January 8, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. An Unusual Book.

I have no recollection of how this book got into my Kindle, but there it was, so,  as the name seemed interesting, I started to read it.   Now I must have read a review or someone recommended the book to me, but it must have me who put into my Kindle.  I don't think it was a joke.  I am reading it, all the way through and now am at 60% of the pages.  Sometimes it is funny and sometimes it is a serious look at the topic but it is rather weird, reading this book about dying in this beautiful place.

The author, Julian Barnes, has had a fixation on dying.  His whole life he has spent a part of everyday thinking about dying, so this book is the results of his reading and thinking, both past and present.  He is English and non-Christian which seems to be the norm now in Europe.

Now I never think of dying, rather take it as a natural aspect of living.    When I was first told that I had breast cancer I commented to Bob Dunn at work that I was not making a big deal of it in my mind.  I had  done my best in my work, had two fine sons both with lovely families, and if it all turned out badly, that would be the end of me and life would go on for everyone else.  No trauma, no hysterics.

But this book makes dying complicated.  Last summer, several of us in Nova Scotia were discussing our health.  Marg. who has had health problems,  commented that she was not afraid of dying, after all she believed in the afterlife, but she was very fearful as to how she was going to die.  She did not want to be a burden on her family.

Gitta and I decided long ago that we were going to die in our sleep, the night after returning from a trip!!

"Nothing To Be Frightened Of", by Julian Barnes.   Enjoy.

January 7, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. An Afternoon in Bed.

I am pretty much the same as I was yesterday morning, even though I stayed in bed all afternoon and evening.  Now I will revert to my former routine of ignoring my infirmities until I get better.  My problem is that I cough, long and loud.  It is almost as  if I caught it from Ken except I sound worse than him.   I was irritated.  We arrived last Saturday and I am still hacking away and feeling miserable, so at the grocery store yesterday I asked Ken to buy two types of cough medicine, one for the day and one at night.

We arrived home around noon, took one dose of the medicine and promptly lay down for a nap and never got up.  No e mails, no blog, no reading, no walk.  Of course I felt terrible with a dry mouth and throat, but I just stayed in bed, deciding that I would be perfect in the morning.  Ken noticed a definite improvement in me this morning.  "You are standing up" says Ken.

No more cough medicine in the day time for me.  I am reverting to my old program which has worked for 73 years.

January 5, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Mexico.

This evening, Ken spotted three huge whale spouts, while looking out to sea from our apartment.  They were far away but clearly visible to the naked eye.   The whales winter here, arriving from Alaska in November and December and staying the winter season  before returning in early Spring with their new babies.

This year, for the first time,  Ken and I are doing the whale thing.  We spent two weeks here in December and will be here all January and  February, finally returning March 5th.   We have never been here for such a long time and perhaps we won't like it.  But we will enjoy avoiding the ice and snow and cold weather.  Ken's observation that we are both better at doing nothing is accurate, but I am not so sure.   We will see.

So far we have been here four days.  Time is so relative.  It seems like we have been here a month.  I have already read two full books but we have yet to go to the grocery store.  We are both recovering from an infection we picked up in Texas so are staying close to home, just eating out at close to home restaurants.  This year is an experiment on living here in Mexico for two full months.  I'll let you know how it goes.

January 4, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. More Books.

I am in the midst of another enjoyable book, "Extraordinary, Ordinary People:  A Memoir of Family", by Condolizza Rice.    She spoke at the NAR last year.  During her talk she referred to her family and I was determined to read her book.  It has been waiting in my Kindle until now.  She was personable and pleasant and funny in her speech, giving several stories about buying and selling houses and telling us about the best qualities of agents.   Then, as her speech was fairly short, the President interviewed her.  Sitting in the middle of the stage, she responded to many fairly personal questions about her training and her upbringing, which encouraged me to read her book.   I still find it amazing that she was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the most segregated city in the country.

Another book I finished yesterday was written by David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon, dealing with the years of the General/President from retirement to death.    It is not a perfect book.  The writing is uneven, but in it are stories you would never hear  concerning Ike, without reading these  told by David.  The events discussed all took place during my lifetime, which makes the book doubly interesting, because I read the book, then try to recall what I was doing or thinking at the time.  Just now, the so called experts are re-thinking the whole Eisenhower presidency, so it is interesting to read the book right now.  The book is worth reading.

January 3, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. New e mail.

My new e mail address is Frdickie@me.com.   Ken's is Kennethjd@me.com.  It works everywhere in the world and we always travel with a computer.   I need my own,  because Ken sometimes forgets to tell me what is happening on his e mail, thus the need for my own.  My first e mail came today from my sister-in-law Irene.  Very nice to know it is working as we just established it yesterday afternoon.

I have a reputation at work of not using e mails and that was true.  I decided early on in my management career to delegate everything I could to someone else, except for talking to agents to enable them to get better at their job, so Regina checked my e mails regularly and responded to those not agent important.   On my desk was put a copy of everything else.  It was very efficient, but became somewhat limiting but I stuck with my system...until now.   Over the years   I took a lot of heat from the agents for my lack of speed with the e mails.   My observation was that most managers were spending way too much time at the computer and not enough time with the agents, so I took the ribbing in good grace.

Every so often I would remind them that I am an early adaptor of technology.  As an agent I bought a "car phone" the first week Cellular One received their license.  It cost $3,000.   And I was using a Kindle long before anyone else had heard of the device.  But now I will be using my new e mail.   Ken is not nearly as quick to report events to me as Regina!!

January 2, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Mover and Shaker.

Every successful event occurs because one person pays attention to every detail.  First the planning then the preparation and finally the implementation.  Without that one person,   things go awry.  Our family has just concluded  a very successful Christmas Holiday season in San Antonio, Ken and I for two weeks and Andrew and Christina and the three girls for ten days, along with the four Texas girls and David.  Suzanne was the one who made the whole event happen and for her we are all grateful.

Now I know people helped.  Christina brought cranberry cake, fudge, cookies and toffee, enough desert for the whole season and everyone helped out with the kitchen.  But the responsibility person was Suzanne.  Every detail was in place from the food to the toys.  The last straw was the poppers for the girls to celebrate the new years.  She had purchased three boxes so each girl had a partner to celebrate.  They went outside and had a noisy and happy time, then cheerfully cleaned up their mess.  I had never even heard about these safe poppers, but Suzanne knew.

The adults enjoyed the whole holiday season and so did the children, which is not always the case.  The memories will be forever etched into all our minds, from the beginning to the end of our time together and for Suzanne we  give thanks.  I hope she enjoyed it as much as the rest of us.  I certainly hope she gets a good rest now that we have all left town!!

January 1, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Hats Live.

Sarah asked first.  "Now that Grandma is retired, could I have one of her hats," asked Sarah to her Mother. Suzanne relayed the message to me, so I asked Regina to send me seven hats, to be put into each Christmas bag of goodies.  Regina sent seven hats to David's home.  Then I got smart and decided to ask Regina to send all my hats to San Antonio.  It took four boxes to hold them all.

The girls were thrilled with their one hat which they wore the rest of the time opening gifts.   After all the gifts had been opened by both adults and girls and we were sitting in the glow of pleasure, I set out the four boxes of hats for them to open.  They were so excited and spent the next hour modelling the hats and insisting all adults wear one too.  We looked totally ridiculous but we were happy.  The rest of the time in San Antonio they each wore a hat, a different hat each time.

When they returned from the ranch, Suzanne set out all the hats in the middle of the living room and the seven girls took turns picking a hat until there were four hats left.  At that point, the young adults chose a hat each which they wore the rest of the holiday.  The girls held a fashion show of hats, even three year old Molly joining in the fun.

The girls decided that every Christmas they will give the other cousin one of my hats along with their gift.  Now some of my hats are in Jackson, Mississippi and some hats are in San Antonio, Texas.  Long reign my hats.