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From Robert Reich today:

When an old friend passes, you can’t replace them with another old friend. You have only a limited number of people who have shared your history, moved through life with you, talked and laughed and pondered the universe and their lives with you.

It’s these cumulative understandings, the sweetness and depth of long familiarity, that give meaning to old friendships.

Good News from the Thyroid Department

Today Jerry had surgery on his thyroid. The good news is that the preliminary analysis seems to indicate that there was no cancer found. There will be a further analysis, but the surgeon seemed optimistic that follow up results will hold. Now Jerry is recovering from the aftereffects of the medications given during surgery. He is home and eating ice cream, which I am sure will aid in his recovery.

My wonderful daughter, Simone, was there with me waiting for results from the surgery. She also helped me find my car again in the impossibly complicated parking structure underneath the hospitals in the medical center. Turns out I was looking in the wrong area underground, wandering in circles until she helped me locate the car in an entirely different lot.

Who knew parking in the dark could be so complicated? We arrived at 5:30 a.m. for surgery at 7:30 a.m. That meant we were up at 3:30 a.m. to leave at 4:30 a.m. to drive to Denver. So, I may not have been entirely compos mentis while storing Smickle, our electric car.

Simone and I had a nice breakfast during the time Jerry was under the knife, walking to a restaurant nearby. Brielle called to check in several times, as did other friends and family. Even our recent acquaintances from the Fulbright Scholarship program who had dinner with us on Tuesday, sent messages of support. We are feeling much relieved and grateful for our caring circle. Onward to our doddering 80's!!!

Brielle and me at my birthday party.

More birthday party pics!

My 80th birthday party.

Here is the invitation Brielle created for my birthday. I am so looking forward to having a dinner with family and friends to celebrate.

We visited Boise, Idaho to attend the wedding of my friend, John Hummel. The wedding of two gay men in an Episcopal cathedral was an eye opener for me, raised a strict Catholic. It was delightful.

We found that the city had interesting architecture, wonderful art pieces scattered throughout the city, and a fun car show. We stayed downtown in a hotel that was walking distance to restaurants and cultural activities. I recommend Boise to my wandering friends.

At home now, we are recuperating from the rigors of travel for an almost 80-year-old and her dutiful, if sometimes cranky spouse.

Good News

We have just come back from a visit to the thoracic surgeon, who says that there is a 70% chance that the nodules on Jerry's thyroid are cancerous. BUT the surgery to remove them is quite successful. The doc said, "If you are going to have cancer, this is the type to have. We can cure it."

Now we just wait for a surgery date. Whew!

Here is my brother, Mikey, with his daughter Nina. Mikey is recovering from a recent hospital stay, during which time Nina was so very helpful. As we age into fragility, it is very important to have caring family and friends to help support us. Mikey rode his bike to Nina's salon for a haircut. This is a major step forward in his recovery. Or is it a major peddle forward?

Familiar?

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

― George Orwell, 1984

Brielle and Julian in Tuscany. They stayed at a lovely villa and each day set out on a bike ride with Bob, Julian's father and some other friends. After their rides they came back to the villa and were served wonderful meals.

Brielle and Julian invited me to come to Tuscany one day to meet them. I gladly accepted.

Brielle and Julian at a restaurant in Tuscany after their bike ride.

Gordon is graduating from preschool today, a happy guy. He is so excited to be going to kindergarten in a couple of months. We are having a family party to celebrate this monumental occasion.

Psychic Battery

As I entered the apartment, I noticed the bookshelves crammed with adventure chronologies. Somebody had loved to travel. Overall, there was the general chaos of patient care piled on the counters and furniture – medicines, diapers, blood pressure monitors and thermometers. The patient’s bed was lying in the middle of the dining room, facing a bank of windows. His breathing was shallow and erratic. He was unconscious.

I had come in response to an urgent call from hospice. Could I please come to give respite to a caregiver who had been on duty for days as her partner was entering the final stages of life transition? Of course I could.

It would be just a couple of hours that she could use to restore herself. Maybe she could take a walk or just sit on a bench or take a drive. When leaving, she grabbed her car keys and said, “It’s been so long, I don’t even know if I can still drive.”

“Of course you can,” I said. In giving her a moment away, I felt a splinter of hope. Maybe she could recharge a cell or two in her psychic battery. I sat and read beside the patient for two hours.

When she returned, I said that I hoped she got a chance to take a deep breath. She thanked me for helping her. I left to go about my normal life routines. Somehow though, I was very tired. Giving a helping hand is hard sometimes.

I went hiking in Coral Reef State Park with Margaret, my friend from high school - 65 years ago. We were stunned by the variation in colors in the layers of rock. It was astonishingly beautiful. What a nice way to celebrate our upcoming 80th birthdays. It was less crowded than Arches or Zion. We were delighted.

Hiking in Coral Reef State Park, Utah

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