The Holidays Are Upon Us!

10/27/22: After posting last time, I had lunch and headed to the poll to vote. My plan was to take Rosie with me, zip in to vote, and then head to the park for our afternoon walk. Well, I couldn’t find a parking spot in the lot and the line to vote was out the door and halfway down the walk. So, Plan B became taking Rosie to the park by the May River for our walk. Then, take her home and head back to vote, which is what I did. It was a lovely afternoon and I stood outside for about an hour before getting in to vote. It all went smoothly, though I didn’t know whether or not to be encouraged. When I left, the line was the same length as when I arrived. They always say a good turnout benefits Democrats, but in SC that isn’t likely. I hope other states make up the difference. By the time I post again, we will know the outcome…..

11/8/22: We continue to have fabulous weather. The mornings are in the low 70s by the time Rosie and I get out for our walk. It really has been glorious. Today it was breezy, probably blowing in the storm that is brewing in the Bahamas.

Well, today is the day we find out who we are as a nation! It is difficult to believe we are where we find ourselves, with a large portion of us willing to sacrifice it all (burn it down) for their own personal satisfaction. Rhonda is coming over and we are going to Drinking Liberally. It will be dark by 5:30 and we will be back here by about 6 PM, just before the polls close. It will be a long night and I’m going to try to stay up – I didn’t like waking up to the news that trump had won and I don’t want to experience that again!!

11/20/22: As time has passed, I feel better about the election than I did immediately thereafter. Compared to previous mid-term results, the Biden administration faired well. I do wish we had not lost the House as it would allow Democrats to pass some important legislation (primarily voting rights, women’s health choices, etc). Even so, Congress has been able to accomplish more than most thought possible, so maybe that trend will continue. The republicans have already told us how they will spend their time and taxpayers’ money – their usual retribution, blame, and vengeance….such noble Christian values! God help us!

As if the election wasn’t enough, throw in another hurricane! As with the last one, we had minimal negative effects from it. I hope the season will be over as November comes to an end. The storm did bring a change in our weather with nighttime temperatures dropping much lower and daytime now in the low 70s or high 60s, all of which I can cope with as long as the sun is shining!

There is lots of good news to report about Chris. As of the 11th, she has been home. Before that, she went home for part of two days when she had scheduled people to come in and prepare the house for her return - remove some doors so the wheelchair could get through, lower her bed so she could transfer herself from the chair to the bed, change AC filters, etc. On the day of her doctor's appointment, she was all packed up and had her belongings in the transport van so they could drop her off at home if the doctor gave the word....and he did! So, after 2 months, she is home! I can only imagine her relief. I was amazed at the calmness, patience, and determination with which she handled it all. She is getting therapy at home and making steady improvements. She's now able to stand long enough to reach things in the cupboard, get into bed without the slide board, etc. It won't be long before she'll be up and about, and friends are cheering her on!

I told Chris about the photo collage you see here. From time to time, my phone will show memories from certain years, etc. One day it popped up lots of photos of Chris and me (usually involving food!) and the last frame was this collage. It was just a nice surprise so I saved it. I hope we will be dining out again soon!

Tom, Chris, and Tippy have birthdays in November and we all assembled at Chris' to celebrate. Lynn made a delicious cake and I provided prosecco. It was great to be able to get together outside of the assisted living facility and we all enjoyed it.

I recently attended a Liberal Ladies dinner at Belfair Country Club. Tippy was to pick me up but there was a traffic accident that blocked traffic off the island for hours and there were quite a few empty seats at each table. In any case, it gave Sally and me a chance to catch up. One thing I learned from Sally is that she and a neighbor of mine went to the Women's March in 2016. Of course, Tippy and I went but I didn't know Sally at that time and don't recall seeing her. it's just one more thing we have in common and it was great to catch up.

My little girl has had a rough week. I took her to the vet last week because she just was not herself for about 3 days - not eating much, lots of licking and smacking her lips, grimacing, etc. I was afraid it was her back but, thankfully, the vet didn't think so. He did bloodwork and all was well so he thought she was experiencing nausea. He gave her a shot and sent meds for four days home with her. She seemed better but I noticed that when she ate she was still doing the licking and smacking. When she got her shots in March, the vet said she would need her teeth cleaned within the coming year. I registered that and was going to have it done in February when they offer it at a reduced rate. After showing the vet a video of her eating, he recommended going ahead with it. It was an all-day thing with me dropping her off at 7:45 and picking her up at 4PM - and that doesn't include me waking up at 4AM and spending the rest of the morning dreading the day for both of us! They pulled 5 little teeth, four in the upper front and one on the side. He said they were so loose that he didn't have to use a drill or suture anything. He didn't even send her home with pain meds! I can see where the front teeth would have been very bothersome and possibly painful. In any case, she ate when we got home, got a good night's sleep, and I do believe she feels better. That little girl is 8 years old and it makes me sad to think of her aging!