Let's Motor!

 Hello old friends! It's been a while.

Probably the longest I have gone in years without writing a post while at home, yet there's a first time for everything, right?

In very good news, I am back to driving. Yep, my baby car has left the stall.  When you buy a MINI Cooper, there are all kinds of cute things that you buy into, one of which is their slogan, "Let's Motor." Obviously I am a fan. Last Saturday morning, while Bruce was at the courts playing our favorite game, I needed something at the grocery store and just thought to myself, now or never. And so I drove for the first time in two months. While I was a tiny bit nervous, not so much about my wrist but my shoulder, it went just fine. It remains difficult to close my car door, however I am managing using my right hand.  I am now driving to my therapy appointments as well as to the doctor on Thursday. Yes, I was there for another post- op visit. While I was waiting for the PA I took a photo of the poster on the wall because I wanted to study the hand anatomy and the how and why the hand is so affected with a wrist break. BTW, my first fracture is pictured and that would be the Colles' fracture on the right side of the poster.

Because my arm/hand was immobilized for so long, it is a case of use it or lose it when it comes to the tendons. A good deal of my therapy is related to getting them back into useable condition. 

My plate remains in good position, as seen here on the lateral view.

And here's what it looks like from the top:

From what I understand, one reason everything hurt so badly initially is because after the incision, the surgeon uses a spreader to make the opening bigger to fit the plate and screws in between all the nerves and muscles in order to attach it to the bone. In other words, lots of trauma to the area. I am ever so grateful that this time around I had a very skilled practitioner. My incisions is nearly healed, after looking like this last week.

While I wish it were completely healed, that is not the case, but maybe by next week I can put this complication behind me. The good news is that what remains is far less sore than it was when it looked like the above. 

It has now been officially FOUR months since I was myself, something I never thought I would be typing. That said, there is a lot I can now do including cooking many things. Pancakes anyone?

For the most part what I am experiencing is stiffness in my hand and wrist and the shoulder problems. Most days when it is not raining I have been down at the pool working both areas with what seems to be some success. I've got at least another month of therapy and hopefully by that time I am get to go.

Playing pickleball is still out of the question, but I have been able to join some ladies for water aerobics class. While there are a few things I cannot do because my shoulder does not like it one bit, mostly I can join in. 

Speaking of joining in, Nancy left this morning after spending five days with us. Pickleball didn't work out for her this visit but she did have a lovely time on David's pontoon boat and coming to the class with me.

As well, we visited Maureen, albeit in the parking garage at Westminster Towers.

Because the coronavirus is spreading again at an alarming rate, we were directed to a tent where a table and two chairs awaited us. Eventually they brought Maureen down in her wheelchair and we had a very nice visit; Nancy's first time seeing her in more than two years!

We were heartened because she was very alert unlike sometimes when I have visited. Unfortunately, the Parkinson's has caused her hands, knees, and feet to contract into ways that don't even seem possible. The braces are meant to help from keeping her limbs from even more contraction.  Furthermore, the liquid diet is not doing her any favors as far as her weight is concerned. She is tinier than I can ever remember. That said, she complains little, remaining a staff favorite which makes us very happy.

As this is meant as a record of what life is like for one group of people in the year 2021, it must be noted that we are far from out of the woods on the Covid-19 front. Oh my goodness, the numbers are skyrocketing with new guidelines on mask wearing going into effect. Because I have to wear a mask during therapy, it has still been part of my routine, so returning to wearing one when I am out in public is a no-brainer for me. While nobody likes wearing them, it just seems prudent. I, for one, do not need to contract something I can prevent. Even though the chances of a fully vaccinated person getting super sick are low, I prefer not to take any chances. Bruce feels the same. In the last week I've heard of about a dozen people who have tested positive with one on oxygen. I remain amazed at the number of people who will not get the vaccine. 😞

A birthday party was held for Alan;  Sandy outdid herself on this board, so pretty no one wanted to mess it up!

I make no apologies for being an Olympic junkie, watching hours and hours of the competitions. I love it all, no matter the sport. Have you watched any of the table tennis? Oh my goodness! What an event to showcase the discipline of sports, not to mention the extreme joy of a dream come true. If only others didn't have to experience the agony of defeat, although as far as I'm concerned making it to the Olympics is a feat second to none. I am in complete awe of the organizers as well. To put on an event of that magnitude in the middle of a pandemic is truly remarkable and while holding them has been controversial I, for one, am glad the games have been held.

Current novel I am reading is Lady Clementine, about the wife of Winston Churchill, by Marie Benedict the author of another novel I read about Andrew Carnegie. Nancy Pate's recommendation of Early Morning Riser was another good  recent read. Once the Olympics started we've watched nothing else, but before it began we really enjoyed Hinterland on Netflix, although I think tomorrow is the last day for that series. Set in Wales, the scenery and stories were really good. 

Who knew that there was a word for the phenomenon of the sunset reflected off the clouds in the East during sunset? A nearly full moon rising out of the clouds last week.

Well my friends, it is good to be back, and if the fates allow, I will be returning to my regularly scheduled programming. And let the motoring continue!

your friend,

Gail

Let Us Play Catch Up

Let us begin with something amusing I saw on facebook today:

I told my luggage that we were not going on vacation this year.

Now I'm dealing with baggage issues.

Here's another funny one.....

You know what people don't talk about enough?

Masks.

I wish I knew everyone's opinion about them.

People are so darn clever, aren't they? So we started with something silly, let us continue with something pretty, shall we? It is hard to ever tire of seeing sunsets as they are all so unique.

Which brings me to what news I have of Cris and for the most part, it is still not good. They are trying everything that they can, however, he seems not to be responding as well as was hoped for. As I type this, he is back in ICU after spending about a day in PCU. Tomorrow will be day 14 of his hospitalization and so far he is none the better for it, and possibly worse. The thing that is really so hard is the fact that no one can visit and he's either too weak to talk, or his breathing is so uneven, he can't. I cannot imagine how I would manage if I were in his families shoes. It has been such a roller coaster with ups and downs that have made it all the worse. Then again, it is super hard for all of the healthcare team, having to be exposed and while they do have protective equipment, that is hard too, wearing all that gear and a mask for twelve hours at a time. Let's just get real--it is awful all the way around.

And yet, life does go on.

Which is one reason I turn to nature to remain calm because it is a great reminder that life does go on in spite of the pandemic. Look at this amazingly cool mushroom I spotted on one of the big Camphor trees along the lake while I was searching for my, and you do note that I call it "my" owl, simply because I can!

When first I spotted it from afar, I thought someone had put a white ball or something in the tree because that is what it looked like until I got close enough to notice the stem. Oh nature, how we love thee!

Nancy has been here for her week of vacation and she is now learning how the weeks speed by. She's often asked me what retirees do all day and now she has first hand knowledge in answer to her questions. Several days she has taken day trips alone to visit friends, but if she's been here, the pool has been quite the magnet. As you can see from the photo below, social distancing is easily accomplished. Those big storm clouds? They vanished!

So Nancy is on the lounge chair to the right of the dock and one reason this photo is important, aside from the beautiful water and clouds, is the presence of a Mallard NEST in the round planter!!! Yes it is hard to imagine she chose that spot, but she did. On Sunday afternoon when I first learned of it, once she flew off the nest we went to examine it and almost missed the eggs they are so well hidden.

I can hardly wait for them to hatch, although the chance of me being there to witness it is, in the words of my late Mother, "slim and none."

Sadly, I finished reading A Gentleman In Moscow. I hate when a good book comes to the end, oftentimes because I want to remain in the created world. Nevertheless, as they say, all good things must come to an end, but before it did, I bookmarked a page that includes some thoughts that speak to our times, even though it was written several years ago. Check out  the third paragraph from the bottom if you can read it. 

Maybe a week or so ago, we took advantage of the senior hour at Costco and oh my was it different.

Those are plastic partitions between the sinks! Then when it was time to check out we discovered that they have staggered the registers. While I have been shopping at Costco for probably thirty years or so, not ONCE have I ever encountered lines like these.

As in no lines! We bought a lot of stuff with both of us guessing how much the bill would be and both of us being off by a lot. It was good though because we stocked up on loads of things like electric toothbrush heads, new flatware, and the exciting purchase below. 

Now I know that a toilet brush does not sound like an exciting purchase but when it is made by OXO, well it is, and don't let anyone tell you differently. Their products are so fantastic with this one being no exception. You lift the brush and the handy lid pops up, you want to put it back and it closes around the handle. Having seen it on this list Nancy recently sent, well I knew it was for us. Exactly how this could excite me is perhaps a mystery to you, but if you, like us, have a low flow toilet you would easily see the appeal. I know it seems as if I were an OXO spokesperson and perhaps I should be!

We've had almost all sunny days this week so the puzzle has not been my focus for much of the week until late one afternoon Bruce was looking around for something to do. "I'd love for you to work on the puzzle because, frankly, I am at an impasse." Well he sat right down and finished up the bottom which had been giving me fits! Plus he got a bunch of the roadway done! Which then inspired me to refocus my efforts and I finished up the big tree. All that remains is the mountain with most pieces the same, but hey, I can climb any mountain, right?

Instead of playing pickleball, one morning Nancy wanted to give kayaking a try. Before we got down to the lake Bruce had been fishing but came in to give her the confidence she needed as she was fearful of falling out of the boat.

Before long she'd gotten the hang of it, paddling around the whole lake. 

I mentioned that it is hard for healthcare workers and while it is not the same, retail workers are having a rough time of it as well what with rude customers and all. The stories she's told us since the store has reopened are hard to believe. While it has mostly been all fun and games for her during her visit, I did ask Nancy to cut Bruce's hair and it turned out very well. Yes, he can got to a salon now, but since our stylist is no longer doing hair, finding a replacement has not been easy. Monica was the best!

Because we planned to play pickleball in the evening, we took Nancy over to Lake Davis for a walk. While I was chatting with Candy about the visiting Egyptian geese (photos in my next post), Bruce spotted something in the lake.

 Well, as it turns out, it was one of those rental scooter things!

In true Bruce fashion, he tried calling the scooter folks without success, so he left it alongside the sidewalk rather than in the middle of the sidewalk, something we witnessed downtown today. Good grief folks....wear a mask and keep those scooters off the sidewalk! Just threw the mask thing in there mostly because both things seem so simple to me while some are making a big stink of it. Oy vey!

Today's post began with a silly joke about vacationing, something we all long for. And while technically we can go places now, it still feels very risky to me what with the Florida case numbers escalating. Instead, last week I went on a virtual trip through my photos, making a book about our cross country trip to Vancouver. It arrived yesterday and while I am mostly thrilled with it, I wish I'd chosen a different font/color for the text and title.

Nevertheless, it was a super fun reminder of how things were before all hell has broken loose. I highly recommend Mixbook and here's the link to their website should you like to do the same. While it is not cheap, they are offering some really sweet deals right now. I know I would certainly like one as a gift about a certain trip out West just before the pandemic hit. (hint, hint!) I bet you have someone who would like some of your photos as well.

So, that's all the news fit to print for now from 1236 (our address before I leave you wondering), tell me yours.

your friend,

Gail

What are We to Make of Things?

As I sit down at my computer to type this entry, I'm just a little anxious. Should I be? How can we really know? The stock market is in free fall, and as a retiree, that is not something we like seeing. Well, that's plain stupid, no one likes seeing it!

In our case, it's not so much about the money that is being wiped out, as it is our concern because two of our sons that work in the industry. The stress is immense. Seemingly no one is immune in this crazy time as the Coronavirus spreads around the world. Imagine that if you can. I, for one, can't, until I think about the global economy and how we are all so interdependent on one another.

Is the threat as scary as it is made out to be?

As to the rest of our family, Nancy is here visiting and her store in the Atlanta area is making preparations for a more sanitary shopping experience, and as the manager, the buck will stop with her. Fallon is a RN in a hospital, so there's that to think about. Jonathan was telling me that events and meetings at the University of Texas are being either canceled, or rescheduled, as has his parents, (that would be us), canceled their trip to Austin because neither of us is super keen on flying right now.

Speaking of flying, Matt and Tom are probably just about touching down in Denver for their road trip. Apparently, having booked the tickets ages ago, their concern level was low enough that they kept to their original schedule. In this link, you can see all the places they are visiting in the West. Had we not stayed up until 2AM talking with Nancy last night, when his text came through saying they were boarding the plane, instead of typing Bin Voyage (!), I would have asked more questions. As it was, the text woke me at 7:30 and this old lady was still way to sleepy to find out more.

Then, of course, there is Maureen to think of. Nancy and I visited her today and were greeted by this on the front doors. A wise precaution indeed.

After signing in, they take your temperature to ensure the safety of the residents. I'm trying hard to remember a time in my life when a virus created such a worldwide sensation and nothing comes to mind. How about you? Anything?

For the most part though, we are going about our business, exploring new places and behaving normally. Last week we visited a campground about 95 miles south of us called,

in Bowling Green, Florida. Neither of us have ever been to Hardee County before, but now we have. The park is a former phosphate mine given to the county by Mosaic, a huge mining company. It was a lovely day to visit a lovely place.

Along the way we drove by lots of fields that looked like this,

The attraction for us is camping where there are four lakes created from the mining that are managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Visiting a place such as this gives us a good reason to learn more about our state's history. Who knew that Hardee County was in an area of the state known as "Bone Valley" because of one of the largest deposits of phosphorus in North America? And exactly how and why is phosphorus used? Fun stuff like that.

We drove around quite a bit, coming across school children probably in a canoe for the first time,

as well as having a good chat with a camper who described catching huge amounts of fish. Should we go there, I hope Bruce has that same luck!

Driving home on US 17, we made an impromptu stop in Fort Meade in search of the Peace River.  Thanks to our trusty iPad, we found it!

For more information on what the heck a Blueway Community is, click here. Naturally Bruce, along with others, tried his luck.

Unfortunately time got away from us meaning we faced more traffic coming home than we would have preferred, but in the end it was just fine. A good day was had by the both of us.

Another day we managed a Costco run without incident; apparently others have not had the same good luck. Fallon went the other evening and not only was the place mobbed, but their credit card terminals went down!!

Yet another day we decided to head over to see the campground at Kelly Park at Rock Springs, and boy were we delighted as the campground, run by Orange County, is fantastic, with very clean and spacious sites.

Although it was a chilly day, there were a few brave souls in the 67 degree water!

This young lady was not so sure of it, but she kept going!

Because Bruce worked so much, he's not visited places like I have, so seeing these local places is quite a treat for him. Here is where the spring originates.

We brought a picnic lunch, enjoying it under a bright blue sky and the shade of big oak trees. Another fun day in nature.

I mentioned I was tired and that is not only because of our nocturnal Sunday night! On Saturday I went down to watch the Pickle Ball action and ended up as a rookie. Here I am as Susan's partner who graciously allowed me to play with her.

A few months ago a resident paid to have the lines painted on the tennis court and friends have been gathering to both learn, and observe.

I ended up playing three games, not well I might add, but it was so much fun even if I had way more air balls than any partner would like!

Then on yesterday Nancy took me to the Bay Hill tournamen,t and did we ever walk! Rory McElroy is her favorite and she was hoping he would be the winner of Arnold Palmer's tournament.

We were just plain delighted when some folks allowed us to use their chairs right next to the ropes!

Alas, it was not meant to be, as it became clear that Rory was not to be the winner,  we decided to leave a little early. Nancy hailed an Uber for our ride over and was planning to do the same for getting us back to our car, however, the $26 price tag for a three mile trip did not set well with either of us, so we set off walking and after a good long while we got to her car, both of us more than a little tired. Looking at my phone I discovered that between the golf course and the walk, we'd put 6.5 miles on our feet! And then we stayed up until 2AM? What were we thinking?

What we were thinking was that we felt so fortunate that we were able to do so, unlike our sister Maureen and our late sister Carol. It is hard to imagine that the anniversary of her death was on Saturday. Between Carol and Jeff, getting out and doing things has taken on new meaning for all of us.

Doing all that we can, while we can....that is unless that darn Coronavirus turns the world upside down!

your friend,

Gail