Where Has the Time Gone?

While life often seems dull and boring, time still flies by at a record pace....whether you're having fun or not! I just returned from a few days away with a raging cold. I've awakened the last two mornings feeling sweaty and clammy, with chest congestion and no energy. Yesterday, I did nothing! It was dark and rainy most of the day, so I showered and kept my house robe on all day. Between rain showers, I put Rosie out in the backyard, with no attempt to walk her. I made up for that this morning! I feel a little bit better today and my only goal is to finish this, finish unpacking, and walk Rosie again!

Sadly, part of my time last month was spent helping this lovely couple, my neighbors Dave and Debby. On February 12, I received a call from Dave who was in the local hospital Emergency Room, expecting to be admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, blood in his lungs, and heart problems. He asked if I'd check on Debby and bring her to visit him. Debby suffers from dementia, and I had difficulty thinking of her even being home alone. Anyway, I took her to visit Dave daily, helped with grocery shopping, and things like that. It was a big learning curve for me! She had her shopping list but had no idea where to find items in the store. When we got to the checkout, she grabbed her items and said she'd check out with such authority that I thought nothing of it. So, I took my few items to the next kiosk. I looked over, and she was trying to put her credit card in the machine without having scanned anything!! Anyway, that made me more concerned about her being home alone! That Thursday, I received a call from Dave saying he was going to be released, and would I pick him up. I found it difficult to believe that he was able to go home, but I picked up Debby and his oxygen tank, and we headed to the hospital. He asked if we could stop at Walgreens on the way home to pick up his meds, which was no problem, but we got there and Walgreens could not fill the prescriptions due to insurance issues. So Dave, on oxygen and hardly able to stand up, had to go home, make phone calls, and straighten it out. Around 4 PM, he called and said the scripts should be ready, so I picked them up. I wasn't available on Friday and didn't touch base with them until Saturday when I learned that Dave had called 911 and was on his way back to the hospital. His son and Debby's daughter arrived that weekend. This past Wednesday, I received a call from Dave's son saying that Dave had passed away! He did not want a memorial service, and Debby went home with her daughter. They expect to be back down within the next few months and hope to get together with neighbors. They were such a lovely couple with such a sudden and sad ending. I will miss them both.

It's been a rough month for my little girl, too. By the middle of the month, she'd had four episodes with her back. She was prescribed a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory, which did the trick. She has a degenerative spine disease, which is common in dogs with longer spines. She's done so well for so long, and I hate to see this happening on a more regular basis.

On March 2nd, I attended the Beaufort County Democratic Convention. I hadn't really intended to do so, but I received a text from Deborah saying that she and Amy were going. Before COVID, we got together monthly and it had been such a long time since I'd seen them both; so, I signed up to go. No sooner had I done so than I received an email from Kathleen, our county chairperson, asking if I'd serve on the Executive Committee for the new precinct Belfair 2! No good deed goes unpunished! So now I have a monthly meeting, with every other one being held in some far-flung part of the county. While I have backed away from many groups, feeling that we were preaching to the choir, I hope this will be more productive. Anyway, Deborah, Amy, and I got together for lunch and a good catchup at Ruan Thai.

Robin and Me. Terry and Melodie

Needless to say, food is a constant theme. I'm going to ask Persis Indian Grill if I can get a commission on the friends I bring to their restaurant!! It's so good to have a great Indian restaurant within driving distance! Anyway, here I am with Sun City friends, but have also introduced Tippy and Chris to Persis, and Maria, Mark, and I are on a regular schedule! These ladies are a lot of fun. Two of them were Navy nurses, have moved around a lot, and have interesting stories. Have also had brunch with Tippy at First Watch and lunch at the new Benny's Coastal Kitchen with neighborhood ladies......all good food and good company!

The only other thing different I did recently was to have a day at the Oglethorpe Mall (Macy's primarily) in Savannah. I'm sure I had not been there since before COVID! When I first arrived around 10:15 AM, there were so few people around, it was almost eerie. By the time I left, it had picked up a lot, but it makes me wonder if ours will be one of the Macy's closing soon!

I feel like it's been old-home week! I had a few days in the upstate (Greenville area) with my friend Sue, whom I hadn't seen since pre-COVID. We had a lovely visit and it was nice to get away. Rosie had the time with Miss Ann, and she seemed to do well. That's a major relief to me and may mean I can get away a little more often. The drive up was rainy and miserable. The full day we had together was sunny and glorious, allowing us to get out and about comfortably. The drive home was overcast, but easy driving. After reconnecting with Sue, as well as Deborah and Amy, it seems like there is something in the air to bring us together again as I was also scheduled to get together on Tuesday with Sharon and Steve from my Congregation Beth Yam days. When I worked there, Sharon would bring her lunch and dine with me once a month. When I left CBY, we continued our monthly lunch until COVID hit. Due to my cold, we have rescheduled, but it will be good to see them again. They sold their home and moved to the Cypress, so they have a completely new lifestyle since I last saw them! 

I do have a funny story that happened while I was away. We ate at a restaurant with a limited vegetarian menu. I ordered the Buddah Bowl and was asked how I'd like it, mild, medium, hot, etc, I ordered medium spicy. Shortly thereafter, the waitress came out and said the chef wanted to know if I wanted "to taste the spices or feel the spices"!! I got a kick out of that. I said I wanted to feel the spices a little! The chef actually served my dish, and I commented on his question. He did a great job - my nose and eyes were watering, but my mouth was not burning and numb. I had never had it put that way (taste or feel the spices), but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it.