Wonder drug?

I guess wonder drugs are not always wonderful. I’ve been on Ozempic for seven months now. And while parts of the treatment are truly amazing, I’m not thrilled with all that it does. First the good parts. My blood sugar is doing great. I am still taking some metformin, but I’m down to one a day, rather than four. Anything that can get me off some meds is good in my book.

Now to speak to why I think most people are interested, the weight loss. I’ve been so shocked and pleased by all this. I’ve lost just shy of thirty pounds and that’s the part shocks and thrills me. But it’s still very strange. I can’t wear some of my favorite pants because I’m afraid that they’ll fall off in public. Looking in the mirror the other day I saw I had a thigh gap! My thighs have been rubbing together in a most annoying way for the past thirty-five year. I was stunned. I’m not quite used to all this change and I’m not sure what to do about my clothes. I still want things loose and comfortable, yet I’d like to show off the weight loss a little. I’m working on it.

 

I think being on Ozempic has taught me better eating habits, especially in portion control. You can’t overeat on Ozempic. You’ll be sick, I promise! When you’re full – STOP! I don’t care how good that last bite looks, if you feel full you better just leave it.

 

Now the not so good parts. It doesn’t work the same for everyone. A good friend began about a month ago and really hasn’t see much weight loss at all. Mine began almost at once.  I guess it reacts differently for different people. My biggest problem came when I went up to 2 mg. That’s when I began feeling nauseous most of the time. To be honest it was mild, but it didn’t matter. I either felt sick or felt like I was about to be sick if I did anything or even thought about eating. 

This went on for about two to three weeks and I decided I’d had enough. It was during this time I had that awful bout of vertigo (nothing to do with the Ozempic) so I’d felt pretty crappy for nearly a month when I told my doctor I was cutting the Ozempic down to 1 mg. Since then, I’ve felt human again, so much better. The best part is that my blood sugar is still down, and I haven’t gained any weight back. Now that I feel like exercising again, I feel like I’ll continue to lose.

 

Here are some thoughts for those of you thinking of trying it. Eat slowly and mindfully when you start. Don’t let your doctor rush you into increasing the dose. If it’s working where you are you don’t have to increase it right away. Now my friend is afraid to go up from .25 to .5 because she’s listened to my tales of woe. I suggested she try it. She’s not diabetic so she is only taking it for weight loss. If she isn’t losing on .25 and not willing to go up at all, then what’s the point of being on it in the first place. My most important piece of advice, pay attention to how you feel and while you should listen to your doctor and discuss things with him or her – the final decision is yours. Remember that.

A sentimental Mother's Day thought

I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day. I got to spend the afternoon with Mollie, which is always nice. I got a text from LJ earlier in the day that just shows what a sweet, sentimental boy he really is. He found this tweet and sent it on to me and there are comments on it from from Collin and Mollie.

 

My mom is a prosecutor and every year she brings up the fact that Mother’s Day is the day with the lowest crime. I think that says a lot about how many moms commit crimes throughout the year but can’t today because they’re too busy being celebrated.

 

LJ: Something to think about

Collin: I’ve always assumed as much.

Mollie: It seems like something to look into.

 

Really, what sweet children.

It didn't go as planned

We planned our trip to Florida months ago. We were taking a bus tour with some friends. All was paid for, bags packed, arrangement made for the cats. It was all go. But it didn’t go as planned.

 

We were to leave early Thursday morning. On Wednesday I was finishing up the last of the packing, last minute things. I haven’t been feeling great, but there was nothing really wrong either – I just felt tired and a little off. Around noon I stretched on the bed, it felt wonderful. There was a nice breeze from the window and I thought a short nap would be just the thing. Problem was I was barely out of that bed for the next twenty-four hours. About the time I was planning on getting up I was hit with the worst vertigo I’ve ever had (I’ve only had it twice before.)

 

If I so much as thought of lifting my head from the pillow, I began vomiting. The dizziness was as intense as anything I’ve ever experienced. Thank God for Nick. When I had to go to the bathroom – which is only steps from my bed I quickly realized it was impossible alone. It felt like I’d been on this for a solid hour or more.

                                           

Nick would guide me as I held my little container and vomited the whole way there and back. Although I took what the doctor had prescribed for me before nothing helped that day. I certainly couldn’t finish the little packing left to be done, couldn’t take a shower and I knew that there was no way I could ride on a bus for six or more hours the next day. So long trip.

 

By late was feeling so much better. Still a little dizzy and unsteady, but a tremendous improvement. Part of me feels guilty because of causing us to miss the trip, being out the money and letting down the friends we were to travel with. But it truth I know there was nothing I did to cause this and nothing I could have done to prevent it. Sometimes things just happen. Maybe I should just be happy it didn’t happen while I was on the bus or while we were there. Getting back would have been a hassle.

 

Not many bright spots I can see in this saga so far, except that I have lost several more pounds.  If you’ve ever taken advice from me, let me stress, do NOT try this method for weight loss – it’s not worth it!

Busy Weekend

My house seemed very, very full this weekend. We had Nick and me, and our two I cats – what I would usually call a full house. The we had Mollie’s dogs, those two beautiful Goldens! With what they left all over my house I feared we would send her home with two bald dogs, but no, they had enough hair to completely cover our floors and furniture AND still had more for her car and her house. Amazing!

 

Then, of course, we had my two boys, LJ and Collin. We loved getting to see them and we had some wonderful long talks. The dogs loved them, in fact the youngest wanted to be in LJ’s face every minute. LJ is more one to love seeing a dog lying close by rather that one constantly trying to get in his lap. Especially when said dog weighs about eighty pounds. But for the most part we all got along well.

 

We stopped by old elementary school where LJ and I both went, even Mollie began there. It was taken over by the town and has many little shops, and meeting rooms. There is a small bar and a large theater as well as a small museum. We were in one of the shops when Collin ask a lady working there if she was… and called her by name. She said yes and he told her he had gone to the elementary school where she taught and that he remembered her smile.  She seemed delighted. As we talked the other woman working there. she mentioned that she was a writer. I mentioned the problems I was having with my publisher – she had had similar problems and was able to recommend the lawyer she had used. I’d already called a few lawyers and they all said they didn’t do that kind of case. I feel like I finally have a place to begin.

I enjoyed going to the play and the retirement party with the boys. When their teacher saw them, she began to cry. She had really liked both of them and to think they had come so far to acknowledge her retirement really got to her. I mentioned to her that they hadn’t come for Christmas, but they did manage to get here for her. I told her that didn’t bother me a bit, I’d take them anytime I could get them.

Mollie’s trip to see Taylor Swift went smoothly and they all had a great time. But I was very happy when they all returned home safely. I took the boys to the airport on Monday. I’m not wild about the drive to the airport a good part of it is on an eight-lane highway with tons of traffic so it’s just not a drive I like to make – but I did it!

 

Now I can just relax at home, for a while. But next week Nick and I are heading to Florida for a few days. I’ll tell you all about it another time.

I like my numbers

I spent a while worrying and complaining here about my various doctor visit and annoying health questions, I figured I’d give an update. Let’s just say, I can’t complain.

 

For me my blood pressure was worrying me the most. It had way of going really high despite the doctor increasing my meds. We’re talking 190/108. Doc thought maybe a diuretic could help and put me on a very low dose. And that’s when the BP dropped to 80/59 in one day. I think, because of the sudden drop I felt really crappy for about a week. She was amazed that the tiny dose she had me on made that much difference.

 

The next thing that happened was that something on my blood test made her worry about my kidneys. She cut my diuretic dose in half and ordered a PVL renal artery duplex with veins – whatever the hell that was. Turns out it was just an ultrasound of the kidneys. 

BTW ultrasounds without a baby in them are dull. The results show that my kidneys are is great shape and that there is no problem with them.

 

Next, we worried about blood sugar. I was on a high dose of diabetic medicine, four a day and she hoped to reduce this with Ozempic. I’ve been taking it for about six months now and both the doc and I are pleased with the results. I was able to cut those four pills down to one per day, and this past week I haven’t taken any. Go me! My BS is where it’s supposed to be, and I’ve lost 24.6 pounds as of Sunday morning! I’m thrilled.

As for the CPAP machine. We are still not friends. And I still usually cuss at it most nights, but I have learned to tolerate it. At least until about five AM when I rip it off and get what I think of as some good sleep for the rest of the night. I go to the sleep doc this coming Friday and I have tons of questions – I still want to know exactly why I’m using it and how it’s supposed to be helping. I haven’t seen any of the result it promised about have more energy. But at least I no longer have the urge to chuck it out the window.

This does occasionally happen.

I know all health news is fleeting but for the moment my blood pressure is good, my blood sugar is where it belongs, I’ve been able to cut out some medicines and I’ve lost nearly twenty-five pounds. Mollie tells me she's counting on me being around another thirty or forty years. Being in my mid-sixties this seems a bit optimistic, but honestly I'd do about anything for my kids so who know. Anyway, I'm celebrating!

 

My boys and the importance of plays

I finally got confirmation that my boys are coming to visit later this month. Well, they aren’t coming to visit me specifically, but they are coming.  The real reason is a retirement party for a special teacher that both of them remember fondly. This was their theater teacher. There is a surprise party for her after the final performance of her final play. She has no idea that they’re coming and I think she will be very happy to see them.

Plays are a true connection for LJ and Collin. LJ remembers seeing Collin for the first time when Collin was the star of his senior play. LJ was there on a field trip with his third-grade class. This teacher they are coming to see was doing her student teaching that year. About eight years later Collin was again the lead in a local play and LJ was a town’s person in the same play. Eight years after that, at their wedding, Collin said, “I remember walking out on an outdoor stage in a small town in the south and a boy smiled at me and changed my life.” It was this teacher that encouraged LJ to try out for that play. She brings many, many good memories for my boys. And I can’t wait to see them!

Interesting trip

Mollie and I had a good trip – but it had a spooky element to it. We saw my cousins, Bea and Ann. Ann, the younger of the two is in a nursing home and didn’t really know me although she recognized the picture of my mother and called her by name. But she never really got my connection. Anyway, she was pleased to have visitors and we talked for a while.

Then she was off on a ‘fieldtrip’ where they took them out in the little bus to see all the flowers and blooming trees. She might not have known me, but she seemed happy. Bea was in a small apartment, mostly bedridden. Her daughter is living there and taking care of her.  She is still very sharp and she and Mollie enjoyed teacher talking.

 

When I was a kid we would come for a week each summer and stay at Ann’s house out in the country. She had three sons, Mom brought my sister and I and we each could bring a friend. Throw in the boy next door and we had eight teenagers riding horses, going canoeing, and taking the big boat out water skiing. We all had so much fun.

 

About ten years ago Ann’s sons decided she was too far out in the boonies by herself and they moved her to a wonderful house in town on the river that one of them owns. It’s a beautiful house and I wanted a picture so Mollie speaks into her phone and put in the address – 123 River Road. The map comes up and off we go. We haven’t gone too far when we both feel like we’re going in the wrong direction. I thought we were already close, but the map was taking us to the highway. I checked her phone and the address was correct so we figured, what the heck, we’d trust it. But after about ten minutes we knew it was wrong. We weren’t going toward the river.

 

We made the next turn and we were talking about turning around when suddenly the road seemed familiar. The phone map turned us into the parking lot of an abandoned grocery. And suddenly I knew where we were! I directed Mollie to a small dirt road going off behind the old grocery store and there, at the end of that lane was Ann’s old house. The one I’d visited so often as a child.

 

How in the hell had we gotten there? I didn’t know the address of that house. It wasn’t in my phone and certainly wasn’t in Mollie’s. We both looked at her phone again, the address it showed was nowhere close to the house address. A spooky chill hit us. We turned around and went back to the grocery store parking lot. And after staring at one another for a moment, Mollie once again spoke the address 123 River Road into her phone and it took us straight back to town and to the house Ann had moved to ten years ago.

 

This is one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me. I wanted to see the house again, but I honestly had no idea how to get to it. I hadn’t actually been back to that house in more than twenty years. We usually met Ann at a restaurant and she would come back to the hotel to visit.

 

If anyone can figure this out for  me, I’d be grateful.

It's Done!

The next to last Cassie book is finally finished. This one took me a long time. I sent it off yesterday to my two ultra-helpful editors, my sister and Rosie Dee. It’s going to take them a while to get back to me and then I’ll need to do the edits. 

And then the BIG problem – what do I do with it then? I still haven’t heard a word from my publisher. I certainly can’t sent it to them but if I publish it myself, well… well there are legal questions. I want this book out. And I’m very excited about the final book in the On the River series. I’ll keep you informed.

 

I haven’t got much good to say about my health questions. I’m still not feeling so good. The blood pressure is still low and the worst is that is the near constant low grade nausea and the sleepy feeling. I went to a play with some friends Saturday night, Mollie and some of her friends went too. I couldn’t stay. My stomach was upset and I felt like I could curl up under the table and sleep. I just headed home after the first act.

I really want to feel better soon. Mollie and I are traveling to my mom’s hometown next weekend to visit a couple of my cousins. I’ve been making this trip to visit with older relatives for over sixty years. 

The first night we’ll be taking my cousin’s granddaughter and partner to dinner. I think she’s close to Mollie’s age and it hit me that this will be the first time that I’m the little old lady being visited with. Of course, when I see the cousins the next day, I’ll feel younger, both are in their 90’s. 

 

Hopefully I’ll soon writing that I’m feeling great and that the book is coming out!

Whiplash!

I think I’m about to have whiplash. I’ve been worried about my BP being so high. Even with the doctor increasing my medication my BP kept going up, as high as 189/108. That’s too high and it was scaring me. So I got back in touch with the doctor and she added a diuretic hoping that would help. Well, it did, and it didn’t. 

 

It dropped it all right, or can we say it slammed it down! It dropped all day yesterday down at its lowest down to 88/61. I’ve been nauseous since I’ve been on the diuretic and all I want to do is sleep. Now is that the diuretic or because of the low BP? On a side note, since I’ve felt sick, I haven’t wanted to eat, and I’ve lost 4.2 lbs. in the past four days. I love losing the weight but that’s a little fast.

 

I’ll be talking to the doctor again sometime today. Hopefully we can get all this stuff to average out to where it should be and I can start feeling better soon!

A problem

I have a problem. When you think of all the problems in the world it’s not huge, but it’s really bothering me.

 

I enjoy writing and getting Cassie’s story out into the world. I’ve been working with my publisher since they took over my first publishing company in about 2016. They have always treated me well, made payments on time and answered any question I had promptly.

 

Suddenly all that has stopped. They have stopped communicating with me in any way – totally ignoring the last three emails I’ve sent them. They are no longer sending invoices stating what books I’ve sold each month as they used to do, and they have stopped paying me. I wasn’t paid in October, got a late payment last November and not a dime since. I’ve not heard one word from them since November. I’m not the only one this is happening to. The same thing is happening to many others and with them not answering emails I’m not sure what recourse we have. There is a rumor that they have gone back to paying quarterly, but not one word to me or to the other authors I’m in contact with. So, who knows.

 

I have another Cassie book, the next to the last one, nearly ready to go. But I can’t in good conscience send it to a company that refuses to communicate with me – or pay me. I don’t know what to do, their contract say they want the rights of first refusal of any books with Cassie and friends as characters. But would you say that by not answering emails, not communicating in any way and certainly not paying, it’s breaking the contract from their side?

 

I don’t know what to do or who to try to talk to. Getting my own lawyer is an option, but it would definitely not be cost effective. I’m not making a great deal of money right now, but it is my money and I want it. And I’m certainly not making enough to pay for a lawyer.

 

I’m so frustrated. Thanks for letting me vent – I’ll keep you posted.

Sad news

There is some sad news within our blogging family. Many of you will remember Baker and Hoss. Baker wrote the blog Our Sweeter Approach to Life.  This past week their oldest son passed away. The loss of a child it just about the worst thing I can imagine. I’ve emailed with Baker, she says they are holding it together but any and all prayers would be welcome. I told her I’d let blogland know. I’ll be sending prayers their way.

This and That

I’ve been a little slack posting lately. Let me catch you up on a few things. Let’s talk about the cpap. I’ve grown to tolerate it. Is it helping? I have no idea. Since I didn’t snore or wake up gasping for breath before I began using it, I can’t say I’ve seen any improvement but I’m going to hope that it’s helping. At least it's not blowing all over my face every night.

The Ozempic is helping. My blood sugar is the best it’s been in years and I’ve been able to cut down on my Metformin. Now the real bonus in all this is that I’ve lost fifteen and a half pounds. The doctor just increased my dose and she thinks the weight loss will continue. That’s something that would really help me.

This morning I’m beginning an exercise class – it’s silver sneakers, which is supposed to be for seniors. But I’m familiar with the young woman teaching it and she is brutal! Evidently, she believes ‘seniors’ have the strength and stamina of Olympic weightlifters. Here’s hoping I survive.

Sunday was a fun day. Mollie and I went to see the play Come from Away about passengers stranded in Newfoundlandafter 9/11. If you don’t know the about this, Google it. It’s a very interest story and a high energy play and I got to spend the day with Mollie! Can’t beat that.

  

Men and babies

I wanted to share a little event that happened on LJ’s birthday.

 

During the party the other night, LJ got the following message from one of his best friends, Sam.

 

Sam: Becky’s water broke. We’re on our way to the hospital. Happy Birthday.

 

LJ: This is all I ever wanted. OK, keep me posted. I love you. Oh, and does this mean you’re NOT coming to the party?

 

The next day…

 

LJ: You having a son on my birthday is the most iconic thing we’ve done as a duo. I’m so glad Becky was game to do her part.

 

Sam: You know she’s going to try to make this all about her.

 

Men have weird senses of humor.

 

 

Thankfully, not my excitment

When I talk about my life not being very exciting, please note that I’m not complaining, merely observing. And after talking with my sister last week saying we’re a little dull sounds like bragging.

 

Sister lives in a community of mostly older people. Not assisted living, just mostly people over sixty. One of her oldest friends from college lives there and Sister is her emergency contact. This friend was rushed to the hospital late the other night, once there she told them to contact Sister who went over at once. Friend ended up having to have a colectomy (removing part of the intestines). She’ll have to wear a bag for three to six months. Sister has stayed with her much of the time.

 

Three days later another friend in the community needed Sister to take her to the ER. Gallstones had caused pancreatitis and she was scheduled for gallbladder surgery the next day.

 

While all that was going on Sister hears that another friend and her husband were stabbed by their crazy neighbor in front of their three kids. The husband’s lung collapsed, and the woman had some severe cuts to her neck. As Sister said, it was a long week.

 

So with all Sister and BIL are having to help handle I’m hoping to continue to sit here in my quiet little world and be thankful for a calm, maybe somewhat dull, existence. I want to keep it going for as long as I can.

Lets keep the excitement to a minimum

Greetings. I keep looking for things to blog about in my nice quiet existence and I’m not having much luck. All is well here, Nick is healing nicely and mostly behaving himself. My BP seems to be coming down some and the Cpap and I no longer hate one another. Instead of me wanting to hurl it from my nightstand each night we merely glare at one another. I guess that’s progress.

 

I cooked for Nick’s family this past Sunday. The five siblings take turns, and we get together about once a month. I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, corn, carrots, green beans, cooked apples, rolls and brownies. Mollie brought over two pies. I don’t think anyone left hungry. Nick made the carrots and the cooked apples, but I handled the rest. I still don’t like cooking, but when I have to I can usually manage.

 

Tonight (Tuesday) we’re having pancakes at church for Shrove Tuesday and Nick and I are helping cook there too. Our minister had challenged those of us in her congregation to read the Bible this year and had a pacing guide for us. I’ve always wanted to do this and this year I did. I just finished the Old Testament and I’m thrilled to be finally starting on the New Testament. To be honest reading the Old Testament has brought up many more questions than it answered, but I’m proud of myself for keeping up.

 

I got to talk with LJ the other night. The cat is doing great, BTW. I’m having a hard time realizing that my baby boy is having a birthday this Thursday. I’m really stunned to realize that my little boy, my baby is turning thirty-five. When I realized this, I turned to Nick to declare, “But I feel like I’m just ready to turn thirty-five!” Nick looked at me and nodded before adding, “Well maybe forty.” LJ’s friends are giving a big party for him at his favorite bar Friday night and he says Nick and I will be more than welcomed to come if we’re in town. It’s my favorite kind of invitation – I’m welcomed, but no one expect me to actually show up.

 

I’ll keep looking for blogging material folks, so stay tuned for the next post of my wildly exciting life!

Doctors, doctors everywhere

Evidently the reason I retired was to have enough time to go to all my doctor appointments. Once again, I feel good and healthy, all these appointments are routine, but there sure are a lot of them. I went to the dermatologist last week. No problems, she said nothing even looked suspicious. Good for me.

Nick will have his post-surgery recheck next Wed. He seems to be doing great. He says the area of the hernia is still a little sore. He’s not picking up anything heavy – that I know of, and I really think he’s being careful. And I’m so glad the surgery’s over with.

 

I went for my regular checkup last week too. My doctor was pleased with everything except my blood pressure. She increased my medication, and all was a little better for a while but now it’s shooting back up and I have no idea why. Saturday at noon it was 180/100 – ridiculous! If it’s still up so high today I’m calling the doctor back.

 

Last Friday I went back to see the sleep doctor – wearing the damn Cpap with it blowing air around is a little like dealing with Chinese water torture. I went in and told them all the problems. I put on the mask and showed them the problem. They made some major adjustment, tightening the mask and that night it worked! It was the first night I was able to wear it all night, more than four hours, since I started wearing it. I hope this works now and I can get the benefits they keep promising from using this thing – more energy, weight loss, lower blood pressure – I could use all these things.

 

And now to the most important doctor visit of all.  LJ and Collin’s cat has glaucoma in one eye. The doctor explained that the pressure would be very uncomfortable, and he felt that the eye should come out. But here’s the deal – the cat is sixteen years old and has other health problems and the surgery would be around $4,000. Now remember LJ lost his job this past summer and was out of work for a while before taking a job for lower pay. Collin broke his leg during that time (when they had no insurance) and he didn’t work for six months. To say money is a little tight would be an understatement.

 

One might ask if paying $4,000 for surgery on a sixteen-year-old cat a wise investment. One might, but I sure as heck didn’t. It was totally up to them and I don’t know what I would have advised anyway. Obviously, it’s not practical from a purely monetary standpoint, but this is their cat and they love it.

The eye was removed this past Friday. It was scheduled the week before, but the vet forgot to tell the boys not to give him some of his medicines before surgery, so they postponed it a week. The doctor said it was his fault and that he would cut $650 off the bill. I don’t understand that, but it makes me happy. I also sent a little to be applied to bill, after all it is my grandcat.

 

I guess my life is now a lovely swirl of doctor visits – at least all my doctors are nice and I do like them. But that doesn’t mean I have to see them all the time. I’d prefer a more casual, see you next year, relationship. Now if I can just get my BP down maybe I can relax a little. 

 

This will be a tough job

I have a strong husband who likes to get things done himself. He does not like to depend on others, even me. I haven’t been able to keep him off the roof, but I have been able to get him to agree to only go up there when I’m home. That way I’m here to listen for a thud in case he falls. Still scary but it’s better than him falling when there is no one here to call for help.

 

At work he’s up on extremely high ladders changing ballast in the lights and working on exhaust fans. He has to lift buckets of parts that weigh over fifty pounds. Some of the boxes he packages weigh fifty to sixty pounds. And he handles a wide array of other jobs.

 

A couple of days ago Nick had surgery, for the first time in his life. He had a hernia repaired.  The doctor said it was more extensive than he had thought, but it’s all taken care of now. 

The doctor also said he couldn’t lift anything over fifteen pounds for six weeks. Nick is a smart man and I know he’ll listen to the doctor… for a while. But I worry what he might try to lift around week five or six.

So far at home he won’t let me get him a drink or bring or get his medicine for him. He’s up and out of his chair to get it himself before I can move. He’s always been this way. I’m worried about sending him to work and I have no doubt he be going back next Monday. One good thing is that his boss really likes him, and I know he’ll be watching him too and lift things for him as needed. At least for right now. But again, by week five, will these men stick with this? I may have to go with him that week.

It's none of my business, but...

I have thoughts, suggestions… advice maybe, rolling around in my head. And we all know that my advice is worth exactly what you’re paying for it.

There is a group of people that I’m worried about. Some are my family members, some are friends who live close to me and some are my blogging friends that I’ve never met in person. But all these people have something in common and it concerns me – none of my business, but I’m still concerned.

 

When covid struck we all retreated into our homes and rightly so. The stuff was deadly and we had no good way to fight it. Gradually, ever so gradually, we got some help. The vaccine was developed as well as various treatments. Infusions, antiviral and a few other things. Slowly with the protection of the vaccines and boosters, we began coming out and mingling with others again.

But some have chosen not to. Several of my family and friends – both near and far, have decided not to come out and possible expose themselves. And I’m not telling them to! Covid is still out there and everyone has to do what makes them comfortable. But here’s the thing ...

 

Covid is never going away. Not in our lifetimes.

 

I feel a kinship to those who only want to stay home – I’ve felt that way most of my life. But I worry about those who choose to never leaving the house, never going out to eat, never again visiting with friends or family, never going to the movies or shopping or on vacation. Life is short. Most of these wonderful folks I worry about are, like me, not spring chickens. I just don’t what them to feel that they have to spend the rest of their life shut up in their homes.

 

So, here’s where the suggestions, advice come in. If you feel comfortable giving it a try. Grab your honey and go back to your favorite restaurant between two and four in the afternoon when there are very few people there. Pick the store you liked to shop at the most and arrive there as it opens on a Monday or Tuesday morning. Or do what I did, go to a movie matinee on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday – you may need to check this out if you live in a big city but when I went with my friend to see Avatar: The Way of Water at 4:15 on a Wednesday afternoon there were a total of three of us in the whole theater. 

You can wear your mask and even gloves if it makes you feel more comfortable. Think of it like exercise, it may be something you need to do for your overall well-being. And if – God forbid – you run into covid out there, I pray your experience will be no worse than mine was. Just feeling like I had a lousy cold for about four days and then it was done.

 

These are just my thoughts. Just something I hope you think about and then make the best decision for you. But there is a nice old world out there, full of some wonderful people and lovely experiences. I’d hate for you to miss all this forever.