Eye Surgery, Easter, and Beyond

 4/4/22: I totally forgot to mention that I will be having the first of two cataract surgeries on Wednesday The process began on Monday when I started putting 3 different drops in my left eye twice a day. I will be doing some version of that for the whole month, if not longer when my right eye is down. Chris is going to be my caretaker who has to remain at the facility the whole time. I’m not sure why that is necessary, but it is! They will also go over all instructions with her in case I’m too woozy to remember. I feel bad that it ties up so much of her time, but I will return the favor when she needs it and I’m repaying her with the promise of a delicious meal of her choice in Savannah. It will be another excuse for us to get into Savannah.

At this point, my major concern is that I’m not to lift anything heavy (no chance!) or bend over for the first two days. Well, my little buddy has short legs and must go out to poop, which has to be picked up. I may just take the easy way out and put her on her tether outback. I can sit with her and pick up poop on the third day.

My left eye went well. I was in and out of the outpatient clinic in two hours. It probably seemed much longer for Chris who spent that time in the waiting room! Since the surgery, I have basically been going without my glasses with one eye done and the other not, my vision is a little bit off with or without my glasses. Even so, when the right eye is done I think my distance vision will be great. I may get away with readers, which I never believed would be possible. So, we shall see. I have my right eye done this coming Wednesday (4/20) and am eager to see how it all shakes out. There was no pain or discomfort. My greatest concern was at night as I sleep on my sides and was afraid of digging my face into the pillow and hurting the eye. I did have to wear goggles the first two nights but that was too awkward to maintain for longer than that. All in all, it went very well and I hope the second goes as well as the first.

Unfortunately, Tippy had a setback. As mentioned last time, she had very little pain or discomfort after her shoulder surgery but last week she unbuckled her hand in order to do her forearm exercises. In the process of using her phone, it fell and she grabbed for it, moving her whole arm and shoulder. She immediately felt the full degree of pain that she had avoided up to that point, and even minor movements hurt. She was advised to do very little over the weekend, and they would check with her on Monday to see if x-rays were necessary. Luckily, things settled and she is back on the mend.

Chris and I joined Liberal Ladies for a program at Penn Center. It has an interesting history and the presentation was informative. It was followed by a box lunch on the grounds. Other than being a bit windy, it was a lovely day and we enjoyed lunch and a walk around the grounds. It was here that Dr. King wrote his "I Have a Dream" speech and some years ago my mother and I came to see Bill Clinton when he was campaigning for Hillary.

Lynn and I arranged a gathering of Crescent Democrats (called the Crescent Blue Wave) at Oak Terrace restaurant. Several years ago there was a concerted effort to organize “social” groups within gated communities as a way of communicating with liberals, getting volunteers, etc. We had one social gathering early on but then Covid hit. Over the years of Covid, we pretty much discovered that getting people in our age group to do anything other than write postcards is expecting too much. So, we weren’t disappointed when we had only 12 people show up. They seemed to have a very good time and there were others who would have attended except for company, being out of town, etc. We did our bit and that’s all we can do!

Easter weekend was quiet but pleasant. On Friday, I spent a couple of hours tending the Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate’s table at the Gullah Market at Martin Family Park in downtown Bluffton. It was fun because it was the first time most of us had seen each other in person since Covid started! Everyone was jovial and in good spirits and it was a lovely day to be outside. Sunday Tippy and I got together at First Watch for breakfast and Tippy actually drove herself I fully expected to be her chauffeur but she felt she could do it. Kieran backed her car out to the street, got her buckled in, and put the car in D. She drove to my house, where I unbuckled her and put the car in P!! When she left, I got her set up and pointed in the right direction and away she went, getting home safely. But before that, she stopped in to see Rosie and we took her for a walk. As we were leaving the house, we were joined by Mark, my neighbor across the street. and The Adorable Felix for our walk to the clubhouse and back. It was leisurely and a nice way to enjoy the day. Before leaving, I showed Tippy Wordle since she is a crossword fan. Being a crossword fan, I thought she would enjoy it. I guess the RBC Heritage Golf Tournament went well and the rain predicted for the whole weekend held off until the evening. So, I went to bed to gentle rain and awakened to the same.

For some reason, around Easter, my Facebook feed was bombarded with beautiful pictures of Malta, which brought back fond memories. One repat Allan and I started out in the UK with no plans other than to go to a travel agent and see where we could go. I was hoping for Kenya but we didn't have time for vaccinations, paperwork, etc. In any case, we would up in Malta, which was a total delight. The weather was nice, the scenery was beautiful, and the history was much more than I ever knew. On top of that, it was Easter week! There was one whole day of enactment and processions like I had never seen before. We had a prime spot in front of a church by which everything passed. It was amazing. Another thing that stands out is a famous restaurant that someone recommended that did not disappoint, as well as me driving us around one day in a Mini with the hand brake up!!

4/19/22: As a thank you to Chris for being my chauffeur for both of my eye surgeries, I promised her a lunch of her choice in Savannah. She chose Troupial, a Venezuelan “coffee service” which we’d had our eye on for a while as they were renovating an old house to become their restaurant. They had just reopened at their new location, and it was totally charming and the food was delicious (the link above shows the work they put into getting the new place ready, and you can get a feel for the setting and food on their FB page.). The staff was young, pleasant, and attentive. As we were leaving, one of them invited us to go upstairs and check out their dining area there. While the downstairs area was limited, there were dining spaces on the front porch, a deck outback, and the upstairs area. It was a fun way to spend part of a very nice day and I think we both enjoyed it.

The following day (yesterday) was my second eye surgery, which went as smoothly as the first except there was a short delay before I was seen. Once the process begins, it runs like clockwork. It’s a small out-patient clinic with about 4 operating rooms and several other procedure rooms (I was on my way to the OR when I asked, and I forgot the complete answer!). They see about 40 people/day – and to think they can do what they did to my eyes with such amazing results! Needless to say, I am very pleased!.

April - The Year Marches On!

 After describing the glorious weather we’d been having, we had the weekend from hell. Saturday was high winds such that I doubted Rosie would go for her walk. She braved it and was only frightened when the gusts were so strong that they blew leaves, pine cones, etc past her. She would then scurry ahead with ears back and tail down. Late in the day, the winds subsided and the temperature took a dive. We had 2 nights in the 20s and 30s. I think it felt colder because we had shed our layers of clothing and we weren’t prepared for it. It’s warming up again and it looks like we’re good for the next 10 days – but I’m moving into it slowly!

The time change has thrown me for a loop. It is now pitch black at 7AM so I’m sleeping in until 8+ AM! I’m not sure why I feel guilty about that as there is nothing requiring that I get up early – but I do!! It also means that by the time Rosie and I get up and going, have our walk and breakfast, the morning is gone! Today (3/16/22) I was to Zoom with Eileen and Ann. It was rainy and I rushed Rosie out between showers so I could be in and ready for the call at 11AM. I got all set and nothing happened! Due to the time change, I was an hour early! Oh well, it will all work itself out and I’ll catch on eventually. (Since writing this, it is now light at 7AM and we're getting into the swing of spring)

My basic feeling is that the whole Universe is trying to tell us that we need to do things differently in almost every area of our society, and we are doing a good job of ignoring that. While there are so many atrocious things going on in the world (Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, on and on - to say nothing of other issues like climate changes, etc), what we see in Ukraine is heartbreaking. It is one more people added to the long list of those sacrificed at the whim of the evil and powerful. On our repat before the first Gulf War, Allan and I took a Black Sea cruise and we stopped in Odesa and Yalta (now part of Crimea). At that time, they may have still been a part of Russia – not sure. In any case, this painting was by a young woman who was selling her work to afford her education. She was welcoming and spent some time walking with us. Now I see the photos of how they have flourished since being independent of Russia and the current situation breaks my heart. They are doing everything right – they have shown respect for one another and for the frail and fragile. They love their animals and are not deserting them during this horrible time. They are showing heroism in the face of demonic assault.  I fully understand the need to prevent a nuclear world war, but I pray there is a way out of this that will spare the people of Ukraine (and all those in other countries who suffer these atrocities!) – and ensure that NO ONE else will ever be able to do this again! I know, I’m a dreamer….

3/26/22: Got a very good night’s sleep last night and awaken to a sunny, though windy day. After a nice morning walk with Rosie which included coffee with Lynn and Tom, I gave Tippy a call to ask if I could stop by for a visit. This is only her third day home after shoulder replacement surgery and I was pleasantly surprised when she walked down the driveway to greet me! She looked and felt surprisingly well, which I was happy the see. She has taken no meds since being home except Tylenol, which I find amazing. I am relieved to see that she has come through it so well.

From there, I went to the Palmetto Quilt Guild Show. I expected a quiet, quick walk-through, but it was teeming with viewers and vendors, so I just took my time and enjoyed it. Remembering all of those projects I’ve just gotten rid of, and some of them being quilting books, I didn’t even browse through the vendor stalls! It really was impressive and I enjoyed it. I came home and took Rosie for a walk right away as the day was still beautiful. 

Then, the next day, Sunday, Chris and I went to Savannah for VegFest 2022. In years past, a local lady had organized a great one on the island, but since Covid, she seems to be out of the picture! In any case, it was a beautiful day and Forsyth Park was prime people-watching territory. Everyone was out enjoying the day with their kids, dogs, etc. The VegFest itself was smaller than expected but we enjoyed browsing the vendors. Within an easy walk from the park was a vegetarian restaurant we had long wanted to try - The Haunt. We had no trouble getting in and enjoyed a delicious meal. Chris had a flatbread and I had "A Decent Breakfast." The description was such (wild mushroom sausage, lion's mane, wild huckleberry, etc) that I could not even guess what I was getting, but it really was delicious. A lot of vegetarian/vegan restaurants, food trucks, etc. are springing up in Savannah so our options are increasing, but I would definitely put The Haunt at the top of the list.

Amy, a friend whom I haven't seen in a while since Covid, texted to see if Rosie and I would like to get together so we could meet her new puppy, Jesse, a Havanese. I was a bit reticent because Rosie is sometimes timid/frightened in new surroundings and is can be put off by the exuberance of puppies. But, we met up at Jarvis Creek Park and had a nice walk-around. Rosie and Jesse got along fine. Rosie even had zoomies and was taunting Jesse to join in. Once home, she was out like a light, not even having her dinner until sometime in the night!

Had to share this photo from my continuing purge of the house. These (from the garage) are a collection of protest posters from the last few years. The RBG poster brings back vivid memories of a group of local rabid republicans when we protested a meeting where Lindsey Graham was to appear (by didn't)! You're talking about an eye-opener as to how nasty people can be! Some of my "resista-sistas" will get a kick out of this and may even have their own collection!

Spring is in the Air - Maybe!

On the day of my last post, I stayed in my PJs all day long – literally, It was cold, damp, and dreary with no reason to do otherwise. Once in a while, I like a day like that. I was able to get a few things done that I couldn’t manage the day before, so it wasn’t totally unproductive.

I’ve participated in two interesting Zoom calls recently. One was with Dr. Annie Andrews (D) who is running for a seat in the US House against Nancy Mace (R), whom you may have seen recently in front of trump tower groveling to her supreme leader. I was very impressed with Dr. Andrews and certainly hope she is able to win. The other was a Liberal Ladies’ meeting with guest speaker Sam Mihara (https://sammihara.com/), who was interned in a Japanese Internment camp at the age of nine. He and his family were taken from San Francisco to a camp in Idaho. This is another period of shame in our history that few people know about and is not taught in school. His presentation was enhanced by photographs, making it more difficult to understand how this could happen in our country, He ended it by updating us on his friends from the camp and their contribution to our society. It was very informative and moving.

Rhonda came over on the 12th for dinner. Her dad passed away mid-week and she and her brother had been dealing with everything involved with that as well as dealing with the loss. I was glad she could come. After dinner, we watched the Summer of Soul which was great. I’d never heard of the festival, but the music was fantastic. We enjoyed it and it was good to catch up.

As usual, I am at a loss for where the time goes and what I do with it! I did get a bee in my bonnet about our HOA giving a neighbor flack for not having a green lawn. Well, his lawn isn’t green because he has/had four large, stately pine trees in his yard that prevented the grass from growing. It appears that green lawns far outweigh trees! It niggled at me so long that I finally wrote the HOA a letter (email). As everyone predicted, I never heard a word from them though I did feel better for having said my peace. So, John had 4 (not 1, not 2, but 4) large, beautiful pine trees removed. The big truck rolled up and a nice, green lawn was rolled out. I guess the powers that be are happy now.

We have had glorious weather recently, though today and the next few are cooler and overcast with rain possible. Almost overnight the redbuds and azaleas are blooming. Our daffodil fields have been open and in full bloom, but this cold spell has shut them down for the season. They are always a delight to both see and pick your own. After a colder-than-usual winter, it is nice to see spring peeking through and I hope it lasts a nice long time.

I feel like I am slowly coming out of the abuse and shock of the trump years (and you would be surprised at the number of friends who say some version of the same thing!). One of the symptoms of that period was a total inability to get anything done. I refer to it as being “immobilized.” Over the last few weeks, I have been able to get some of the things done that I’ve thought about for so long. One is to clean out the closet and storage of my 3^rd bedroom. It took two days to do the closet and I came across things that I never remembered buying – prints from the UK, France, Prague, Thailand, etc. There were two completed needlework projects, which I never did anything with, and FOUR incomplete projects!! Cheryl told me about a lady she heard about who trolls thrift shops for incomplete projects, which she buys and completes. I hope there is one of those ladies around here! I also had years of tax returns as well as loads of copied recipes going back to before I became vegetarian! It really was ridiculous. I have bags of papers to be shredded and hope to get that done this Tuesday. There are only two more sections of the bookcase left to clear and then I am tackling the garage! Now that is a black hole! I may never be seen again.

Among those things I found in my cleaning were mementos of my time in Saudi – the Arabian Sun article when I won the ladies’ division of the Presidents Cup, a bunch of invitations to Friday Happy Hour, a panoramic photo (made by taping several photos together!) of Dhahran par 3, etc. It really was a walk down memory lane and I’d forgotten the measures we took to get everyone together for end-of-week happy hour…….anyone remember Medina chicken and dining hall shrimp?? Those were the days!

I’m including this photo of Chris and me to prove that we do occasionally dine someplace other than Olive and Fig! We are at The Turn, a new restaurant in the area. We were drawn here because they actually have a vegan section on their menu. Naturally, we wanted to try it out and support it if possible. We had different menu items and both of us were impressed with the flavor and presentation – the owners are vegan, which probably accounted for everything we liked. Even the wine was nice so I think we will be going back again.

I took them some daffodils from our local fields

pSpeaking of Chris, her sisters and their families come down about twice a year, and this time (last weekend) they invited Chris’ Pandemic Pals over for brunch. Chris had told us of their family gatherings with a cast of thousands and more food than the crowd could possibly eat. They certainly lived up to their reputation and we had a great time. They were staying in Palmetto Dunes with a nice, long balcony overlooking the beach. There was everything one could possibly desire to eat – including an omelet station! Most of us had at least two helpings – and then pie!! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was jovial and fun, and it was great to be able to put faces to names. Chris’ stories will now take on new meaning when she mentions her sisters. I wish I’d taken photos but I really didn’t want to break the mood - It was a delightful day. and they could not have made us feel more welcome.

The rest of my time has been spent with friends – something usually involving food! Tippy, Rosie, and I went for a walk along the residential side of Dolphin Head, and Rhonda and I met up one Sunday for a walk on Pinckney Island. I’ve also watched several Zoom things online. One was a 5-day series on Reframing Aging with Maria Shriver. Each day had two parts, the first being professionals, Doctors, etc., and the second being celebrity types. It was quite interesting. The second was a 2-part webinar by PBS about Benjamin Franklin, which included Ken Burns and various authorities on Franklin. This is in advance of a series on Franklins by Burns coming to PBS in April. My reading (audiobooks) has included Will, written and narrated by Will Smith. I enjoyed it more than I expected and came away with a respect for his work ethic, insight, determination, etc.  Going There, written and narrated by Katie Couric, which I was totally non-plussed about. Right now, I’m reading Eleanor and Hick about Eleanor Roosevelt’s relationship with Lorena Hickok, a reporter. I was aware of Franklin’s dalliances but had never heard of Eleanor’s companion. It’s interesting from that perspective but it also sheds light on the happenings of the times. I came across it when I was looking for Eleanor, which a friend had recommended, but it is not yet available as an audiobook from the library. I still hope to read that as well.

To end on a positive note, Eileen has recently notified me that she has booked her flight for a visit in May! We're hoping that the third try is a charm! It gives me something to look forward to and it’ll be fun to catch up in person.

The Big 7-5 and Other Things!

 1/16/21: Winter is upon us with cold nights and mornings, but it usually warms up to the sunny 60s by mid-day. Rosie has no interest in going out in the cold and even less in going out into the rain. So, I’ve adjusted my morning routine to carry on with my things until she sheepishly walks in and lets me know she’s ready! Today was dark, rainy, and dreary but as soon as it stopped raining, there she was ready to go!

Last entry I forgot to tell you about one of my Christmas gifts. It was really a lovely Christmas ornament given to me by Debby and Dave as a hostess gift at the party. That was gift enough and totally unexpected, but as they were leaving Dave said he would like to paint Rosie! He’s a very good artist (and organizer of Bluffton's yearly Arts and Seafood Festival) and I’m so gratified that he has offered to do it. He said it would give him something to do as we say put during Omicron and asked that I send him a few photos, which I did. I told him there was no expectation and if he didn't get around to it, that would be fine. Well, last Sunday they had me over for wine and munchies and he had done it! What a wonderful surprise and you can see that he totally captured her eyes and ears, as well as her funny little legs. I love it!

1/20/22: The Big 7-5!

Even though I had nothing planned, my 75th birthday turned out to be a very nice day. I must have been looking forward to it as I got a good night's rest and woke around 6 AM - very much unlike me! In checking my emails, I found this card from Sandra which got the day off to a perfect start. You have to see it! (I do hope this works. I promise you will smile!)

https://www.bluemountain.com/view/rc421df69a8754d90a590474d4db3b2c7?source=bma999&utm_medium=internal_email&utm_source=pickup&utm_campaign=confirm

I've decided that William Shatner is my spirit animal!! First of all, he is even older than I am but he seems to enjoy everything he does. He's even been shot into space, for heaven's sake!! He seems to never say NO to anything (like this fun video) and just keeps moving forward. There is much I can learn from him.

Rosie and I got out early as it was a nice, warm morning. Lynn and Tom invited us over for coffee which was a great way to start the day. Before we went over, Jan called from Seattle and after we got back Cheryl called from FL. I enjoyed a good catch-up with both.

Even before my birthday, I had gotten cards from Carolyn, as well as Sue and Dave. Reyna brought me gorgeous red roses and a Spartina bag and Melodee sent the heartwarming book, The Goats of Anarchy, which I'd seen online. This is not the first goat gift I've received as you can see by the little white goat by the book. There is a theme here! Eileen timed her card perfectly as I received it on the day. And then there were the wonderful messages online - emails, FB messages, etc. It was fun to see them trickle in throughout the day and I loved receiving them and thinking of friends and family. It was a good day all around!

My only plan for the day was to cook as the fridge was empty. So around lunchtime, I began a vegetarian shepherd's pie and tortellini soup. I wound that up just in time to take Rosie for her afternoon walk. Reyna dropped by after that and I received texts from Rabbi Covitz and Ann and Martin. It was a very nice day and thanks to all who were in touch. There is also a little side story here. Rabbi Covitz calls me every year on my birthday, but this year I had dropped my landline so there was a little hitch. Thank goodness for texts. In any case, I'm so glad I didn't miss it because he told me that he has gone vegetarian!! I went vegetarian the last few years he was here but I never imagined it would catch on or that he would consider it. He said he was motivated by the few animal-friendly things that I post online. Another wonderful surprise!

1/21/22: Today is NOT fun! It’s 1 PM and the temperature is 38F! My house is cold and the heat has run all night non-stop! On the second day, we stayed in bed as long as we could stand it and then got dressed for the day. I have on tights, thermal underwear, two pairs of socks, pants, sweatshirt, and a house robe (and my feet are still cold!)! Rosie has added her sweater as she follows the sunspots around the room. The sad thing is that we have more of this ahead.

11/29/22: The cold has continued. The most nights in the 20s since I’ve lived here I'm sure. As before, It’s 1 PM and it’s 43 with a wind chill, feels like 36.  I did break down and have someone come out and look at my HVAC.  I thought the houses were not built for these temperatures (on a slab, probably poor insulation, high ceilings, etc.) but the house kept getting colder and colder. Sure enough, there was a faulty component and the freon had leaked out of the HVAC! So, it was a matter of putting $1500 into a 14-year-old unit or replacing it. After talking to my financial guy, I replaced it. He said they would probably be less expensive at this time of year than in the summer and, when I thought about it, they had it available for immediate installation. Who knows whether or not they will be available later? Anyway. On the day they installed it, there were the two of them and three cleaning ladies from my new cleaning service. They spent about 3-4 hours doing a deep cleaning. The interesting thing is that all of them were Spanish speakers! At times it sounded like Grand Central Station! Rosie loved it at first but when the vacuum cleaners got going and the guys were up in the attic banging around, it got to her, so she and I retired to the bedroom for some peace and quiet. At the end of the day, she was out like a light. It was a chaotic day but we were happy to be clean and warm at the end of it!

Our winter weather continues but we do occasionally have a warmer one. You probably recognize the Olive and Fig by now, and here we are getting out falafel fix. On this day it was about 75 and sunny., so we made the most of it.

One of my favorite TV binging series has been Grantchester, which I hated to see come to an end. I have since gotten into Endeavour. For some reason, I didn't take to it originally but after the first season, I was hooked. I'm about two seasons away from finishing it and am open to suggestions for future viewing.

Speaking of viewing, I had my eyes checked in preparation for new glasses, which I promised myself for Christmas. As it turns out, I have cataracts in both eyes. I guess that's expected at this age and many friends have already had the surgery. To my surprise, there is also a scar on my left eye for which she prescribe steroid drops for a month to see if it can be improved. She asked if I'd had shingles in my eye and, believe it or not, I think I may have. Years ago I had something awful in that eye, but I didn't have it see to. I remember being in NC with my mother and meeting up with a cousin while I had this terrible eye thing. Maybe it was receding by the time I got back here and I didn't have it looked at. Even so, I distinctly remember how angry it looked and felt, and at the time, even though I didn't know it was possible, I wondered if it might be shingles. Anyway, watch this space!

2022 - Happy New Year!

 We are well into 2022 so Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you got it off to a good start.

I am just happy that the holidays are over. I confess to having no enthusiasm for them and pretty much just waiting them out. Even so, there were some fun moments. Maria and Mark, my relatively new (progressive) neighbors from Woodstock, NY, had a fabulous gathering on Thursday (12/16). She is a fantastic cook and he wants everyone to be happy, thus perfect hosts! There were about 30 people there – neighbors (conservatives and liberals), their conservative couple-friends, their dog park friends, etc. It was an eclectic group of people and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. It was a good evening.

There is an interesting/weird story that goes with this great party. Mark had gotten to know and played golf with one of our neighbors, whom they invited to the party. After not getting a response to the invitation, Mark asked if they had received it. The neighbor replied that they did, but would not be attending. In picking up Mark for golf one day, he had been invited inside their home and noticed that  Mark and Maria had “idols” in their house!  He and his wife, therefore, could not be in the home of someone with idols!  Well, they have a few statues of saints, Buddha by the front door, etc……just as I and most of you probably do (except for the saints)! This is the neighbor I introduced myself to twice with no response, but 15 years later they decided they could acknowledge me. He also walks around with a T-shirt that says something like “Christian, and not ashamed”!  I suggested to Mark that we should get him a T-shirt that said, “Christian – should be ashamed”!!  Anyway. Mark, the kind soul that he is, told me the story and I assured him that the “Christian” neighbor had dissolved golf groups on other similarly ridiculous reasons. As an aside, this same neighbor told me a few days later about helping a homeless person in the area. I mentioned a homeless lady I would help from time to time, and he said, “Oh, yes. That must be Cindy.” He said she had gotten a job, which is why I had not seen her lately. That was a nice exchange and in a way made the idol thing seem even more bazaar!

In the midst of all that, there is a Rosie story! Rosie watched me walk across the street to the party and where her boyfriend Felix lives. She was in the same place when I walked home 3 hours later. The next day, I was in and out several times throughout the day (one of which included taking Rosie out for a nice walk). When I was ready to leave for our Pandemic Pals dinner, Rosie was sitting on the rug in from of the door to the garage giving me sad Rosie eyes! I’ve never seen her there before, and she would not move. I couldn’t coax her away. I finally had to pick her up and put her on the sofa, while comforting her and cooing over her. She was giving me a clear message – I had been away too long!

12/21/21: Well, today has made up for all of that blissful weather! It began raining lightly through the night and has continued through the day. Realizing it was raining, Rosie and I stayed in bed until almost 8:30, making the shortest day of the year even shorter! As most of you know, I have given up doing mailed Christmas cards; even so, I had been thinking of taking a day to do individualize online cards. This seemed the perfect day to do it. I was warm and cozy inside and I spent most of the day doing the cards and remembering favorite moments with each person/family, which was a great way to be reminded of how fortunate I am to have such wonderful people in my life! This seems worthy of becoming a tradition of the season! (Even so, I ran into some technical difficulties (learning curve) and some of you may have received 2 or none at all! I did discover what I was doing wrong and tried to correct it…and hope I was 100% successful!)

I did have to get dressed and organized enough to take my garbage out. Rosie wanted no part of it and never once appeared to want to go outside. Finally, I coaxed her to go out into the backyard, and she was so funny and unlike herself, who likes to sniff every blade of grass. She sniffed and peed. Then she sniffed a little more and pooped. Then she came running back into the house in record time. Up until this moment, she never seemed to know that she could poop in the backyard. I hope this will carry over to those times when we don’t have time for our full walk.

12/26/21: I’m basking in the relief of having Christmas behind us. We are back to 70-degree weather and Christmas day was so nice that Rosie and I went to Martin Family Park for our afternoon walk. Traffic was light and there were few people about so we took a long way home just to extend the moment as long as possible. We were rewarded by seeing a guy in a full Santa costume riding a red Harley! It actually made me giggle!

Today I’m starting to prep for a gathering I’m having on Wednesday. It’s just for a small group of about 15 friends and, not being a comfortable entertainer, I’ll be glad when it’s over, too! I like doing something as a thank you for their kindness and support throughout the year, but it sure can be anxiety-producing! I had planned to do this on the 27^th when I thought Eileen would be here. Once she was not able to come, I moved it to the 29^th, more centered between Christmas and New Year.

From the initial stages of planning for the party, Murphy’s Law was in overdrive. A couple of weeks before (when I was not at home), my cleaning ladies messed up my floor. I was trying to get Stanley Steemer out to correct it and that turned into a fiasco….and is still not done! So, a rug was placed in a very awkward spot to cover the most hideous damage. Murphy continued his evil work right up to the day of the party with the packing lady at Kroger stuffing the cheese tray on its side into the bag (after not having the order correct in the first place!) Yes! That’s how everything leading up to the party went! Even so, everyone seemed to really enjoy it and have a good time (or I just have really great, kind friends).

New Year’s day was celebrated by the Pan Pals at Chris’ house. We toasted in 2022 with the bubbly and had a delicious brunch, along with the usual good company and conversation.

The day before, I spent much of the morning at Dr’s Care! Once before I had swelling on the left side of my face, which was treated with an antibiotic. (and not completely resolved) Well, the swelling came back and covered more of my face. With the holiday approaching, I thought it best to have it looked at sooner rather than later. They opened at 8AM and I left home around 7:30. By the time I got there (5 minutes away!), people were lined up ¾ the way around the side of the building! They processed everyone quickly and by the time they got to me, there was a 2-hour wait to see the doctor. They told everyone to wait in their cars, but I asked if I could go home as I was only 5 minutes away. Once home, I got my black-eyed peas on (for NY day) and was preparing my fresh collards when I whacked my fingernail! Ouch! Before I could get the bleeding stopped, they call me to see the doctor. All things considered, I was lucky to already have an appointment. As I was in the lobby waiting to be called, people continue to steadily come in. The wait at that point was 4-1/2 hours! The nail was still attached to the nail bed so she put some adhesive strips to hold in in place and wrapped it well. She gave me antibiotics for the swelling with instructions to let her know if they didn’t correct the problem (it hasn’t thus far). In which case she would like a sinus scan. So, that’s where I am today. I said the only way I could look at it was that I was getting rid of all my bad luck in 2021 and starting fresh in 2022!

Christmas is now packed away in the garage with the exception of the larger tree. I got most of it done early in the week but left the tree for this weekend. I had to giggle as I moved my gifts from under the tree - do you notice a pattern??

One of my neighbors, who is fairly new to the neighborhood, surprised me with this yummy rum cake. It seems to be one of their traditions. After Penny bakes them, Randy likes to doctor them up a bit with more rum. He was warned not to this year but tried to do so in Penny's absence - BUT, got caught! So some of them were doctored and others not. I got one of the doctored ones and Randy had outdone himself!

Life is slowly getting back to normal. Yesterday, I had a nice chat with Pauline from the UK, who is visiting her son and his family in New Hampshire. She had a nice visit which included snow and an extension of her stay due to Covid. Fortunately, it was a mild case and she will fly home today. It was great to have a chance to catch up.

I and a few neighbors participated in the nationwide Indivisible event commemorating the insurrection of a year ago on January 6th. We lined Bluffton Parkway with signs that read Democracy Not Insurrection and it lasted only an hour. We probably had about 100 people show up, which was good, although we wish more would get involved. Anyway, it is what it is. 

Just Tippy and me at our favorite brunch spot. 

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Happy New Year, Y’all!

Happy Thanksgiving and All Other Holidays!

Thanksgiving (11/26/21) was upon us before I knew it. Melodee left on Saturday. Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate had a zoom meeting on the following Tuesday, and Drinking Liberally was that same afternoon; and then, Thursday was Thanksgiving. Lynn and Tom had accepted an invitation from their neighbor for Thanksgiving dinner, so that left Chris and me to do our vegetarian thing – which we did in grand style! I have never seen so much food for two people – a lentil loaf, a mushroom loaf with gravy, green bean casserole, zucchini and corn dish, sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and cranberry crack – to be followed by pumpkin cheesecake!! It was all delicious and I felt like I waddled away with a bag full of food for the days to come. I already had leftovers from Melodee’s visit so my fridge was stacked 3-high with food. My first job the next morning was to tackle the fridge and repackage everything to make it manageable.

The next evening, Maria and Mark, my neighbors across the street, invited me over for Thanksgiving leftovers. They had picked up their Thanksgiving Day food at Kenny B’s, a New Orleans-style place on the island, and realized that most of it had meat in it. So, Maria made a delicious ethnic stew (maybe Ethiopian or Nigerian), with her delicious black beans, rice, and pumpkin pie. Again, I came home with a doggie bag! I may not have to cook for the next week!

Before going to bed that night (11/26), I checked my phone one last time. A notification from Capital One flashed by reporting 2 charges ($1500+ each!) to my credit card. So, my last act before going to bed around 10:30 was to call Capital One and deal with it! I did get a very nice young man who made it as easy as possible, but my card was frozen and I was issued a new one….and we all know everything involved with contacting businesses with recurring charges. My new card arrived on Monday and much of a day will be spent dealing with all of that. Even so, I’m glad they and I caught it so quickly.

Thanksgiving weekend is my traditional time to do Christmas decorating, so the day after Thanksgiving I half-heartedly dragged the Christmas decorations out of the garage and began strewing them around the house! I started with the easy stuff and worked up to the tree, which I tackled on Saturday (11/27). I spent much of the day with the larger tree, fussing over the fiddly lights. Every year, I wonder if it is worth it! In any case, most of the lights are working. I did get the smaller tree up and decorated, but it is much easier to do. On Sunday I will finish the larger tree, take care of the final details, and call it quits. My mantra has been “this shall not spillith over into Monday!” Whatever made it up by the end of the day Sunday shall now be called Christmas decorations!

As part of the Michael Keaton Festival, I’ve been watching Dopesick in the evenings, which is not an uplifting series. It’s a sad commentary on so many things in our society (as is confirmed when Rudi Giuliani pops up in it!). Once I finish it, I’m going to find another Michael Keaton movie or series to watch.

After a few days of rest from the weekend decorating, the end of the week (12/1–12/3) was spent dining and enjoying the company of friends. I treated Chris to a belated birthday lunch celebration in Savannah.  She chose Troupial, a Venezuelan restaurant, as our dining destination; but, as luck would have it, they were closed for renovations. We then searched out The Haunt, a vegan restaurant we had heard a lot about, and they, too, were closed. That left us with Naan on Broughton, which by no means is a bad consolation! We both like Indian food and it is the best we’ve found. I’m so lucky to have a friend who enjoys trying new foods and we decided we need to do this regularly. Savannah has much more to offer than we take advantage of and the vegan-vegetarian food scene really seems to be popping. I’m looking forward to exploring more.

Thursday, Tippy and I met up at Ruan to Thai one on! It is a go-to spot within walking distance of my house and whenever Tippy is out this way she gives me a call to meet up. She filled me in on her last mountain trip…and, of course, we talked politics (as happens with all of my friends!).

Normally, Chris and I would see each other again on Friday at our Pandemic Pals gathering. Sadly, Lynn’s sister passed away and she was out of town for her funeral. Tom couldn’t join us since their son was in town. So, Chris and I decided to dine at Olive and Fig for the F-word, though Chris branched out and had something different! We had planned to eat at 5PM, but the day was so beautiful that I texted Chris to ask if we might get together for lunch – and dine outside (70 degrees in December!). She was up for it and that’s what we did. It really was delightful in every way.

On Sunday, I had a few things to do in the morning but after lunch, Rosie and I went to Beaufort to walk around the waterfront park. It seemed the perfect thing to do on yet another beautiful day. I’ve purchased a backseat pet cover and put Rosie’s bed back there, and I’m hoping to get her more accustomed to riding in the car AND having new experiences. She is the Queen of the neighborhood, but take her anyplace else and she is easily frightened. There was no issue whatsoever with the drive – no panting, nothing! However, there were many things that unsettled her, like the white marking at a crosswalk! She would not walk across them but went around them! Loud sounds, kids playing roughly in the park, etc. – all unsettling. There were lots of kids around and in a comfortable setting she would have zeroed in on them. She was on too much of an alert to do that, although there were a couple of people that she approached….and got very positive responses. I certainly hope I’m not traumatizing her (Cheryl, let me know and offer suggestions) but I would like for her to become more comfortable with new experiences….and know that I am not going to let anything happen to her if I can possibly help it.

Several times I’ve mentioned the nice weather, and I have to say it again. We had several
weeks of the temperature dropping down into the 30s at night, and that’s cold for us. Our houses are built on slabs and temps that low make it really hard to warm up in the morning. Over the last week, it’s only dropped into the high 40s or even 50s, and the days have been sunny and in or around the 70s. Glorious, especially for December! That’s what spurred our trip to Beaufort today and I think we will keep venturing out as long as it stays this nice. The other thing I've really enjoyed this year is the falling leaves. Even my little, scrawny tree and shed beautiful leaves and there are other areas in the community where they've been allowed to gather, and on our walks we see them rolling along the street or floating down from the tree. We seem obsessive about raking and blowing them up ASAP but I've really enjoyed seeing them around for a while.

I confess to having no enthusiasm for the upcoming holidays and think I will feel better when they are behind us. When Melodee was here I told her I felt like I just want to pull the covers over my head and hibernate! My hope is that not everyone feels as I do and that it will truly be a season of peace, love, and joy. Here's wishing you all the best - health, happiness, and prosperity - over Christmas and in the coming year. Love to all.