It has come to my attention that when folks subscribe to the blog and get an email version, the picture galleries don’t appear in the email, and you would never know that there were pictures at all.  I am going to begin putting some text as a warning so you can go to the website and see the pictures – is you are interested.

PICTURES

Going into the lake

The canal and the dam that makes the lake

The pilot boat on the lake

David, mocking my fascination.

The train’s roller coaster ride

Bridge number two

Entering the final locks to Atlantic

The train

David on the balcony. Suspicious of the canal’s fascination.

View as we enter the Atlantic. You can see the cranes working on the new larger parallel canal being built.

Pilot boat

More tourists watching the ships. Better to be on one, I think.

The cut through the continental divide

Bridge number two again, from a distance

Yellow tree. They explained it, but I don’t remember what it was called

View back at the ships waiting to come through

Entering the second canal

The workers at the canal

One of the stations where the work happens and tourists watch the ships go by

The train going downhill. About four of these trains pull the ship in and through the locks.

Needless to say, David would be annoyed that I put these in.  I am not sure what happened, but when I posted the other pictures of the canal transit, these had disappeared, but I found them on my phone.  Ah, technology!

We arrived this morning in Miami, and it is really nice to have reliable internet service.  Yesterday we had a good day in Key West.  Just wandered and looked around.  As we wandered, we ended up in the housing projects of Key West.  Who knew?  I can always promise an authentic albeit accidental tour as a guide!

We are meeting Lynn for Lunch today in Miami, and have some errands to run, so will keep this short.  More later, maybe.

It was a rocky crossing of the southern Caribbean yesterday.  David was feeling a little queazy and they had posted the seasick bags at all the elevators.  Fortunately, last night at 9pm, as the captain promised, we became protected by Haiti and the seas calmed dramatically.  Thank you Haiti.  As we sat having dinner at La Cucina, all seemed to becoming right with the world.  And the bread was good too.  I haven’t mentioned this, I don’t think, but the bread has been pretty not so great on this cruise.  Anyone who knows me well knows that next to potatoes, bread is my favorite food, so, that is pretty distressing.  I think that they must freeze the bread and then defrost it in a microwave of some sort, because it is just a bit chewy and tough.

Anyway, enough about bread and rocking and rolling.  It has been a few days.  I really enjoyed the crossing through the Panama Canal.  David kept on looking at me perplexed at my fascination with the locks.  He finally said, why is this one different from the last one?  Well, it wasn’t really, it is just the process.  I’m a nerd that way.  To be honest, a nerd in a number of ways, and proud of it.  I took lots of pictures.  We also had breakfast in the cabin so we wouldn’t miss a moment of the canal.  I think David might have preferred watching paint dry.

More locks into the lake

Locks into Gatun Lake

Me, anticipating the locks

Bridge over canal

David, still waiting for the excitement to start

Pilot boat ushering us into the canal

Bridge over canal

David before breakfast

David on the balcony waiting for the excitement to start

Then, overnight to Cartagena, Columbia.  We went on shore and after dodging the birds and souvenir hawks, we shared a cab with the guys from Las Vegas and took a three hour tour of town.  We drove by the fort and then through old town, and finally drove along the beaches in the new part of town.  My car mates kept mentioning how it all reminded them of Puerto Rico, and I mentioned that they did have the same designer, some friend of Queen Isabella.  It is funny, but it also reminded me a bit of Malaysia, but, when you live in a climate like this, there are certain design principles that come into play – balconies, open courtyards, lots of shade, etc.  It was a nice tour and just what we needed.

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Old Town Street

Old Town Street

Cartagena Balcony

Another street view in Old Town

David in the cab in Cartagena

View to the cathedral in Cartagena

And now, we are are up to date.  I have been reading Tina Fey’s book Bossypants, which has an appropriate chapter on her honeymoon cruise, which has some finny insights.  Generally, I am finding the book a little underwhelming.  Funny moments, but I almost feel like I could have written it.  She reminds me of every Jody, Diane, Wendy and Liz I knew living through my 20’s and 30’s.  Granted, a lot more successful, and married, but very similar struggles.

Tomorrow Key West and then Miami and then, The Crossing.

After writing the above, I went to Yoga, and feel much more centered.  The sky is clear and blue, as is the water and we are looking forward to a lovely day at sea and by the pool.

Last night we went to the show on the ship.  The Look of Love – A NEW Burt Bacharach musicale extravaganza.  I don’t think I need to say any more, except we left about half way through. Oh, and they didn’t include any of the songs from that blockbuster movie musical, Lost Horizon. David doesn’t have the stomach for it (and it had nothing to do with the rolling of the ship!)  We went for sushi before the show, which was nice.  Also had our daily meeting with the FOD’s.

We binged a little more on Downton Abbey and caught up a bit more on the US news.  Nice to stay connected.  As I recall from our November visit to Paris, we won’t hear much about the goings on in America while we are away.  It will all be a surprise when we get home in June.  I had my yoga class today, and am thinking that I might try to keep it up while in Paris.  I am sure there will be a yoga studio somewhere relatively close to the apartment, and it might just help with my French.  I will at least have right, left, arm, leg, downward facing dog, cat pose, etc down by the time we leave.

Tonight we went out for our FOD meeting, and a few cocktails, then dinner.  Now, early to be in preparation for our passage through the canal.  We begin tomorrow morning at about 5am and have breakfast on the balcony at 8am.  According to the schedule, we should be hitting Atlantic waters by about 5pm.  Sadly, I will forego the yoga class for the passage tomorrow morning.  Maybe a run in the afternoon as we go through the lake.

In Puerto Chiapas, we went on shore very briefly.  There wasn’t much to see at the dock – a small market and lively bar with a pool – neither of which interested us much.  We got back on the ship and relaxed for the day.  Sat by the pool and played some scrabble again.

I don’t know if I talked about this, but I find it interesting that every cruise that we go on has a very distinct personality, and now I have found that even the temporary residents of an elevator take on their own mob mentality.  You might remember the gentleman who had his toe stepped on, and yesterday we were waiting for an elevator to take us up to the pool.  An elevator arrived, after waiting a bit, and it was quite crowded, so I got ready to wait a bit more.  about five people got off, and it looked like there was plenty of room for Me and David to fit.  David was in his wheelchair because it was so hot, I didn’t want him to be exhausted by the time we got to the pool.  As I began to back into the elevator, a voice yelled that there wasn’t room.  There was plenty, and as I looked back and said, sure there was, a woman said, “Well I’m getting off then, I’ve already had my foot stepped on twice!”  Pushed off the elevator, and as the doors closed, thanked the lovely folks for their kindness and generosity.  This was, of course, just one experience.  Normally folks have been very nice, generous and accommodating.  I was only very pleased to note that the voices from the elevator had a distinct non-American accent.  Not that we are gems, mind you.

Yesterday we were at sea and had another nice day.  Early morning yoga for me, then just wandering and relaxing.  TV is right up my alley – reruns of 30 Rock and an endless loop of Downton Abbey.  We had a little dispute about one of the actresses on DA who is also on another series we have begun watching, Ripper Street.  David couldn’t believe that she was the same woman, but after some research, I proved that she was.  We had dinner last night with Peter and Ara (the Aussies) and Steven and Joel (Sacramento).  We skipped the show.  It was a magic show, and David and I don’t have much interest in that.  It did sound a little like Siegfried and Roy with birds and snakes.  To be honest, just the thought of sharing the ship with birds and snakes made me a little uncomfortable and seeing them would have just added to my anxiety.  If I wanted to sail on the ark, I would have booked with Noah!  During dinner, David was pleased that the boys thought that he was in his 50’s.  I resisted asking them how old they thought I was.

The other night we stumbled into the sailing solo get together at one of the lounges.  We were too early for the Friends of Dorothy meeting because it had been moved back an hour to accommodate the celebration for the Dutch King’s Birthday.  Well, really, it looked like they were just looking for an excuse to drink heavily.  I am grateful for my Celtic/Anglo-Saxon blood – no excuse needed to drink.  Well, there we were, and David was delighted that one of the sailing solo ladies began to chat him up.  I only mention this because she was about 80 and wearing a lovely orange MuuMuu.  This morning we arrived in Costa Rica and did our usual on shore and back on the ship.  Nice day.

As I said in the last post today we went to Huatulco for a lovely day relaxing on the beach.  There wasn’t much going on when we were there, but as we were heading back to the ship, things were beginning to pick up on shore and in the bay.  Lots of motoring on the water and the beach and water were filling up with folks from the area.  Most of the visitors from the ship dispersed on tours.  The town is pretty small and I think it is mostly visited by the local population, which I like better.  We had a bite to eat at the restaurant by the beach and of course had margaritas as well.  David complained about being a little tipsy as we were rolling down the dock and up the gangway to the ship.

Then we had a little cool down, shower and headed down to the atrium for a coffee followed by a game of Scrabble.  David let me win.  Then we did some speech exercises and will do some PT as well.  Just a lazy day in Mexico.

After we sailed and sat on the balcony for a while, we caught up with the news in the US.  Not meaning to be critical, but glad we are far away from Nevada!  Then we went to visit with our friends of Dorothy.  We were a little late, and when it was time to split up, we went to dinner with two of the other couples.  One from Las Vegas and the other from Sacramento.  I haven’t mentioned this, but one of the goals for David on the ship was to walk as much as possible. It has been kind of exhausting and sometimes a little difficult to maneuver around the masses of people.
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When we were on our way to the restaurant, the six of us got on an elevator, and  were then joined by a gentleman on one of the intervening floors.  We were all getting off before him, and as David was trying to navigate around him, he stepped on his foot and apologized, and then, as he was trying to get off, stepped on his foot again.  The guy said “a second time??!!” and David said “Sorry” again, and one of our table mates lit into him as we exited the elevator.  I am guessing that he didn’t see the cane and the difficulty with which he was trying to make his way around him.  I am always amazed at how unaware folks are to other people around them.  I am only hoping that this moment made him feel smaller that he actually was.

Otherwise a nice dinner and now back in the room and relaxed.

Our first breakfast in the Versailles room on the ship. Almost like being in the palace (NOT!)

On my last walk in Palm Springs I saw this in a shop window and thought it was a good omen.

At the dock, getting ready to set sail on the Norwegian Star

On the beach at Huatalco

The view from out table at the Blue Shrimp

A little bite to eat on the beach in Puerto Vallarta at the Blue Shrimp

David on deck

Yes, I did go on the trip, and here is proof. David snapped this picture of me and the ship.

On board, waiting for the meeting of the “Friends of Dorothy”

A selfie of us both on deck

Driving out of Palm Springs on our way to Los Angeles

Well, we took off a few days ago, and this is my first moment to sit and write.  I have finally figured out the internet, so hopefully I will be more regular, as they say.  We have settled into a routine.  We are just going ashore when we are docked, and not tendered.  Too much to deal with getting from the ship to a little boat.  We could do it, but it is nicer to just wheel onto shore.  It was nice to revisit Puerto Vallarta.  Took a cab into old town and had lunch on the beach, and then just went back to the ship.  Today we visited Huatulco and sat on the beach for a while, dipped our toes into the water, had a bite and strolled down the shopping street at the port and now, we are safely back on the ship.

Anyway, not much else to report, except we have found a group of Friends of Dorothy, and had a discussion last night about whether other passengers are wondering who the hell are Dorothy and Bill W. and why do they have special meetings???!!!   Are they related?  In other news, the people watching has been interesting.  The ship is quite crowded, and a sign at reception said that all the cabins are full.  We are hopeful that in Miami, we will get some elbow room.  Most of the folks we have talked to are leaving the ship in Miami.  We have decided that we prefer Celebrity for our cruising so far.

Our bags are packed. We’re ready to go.  Just got home from Donovan’s for dinner.  Wait, that is not how the song goes.  Dinner was very nice, and sadly, I got a call from Blade and he had to cancel because he and Ralph were on their way to Utah for a “Family Emergency”.  I only quote that because usually when you say “Family Emergency” you are going into rehab or are just hung over.  Well, neither is the case for Blade and Ralph.  They really did have a family emergency (notice the lower case).  We did have a great group though, Donovan’s Dad and his friend and Donovan’s doctor and his partner and a friend of theirs from Oakland.  We had a wait for dinner, so David had to try to participate in conversation.  He did really well, and Donovan’s Dad mentioned how much better David’s speech was since the last time we met at Christmas.  I noted to David that as we were leaving, he was telling the folks left how much better his speech was to prove that he wasn’t just saying it for David’s benefit.

I am all packed and resisting the urge to unpack and check and count what I already counted and checked and packed.  I am pretty sure that everything is in place, and I have the documents right here.  Passports checked for expiration dates, drivers license checked for expiration date.  Cruise documents.  Flight details.  The last thing to get packed will be all the stuff that is on this table now.  I think I will be able to pull it off.
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Took my last walk in Palm Springs until September, and it was very nice.  Ran for a bit of it.  It was hot, but the sun was sooooo nice.  Now, off to bed to get some sleep before the race begins tomorrow.  Ended by 29 days of relaxing and nothing to think about.  I will try to write.  And take photos.  Maybe even a selfie of me!!  Stay tuned.

I have been thinking lately about the songs that give me a lift, and it dawned on me.  They are all about optimism and hanging on until tomorrow.  I have been obsessed (as Kelli Osborne would say) with Andrea McArdle’s 1997 recording of Tomorrow from Annie.  The sun WILL come out tomorrow, right?  Sometimes at the gym, I will put it on a loop.  That, and some of you may remember my old ringtone – Put on Your Sunday Clothes from Hello Dolly! sung by Charles Nelson Reilly.  While it isn’t about tomorrow, it is about living for today, which is also pretty uplifting.

Anyway, living each day, and looking forward to tomorrow.  We went to the golf outing for the Stroke Center on Wednesday.  David didn’t think he did well, but he did great for the first time out and first time left handed.  I was impressed.  When we get back in the fall, we will try to pick it up again.

Otherwise, I have been busy packing everything up and ready to leave on Sunday.  I feel pretty prepared, and we are both looking forward to getting under way.  I finally booked our flights to and from Vermont after Paris and before Spain.

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We also have plenty of homework to do on the ship, and Holly told David that he should just leave it all at home, and have a good time.  At this, he grasped his notebook and held it tight and shook his head.  Anyone who knows David understands that he loves homework and to practice.

Tomorrow we have dinner at Donovan’s, as a sort of Bon Voyage, which will be very nice.  I made some pistachio Macarons last night.  They were a bit sticky because I think the nuts were a bit oily.  I think I read that it is helpful to dry the almond flour in the oven for a while.  Next time.

The valley has been very busy with Coachella Fest going on.  Lots of young girls who look like they are extras in Hair.  It is kind of funny, but they seem to be everywhere.  Very good for all the towns in the valley, even if the traffic sometimes is terrible.  I looked a the roster of acts, and there were a few that I had heard of (just the names) and only one that I actually could say that I had heard before – The Pet Shop Boys.  I told Bill (tennis instructor) that I was surprised to see them listed.  Surprised that they were still around!  Liked them a lot, back in the day!

You many notice at the top of this post, just below the picture, there is a link to Our Summer Journey.  I have finished a map of our summer ventures so anyone who is interested can follow along, day by day, or our whereabouts.  Not that it is all that interesting!  I will fill in more as they come along.  I am also hoping to figure out a way to insert pictures into the map.  I am sure there is a way.

Today we only had reading group.  Mary had to cancel because of a meeting at the Stroke Center, and actually, the reading group was cut short because of the same meeting.  We did our usual exercise and walk and some speech work.  David is still complaining that I don’t do enough work with him.  I am actually worried that I am losing my mind.  The pressure is getting to me, and I don’t know what to do.  We talked a bit about what I should do when we get back to California in September, and I will take some time on the cruise to begin planning.

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Anyway, not much else going on, except for getting ready for the departure on Sunday.  We are both excited and anxious about the cruise.  It is a long time and we don’t know what to expect.  The one good thing is, it will be like two different cruises – one from LA to Miami and another from Miami to Copenhagen.  At least the crowd will change significantly, I think.

It was pretty hot today.  Not sure if it was over 100°, but if not, it was pretty darn close!  When we got into the car after speech the car thermometer said 108°, but it was sitting out in the sun.  We has Life Changes with Cedric, which was good.  New member who shared a little.  She seemed reticent, but opened up a little.  I think the story of her husband’s stroke was frightening.  He was in denial for quite a while and was having, from what I gather, lots of mini strokes.  She said he wouldn’t let her call 911 one evening when he collapsed in the bathroom, but then woke her up at 4am a few days later, with his bags packed and told her to drive him to the hospital, but not to call 911.  I don’t want to judge, but he sounds like quite a control freak, and rather overbearing.  I will be curious if he ever shows up at the Stroke Center.  She seemed quite relieved to get some of it off her chest and to hear from other folks who had similar stories.

There was a moment when Mr. Hatfield began to come into the room, but when he saw Mr. McCoy was there, made a very vocal announcement that he didn’t want to stay, so his caretaker rolled him away.  It is amazing how two grown men can just hate each other so much.  I did hear that it almost came to blows in the gym.  Glad I wasn’t there.

Had speech with Holly afterwards, and David was giving her a hard time because she was late.  She had to move her car because they were trimming the trees around the parking lot.  They tease each other a lot, but I was surprised he was being so persistent.  I think he thought she was an hour late, but she was really only 20 minutes late.  She is in a wheelchair, and moving her car is not as easy as just hopping in and driving a few spaces.  David’s journal is getting more and more detailed, and he is writing more, but still needs lots of help.

We also had our last session with Arlene before we come back after the summer.  We will get to see her at group next week, but this was our last session alone.  She gave us a stack of worksheets to do while we are away, and they dovetail nicely with what both Holly and Mary are doing.  That, and I would like to work on reading while we are sailing. I have been thinking about looking at some poetry, because it is pretty concise, and he can try copying it as well.  Good practice all around.  David has been complaining that I don’t spend enough time working with him on the speech and writing, and that may be true.  I do what I can, and hopefully on the ship we will have some time to do more work.

I have been dealing with insurance to get all the prescriptions I need before we sail next week, and that has been quite trying.  There is one that is still in a sort of limbo.  Fortunately it is a drug that David and I both take, and he will have enough for both of us for at least the first part of the trip.  I may need to ask Donovan to send it on to us in Miami or Paris.  Who knows, maybe it will make it!

That should be an easy one, and not sure what the connection is, but the song is in my head. I blame my friend Anthony. The other night when David and I attended an event for NCLR here in Palm Springs, I sent some pictures and texts to him because I knew he would have loved to have been at the event. It was fun and inspiring, and I would recommend anyone who wants to to make a donation.  They are doing such great work making sure that the LGBTQ community are represented in courts across the country.  Anyway, I digress.  After the event, and later that night, he was watching the musical that this is from, and giving me a blow by blow.

We went to the event on the suggestion of Blade and Ralph, and were glad to have gone. A big, lovely home, and perfect for events.  Anyway, it was fun to get out and support a good cause.  There was a moment that the Executive Director was standing on the edge of the pool making her pitch, and she made some joke about jumping in the pool, but that she would only do it if someone would write a big check.  Blade asked if David used to have to do things like this as head of school, and I told him, yes, but the difference is, David would make someone write a check and then jump into the pool.

I was going to write that yesterday I took the day off, but then thought that made is sound a little too much like taking care of David was a job.  It really isn’t.  Don’t get me wrong, it is difficult at times, but it isn’t what you would call work.  I took a day away just to recharge and sit around and not have to worry about schedules or anything.  I checked into one of the local gay inns, which is nice, if not spectacular.  All couples, so I don’t really fit in well, and I get the feeling that they are looking at me funny.  I am probably just being paranoid.  Donovan spent the night with David and they were supposed to go to the movies and have dinner at home.  Hope it all went well, and I will find out in a little while when I get home.  But first, the gym and maybe some breakfast.

She has arrived! It was supposed to come last night, but I got a call at the eleventh hour that there was a problem with the mounting, and he would let me know when it would be fixed. I called again this morning, and then when we got home after a full day of activities – Life Changes, Tennis (for me – I lost), Speech Group (we had a tour of the Tolerance Center) and Blade – there was a message from the dealer. I didn’t listen to all his messages, but just called him back asking what was going on, and what he thought the ETA would be. Afterwards, I decided I would listen to the messages, and one of them said that he was in the back yard installing The Lady, and while it wasn’t right yet, he wanted us to see it and he would get it fixed. We were both so excited to see her hovering over the pool. I ran out to get an extension cord so we could see her in her full glory, and I didn’t anticipate that she would look as good as she does. It never dawned on me that her reflection in the pool would be so great! She is pretty spectacular, and we love the new addition.  I am actually growing fond of the angle she is diving in, but we originally wanted her legs to be perpendicular to the ground.  We’ll see had she does.  The picture, by the way, makes her look sort of small.

So, I am very proud to say that the title of this post has a number of connections to what I am about to write. Extra points to anyone who can name all of them and the show this one is from. The other morning, while I was sitting in the kitchen, we had another visit from the Great Egret. Not really sure if it is the same one, but it looked the same to me, but I suppose they would all look alike to me. It was wandering around the front yard, and when one of the neighbors came by with her dog, it flew off, only to return a few minutes later.  This time, it was only scared off when the folks who are staying in the house across the street came out to take pictures.  I am sure that there is some sort of meaning behind the bird’s fascination with the Kenison/Shapiro’s, don’t you think?

We went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel on Sunday with Donovan, and we enjoyed it very much.  Funny and quirky and beautiful, as you would expect.  Very satisfying, I thought.  In other cultural news, we went to see the SongShine performance of The Music Man.  SongShine is a group primarily for folks with Parkinson’s but also has members who have had strokes and other neurological problems whose speech has been effected.  Next year, I think it would be a good activity for David, and the caregivers participate as well.  The performance was very nice, and many of the voices were quite good.  I was really surprised by Mrs. Paroo who was quite old but sang with a lot of authority.

In the not so cultural news, we have been catching up with RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is loads of fun.  So glad to see Gia given her walking papers and made to sashay away.  She was working my last nerve.  I am a fan of Bianca DelRio, but not sure if she will make it to the end.

Today, David was my hero.  We had speech therapy while Maria was cleaning.  He did really well with Holly and she was impressed with his communication and so was I.  She said that she was fascinated by the way David thought, and particularly the way he would write things down.  The whole idea that he knows absolutely, and with very few errors. the number of letters in the word he is trying to write, and normally the first letter.  filling in the rest is still a crapshoot, but it is getting better, and he is devoted to his journal.  Have I told you that he started keeping a journal?  Basic stuff – day, date, what he has for breakfast, lunch, dinner, activities, etc.  We are now going to start making sentences up from what he writes.

Well, back to David being my hero, as if the progress wasn’t enough.  Many of you may know that I have a bizarre and extreme fear of birds.  It really borders on ridiculous.  When we got home, I saw that the window was open in the living room, and went to close it.  To my horror (and dismay) there was a bird on the floor next to the window.  I didn’t scream, but did tell David that he had to come and help.  It looked like it was dead and must have flown in when they were cleaning.  Now the only thing that freaks me out more than a living bird is a dead one.  David got up, walked over to near where the bird was, and asked me to pull a chair up for him to sit.  I worked up all my nerve to get that close, but did it and backed away immediately, after surveying the situation, David asked for a paper towel and a bag, which I brought to him.  Again, steeling myself to help our, I turned my head and held the bag open, and he dropped the poor little thing in.  It was moving a bit, and for a moment, I thought the humane thing would be to put it out of its misery, but I just opened the screen door and tossed the bag outside and closed the door quickly.  As soon as the bag hit the ground, the bird began flapping its wings and took off over the pool.  I told David that he was my hero, and passed out from the stress and exhaustion.

We also have a pair of birds who are building a nest in our lemon tree.  I have decided that we can peacefully coexist.  As long as they stay in the tree, or fly away when I come near.  That’s our deal.  Or my deal.

David had a massage this evening, and I picked up my new glasses, and then got some lamb for dinner.  David was very relaxed after the massage, which was good, and we had a nice dinner before heading to bed and some TV

The other morning, on my way to the gym, I was listening to KPCC the local public radio station, and they made an announcement regarding a study that is being done at USC.  It is the DOSE study and they are looking for participants who have had a stroke and have trouble with one of their arms.  I called and talked to the coordinator, and she thinks that David is a great candidate.  My one concern was with the timing, but she said it will be fine to start in September after we are back from our travels.  The study is testing what the optimum amount of physical therapy is, and they provide therapy for three weeks spread out over three months, so we would have to spend about 4-5 days each month in LA, which could be nice.  The lowest amount of time is 5 hours a week, which is a lot more than he has been getting with the top amount at 30 hours, which may be overwhelming.  Hopefully David will be placed in the group somewhere in the middle, but, as it is random, we can just hope.  I am very excited by the prospect, but David, who still has some problems with time concepts, is concerned and confused about what it all entails.

Last night, I didn’t write the blog, but instead, I made the batter for pistachio ice cream.  Not sure what has gotten into me, but, I feel a bit obsessed.  The batter cooled overnight, and I made the ice cream this morning.  It is very good.  Very pistachio-ey.  Not a word, I know. On Wednesday, I made a terrific Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream, thanks to a bunch of recipes Kathleen sent.  I will be working my way through them and the lemons!   Also had my eye doctor appointment, and new prescription for glasses, and ordered new glasses on Friday.  I am in pretty desperate need.  The past few days have been pretty quiet because the stroke center was closed on Thursday for their monthly outing, and only tennis and the trainer yesterday.  Today, we relaxed by the pool in the morning, after a swim, and then Jennifer was here.  We also talked to Alex, Claire and Theo, which is always nice.  I was a bit out of it, because I wasn’t feeling so well.  It passed pretty quickly, which was good.

The winds picked up today, so we scrapped our plans to take the tram to the top of the mountain.  Just as well.  We were well rested for a delightful dinner at the Purple best viagra in uk Despite the fact that ED is affecting more and more men each year. Kamagra tablets are widely used discount viagra visit here and trusted for their ability to cure erectile dysfunction in minutes. Your love life will be so online levitra miamistonecrabs.com enjoyable that your partner will love you more for this. This drug has been noted as canada generic viagra miracle cure for hair loss, but it works for some and not for others. Palm.  Sad to say good-bye to Monica!

We have been having a terrific visit with Monica from DC.  We went to Temecula yesterday, and while the places were nice enough, I think I was spoiled by Napa.  The wines were not even close to the quality.  But, the company was good, the weather was nice and it was a beautiful drive.  On Sunday, we had some folks over to welcome Monica to Palm Springs.  There were eight of us total – Blade and Ralph, Tony and Bill (neighbors from down the street) and Donovan.  Plus the three of us made eight.  Lots of laughs by the pool and then after they left, we just nibbled and watched some TV, then bed.

Today, we went to the stroke center and when we drove into the parking lot I noticed that Holly’s car wasn’t there. I checked my phone and had a message from Holly, that she had to cancel, which she left while I was in the shower.  So, back home for a bit and then off to tennis.  Monica was very impressed with David’s hitting, as I am.  We had tennis from noon to one, and had speech with Arlene at 1:30.  As we drove onto Country Club Dr, David pointed at his watch and let me know he was confused why were were there so early.  I became confused and thought, wrongly, that our appointment was at 2pm and suggested that we go and grab a coffee.  Monica offered to run in and grab the coffee, because she knew that our appointment was at 1:30 and I said that we had time to sit and drink the coffee.  When we came out with the coffee, and sat down, she looked at her watch and said that she thought we should go because it was now after 1:30.  It was at this point that I realized that we were supposed to be there at 1:30, and jumped in the car and got there only about 10 minutes late for our appointment.  Needless to say, Arlene kept saying not to worry, we weren’t late, even though we were.

Then home for a quick nap for David and a swim for me and Monica.  Very nice.  Then, off again to Blade and PT.  David really is doing very well.  First at speech, we was saying compound words with regularity, which is a marked improvement, and then with Blade, his walking is getting better and better all the time.  He doesn’t see it, but I do.

free sildenafil samples The dosage of penegra medicine may be maximized to a greater extent and you need not require losing hope. the buy levitra The seeds and oil are used for medicinal purposes. The reasons why erectile dysfunction targets your love-lifeare greatly levitra prescription connected with some of your habits like changes in diet, lifestyle, daily activities and mental health.it somewhere different getting control over these factors but you can alleviate your male impotence also. This is the time when you need it the viagra pills from canada most. Then another quick pit-stop and off to Steve and Malcolm’s for dinner at their new house. The house looks great and they are still working on the yard, but great views of the mountains, and it will be stunning when it is all done.  As alway, it was great to see them and dinner was delicious.  A nice evening out for all of us.

I have gotten a few emails asking about more details of David’s prognosis, and thought that this might be a time to fill you all in.  As I write in the blog (even tonight), David continues to make progress, and works very hard.  We had a discussion with Arlene today about how difficult it is to hear about folks who have strokes who then sit down and write about getting back to normal relatively quickly (I have also written about these here) and generally the say it is by simply force of will.  If that were all it took, I can assure you, David would be running and jumping and telling horrible stories about how badly I have been treating him.  Sadly, it is not as simple as that.  I won’t say that these folks who write about their struggles didn’t have to overcome some daunting obstacles, but nothing is ever that easy.  I hate to quote something that was said to me (and irritated me) many times early on in this process, but, every stroke is like a snowflake, and no two are alike.  There are similarities, but, just when you think you have met someone who is dealing with what you are, you discover there are dramatic differences.  David has been pressing all his therapists for timelines and when they think he will be “better”, and thye all dodge the question, but my take-a-way is that we will see in six months.  I feel pretty confident that he will be walking sometime in the next six months without his cane.  I feel less confident that he will be speaking with any regularity within the next year, but we will continue to work on his speaking, and his communication gets better and better all the time.  His right arm may never come back, but I think that part of that is because we have been concentrating so much on his walking and it will become more of a focus in the fall.  We will have to see.

For me, I feel like I am performing a balancing act between my hopes and the reality.  Thrilled with all little gifts that we get.  For David, I think he expects much more from himself, and is not impressed by his gains.  As you all know, I am not a doctor, and I am only speaking from my perspective and this all comes from what I have gleaned from what I have been told and folks I have met who are recovering from strokes.  It does bear repeating that David is absolutely himself – the good, the bad, the funny, the ugly, the loving, and, to quote Alex, the relentless man I fell in love with 18 years ago.  He will continue to work and improve and I will try to help him in any way that I can, but as we all know, nobody can predict the future.

Last night we went to a small local Presbyterian church for a free concert.  Piano, Clarinet and Horn.  I walk past the tiny church all the time, and have always been curious about it, and we had the opportunity to visit.  The concert was great, and the pastor mentioned that she is interested in doing more of these concerts and wanted some suggestions.  I am going to write to her and offer any assistance I can.  Here is a volunteer opportunity that might be perfect for me.

So, I mentioned that we have purchased this diving lady neon sign, and the gallery owner came by today to take picture of where it would be placed to arrange with the person who is making the base will know what we are dealing with.  Next, I need to get an electrician in to hook it up to our lighting system, which, hopefully will be pretty easy.  It looks like there is an electrical junction box right where we are putting it.

Today, we had PT with Blade, and David really is doing very good with his walking without the cane.  He can only do it now in controlled situations, but, as they say, practice!  Blade seems to think that the cane will be a thing of the past within six months.  He walks much faster and better without it, and just needs to find his balance.  We had speech therapy with Arlene, which turned pretty quickly into a couple’s therapy session.  I started writing about how hard it is on me, but you all have heard that song before, so I will spare you.  I really do have to run away for a day or two to . . . to . . . well, to just do nothing, really.  I took a nap this afternoon to try to catch up on some sleep.  I stay up too late and get up too early.  Maybe I need to go away just to sleep.

Yes, they do.  Every once in a while, I strike a chord in the blog, and get some very nice, very supportive reactions to the blog.  I don’t (consciously) write to get this response, but it is nice when it happens.  Today we had our usual speech with Holly and then a lively Let’s get Physical with a pretty large group.  After that, we went to see the Dr. Young, the neurologist, and all is well.  He is only concerned about David’s time in the sun and his color.  The threw me into that concern as well, and wants to make sure that we are using sunscreen.

We are going to a gallery this morning to look at a neon sculpture for the back yard.  When we went to LA a few years ago, there was an old neon sign that was on Santa Monica Boulevard, and we have been obsessed with finding one for the yard.  It is one of those old motel signs of a lady diving into a pool.  It would make a nice addition to our poolscaping!

Correction: Last night, when I read the blog to David, he wanted me to let you all know that he thinks I work just as hard on his recovery as he does.  That was very nice to hear.

Addition: We bought the diving lady sign!  It will be installed on Wednesday next week.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!  I sit here with my glass of Guinness, and try to figure out what to write.  We had a great dinner tonight, that I didn’t prepare.  Our neighbor, Donovan, made corned beef and cabbage, and I supplied dessert – Chocolate Stout cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  I thought they were good, and better than the last chocolate cupcakes I made.  David agreed!  We sat outside, and it was a lovely evening. The dinner was great and very nice to have our first meal outside on such a lovely evening.

Earlier in the day we had reading group, speech with Mary and tennis with Bill. After all that activity, we took a swim in the pool. It is really great to have it finished and just in time to enjoy it with the temperatures climbing towards the 90° mark.

For the past few days, I have been feeling a bit like I am waking from a long sleep.  I think that, while I am completely present, I have been in a kind of suspended state since the stroke over a year and a half ago.  It is a bit similar to a period of mourning, I think.  Giving us time to adjust to a life that is very different from the one that David and I were planning, but I am beginning to feel ready to look to the future and figure out where we go from here.  Not to worry, when I say “go from here” I don’t mean move, or anything crazy like that, just begin to figure out what the future looks like.

When I look back at the time since the stroke, I am amazed at how much we have done, and the progress David has made.  Impressive how much can be accomplished by sheer will and hard work (mostly David’s).  I am so grateful for all the help and encouragement we have gotten along the way.  It all reminds me that David’s recovery is a marathon not a sprint, and it takes all those folks along the side of the road to keep you going.

David and I went to Indian Wells again last night and were lucky enough to catch the Roger Federer match agains Kevin Anderson. Unfortunately, Kevin was not much of a battle for Roger. We did get into see the end of the doubles match that was on before with the Bryan brothers vs. Isner and Querrey.  This was a much more exciting game to watch.  The tennis garden was much less crowded this time, we were able to do some shopping before we went into the stadium.  We also had something to eat, which was nice, but it was really windy.  As we drove the Indian Wells, the sand was really kicking up and I was worried that it might be awful to be outside, but by the time we went into the stadium, it had died down a lot.

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We went out tonight for “eat all you care to” sushi, and I think I may have overdone it a bit.  The sushi was good, and the place was packed, which I thought was a good sign.  It was a nice night out.  We then watched Project Runway: Under the Gunn and Ripper Street.  We also had a nice chat not he phone with Lisa from UNIS, which was great.  Nice to hear about life in NY.