148th Day

 On the 148th day, since last I wore my wedding ring, seeing it on the bathroom tray I decided to see if I could slip it on. Hurray! Success at last and just in time for tomorrow's 48th wedding anniversary.

And on the 149th day I had it cut off.

In what has seemingly become my luck of late, that was not a good plan because this morning when I woke up, my finger was swollen and the ring was stuck. As in no soap or lotion would even budge it. Bruce suggested he cut it off, but as he was heading to do more work at the church, I figured we could wait. With that in mind, I joined the ladies for the water aerobics class and I am happy to report, my arm worked pretty well. Not perfect yet, but much improved. My finger, on the other hand, was getting red so once home I gathered my wet hair into a pony pin up (!!!), put on a dress, and headed to Michigan Jewelry just up the street. Oh my goodness, were they ever nice. 

Finishing his conversation with another patron first, the jeweler came and took a look. Yes, he could make it happen.

This device is like a tiny saw that he began the process with. 

This is not my original wedding ring because maybe 15 years ago or so, I discovered one night before bedtime, that the solitaire diamond had fallen out, unbeknownst to me. Naturally I was heart sick, thinking back to when we were so very young and Bruce paid cash for the ring in the time before credit cards were the norm. Around this same time, I'd become aware of diamond mining practices that left me a little cold so instead, after some months, we bought this Trinity ring. This is not to say that I don't think diamonds are beautiful and there are lots of things that if we knew more about how it got into our hands would leave us cold! Anyway, three intertwined bands are meant to symbolize, "love, friendship and fidelity" which spoke to our relationship, so I was sold. On the other hand, while it broke my heart to have it cut apart, my finger means more to me than a ring!

At first he thought cutting one band would do it, but in the end cutting all three was a necessity.

Hopefully, in another couple of months, when all the swelling has FINALLY abated, he can once again join the circles.Being an optimist definitely has its advantages but sometimes you just have to face reality. 😔

Our son Bill is entering the upcoming pickleball tournament at the USTA campus in Lake Nona , in just a few weeks time, so we took a drive out there to see what it is like. What it is like is very, very impressive.

Situated basically behind the airport, there is a lot of plane traffic for one thing. It is a really beautiful campus that mostly has tennis courts, however, they have added dedicated pickleball courts where we came across the woman who has taken over the classes. Did I tell you it was hot as blue blazes? I should have.

Having taught tennis for twenty years, she's made the switch to pickleball which is common because the sport claims to be less stress on your body. Hmmm....another of our regular players took a tumble on Sunday morning and she too, broke her wrist! Oy vey!

Speaking of wrist fractures, Lisa stepped up the game on Monday having me try lifting a two pound weight.

I know you would love to hear how well I did with it, but the truth is, we had to move back down to one pound because it was just too painful. While I am using my hand regularly there are still things that I just can't do, or if I can, I look darn clumsy while doing so. As I began this post yesterday afternoon, Matt and Tom called via Facetime and Tom noticed my hair was pulled up, wondering if I'd done it myself. Why yes I did, albeit with somewhat messy results. So there's a victory for you!

In a case of what retired people will do to amuse themselves, we visited the brand new Publix on Orange Ave, located in the former Lucky's grocery store. A mini version of the one across the street. In a nod to the former tenant, or maybe it is just something Publix is giving a try, they have a bar. Yup, a bar where you can order beer/wine, specialty coffees, and craft sodas. 

Surprisingly they have Caymus on tap, a delicious, expensive wine, for $30 a glass! We took advantage of their offer of a sample. Because every place I go, for the most part, there are few employees around, it was almost weird how many we encountered there. It appeared as if all the managers in a 20 mile radius were in the store greeting people. Time will tell how things go with a Publix on two corners across from one another.

Another store we visited was Boca Bargoon, looking for fabric. We'd already been to Joanne's where there were loads of empty rolls and about three employees in the huge store. For what, you ask? After giving us ten years of excellent use, the thrones are needing an update. The problem is that I love the fabric that is on them so much,  most others pale in comparison. The helpful employees laid out the fabric on chairs to give us an idea on how they would look.

The above is okay, but the green is not really right. The one below is also okay, but I didn't really like the texture. Although they have a large inventory, in the end, none of them did we really love. In a shocking move for me, I'm considering solid, although I've yet to put that idea into action. 

Rainy afternoons are the best for working on puzzles....this one was super fun.

The cheerful card is from Mary Jo, the church administrator, who Bruce sees several times a week. I suspect he has given her updates on my slow but steady progress and she figured I could use a little cheering up.

Did I tell you that Fallon has completed her Nurse Practitioner course work? Forgive me if I've already done so, but we are super proud of her hard work. Up next--boards, followed by putting all she learned into practice at a place that is yet to be determined. 

As each day passes I become more and more confidant doing normal things on my own. Like taking a walk around the beautiful property.

Ah, the wonderful fragrance from a blooming Plumeria tree.

Shocking pink Oleanders in bloom.

I came across the newly installed bench in memory of Elizabeth, the long term resident who passed away suddenly while on vacation. She worked tirelessly for years and years, trying to make our community a more beautiful place to live.

In world news Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc on all manner of things, from school mask debates to supply chain problems to ever increasing job openings. One shopping plaza we drove through had help wanted signs on the windows of every single store. Matt and Tom were explaining some new coronavirus vocabulary terms currently in use in England, including "Covid secure" and "pingdamic" which refers to pings on a persons phone should they have come in contact with an infected person. When I began writing about this, back in March of 2020, I never could have imagined I'd still be doing so in August 2021. Maybe I should have when you consider the Spanish Flu outbreak lasted for several years. 

On a brighter note, Monday night we watched a wonderful film on AppleTV+ named CODA. Have you heard of it yet? If not, I suspect you will as it is moving and powerful in a quiet way. Speaking of the arts, Patti took my suggestion and read The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. Loving it so much, she's passed it along to four other women who loved it as well. Highly recommended!

Someone you know was up early...

Following church, where I must mention, the crowds are thin and we are back to mask wearing, we returned for lunch at Prato. Again we sat at the bar and are getting to know the bartenders, both of whom are long term employees who know the menu well. There are so many delicious items on the menu that each week we try something different even though the pull of that mustard spaghettini is strong. When I mentioned that I was thinking of getting a dessert to celebrate our upcoming anniversary, Meghan suggested we try the olive oil cake. Sure, why not? To say that it was delicious is putting it mildly. Oh my!

The lemon sauce, the blueberries, the cake--heaven in a dish. What happened next was so sweet and surprising that I burst into tears when two glasses of rose champagne arrived. Happy tears? For sure. Although if the truth be told, there were some sad ones mixed in because these last months have been such a struggle. Not in any way between the two of us, but I would be lying if I said this setback has been anything but miserable. Looking on the sunny side though, at least none of our loved ones have had Covid-19 so there is that to celebrate!

Here's to a long and happy marriage! 

your friend,

Gail