Spring is Here 2024

Well, I can't start another blog by saying, "Where has the time gone," but, where has the time gone!?! It's been over a month since my last post, and in that time Spring has arrived. We're in the 70s and 80s, with everything abloom. This is my favorite time of year, without question. One of the things blooming is the bush to the left, which I think is ligustrum. They are everywhere in my neighborhood and they smell heavenly!  Last year, a friend gave me enough amaryllis bulbs for both my front and back yard, and they were beautiful, too. It's really a wonderful time of year, and I hope it lasts a while before we jump into the 90s with humidity.

Our Covid group (Chris, Lynn, Tom, and I), enjoyed Easter lunch at Chris's. It was the first time we'd been together in a while, and it was fun to catch up. Each place setting was decorated with a Pysanki egg from Poland, which we got to keep. No two were alike and all were intricately decorated and beautiful. I had heard of them but had never seen one, so it was a special touch.

There have also been several interesting programs that I attended. Building Bridges Across Time and Race was presented by Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate and Campbell AME Church. The speakers included Mia McLeod, a descendant of enslaved ancestors and one of the 5 female state senators (from both parties) who received the Profiles in Courage Award for standing up against the anti-abortion bill eventually passed by the SC Legislature. Another was Margret Seidler, who, when exploring her family genealogy, discovered they were slave traders in Charleston. Unfortunately, Polly Sheppard, a survivor of the Mother Emanual massacre, was unable to attend due to family illness. Needless to say, the topic was heavy but very thought-provoking and informative.

The second was Antisemitism Today presented by an organization out of Charleston - another timely topic. Lowcountry Presbyterian Church was packed, which was good, but when they asked who identified as Jewish, the majority of people raised their hands! The people who already knew antisemitism firsthand filled the room, and people who might benefit from learning more were virtually absent! That was disappointing (especially since antisemitic incidents in SC increased 93% in 2023), but the program was informative.

Chris and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at Okan, a newish restaurant in Bluffton (I've mentioned before). The name means heart or soul, and the cuisine is West African, Caribbean, and Lowcountry/Gullah. It was advertised as a Garden Party and the food was all vegan. It was to be held outside but, sadly, was rained out. Even so, it was beautifully set up inside. It consisted of four courses with wine pairings, all of which were delicious! We were not disappointed! There is also a funny story. Chris and I arrived early and were sitting at a table outside. Two other single ladies wandered up and we invited them to join us. We're chatting away and I look up to see Sally, another friend, arriving. I jump up to greet her and, as it turns out, the two ladies are the friends Sally was meeting.....and we discovered that we're all Liberal Ladies of the Lowcountry! That added to the joviality of the evening. 

Since my last entry, I've also reconnected with longtime friends. Carolyn, in France, and I did a WhatsApp video call that was lots of fun. She had figured it had been 20 years since we had seen each other. Needless to say, we couldn't catch up on 20 years in an hour, but we gave it our best! I hope we can do it again soon. I also heard from Sharon, a friend from my synagogue days. When I worked there, she would bring her lunch and eat with me once a month. We continued that after I left until Covid, so it has been years since we dined together. In the meantime. they sold their home and moved into a continuing care community. They invited me over for lunch, as well as to see their new digs, all of which were very nice! We had a good catchup and have scheduled another lunch for May.

I keep mentioning my sweet neighbors. Well, on our Friday morning walk, Kurt opens their front door and invites us in. Turns out, they have just gotten back from two weeks out of town during which both were sick and not feeling their best. They had tickets for Cabaret at the May River Theater for THAT night and wondered if I'd like them! It's been years since I've been to May River Theater and thought it a bit bold that they would attempt Cabaret. It was surprisingly good! The first audience row had Kit Kat Club tables in front (as well as two audience couples sitting at tables on stage). The costumes were impressive and the club regulars mingled with the audience as we arrived, as you can see from the bare-backed cast member in the photo. I was also surprised at how risque it was for little, ole Bluffton! Even though I didn't have time to rustle up a partner, I was glad I went and will put MRT back on my radar. I sent the photos above to Kurt and Norma along with my thanks. I was in the second row with a perfect view of it all.

Lastly, but certainly not least, my sweet Rosie had another vet visit. She was having something like acid reflux that wouldn't go away. The vet did a blood panel and everything was okay there, so he gave her two meds - one for nausea and another to resolve the upset. The second med upset her bowels big time! I contacted the vet, who recommended giving it to her every other day. Before doing that, I left it off for a few days until her bowels were back to normal. The first day I gave it to her again, her stomach was upset again, so I stopped! I'm putting a probiotic on her food, which seems to be working, thank goodness. She's around ten or eleven now, and you can tell by the photo that she wasn't her usual perky self. It breaks my heart to see things like this cropping up. 

Where Has the Time Gone?

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

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

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

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

Robin and Me. Terry and Melodie

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

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

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

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

A Busy Birthday Month!

Well, I hobbled through Christmas and New Year with no enthusiasm whatsoever, actually the worst feeling I've ever had through those holidays! Needless to say, I was happy to see January roll around and would have felt so even if my birthday wasn't involved. Little did I know how busy and fun the month would be!

January started off slowly with mundane things like mammograms and finding a new CPA to do my taxes, two tasks I am happy to have behind me. There were also the usual lunches out and gatherings with friends. Things began to pick up around my birthday, several of which just happened spontaneously.

On the 18th, I had dinner with a longtime friend from our early Drinking Liberally days. We hadn't gotten together in years, but Cher mentioned on Facebook that she and Eddy were so excited because they had just booked a vacation in San Diego. Having lived there for 15+ years, I commented that they would love it! We chatted back and forth and decided we should get together for a good catchup, which is what we did. It was a fun time and I hope we'll do it again. She also expressed interest in DL again, so when the weather improves to the point of our meeting outside again, I'll invite her to join us. I'll also want to hear all about the San Diego vacation.

Chris and Lynn invited me to join them for lunch at Lulu's on the 19th as a treat for my birthday. When I got there, they had assembled the whole gang! It was a wonderful surprise (for the second year in a row! I'll be very suspicious next year!) and great to see everyone at once. The food was also very good and the first time for most of us to have the occasion to try it since the restaurant recently reopened at Rose Hill. It was a very nice way to celebrate my birthday. Many thanks to Chris and Lynn.

Then, on my birthday (20th), I got together at Okan, a new restaurant with a noted chef) for brunch with friends from Sun City - Melodie, Robin, and Terry. We had originally planned to get together in December only to discover the day before that it was the same day as the Christmas parade, and the weather was to be iffy! Thankfully, Melodie followed up and got us together on the 20th without knowing it was by b'day. Even so, they discovered it on FB and came with celebratory spirits. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. Thank you, ladies, for a fun morning!

Then, Rayna stopped by with a lovely bouquet of roses and a very sweet card to top off the celebrations. I keep thinking that the big 7-7 has to be my lucky year if the remainder of the year lives up to its beginning! Keeping my fingers crossed! Many thanks to everyone who made it such a special birthday!

To add more excitement to the month, I was able to see Gov Gavin Newsom, who was in Sun City campaigning for President Biden in our First in the Nation Democratic Primary. Once I learned that it was happening, I wasted no time in contacting Pamela, who works tirelessly for Sun City Indivisible and who provided me with a gate pass. Once I arrived and found her, she had also secured front-row seats for us - me, herself, and her friend Jody (Pamela is the one in the middle in the photos of all three of us!). There were about 300 people there and it was a rousing event. Governor Newsom was a great surrogate for President Biden and will no doubt be running for President in 2028, so it was good to see him in person. As with more of these events, I ran into lots of other liberal/progressive friends, which is always exhilarating. As an aside, Gov. Newsom was introduced by SC State Senator Margie Bright Matthews, who was one of the five SC state female senators (of both parties) who were awarded the Profiles in Courage Award for defending a woman's right to abortion without government interference. Keep in mind that a body of mostly men totally disregarded the advice of their female counterparts who actually have experience in female health issues! Nor would they allow the women to exhibit their awards in the state house! How's that for male fragility!

To end the month on a very positive and happy note, Melodee visited. She arrived late afternoon on the 29th and we had a chatty evening, bouncing from topic to topic until the wee hours. The following day, we joined Tippy and Chris for lunch at Olive and Fig. Again, it was non-stop chatter, so much so that I forgot to take a photo, which I fully intended to do! From there Melodee and I went to another First in the Nation event, this time with former governor Mitch Landrieu, who is currently a Senior Advisor to the President for Infrastructure Coordination. It was very obvious that he was well-informed with facts and figures at instant recall. It was also obvious that he is a people person! He was informative, entertaining, and motivational. I'm glad we were able to go.

The following day we did a leisurely walking tour of old town Bluffton, which has changed a lot over the years. It was relaxing and gave us a chance to check out some of the newer shops. Just as the weather was changing, we headed to Chow Daddy's for a late lunch. Melodee insisted on treating for my birthday, which was unnecessary but thoughtful and delicious. We had a delightful waitress and lingered a while to enjoy it. Each day around 3 PM we returned home to give Rosie a good walk. You can imagine how she enjoyed having a captive audience!

It was great to see Melodee and I'm so glad she visited. The next morning as I was going for my coffee, I noticed a big box by my door! She had sent a goodie basket as a thank you, which was very thoughtful but not necessary, especially after treating me to lunch the day before! I'm trying to pace myself with all of the goodies, but everything looks so tasty! Melodee, thank you so much, and I hope to see you again soon.

It has truly been a busy and memorable month, and I'm so appreciative of it all. It reminds me of how fortunate I am on so many levels.

Just Another Day in the States!

It's 10 AM and I'm sitting here in the near-dark awaiting a stormy afternoon. If that isn't bleak enough, I'm listening to trump's immunity appeal to determine whether or not he will stand trial for attempting a coup on January 6, 2020! I hope to live long enough to see him get his just rewards (or die!) but I'm afraid that by that time, my body will be worn to shreds and my mind soup! Just another day in the States!

Well, they're over! I made it through Christmas and New Year's with little enthusiasm. My blah-ness was broken by two enjoyable events. Chris had Lynn, Tom, and myself over for a tasty brunch on Christmas Eve. Maria and Mark invited me for lunch on Christmas Day. Both were totally delightful and relaxed. I finally got in the mood and decided to have folks over after New Year's (Jan. 2). I made it as easy as possible, ordering a sandwich ring, as well as veggie and fruit trays from Publix. To that, I added two salads, spanatopika, and stuffed mini-peppers. It was all stuff I could make ahead and not have to rush around as guests were arriving. I was glad I did it and I think everyone enjoyed it. After that, all of the decorations came down and went back into the garage!

Kudos to my neighbors again! This lovely bundle contains a delicious rum cake, which my neighbor has given me for several years in a row! I shared it at all three holiday gatherings, but only those at the first one got to see the lovely presentation! 

Every day, I thank my lucky stars for the great neighbors I have, not just on holidays, but every day!

The holidays also marked Tippy's decision to venture out. I picked her up one day for lunch at Jane Bistro, and she was kind enough to treat me to a lovely lunch! She's still using a walker, but I helped her out at the curb and all went well. Since then, she has also started driving again, once obtaining Kieran's OK. On her first outing, we planned to meet up at - you guessed it - Olive and Fig, only to find that they are closed until January 22. So, we moved on to Ruan! It seemed like old times, and we really enjoyed it.

Yes, my baby had a good Christmas, too! If truth be known, every day is Christmas for Rosie, but she really lucked out over this holiday. Lynn and Tom give her one of her favorite types of squeaky toys. Melodee sent a lovely ornament with her name, and Maria and Mark gave her a lovely animal print sweater - in her colors, no less! Thank you, one and all, for thinking of her. Rosie loves it and you know it makes me happy, too!

I managed to do my Christmas shopping without entering a shop! I found these cute holiday wine glasses on Etsy, and they struck my fancy. I used the first initial of the name, which worked well until I got to Maria and Mark. Luckily, one M sported a red Santa hat, and the other a green one! Everyone has everything they want or need, but this is just a little something they can enjoy at Christmastime. 

Between the holidays and the cold weather, I've neglected my walking over the last two weeks. I started again yesterday when I waited until it warmed up to 54 degrees in the afternoon! We have had more nights in the mid-to-low 30s than I can remember, and our houses are not built for that.....and today certainly is not conducive to being outside! I keep trying and I think I actually miss it!

As I close, it is almost 1 PM. It has lightened up a bit, but the wind has also picked up, and we've received a tornado warning! Between showers, I've gotten Rosie out in the backyard, and I've stowed my outside furniture, so now we wait. I've heard from a friend in the Columbia area that their transformer blew and the storm hasn't even moved through yet! Needless to say, I'll be glad when it's over and I hope it's all hype!

Farewell 2023. Welcome 2024!

This dark, rainy weekend is a perfect time for a final 2023 entry to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays, whatever you may or may not be celebrating! Whichever it is, I hope you are more into it than I am! My best description is that I'm in a "wait it out" mode! This, too, shall pass!

I usually put the tree up and decorate the weekend of Thanksgiving, but this year I was well over a week late, not having much enthusiasm for it. I was really dreading dealing with the tree. It's heavy, time-consuming, and messy. As luck would have it, I ran into a neighbor who told me about her wrought-iron tree, which was the answer to my problem. I ordered one, and while it was time-consuming this year (taking plastic covers off all branches), it will be quick and easy from here on out......and I get to see and use my ornaments without all the hassle! I also made a few other changes - lights and bell collection on the mantel, Margaret Furlong white porcelain ornaments on the coffee table, etc. So overall, it feels a bit different, which is not a bad thing after all these years.

In addition to dreading the holidays, what have I been doing? I joined Liberal Ladies for the Holiday Cocktail Party, which was very pleasant and festive, and it's always great to run into ladies whom I don't see often. The program was even more enticing - it was about the DAYLO  program (Diversity Awareness Youth Literary Assoc.) which is a student book club that formed after the book bans here in the county by none other than Moms for Liberty! Once MFL challenged 97 books in the school district, I was pleasantly surprised to see a strong, positive response. Some volunteered to be on the review committees, others organized and informed everyone, like FABB (Families Against Book Bans), and more! People mobilized quickly and remained involved. At the end of the day, all books were returned to the shelves except for about 5 (one book was challenged that wasn't even in the system!). What I got the biggest kick out of was that one of the books (by Colleen Hoover) that was removed is going to be made into a movie!! You gotta laugh! 

What else has been happening? I got the leaking windows and damaged flooring repaired. That was a biggie! Chris and I celebrated her birthday at Olive and Fig, which is always good. I continue my daily walking routine except for Sundays and rainy days. Even on cold days, I manage to do it in the morning though I know it will be warmer in the afternoon. I also know I will talk myself out of it if I put it off until later in the day!

One evening (12/3), Maria, Mark, and I went onto the island to see the lights in Mitchelville. They had a drive-thru display with lights covering everything that wasn't nailed down. It was pretty and festive. We followed recommendations to arrive early and line up to drive through. We were probably the 5th or 6th car in line, with a short wait until opening time. When we drove out, cars were lined up as far as the eye could see with a second road trying to merge! We were thankful for our short wait. From there we went to Shelter Cove, which was quiet but well-decorated, including some of the boats in the marina. We walked all along the waterfront and wound up at Ela's for a light dinner. It was such a warm evening that we ate outside on their deck with a nice view of the marina. It really was a lovely, relaxing evening.

I mentioned last month that Lynn hosted the November birthday folks (Tom, Chris, and Tippy) for dinner, but that wasn't enough for Tippy! She decided she wanted a parade AND to be addressed as Her Majesty for the day. So, she put out the summons and the usual suspects showed up. We were instructed to wear crazy hats and bring a musical instrument. Somewhere among the photos, you can see my meager attempt to do so. Once the group was "organized", we paraded around the cul-de-sac making celebratory noises and singing (?) Happy Birthday! We then retired to the house for birthday cake. It was lots of fun as only Tippy and willing accomplices can generate and I hope it was a Happy Birthday for Her Majesty!

To update you on Tippy, she will be having surgery on cervical vertebrae 2-5, though that will not happen until after the holidays. Her doctors want to approach the surgery from the front of her throat, which is complicated by her previous throat cancer and radiation. Even so, she seems to have two wonderful surgeons on the case and feels confident in moving forward. Tippy did one thing that I thought was brilliant and I would not have thought of doing. She recorded her meeting with her doctors on her phone (then transcribed to text and shared with friends). Knowing that I always walk away from important meetings like that thinking that I didn't hear it all, didn't ask questions, etc. How nice to be able to go back and hear it all when in a less tense mode! I thought that was a very good move and I hope I remember it should I need it.

I must mention a few of my "glimmers" for the week. The photo on the left is a gift bag from a neighbor to Rosie. To be honest, I don't really know their names, but they have Floyd, whom I refer to as their time-share doggie. Floyd actually belongs to one of their children but spends months at a time with them. They conscientiously walk Floyd and take him for drives.....and our paths just cross in the process of that. One afternoon when the house was in total disarray (Xmas decorating), the doorbell rang. It was Floyd and his mistress with a little goodie bag for Rosie! I thought that was so sweet and a total surprise. It contained some treats for Rosie and a roll of poop bags (with a weenie dog on it) for her servant. It was such a delightful surprise.

On another day, I received a message in the evening that my Amazon orders had been delivered. I opened the door to get them and there were three packages rather than the two expected. My first thought was, "Oh, no, another thing to deal with, a wrongly directed package!" When I checked it out, it was addressed to me and was a lovely, delicious box of dried/candied fruit from Jim and Anthony! How thoughtful and what a perfect gift for a vegetarian! I never even thought of candied kiwi, which is delicious! I sent them a thank-you e-card but it hasn't been picked up yet, so I will thank them again here AND say that we need to get together in 2024! It has been far too long. It is so good to hear from them and it didn't have to be a gift.....it could be a visit! Thank you for thinking of me in such a nice way and I hope to see you soon.

I awakened this morning to the sound of a steady rain, which must have started hours earlier. This is how my yard looks at  9:30 AM and it's supposed to rain until 11 PM! Needless to say, it's dark and dreary, and the only thing to perk it up is to turn on the ornament tree and any other holiday features with lights.

I'll close by wishing you a very Happy Holiday season and peace, joy, prosperity, and good health in the coming year. May 2024 be kinder to us all.

End of Year Denial!

This is the second dark, dreary day following a string of beautiful ones. We were expecting some rain, which we needed, but it only spit enough to keep Rosie inside! She alerted me when Mark took Felix and Henry out and I used that as motivation to get her moving. It worked like a charm! While our temperatures are falling, we will still be in the mid-70s next week, minus the humidity of the summer, which makes it wonderful.

Photographs are a great way to remind myself whom I've been with and what we've done. These are photos from October that were misplaced and not included in the last entry. Chris's family (the Girls' Week!) was down for a week and invited us over for Sunday brunch. We knew to expect abundant and delicious food, but this year they were right on the beach with a gorgeous, bright view of the ocean. It was a delightful morning with a heavy Jimmy Buffet theme, as you can see. It was lots of fun and we came away full and happy!

Speaking of Chris, she was up to her phantom treats again for Halloween. Being a former teacher, Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays, but this goodie bag did get it off to a good start. Somehow, I also received an invitation to my (Conservative) neighbor's Halloween party. It was actually held at the home of one of Rosie's favorite people (Who isn't her favorite person?); so, if he's out working in the yard, we stop for a chat in the morning. It was to be in their driveway/garage and he invited me. I dreaded it for a week! It turned out to be a bigger bash than I expected and I chatted a bit with various neighbors, some of whom were surprised to see me there! My plan was to arrive early and depart early, which I did. Thus, Halloween was over!

Now that the carpet in the bedroom is complete, I've tackled the window leak and floor damage in the den. It takes a while to get estimates and try to determine the best person/company for the job. I have one last (I hope!) guy coming tomorrow and I hope to move forward from there. There is actually only one who seems to really have found the source of the leak with a reasonable plan of action, but before moving ahead, I'll get some input from neighbors who know more about this type of thing than I do. Wish me luck!

I shouldn't complain because I do have wonderful neighbors whom I feel I could call on in need, and I'm very appreciative of that. Recently, I had a bush that was enveloping my mailbox cut back. In doing so, the cap of the mailbox post had rotted away, and I added that to my list of jobs to get done. A couple of days later, I arrive home from my walk, and my mailbox has been capped and gussied up! My neighbors across the street, Maria and Mark, repaired it for me! How nice was that? It really made my week!

On Oct. 26th in the late afternoon, Rosie began shivering and panting violently for no apparent reason. I quickly called the vet and was happy when they could see us on such short notice and that late in the day. Rosie has intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and the vet thought it was a flare-up. We were sent home with two medications for pain and inflammation, which along with the gabapentin that she already gets twice a day, meant that I was giving her medications 5 times per day!! No easy task. One was a liquid, which I could disguise with treats, chicken, or cheese, but the other was a hard, nasty-tasting pill. As you can see from the middle photo, I wound up pulverizing the pill, putting it in a pill pocket, and rolling it in cheese! To make it seem more like a treat, I put it in her puzzle. I'm not sure she was fooled by any of it and there was one day when she would have none of it. It took about 4 days for her to act herself again, and I'm hoping that it lasts. It is really difficult when something is wrong and she can't tell me what is happening. 

And, yes, there has been the usual socializing over food. The periodic trip for Indian food, this time finding a cupcake shop for dessert! Asian food with three other like-minded, single ladies from the hood. Lynn hosted a lunch for three November birthday people - Tom, Chris, and Tippy! It was the first time we'd been together in a while and was good to catch up. Rhonda C. and I got together for a long overdue chat and political rant, which I always enjoy! Liberal Ladies also had a nice brunch where it was good to see longtime friends and acquaintances, as well as Jewish friends who are experiencing much angst related to current international issues, some having relatives in Israel. It's hard to imagine how they must feel. Equally, I can't imagine what the innocent (non-HAMAS) people of Gaza must be going through. It certainly makes one feel helpless and at the whim of crazy men.

To the topic of the day, Thanksgiving is around the corner and I wish I looked more forward to it. I'm lucky to be sharing it with friends, but I feel like I just want to get it over with!  And I can't even think about Christmas! I guess things will fall into place as the holidays approach, but at this point, I remain in denial!

I'll leave you with this little blurb about glimmers. I really think glimmers are my superpower as I am always aware and appreciative of small things that happen solely because someone did something nice for no reason other than to make someone's day brighter - like repairing my mailbox, which I consider a big glimmer! Like friends who leave goodie bags at your door. Like a neighbor who saw Rosie and me scrambling home in the rain and pulled his car over, rolled down the window, handed me an umbrella, and kept going. Like the Black Magic Woman Tippy and I ran into in Cape Town. Like the young man at Callawassee service station who asked if everything was okay when I had car trouble. Too many to count. Sometimes the world seems too overwhelming and out of control, but it's nice to know there are good people out there willing to make someone's day. Here's wishing lots of "glimmers" in your future.