Christmas is done. It was fun, lots of work, but worth it. The last few years Jim and I have spent Christmas Day just about catatonic, mostly from exhaustion, but with a little well earned laziness as well. It's nice to review the party and what we enjoyed most and what we'll never do again. The family did a decent job of cleaning up this time. Pretty nearly everyone picked up their own stuff and rinsed their own plate. There were only a few glasses and soda cans to pick up. Folks took out garbage without being asked. I really appreciate the help. Terri, Terry, Jen, and Anita are the gals I can count on. Thanks ladies...and thanks to those who helped with trash patrol.

Kathy is moved. Everyone got right in there and got her packed, the apartment cleaned fairly well and moved to Union City. In spite of the rain, everyone showed up and kept going until the job was done. From what we hear, she's settling in well.

A new year is starting in 4 days plus a few hours. We're ready for a fresh start - don't know if we'll make any resolutions, but as I usually do, I set some goals for myself to accomplish during the year. I don't always finish my list, but at least some things get done and that is better than not accomplishing anything.

We'll be off to our cruise in 6 days. Kathy is going to kitty-sit. The kitties know and love her so they will not be so traumatized that we're gone.

Puzzle of the day
Assume you have three boxes of tapes labeled jazz, rap and jazz and rap. All three boxes are mislabeled. You can remove one tape from only one box. If you removed the right tape from the right box, you will know what is contained in the other boxes. From which box do you remove the tape and why?

Flu Shot

Yesterday we got flu shots. I've never had a reaction to a flu shot, but today I did. I'm not real sick, just crummy feeling. Nauseous, achey, lethargic, upset tummy...I hope it goes away quickly. I have things to do so I can't really be taking time off. Christmas is less than two weeks away and I haven't wrapped a present yet...heck...I still have shopping to do.

We've declared the tree officially decorated. A few more things to do and at least the house will be decorated.

The weather is still too cold to enjoy going outside, although it is sunny. Our solar system is up and running. It was pretty cool yesterday to see our meter feeding the grid instead of drawing from it. Even though it's very cold outside, the sun is shining and we're capturing the energy it provides. It will be interesting to see how much money this saves us in utility bills.

Cats are going crazy wanting to go outside. It's just too cold to let them out. Cats catch colds just like people. They'll have to be content watching the birds from the family room window. The Christmas decorations are no longer that interesting. Bustopher and Max are sharing the tree guarding. Poor Annabelle can't get near the tree.

Time to get busy finishing the decorating...I really don't want this to turn into a career.

Snow in the Valley

Man is it ever cold....brrrrrrrr....It seems that everyone around us got snow except Rio Vista...maybe it came down and I missed it. It would have helped get me in the Christmas spirit. For whatever reason, I can't seem to get my joy on to get the tree up and the house decorated. Here it is the 7th of December and we're still decorating the tree. The village is built, and the wreaths hung, but I still have to unpack and display the nativity scene.

Today we took a drive into Lodi. When we left we had talked about getting a holiday lawn decoration, but by the time we drove there, neither of us had any interest in pursuing it. We decided to pick something up at the end of season close outs and save it for next year.

Our bird feeders are a big hit. With the colder weather we have had lots of visitors to the feeders. I think the black oil sunflower seeds and the suet are just the thing to keep the little bird bodies warm during this cold spell. It doesn't usually get the cold until January, so we may see snow at sea level yet this year.

Kathy moves in five days. That's coming on very soon. She's excited about the move and seems to be doing very well. She seems healthier than she's been since the cancer was discovered and hopefully, this momentum will hold and she'll be over this ordeal soon.

I made a kettle of turkey soup a couple of days ago and that may be what we have for dinner tonight...on a cold night, a warm bowl of soup and some french bread for dunking is just the ticket.

Day Nine - Getting Healthy and Other Stuff

Yesterday I managed four miles and 21 minutes on the bike. My knee told me about it later, but not so much today. Today neither Jim nor I got a chance to work out. We have to stay vigilant about this and pick it up again as soon as we can.

We took Kathy to the doctor and lunch, which took a good part of the day. The doctor visit went well - he's still attempting to get her admitted to an assisted living facility so she will have some help maintaining the stoma while it heals. Both Jim and I saw our first colostomy. It's not a pretty thing - Jim turned several interesting colors and left the room as soon as he could and has been tagged Captain Squeamish. Women, especially moms, are immune to wounded flesh and the sight of human feces. Any mom has had to take care of both and can do it as a matter of course. Kathy's incision seems to be healing well and the staples are going to come out on the 21st. After we took Kathy home we had errands to run didn't get home until nearly 2 pm. I had to go out again around 3 so that pretty much took care of the day.

Tomorrow I'm off to get my hair done. It's been two months so it's getting long and the color needs a little enhancing :>). After that, I'm off to the optometrist for my annual eye exam. I believe Jim has plans to go to the VA regarding a hearing aid. Can you believe he's actually going to do something about possibly hearing a little better. I'm excited.

Friday the house gets cleaned and I can hardly wait. It's hit the more than grubby stage. I don't know what happened this time - we just seem to be messier than usual.

The move for Kathy is definitely on and we've gotten good commitments from Mandy and Becky to help get this done. I'm counting on other family members coming forth to help out. It will be good for her and Jim and me to have her settled in a place where she's happy and has some companionship.

Day Eight - Getting Healthy and Other stuff

The scale confirmed 5 lbs lost - yeah! Rode 3.5 miles on the bike yesterday and 17.5 minutes. Since we've only been doing this 8 days, I'm pretty pleased with the results. The first day I did the bike ride I could only ride for 2 minutes before my legs gave out. The half hour recommended by the doctor doesn't seem so daunting anymore. Jim's encouraged as well. The first day he walked the track he could only do 2 laps and had to stop several times and rest. Yesterday he did 4 laps around the track plus his strength training. I've noticed a little spring in his step. If he keeps this up he'll have his little strut back - I love that little strut. :>) This whole get healthy idea is a winner.

Becky came to Rio Vista yesterday to take care of Kathy. We're really appreciative when another family member steps up. Thanks Becky. As I understand it, Becky and Kathy ended up going to Vallejo to the emergency room at the recommendation of the visiting nurse. I don't have the story on what transpired there, but they sent Kathy home with an appointment to see her surgeon on Wednesday. I hope this visiting nurse isn't just another wacko like the last one she had.

We have a firm move date for Kathy - December 12/13. So much has to be done between now and then. Hopefully, Kathy will be well enough to make the move. She doesn't have to physically help with the move, but it would be nice if she is mobile enough to take care of her needs when she gets to Jim and Terri's. I'm sure the family will pitch in and get her settled quickly.

On a cheerful note...booked our cruise to Mexico yesterday. We leave on Jan 2 on Holland America's Oosterdam for 7 days . We've sailed on that ship twice before and really like it. We've booked a mini suite which should be terrific. Early January usually has terrible weather and with luck, we'll miss most of that.

That's our news - time to get on the bike.

Day Six and Seven - Getting Healthy

We made it 7 full days living a healthy lifestyle...eating well, exercising, no alcohol. It has not been easy. This has been a trying week and if we were going to self medicate with martinis, this would have definitely been the week. The solar installation that had been delayed for months was finally being installed on Friday, then it started to rain, so it was stopped and hopefully will resume today.

Kathy's situation got more complicated. It always seems to be complicated with her to the point of exasperation. It's like an all consuming black cloud that that hovers and leaves it's sticky residue on everything. In addition to having the colostomy, she now has the portal of the colostomy receding into her abdomen...it never ends. All we want is to get her healthy enough to move near other family members and her friend Leah. The burden for Jim and me is almost more than we can handle. We're both exhausted and exasperated...the whole Kathy situation has been ongoing for 3-1/2 years...when does it stop? We are just too old for this. I feel angry and resentful that most of our marriage and my retirement has been darkened by such heavy responsibility. Being 70 and 80 doesn't help...we have enough to handle just dealing with our own age related health issues and life. I have enormous compassion for Kathy's situation this past year - its been hell for her. If what went on in her life prior to the cancer had been handled properly, this situation would have been a whole lot easier on everyone.

Yesterday Jim and I decided to get away for a little fun...alone...We went to brunch at the Point and a movie...a peaceful and relaxing day, except for the 4 phone calls from Kathy when we got home. We saw "Men Who Stare at Goats" starring George Clooney and Jeff Bridges...a cute, fun movie and George Clooney was at his normal, wacky self.

Last week wasn't a total loss - I am now up to riding 3 miles a day on my bike and 10 minutes a day on the rower/glider. I've lost about 5 lbs, but more important I have a little more energy and stamina. I want to build on that. The stress of the week is keeping my blood sugar higher than I like - it's in the 125-150 range at night and the 140+ range in the morning....this is not good. I can't imagine what it would been if I had not been exercising every day and attempting to eat healthy. Goal is to get blood sugar down to near 100 most of the time.

The installers are supposed to be back today to finish installing solar. If all goes well, we will have solar in place to support the holidays....hurrah!

If today's blog sounds sad and bitter, keep in mind that this blog is about sharing our life, so I think it's only right to share the dark and bright days. I could use a little sunshine today.

Day Five - Getting Healthy

Jim made a delicious talapia last night. It was crusted with garlic cheese and bacon crumbs and baked....yum!!! We're still on our morning orange juice and vitamins regime and then a workout. Yesterday I managed 2 miles on the bike and 7 minutes on the glider. Am finally getting my heart rate up where it needs to be for some benefit. I'm determined to get up to 5 miles a day on the bike. Jim's been good about going to the gym, although today I think he's trying to weasel out of it. Usually by noon he has done his workout, but it's now 12:30 and he's still here.

I don't know how long we'll keep this regime going, but I'd like to stay with it for at least a month and then evaluate how I feel. We're both definitely feeling more energetic.

The project at hand right now is to get Kathy moved to Jim and Terri's house. It's way more than Jim or I can handle so her kids and siblings are going to have to handle the move. We hope to have it accomplished by mid-December, latest. Kathy's health seems to be such that she can handle the relocation, but she needs help packing and cleaning the apartment.

The solar installation guys arrived yesterday about 10 and began reinforcing the beams over our garage where the solar panel will go. They also spent a lot of time on the roof installing the pilings to which the panels will attach. Hours and hours of hammering. If finally started to rain so they had to get down off the roof and stash everything in our garage. Weather permitting, they will be back on Monday to finish this phase of the work. I'm excited to have this and maybe I won't be such a scrooge about lights and baking over the holidays.

Somehow, in all the hallabaloo that was going on, Max got out unnoticed. He ended up spending the night out and looked really weary and bedraggled when Jim let him in this morning.

We got our ADT system installed a couple of weeks ago and Jim has set the alarm off twice. First time he had left and didn't realise the alarm was set. I had just gotten out of the shower and had to run starkers through the house to quiet it. The wailing siren is a real heart stopper. This morning, when he set it off, I was in the way back bedroom and decided to stay there and let him deal with it. When things quieted down I came out, and was a little amused that Jim still had that wild eyed look one gets when a siren has just shrieked over your head. He didn't take it seriously when I told him about my streaking through the house and how deafening it was, but I think he now knows. Ain't karma great!

It's a beautiful sunny day - way too nice to stay inside at the computer. The garden beckons.

Day Four - Getting Healthy

For the first time in I can't remember how long, I slept 8 hours straight. This whole getting healthy routine seems to be working. Last night I was actually tired, sleepy and ready for bed by 10:30...didn't finally make it until 11:30, but that's another story.

Yesterday morning Jim went to visit Kathy and was pleased to discover she is doing well. He came home happy to know that she's ok and has what she needs. Holding that happy thought he went off to the gym and walked 3 laps around the track while I did 1.5 miles on the bike and 6 minutes on the rower/glider. Today I'm going for 2 miles on the bike and 7 minutes on the glider. My goal is to do 5 miles on the bike and 20 minutes on the glider. With the holidays rapidly approaching, we need to develop all the stamina we can.

We went shopping for Thanksgiving stuff yesterday. I found some very attractive paper napkins (I prefer cloth any day) but with so many coming, it's just not practical. The napkins have an ivory linen look with a maple leaf border. Also found some silk maple leaves in all the wonderful autmn colors and some candles that match perfectly. We have lots of gourds and small pumpkins so the tables should look quite festive.

We had our Costco adventure late afternoon, and then had an early "Costco special dinner." Jim had pizza and I had a polish dog with sauerkraut....Yum...Costco makes the best hotdogs and pizza. It just goes to show that good food doesn't need to be expensive...under $5.00 for both meals....Yeah...I know...that wasn't exactly on the getting healthy menu, but it beat the heck out of ice cream and oreos or the $50 we could have easily spent at the Nines. Tonight we'll have fish and salad.

Solar installation people are supposed to arrive today, however, it's also expected to maybe rain so it's a crap shoot whether they'll make it or not. I'm not going to get in a heat about it...they'll get here when they get here. I do want the solar installed before I do any holiday baking, oven cleaning, Christmas lights, etc.

We're getting a lot more birds at our feeders. They seem to prefer the black oil sunflower seeds, but we're also getting some that like the seed blocks and songbird seed...we even have some that are chowing down on the suet block....There's never a dull moment around the McRhoads home - between the birds chirping and singing and the cats pacing the windows ledges with teeth chattering, it's pretty entertaining....retired folks are easily amused.

Day Three - Getting Healthy

Muscles are a little tense today. It's surprising how only a 1 mile bike ride and a 5 minute row can introduce muscles that have laid peacefully dormant for months. Jim and I both ate healthy stuff all day. While I did my bike ride and row, Jim went to the gym. He prefers that to the bike and I prefer the bike and rower at home. The gym is full of leering old men and smells funny. The fact that this is a retirement community explains that I suppose. A few women brave the walking tract, but I rarely see one using the other equipment. My plan is to increase my time on the bike and rower by a minute each day until I can do at least 15 minutes on each piece of equipment.

Yesterday was full of laundry and household chores. We either have to be the cleanest or dirtiest people I know. I did 4 loads of laundry and still have two more to do today. Got our Christmas cactus transplanted. Poor thing was so root bound I'm surprised it even lived. In the process I broke off a huge chunk of it. I'll pot that today. A few pieces that the cats broke off a few months ago are doing nicely, so I have hopes for this piece. I need to do some work with our African Violets. They need a deep watering and fertilizing.

Solar installation has been delayed at least a day. It was supposed to be installed today, but has been delayed until Friday. And...wouldn't you know...it's probably going to rain.

To our surprise, Kathy was released from the hospital last night. She called about 5 pm and said they were sending her home in a taxi. I guess the insurance company was not willing to pay for a nursing facility. Had they given us a little notice, we could have driven into Vallejo to get her. She's doing fine. When I talked to her on the phone this morning, she sounded good and Jim is there visiting her now. I'm sure I'll get the full report when he gets home.

Costco is on the schedule for the afternoon...maybe even an early dinner out.

Day Two - Getting Healthy

Yesterday was such a lovely day - no wind, perfect autumn temperature. It was a good day to do some clean up in the garden. In cleaning out the cucumber vines, I found a nice plump cucumber. That will make a crunchy addition to a vegetarian sandwich for lunch. We're doing fairly well on our healthy eating regime, although we still have some wonderful leftovers from a couple of dinners out. Wednesday should be the last day on any leftovers, so it's fresh fruit and veggies full speed ahead...the ice cream cake is all gone....so are the Oreos...sigh...

Max is still actively bird hunting when he's allowed outside. Yesterday he almost got a bird, but thank heavens, the bird was quicker. Max did manage to knock over a planter box and spread dirt all over. After cleaning up the mess, I cleaned out the bird feeder and restocked it. I also commissioned the new feeder we bought a couple of days ago. Today I want to get the hummingbird feeder cleaned out and hanging.

Sleep patterns are still messed up, but I seem to be sleeping a little more. I did take an afternoon nap, which was refreshing. Energy level will come back if I stick to the program. Even after only a couple of days, I'm noticing a difference. Jim seems to be sleeping a little less - up by 8 instead of 9:30...so far that's only meant an extra hour and a half of Fox News, but I'm hopeful the desire for a trip to the gym will kick in.

We still have no word on Kathy's relocation to a nursing facility. Insurance companies and Medicare take their sweet time in issuing their approvals. Maybe we will know something positive today.

Today is laundry day. Ugh. Usually I attempt to do it all on Monday, but this week went a little off schedule. Janis is in Florida so today I do laundry instead of hang out with my friend.

Tomorrow is the beginning of our solar installation. We should have the installation completed by Friday and hopefully, operational early next week.

Off to have juice and vitamins and then bike for as long as my legs hold out.

Day One - Getting Healthy

The past couple of months have been high stress for Jim and me - lots of issues - Kathy's health and status, delays on our solar installation, things happening with various family members that are worrisome. As a result, our lifestyle hasn't been the healthiest - too much processed and prepared food, too much alcohol, not enough exercise. Neither one of us has been feeling all that wonderful, energy level in the tank. We decided to work towards correcting that and yesterday was the first day.

The first day of our new regime included juice and vitamins in the morning, along with our coffee. Light breakfast and lunch and a meat and salad dinner. No alcohol. We still had our cocktail hour - we like to visit and review the day. I had a virgin Mary and Jim had a strawberry banana fusion. We didn't go to the gym or work out because we did errands all afternoon. That alone is enough exercise for a 70 and 80 year old! We went to Lodi and visited the Goodwill (always an adventure), had lunch, shopped Smart and Final and Target and drove the 23 miles home.

At the Goodwill I found a new bird feeder - one that holds suet, and two kinds of seed. It's pretty good size, so we should get a fair number of feathered visitors. At Target we bought a hummingbird feeder. The feeder we have is pretty, but useless - it leaks so it runs out of juice quickly and and attracts ants.

We've been enjoying the surveillance cameras we have focussed on the bird feeders so much that we decided to expand our feeding station to attract a wider variety of birds. Our three cats have a great time sitting on the window ledges watching the birds. We have to be watchful of the times we allow the kitties outside. Two of them are skilled hunters.


A note on Kathy - She seems to be recovering from her latest surgery right on schedule. Some time this week she will be moved to a nursing facility and taught to care for her colostomy. The colostomy is supposed to be temporary while her body repairs itself. Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts on her behalf - keep them coming...it's working.

Kathy

Today I want to reach out to all who know Kathy. I am asking that each person take a few minutes and either say a prayer to your God or higher being and ask for strength for Kathy. She's had a 2nd surgery this year and is having a difficult time.

Kathy's life has not been an easy one and this bout with colon cancer has been especially challenging to her and the family. Some folks seem destined to face one challenge after another and so it has been with Kathy. It would be a miracle to see the tides turn for her and for her life to become easier. I am asking God and the Universe to bring good things to Kathy. Please join me in that request and just maybe it will happen. We know miracles do happen.

Love, Integrity, Trust, Compassion, Empathy

Love - that warm, comfortable, joyful feeling we have when we're with a special someone.

Integrity - doing the right thing despite the temptation to do otherwise.

Trust - feeling safe enough to allow our spirit to be unprotected in the presence of another.

Compassion - feeling gentle towards a person in need, even if we don't like them much.

Empathy - Allowing our minds to experience the sadness and fear of another as a way of understanding.

Sometimes we take love for granted. Sometimes we take integrity for granted. Is that all bad? By taking love and integrity for granted with our partner, we demonstrate a level of trust for each other. That kind of emotional exposure is what good, solid friendships and marriages are build on. Trust that's grown out of caring for each other and caring enough for ourselves that we want to do the right thing strengthens love and integrity. Love, integrity and trust help us develop compassion for each other and ultimately empathy and kindness.

It all seems so simple...love, integrity, trust, compassion, empathy. Our bond grows stronger as we exercise these character traits and it becomes easier to defend our values, our families, our homes, and our marriages against those lacking respect for those institutions. As the song goes...maybe "Love Is All We Need."

Fourth Wedding Anniversary

Monday was our fourth wedding anniversary, which we celebrated in Reno, in the hotel where we were married. The hotel is no long Reno Hilton, but the wedding chapel is still there. The hotel is now called Grand Sierra Resort.

We drove up Monday morning and came back on Tuesday. We were a little concerned about leaving our three kitties alone for more than a day. We left a lot of food and water for them, but still, we were concerned.

We had a fabulous dinner at Charlie Palmer's Steak House there in the hotel...martinis and smoked salmon blini for appetizer, filets cooked to perfection with crisp asparagus, stuffed potato truffle, a wonderful Avalon wine, coffee and assorted cookies. The service was perfect. After a meal like that we really didn't feel like gambling much. Jim played a little black jack and broke even...now in my opinion, that's winning! The ride up was long and tedious - lots and lots and lots of road construction, so we were tired, so we had an early bedtime.

Tuesday morning, after a pleasant breakfast, we did a little more gambling...I won $30! Now that probably doesn't seem like much to anyone, but I hit a $100 jackpot on a penny machine. The whole penny machine is a hoax just because in order to have a chance to win at all, the bet has to be maximum, which in most cases is $1.50.

It was a good trip, which we needed. Now we're working on year number five. Ain't love grand!

Peregrine Falcons

To some bird watching seems a little dorky, but we have been watching via web cam a nest of Peregrine Falcons in Becker, Minnesota. There are 3 chicks in the nest and they are just beginning to get a few feathers. They're only 17 days old, but what is amazing, is that in about 25 days more, they will be ready to fly.
The webcam is live so we have been able to watch the mother and father brood the chicks, feed them and protect them.

Here's the link for anyone who wants to take a look at these adorable baby birds and the tender loving care their parents are giving them. http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/view?cameraID=C100059#photosTabContent

The Peregrine Falcon was nearly extinct a few years ago. Their near extinction was caused by the use of DDT. Apparently the DDT made the shells of their eggs very thin so when the mother attempted to set on the eggs, they would break. DDT was banned in the 1970s and since then, with the help of conservationists, the Peregrine is again flourishing.

Through this link several other nesting bird cams are available to explore....enjoy!

Early Morning

There is nothing quite like the peaceful quiet of early morning. Being an early riser has it's benefits. Just the cats and me watching the sunrise, hearing the birds awaken, seeing the misty morning unfold. Ahhh...the beautiful quiet before the rest of the world awakens and presents a new day of challenges.

It's supposed to be hot today...near 100 degrees. I don't care for hot weather. My personal thermostat doesn't work well over 80 degrees. My hands and feet swell and I get sluggish. My preferred temperature is an invigorating 68 degrees...cool enough to take a brisk walk or work in the garden in comfort.

We bought some plants yesterday, but it was too warm to plant them. I'll plant them late today so they have the benefit of the cooler evening to spread their roots. Tomorrow is expected to be cooler, thankfully.

Our garden is coming along. It took a hit from the neglect it received during our family crisises, but plants that don't die completely come back with vigor when encouraged.

Today our project is to stay cool and plant later today.

In the twinkling of an eye

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. And so it was with Debi McRhoads. God called her home on Saturday, May 2 at 2:15 pm. We shall miss her. The memorial to celebrate her life is today.

She came down from Oregon to take care of Kathy and had a massive cardiac arrest.

Kathy is back in the hospital and will most like go into an extended care facility in the next few days. Her recovery is slower than expected, but the cancer is gone and she is making progress.

This has been a tough year for the McRhoads family. Your prayers are welcome.

Garden time

Everything is literally coming up roses! Ours have begun to bloom and today I have the delightful job of trimming them back and giving them a good fertilizing.

Jim and Debi are going into San Francisco to see Kathy, but I am going to stay home and catch up on household chores. We've been so busy with all the things pertaining to Kathy's treatment that we've fallen a little behind in our personal stuff. We did get our taxes filed on time, but just barely. It's amazing how quickly the house gets messed when it's not maintained every day.

Debi has made a new friend - Max. He loves that she plays with him. Even Bustopher ventured out to say hello. He doesn't generally come out when we have visitors. Most folks think we only have two cats.

Good News!

Kathy's surgery was a success beyond our expectations. According to her doctor, the cancer is gone and she has a 95% chance of full recovery. She has NO Colostomy....Yeah! We thank all of you for your prayers and positive thoughts.

All the months of doctor appointments, chemo, radiation, and travelling to and from San Francisco has been worth it. Today we're picking up Debi from the airport to take care of Kathy over the next couple of weeks. We're happy to have her here to do this since Jim and I are exhausted. Having her live in Rio Vista has been an enormous help - we could never had done all the travel to and from Modesto.

She will probably come home Monday. Let's hope.