Category Archives: Friends

Asia, assisted Living, Dogs, Family, Fourth Phase, Friends

An Ending, A Beginning

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Joe got in late Sunday night. Around 9:30. I stayed up, well past my bedtime. It was so good to see him again. We talked for a while. He got Seoah on the phone and I got to say gidday to her. She said good night to me.

Mary wrote me from K.L. Her time in Singapore over, she’s spending time with Guru before leaving on Monday for Melbourne.

To complete sibling news Mark, still in Hafar, awaits word about other teaching positions. He has several resumes out. Hafar seems to agree with him, so he’d like to stay.

Ruth and Gabe came up Sunday afternoon. Gabe landed a work study job perfect for his interests. He works concerts and small ensembles. Chairs. Sound.

 

Joe and I did more curating. Smaller stuff: meds, games, clothing. A bit more to do even as the packers come today. Two small rooms and books in the loft that my helpers didn’t get to.

Ruth and Gabe and David came up last night They wanted to see Uncle Joe. Fun having three generations in the same room, talking and laughing.

Melissa’s final day. Prime filet mignon, baked potatoes, green beans with bacon. A berry cobbler for desert. Sad to part ways though she says she’ll visit. I believe she will. Maybe she’ll bring some of her chili. So good.

Ginny and Janice picked up Shadow last night. She’ll stay with them until Thursday, missing the chaos of packing and moving. I already have a short video of her exploring their yard and some photos of her doing the same inside.

So. It comes down to this. One more full day on Shadow Mountain. One more night in the king size bed. Then, presto! A new phase of mine and Shadow’s life begins.

At this point I’m just ready to get these two days behind me.

assisted Living, Family, Fourth Phase, Friends, Shadow Mountain

Coming and going

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Tom left the house about 10, headed for DIA. We had another of our quiet, laid back visits.  35+ years makes for communication at the heart level. So good to see him.

Mary has been up in the loft, pulling books off shelves. A yellow pad has my book title scrawls on it for all 20 bookshelves plus some books on the floor and in freestanding book cases. Curating a smaller library for Elk Run. 5 shelves worth. A lot of books. Shadow accompanies her. A helper.

BJ is here, continuing her and Pammy’s search for a place outside a trans-hostile Idaho. Hope they find something that fits them.

Thought about going out to breakfast with Tom. Nope. When planning to heat up leftover moo shu pork, I turned quickly, my hip gave out. Tom grabbed me. Thanks, dude. Not yet ready to be away from home.

Melissa’s new hours start on Monday. She’ll be here from 3 to 5. I plan to have her make an evening meal, something for breakfast, and a sandwich for lunch. She’ll also do some laundry, help me shower.

Looks like Joe and Seoah can’t be here until the last week of September. Good to see them anytime.

A Dopy Don stiff wave good-bye.

Family, Fourth Phase, Friends, Health, Shadow Mountain, Travel, Weather +Climate

Farewell, auf wiedersehen

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Today Adrian leaves for Holland. Two days later Tara goes to Florida where she will store her Costa Rica luggage and fly to Barcelona for a family wedding. At that point only Mary will be left here. She leaves a week later. I’ll have two weeks of no one but Melissa unless I can make other arrangements.

I can walk up the stairs! I thought so. Tried and it was easy. That’s a milestone. So is my improvement in breathing. After pneumonia my breathing had been compromised. I use a spirometer and a clever device called a breathing muscle trainer.

The trainer has seven settings for inhalation, an equal number for exhalation. I breathe in, forcefully, through a small tube. The inhalation setting determines how easy or difficult it is. Then breathe out. 10x rest 10x.

Weather here has been cooler and wet with no wildfire smoke. Good sleeping, fire protection.

Marilyn and Irv come over tonight with food from Oyama, the sushi spot in Aspen Park. Marilyn and Tara have been close for many years. A farewell Shabbos dinner. Trump affects us.

Family, Fourth Phase, Friends, Travel

Today

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Adrian leaves the U.S. on Friday, headed for Holland, his brother’s place in the heart of Amsterdam. Tara and Julia (their middle child) will join him briefly before heading out on a week and a half long trip together.

The night after he arrives Adrian and his brother will board his brother’s canal boat and head to a spot close to a floating barge with classical musicians who present, this one night a year, a program involving musicians from various orchestras and ensembles. A lottery allots spaces near the barge. “And,” Adrian said, “Every year my brother wins a spot.”

After Holland, Adrian flies to Costa Rica where Tara will join him a few days later. They have reservations at six air bnb’s over the course of a year. This allows them to sample various locations before choosing a place to settle down. Quite the adventure.

After they leave, Mary stays till August 30th when she flies to Singapore where she will meet Guru for one last stay in a favorite hotel-like building, the Raffles Town Club. She put Kate and me up there in 2016. Nicest rooms I’ve ever had.

I feel good. I’m getting things done. Working out. Not sure where cancer is right now. In a couple of weeks. Eating well. Reading a lot.

Meeting with financial folks on Wednesday. A focus will be on my move to Elk Run. Robin comes tomorrow to tell me about how my stuff will fit into the apartment. Excited about about both sessions.

Ruth and David came up. A good, long conversation about college, David’s job hunt.

 

 

 

Family, Fourth Phase, Friends, Health, Shadow Mountain, Weather +Climate

Back At It

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A cool morning on the mountain. Another Colorado blue sky and sun day ahead. Lughnasa and Mabon, the harvest period of the Great Wheel, make 16 weeks of often Goldilock’s weather. Not too hot, not too cool. Some precipitation, but not too much.

That is. This period used to be like that. Still can be, of course, but more and more what would have been mid-Summer heat intrudes. As does smoke from the burning boreal forests of Ontario. We’ve missed the mark. By a lot.

Been having a fun haiku experience with Joanne Greenberg. She suggested a haiku conversation. She writes one and sends it to me. I have to use the sense of the last line in mine. Back and forth.

My profound weakness continues to surprise me. Getting up from the bed is a challenge, even when using both arms for leverage. Same with my chair. It’s easy for me to overdo. Crossing the room to get a book, or let Shadow outside, can make me glad to sit down.

In spite of that I feel good. Engaged. Called a realtor yesterday. Lined up Robin of SpaceWranglers to oversee the process of clearing out the house. She helped me when I thought about a move to Hawai’i. Trustworthy.

I’m going to try to pull all this off in 60 days. Yesterday I put a 60 day hold on the one-bedroom at Elk Run. If I can’t get the house cleared and sold in that time; or, if we run into snags on the Long Term Care policy, I’ll probably have to stay here for the foreseeable future. Not a terrible prospect.

Got back in the saddle. Making those arrangements, paying some bills, getting my dues for CBE. Felt good to flex those muscles.

Mary will be here through August. Joe and Seoah plan to come in September. Hopefully I’ll be on my way to Elk Run by the end of that month.

 

 

Family, Friends, Politics

Friends. Family. Dopy.

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Luke came up, his faithful dog Leo with him. Leo is a large dog and is 13 years old. He lowers himself to the ground in stages, doesn’t play as much. Still the sweet boy he’s always been.

Laundry day for Luke. He spent almost five hours washing, drying, and folding. His apartment’s laundry puts lint on to the clothing.

We talk, Luke and I. Of Judaism, the synagogue, his ongoing work combining Hebrew, Chemistry, and Kabbalah. Of why didn’t the community college rehire him? Of his new focus on high school chemistry positions. Of family, his and mine. Friends.

Gabe meant to come up yesterday. However. He and Levi tried to reach the summit at Hell’s Hole outside of Idaho Springs. Gabe overdid it. Was too late by the time they slowly finished their hike.

Sister Mary arrives today. All the way from down under, mate. Good on’er. Well not really. She made a trip to Minneapolis and Eau Claire first. A two hour flight from Minneapolis. Will be so good to see her.

Today I start trying to get in good enough shape to receive my second infusion, stay in the trial. I know how to work out, just not how to do it from this depleted state. 10 am.

Dopy Don must feel the quicksand rising. Iran lobs a missile at U.S. forces in Kuwait. Threatens to pull out of peace talks. Dopy’s reaction? Couldn’t care less. The negotiations are very boring. The sort of stance I look for in the leader of a country at war. Can’t be bothered.

 

Friends, Health

Some Assembly…

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Whoo, boy. Dodged a bullet. When Ginny and Janice came over, they found my new walker in a box. Ginny offered to look at it, see if it needed assembly. Never occurred to me. It did.

Had I waited to open the box before an appointment, I would have been very unhappy. Ginny, with Janice’s help, got my red menace together. My very own walker. Welcome to frailty.

Another great visit with those two. What a joy to have them in my life. They’re kind, loving. Feel like sisters.

Weight down to 111. Ginny told CBE folks who asked after me that I’d lost a lot of weight. I look like it, too.

Reading a mystery Tom mentioned. A Beautiful Blue Death. Charles Finch. An homage to Holmes. Excellent.

Mentally preparing for a hard push with p.t. Need to be up on my feet by June 17th. Carol will guide me.

Oh my. Spurs win. Trump double dealing questioned. Iran wobbles on.

Friends, Health

P.T.

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Two notable events. Mt. Evans p.t. called. I’ll see Carol next Tuesday at 10. Glad to have this underway. I need it. Christina told me on telehealth yesterday that I could not get my second infusion in the shape I’m in. A major incentive.

Compact microwave on dorm fridge. Melissa-made meals in the fridge. Three meals a day. Putting on weight is the goal. No longer necessary to go upstairs.

Both push me toward regaining strength and stamina. A good day.

Ginny and Janice, Annie and Luna, coming for a visit later today. Luke on Monday.

 

 

 

Fourth Phase, Friends, Greenhouse, Memories, Politics, Shadow Mountain, US History

Decoration Day

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Shabbat. Melissa came, drove Ruby to Mangy Moose Trail, and picked up my six heirloom tomato plants. Healthy and strong, straight out of the Heirloom Tomato Farm greenhouse.

Not sure if they’re gonna live. My heater didn’t keep them warm enough last night. 47 degrees. Way too cold for tomatoes. I’ll have to check on them today. A long walk in my current weakened condition. I do have the Inogen charged so I can carry my O2 concentrator.

If they’re ok, I’ll give them a drink. Artemis drawing me into movement. A good thing.

Janice planted the tomatoes. Coming back in occasionally with pictures. Sweet of her to do that.

Ginny, her partner, helped with thin skin wound treatment. She’s a nurse. And an opera singer. And a theater director. And a student of Torah and mussar.

Monday entry

Tanks wrinkling hot asphalt. Last year’s homecoming queen riding on the back of the realtor’s Cadillac convertible. The color guard wearing uniforms that fit them long ago, now bulging, showing a bit of white skin.

The Decoration Day parade in Alexandria. We waved tiny flags and cheered the baton twirlers. The whole town lined Harrison street, baby boomers like me still in elementary school.

The official start of summer. The pool in Beulah Park opened. I still remember the small pool of chlorine laced water we all had to step in before we could enter the swimming pool itself.

I skipped the long speeches and decorating of veterans graves. Pretty boring for an eight year old.

Long after I left Alexandria, Decoration Day became Memorial Day and shifted in time from May 30th to the last Monday in May. In my mind Memoria Day remains on May 30th as does the annual running of the Indianapolis 500. I still occasionally miss the Indy 500 for this reason.

School ended the week before Memorial Day and began again the day after Labor Day. It shocked me to learn that schools in Colorado routinely begin in mid-August. Seems cruel and unusual.

 

Dopy struggles his way toward a deal with the Iranians. Number one? Opening the Straits of Hormuz. Which weren’t an issue until we invaded. So Dopy brokers deal to solve a problem he created, one which was never listed as a war aim. Go, Team America!

 

Dogs, Fourth Phase, Friends, Garden, Greenhouse, Health, Politics, Shadow Mountain

Heirloom

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Today is a red vegetable day. I get my heirloom tomato plants from the Heirloom Tomato Farm. Rather, Melissa will get them for me. Still not up to an outing.

Gotta plug in the heater, warm up the greenhouse. 39 degrees, this morning’s temp, is way too cold for tomatoes. Ginny and Janice will get them planted today. Still pretty chilly through the next week though not this cool.

My Minnesota preference for cold weather now gives way to my gardener’s sensibility. Bring on the Beltane heat. Well, at least Beltane warmth. My mini-splits stand ready to cool the house if need be.

Tara came yesterday with Eleanor. Even though Eleanor’s twice plus her size Shadow initiates most of the rough and tumble, jumping up toward Eleanor’s front, paws out, all let’s play, let’s play, let’s play! They wear each other out.

Tara has worked hard between benai mitzvah classes on Zoom on the complicated logistics of their move to Costa Rica. Dog crates. Getting the house ready to rent. Selling, donating, throwing away decades of accumulated stuff. A lot.

The new microwave is here, ready to go on top of the small fridge. I’ll be able to retrieve my meals and warm them up without having to go upstairs. My recovery depends on two pillars: more and regular meals, a return to some level of exercise. Calories and protein, movement.

My recovery is in stasis right now. Not regressing, but not much forward movement either. There is this. As my body has healed, my mood and attitude have followed. I’m wanting to live, not just exist. Adjusting to my new reality requires challenging myself physically. Not there yet.

Hey, anybody heard about the Straits of Hormuz? How about that slush fund for insurrectionists? What? You’re focused on that “triumphal” arch? Me, I’m wondering if Wemby’s Spurs can takeout the Thunder.