.  Next week I will have a liver biopsy.  And two days later I see the Oncologist to map out a plan.  Or do nothing.

The Oncologist suggests  that I take a new chemo that requires infusion every two weeks.  She will not start it and then stop when I go to Nova Scotia so she thinks I should stay in Mississippi.  But there is no guarantee that the new chemo will work.  On the other hand, I know I will enjoy the summer in Nova Scotia, so I will go there.  And I will try to find an Oncologist who will give me the infusion chemo.  Of course, I have no idea if this treatment has been approved in Canada.  So we will see what we decide.

I am not upset with this information.  I knew the chemo that I was taking in Mexico was not working because my back hurt.  I was not able to sit in a wooden chair.  I still eat at home sitting in a comfortable chair.  And in a restaurant here I sit in a padded bench.  So here we go.  I am still walking and talking and not complaining.  Life is good.

March 29, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Flannel Sheets.

In Nova Scotia I use flannel sheets all summer.  The nights are always chilly even during the summer,  so in order to keep me cosy, I use flannel sheets.  But I do not put flannel sheets on all the other beds which are used by guests.  Many people find flannel sheets too warm.

But in Mississippi, I only use flannel sheets when the weather is cold.  I have a major decision, here in Mississippi,  as to when the time is right to take off the flannel sheets.  It was like the changing of the guard.  When I switch to regular cotton sheets, I never go back to flannel until the late Fall, when the weather again will be chilly.  Before I arrived home to Mississippi, the weather turned hot and I knew my flannel sheets were still on my bed.  But I got lucky.   The  weather turned cold so I kept my flannel sheets on the bed for a couple of weeks.

Portia changes the sheets every Friday and as it was going to be 80, I asked her to use regular cotton sheets.  And she laundered and put away the cosy flannel sheets, the ones with snowmen and snow.  I love those sheets but I will not see them until I return from Nova Scotia.  The guard has changed, finally.

March 28, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Windshield.

 Before  I left for Mexico,  a rock hit my windshield and made a dint.  I knew that sooner or later, that hole would develop into a crack.  Sure enough, Christina reported a small crack in the front windshield.  Christina looks after my car when I am out of town and she drives in once a week to be sure that it is running well.  As the crack was small, she felt comfortable driving it.  But she reported to me that the windshield would need to be changed upon my return.

Last summer, when I was in Nova Scotia with the car with Christina, the back windshield shattered.  The back window was replaced, with the company doing the work in Christinas garage. So all was well, until now.

I was wishing we had not purchased a Subaru with all the safety features in the car, because in order to replace the windshield, they must also recalibrated all the cameras in the windshield, which must be done in their shop.  This takes 2 or 3 hours.  Portia offered to take and car and wait but that did not seem fair, so we ended up driving to Pearl for our 9:00 appointment and waiting together.  While we were there, we worked on my Christmas cards.  Portia wrote the envelopes while I read the names and addresses from my list.  Every hour, we walked outside for exercise.

On the way home, we stopped to bring lunch home.  We had fun while we were waiting and we got some exercise.  And we finished lunch in time for Portia to leave at 1:00.  So all was well.  And I no longer have a crack in my windshield. 

March 27, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Cards, 2022.

By now, all my relatives and friends know that they missed receiving a Christmas card from me.  Many years ago when I was very busy, I often sent cards out in January.  But I have never just did not send them out.  But there was a series or errors with the card which meant that Christina could not order the cards.  And then my energy level went down and down.  And so I had no cards and I had no time.  

Now I am sending out a New Years card in April.  I asked Portia to help.  I asked her to put the return address labels on the envelope.  But in addition, to be helpful, she also stuffed the envelope with the card.  Now I write a note in every card so this was a problem/  But I was admonished to send the cards out without a note, which is what everyone else does with a picture Christmas card.  So now Portia has sealed the cards.  And she is writing the addresses on the envelopes.  With me telling her names and addresses and Portia writing the addresses we are making good time, and I am hoping the New Years cards will be mailed this week.  

I must say that it is just about time I sent out my Christmas cards.  New Years in April sounds pretty good.

March 26, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Cups and Saucers.

 Once upon a time, many years ago, everyone served you tea in a fancy cup and saucer.  At least they did in Canada.  Every cup was different and always made of fine china.  Every bride was given cups and saucers so I had many beautiful cups and saucers.  I brought 16 of them with me to Mississippi.  When Wendy opened the box of china, I asked her what on earth I should do with those fancy cups and saucers.  I was no longer using them.  Wendy suggested that she put them in a nest of four.  And she stored them in a high cupboard over top of the refrigerator.  And she suggested that I would give them to the granddaughters at some appropriate time in the future

In the middle of the night last week, I decided that the appropriate time would be when a granddaughter had moved into their own apartment.  So I sent four cups and saucers to Kate as a Spring surprise.  This week, we had PackMail package them up and send the fancy cups to Kate, which arrived on Saturday.  She was surprised and delighted.  Last Spring, she and her friend Sarah Kennedy held a tea party  for their friends and they had already discussed having another this year.  Last year it was a hit.  Now Kate will use her fancy four cups and saucers at their tea party.  

Now I have three more sets up in my cabinet waiting for another granddaughter to move into their own apartment.  I have more cups and saucers in Nova Scotia but I do not know if PackMail has outlets there.  But for now, all is well.  And Kate is delighted.

March 25, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Another Storm.

I went to sleep last night happy.  The storm had passed me by so I was safe to sleep in my bed.  Every spot in a Mississippi house has a safe place, an area in the house well away from windows and far away from the outside walls.  If possible, you go to the basements but as very few houses in Mississippi have a basement, that best option is not available.  So everyone designates a safe place for the family to go to in the event a tornado is coming your way.  But that storm was east of me, so I went to bed.

But in the middle of the night I awoke to hear loud thunder.  And heavy rain and wind.  I went back to sleep.  When I got up, the lights were not working so I knew a storm had hit our area.  It turned out to be a deadly storm.  The storm went just north of Jackson, actually not too far from me.  I had heard the edges of the storm, which came with a tornado that touched down a bit east of me and a bit north.  The tornado was deadly.  People killed and injured while I slept on.  

These tornadoes are what catches peoples attention.  They are unpredictable and deadly.  So Mississippi people listen to the TV and radio.  And they stay home during a storm.  The Notary we met with on Tuesday would not come into work on Monday because of the forecast of a storm.   Fortunately, the storms here do not last long but it can rain hard for long periods of time.  So I too stay home during a storm.  That still does not make me a Mississippian.  That takes several generations.

March 24, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Storms in Mississippi.

 I received a text this afternoon from the power company.  I was told that severe weather was coming soon late in the afternoon.  I was told to get prepared for the electricity to go out.  Next the wind started to blow.  The leaves were shanking and there was not a bird to be heard.   But I went about my business and ignored the storm, except I checked for the lanterns.

When I was eating my supper, I was watching a NCAA basketball game.  Right in the middle of the game, the station took over with weather alerts.  A tornado had the potential to come to the area so the weather folks were admonishing everyone east of Jackson to seek their safe place.  And definitely stay indoors in a sturdy structure.  After a while, the station switched back to the game so all was well.  Houston lost the game even though they were a top seed.

I switched to the hockey channel  until the basketball game came back on.  Texas was playing this evening.  But just a few minutes into the game the storm alert came back to take over the station.  A tornado had touched down and a debris dust was swirling which caused damage to homes and people.  Unfortunately, the weather alert stayed all through the first half so I missed half of the game.  The game is now back on the TV so I hope to watch Texas play the second half.  And I hope they win.

Mississippi folks take their storms seriously as does the television channels.  Now we have heavy rain but the strong wind has passed me by.  I think I can now put away the new lanterns.

March 23, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. The Apostle Stamp.

Paul B. has been helping us to transfer ownership of my Playa Royale eo Wonderful Wendy.  It is complicated because we must actually have a settlement at the land records in Mexico.  When we were in In Mexico we signed some documents  but both Wendy and I had to do was get things motorized at home.  And we had to have an Apostle Stamp on the documents.  Until Paul was describing what we were requited to do, I had no idea what an Apostle Stamp was all about.  But I knew that dealing with the government could be difficult.  So I was apprehensive.

My task was to have a Notary certify the death certificate.  And then have the state of Mississippi place the Apostle Stamp on the death certificate.  Paul gave me the instructions when I left Mexico.  I thought that getting it done would be a problem.  First of all, there is no place on the death certificate to sign.  But Portia called the Apostle office at the state capitol building.  The lady she spoke to gave Portia the name of the employee who would notarize the death certificate first.  Then we were to take the document to the Apostle office.

On Tuesday we met with the notary who fortunately had done this before.  We met her in her office and she told us the drill.  After I filled out a form, she notarized that form but she could not touch the death certificate itself.  That death certificate is an original document, she said, and she can not alter it.  We then were to go to the state capitol for the Apostle Stamp.  But we ran out of time and we went home.  But today, we went downtown and Portia took the death certificate plus the for motorized from  Tuesday into the office.  There was no parking so I stayed in the car which was parked in a bank parking lot.

Much to my surprise, she returned in 5 minutes, all done.  Next we went to PacMail to be courted to Paul in Mexico.  My job is now over.  Next week, Paul will tell me the closing costs.  After I send those funds, our documents will go to the land records of the county in Mexico.  Eventually, Wendy will get the deed.  Today was a great success.  Progress indeed.

March 22, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Excursion to Vicksburg.

Last week when we were in Natchez with Sara Lou, we ate friend green tomatoes as an appetizer to share. They were good.  But Chris told us about a restaurant in Vicksburg that serves fried green tomatoes that are even better.  Today, Chris and I drove to Vicksburg to eat fried green tomatoes at Rusty's.  Chris was correct.  They were better.  Again we shared them as an appetizer.  First they dip the tomatoes in a batter and fry them.  Next the put crab meat on top.  Finally  a cheese sauce is placed over the tomatoes and crab and heat them again.  They are delicious.  Well worth the drive.

We left at 9:30 and again drove on the Natchez Trace.  Again, no traffic.  But there were more new leaves on the trees.  One week of sunshine brought out the leaves.  We went directly to the restaurant on the main street.  I ate soft shell crabs, plus a salad and a baked sweet potato.  I brought one crab home along with the salad, which I ate at supper.  We drove home directly because Chris had an appointment at 3:00.  But again, we had a good time.  We drove along the water front before we headed for home.

I had not eaten soft shell crabs since we moved from Maryland.  I enjoyed them today but I prefer the ones in Maryland.  The last time I ate them In Maryland they were sautéed in butter with slivered almonds.  Delicious.  Perhaps it is my poor vision, but I thought that Vicksburg looked all spruced up and shining.  This is good.  Perhaps these river towns are coming back to life.  I hope so.

March 21, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Good News.

The wound on my foot has totally healed.  It is now covered with new skin.  I have no open wound on my foot.  The Doctor at the Wound Clinic at the University of Mississippi was pleased.  He used an ultra sound.  And he used a probe.  And he used a very bright light on the wound.  He reported that the new skin is covering the wound.  This is great news.

When I fell in early July in Nova Scotia., a chunk of flesh was ripped from my foot.   At the hospital ER, no one even looked at it because it was not bleeding.  But two days later, the wound hurt.  And the area around the wound got bright red and pink.  It looked terrible.  We tried to get a doctor to look at my foot but I would have had to wait 8 hours.  So I called nephew Norm and sent him a picture.  He decided it was not infected so he suggested we soak it and use polysporen three times a day.  Bit by bit the red decreased in intensity.  

When I returned to Mississippi, I had an X-ray of the foot, which showed no infection.  But I still had an open wound and my foot hurt when walking.  In December when in the hospital to control my glucose, the wound  doctor came and checked it and prescribed a medication over the wound, then cover with a bandage.  And change the bandage every other day.  But by bit, skin was growing.  Now after 8 months, my wound has healed.

Now I must keep the new skin protected with a bandage for several weeks.  And I can begin walking, but very slowly increasing the distance.  In Mexico, every time I increased my walking distance the area around the wound got pink.  The wound doctor told me to watch for the pink and cut back my walking if the pink appears.  But the news is good.  My wound has healed.  Whew.

March 20, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Another Raccoon.

Raccoons seem to like my house.  A few years ago, I heard a noise in the attic.  When the exterminator went into the attic, he discovered that he was staring at a big raccoon.  So he backed away.  He was able to trap the raccoon on the deck and since that time, we have had no trouble with critters in the attic.  But last week I heard a loud noise coming from the attic and called the exterminator immediately.  He arrived the next morning with two traps, one for the attic and one for the deck.  He also found a hole that the raccoon had pulled off to gain access.  The exterminator used a heat sensor to find the hole.

The nights have been cold so I guess the raccoon was getting into the warm attic.  I never heard another noise from the attic but yesterday the trap door on the trap was tripped.  Portia checked and sure enough, there was a raccoon in the trap.  Today the exterminator took away the raccoon and if I hear no more noises from the attic, he will close up the hole.   I hope my problem with the raccoons will be over.

In addition, yesterday I had an infestation of tiny sugar ants in my bedroom.  When we first moved here in 2015, we had a major issue with those ants, both in the pantry and the bedroom.  The exterminator sprayed for the ants.  In addition he recommended to us to take down all the vines on the trees.  Evidently, the ants live in the vines on the trees.  Wonderful Wendy removed a bunch of the vines.  Also Lanny who looks after the yard removed the rest.  But now the vines are back so on Thursday Lanny will remove the vines.  My exterminator sprayed today.  And once again, my ant problem will be over.

March 19, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Chilly Weather.

 The weather has been sunny since I returned to Mississippi. and the temperatures have been pleasant.   But yesterday it turned chilly.  In fact over night the temperature was below freezing.  And tonight it will be 28 degrees.  I never did turn off the heat so the home is warm, at least in the main part of the house.  But I keep my bedroom cooler and my television room is attached to the bedroom.  So my TV room is chilly.  I must work hard to stay warm while watching the television at night.

I look a sight.  I wear heavy wool socks.  And I put on Kens plaid flannel night shirt, which has long sleeves and comes down to my ankles.  When eating supper in the television room I wrap my back and arms in a fleece  robe.  Over my legs and lower body I wrap myself in the cosy blanket that Christina gave me for Christmas.  I look ridiculous but I am warm.

When I watch television after supper I wrap the blanket up to my shoulders so only my face can be seen.  Portia hates cold weather as did my last helper Kashina, so I must keep the main part of the house warm and cosy.  But the bedroom stays cooler for sleeping so I must wrap up.  I have gotten used to 80 degrees and I do not enjoy being cold.   I must look a sight, but who cares.

March 18, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. World Baseball Tournament.

 I found about this baseball tournament accidentally.  I went to bed in Mexico expecting to watch a few minutes of hockey before going to sleep.  As I have a TV in my bedroom in Mexico, I had gotten in the habit of watching the end of the game on a Canadian channel.  But I was late that night and much to my surprise, I was watching baseball.  I had no idea about the game so the next day we looked it up and learned all about the tournament, which is held every 4 years.  You must qualify  to get into the tournament and each player plays for their home country.  The tournament takes place in several countries all over the world with the finals being played in Miami.

I knew nothing about this tournament and evidently no one else knows about the tournament tooo.  I have asked several people if they had watched any games and the answer s were always NO.  I have enjoyed the games.  I watched the quarter final game between Mexico and Puerto Rico.  Mexico won in the last inning so it was exciting.  And tonight the US beat Venezuela, another come from behind game.  The quality of play is very high with most players professionals playing for MLB.  But in the opening round robin section, many teams fielded amateurs who worked for a living but loved baseball.

In 2017, the US won the tournament.  Now the US team will play a semi final game.  The commentators all think that Mexico has the best team.  But we must watch them play the games.  In Miami, the stadiums are sold out, especially as the US will play Cuba.  The games being played in Tokyo are not as well attended.  It is an interesting tournament.  We call it The World Series here but this tournament is truly a World Tournament with the players playing for their home country.  I am enjoying the games.

March 17, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Lunch at the Sutherlands.

 Eleanor and Jim are good friends.  They built a magnificent house in Madison, which I love.  When friends or family visit me, I always ask if we could come and tour their house.  They always say yes, which I appreciate.  This time when I asked if Sara Lou could see their home, Eleanor not only said yes, but she suggested that we we should come for lunch.  And to be even better, Jim was not working that day so could join us.  Eleanor also invited Susan M., also my friend.  I knew we were in for a treat.  And I was correct.

We started by sitting in the living room drinking herbal tea.  The tea  was served in white china mugs, poured from a lovely china tea pot.  That was the first stage of a most elegant luncheon.  While we talked, Jim took Sara Lou on a tour of the house.  Then we retreated to the beautiful dining room, all set with linen place mats, silver and crystal.  Eleanor is an excellent cook and enjoys experimenting so we ate moroccan meatballs and sautéed squash, with home made herbal biscuits and a yoghurt sauce.  The meal was delicious and I ate everything, even the biscuits, which I am not supposed to eat.

Eleanor made an apricot dessert served in wine glasses.  But I said "No thank you."  This lunch was delightful and both Sara Lou and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.  I feel grateful that I have friends who not only invite us to tour their home but also invite us for a wonderful meal.  What a treat.

March 16, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Natchez.

 Natchez looked good on Wednesday.  Of course, the day was glorious.  The sun was shining and it was 64 degrees.  And there were not many tourists on the street.  The commercial area is in the process of being refurbished so that was a good sign.  The big homes are still in beautiful condition and the river walks were nicely maintained.  I was pleased with the look of Natchez.

Chris, my Lyft driver, took Sara Lou and me on an excursion to Natchez.  Sara Lou had never been in Mississippi so we wanted to show her the countryside.  We left home at 9:30 and drove all the way on the Natchez Trace.  The traffic was light so we had a pleasant drive.  The first thing we did was go to lunch at the Magnolia Grill, an area at the bottom of the town, right by the river.  We ate fried green tomatoes and catfish.

Next we took a horse drawn buggy cart all around town.  The driver did a good job of giving us a brief history of the old houses and the big buildings.  We enjoyed our 45 minute ride.  Next we drove around town to see the big old houses, all beatifically restored.  Chris drove us across the bridge over the Mississippi River into Louisiana.  And we turned around and drove back.

Our drive back was different.  We went north on 61 to Vicksburg, then home on 20.  We arrived home at 5:30.  This was my third buggy ride in Natchez.  I enjoyed every one.  Natchez looked better than ever.

March 15, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Showering.

 Showering in Mexico was a bit difficult.  Bars to hold on to were few  so old ladies like me struggled.  But we managed, one way or another.  As there was nothing to hold on to, I was required to use a chair in the shower.  Fortunately, the plastic chairs fit in the showers.  Also there were no hand held wands for the water.  Once or twice, Wendy got wet while helping me but by we did better as time went on.  When Wendy went home, Anna helped me.  So all was well.  But showering was not easy.

Showering at home here in Mississippi was a delight.  My shower has four grab bars in the shower plus one bar outside the shower to hold while getting in.  This morning I showered.  I was able to stand the whole time for the shower, always holder one bar or another.  From mid December I was forced to sit in the shower so I wondered how I would manage.  But I had no trouble.  My legs are stronger now and I have more energy, which is a good thing.  Standing for my shower is a good sign of better health.

Returning to Mississippi is always a pleasure.  This is true for anyone returning home.  There are many reasons that please me when coming to my home on Roses Bluff Drive.  But perhaps taking a shower here pleases me the most.

March 14, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. Troubles.

On Sunday we had internet.  We also had the television working  on the lower level.  I called AT&T for a technician who was to come at 4:00 on Tuesday.  Yesterday morning a person from AT&T called to help.  It took an hour but the person managed to mess up everything.  In the afternoon some one called to help but to no avail.  Now the Internet is working.  But the televisions will not work.  So our very nice tech man is still with us.  One problem we have is his Mississippi accent.  Neither Sara Lou or I can understand him.

More troubles came with me PET scan, which was not good.  All the cancers  in the bones and the liver are bigger.  So we will work out a plan.  At the moment I will still take the chemo, which was half the dose of the original.  I knew the chemo was not working because my back was still hurting so sitting in a wooden chair was difficult.  So more troubles.  But whew we go. 

March 12, 2023. Madison, Mississippi. All Set.

My chargers are all plugged in but in the living room and the television room.  One suitcase has been opened and everything put away.  That was the small  case with my medications.  The medications are all put away in the proper place.  I just realized that I had left money in that case in a small zippered pocket so Sara Lou helped me to open it up and put the money away.  Portia will help me tomorrow to empty the bigger bag which houses my clothes.  So by tomorrow I will be able to function.

The television in my floor will not work so the technician will come on Tuesday afternoon to check it out and fix it.  The television on the lower level works just fine so this evening we watched a few innings of the Classic Baseball Tournament between the USA and Mexico/.  Mexico was winning.  I suspect that the storm blew out something on that TV.  But other than that, everything in the house seems to work.  

But I am set to function in Mississippi.  I still must open and review all the mail but that will keep.  And I must get an apostle stamp on the death certificate from the state of Mississippi.  I will do that next week.  For now, Sara Lou and I will enjoy ourselves.  We have plans for the week.  Now we are ready because the house is all set.  I can function.

March 11, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Moving Day.

Today is a big moving day at Playa Royale.  My condo will be empty today but for just a few hours.  Soon another happy family will take over.  But for the four of us, we are moving on.  Anna and Abe will return to Pennsylvania to resume the rehab at the old house owned by their daughter and son in law.  It will soon be turned into an air&b.  The 5 grandchildren there in Pennsylvania will be delighted to see them.  But Anna and Abe have enjoyed themselves in Mexico.  And of course they looked after me.

Sara Lou and I leave a bit later than Anna and Abe.  We will be both flying to Mississippi, where SLC will visit me for the rest of the week.  She will return to Maryland next Friday.  In the meantime, we will have a busy time in Mississippi.  Sara Lou is kindly accompanying me home.  When I came to Mexico I needed Chris to accompany me.  Now SLC will be with me now.  I am in better shape now so perhaps by the time I get ready to travel to Nova Scotia I will be able to travel by myself.  But today Sara Lou will help me.

So we are all once again, moving on.  And here we go.  

March 10, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Old Puerto Vallarta.

 Sara Lou and I decided that Anna and Abe should make a visit to the old town of Puerto Vallarta.  So far they had never ventured down to the big city.  But the Malicon is there with all the sculptures so we thought that it would be a shame to miss it.  So I gave them instructions for the bus and on Thursday morning they headed out for a day in the old section os Puerto Vallarta.  They left at 8:30 and got home at 4:00 and they had a wonderful day.

Anna and Abe are good with public transportation here in Mexico.  They ask people until they find someone who speaks English.  In order to get downtown, you must take two buses which you change at Walmart.  They took the two buses and first walked the whole Malecon.  And they took a picture of every statute.  Then they wandered in town, ate a bite to eat, then took the bus to Walmart where they used the bathroom.  And believe it or not, they met a couple from their little town in Northern Alberta.  Small world.  Finally they got home, tired but happy.  They were happy that Sara Lou and I encouraged them to visit the crowded, hot Puerto Vallarta.  

March 9, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Porto Bello.

Tonight we celebrated.  Anne is finished with her isolation and has no more symptoms of Covid.  Anna and Abe leave for Pennsylvania at 2:00 on Saturday.  Sara Lou and I fly to Mississippi on Saturday  too but not until 3:30.  Anne and Kenny take their boat to La Cruz, to a new moorng.  They will lie at anchor and use their tender to get into shore.  So tonight we celebrated our time together here in Mexico.

Porto Bello is a wonderful Italian restaurant here in Nuevo Vallarta.  Ken and I ate there many times.  The food and the service have always been excellent so I was hoping that their standards have not slipped because I invited everyone to dinner tonight.  I was not disappointed.  My lamb chops were wonderful as was the mussels I ate as an appetizer.  We were a festive group.  And everyone was happy with their food.

I took everyone out to dinner because they all were a huge help to me so I was celebrating my good fortune in having such good friends and family.  I could not function here without my family and friends so tonight we celebrated being together and we wished Anne and Kenny all the best fortune as they head to the French Islands.  Our celebration was splendid at the Porto Bello..  

March 8, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. La Isla.

Most of the time we eat at home.  I am more comfortable sitting in comfortable chairs so even when we are not cooking at home, food is brought home from the restaurants.  Anna has been cooking for us here since Kenny and Anne moved to their boat.  But today I suggested we should go for lunch to our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Isla.  Neither Sara Lou, Anna or Abe had eaten at a Mexican restaurant and as we leave on Saturday, we are running out of time.  Now was the day.

I took a taxi with Abe helping me while Anna and Sara Lou walked.  Sara Lou was treating us.  To celebrate we all drank a margariita and ate guacamole dip.  Then we ate delicious food.  I ate a shrimp dish that was superb.  And we were all pleased we had come.

On the way home, Anna and Sara Lou stopped in to the new construction, where they have a model condo.  The construction has 6 floors.  The first three floors are condos.  And the top three floors will operate as a hotel.  They have already sold all but one two bedroom condos and all the three bedroom units.  And they have just a few one bedroom units.  The hotel rooms are all the same which is a regular room with an efficiency kitchen with a couch and chair.  And they have no view of the beach as they are on the opposite side of the road.  Amazing how quickly they have sold.  Possession id early 2024.  

We four enjoyed La Isla.  It is our favorite restaurant. 

March 7, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Getting Ready.

I like to plan ahead and so does Anna.  We have been getting ready all week.   We all leave on Saturday so we must be ready.  Anna had been working with the food supplies.  Right now, the freezer is empty.  Tonight we ate  sausages, sauteed zucchini and baked egg plant plus cole slaw.  Tomorrow we will eat  the last of the chicken which we will eat for two nights.  Then on Friday night Anna will cook a stir fry with everything left over.  Then we will be out of food, except for oatmeal which we will eat Saturday morning.

The locker is now full of our stuff.  We will have one more trip before we lock it up for the year.  For the past several years, Wendy and Ken have been in charge of the kitchen and they bought many utensils which need to be left in the locker.  Wonderful Wendy took a picture of everything when they brought things in the kitchen.  Anna has the picture.  Now we hope we put them all away.  Kenny and Anne came for supplies we will not use.  We stayed on the balcony when they came yesterday.  They will come again on Thursday for last minute supplies.

My clothes are packed.  My Mexica clothes are again in the locker.  We are almost ready to move along.  Anna and I like to plan ahead. 

March 6, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Walking.

 One of the pleasures of living here at Playa Royale  is the walking.  Ken and I had no car so we walked everywhere.  So getting your  exercise was natural.  Fortunately, there are many restaurants close by.  And the Plaza is a fifteen minute walk just down the road.  Anna and Abe walk on the beach every morning but the rest of the day they get their exercise just walking from one place to another right here.  For instance, they needed to get something from a drug store for after dinner they walked to the Plaza.  By the end of the day, I bet Anna had walked 10,000 steps, which is her goal.

Sara Lou has walked with Anna and Abe  several times on the beach but by today, she decided to stay at home because her ankles were hurting.  One of the problems of getting too much exercise is that a person gets injured.  So this afternoon, Sara Lou walked to the Plaza just to check out the prices.  Tomorrow all three will walk to the Farmers Market right across the street and Sara Lou wanted to be able to compare prices.  But she could easily take a short walk just down the street.

I on the other hand can no longer walk to all those places.  I walk on the balcony where I feel more secure.  But Paradise Village is a great place for walking.  Pretty nice.

March 5, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Sea Shells.

Every day Anna and Abe walk on the beach.  The first day in one direction and the second day in the other, each day alternating.  And every day Anna picks up sea shells.  She likes the little shells.  And she likes the unusual shells.  Today she picked up three auger shells, each one smaller than the other.  She will keep those three auger shells for her own collection to take home to Nova Scotia.  The rest of the shells will be given to her grandchildren which will be their momento from Mexico.  Pretty nice souvenir. 

No one can walk on the shore without picking up shells.  As Anna and Abe always walk in the shallow water, the shells are few but she is able to bring back to the condo just a handful.  But over time, she has acquired a nice collection which Anna  will give away.  She has some timy shells which are beautiful.  Anna has no need to take a bag down to the beach when she walks.  He collection is quite charming.  And her grandchildren will be delighted.  Certainly, the price was right.

March 4, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. The Best Laid Plans.

 We were ready for a party.  Abe, Anna, Sara Lou and I were prepared.  Sara Lou bought a bottle of wine.  She brought a jar of pepper jelly from North Carolina and she bought cream cheese too.  We already had crackers.  So we were set for a celebration with Anne and Kenny.  They were successful in Mexico City.  Now they were back home at their boat.  Anna had made a special dinner.  So we were set for a happy hour with sunset food  followed by a lovely dinner, all while sitting on the balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

But plans change.  At 4:00 Anne called to tell me that she tested positive for Covid so she must isolate until she tests negative.  And Kenny had come down with GI distress so he could not come either.  So our party would not happen with the six of us.  At first w talked about keeping everything for another day.  But we decided to go ahead and have our party with just the 4 of us and we did.  We all leave next Saturday so we needed to eat up our food.  We were sorry to not hear the tales from Anne and Kenny but we might not be able to see them before we leave.  After all, Kenny could get Covid too.

We drank the wine.  We ate the pepper jelly and cream cheeseon crackers.  We watched the sunset and we ate our splendid dinner.  And we celebrated.  But we missed Anne and Kenny.  The best laid plans indeed.

March 3, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Unfinished Business.

 We have only one week left in Playa Royale.  So today, Sara Lou and I are making a list of what we want to do before we leave town.  And we are having a hard time.  So far since Sara Lou arrived on Monday, Sara Lou have done nothing  much except enjoy the condo and walk the beach.  We can not think about anything that we need or want to do before we leave on March 11.

Today we went to the golf club for lunch.  Anna and Abe had never been there so we had a good time.  They had never been to a golf course in their life so we asked Anna and Abe to sit so they could watch the golfers come down the 18th hole to the green.  The first question Anna asked was what the sand was doing around the green.  Sara Lou explained all about the hazards around the course.  Fortunately for us, three of the four golfers hit their balls into the sand trap so we watched while they tried to get themselves out of trouble.

Tomorrow, SLC will walk down the beach where the vendors have a tent just to see their goods.  She will also visit the Farmers market tomorrow morning..  And we will eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant La Isla, next week.  But we will mostly be lazy and enjoy this place.  This is the third time that Sara Lou has visited here so she knows the drill, which is reading, eating and walking.  Pretty nice.

March 2, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Lost Friends.

After breakfast yesterday, Sara Lou and I stayed chatting on the balcony.  The day was glorious.  The balcony during the day is perfect with the temperature not too hot and not too cool so we were enjoying ourselves.  Both Sara Lou and I have done a good job of keeping in touch with friends but we started talking about those folks who we have lost and who we never hear from so Sara Lou looked up a few people in her phone.

One person who we found was Adrea Brier.  Many folks we looked up had no phone numbers but we looked up Adrea's web site and found a phone number, which we called.  I have not spoken to Adrea for 20 years but I called her and she told me that she would call me in an hour, which she did.  She even recognized my voice.  So we had a long talk.  And we had fun.  She asked me about Gary D. and I told her that I had not spoken to either Gary or Diana for over a year.  So I called them and chatted with Diana.

At that point, we were weary of talking to people but we did look up more names.  We discovered that Glen B. lives in Florida on Marco Island with his wife Jane.  Sara Lou and I had a great time thinking of our lost friends although we both agreed that these folks were never really good friends or they would have kept in touch.  But at the time, they seemed to be friends.    Lost but not forgotten.  We had fun. 

March 1, 2023. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Mexico City.

Kenny and Anne are in Mexico City.  They flew from Puerto Vallarta this morning in order to apply for a long term visa for the French Polynesian Islands.  In order to get the visa, they must both appear in person at the French Embassy in Mexico City.  And they must present all their documents.  They have a folder full of documents, including multiple copies of what is required.  It is unbelievable what is required.  All the documents are on line but Kenny and Anne were required to make multiple copies of everything that is requested in the application.

Their appointment is tomorrow at 9:00.  They are told that it takes 5 minutes with the official before you submit the application.  You also must leave the official with your passport.  Kenny and Anne must leave a paid package with the official so the visa and the passport will be returned, in 3 to 7 weeks.  Only then can they leave for the south seas.  They would have liked to leave earlier but they were unable to get an appointment earlier.  So now the process is underway.  And they are pleased.

After the appointment, they will enjoy Mexico City.  And their flight back home here is late on Friday so they will be tourists Friday morning too.  I will be pleased when they are home here and I am keen to hear all about Mexico City.  But I can't believe that there must be a better, easier way to apply for the visa. I will report back.