Out-of-Town Company and Other Socializing!

Seems like forever since I've posted as I've been busy socializing. You all know me well enough to know that with socializing comes days of lying in a darkened room to recover! I'm happy to be revived enough to touch bases with you!

Several days after my last post, Pamela arrived (8/27/21) from Mexico via California and lots of other places. The original plan was to park her trailer and stay with me and her friend on the island. She was unable to find a place to park it (and we're not allowed to park them in local communities) so she had to rent s spot in an RV park. It cost enough that she decided to get her money's worth and stay in her camper/trailer. That gave me a chance to visit her several times there and it was interesting to see the park. It was very nice with a lot of amenities, including a fantastic restaurant where we dined on our last night together. It had a tennis court, a playground for the kids, and lots of water sports. It was also great to see that lots of people traveled with their dogs and in Pamela's case, her cat!  Among the things we did was to brunch at First Watch, lunch at my place and a leisurely afternoon at Palmetto Bluff, a delightful day in Beaufort, and a delicious dinner at Sunset Grille in her RV park on Sunday. I didn't see her on Labor Day as she was getting packed up and hooked up. Even so, it was a very nice visit and it dragged me out of my nest, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Use the 3 little dots above for full-screen version and to determine viewing options.

Amidst all of that, I managed to have my teeth cleaned and get a mammogram, as well as hosting a doggie play date with Bogey, Lynn, and Tom – way too much activity for me, but it didn’t stop there! On Labor Day, Tippy and I went to Pooler for Indian food and a good catch-up. On Thursday, I did the same thing with Maria and Mark, my neighbors across the street. It goes without saying that I’m happy to have found good Indian food thanks to Chris!! Friday was our usual Pandemic Pals gathering at Amigos and on Saturday David came over for some Rosie time before we hit the Tropical Café for lunch. So, as I sit here in my plumpness, I am replete, fat, and sassy!!

I'd be interested in how those of you here responded to the 20-year commemoration of the event of 9/11? I was surprised at how emotional and sad it was for me. It was also my father's birthday and I posted a photo on FB. When I received a few kind replies, I teared up! If David had not been coming over, I would have had a good cry! I was sad that the original event happened in the first place and all that followed, not the least of which was a 20-year war. I was also saddened by where we find ourselves today, appearing not to have learned anything from our history or anyone's history. And now we have domestic terrorists and citizens willing to go the way of Fascism. I was sad for what was and for what is! I'm finding it difficult to see a brighter future for us. Tell me I'm wrong, please!

Not a lot else to report here. Next week is much quieter so I'll get back to my usual non-productive self. Tippy and I made a pact to purge our closets and she beat me hands down, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to tackle it this week, I promise! Also, the last couple of days have had a hint of fall in the air. The mornings are cooler with much less humidity and Rosie and I have really enjoyed them. I'm hoping it hangs around for a nice, long time!!

I hope this finds everyone doing well - safe, healthy., and happy. Take care and let me know what is happening with you. Love to all.

Birds, Gators, Flowers, and Friends

 It’s been a pleasant Sunday (8/8) as I’ve started the audiobook The Promised Land by President Obama. It is beautifully written, and it is read by the President, which makes it even more enjoyable. But, it’s 29 hours of listening! As much as I’m enjoying it, I may not make it in the allotted 21 days.

It’s also been a good day for bird watching – my little blue birdhouse! I see it as I go down the hall to the bedroom and today, one of the couple was perched on top and the other was by the hole feeding one of the babies! Of course, by the time I got my camera, they were gone but the baby just had its beak peeking out, waiting for more grub!

Speaking of wildlife, Rosie and I wandered upon this fellow on our morning walk (8/14). He was at the same green we had our other close encounter. Rosie pulled me across the street and was sniffing around some bushes near where she had previously found some young armadillos, so I didn't think too much of it. Then I looked toward the green and there was the alligator sunning under the tree. We moved back to the other side of the street and he ignored us. Even so, it reminded me that we have to be vigilant!

I’ve indulged in Indian food again this week and I think this may become a fairly regular thing. Maria, my neighbor across the street (mom of the Adorable Felix!), is on her own this week as her husband is in NY. She joined me for Drinking Liberally on Tuesday and we decided to try the other Naan restaurant in Pooler (Naan Appetit, near the Savannah airport). It differed from the other one in that they served a buffet, as well as having an extensive menu, and seemed to have a steady stream of local working people and take-out orders. We decided to go for the buffet, although I was salivating for another go at the Paneer Butter Masala! I’m glad we did the buffet as it was a good sampling of their food. They had several meat dishes and then 4-5 vegetarian dishes, and 2 desserts. My plate was full and all of it was delicious. To add to that, the service in both restaurants was very pleasant and friendly.

I had just bought the sunflowers and David brought the 

little bouquet as a thank you. He didn't have to but it was nice.

A Day of Good Deeds: Monday (8/16) was our first day of school and it turned out to be a busy day for me. It was on my calendar to take my friend David to Coastal Carolina Hospital for a procedure at 10 AM and pick him up in the afternoon. My doorbell rang at 8 AM and my first thought was that I’d gotten the time wrong, but there at my door was Joann, Reyna’s middle girl, almost in tears. She said she had been up since 5 AM, straightened her long hair, dressed immaculately, and the bus had not picked her up. Reyna was at work so she walked over to my house for help. I gave her a hug and told her to take a deep breath and we would get her there on time, which we did. I got home in time to have a smoothie before taking David to the hospital. I was scheduled to pick up groceries on my way home but received a text that they were delayed until 11 AM, so I went back and picked up Rosie and picked them up at 11. Around 2 PM I was called to pick up David, who wanted to linger at my house a little until he felt steady enough to go home, He’d been here about 45 minutes when the doorbell rang. This time it was Michelle, Reyna’s 4^th grader, and Richard’s twin girls! The bus had delivered them home but the combination to the front door didn’t work and the older girls were not home yet! I texted Reyna for the correct code, all the while feeding snacks and looking at everything the twins had gotten at school. It was their first day in kindergarten and they were obviously excited. I drove them over to see if we could open the door, which we did. By the time I got back, David was asleep on my couch. Rosie and I kept a low profile until he woke up, at which time he felt like driving home. The saga doesn’t end there! The next morning we are out for our walk when we see Valeria, Reyna’s oldest daughter, walking our way. Again, her bus (shortage of drivers!) had not picked her up so we repeated the process from yesterday. Valeria doesn’t like school so she wasn’t nearly as upset as Joann but I was impressed that she made the effort to get there.

In my last post, I forgot to mention that the first week of August I heard from friends Carolyn in France and Bob in Thailand, both of whom had just gotten their first vaccine! It shows the advantages we have over other parts of the world in getting the vaccine and yet some people can’t manage to do the right thing to help others/everyone!! It’s very difficult to have sympathy for them when they get Covid and it’s sad to realize how little they care about the wellbeing of others.

This morning (8/17) was the morning I've been waiting for – awaking to a gentle, soothing rain! As much rain as we've gotten, none of it has been in the early morning, so on this morning, I dismissed both my 7 and 8 AM alarms, finally getting up around 8:20. I usually feel the need to get Rosie out early, but I know she won't go out in the rain so I seized the moment.

Update: Surprisingly, I’ve finished The Promised Land in record time and it has been a total delight. Granted, it may be too much for those who are not political wonks, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. First of all, he is a wonderful writer and has a memory for detail with vivid, almost poetic descriptions– he mentioned that he journaled in college and I wondered if he did so through his presidency. He is such a deliberate speaker when in the news that I thought it might be slow and dry, but that certainly was not the case. I especially enjoyed his description/perception of Lindsey Graham!! In any case, if you have the option to read it or listen to it. I recommend the audiobook. Then I went from the sublime to the ridiculous by listening to Greenlight, Matthew McConaughey’s autobiography. He reads it in his own inimitable style and bravado  (Alright! Alright! Alright!) and at times I was laughing out loud. To say the least, he has certainly had a colorful life!

Saudi Story: On two separate occasions (with Tippy and Kieran and again with Chris, Lynn, and Tom) I’ve bored friends with my recollection of evacuating Saudi during the first Gulf War. You’ve probably seen the huge cargo plane full of people fleeing Afghanistan, which reminded me of flying in one to get out of Saudi during the war. Our departure was not nearly as life-threatening as the Afghanis, but the experience was one I never in a million years would have expected to have. In any case, teachers were allowed to take vacation days, and some of us (Polly, Cheryl, and others whom I don’t recall at the moment) took advantage of the opportunity.  Since there were no commercial flights, our only means of leaving was to fly out on a cargo plane. Cheryl may have to refresh my memory but I remember being dropped off by Allan and Phil so we could do the paperwork before leaving. The interesting part is that we had to go where the plane was scheduled to go! Cheryl and I had hoped to get to the UK together, but as it turned out, I went to Ramstein in Germany (also in the news a lot recently), and I can’t remember where Cheryl went. I want to say someplace like Diego Garcia, but I could be very wrong (Cheryl, refresh my memory). The plane  (C-131 or C-141) was amazing, with a great hollow belly with flip-down seats along the sides of the plane. The pilots allowed us to go into the cockpit which had huge windows and you could see for miles. We arrived at Ramstein in the middle of the night and the women of the base had food and refreshments for us, which was totally unexpected but greatly appreciated. We were then taken to the airport and it was up to us to make our way from there. Cheryl and I met up at Jean’s, Allan’s sister in Manchester, UK, and had time with them, as well as with Nora, a friend of Cheryl’s. We then made our way to the States for the remainder of our leave. By the time we had to go back into kingdom, the war was almost over. 

I'm thinking of Cheryl this week as she takes her mom Ann, who passed away early in the pandemic, back to Missouri. I know it will be a difficult trip but I'm equally sure that she, Bonnie, and their brother will be lifted by reminiscences of sweet Ann by family and friends. May her memory be a blessing.

Rosie Stories and Fun with Friends

 Rosie Stories: This morning  (7/17) Rosie and I had our longest (time-wise) walk ever! We ambled along at Rosie’s sniffing pace. We ran into Lynn and Bogey as they were turning the corner for home. Rosie insisted on walking them to the door and invite herself inside. We had a nice chat with Lynn and Tom and Rosie got her usual treats and attention from Tom. We headed home and R had a good roll on the grass along the way. Kurt, one of our other neighbors had chatted with us on a previous walk and invited us to stop by to see Norma (his wife) sometime, so we went to their door, R whined twice and the door was answered. R had been good at Lynn’s but here she had the zoomies and played rambunctiously with a toy. They got a real kick out of that as they had not seen that side of her. From there, we were almost home when Debby and Dave pull over for a quick chat. Debby opened her door and R was right there to get some loving. As we made our way home, one cyclist passed us for the 3^rd time and I told her we were still trying to get home! She acknowledged that we weren’t making much progress.

One day last week, we were starting our walk when Rosie stopped and looked at the house across the street. She stood for a minute, the front door opened and Deanna and Joe came out saying, “we thought Rosie wanted us to come out!” By this time R is bounding across the street to get her full attention. Needless to say, we have a very tolerant neighborhood to spoil Rosie this way. She does love people and I can’t tell you how much joy that brings me….and them, too. I think they feel good to be greeted with such pure affection.

Fun with Friends: It's been a busy and fun few weeks with friends beginning on July 23. Tippy, Keiran, and I went over to Beaufort to catch a little bit of the Water Festival. Unlike our plans for the concert, there was a light crowd and we got to browse the vendors comfortably and safely. Then we had a leisurely lunch outside at Plums. It was a very pleasant day and Rosie forgave be because Tippy and Keiran came inside to play with her before heading home!

Then on Thursday (7/29), Tippy and I met at Olive and Fig for the F-word. Again, it was pleasant enough to eat outside and we celebrated Tippy's good news, which I'll get to later.  We followed that by going to the local Farmers' Market. I picked up some peaches for my morning smoothie, Heirloom tomatoes (longing for a good sandwich!), and fresh corn! They have all contributed great flavor to my recent meals. It was a relaxing way to spend the day!

On the following Friday, Chris and I went for lunch in Savannah. Lynn and Tom were out of town so in their absence we decided to go for Indian food and, boy, were we pleasantly surprised! It was the best Indian food I have had in a long time (maybe since years ago when in England and Ann, Martin, the Snells, and I went for Indian food!). We shared our selections and just kept swooning and commenting on the flavors. This is a major discovery, and we learned that they have two restaurants with one being near the new Costco!!  But, before coming home we took in an interesting SCAD exhibit. Titled Bejeweled, all pieces were made of "reclaimed" jewelry from flea markets, thrift shops, etc. It really was a delight to browse and especially look at the detail. It was a very satisfying day, and I can't remember the last time I was in Savannah.

I've mentioned Tippy's good news, which followed two weeks of stress and anxiety! She went for her usual checkup at MUSC, feeling fine and dandy all the way. When the x-rays came back. there was an obvious change in her throat. The doctor recommended that she return for a biopsy, which she did at the earliest possible appointment. Even though it was a few days it seemed like an eternity. This was her third scare after two surgeries and it carries added weight and concern, as you might guess. She and Keiran had to be there at 5:30 AM for the biopsy and around 7:30 or 8 AM I received a call that everything looked good once they took a look inside. They did take snippets for the biopsy, but the interior did not look as the x-ray indicated! What a relief! I know how relieved I was and I can't begin to imagine how Tippy felt! That was worth celebrating! AND, the day we met for lunch, she had been to have the blood clots in her lungs checked and they were gone! Dissolved and gone!! Now I feel that we partners-in-crime can get up to no good with impunity! 

Everything else has been pretty typical - 

• My dishwasher broke and it took about two weeks to replace it (via American Home Shield). 
• We have had a few very hot days but by and large, it remains mild....and it's August!. We've had quite a few overcast days (I've almost gotten used to them!) and gotten so much rain that we are almost as green as the UK! 
• Lynn and Tom are back and our Pandemic Pals are getting together tomorrow night for dinner at Chow Daddy's. It'll be good to catch up. We are wondering how much longer we will be able to get together in restaurants with the Delta variant on the rise. I just find it so hard to believe - and sad - that there are so many citizens who do not believe what is happening before their very eyes! I guess if they are unwilling to protect themselves and their children, we can't expect them to be willing to protect the rest of society. I really feel that they have something basic to humanity missing in their makeup. It's beyond my ability to comprehend, and I can't pretend that what I know now about some family and acquaintances doesn't influence my opinion of them. It is very sad and while Biden is a tremendous improvement, we are not out of the woods yet! 

I can't leave you on that note, so I will show you Rosie in action. David called and wanted to come over for some Rosie time and this is usually what happens!

Please tell me I don't really sound like this!!

I hope this finds each of you doing well and staying safe. Take care and love to all.

Beach Walks, Climate Change, and Rosie, of course!

 I forgot to mention last time that Tippy and I have been asked to do our Africa class (Kenya and Tanzania) again. This time it will be in October, in person at the Beaufort OLLI location. It’s a new facility and should be high-tech. Thus far, we have had a very positive response and we always enjoy reliving the experience.

I had not seen Tippy for a couple of weeks as she was teaching an online course for FSU. She was off this week (7/6) and invited Rosie and me for a beach walk to see some local beach art. It was an iffy morning weatherwise as tropical storm Elsa was forming. The sky was threatening and there was a light drizzle but not enough to deter us! We arrived at the spot only to discover that I had forgotten Rosie’s leash. Tippy came to the rescue with her belt! Due to the weather, there was no one on the beach and Rosie could run free. She absolutely loved it, between running and sniffing. We only saw two “installations” but it was a nice walk and good catchup before we had to head home. I know Rhonda T will identify with one of the art pieces!

Today (7/7/21) Elsa is closer so I’ve made a grocery run and secured all of my outdoor furniture. Now it is just a matter of waiting. The weather was dreary for our beach walk yesterday, but the afternoon was sunny and calm. Today has been heavy with humidity, overcast, and foreboding. I’ll be glad when it passes. (7/8) We were very lucky as there were only a few branches down and a lot of debris blown around. Sea Pines and Port Royal/Parris Island got whacked – lots of trees down, electricity out, etc. The worrying thing is that storms have begun forming early in the hurricane season…. And it runs through November (I think). I’m hoping it will not be an active year!

Speaking of weather/climate, I knew Seattle had 3-4 days of very HOT weather for which they are not equipped. Then, last week I read that they had gone 20+ days without rain, so I called Jan to see how she was doing. She was fine but her house temp during those hot days was in the high 80s, which is very warm for them. She explained that in June often they don’t have much rain in but the real problem is that they had not gotten much rain in April and May. It’s just amazing how extreme the weather has become, and in our case, it has been extremely nice! Here we are in the middle of July and we are still in the 80s rather than the high 90s with 90% humidity! We have also gotten enough rain that everything is so nice and green. It’s supposed to remain this way through the next week and a half and I’m hoping beyond that.

I know you get tired of me showing or talking about food, but this is different. Believe it or not, there is a FB group called Vegan Sandwich Fan Club and they have shown some delicious-looking combinations. Since I filled my taste for summer corn, I’ve been hankering for really good tomatoes. I ventured out to Okatie farm one day and picked up some heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, and peaches. So my sandwich had Tofurky chicken, vegan cheese (though I haven’t completely given up cheese), a thick slice of tomato, some of my cabbage salad, and a slice of red onion – on a seeded sourdough bun! It really was tasty, but I could have used a bigger bun! The interesting part is the soup from Reyna. It's cactus soup!! Needless to say, I’d never had that but it was tasty (with onions, garlic, kidney beans, etc.) and if I had not known it was cactus, I would have thought it was green beans. The soup was another motivation for the big sandwich. All in all, an enjoyable lunch.

Finally, I will leave you with Rosie’s glamour shot! Isn’t this adorable! My/our friend Paula volunteers at a dog rescue in Spain that I follow online. They are raising funds to purchase more land for the rescue and one of the supporters is doing these enhancements as a fundraiser. I thought it was such a fun thing to do, certainly worth the 20 Euros, and it’s all done digitally. In fact, I received her finished product the day after I emailed her the photo. It was certainly something I consider a worthy cause and if you're interested, let me know and I will provide details. Psst….she also does cats!!

Angry Birds, Aging, Recipes, and More!

 Angry Birds: Birds in the front of me. Birds in back of me…..all charging! I guess it’s the result of nesting season. I checked my birdbox because I had not seen birds around for a while. I was surprised to see the mama bluebird was nesting inside! I was so surprised and pleased; however, now when I sit outside or take Rosie out back, we get zoomed by one of the couple. The bird in the front of the house is larger than a bluebird and even more aggressive. Their nest is in the bush surrounding my mailbox and he keeps careful guard of it. He has a curt chirp and Rosie has been grazed by him twice and me once… and that goes on all up the driveway!

Aging Quirks:

This is my avatar, which has also conveniently
filled in the creases and glammed up the photo.

Well, I showered Saturday   (6/19) night and as I was putting on face cream, I noticed that the left side of my face felt different. When I looked in the mirror, sure enough, it was swollen! It looked and felt different from the right side but there was no pain or discomfort. Happening on the left side of my face, it immediately rang an alarm. So what did I do? I Googled it! Everything indicating a stroke or bells palsy mentioned sagging skin/muscle rather than swollen. Tippy and I got met for brunch on Sunday morning and I asked her if my face looked funny – funnier than usual! She asked me to smile, etc. and everything seemed normal except the swelling. So, we had a nice meal and went our separate ways. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted a professional opinion, so l looked online for Doctor’s Care, a drop-in facility very near me. To my surprise, they offered a virtual visit, which is what I did. It took longer to fill in all of the required information than to meet the doctor. There was no wait time and he was professional. and knowledgeable. He felt it was not an indicator of anything more serious and more likely an infected tooth, which I had considered but felt no pain or bleeding. He said that if the tooth had a root canal, there would be no pain! He prescribed an antibiotic, which I picked up that day and began taking. Everything is fine now but I do miss that botox effect of the swelling filling in the crease by my mouth! It was a good look!!

Poor Rosie had a bad day, too. On Monday (6/21) morning, we were up and out at the crack of dawn – literally, and you know that isn't like us! We were just waiting for it to be light enough to see where we were going. She was up and down all night and I could hear her tummy rumbling from the bottom of the bed!! She ate a load of grass, which I always hate because I don’t know what chemicals are on it, but I couldn’t stop her. Promptly after entering the house, she threw it all up encased in lots of white foam. I immediately headed to the grocery store for yogurt, pumpkin, and banana and spent the rest of the morning making healthy doggie treats, which we shared with The Adorable Felix across the street. Rosie was not particularly impressed but Felix seemed to like them.

Chris, Lynn, and I went to our first in-person Liberal Ladies' gathering at the Port Royal clubhouse. It accommodated about 50 ladies, all of whom seemed very happy to be together again. Our speaker was the archaeologist from the Mitchellville Project, who was very informative and entertaining. The plan at this time is to resume general meetings in September if all continues to go well. 

Our Drinking Liberally group continues to grow and we are fortunate to still be able to eat outside due to the mild weather. It is hard to believe our mornings are still nice as we move into July!

Recipes: I’ve added new recipes to the Meatless Recipes page. They include –

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder in process.
I used fresh corn rather than frozen and
it was delicious!

• ·        Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder – this was so tasty that I made another pot as soon as I had finished the first. There’s a lot of prep but it’s worth it.
• ·        Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Kale Quesadilla – I wind up adding everything but the kitchen sink!
• ·        Red Thai Curry with Tofu – close to when I order at Thai restaurants.
• ·        Sweet n’ Sour Chickpea Stew and Mexican Rice Bake from Sandi. I haven’t made the rice dish yet but it looks tasty, with all the good Mexican flavors.
• ·        Black-Eyed Peas Curry and Savory Vegan Collards. This is an instant pot recipe but easily adaptable to the stovetop.
• ·        Vegan Lentil Quinoa Loaf – a stand-by!
• ·        Stacked Roasted Enchiladas - my preference of the 2 enchilada recipes shown.
• ·        Spicy Vegetarian Lentil Samosas

Thanks, Sandi, for sharing your meatless recipes and I hope everyone will feel free to do so....and if you try any of those shown, let me know.

I’m reading/listening to Cicely Tyson’s autobiography, Just as I Am, which I highly recommend. She is a wonderful writer with a memory for detail. The reader of an audiobook makes all the difference and this one sounds like Ms. Tyson is telling her own story. Really enjoying it.

I hope everyone is well and able to enjoy the summer (or winter!) safely. Take care and let me know what you're doing.

Rosie and Other Things

I’m writing this the day after my last post (5/31) only because our weather continues to be fantastic! We had about 4-5 days in the 90s, but again the temperatures have dropped a bit at night and this morning when I walked Rosie it was about 70 with a gentle breeze. It is only getting into the 80s most of this week, which is just about perfect.  And thus far, the humidity hasn’t kicked in! It feels like we have had a nice, long spring. Sometimes we have about 2 weeks of spring and then one morning we wake up and it’s 95 degrees and 95 % humidity. It’s nice to avoid that as long as possible.

Rosie & her bed for burrowers. There is no
longer a lot of cover on the bed for her to
scoot under.

I don’t remember whether I told you, but there is a little wooden bridge before my house and Rosie and I have walked over it for years as part of our daily walk. About a month or so ago, Rosie just stopped going over. It was like she wanted to – she would look at it and size it up, and even begin the walk over, but a little way in she would stop and slowly turn around. This morning I carried her across in hopes she would walk over coming back.  She was very happy to have all of the fresh scents on the other side as well as the people we ran into around the pool area. As we walked back, she approached it very slowly and was down low and tentative, but she made it across. Her buddy Buster and Dave were behind us and encouraged her along. Even though she did it once, she still remains reticent.

You can see that my little Rosie's
muzzle is turning white!

Well, Rosie and I had a traumatic incident during our afternoon walk (6/1). Tuesday is my day
to take my garbage to the dump/recycle center and the weather was so mild that I decided to do it in the afternoon and take Rosie to the park afterward.  On this day, I changed it up a bit and stopped at the public, sports field that is closer. It’s in an open area and at that time it was vacant (except for two cars, probably with people checking their phones!), so I decided to take our walk there. I knew it would be a whole new sniffing experience for Rosie. We had just started our walk when we were charged by a dog four times Rosie’s size! He didn’t bark or growl and was on us before either of us knew It. I screamed twice and yanked Rosie away. By the second time I screamed, I looked around and he was already across the street running for home. I really don’t think he was hostile because he could have had Rosie by the neck before I knew he was there, and he fled with my screaming. Even so, it scared the hell out of both of us!! Needless to say, we packed up and finished our walk at the park! While it was a public area. I will certainly stick with the park we know!

While I’m not taking a trip this year, I do have some fun things to anticipate. Pamela has booked her visit from August 26 thru September 8. She will be dividing her time between me and another friend on the island. Melodee’s trip is still on though no dates decided yet. She was thinking of coming in the fall which would mean nicer weather. Just last week, Sandi (from Atlanta and a friend from our last Africa trip) expressed an interest in visiting sometime this year, which delights both Tippy and me! And, of course, Eileen had planned a visit in April of last year which had to be canceled due to Covid. Once things have opened up a bit, I hope she will reschedule. It will be wonderful to see friends and catch up, so book your dates at Casa Rosie early!!

Well, I recently went on a spending spree. Those who know me are aware that I’m not into shopping, updating for the sake of having something new, etc. You do know that I got a new computer, which I really like (unlike the Dell I had). So, it only seemed natural to also update my phone as my old one was not even holding a charge through the day. I traded mine in (online) for a Samsung S7. Like the computer, setting it up kept me out of trouble for a few days, and I am happy with it. Both of those should last me for years. The spree seemed over until one morning when I decided to have a fruit smoothie for breakfast. I went for my blender and it wasn’t there. Then I remembered that I had loaned it to Reyna when hers died in the middle of cooking. The thought crossed my mind to call her but suddenly I decided to check out newer ones online. Well, I wound up with a new blended and food processor! I’m not feeling guilty because both of my old ones came with me from Saudi in 1997! Both were 25-30 years old so I’d certainly made good use of them. Reyna just stopped by and I had the food processor on the table along with a carton belonging to her. I asked her if she wanted it if she didn’t already have one – that I had gotten a new one.....AND, that I was blaming it all of her because of the blender!

Not a lot else to report, but I am thinking of friends:

• Sandi, who is having knee surgery this week. I hope all goes well and painlessly. Keep me posted.
• Still thinking of Rhonda and Brian. I know how much they miss Olivia and hope they are doing well.
• Here's hoping everyone is healthy, happy, and beginning to come out of the pandemic.