Here Comes Santa Claus ! 🎼🎼🎼

December is turning into Doctor and maintenance around the house month!  We have had the water heater drained and flushed and a mortar and brick crack on the side of the house repaired.  Our neighbor alerted us to it because that is their zero lot line.  It was minor and all was good in less than two hours.  Then there is weekly yard work which at this time of the year we refer to as “blow and go.”  But the heavy pine needle cover and leaves make it necessary.  We also have cleaners every other week.  It was like Grand Central Station on Friday when all three companies were here at once.  

Ted has been going to PT twice a week for the past 8 weeks and is ready to wrap it up.  He has a doctor appointment as follow up.  I have been to M D Anderson for bone density, blood, mammogram and a visit with my oncologist.  All was good except they are concerned about my bone density so I have another visit but not until May 1!  How bad can it be if I can wait that long!  My PCP had made an appt for me with a kidney dr based on my blood results at my last visit.  But MDA saw no reason for concern based on their blood results.  I guess I will go for the tie breaker!  

It has also been a busy social time.  We had a birthday Christmas cake at Shanghai with our country club group.  And … I got a Shanghai!  Also on the calendar was a Sustainer group outing to downtown Houston to see decorations, some shopping and lunch at The Houstonian hotel which the older Bushes called home during his presidency.  

Saturday we met Gerre and Barry for dinner and to see Christmas with the Celts.  Once they made the drummer back off some, it was enjoyable!  

We delivered three children’s coats from Macy’s to our parish Christmas giving on Sunday since we didn’t go on Saturday evening like we usually do.  It gave us an opportunity to join coffee and donuts with other parishioners.  It has been a long time since we have done that.

On Sunday we took our elderly (like we are spring chickens, right?) to dinner and the Baptist church concert.  They are 92 and 82 so getting out together alone is difficult.  The concert was wonderful!  Tails and tuxedos, black shiny dresses and lovely Christmas music.  

Then there were four days of Donna On the Go!  Rachel, Anna and I all rode to Teresa’s to play Hand and Foot Monday afternoon.  Tuesday was 3-13 at Another Broken Egg.  I came in second!  

Wednesday was our neighborhood luncheon and dessert party.  After a terrific lunch at Adriatic Cafe we went to Anna’s for dessert and sharing of small table gifts.  I made a Carmel Apple pie for the occasion. I received lots of compliments and Ted gave me a 10 on the piece I brought home for him.  He had gone over to sit with our 92 year old neighbor and took a couple of Whataburgers for lunch.  They were supposed to go to Honor Cafe but Dick had PT and was too tired to go out.  

My table gift for everyone was a mini loaf of brown bread, a German recipe my family has made for generations, peanut butter and butter cookies plus several pieces of Linzt chocolates all in a Christmas box.  I received tea, hot chocolate, cookies, candy, hand lotion and a poinsettia!  

Friday was a clear my desk and start setting clothes out to pack!  Hope this brings y’all up to date.  I will try to check in more frequently.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I think I lost about 6 weeks.

After I returned from the cruise we went to Alamo TX to meet up with Cindy and Tim. We had rented a house with a pool for a week of relaxation.  We celebrated Tim’s 62nd birthday, attended Day of the Dead celebration (music and dancing) at a flea market which was fun to watch and attended Mass at the Basilica complete with mariachi band.  It was a relaxing time for us all. 

I played Shanghai, 3-13 and Hand and Foot, we both had some doctor appts and our lady’s lunch at Black Walnut was a big hit. 

Kristin was in town and spent one night with us.  I was hoping she could stay for Thanksgiving but I was a week off .  It was not 2 days away, but 9!  

I hosted our two South African neighborhood families for Thanksgiving.  They brought a lamb roast because they weren’t totally sold on the turkey thing!  All went well and there was only enough turkey left over for one pot pie later in the week.  

And so now it is Christmas!  

I put my pumpkins away, decorated our front porch, the front door and gate and I am done with that. I doubt I will do anything inside. We are not expecting anyone. 

We are going to Michigan for Christmas. There is lots going on over the next 3 weeks before we leave. Maybe I will have more to write about next time!  

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well I started this saying we were busy back in October. It was the day before I flew to FLL to meet my other 4 shipmates!  I was thrown a loop at the airport.  I was at C9, not a bad walk, and right by Wendy’s.  While eating my burger, my phone dinged and said my gate was changed to C43!  I couldn’t even see a sign pointing me in the right direction!  So I stopped one of the attendants pushing a chair and asked him where to go.  He asked if I wanted a ride because it was 3 corridors away! Sure!  He stayed with me until he put me on the plane and ordered one for me in FLL!  I had no idea how far I would need to walk so I took the second ride.

I was taken to Carousel 1 at FLL and Kelly said they were at carousel 2, but they weren’t. Turns out I was at Terminal 1 and they were at Terminal 2!  Kelly had Cassie and CeCe with her and a bunch of luggage so I said stay put and I hoofed it quite a distance to the next Terminal!  

The poor shuttle driver from Embassy Suite was confused when no one was at Terminal 1 but we were all able to get on at Terminal 2. In the meantime Kristin, who had checked into the hotel, got on the next shuttle to sort it out so we arrived while she was gone!   Great start!

We finally got all our luggage in the suite room and left for dinner at a nearby strip mall.  In the morning Kristin drove me and Cassie to the Port and we stayed with the luggage while she returned to the hotel and got Kelly and CeCe.  They parked the car so Kelly could use it to drive the 3 of them to Disney after the cruise,  Kristin and I would take a taxi to the airport and fly back to Houston.

We had no trouble getting on the ship since our group had already boarded so we went right to the front of the line and were on our way to Rapunzel’s Dining  Castle.  I  just don’t want to fight with 3000 people at the buffet and  then cannot find a seat!  

We eventually were able to go to our cabins and Kristin decorated our doors.

Our attendant used towels, an afghan and some of our things in the room to make us an animal each night.

We had an evening and the next day at sea.  We had photos taken with CeCe and characters, watched a movie, saw a live show every night, ate a lot and slept really good.

Our next day was at Cozumel and we went to swim with the dolphins.  

We had another day at sea and spent the day at the swimming pool and Splash Pad.   

I don’t have all the photos but we had pirate night and we all dressed up in pirate outfits. 

 We dressed nice each night for dinner .

CeCe just petered out one night at dinner. Even the bird our waiter made couldn’t keep her awake. 

Our second stop was at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island.  Kristin and I went on ahead and rode the floating trike for a bit of  exercise.  

Then the rest of them went to swim with the sting rays. I did that in Grand Cayman Stingray City saw no need to do it again. 

Our last night CeCe and I had a piece of birthday cake served to us.  It was a fun week!

We ate breakfast in the last group because we had plenty of time. I stayed with the luggage while Kristin and Kelly got the car.  We put CeCe in her car seat with Cassie in the front seat and Kelly driving. They would stay two nights at Kristin’s and attend Disney Springs and the Hoopty Doo Review at Disney World.  

The napkin dance!

Playing the washboard!

On Saturday they parked Kristin’s car at MCO airport and flew home to Michigan. When Kristin returned to Orlando she reclaimed her car.  

Our flight was delayed several hours and it was late when we got picked up at Houston. 

And Two More Birthdays

All of a sudden it was 10/1 and time to play Shanghai at the country club. Not only did Irene provide a Birthday cake for me to share, I came in second.  Won some dimes to put in my little card purse.

Thursday was Continental Breakfast and I saw so many friends I have not seen in awhile.  Jan is in a new house and that is always fun to see and admire.  

On Friday afternoon Fidelia stopped by with a gift and mini Bundt cake for me to share after I told her the 3 cakes we had for Ted was really all the cake we needed for awhile.  It was just the right size to cut in half for each of us to have a piece. 

Friday was also CeCe’s birthday and Kelly FaceTimed us from Ally’s house so we could see CeCe open her gifts from us.  She was having a party in the park the next day and I wanted her to connect the gifts to us instead of getting lost in the shuffle.  Fancy socks to wear with her fancy dress in the fancy restaurant on the ship.  That was a directive to Kelly, “tell Lolly I need fancy socks.”  A baby doll because when I checked her daycare photos she was always carrying a black baby doll by the arm.  I found one in white, brown, black so her being half Hispanic, I opted for brown!  Kelly said she immediately put it on her tricycle and rode her around.  Next was a Mickey sweatsuit that she put away in her drawer.  Last was a Christmas ornament carousel that plays It’s A Small World, her very favorite.  She has a Gift to Minors account at Morgan Stanley that we contribute to that she knows nothing about.

She wanted curls like her daddy’s for the party.  I think she had a very good 5th birthday party.  

Saturday after church and taking communion to Jeanette and Dick, we went to Del Frisco’s for dinner.  It was homecoming week and we were seated next to a Sweet 16 birthday party so lots of people and noise.  But the food was excellent, the waiter attentive and it was interesting watching the young folks.  There was a 1 and a 6 balloon at the party table so Ted told the young lady she looked great for 61!  At least she laughed!  

We have been doing our best to help maintain the yard next to us.  We have service every week but he finally agreed to once a month.  With fall, the normal debris increases dramatically!  And the driveway and walkway were absolutely black.  Fidelia sent Josh over to clean it.  The guy putting up our common fence asked me if the house was abandoned!  So I may get in trouble but it isn’t doing my house value any favors though it makes my yard look fantastic.  They are due back 11/7 so he will be glad or mad!  

Sunday was our annual Neighbor’s Night Out when you are supposed to have a street party and meet your neighbors.  But ours was in the afternoon.  The police come and the fire trucks come.  Kids love it but we only have one kid in the neighborhood!  Our neighborhood is more “ between the big house with pool to the Senior Independent Living” so many of us will end up at.  I learned one of our original birthday club ladies and her husband are moving to The Landings as they both are experiencing various problems.

And Life marches on!

The Big Birthday Week

The week after our return wasn’t too busy.  I had my 6 month routine visit to my PCP which produced an alarming uptick in my creatine score.  It has always been a tad over the “high “ reading but was consistent.  Since April there was a big jump.  So I have to see a kidney doctor but can’t get an appointment until December!  We are thinking the pentagabin I was given 3 times a day for a month during my superficial thrombosis phlebitis may be the culprit.  It apparently clears through the kidneys as opposed to the liver.  Dr. C was not alarmed at the delayed appointment so I am using this time to drink lots and lots of water, avoid excessive protein and not do extreme exercise!  I have that last one covered for sure!

Our Newcomers luncheon was that same week and I invited my neighbor and our other friend to attend. They are both from South Africa and the speaker owns a tour company specializing in South African safaris.  As fate would have it, he and his wife sat across from us and they had great conversation.  It is my thank you to them because they insist on driving me to Hobby Airport at the end of October when Ted is in San Antonio.  It is over an hour away, right through Houston in horrendous traffic!  

Ted’s 80th birthday was Friday and my girls and their husbands flew in to have dinner at Perry’s Steakhouse with us.  The ruse was Kristin was taking us for both our birthdays and when we arrived they were all there at the table.  He teared up when he saw them all!  

Previously I had invited Ted’s friends and some couples we are both friends with to our favorite Mexican restaurant for a surprise party.  So the kids stayed on.  I booked for 30, had to browbeat some gun club folks for an answer and at the last minute our friend Tommy had a heart attack and another friend Jay was taken ill so we went from 30 to 24 to 22 to 20!  I had a lot of help from Anna next door and the girls with getting things settled at the restaurant.  Going to church and this restaurant afterwards is routine so Ted was flabbergasted when he walked in.  Two in a row!  A little tearing up once again.  

It was quite a success and by his reaction I am convinced he was surprised both times.  I fixed a big breakfast both Saturday and Sunday mornings with Ted and Pat helping.  And today I changed sheets on three beds and have done at least 5 loads of laundry.  A small price to pay to have them all here at the same time.  The Michigan folks flew home Sunday afternoon and Kristin is returning to Orlando today.  

And we are now 12 days from Bon Voyage on the Disney Magic to celebrate CeCe’s 5th and my 79th birthdays!  I hope those hurricanes all Peter out before then. 

New England in Fall

 We had an 8:30 am flight out of Hobby to Dallas to catch another flight on to Boston.  That required a very early wake up call!  I had the boarding passes on my phone stored in My Wallet with photos saved too … just in case!  I also had our parking confirmation saved!  Parking has to be one of the most lucrative businesses to be in!  

We made it into Boston right on time and caught the bus to the Embassy Suites.  Tom and Eileen were there waiting for us.  They had the appetizer display out before dinner but we didn’t see a restaurant anywhere.  Even the Starbucks coffee counter was closed.  We ate lots of cheese and crackers and chips and salsa.  The next day we were told by others that the bar that we were sitting by was actually where you could order food!  Who knew?  We don’t drink and never approached the bar!

This was a very “up and at ‘em” itinerary.  Bags out and breakfast at 6:30, bus leaves at 7:45!  No one was ever late!  I think I went to bed at 8:30 every night!

First stop was a very in depth bus tour of Boston.  What a beautiful city.   Here is Paul Revere on his midnight ride with the North Church (one if by land, two if by sea) in the background.  Our weather was lovely all week except our last day when we returned to the airport.  

Next stop was Hyannisport where we stopped for lunch at a lobster roll walk up.  I managed a tuna salad sandwich and Ted got his perpetual hamburger!  Bob and Beth joined us and she shared a popcorn shrimp with Ted.  He said he would have ordered that if be had seen it!  Bob is wearing his Trump 2024 hat and said he was wearing it all week.  Quite gutsy for the area we were traversing!  We chose to sit outside with a view of the bay.

We stopped at Plymouth Rock which is quite “really?”  Sort of like we get when someone sees the Alamo for the first time!  There was a replica of the Mayflower you could tour too but we didn’t have enough time.

We rode to the forearm of “the Cape” ferry and toured some beaches.  What shocked me was the multitude of horseshoe crab carcasses cluttering the beach.  I did some research and that is what they leave behind, not only the big shell but all the legs too.  It makes a whole new shell but apparently takes its organs with them.  They are big and their shells are all over the place!  

We then rode a ferry to Martha’s Vineyards and toured the island neighborhoods by bus.  We did not see Obama’s house!  A million dollars goes nowhere here!  Even several million won’t do the trick.

Next day was Newport and Mystic.  One of our “bathroom stops” was the Basketball Hall of Fame.  With the big buses (ours was a couple million dollar Prevost), you can’t stop just anywhere.  It had an interesting lobby and hand dryers like basketballs!  Certainly more interesting than just a rest area.  On to Newport! 

Of course we had to tour The Breakers!  It is beautifully ornate but makes my head spin thinking of all the help for the house, kitchen, laundry, gardens, etc. to care for a house of this size.  

On to Vermont!  We stopped in Bennington at a museum with the most extensive paintings of Grandma Moses.  She was quite prolific for someone who was discovered in her 70s.  There was a lot of info on her family as well as her career. 

 I spotted this large painting in another gallery.  What caught my eye is this lady is in Monet’s garden.  One of  my very favorite trips was our one from Nice on the Mediterranean Sea to Normandy, France,  a day trip was to Monet's home in Giverny.  It was spring, the flowers were in bloom and I saw the exact spot where he must have sat to paint his teal bridge and water lilies!  

Next up was Calvin Coolidges’s home in Vermont.  They had “notches” of neighborhoods of sort which eventually banded together to make small cities.  This one included his home, church, general store, mill, etc.  He was a low key laid back person.

We stopped late afternoon in Mystic CT for overnight. We were taken to the Mystic Seaport Museum. They are restoring huge whaling ships and that was interesting but most things were not open or had no docents.  Sort of a bust due to the late arrival.  

On to New Hampshire!  Here we learned all about making maple syrup.  Technology has come a long way from hanging a bucket on a tree!  Of course we brought some home.

Our last stop was in Ogunquit, ME.  We took a Casco Bay tour and saw two different forts and two lighthouses plus all the beautiful homes along the coast.  Our route took us past the Bush compound in Kennebunkport.  It sits out on a peninsula overlooking the water.  Very picturesque.

This was by far the best hotel.  All had been very nice accommodations but this was an entire resort complex with a huge, wide beach, pools, hot tubs, bars and restaurants.  

We were on our own for lunch after our boat tour so we started walking toward businesses.  Many restaurants have closed for the season or only open for dinner so no specific one is recommended.  We saw two fellows walking with pizza boxes from two different places.  We asked where they got it.  First he started giving directions and then said “Oh just go up the street to Anthony’s.”  So we did.  It was like eating on the Soprano’s set.  Anthony was friends with the writer.  The food was excellent, Anthony came out to greet us and show his family photos, soprano memorabilia all over the place!  What fun!

Our last evening’s dinner was back at the ANCHORAGE BY THE SEA  resort.  Lobster night!  Tom and Eileen ordered lobster.  I received linguine with chicken and Ted got plain grilled chicken and a baked potato.  Neither liked their lobster!!  

I can now finish the story of Bob.  He was not harassed at all about his hat, a couple people said I like your hat.  There was no political talk that we heard.  On the last bus ride we had a Chinese souvenir exchange. Forty two gifts, pick one, keep or trade.  Item can be stolen repeatedly.  #1 who picks first gets last steal.

So I get #1!  I choose a gift and it is the hat!  Later on my hat is stolen two times but not much interest which we expected.  A lady was wearing the hat and our director says Donna was #1 she gets last steal.  I stood up and said “The great state of Texas casts all of its electoral votes for Donald J. Trump and I’ll have my hat back!”  The bus erupted in applause, cheers and laughter.  People stopped me to say my speech made their trip.

What a fun way to end our trip in Blue territory.