Volunteer party and more

Michelle and me

On Friday, I attended a gala party held by the staff at the Bellingham Senior Center, to honor the volunteers (I am one). Although there are more than 300 of us, about 125 signed up with an RSVP to attend. My friend and co-worker Michelle asked me if I would be her date, and I agreed if she would drive and pick me up and transport me to the Senior Center. She readily agreed, so we ended up arriving in time to be regaled with the theme: Mardi Gras (a little bit late, but whatever). We received beads, masks, and this lovely tapestry to stand in front of to have our pictures taken.

The makeshift "bar"

As you can see from this picture (the clock on the wall), our party began at 5:00pm, and many of us headed to the coffee bar that had been turned into a regular "bar" for the evening. We had wine, beer, and plenty of nonalcoholic fruit drinks. After taking that first picture in front of the tapestry, we were seated at tables (our usual lunch tables, but covered with tablecloths) and served three dishes: a lovely salad (with not a single lettuce leaf in sight), some fancy chicken dish and a side of veggies, and finally a creme brulee sort of dessert. It was lovely, and I think we all enjoyed being treated to such a fun event. Apparently they do this every year, but this one the first for me. 

It was still light out when Michelle drove me back home. I spent a few moments with my sweet partner before heading to bed. I was really tired, since the night before I hadn't gotten much sleep. I made up for it, though, barely moving during a more-than-nine-hour sleep. I woke Saturday morning feeling great and well rested.

My friend Steve and I had a nice Saturday walk around the harbor, and we enjoyed the sunshine and light breeze. It never got all that warm yesterday, even though the sun was shining brightly. It's been cool and perfect for someone like me who really doesn't feel comfortable in hot weather. I know there are some people who would be complaining about the temperatures being cool, but I am not one of them. And I was able, yesterday, to walk almost five miles without incident. That makes me very happy, thinking that it won't be long now before I might be able to join one of the Tuesday hikes again. But I will be taking it easy and not pushing myself. I have become a member of the octogenarian crowd and learning how to navigate through it without becoming too sedentary.

I had some rather unexpectedly good news when I got my eye jab this week. Because the left eye seems stable, I will not need another treatment until late July! That means a twelve-week period between jabs. I know that the shots don't stop the progression, but slows it down significantly. I was afraid that by this time I would have lost my central vision in both eyes, but fortunately I can still read using low vision settings, and recognize people by using my left eye. Not having central vision in both eyes has definitely been something to adjust to, because without realizing how much we need both eyes for depth perception, I now have difficulty making sense of pictures. They need to be bright and distinct, or my brain can't interpret what I'm seeing. Once I do figure out what I'm looking at, I am actually surprised that I had such difficulty, because it seems obvious once the puzzle pieces coalesce. This getting old business takes some getting used to, and nothing stays the same for long. 

Everything considered, I feel very lucky to be in as good a situation as I am. The country is going through some unpleasantness, and it seems to be everywhere. I was very sad to see that Pope Francis died, but he was 88 after all. Most of us don't make it out of our ninth decade of life, and he was only six years older than me. I am beginning to understand how one's perception changes as we age, and suddenly it seems quite normal to settle into a comfortable chair and put my feet up. I've spent most of my life being active, and now I'm reaping the benefits. I just wish my eyesight had kept up with the rest of me. Oh well, I am sure there are many lessons to be learned. It seems to me so basic: to have friends and family to commiserate with, and ways to still enjoy and give thanks for my life, my friends, both "skin" friends, and virtual ones, too.

Now it's time to wrap things up and enjoy the rest of my day. John will pick me up for our Sunday breakfast, and I will read your blogs and find out how your lives are going on this spring day. Until we meet again, I wish you all good things, dear friends. Be well.

A day with the tulips

Lily and me amongst the tulips

 Every year for the last decade or so, I've made an April pilgrimage to see the Skagit Valley tulips, many of which have been spent with my friend Lily. It was sunny and warm on Friday, but not yesterday. There were clouds that came in and then a cold wind, so we were bundled up to stay warm. Lily wasn't thrilled with this picture, but I like it myself. 

The tulips were, as usual, gorgeous

Isn't this a beautiful color?

We stayed a little more than an hour, before we drove to Mt. Vernon to have a snack at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. In previous years, we've gone to La Conner for lunch, but since we were too early for that, we headed instead to the nearby town of Mt. Vernon to enjoy the incredible ambiance of their co-op. We have a pretty good one here in Bellingham, but it doesn't hold a candle to the one in Mt. Vernon. Not only does it serve great food in its deli, but it also has lots of shopping for unusual items, for cooking and more, I love it there.

Never ending tulips

Not only is it a great place, it is also much cheaper to eat there than at any of the restaurants we have previously visited in La Conner. Although we didn't eat much, we spent a good amount of time browsing through the items for sale, some of which I have never seen before (along with socks and costume jewelry). Although I didn't buy anything, I sure had a lot of fun watching a professional shopper (that would be Lily). 

We took the long way back to Bellingham; instead of hopping on the interstate, we meandered back on the Chuckanut Highway #11, and enjoyed looking at the bay and all the people out and about. By this time the clouds had cleared away, and it had gotten much warmer.

We started back to Bellingham around noon and decided to have a real lunch in Fairhaven. On the way we spent many delightful moments talking about our long friendship and discussing where to eat. At first we considered a brewery in order to have a beer with lunch, but we ended up going to a local restaurant we both know well. And I enjoyed a draft IPA from a local brewery anyway. 

It was a fun day

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I used to, but part of that is because of my failing eyesight. It was also because there are only so many different times you can look at the beautiful tulips and be transported, as I was in times past. There were also so many people at the garden that it was difficult to take pictures that didn't have other people in them. I realized how much my vision has deteriorated since last year, and I am not at all sure that by this time next year, I will even want to visit the display. It's sad but a fact of life I cannot deny. There are plenty of things that deteriorate as we age, but macular degeneration of one's sight is probably one of the hardest to accept. For me, anyway.

It's Easter Sunday. I am reminded of the many Easters I have enjoyed in my long life, and remember fondly the times I would spend Holy Week at the Convent of St. Walburga in Boulder. I wrote about the convent and its nuns in an earlier post (from 2011). I didn't know when I wrote that post whether I would still be here, celebrating Easter in a much different way. But still, decades later, I am happy to be able to look back at earlier Easters and be grateful for all that I have been able to experience over the years. 

And I am also grateful for the friends I have met, here in the blogosphere, and to reflect on all that is good and peaceful in the world today. There is plenty of uncertainty and upset, but beyond all that, there is a sense that the season of spring and new beginnings heralds a possible moment of change in the world. And I so much benefit from visiting the websites of friends that I have known now for decades. Everyone is living their lives and making their own futures as positive as they can. Some are finding new avenues and learning new skills; some are continuing to hone their old habits as they age and must slow down. I'm one of them, but I am still incredibly grateful for the life I have been given and what I can still accomplish. Precious life. Mary Oliver said it perfectly when she asked, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" She certainly lived a wonderful life of her own, and died just a few years ago. You can read about her amazing life here.

And now I am beginning to think of how I will spend this hallowed day. First, after getting up and doing my exercises and a short meditation, I look forward to John arriving in his truck to transport me to Fairhaven for an Easter breakfast. When I return home, I will spend some time with my wonderful and dear partner, and we'll talk about our possible "wild and precious" ways to mark the day, with sunshine and birdsong and good food. And each other. I wish a wonderful day and week ahead of you, my dear friends, and I'll visit your blogs to find out how you are (or are not) celebrating the holiday. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all good things.

Unplanned hospital visit

A favorite tree coming to life

On my usual walk home through Cornwall Park, I often stop to admire this maple tree that is beginning to come to life this spring. Tiny feathery little leaves are visible today, and in a few more days or weeks, there will be actual leaves to fill in the branches and make this tree appear even more beautiful.

It's been an interesting week. I was happy to show up on Thursday for my usual volunteer work in the Senior Center lunchroom, and I worked diligently for a few hours, before I began to feel a little weak and shaky (probably from not having eaten my usual breakfast) and sat down to catch my breath and feel a little bit more energetic.  As I sat down and drank a little orange juice, I began to feel somewhat better. One of the organizers suggested that I get my "vitals checked" and I agreed that seemed to be a good idea. But before I could say anything more, an entire squad of black-clad emergency management guys showed up. Someone had called for an ambulance and people with a gurney who were not being willing to take no for an answer had already strapped me in and were taking me out the front door to the ambulance! No vitals had been checked, but there I was, not feeling great but never having been hauled out like that, I didn't object because, well, I didn't know quite how to stop the procedure.

While I was being whisked away in the ambulance (while of course they took my vitals), I signed some consent forms and ended up being driven to the emergency intake window at the local hospital, assigned a bed, and taken on the gurney into a room. From there I was given a nurse who asked me a ton of questions and gave me even more consent forms to sign (oh, I know this is going to be expensive), but I didn't seem to have a whole lot of options, so I decided that, well, I would find out if there is anything wrong with me that they might discover. I was feeling quite weak and shaky beforehand, which isn't a usual condition for me. Why not see this as a couple of good omens, like finding out whether or not I have anything in my bloodwork (minus a few bucks)?

My blood was drawn, and I was given a saline solution to make sure I wasn't suffering from dehydration. Well, that caused me to immediately need to use the bathroom, but I was strapped in and unable to get to the bathroom. Somehow I managed to be extricated from all the paraphernalia long enough to pee, and then immediately hooked back up to the machines. Once that was taken care enough, I called SG to let him know what was going on.

There was plenty of drama going on in the rooms next to mine, so I decided to simply relax and let myself being carried along on the way to recovery and/or redemption. The doctor came in, a nice lady, and she ordered a bunch of tests for me, including an EKG, so there I was, still immobilized and trapped. SG showed up for awhile and helped to keep the staff apprised of my need to once again use the bathroom (as they continued to hydrate me). Finally, after what seemed to be endless, I was given a clean bill of health, nothing showed up as being concerning, and I was released.

Once I got home and checked my laptop, I saw that there were the results of all the tests sent to my primary care doctor, and there was really nothing to be alarmed about, only one number was slightly elevated, and my blood pressure is still a little higher than normal, but that was it.

Although I am learning how important it is to be vigilant about not letting myself be railroaded into something I knew I didn't need, I was actually quite happy to learn how much health care is available to me if, for example, I did experience a stroke or heart attack. Which, thankfully, I didn't have. I don't know what caused my dizzy/fainting spell,  but it was transient.

I have a blood pressure monitor here at home, and I just got out of bed and went into the living room to check my numbers. They are fine, 125/85, even if the lower number is a little high, I am not in any danger at the moment. I suppose everyone at the Senior Center will be expecting me to report my experience to them. It was instructive, and I will certainly be cautious if anyone asks me if they want to "check my vitals" any time soon.

My "ride" looked similar to this one

And now here I am, sitting in the dark with my dear sweet partner sleeping next to me, as I contemplate the day ahead. The weather looks great, so I hope I can get a good walk in this afternoon. John will be coming to transport me to Fairhaven for our usual Sunday morning breakfast. I am thinking I need to get back to daily walks, which have been curtailed lately because of my continuing hip/leg discomfort. I realize that, at my age, I must continue to get good exercise or it will be even harder to get back to normal. And what is "normal" for an 82-year-old? I am constantly being reminded that I am no spring chicken any more. But this old bird is still kicking!

April flowers and showers

Cherry blossoms are amazing

On my walk home through Cornwall Park on Wednesday, I saw that the cherry blossoms are now at their peak. Such a breathtaking sight, it caught my eye and I ended up taking quite a few pictures. I think this is the best one.

We have had so many days in a row of sunshine, plenty of it, that I can no longer pretend that we are not moving into a wonderful period of the year: my favorite part of springtime. The birds are all singing, feeling the fragrant and abundant time of the year, when nests are created (or returned to) in order to attract their species to procreate. A week ago I wondered where the song sparrows had decided to nest, since I hadn't heard their birdsong. And that all changed this week; they are everywhere and loudly singing in the trees around here. They join the chickadees, robins, bluejays, and yesterday morning I heard barred owls calling! It's a plethora of feathered friends, and they lifted my spirits as I listened to them as I walked.

Today, I think I'd like to contemplate all that is going on in the world, and see where, if anywhere, I might be able to make a positive difference. All over the globe yesterday, April 5th, people gathered to protest what is happening not only in our country, but all over the world. Not just the awful tariffs that Trump has imposed, but the number of important offices that have protected us in many ways. I am mostly worried about the destruction of the Social Security Administration, which has never missed a payment in ninety years, and now is on the chopping block to be destroyed, because it is seen by some as a giveaway. But the truth is that we have all paid into the system during our working lives, and now they think they can take away our benefits by calling it a "Ponzi Scheme."

There are many other programs that have been eliminated or are being destroyed, just because they can. Although I cannot fathom where this will end, I know that we will all be impacted, and not in a good way. What I have trouble understanding is WHY? I am pretty sure that the current administration will eventually pay the price at the ballot box, unless they suspend elections. That is not just hyperbole, I have read that they are considering it. Hopefully somehow we will return to a semblance of normal, eventually, but I am not holding my breath. 

At the same time that our country is falling apart, it seems that my body is joining in the cacophony. Ever since I had that fall in February, I keep getting messages from my right leg and hip that long walks may be behind me forever. We'll see, because yesterday I was able to walk five miles but not without pain. I did complete my volunteer work on Thursday, even though I was slow and not feeling my best. It was nice to be back with my friends, though, working together as a team to get the place set up and then put back together at the end. I have to admit that I kept watching the clock and hoping I would be able to make it before my need to sit down and rest gained traction. I did make it, and once I got home and settled into my comfy recliner, I felt quite happy to know I am better. 

This Tuesday is the dreaded every-other-month eye jab. My eyes continue to deteriorate, but I can still see well enough to write on my laptop and pray that will continue for awhile yet. I have magnifying glasses and other aids to help me see better. I have purchased another headlamp to help me see things that I cannot see without a bright light. It sure does help, as I sort my vitamins or fix myself something to eat. Or sit down to read a novel on my Kindle, set at the low vision option. I'm reading a new Liz Moore novel, The God of the Woods, which is really a fascinating thriller. Once I am unable to read on the Kindle, I'll start listening to audio books so I can continue to "read." And since I've just discovered the wonders of Liz Moore's writing, I've got lots to catch up on. 

There is so much to continue to be grateful for, and I realize that all of us are in the same boat: feeling unsettled about what is happening in our country, and not knowing what to do other than to join a protest march. I am so glad I live here in Whatcom County, in the upper left quadrant of the State of Washington, which is also in the upper corner of the entire country, just a few miles from the Canadian border. And as I started this post with, the days are growing longer, the skies are filled with blue and fluffy white clouds. We are at the beginning of a really wonderful time of the year, and I am hoping against hope that the political situation will mellow along with the weather. I can hope so, anyway, and why not?

Well, it's time for me to get out of bed and get ready for my trip to Fairhaven with John for our usual Sunday morning breakfast. I hope you will find some happy moments in the week ahead, and that you will surround yourself with lots of love and positivity. Why not? That's what I am going to do. Until we meet again next week, dear friends, I wish you all good things. Be well.