Category: Life

In recent months, while dealing with my health problems, I started to watch a lot of TV. What I found were a few often hard-to-digest truths.

• Many genuinely gifted entertainers from back in the day are either gone from us or have aged so much that we no longer see them.
• I went to Liverpool and took the Beatles tour. I thought of those four Lads from Liverpool and how they revolutionized popular music through the songs they wrote and the ones they performed. John and George died, and Ringo and Paul are in their 80s.
• I now understand what my grandmother once told me. One day, you are sitting at a full table with all you love, and the next, half of your loved ones and friends are gone.
• I will be 66 years old in November. If I am lucky, I will have 20 more years to live and enjoy my crazy life.
• I sit eating my Cheerios in the morning, and I can’t believe how quickly  I have lived 66 years.
• We all share these feelings. If we are lucky and stick together through thick and thin, we can go when this life ends with a smile.

People have been joking with me recently about dining out at my favorite place, George’s Diner.

I admit to eating there a lot. The food is excellent, and the staff is like family!

I’m 65 years old. I’ve only eaten alone a few times. I usually ate with my parents and siblings, my first husband, our kids, and Jack.

Now, meals are eaten standing up. Usually, it’s toast or Cheerios. For a while, I ate chicken pot pies. Now I can’t stand them!

After all these years, I can finally relate to Gary Portnoy’s theme for Cheers.

Have a great week!

I must tell you that I had a good time on the cruise: sunny skies and temperatures near 80. I felt good, and although I had three excursions canceled, there was always something to do. When in Port, I spent most days walking on the shore.

My health was good, and I felt strong. Then, the 14th arrived, and I was told I should be ready to ‘disembark’ by 8 AM.

I grabbed an English muffin, and I headed to grab a taxi. Miami has changed. I recalled all the time I spent there. Jack and all our Pan Am pilot group.

Eventually, our plane was ready to load. The announcement offered a preboard for those who are disabled and might need extra time.

I got up and went to the gate, and the Agent looked me over and said: I said for people who are disabled. I need that extra time. And she said the magic words that anger everyone, “I can’t see anything wrong with you.”

I stopped myself before reaching out and bitting the hand, trying to push me away. I turned and showed her the scar. I hoped that would be enough as I didn’t want to play the “How Disabled Are You?” game.

I settled in my seat and got settled.

Our plane to Boston was packed, and right after take off, I swear, everyone began to cough. Not quiet coughs, but loud, full hacking coughs. I prayed I would be okay.

Since I found that my life is one Bermuda triangle after another, I felt very wiped out three days after I returned. Sleeping, coughing, and then chills.  But by Wednesday, I felt so ill I sat down with my Covid tests and took them. Both tests were very positive.

So, here I sit under several blankets, sipping ginger ale. My fever is down. My cough is almost under control.

But now, it is time for me to take another nap. Here in my personal Bermuda Triangle!

I have not felt like watching TV since Jack passed. Yet, I am not comfortable with the sound of silence either. A while back, I made a list of some of my favorites on Youtube.

So many of these performances from way back when, like when we were young too, are fabulous!

One singer I loved back in the day was Andrew Gold. Now I had a few songs I liked. But I didn’t pay attention to the rest of the band. After all, I was married and raising my first baby, Amanda.

But as I listened and watched, I realized the band members (who are still with us) are in their early 70s.

Sadly Andrew Gold passed away quite young due to complications from kidney cancer. But most of the others are still around.

One of those is a pianist, orchestrator, and producer, Brock Walsh—a Harvard graduate who also worked with Linda Ronstadt, is featured in all the videos singing backup and playing the piano and organ for Andrew.

Andrew is the redhead on the left side of the stage playing the piano, and Brock is on the right side playing piano and organ and singing back up.

Here’s the thing, everyone looks so young. I remember being that young. But doesn’t time fly by? In a few short months, I will be 65. Now isn’t that just a kick in the pants? How on earth did that happen?

On Monday, I went to our local Social Security Office. I had tried the “easy to do” online sign-up, but even though I could enter Jack’s date of death, it wouldn’t allow me to do anything. So I showed up in person, and everyone was so nice! I was all done and on my way in less than an hour.

So while I putter around, I listen to Andrew and his band, sing all the old songs and remember that once I was very young, trying to make good decisions and often failing. But the music always helped to calm the spirit.

Well, time for this old girl to get to bed with the doggies.

Friday found me getting the family room ready for two new pieces of furniture.

My 30-year-old sofa has never fit in this house. So, Friday’s delivery removed that sofa and Jack’s chair and moved the new smaller loveseat and a nice reclining chair.

I’d been concerned because of all the rain we were having, but somehow we managed to get furniture moved around between the torrential downpours.

I had to do this for several reasons but for the most part, for Lili and me. You see, Jack’s chair still smelled like him. Each day Lili would sniff at it, hoping Daddy would appear. And every day, I woke, looked at his chair, and remembered the day he left us.

It all started in that chair.

So the house looks different in the family room. This morning Lili was calm. It was as if she understood that Daddy wasn’t coming back.

Today I am cleaning out the mud room. Lili chewed the boot bench in her puppyhood, which is terrible. So, I am emptying that and will remove the bench and put a small old desk in there. Then I must start to clear out the kitchen.

Little by little, bit by bit, I’m getting a handle on getting the house in order. One thing I have learned is that Jack was a true packrat!

So off I go now to get to the cleaning. Music, rags, and detergent! So much to do.

When I was growing up I tried to think of what career path I should follow. Since the start of 2023, I have come up with a few professions I should have studied.

First, I think it would have been grand if I had studied plumbing. I’ve needed work in the guest bathroom, and now my kitchen sink. The kitchen sink has been clogged since Friday night.

I had just finished making a special dinner using every pot, pan, and dish when I noticed the sink was not draining.

I tried my Science Experiment fix, (baking soda, white vinegar, and boiling water). I also plunged. Nothing was working.

I worked all day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to no avail. Tuesday is the first day after the holiday weekend. I hope I can get a plumber in here soon.

Meanwhile, I am washing dishes in the small bar sink.

The other thing I should have learned about is taking care of my furnace and my water pipes during a couple of -20 degree days!

So, plumbing and heating for sure, and toss in the Automatic garage door opener and I would be all set.

Well, whatever it is, after 23 years it seems like everything is going. I just suppose that is how it goes.

But you know, It’s all done pretty well to last this long.

Life certainly is crazy these days and most of it is upsetting. I try very hard to ignore it, but try as I might, I am sailing this ship alone, and I find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed. Anyway, in no particular order here are some of my thoughts.

• Our first tank of home heating oil came today. Yes, it’s liquid gold! Our tank took $999.95 worth of it. Right now I hope to get to December before we need to refill it, but if we have a cold snap, I may need to fill it before then. When one is paying well over $5.00 a gallon, you dread having to fill it.
• I have gone around the house and set the bedrooms at 65 degrees and the family room is set at 68. Last night I woke up freezing. So, I have also gotten out warm blankets and pajamas.
• The Electric Company has also doubled our rate. One thing I truly dislike is that our current President does nothing to bring down the cost of oil, gas, and electricity.
• This is when I think that the entire men and women in Washington, who miraculously have become Multi-Millionaires need to be sent home.
• Do you realize that they get their pay for life? Do you realize they get the best healthcare for life, and it is free for them? And after a short time, they can become paid lobbyists in Washington, DC?
• I also find that as these people get older and gain more power they feel more and more able to lie outright.
• I am being inundated by political commercials. I live here in New Hampshire. The only time we see our Congressmen and Senators here in the State is when they want our votes.
• And quite sadly, the commercials this year ONLY revolve around Abortion.
• Now before you jump all over me, I believe that women have the right to abortion. But…in the first trimester and if the case necessitates, into the second. I do not believe that a baby who is viable should be sacrificed on a whim in the final trimester.
• Unfortunately, people got all screwy, and viable babies were being killed.
• Could I have had an abortion? No. But I believe people and their doctors should make that decision.
• And to those who are single-issue voters I remind you, there was never a constitutional amendment giving women this right. It was never codified.
• The States must decide. And eventually, the Congress and Senate will need to put forth a change to the Constitution. And then and only then, can it be codified and put into law Nationally.
• All that being said, I believe in free contraception for all women. There are so many ways to protect yourself against pregnancy.
• I also believe that if someone is assaulted then all care after that should be taken care of. The day after pill, antibiotics, and counseling.
• I was the third child. My mother’s friend tried to convince her to abort me, but she refused. Mom was somewhat distant from me, but I am here.
• I try to tell people to vote for people who think outside the box. People who really want to work for the betterment of our country and not just go to Washington to line their own pockets.
• I hope that everyone will vote with an open mind. Please do not vote single issue, and allow officials into office who will bankrupt you because you need to heat your home, you need electricity, and let’s not forget food and medication.

Well, these are the things that are bothering me, and more. I just needed to get this off my chest. I know some of you will disagree with what I have written. However, I do still believe in free speech and I hope you will not flame me for disagreeing with you. I am for free speech, the freedom to express your thoughts and ideas, without being bullied or injured,

On Friday I finally got my heart monitor. The nurse did not have time to put it on me, but she said it was easy, just follow directions.

Okay. First, you register your monitor. The nurse did that, but I was directed to call them. So, I did and they said I was all set and to put the unit on.

The directions ordered me to shave the part of my chest on the left-hand side. Then scrub it down with sandpaper and clean it with alcohol.

Then after everything dried, attach the monitor to your chest. I have to say it was not as easy as it sounded, but eventually, I got it on. Yay me!

Let the 2 weeks begin!

Meanwhile, coming home we were stuck in heavy traffic. All the families from Southern New England headed to Northern New England. And oh, my my.  What clogged highways we had!

It was not my favorite way to drive home, but I made it just fine. It just took a little longer.

So that’s my day. Hope your day was a good one!