05/11/23 Thursday

Peps, so sorry you and your dad are having a rough go of it ! You made the best decision for him regarding surgery. CC, I know exactly what you mean about experiencing new friends become friends. There is a synergy to it all, when we are adding great people to our tribes.

Well, my determination to keep Sadie on leash near the park retention ponds has been validated. When we walked yesterday, sure enough, there was an alligator sunning on the bank. While it was a juvenile for sure, no retention ponds for Sadie !

I've seen a lot of pictures recently from Florida where alligators are walking on streets and near homes! Must be mating season?

It is great that both CC and you are making new friends. It is so difficult to go to a new location and find new people.

News from home is a bit mixed: My nephew's wife had breast cancer surgery almost 2 weeks ago. Everything went well during the surgery but when they got the test results back it sounds like they didn't get it all. Though on the one hand it sounded like there were clean margins, she was told that there was another area of concern and the oncologists were meeting to discuss next steps. She either met with them yesterday or will in the next couple of days. I am feeling very frightened as it reminds me of the information we got after my eldest DD had surgery for cervical cancer when they initially said she had a 90% chance of being cured but she died 18 months later. Hopefully they can cure my nephew's wife - they thought it was early stage prior to surgery but even then were planning on radiation and chemo afterwards.

On a better note we had a wonderful relaxing day in Hawaii yesterday and ate dinner at this really cute tapas place. Mike and I got 2 dishes and split them. I love eating that way as I don't feel guilty about throwing away half my meal. Today we fly to Maui, staying in Lahaina for a couple of days. Though we will be on the water again it is in a relatively inexpensive VRBO condo which we stayed in last year. The hotel we were in the last couple of nights is ridiculously expensive. The buffet breakfast yesterday morning cost $125 for 2 people!!!

Have a thankful Thursday!

$125 for 2?! Alligators!? It's chaos out there!!

The irrigation work finished this morning, I finally got HOA approval for my trees and the painters are here power washing the house for the painting starting Monday at 6:30 am. Ugh. So early! Sunrise is now 5:26 so it's not like I'd be sleeping much longer, but I like the option.

I have an impromptu PT appointment this afternoon. I was doing my exercises last night and got down on a yoga mat. I could not lay flat on my back even with my knees up for about 5 minutes. Lordy, I'm hunched. I need to look for a Pilates class or videos and get to work.

No scale movement for a few days, but I am doing really well on food and calories so I'm not worried. Just a little stall. Interesting blood sugar thing from this morning (I will endeavor not to continue to bombard you!): I stopped the sugar free vanilla coffeemate for now and replaced with a tablespoon of cream and teaspoon of monk fruit sweetener. When I had it alone without food yesterday, I still had an increase of 20 in my blood sugar. This morning I had it with those egg bites from Costco and only had an increase of 12. And the egg bites have a few carbs too. So that was good info.

Sleep is still crappy!

I have walked everyday this week and will do it again today.

Think that's it for now. DianeO, keep steering clear of those gators!!

I am sitting on my porch, enjoying an 80 degree afternoon. Feeling pleasantly full after drinking a fair life salted caramel protein drink, and eating one cup of Smart pop (popcorn). No alligators in sight, we're having lentil and rice hot dish for dinner ( that breakfast buffet! Good heavens), and all is well.

CC, now that you're pretty settled in, you can turn your attention to some deferred appointments. I always find physical therapy so helpful. It's focused on measurable improvements, so progress is the goal, always. They don't mess around :)

Liz,very unsettling news about your nephew's wife. Hoping along with you and your family for good news.

Yes, Sadie must be kept safe from alligators, even if it makes her unhappy she can't swim or splash at the moment.

Diane S, when do you start back at the pool with your new shoes.

Thinking of you and your Dad ,Peps.

This weekend is going to be a busy one. Dinner and theater with some friends on Friday. Dinner and Opera, Don Giovanni, with some other friends on Saturday, and then DD is flying in Sunday morning to spend mother's day, and the rest of the week with us. She'll be WFH, but she doesn't have class next Saturday, so she can stay through the following weekend.

Greetings all

No alligators hear that I can see. But yikes Ocean Diane, keep Sadie on the leash. Alligators are scary. No thanks.

So I got off my ass and got our gallery brochures distributed up and down the road that has all the vacation rentals. They are all mom and pop places and everyone is so kind and accommodating. There were not as many as I remembered. I had forgotten how other worldly that road is. A forrest of redwoods and ferns with small inns tucked away. Some of the places kind of hang off the cliffs over the ocean and you can hear seals barking. I have heard they bark all night. Anyway it feels good to have that done and it was not as hard as I thought it would be.

Peps thinking of you and your Dad. Check in when you can.

DD is it really 80 degrees? Enjoy the warm but it seems early. Also enjoy the shows. And no promises about going to the pool but I do have the shoes.

CC thats a bit early for workers to come but I know they have to in that climate. Let us all know if you figure how to get flexibility back. Pilates is probably a great start.

My brother sent me a fancy All Clad skillet. I was coveting his when I was there. Looking forward to stir fry that does not stick.

Not much else. Cheers. Diane S

Aww, so sweet of your brother! It will make using it all that much better.

80 degrees won't stay around yet, back to low 70s and some rain, but it a taste of things to come. No mosquito hatch yet, so I can sit here on the porch until dusk, reading, and not get chewed up. Definitely a day to savor.

I hope you love your All Clad! Ron worked for William-Sonoma for years. We have more All Clad than any person should ever have!

It is supposed to be 80 today where my daughter lives in central Massachusetts!