Sonny Elephant

There was a question on Facebook that jogged a memory for me. The question was 'What was the first book you encountered that made you want to read?' And my answer was "Sonny Elephant". Miss Dowd read it to us in 3rd grade. She read a bit of it after we had our work done for the day and we very much looked forward to it. I would love to read it again. And so I looked it up on Amazon and I can buy one for $61+. I don't think so! If anyone knows where I can get one to read for free....wonder if the library would have it?
I know there are classmates of mine who would surely share this memory.

A small set-back

Butch was taking a medication that he had been given from day one in the hospital. The first time the nurse gave it to him I asked what it was for and she said circulation and a mild pain reliever. Okay. So after being home for a while and getting off various meds. Butch decided that particular one was giving him "bad dreams". After questioning him for a bit it seemed they were somewhat psychedelic and perhaps like an LSD trip. So we called the doctor and she said to stop taking them. No one seemed concerned if that was what he wanted to do. Time goes on. Perhaps a week, I am guessing, and I noticed his mobility was getting worse, not better. I told him I didn't think he was making any progress and seemed worse! He agreed and decided to again try the meds he had dropped. So now we are back on track. He is taking less of them, 2 to 3 a day instead of 4 and the pain level has dropped while the mobility increased.
He has made the statement that he will not be using the walker a month from now. I know he will do his best to reach that goal.
I know you probably want to know what the med was that was giving him the psych trip. He is still having weird dreams but not as bad. I didn't want to put it on here but if you really want to know, text me and I will tell you.

HEB Senior Support Line

HEB Senior Support Line

HEB Senior Support Line can be reached by phone 1 833-397-0080, 9:00-1:00, 

Monday thru Sunday. Senior citizens, ages 60 and up, will be able to order supplies and

groceries from a curated list over the phone or online through the Favor delivery website and 

app. The line will be staffed with volunteers to accept and process home delivery orders 

via phone daily from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

You can find many of the answers to how this works here:

 https://blog.favordelivery.com/h-e-b-favor-senior-support-online-ordering-101-b2848ebbee1

I decided to test it yesterday and was amazed at how well it did work. 

The only glitch was my fault. I needed to be more specific about the things

 I wanted and will do better when I use it again.

On his feet

Butch is back on his feet and looking steady. We are in week 4, getting therapy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He has at least another 4 weeks and perhaps six before we will even consider him driving the motorhome. I have always had Zach Hiller as a backup in my mind and he has told me he would but with the current conditions I would not ask him and I think it would be irresponsible of me to even consider it. The times they are a-changing.

There are those who are concerned with the fact that we visit and play cards and games with others in the park so I thought I would mention the care we ARE taking. No visitors are allowed into the park so the people we do see are the same ones we have seen all winter. We do practice social distancing, definitely with ones we do not recognize and to a certain degree with all others. Liz is a hairdresser and she will cut your hair but only if you have not been out of the park for 5 days or more. When I go to the grocery store (once since March 17th) I wear a mask and gloves and do my best to maintain distance. I have not encountered anyone who appeared ill although I am aware there are carriers who do not show any symptoms. I am just saying it would be disconcerting if a person did see people who were obviously ill. The park is nearly empty. Most have left for their summer homes and 90% of those remaining are year-rounders. When we do play cards we are outdoors with most often a southerly breeze. No hugs, no fistbumps, elbow bumps or any other kind of bumps. We are doing the best we can while maintaining our sanity as well as our distance.

A Tip worth trying!

Quick Tip

Easy windshield de-bugger

Bugs making suicide runs on your windshield? Get an 8-ounce (or so) container of Rain-X washer fluid additive and just add it to your windshield wiper fluid – works great without all that work! There’s also Rain-X Bug Remover (not concentrated) that does the job. Driving down the road and collecting bugs? Don’t wait for the next fuel stop – just use the windshield wipers! Thanks for this de-bugging tip go to A. Fisher.

One of Colleen's Columns

If you have kept up with this blog for a while you know that Colleen is a friend of mine. She is a woman of many talents one of them being a writer. We used to have a routine when she still lived in Jefferson whereby we would meet at the Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail every morning at 7:00 AM and walk to the one-mile marker and back. It made a wonderful start to our day. It was always a good day when we walked...and talked.

In the time of coronavirus

April 1, 2020Greene County News Online

~a column by Colleen O’Brien

Someday this will be over, and I will have succumbed or survived. If it’s the latter, I hope I have something to show for the hours I was forced to spend alone.

This command to “quarantine” should be a walk in the park for me. It is no different from how I live all the time. Freelancers often work alone. As a self-employed freelance writer and editor, I write and edit in solitary confinement. About 70 percent of the time I’m staring out of the window or red-penciling an author’s manuscript or actually writing.

The difference lies in the idle hours of the 30 percent. Pre-shutdown of the world, I spent time with friends over dinner or at the movies or a play; I liked hanging out at the library or taking a class. In those carefree, halcyon hours of memory, I was able to enjoy myself because I was outside myself. Now, my constant companion being me, myself and I, I’ve discovered what a bore I am.

I’m staring out the window. Which isn’t bad – I have a pleasant view. And as of this date, the end of March 2020, we’re still allowed to go outdoors where I live, so I walk a lot. To the store and back every morning, not to get something but just to fool the brain that I have a purpose. Often, I drive somewhere and walk around – the cemetery is quiet, no traffic, no fear of someone coughing on me. The river walk is a good outing. The beaches would be refreshing, but they’re all closed.

Reminds me of a story: the road sign read, “Lake Robbins Closed.” Lake Robbins is a small lake with a dancehall at one end that’s been open for boogying since the 1930s. My parents danced there when they were courting before the war. The Second World War. My husband and I danced there in the 1990s.

The story is this: I was taking my eight-year-old grandson for a car ride when we passed the sign. It took him about five miles of pondering before he came out with it: “Gramma, how do they close a lake?”

I think that of the beaches. Closing miles and miles of beaches seems a daunting task. But the public beaches have parking lots and specific access. Easy enough to close. Private beaches? I suppose those people walk whenever they feel like it. Wild beaches? Surely there are some out there, unchained, but how do I get to them?

These major segues of thinking, such as the Lake Robbins story, are now common in my home aloneness. I swerve from one subject to another as if I’m an ice skater on the bumpy frozen rivers of my mind. Mindlessness gets me through countless hours. But I know that I will look back on this time of the coronavirus and judge myself. In order to be able to pat myself on the back, I need to be proactive, that odd verb of this age, and promo some activity for myself that I might be proud of. Or at least have something to show for the thousands of hours with time in the palms of my hands.

I could start with the small household repairs that I’ve left undone, the easy ones that I can probably handle.

Actually, I can’t think of one right this minute.

I could finish one of the five novels I’ve begun and never completed over my long lifetime. I keep them under the bed.

Hmmm. They used to be under the bed. Must have been a different house.

I could write what I call pome-a-day. I did this after my husband died. For months. It was a satisfying ritual each morning as I sat with my coffee staring out the window. Because I still sit with my coffee staring out the window first thing in the morning, I might as well put the time to good use. Being an American means you have to keep busy.

Bah. I haven’t got one single poem in me, and if I did, it would be bad.

I could paint all those wine glasses that have been accumulating on a shelf in the shed for that purpose.

I don’t feel like it.

I could write snail-mail to friends and family.

Tomorrow.

I could watch an entire night’s worth of movies.

I did that two nights ago – four flicks whose names and characters and plots I can’t recall.

I could help my neighbors. I did ask them. One said, “The only good thing in my week is going to the store. So, no thank you. Do not take away my only pleasure.”

Okay.

I could garden. Digging in the dirt is one of those atavistic endeavors that never fails to feed my soul.

But I have red ants throughout my yard. I can’t be so foolish as to disturb their underground condos. The grouchy little buggers attack.

I tried volunteering at several entities, but so far, none of them want someone as old as I am. I do pro bono editing, which is my usual volunteer work. It is satisfying, but I’ve just realized that, like me, no one else is writing much either. With all the time in the world to write the great American novel, the professed desire of many, many are not doing it.

As I look this essay over, I see that I’m playing the role of spoiled brat in the time of coronavirus. There seems to be no help for it, I think to myself. We’ve been taught whining for the last four years, and it has sunk in. Are we all now snivelers because life isn’t going our way?

A whole new American way of being.
~~~ ~~~
Looking at my situation from that viewpoint, I’m getting to work right now. I cannot sink so low that I snivel beyond this solitary point.

It’s been a long time since I alphabetized my spice cupboard.

Starting right now.

Out of the house

Thursday is PT day for Butch so I decided to take advantage and go to Costco while he was working out. For those of you concerned about safety, everything is wiped down between patients, 15 feet between people is the general rule and only 3 patients in the whole facility at one time. Everything that can be done is being done.

When I went to Costco I wore a mask and gloves, they have a maze set-up for you to walk through to gain entry, all the carts are wiped down before you can get one, and there are signs everywhere to remind people to remain 6 feet apart. It is a very scaled-down version of Costco. There are no seats in the cafeteria area and the cafeteria is not in full operation. I am guessing it is for employees only. There is a masked and gloved assistant at every cash register that maintains a distance between you and the cashier while getting your purchases through checkout. There is tape at the registers every 6 feet to wait. They have made that area much larger.  No one ever touched my card or receipt.  I am guessing more than half of the shoppers were masked and gloved.  There are always risks but care is being taken.

The traffic is even less than it has been so people are getting the idea. Having not driven since last October the low traffic volume has been a blessing for me. I am getting plenty of driving these days. And I have better talent on the manual transmission just from practice.

So life goes on but at a much slower pace. We can handle it.

Hanging in there

Copied and pasted...

Hi guys
Just be careful because people are going crazy from being in lockdown! Actually, I've just been talking about this with the microwave, toaster while drinking coffee and all of us agreed that things are getting worse. I didn't mention anything to the washing machine as she puts a different spin on everything. Certainly not to the fridge as he is acting cold and distant. In the end, the iron calmed me down as she said everything will be fine, no situation is too pressing. The hoover was very unsympathetic... told me to just suck it up, but the fan was more optimistic and hoped it would all soon blow over! The toilet looked a bit flushed when I asked its opinion and didn’t say anything but the doorknob told me to get a grip.😬 The front door said I was unhinged and so the curtains told me to ........yes, you guessed it 😝.....pull myself together.

HEB Excursion and Physical Therapy

Yesterday was Butch's Physical Therapy appointment. They are with him for an hour and I cannot go in so I planned a trip to the closest HEB to load up on groceries. First time in a store since March 17th. I wore gloves and a mask and tried my best to keep 6 feet away from all others. I had to be vigilant because there are people who rolled their eyes at me like I was being silly and appeared to have not a clue that they were to avoid me. I did see a fair amount of other people with gloves and masks. So I would say it was a 50/50 mix. I bought $103 worth of groceries. I cannot remember the last time I spent that much at one time in a grocery store.

Butch had a hard session with the therapist. He walked 80 feet with only a cane and then 80 feet back. He said he had to stop for a rest, still standing on the return trip. So they are taking steps to have less reliance on the walker. His next appointment is Thursday. We both know it will be at least a month before we can consider heading for Iowa. The therapy days are hard on him and he is ready for a nice nap when he gets home.

My groceries were getting down to some pretty repetitious stuff so I am very happy to be looking at some variety. I bought a small watermelon and it is calling my name!

Made a mask

I made a mask for both of us. They are easy to make, comfortable, washable and practical. Can be sanitized and add filtering by adding additional layers of fabric. I will trust it much more than the simple painters mask I had been using and all it cost was the sacrifice of a T-Shirt. The easy to follow directions can be found here: https://youtu.be/pJaVBt8q6g8

In a Pinch

Here are directions for making your own mask. Easy to do and no sewing required.
https://youtu.be/pJaVBt8q6g8

My Breakfast Feast

A friend with eggs

Alex, our Trophy neighbor across the street, captured my heart and made my eyes light up when he brought me a dozen eggs. Nobody thought that would ever happen! He said that Walmart had eggs, one dozen per customer so he went in twice to get me some eggs. I am very grateful.

Two eggs are my first meal each day and now I will bore you with my preparation routine. I place two half-pats of butter in a skillet, placing thinly sliced onion in each butter pat. After letting it cook a bit, I crack an egg over each one and break the yolk. After the eggs have set up quite a bit I carefully turn them over to cook the other side. Place them on a plate and add a dollop of cottage cheese on each one. I love this breakfast!! Eggs have been so hard to come by lately.

Whistling Ducks

Butch happened to spot these two and alerted me to them. The lighting was less than ideal and a barking dog was keeping their attention focused in the opposite direction.

Caught my eye 2

I went for a walk up around the golf course. Getting outside amongst some nature does wonders for the mental attitude. You can feel the stress just falling off of you.

Alex is cleaning up his Moho is prep for heading out to Michigan soon.

Mark, Rich, and Wayne cussin' or discussin'.

 Lonnie is making his rounds since the pool hall is closed

 Horseshoes anyone?

 I would like a whirligig like this one

Fence peekers

 Corn is knee-high by Easter

Butch cannot play but he can advise

 Butch and his pool partner Paul.

Cabbage

 Romaine? That's a guess

 
The golf course was a busy place

Life in the slow lane

We are doing fine in our solitude. I am getting caught up and entertained on the computer and Butch is starting to get reacquainted with the book he was reading before the FALL. The Girl From Charnelle.
The Girl from Charnelle. It's 1960 in the Panhandle town of Charnelle, Texas -- a year and a half since sixteen-year-old Laura Tate's mother boarded a bus and mysteriously disappeared. Assuming responsibility for the Tate household, Laura cares for her father and three brothers and outwardly maintains a sense of calm.

Having been on Keto since last June and changing my entire way of eating has been another blessing in that I have fully adjusted to cooking at home. So it has been a seamless transition and most likely why my cupboard and freezer have been well-stocked. I have not been to a grocery store or any other kind of store since March 17th. I purchased a garden mix of greens and 2 bags of radishes at that time. last night we had pork loin, sweet potato, onions, potato salad, and coleslaw. Butch called it a feast. Today will be leftovers. I am thinking I may need a grocery excursion sometime in the next week. Fresh produce will be tops on my list.

We have been having weather with temps in the high 90's. Today is cooler and cloudy and we have the windows open. Yeah!!

Nothing Scheduled!

This will be a good day! Nothing scheduled anywhere! Actually, nothing is scheduled until next Tuesday, March 31st. It sounds like vacation!

I started this a few days ago after Butch's latest PT session.
I can always fall back on pictures so here are a few. The introvert that I am I do not mind the quiet, the slow pace, nowhere to go and nothing to do. It will be A-OK for awhile.

Butch was due for a haircut. We have been with these people all winter and we do take greater care with handwashing and distance...in case you are wondering.

Playing a little cribbage on a Saturday morning.

 Less people= More birds

Right outside my windo while at my computer. Uh Huh, I LIKE IT.

Shopping HEB in Alamo TX

I didn't take these pictures. I snipped them from Facebook. But I think I will feel more comfortable when I have to go buy groceries.

Update Plus

Butch is home from the hospital and we had an appointment with his surgeon. The Xrays say the bone is starting to heal. Good News. Today we will be going to his first outpatient appointment for physical therapy. I have to drop him off at the door. I won't be allowed in. (Covid-19)

 Liz loaned us her golf cart so we can get around the park for a change of scenery. We were naturally slowing down because of old age and this adds another layer of slow.

One of the little snafu's we have had concerns a hypodermic syringe. I am supposed to give Butch an injection every morning for 11 more days to guard against blood clots. Yesterday was the first one and we ruined the syringe in trying to figure it out. It seemed like a puzzle. I asked several people in the park if they knew how, including a couple of RN's. None of us were able to figure it out. So today I called CVS and they told me to bring it in and they would show me. The pharmacist looked at it and said this must be new. So he went online to see if he could see what the changes might be. We both felt a bit sheepish when it was discovered it was merely a matter of muscle. Pulling the end off,  exposing the needle took a lot more effort than any of us realized. Simple once you know how!

Butch's first outpatient appointment was today at 1:00PM. They told me I could come to pick him up at 2:00. It was more like 2:30 because he was going through an evaluation to see where his start line was and that took more time. It was a pleasant surprise that his sessions will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The only negative part of that is that shopping at Costco would not be a good diversion for me at this time. So I parked in the shade and listened to an audiobook.

Thelma belongs to Candy and Rick, our neighbors closest to us. Thelma and Butch have formed a relationship. Thelma will be leaving for Kansas tomorrow and she and Butch will miss each other. Thelma has a solution now. Rick, Candy, and Thelma have been the best of neighbors.

Butch's loaner

When old guys put their heads together some serious problem solving takes place. A big thanks to Dave, Paul, and Alex. Butch said things would be a lot easier if he had a handrail on the left side of the Moho door. Abracadabra and there it was!!

The first time he has been at the computer since the accident.

Sitting at the table at Liz's rental place while talking to Jason on the phone. Peaceful picture don't you think?

About my blog

I have been writing this blog since 2002. Sometimes I add things for future reference, using it as a journal so to speak. And my style of writing has always been as if you are sitting across from me and we are having a visit. So if you see something I have posted on Facebook or in an email or other location and then it shows up on the blog it is because I want to "save" it.
Since Butch broke his leg I have been quite busy. When I haven't been physically busy I have been mentally busy and for me that is normal. My mental busyness has always outrun the physical and that is why I have heard on more than one occasion from my constant companion, Butch, "You think too much, Barb." Yup, I must say he is probably right but I look upon it as a benefit most of the time. In my old age, I have learned to harness it a bit and we are both grateful for that.
Till I think up something else...

Civilization

Viral Poem

This is the good kind of viral — a poem, making the rounds on social media, that can uplift anyone affected or infected by coronavirus:

"When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theater

Friday night out

The taste of communion

A routine checkup

The school rush each morning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends

may we find

that we have become

more like the people

we wanted to be

we were called to be

we hoped to be

and may we stay

that way — better

for each other

because of the worst."

Who wrote the poem?

The author, Laura Kelly Fanucci, a Minnesota resident, writes a syndicated column, “Faith at Home,” published in Catholic newspapers nationwide and has written six books.

She didn't mention "coronavirus," "virus" or "pandemic" once in this poem. Did you notice? Probably not. Anyone who reads it will know what the "this" in "when this is over" is.

Author Laura Kelly Fanucci (Photo: Twitter)

But she may have mentioned everything you'll never take for granted again once we're past all of "this."

The poem has already been shared thousands of times on social media. 

Fanucci told the Caller-Times via email that she has been amazed by the response to her poem.

"At this point it's been shared over 83,000 times on Facebook and 48,000 times on Instagram, as far as I can track," she wrote. "So it's certainly struck a chord (although it feels strange to call something "viral" in this present crisis). I've seen it translated into several languages and have been asked for permission to reprint it in countless places.

"The words came to me in the middle of the night. Our youngest child is only 3 weeks old so I'm up with him at all hours. Everything feels darker and more frightening at night, so I started wondering what small good I could offer to people as a writer. Since then, it took on a life of its own. I've simply been sitting back and watching. Hoping it offers people some hope and comfort in such an anxious time."

Dog advice

Had to share!
https://www.rvtravel.com/hilarious-dog-gives-quarantine-advice/

Border Story

A. and R. are in a motorhome on our street, almost directly across from us. I met them last year about this time when they were scoping our park for a place to land this season. They liked our spot but settled for the one across the street and they have learned to love it too. They are a good fit for Trophy. A. is a top-notch pool player and R. is a quilter. They both have many other talents as well.
Both Renie and Alex have been going to Progreso for extensive dental work...and then the pandemic came with talk of closing the border. A. finished up with his work yesterday leaving him exhausted and in pain. R. was scheduled to go back today. The border closed last night at midnight and R., knowing this was coming insisted they finish up her work as well. They needed some prep time to get that done so they sent her home and scheduled her for 6:00 pm last night. So she returned to Nuevo Progreso Mexico last night, alone to get her work finished. Alone, in Mexico, after dark,  hours before a border closing. I knew what she was up to so I watched for her return. With great relief I watched her pull in at 10:00 PM a mere 2 hours before the border closing. R. is one tough cookie in my opinion! I greatly admire her tenacity.

Life Changes

Sometimes life changes happen slowly over time and other times it happens instantly, as in a broken leg, and sometimes it is a double whammy and a Coronavirus Pandemic.
For me, I can't visit Butch in the hospital. We talk a few times a day on the phone. I will be picking him up and bringing him home on the 24th. We will both be ready to get our lives back to some semblance of normal. He now has permission for unsupervised movement within his hospital room using a walker. He is happy about that, however, we know he is being his true self as he is getting a bit impatient with the help and bordering on grumpy. He has learned to like the meals and I sure didn't think that would happen. So we can still get surprised!

Trophy Gardens has suspended all activities and shut down most of the facilities. The pool hall is closed. The restroom facilities are all closed because some deranged person decided to steal all the toilet paper. There are about 20 stalls at least in the men's room and also the women's room. That is a lot of toilet paper! In addition to that, buying cleaning supplies for the cleaning personnel has been hampered too. 2020 will always be associated with toilet paper!

Socially Distanced

Since they shut down visitors at the hospital I haven't seen or heard much but will relay some of what I have heard.
The border is still open at Nuevo Progreso but they have canceled Winter Texan Appreciation Day, held each year on March 21st. I think my timing on getting down there (Mexico) and taking a side road with very few people on it was well done. And what puzzles me somewhat is that I did not fine-tune that action. I did it with no conscious thought. Since I am an avoider of crowds in life it was what I would have chosen to do on any day.
From the news: There are still no cases of Covid-19 in the Rio Grande Valley as far as I know. There was a couple from Michigan who had been to Idaho before coming to South Padre Island and then returned to Michigan who found out after they got home that they tested positive for Covid-19. And there was a Mexican businessman who had been on a trip who apparently tested positive somewhere and was self quarantining. Not sure of the details on that one but both had connections to South Padre Island. South Padre Island is 50+ miles from our location.

Yesterday I went to the Main Hall to get the mail and weigh myself. I felt as though I had walked in on a funeral. The mood was somber and sad. They were closing down virtually everything at the insistence of the corporate offices of Wilder. Not sure why the long faces and I didn't ask, just doing my chores and leaving. Most people who are going "home" have left. All activities are suspended except for those done by individuals among friends. I guess there are two ways of looking at it but I feel we are fortunate that we can and will stay put until Butch is able to get us home safely and we have a better knowledge of the situation North of here. Hmmm...just wondered if they will lock up the pool hall. Some of my planning involved going there.

Weighing in: My last recorded weight before yesterday was 153.2 on December 14th. March 18th I weighed in at 150.5. I have successfully settled in with a low carb way of eating. My body has adjusted and is happy with my choices. I pretty much know what I can get by with and when it comes to sugar and starch it isn't much. Jason asked me when it was that I weighed what I do now. As I remembered it I quit smoking in 1984 and at that time I weighed 140 something. And then along came my first computer and the Internet and over the next 5 years I put on 50+ pounds. I like to think that if I knew then what I know now it would have been different but realistically I am not sure. Some things you need to be ready to accept. I am feeling very good. Little to no joint pain. I can cross my legs, trim my toenails and every article of clothing in my closet either fits or is too big. Oh yes, it has been a very long time since I have had an A-Fib episode and I sleep better than I have in years or maybe ever!

Common sense

A good common sense article about sanitary protection.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/common-household-products-that-can-destroy-novel-coronavirus/

Another busy day

I did go to Magnolia Park for a quick visit with Donn and Peggy and Susan VH. I rode with Peggy while she took some recycles to the pickup site. It gave us time to visit. Susan is headed out tomorrow. It seems many people are heading for home I wish them all the best and hope and pray we can reconnect next fall.

This afternoon Dave and I went to see Butch. His therapist was in his room and it was very informative. The information actually took place before we got to his room. They are closing down the hospital at midnight tonight. No visitors. Butch was able to see his Xrays for the first time. We were too!

 It indeed was a bad break. Some of these were taken while the surgery was in process. The therapist said the doctor giving him permission to bear as much weight on it as he could bear means he had confidence in his work. It does look sturdy now.
Dave and I came back to the park about 5:30 stopping at the HEB Plus store at the corner of Cage and Ridge street. The shelves are still empty. I went in for cottage cheese. There was NO cottage cheese and most of the shelves throughout the store had little to offer.
I accepted a supper invitation from Liz and Dave and it really hit the spot. I was surprised at how hungry I was!
I am winding down fast so will sign off for now...

My yesterday

I went to Mexico. Yup, you read that right. I went to Mexico. I made a mistake the last time I went and purchased the incorrect eyedrops for sis-in-law Marlene so I needed to get that fixed before we head north and decided now was better than later. I went with Paul and Sally. Paul is Butch's pool partner and also they are a couple we play Dirty Board with. Although I may never play it again and that is a story for another time.
It was packed down there and the line to get out seemed neverending. This was around 10:30AM. Paul and Sally walked down to Hectors with me on the west side street. It was the first time they had been off the main drag. It is a faster trip if you do not have to weave in and out of people. Hector was busy. Hector is always busy. I made the exchange and we were then on our way back to Jessica's for lunch. I had Chicken Fajita Special the same as last time I was there and it was equally delicious. $4.95. You also get a free margarita, tortilla chips and salsa and a small bowl of ham and bean soup. That last bit is all free. Along with all that, there is music, dancing, and entertainers. Talk about being catered to! We then came back to the main drag to El Disco where I picked up 3 large bottles of vanilla before heading home. Miraculously, there was no line for walkers! We came directly through. There was a fairly long line for car traffic. Back in the USA!
I called Butch when I got home and interrupted one of his therapy sessions but he was relieved to hear from me and know that all was well. We are living in uncertain times.

Butch found out that his release date is March 24th. He is doing very well with his therapy and relearning how to live with a broken leg while it heals. I have not seen him work this hard since we remodeled the house in Iowa.

I am going over to Magnolia Park this morning. Peggy and I use the same laundry soap. Kirkland Free and Clear and it comes in a very large container. I am nearly out and she has offered to give me a refill. It will be a good time to visit as things are really slowing down in the valley. I will stop by and see Susan Van Houweling before she heads back to Iowa next week.
Stay tuned!

For oldagers too

An Hours Wait

It was another hour wait to see him again today. He is still doing great. The swelling in his leg has decreased quite a bit. He gets less of a workout on Sunday but the intensity stays the same. After his last session, they told him they were taking the wheelchair away as they want him to use the walker for bathroom trips and to walk down to his therapy sessions and the dining room.
We played a couple of games of cribbage. I won. I can't say that often.
He is making great strides on this road to recovery. I am proud of him.