Feast or Famine!

 August has proven to be a very busy month. After two years of being confined at home, there has been much more to do than usual. So, it's feast time!

7/29/22: Facebook was busy wishing Eileen a very Happy Special Birthday (80^th! – though no one believes it for a second!) when I saw a post from Cheryl. She had taken a fall the previous Friday and fractured her hip, which required surgery the next day! Wow! That does not sound like fun. At the time of her post, she was still in hospital and hoped to be transferred to a rehab facility soon. I just sent her an IM and I hope she’s okay.  I know she will miss being home -  Phil, Remi, her horses, and the barn cat -but, hopefully, Phil can keep it all going until she is able to get back home and pick things up again. This is one of those times I wish we were closer and I could help them both. Update: I have since talked to Cheryl and she sounds fine though still has some pain. The good news is that she is home and her rehab will happen there. I'm sure you join me in wishing her a speedy recovery.

 8/2/2022:  The month began with the Van Gogh exhibit in Charleston, something that Chris, Lynn, Tom, and I had been looking forward to for a while. It certainly lived up to the hype! We decided to do it up right and make a day of it so we hired a limo service to take us there and back. It was a real treat not to have to worry about traffic, parking, etc. It added to the overall experience. We arrived early but were let in right away as the organization was top-notch. It was truly sensory overload. The first room was informational, providing history and context about his life, his work, and his relationship with his brother, Theo. The second room was the waterfall room where Van Gogh's paintings and parts thereof seemed to just flow like a waterfall, down the wall, and across the floor. I found it to be very soothing and calming, to say nothing of fascinating. The third room was the main event as it seemed to contain all of his works. We were told that it would take about 35 minutes for the program to cycle through but that some people had stayed as long as 2 hours! I could see that if you sat in front of one wall for the 35-minute cycle, you could move to another wall and be equally impressed - and then there were the free-standing screens! It really was more than I could take in! I have always liked his work, especially the color, strokes, etc., and I am now even more impressed. The music also seemed to compliment everything, and just imagining how they came up with the concept and execution of it all is simply mind-boggling! If you haven't seen it and have the opportunity, please do so. I also hope there will be other exhibits like this coming down the pike. When we came out, our car (van) was waiting and we were taken to the Brown Dog Cafe & Deli for a nice lunch. It was suggested by Chris and it had the usual offerings as well as more vegetarian options than most. After a nice meal, we were taken home - a nice way to end a wonderful experience.

 OK, this slideshow may require some effort! It seems that you will have to spur it along.

• If it is a slide with photos only, click anyplace on the slide and the photos will progress as designed, as well as move to the next slide. 
• If the slide has a video, click on the video to start it. When the video is over, click on the blue part of the slide and it should move on to the next slide.

Apologies for the bother - this will niggle at me until I figure it out (and I don't have time right now!)

8/6/2022: Rosie and I left bright and early for a 5-hour 45-minute drive to Franklin, NC to join Tippy at her cabin. That's the time it takes with no stops, and you know we had to make stops! Even so, there were no exasperating incidences and it all went well. When we were on our last leg of the trip, Tippy called to say there had been a big storm and a tree was down across her driveway. She had called someone to remove it but she just wanted us to know if it was still there when we arrived. It was, so we just parked by the tree and walked up to the cabin. Rosie must have remembered being there because she just sashayed right up to the door. James came and took care of the tree as we got settled in. The funny part is that we did not know when James arrived and we were sitting on the deck (a raised deck with no outside entry!) when all of a sudden a little white, fuzzy dog ran from around the corner! Without hearing him, James had lifted little Brandy up on the deck, not knowing that Rosie was there, too! It was just a fun surprise since we didn’t know they were even there. Little did we know there would be another big storm that night, lots of rain, thunder, and lightning! Luckily, after that, things settled down.

The best part of being away was that we never rushed about anything. When we were up and ready the next day, we went to an antique market in Dillard. It was actually a complete strip mall and either 2 or 3 levels. I've never seen so much stuff in one place!  It was really good browsing. From there, we went to Julip Farms which is just a delightful farm for enjoying a beautiful day. They had a little bit of everything from chickens with a high-scale coop, to ponies, games for kids, a nice restaurant, and cottages to rent. Our only other stop was at Walmart for Tippy to buy a belt. Her pants kept wanting to fall off - a problem I don't have! Just as we got home, the booming started for the afternoon showers. We sat on the deck and watched the rain overtake the mountains and move our way. We could hear the gentle rain on the leaves but were protected from it by the overhang. One shower moved through and the sun came out a bit before the next one rolled in. It was delightful to see it all happen. Rosie and I went out for her afternoon walk and we could hear the drizzle on the leaves of the trees but the thick canopy kept it from reaching us. As we got closer to the cabin and she began to explore an unprotected part of the yard, she suddenly realized it was raining and headed straight to the door! This is her second trip to the cabin and she is feeling much more at home. She’s even ventured to the edge of the deck – the last visit she would only venture a tiny bit outside the door only to be near us! 

On Sunday, Tippy wasn't 100% so we had a quiet morning doing our puzzles - sudoku for Tippy and crosswords for me. That, along with a leisurely breakfast, was very relaxing. In the early afternoon, we decided to drive up toward Highlands, which has a few waterfalls along the way. We were on twisty mountain roads and a picturesque stream seemed to stick by the road. Finally, we decided to pull over at one of the falls and were treated to local fun. There were several families with kids who were playing in the pool made by the fall. Kids were using ropes to shimmy up huge rocks and then dive or jump into the pool. It was quite a show and by the time we left, several other cars had pulled over to enjoy the scene. It really was perfect. Once back home, we began to think about departure on Monday morning. Tippy had planned to stay until Tuesday but with not feeling well and a busy week ahead, she decided to leave on Monday also. We took our time getting organized and packed. It took up a bit longer with a few stops but we managed to stick pretty much together and get home safely. I admit to not looking forward to the drive up but, once there, I really was glad I made the effort. It was so good to get away, especially to such beautiful scenery, and to have a relaxing time. Thanks, Tippy, for the invitation.

Tuesday the 9th, the day after getting home from Franklin, involved some trickery and lots of good food. It was Mark's (neighbor across the street) birthday. Maria and I had been plotting for weeks and, as it turned out, right up to the last minute. They had recently taken a trip to NY and a friend, who is an artist, had shown them a piece Mark really liked. Maria went about obtaining it as a birthday surprise. I was part of securing it and keeping it a surprise until the actual day. The painting was actually delivered to my house in a huge box that barely fit into my car. From here, when Mark was otherwise occupied, we got it to the framers and back to my place where it stayed until the day. Finally, on the day, Maria invited me to lunch and all the while I'm wondering how we were going to actually pull off the surprise. Maria dropped over and asked if there was any way we could get him over here for the unveiling. I had planned to take over a bottle of prosecco so I said we could have it here after lunch....and Maria added her dessert to it, so we had a plan. After a delicious lunch by Maria, who is a fantastic cook, they came over. We had a delightful couple of glasses of prosecco with dessert. Finally, as they were getting ready to leave, Maria casually asked if I minded if she showed Mark the piece of art in my bedroom. "Sure" It was covered with a sheet and when Maria dropped the cover, his mouth flew open in total surprise! Not wanting to give anything away, I didn't have my phone/camera to record it, but we pulled it off!! 

Also on the Maria and Mark front, they have adopted a second dog, Henry. Like their Felix, he is calm and pretty laid back (though he has nipped one of their guests!). He has been fine with me, though he did growl once when I was over for lunch. Overall, he has a good temperament and I'm sure they will work through it. Felix came over yesterday with Maria and Iris, their daughter who was visiting for the weekend. Felix loves my flokati and two of Rosie's toys. He goes to the rug right away and takes the toys out of the basket and plays!  I'm not sure how we are going to introduce Henry into the scenario, but I'm sure we will.

And finally, this past Saturday (8/13/2022) I went to Charleston again, this time to attend the White Coat Ceremony for Reyna's son, Alex.  She had asked me months ago and I knew it was in August but I never heard anything further until she stopped by on Thursday to say it was all happening in two days! Needless to say, I felt a bit rushed but all turned out well. Being on a Saturday, the traffic was lighter than on a work day and it turned out to be an easy drive up and back. I really had no idea what to expect and it turned out to be quite impressive. The white coats were presented to this year's medical students going to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). It was held at the Performing Arts Center which holds about 13,000 people, so I knew it was going to be a much larger group than I expected. The ceremony was prefaced with two very entertaining speakers from the faculty. Then it was time for the ceremony. The incoming students (160 of them!) were seated throughout the auditorium and as their names were called, they rose and a loved one assisted with donning the white coat. They then quickly posed for a photo. It really was touching and I found myself sitting there with a smile on my face as I witnessed the pride the loved ones had for their student and the excitement of the students. Other surprising and encouraging information is that 60% of the class is female! I also recognized Indian, Spanish/Mexican, and Arab names, as well as a Sikh family. It was the most diverse group I've been among in a long time, and it was wonderful to see. I also learned that their white coats are short so they can be identified as a student. When they graduate in 2026, they will receive the longer coat of a physician. It was so impressive that all in attendance actually sat quietly until all 160 received their coats. Those of you who have met Reyna, know her story and the fact that her son is in medical school is truly amazing. When she first came here from Mexico, she spoke no English and had the phone number of someone to call for assistance. When she made that call, it was out of service! She made her way doing yard work, working in kitchens, and other meager, menial jobs. It took her six years before she could afford to bring Alex here to be with her. What they have both accomplished is amazing, something most of us could never imagine. That background certainly added to the poignancy of the moment. In any case, I was very appreciative to have been included and enjoyed every minute. The family went out for dinner afterward. I was invited but preferred to get home in time to get Rosie out for her last walk. 

So much has happened this month that it has taken me 3 days to put this together, with the usual stops and starts. I wanted to commemorate the starting date, August 14th, because on that date in 2015, I adopted my sweet (spoiled) Rosie! Only those of you with dogs (and cats) can fully understand the joy they bring to one's life and I'm so thankful to have found the perfect doggie for me! Especially since I never met her in person until I had adopted her online and they brought her to me! It was just meant to be.

As I check over this, it seems that the first slideshow is not showing correctly - this is the first time I've tried to include a video and it seems to gum up the works. I really hate it because the videos give you the best impression of what the exhibit was like. In any case, if it doesn't work properly, I'll try to figure out the problem and you can check back later.