The End of the Year Flies By!

9/30/22: We made it safely through the night and with the passing of time, hurricane Ian has moved away from us. It looks like it will make landfall closer to Myrtle Beach, and we are also on the weaker side of the storm. Just listening to the wind and rain, I didn’t sleep well last night, but it wasn’t threatening, nor is it now (noon). That could change over the next few hours as the storm makes land. Even so, it looks like we’ve faired well compared to Florida! Things will probably be back to normal tomorrow. Many thanks to all who touched bases and sent good wishes. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and am happy to have good news to report.

Rosie likes the leaves, too!

10/26/22: So much time has passed and I’m not sure where it has gone. That seems to be typical for this time of the year – the last three months just fly by! I’m happy to report that we are having glorious weather. As I look at the next 10-day forecast, the temperatures are in the mid-70s, sunny and bright. The mornings are cooler and crisp, but by mid-day, it warms up nicely. The leaves are falling and I often think we clean the years too quickly - I like to see the fallen leaves!  It really is a wonderful time of year.

Chris's first decent cup of coffee in weeks!

Lots to catch you up on with Chris. She was in the nursing facility for two weeks when they decided she needed to see an orthopedist for her leg, which was not improving. She saw him on Monday and had surgery on Tuesday – she had a break in her leg as well as her arm!! It was outpatient surgery and she returned to the facility where care continued to be minimal! She was told not to put weight on her leg until she saw the doctor again in two weeks. At that time, he told her to keep weight off it for another 6 weeks!! Her insurance company also informed her that she would have physical therapy for a certain amount of time and suggested she wait until she could put weight on the leg. In any case, Chris has worked to be able to transfer herself from bed to wheelchair to toilet so that she could move to the assisted living side of the facility. She has been able to do that, which is a vast improvement in every respect.  She has a spacious room and bathroom, both of which are easily wheelchair accessible. There is a little kitchenette and she has installed her personal coffeemaker! The move has made life more livable and Chris has been stoic throughout. Even so, it is a long, slow journey and I’m sure Chris is eager for life to get back to normal.

Chris's sisters kindly sent Lynn and me a sweet thank-you note, delicious Pittsburg chocolates, and very generous gift certificates to Olive and Fig and Barnes and Noble. It was unexpected and unnecessary, but it certainly was appreciated. They plan to come down as soon as Chris is able to go home. They would have come much earlier but there is little they can do at this point. I'm sure Chris will appreciate their time and attention once she's home. I thank them for their thoughtfulness.

What have I been doing in the meantime? Not a whole heck of a lot! I have continued my walking routine and have walked every day this month with the exception of three. I usually walk Rosie, have a quick breakfast, and then head out for my walk. On my way home, I run any errands I need to do, so all of that is taken care of by 10:30ish.

On this particular day (see below), I was meeting Tippy for lunch and walked at Jarvis Creek beforehand. Before I picked her up, she was hosting a group of ladies to write postcards encouraging people to vote. I got there just as they were finishing up. We went to a new ramen place, which was very trendy, modern, and tasty. It was also nice enough that we could dine outside. We’ve already made plans to dine there again. We always seem to get together over food – just yesterday morning we met up at First Watch for our catch-up before she and Kieran are off to the mountains. Our favorite waitress was there and took us to our usual spot. There is something really comforting  about a well-worn routine, especially when good food is involved!

 

My neighbor is at it again! Her Halloween displays began on October 1st and change each week. I'm not really into Halloween but I do enjoy her humor and enthusiasm.

 

After working with Democrats here in the Crescent and meeting Tippy's postcard group, I actually received one of the postcards! Our local Indivisible has sent 10,000 out encouraging people to vote. The Democratic Clubs have done the same, and I hope it makes a difference. I feel very anxious about this election and fear that our whole democratic process is at stake. It is difficult to believe that we are at this point and that 1/3 of us are willing to risk it all in exchange for being able to express their hatred and hostility openly and boldly. I will be happy when the is election over and I hope it is a sound rejection of those behaviors and policies. Either way, I am going to make a concerted effort to step away from politics/news/etc. for a while and look for other more comforting ways to fill my time. I have already resigned from the Board of Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate and will do so with other groups after the election. I hate to leave LCAH as it was one of the more diverse groups I've worked with and I will miss the people; but, I am wrung out and need a break.