Dog Days of Summer

 6/26/22

I’ve had two quiet days at home trying to process what is happening to us as a country. Women no longer have a right to an abortion in this country. Basically, it will be left up to each state, which means southern states (including SC) and other republican led states will make it as difficult on women as they possibly can – no abortion under any circumstance, charging doctors who assist as well as anyone who helps the woman in any way! Chew on that for a bit! While republicans have been whittling away at voting rights in an effort to marginalize many groups, this is the first time they have actually TAKEN AWAY (via the Supreme Court) a right that has been in place for 50 years! There is just something so UnAmerican about taking rights away from people. In this case, women have been told their place in our culture and it is right alongside livestock (which we also treat atrociously and heartlessly). I’m sure I’m not the only one stunned by this as I immediately heard from friends far and near, as well as commiserating with our Friday Pan Pals. Everyone is in a state of shock, sadness, and disappointment. It’s just difficult to take it all in.

There was a Pro-Choice event on Saturday morning which I didn’t make. I was just too bummed out, so I met up with Tippy for an early (for me) breakfast where we hashed it all out. I came home and cooked, tidied up, etc. Later in the day, I watched Steel Magnolias. Tippy had mentioned watching it recently and it has been ages since I saw it. While bits of it were too stereotypically Southern, I did love the irreverent humor and the strong, Southern women. Maria (neighbor) and The Adorable Felix (doggie) came over for a visit and Rosie was made up! Felix loves playing with Rosie’s toys on the flokati rug and Rosie slips in every once in a while to sneak her favorite squeaky toy. When Felix wants to see us, he brings them over for a visit, which is nice.

I walked out the front door this morning (6/28/22), taking Rosie for her walk, and noticed the beautiful Crepe Myrtles in the neighborhood. Some are laden with large watermelon-colored blossoms (my favorite color) and others with white. With the rain we've had, the lawns are full and green, and the morning was not too hot and humid. It really was a beautiful day. As we walked, we came across what looked like a pink cardinal. It could have been a parakeet, I couldn't get close enough to tell, but it was a pleasant surprise and something I have not seen before.

The January 6th Insurrection hearings have been going on and the last one was a bombshell. Mark Meadows's secretary testified to quite a few previously unknown events, including the fact that trump wanted the metal detectors (magnetometers) removed from the House so those with weapons could get into the capitol "because they were not there to hurt him" - never mind that they were threatening to hang Mike Pence, kill Pelosi, AOC, etc. God, the total insensitivity of the man-child! Somewhere in there, while listening to the hearing with my ear pod, I got the garbage to the dump and did a quick grocery shop. This coming week there will be 2 additional hearings. My hope is that those who NEED to know the information disclosed will be listening, but I’m not holding my breath. Willful ignorance at its best!

I had a funny phone message from Tippy last week. She was at our breakfast spot (First Watch) with friends who are moving out of the area and she called to tell me that she felt like she was betraying me - because she was there without me!! She suggested we get together for lunch soon for the F-word (falafel). I had to laugh! I texted her later in the day and told her that I had dealt with her betrayal and would only use the F-word as it relates to food! Needless to say, we followed up with lunch at Olive and Fig on Wednesday!

Rosie and I have had a few outings lately. My street is pretty shady in the morning but in the blazing heat of the afternoon, there is none. So, I take her someplace shady for our walks and I've decided to try to include more of a variety. On Monday, June 27, we took off for Old Sheldon Church, which I've heard about forever but never seen. As you would expect, it's down a little 2-lane road with beautifully overlapping trees. It was a great place for Rosie to sniff around and was mostly shady. The interesting thing to me was that the graves we scattered around the building as opposed to being in a sectioned-off "cemetery." It was also interesting that even though it is off the beaten path, there was a steady flow of people stopping by. It's too far out of the way to go often, but I will definitely do it again at some point.

Yesterday, we went to downtown Bluffton near the Church of the Cross on the banks of the May River. It has taken Rosie a while to get up the nerve to go near the bank of the river, but yesterday she was brave. It's in a lovely location and on this day I notice some flower arrangements that I had not noticed before (I think they are new). They were lovely flower arrangements raised on palmetto stumps. There were three different arrangements that were quite pretty. They also have a big swing which adults and kids seem to love. Rosie especially likes to visit with anyone sitting on the benches or just anyone she runs into!! Most people seem to really enjoy her friendliness and she definitely loves the attention.

This year, July 4th was very quiet with the exception of people shooting off fireworks for three nights! With women's rights being removed, I didn't feel like celebrating. Normally, I would at least watch A Capitol Fourth on PBS, but I couldn't even muster that. So, I binge-watched something on Prime and then channel surfed a bit, finding The Great American Rescue Dog Show. It was just what I needed and was so sweet and cute. The categories were things like Best Ears, Best Fetch, Best Couch Potato, etc. - and they were all rescues! The best part is that the winner in each category won $10,000 for the shelter from which they had adopted their dog. The best in show won $100,000! So, at least I went to bed happy!

I hope this finds everyone safe and well. Our Covid case numbers seem to be going up again in this area, so it's too soon to take things for granted. Be well!

Life Goes On

 5/26/22:

Well, I have just been gutted this week! The shooting in Uvalde, Texas just knocked me for a loop and I’ve literally been immobile most of the week. I‘m 75. I don’t know why I care if American women who have children/daughters don’t care to keep abortion legal. I won’t need one, why do I care? I don’t have children, so why do I care if they make guns readily available to every person who wants to wreak havoc on anyone, especially the most vulnerable? If no one else here cares, why should I – but I DO! My heart breaks for those innocent children and their families. How do you ever recover from something like that? I am angry that there are people here who will do NOTHING and will PREVENT anything from being done! Guns are truly more important to them than people, and they are incapable of putting themselves in the shoes of someone else. It just goes from bad to worse, and the minority is holding everyone else hostage. I am sad for this country and so very disappointed. I never thought we would be in this palce and that so little would be done to salvage us. I really don’t want to be here anymore. It’s too painful. I wish that 5 years ago when Melodee and I went to Panama to check it out as a place to relocate that I had continued to pursue it. Making a move at 70 is easier than doing so at 75, and starting over at square one! Writing this has finally produced the good cry that I‘ve needed but it doesn’t solve any of the underlying issues. Every day is just more of the same, but I know my problems in no way compare to those of the families of Uvalde and all the other places where gun carnage has happened. God help us!

I must appear as dismal as I sound, but two very nice things did happen this week. My neighbors across the street were away for a week and I picked up their mail – how difficult can that be? In any case, they gave me a delicious infused mango balsamic vinegar and basil-infused oil. That was far in excess of the favor so I told them they have credits! Then, out of the blue, the guy who does my yard put mulch in my shrubbery beds. He was doing the same for the house next door and must have had left-over. I walked out to take Rosie for a walk and they were filled! So it hasn’t all been dismal and I do appreciate the kindness of others.

5/29/22:

I am unable to get Uvlade out of my mind and I mourn for the families and community. I don’t know how you recover from something like that. One mother was describing how happy her daughter was at end-of-year school festivities and rather than bringing her home (as she always did!), she left her at school with her friends. She wept and said, “and I can’t fix that!” She will live with that forever. And there are the four children whose mother was killed at the school and then whose father had a fatal heart attack – four children without a mother or father! It is just sad beyond belief and ½ of us are unwilling to do anything to correct it.

Yesterday I received an email from Donne, whom I hadn’t heard from in ages, but she included a letter she had written to her legislators regarding gun control and was encouraging many of her friends to do the same. I had already emailed Graham and Scott the day it happened, but I sat down and wrote my own letters/faxes – one for state legislators (Newton, Davis, & Gov. McMaster) and another for Federal legislators (Graham & Scott again, Mace) and those working with Sen. Murphy to develop gun legislation (Cornyn, Collins, Toomey, Tillis, as well as Manchin & Sinema). It’s amazing how difficult republicans make it to contact them. Cornyn and Collins do not provide a fax number and emailing is tricky if you’re not a constituent. It’s almost like they don’t want to know! To top it off, the first thing to pop up on Cronyn’s website was Robb Elementary School!! That takes nerve! Anyway, I feel better for doing something!

6/20/22:

As you can see, much time has passed and I’ve not been motivated to write. Life goes on and I’m fortunate to have friends with whom to socialize and commiserate. Our Friday group continues to get together after about a month of intervening circumstances. Tippy and I have gotten together for breakfast and an attempted walk on the beach that was shortened by the rain. Our alternate plan was a glass of wine on her porch! Chris and I attended a Roots and Blooms fair in downtown Bluffton to support an up-and-coming vegan chef from Savannah. It was a pleasant day weatherwise, and we scored some great seats under a tree to have our lunch. I’ve also been able to Zoom with Ann and Eileen, as well as fun catch-up calls with Cheryl and Jan. It’s always great to catch up with friends one way or the other.

Moms Demand Action on Gun Sense sponsored an event that I attended. It was at the same

location as the Pro-choice protest when Eileen was here. About 100 people participated and we got a better response than I expected. I have to admit that until recently I never felt threatened about doing things like this, but with the number of guns out there and the daily shootings, I definitely gave it a second thought – and the first thing I did after getting there was look around to see that there was someplace to dive if needed! My guess is that we would be surprised/shocked by the number of cars that passed by that had guns inside and all it takes is one kook! Luckily, it went off without a hitch.

As you would expect, I’ve also been glued to the January 6 Insurrection Hearings. They have been thorough and methodically presented. I’m not sure how anyone could cling to the thought that trump did not inspire and inflame the attack (though there are those who still support him!). If there is any justice in this country, he will have to answer for his actions. If not, we can kiss democracy goodbye because they will continue their crusade and it will happen again.

Binge-watching has become my weekend diversion and I recently watched Under the Banner of Heaven, which is based on a true story of a Mormon woman and child murdered in Utah. It was unsettling with (I thought) lots of parallels to our current interplay of religion and government. As I said, unsettling. Since that wasn’t depressing enough, I’m reading Being Mortal about how we care for/treat our elderly. I witnessed many of the systemic problems with my mother’s care and it’s encouraging to hear of the wonderful things some facilities have done to enrich the lives of the elderly. Since I am one (elderly), I hope the problem is solved by the time I move into a "the home", though not holding my breath!

I'll leave you on a happier note with a photo of Rosie at the dog park. We usually go earlier than most so there aren't a lot of doggies around. On this day, when these two came in, they came over to the bench I was sitting on and made themselves at home! They were really sweet and cute....and just settled in with me.  One lady asked if I was collecting dogs! 

💕

Eileen's Visit

 Well, after three tries, Eileen made it! Not only that, her timing was perfect as we had very good weather. The day after she left the temperature hopped up to the 90s and we're still trying to adjust!

Needless to say, we had a fun and busy week with lots of catching up. Our first outing was to Beaufort where we walked around the historic district and waterfront. That never gets old and is always a pleasure to share with guests. We had a leisurely day and got back just in time for Drinking Liberally! 

The next day we hit TJMaxx before having lunch at Giuseppe's, where I left my credit card! From there we went to Fish Haul Beach, which is more private than most beaches around here. Even so, it was more crowded than I've seen it. It was a perfect afternoon to sit on the beach and watch the tide come in. For some reason, I have no photos of it, though I'm sure we took some. We left in time to beat the traffic off-island and stopped at Dollar Tree, where I discovered I didn't have my credit card. I wasn't too alarmed as Capital One sends a text each time a purchase is made and I hadn't received any. So, I called the restaurant. It was there and we headed back on island to pick it up! The best-laid plans!

Thursday was Thrift Shop Day! We hit about 8 of them and Eileen came away with a blouse, shoes, and a lovely skirt. I found 2 tops (Talbots and Lauren) and the perfect Baggallini bag. I had just looked at them at TJMaxx for $30, but they didn't quite work. This one ($3) is organized just right for me! While I'm not a shopper, I'm convinced I need to thrift shop once a month. This is an area that has some great stuff out there....and thrift shops are less crowded than regular shops - a definite plus for me.

The next day was slower-paced. We stopped at Marshall's on our way to meet Tippy and Rhonda for lunch at Ruan Thai (or as we say, we Thai-ed One On!). Again, it was a lovely day and we dined outside, supervised by Junior, our favorite, young waiter! This was an opportunity for my local family to meet my Saudi/overseas family, and it was lots of fun. Tippy invited us over to her place for wine and dessert. Kieran arrived just in time for the last piece of Tres Leches Cake. It was a relaxing afternoon with friends. What can beat that?

Sign at Tios

As Eileen looks back on Saturday, I'll be interested in her comments. I think she was totally astounded that we are going through this whole abortion thing. My feeling is that when I talk to her and Ann about politics, they think I'm a bit over the top. Now that she's been here to see it all, she may be as confounded by it all as I am. In any case, Eileen was curious to spend the day as I would, so we started with an Indivisible meeting at 10AM. I really wanted to attend because I had not been able to hear Mia McLeod (running for SC Governor against our longtime favorite, Joe Cunningham) or Dr. Annie Andrews, running against Nancy Mace for the US House. They were both very impressive and confirmed my view to vote for capable women whenever possible (sorry, Joe!). ELECT WOMEN! From there we went to a 2-hour protest on Bluffton Parkway, which was part of a nationwide PRO-CHOICE protest. This was the largest turnout of any protest I've attended locally - estimated at 300 people. I was impressed by two older men who attended, one with a cane and another with a portable seat, which everyone helped him stabilize. He had made his own sign attached to a fly swatter! There were also more young people, as well as people who had just heard about it and had no idea there were local groups available. I did my thing with my sign and Eileen had lots of time to move around and socialize with everyone. We got lots of thumbs-up and honks, with only a few birds and one person yelling "murderers." All in all, a good day! From there we went to Tio's, where Annie Andrews would be having a meet and greet. By this time, we were just happy to have lunch and a good chat.

On Sunday, we're back to Beaufort to see if we can find Crystal Lake Park. Twice before (with Pamela and Chris), we've tried to find it with no luck. This time we succeeded and had a nice walk around the lake. The high point of the visit was a fish that "skipped' across the lake five times! He just kept jumping! An eagle also made a major appearance, swooping down before we knew what was happening. It really was a treat of nature. We also went to Coffin Point, which was uneventful, and Fort Fremont, before heading into town for a very late lunch. We discovered that most restaurants along the waterfront are closed on Sunday, but we did finally find a pizza place that made a great eggplant Parmesano sandwich. 

Monday, the day before Eileen's departure, was a day of hitting any shops she wanted to browse that we had not already covered. All are within a few stoplights of my house so it was easy to cover a lot in a short period of time. We had a late lunch out (Chow Daddy's) and got home in time for Eileen to pack. Reyna and the girls stopped by to wish her safe travels and Rosie doted on her, not knowing it was coming to an end.

Needless to say, we recounted our many friends and told stories of the past. We both were touched by the kindness of friends who added to our time together. Before Eileen left the UK, Lois and Tony of the Orkney Islands sent funds to boost our wine tab. Cheryl sent a gift certificate to First Watch, knowing that's one of my favorite brunch restaurants. We used it on the morning of Eileen's departure. We were both touched by their kindness and thoughtfulness. Thank you all.

In the meantime......

Normal life intervened! The Friday before Eileen was to arrive I noticed some water standing in my driveway as I left to take Rosie for her walk. I didn't think much of it as my sprinklers come on early in the morning and I thought it just had not evaporated. Later in the morning as I was running errands, the water had begun trickling down the driveway! I consulted my neighbor for advice and we discover that the ground around the tree was soaked. I called the guy who does my yard and he dug several feet down to discover a broken pipe. He and his guys spent much of the afternoon repairing the leak. He left it exposed until the next day just to be sure the repair was complete and would not leak. Phew!

Once Eileen arrived, we discovered that the shower (in the bathroom that is never used) had no water coming from the hot water side. I think this must have been happening when Melodee was here but I misunderstood the problem. I thought it was taking a long time for the hot water to get to the shower (because there was hot water getting to the sink) when actually NO water was coming to that side. Anyway, since I like to shower in the evening and Eileen prefers the morning, we both used my shower rather than having to spend a day waiting for a plumber. I did contact one right away and scheduled him to come the day after Eileen's departure. He came as scheduled, fixed the shower, and discovered a problem in my bathroom, which he will repair when a part arrives. Hopefully, that will take care of it.

Why do I do these things?

I was getting fed up with my cell phone bill being so high, so I paid off my phone using the points/air miles accumulated on my credit card. Even so, my bill was still $60/month. So, I left Verizon for Mint, which you've probably never heard of. It's actually owned by Ryan Reynolds and several other celebrities and uses the T-Mobile network. Everything is done online and they send a SIM card with instructions, videos, etc. to help you through the process of inserting it into the phone. As you might expect, there were the usual hiccups. I had to keep swapping the SIM cards until I got all of the info from Verizon that I needed. Once I got the transfer PIN from Verizon, it was relatively smooth sailing. I kept pestering David, Tippy, and Reyna to call me to test whether or not everything was working. It appeared that they could leave a message but the phone wasn't ringing for me to answer! I contact Customer Service this morning to find out which voicemail app works best with it. He made some changes to my program and everything seems to be working fine. I am interested to see if I have the same coverage as Verizon, but that remains to be seen (though I've heard several people who switched to T-Mobile say they were happy with the service). Will keep you posted. I have signed up for 3 months of 4GB of service for $45, which was a special offer. After that, it will be 3 months for $75. Even so, I pay almost that much per month! If coverage is good and any locals are interested, please let me refer you and we will both get credits - AND I will share what I learned to make the whole process easier for you. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Getting Ready for Company!

I’m going to start by telling you a Rosie story that I forgot to tell you last time. One morning we were taking our normal walk and on our way home, Rosie decided she wanted to visit Norma and Kurt. I’m standing on the walkway in front of their house and Rosie is pulling at the leash and whining to go to the door. I’m just waiting it out for her to get tired and give up, but Kurt passes the window and sees us. He opens the door, and Rosie is off like a shot! We’re invited in and have about a 20-minute visit. The thing is that everyone (seems to!?!) gets a kick out of it and she is very loving once she gets inside. Yesterday we went to Wright Park for our afternoon walk and several kids came up to pet her and she loves it. Then she travels around and just visits people. Most people are very receptive to it and one lady said, “she looks so happy.” I hope that is the case and that she adds a moment of joy to their day.

I heard from Pamela, who lives in San Poncho, Mexico, with an invitation to visit. Her daughter had planned to visit in May but had to cancel and Pamela thought of me, which was very nice. I could definitely be tempted as I feel like I need to break out of my routine and get back into travel mode. My biggest concern is leaving Rosie! After our last Africa trip, she was so whimpery and needy when I got home. It broke my heart! Now, with being home so much due to Covid, she is that way if I go out for a couple of hours with friends. So, if I want to travel peacefully again, I have to get this figured out. In any case, I’m looking forward to Eileen’s visit on the 9^th so the timing doesn’t work, but maybe we can make it happen in the future.

Tippy and I have gotten into an occasional habit of meeting for breakfast on Sunday mornings at First Watch, which we both like. On April 24^th we changed it up a bit and Chris and Kieran joined us at Frankie Bones for lunch and then we all went to a play by the Lean Ensemble – Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody! It was a quick-paced, clever, and humorous script whose characters were well-known characters from American literature – Willy Lowman (Death of a Salesman), Balance DuBois and Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire), Martha and George (Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), and the stage manager from Our Town. You can imagine the dysfunction and humor that ensued. It really was cleverly done and provided lots of laughs, which were much appreciated.

Felix, close to me but looking at the door

Maria and Mark across the street had guests for three days and had a full day planned in Savannah. Mark came over that morning and asked if I’d check in on Felix and let him out in the (fenced in) backyard, which I was happy to do. So, Rosie and I headed over around 1PM and I was amazed and saddened at how subdued Felix was! The sprinklers were on and I sat on their patio until they stopped and Felix just stayed close and kept looking at the door. It was like he was just waiting for Mark and Maria to come out and join us! Rosie enjoyed sniffing around and I did get Felix out in the yard. He wiggled around in the grass a little and got a tummy rub, but then he was ready to go inside. It really broke my heart to see how much they miss us when we are away.

Eliana, Rosie, & Felix, saying goodbye!

Another neighbor, Deanna, who has 4 special needs doggies emailed me to say that they were going to have to put Eliana to sleep on Friday (4/29). She asked if I’d like to say goodbye as she knows I’m one of Eliana’s favorite people – I always have a pocket full of treats! We met up the next morning on our walks and were joined by Mark and Felix. Eliana was in her carriage and I brought some special treats for her, which she fully enjoyed. She has/had the kindest face and was so sweet. I will certainly miss her. Even so, she could no longer walk, was incontinent and, even though she was eating, continued to lose weight. Deanna certainly did everything she could for as long as she could, but that is such a difficult decision. I felt for them all. Not an easy time.

Groups (Liberal Ladies’ dinner) and committee meetings (LCAH and Blues social groups) continue, but last night Chris, Deborah, and I met with Melyssa, our “young friend”, who has recently and suddenly moved to Asheville. Melyssa organized us for a monthly gathering for years until Covid came along and made that difficult. It was always nice to get together with someone of a different general and share ideas, beliefs, and outlooks. We always had lively discussions and lots of laughs. Suddenly – or what

Deborah, Me, Melyssa, and Chris

seemed sudden to us – we saw on Facebook that they had moved to Asheville. Luckily, she was coming down to finalize the packing and we were able to get together for a farewell dinner. It was exciting to hear about their adventure – Melyssa will be able to carry on in her current job and Danny will be working at the famous and gorgeous Park Grove Inn. It was wonderful to hear and see the enthusiasm at the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. I hope we will continue to be in touch in order to share their experiences and we all wish them well.

Then, as in the trump years, I arrived home from our fun gathering to the news of the leaked Supreme Court opinion. I am 75 years old, never had an abortion, and not sure I ever would if the situation had arisen, but it angers me to the core for other human beings to think that they are God. They know what is right for everyone else, especially in a dire situation. Maybe I’m a simpleton, but I can’t begin to imagine what might bring one to consider an abortion, but I can’t help but think that maybe they need care and compassion, not white, male, authoritarian judgment. I’m also smart enough to know that I will never be able to fully understand their circumstances in the most private and personal decision of their life, and it does not require my (or anyone else's) input. It’s strange that those who want “small government” are perfectly willing to tell everyone what to do in their most private life! And let me also say, it angers me that some women are perfectly fine to let this happen to other women – and don’t think they won’t consider abortion if something happens with their child. They will just do it quietly, on the sly, and get away with it, all the while judging and betraying other women (and don't think this is the end of it. ...birth control, gay marriage, etc. This is only the beginning). I am PRO-CHOICE. I want women to be able to do what is best for them and the ones they love. It is not my business and it is certainly not the government's business. This is not the country I thought it was. It is not the country I thought I would grow on in. Sad....and mad!

I’m just trying to squeeze this in before Eileen arrives. on Monday The rest of the week will be cleaning and cooking. I hope this finds everyone safe, well, and enjoying the summer. Much love.

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!