LIFE: racing past and then suddenly in slow motion

I've caught up with our comings and goings up until New Year's Day. I never took the time to make any resolutions or set goals for myself as I usually do every year. I think the fact that I was alive and well were enough.

Things began to slowly improve in January and then mid-February found George with a nasty head cold. Since being in Florida, we've missed celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and then Valentin'es Day flew out the window.

February found members of our New York RV group staying at Elite Resorts and good friend, Charlie, at Thousand Trails down the road. We didn't get to do too many things together due to my foot and George's illness, but the few times we did, food was usually involved and we always had fun.

Dinner out with some of the Hudson Islanders, sans George.
Starting on the left side and up like a “u” we are:
Walt and Fran, me and Charlie, Tony and Doreen and Kathy and Ray.

I was continuing the slow recuperation from my bunion surgery and looking forward to each accomplishment along the way. I went into a boot with crutches, then bearing weight on the boot and crutches, then to a cane, and finally into an orthopedic sneaker and crutch.

I rushed myself along the road to recovery (what's new) and put the cane in a corner way too soon. I have taken it back out and use it anytime I need to walk more than a few dozen feet. The foot is still swollen and painful. My surgeon says June should be the month that will show less swelling and more progress. Keeping it elevated and wearing a compression sock helps quite a bit. As we creep closer to June, we shall see how I progress.

A deadly wolf in sheep's clothing.

The middle of March found the world faced with an unimaginable health crisis. COVID-19. This acronym was soon to become a household word, and life, as we knew it, was a thing of the past. Even when the diabolical virus' threat is reduced, I don't believe we will ever live our lives the same. We will all be changed in ways yet to be determined. Some changes will be for the better and some will be for the worse, but I choose to face this enemy steeled with faith and hope.

Finally, a holiday meal where
I wasn't in the hospital!

A perfect break in he global crisis found us quietly celebrating Easter with a home-cooked dinner. Here we had many friends around, food to eat, but we all ate separately.  

My next blog will begin my documentation of what we are doing, how we are doing things differently and why I make it a conscience choice every day to find joy in little things.


Deep thought for the day:  Be sure to stop and look when you smell the roses. Don't run by too fast. Experiencing them using both senses envelops you with their true magnificence. Life is kinda that way too.

A December to Remember

The month of December arrived as I continued to recuperate from my sinus infection. The previously scheduled surgery on my foot was postponed until I finished taking the full course of antibiotics. The new date for surgery was the 10th. I convinced myself that I was well enough to proceed with the surgery (I really wasn't) while George told me to reschedule it again.

I had a method to that madness of proceeding with the surgery, because one year ago I had booked a week in Key West at Blue Water Key Resort and I needed a 15-week recuperation window. The week delay was now cutting into my timeline.

The surgery went well. I left the hospital the same day with a plate, two brackets and six screws in my foot, as well a a pin in my second toe that had needed to be broken and reset. I was placed on the same, strong antibiotic that I had taken for the sinus infection, and was given a powerful drug for pain. Now, all I had to do was sit back and let my bones mend. It was one of my more painful surgeries.

Good friends had lent me a wheelchair, but entering the RV was a tremendous challenge. One that caused me to almost re-break the broken toe! Neighbors far and wide heard my scream. Weeks later, a woman came up to me while I was sitting outside and she said, "Oh, you're the poor woman who screamed." I guess stuff like that gets around fast in a small community.

Life was spent in the RV being cared for - expertly - by George. There was very little I could do without his assistance, and he was always patient and caring. I counted my blessings (along with the days we would be swimming in Key West). 

About ten days later, I visited my surgeon who sent me to the ER with a note, indicating I was exhibiting signs of a DVT - deep vein thrombosis, including chest pain and difficulty breathing. The night before, I actually considered calling for an ambulance due to how badly I felt.

My original diagnosis in the ER was a lot of fluid in and around my lungs. I heard doctors saying, "congestive heart failure," "possible heart attack" and "thrombosis." I remember not feeling panic at this point, just a feeling that I wanted to go to sleep and wake up from a bad dream. I was weak, tired and in pain. 

On Christmas Eve, after about a week at Celebration Hospital, I was discharge after having a total cardiac work up. Gratefully, all my tests came back negative. The only explanation for all that fluid was that it probably developed from the original congestion of the sinus infection and made worse by the anesthesia from the surgery. 

Okay, this issue is behind us now and it's time to go home...but, getting released posed a huge problem. Part of my cardiac workup included an angiogram that was performed through my wrist. This prevented me from being able to hoist myself up the stairs into the RV.

Prior to being discharged, my mind raced with options and fortunately, I remembered that our friends owned a house nearby and had a spare room. After a quick call, we found out there was "room at the inn" on Christmas Eve for all of us, including Lucy. As it turned out, we had their whole home to ourselves since they were out of town. To make things even easier, we had a key to their home. 

Throughout the entire medical issue, I hadn't cried once, however, as George wheeled me into their home, tears of gratitude slid down my cheeks. I was overwhelmed by the situation and the bag full of new medications we had just picked up from the pharmacy, but also feeling so blessed to have friends who moved a huge obstacle out of our way.

Someone thought this was a
special chair just for her.

Christmas Day was going to be a relaxing and quiet day.

It wasn't.

I'll skip the unpleasant details, but I ended up heading back to Celebration Hospital by ambulance. This visit was a six day stint consisting of a battery of tests for gastric issues. The cause of this new problem was due to all the antibiotics and additional pain medications that I had been ingesting since the end of November.  It wreaked a bit of havoc on my insides.

We ended 2019 with hope and prayers that 2020 was going to be a terrific year. After all we had been through, how could it get any worse?

Meanwhile, as we were hoping and praying, Wuhan, China was to become a place that would go down in history as the epicenter of "COVID-19." Not until March 11th was it officially labeled "a pandemic" and people started to pay attention. Unfortunately, it would take thousands of deaths before most people started to take  it seriously.

My next blog entry will document, at least for my future reference, what it is like living in 2020 with a compromised immune system during a pandemic.

Deep thought for the day: "Good morning, good morning! It's time to celebrate! Good morning, good morning to you!"

This song's music was composed by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics written by Arthur Freed, for the 1939 film, Babes in Arms. It was performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

This is the song I sang to my boys as they grew up and now, I sing it to my husband. All three hate/hated it, or perhaps just my rendition. I'm not sure which, but I do know that I loved and still love singing it, because it's always a "good morning" when we wake up, have a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat and love to give and receive... So, good morning, good morning to you! ~ vc

Ketchup post. Lots of catch up.

I decided, after the long absence from our New England Adventure, that I needed to document how life has unfolded since then. After a brief check of the photos on my phone, it seems like I neglected to keep the chronicle of my life up to date, which is the only way I can guarantee I don't forget the special "days of our lives."

Savannah with 2 sets of grandparents!

 In mid-September we headed south and made a stop in North Carolina to celebrate Savannah's 11th birthday. We had a great time visiting and got to have a spectacular birthday dinner together. This lucky girl got to spend it, not only with her immediate family, but with both of her grandparents!

Even a rainbow to celebrate a special girl!
Good grief, Charlie Brown, she will be taller
than me before next birthday!

Dessert caused a bit of havoc on my insulin reserves, but it was well worth the sacrifice. I was unable to upload a video of her breaking the pinata, but believe me, it was a sight not worth missing. 

We don't often get to spend birthdays, watch plays or musical or dance performances with them, so anytime we visit is special and was worth the risk of extra insulin and running "high."

My fire cracker getting ready to break
her chocolate pinata!

We only arrived in Florida a couple of weeks before getting on the road again to spend Thanksgiving in St. Pete's Beach, FL. There, we would spend the holiday with three of my grandchildren and their mom, Meily, who would be flying into the area from snowy Colorado to spend the holiday with my ex's family. As usual, we were invited and welcomed with open arms to stay and celebrate the holiday together. As Meily worked in the Tampa office of the company she works for, I was able to take the girls to the pool or beach and spent some quality time as we enjoyed perfect weather. We went out for dinners as a group, got sand in our suits as a group and shared germs as a group!

Love this one with sisters holding hands.

Lola looking happy and beautiful.

Nina enjoying watching the boys stare at her.

Me with three of my five precious girls
on Cousins Aaron's and Karen's boat.

Confident and a cutie, Emma with Uncle Gregg.

A sunset from the balcony of the condo at St. Pete Beach, FL

Boston Market Turkey Dinner

The night before Thanksgiving found me with the start of a sinus infection that required a trip to an urgent care facility and a script to knock it out of my system. George ended up picking up my prescriptions along with two turkey dinners from a Boston Market. We were thankful for many things despite missing celebrating with family.

The next day we headed back to our Florida "home base" where I could recuperate and not infect anyone else. I missed out on "apartment hunting" with Meily, who is seriously considering relocating to the Tampa area to be closer to family!

I ended the month of November sneezing, coughing and miserable, but I had already finished my Christmas shopping on-line, had it all wrapped, boxed up and ready to ship out by December 1st. I tend to always be a step ahead, just in case!

Valentine Card Boxes for Lola and...

Emma. Early, but promised last April.

The extravagant Valentine Card Boxes were part of their Christmas gifts. I made them after seeing the ones they had used the year before. I promised I'd make them real pretty ones for next Valentine's day.

Almost forgot to include my new car!

Decided to buy after leasing two prior to this one.

Geo

As soon as we had arrived in Florida in November, I needed to trade in my Nissan, Sentra. That Sentra had been my second lease and I liked the car so much I decided to go ahead any buy this one.

George and I decided that December would be better. Bunion surgery, that was originally scheduled for the 3rd needed to be rescheduled to the 10th so I could recuperate from the sinus infection. After that I'd be spending the rest of the the year just resting and healing. Poor George would have the honor of being my caretaker. Life (as we knew it) was good.

Lucy, feeling bummed out after realizing
we didn't have apple pie for dessert on Turkey Day!

Deep thought for the day:  "Go ahead an make all your plans you like, but never forget that we are just pawns on the chess board of life." ~ vc

While this was written after the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I had too much information to document leading up to this devastating time in history. Once we hit my "surgery" date, the story gets even more complicated before we reach the point of "LIFE AS WE KNEW IT."

Last, but not least, Rhode Island

Our last stop found us in "The Ocean State," Rhode Island. I would never have thought that our smallest state would earn that title, but "www.statesymbolsusa.org" states that although the smallest, it has 400 miles of direct access to the Atlantic. It mentions that the only state to beat that mileage is Alaska. I'm assuming there is a difference between coastline and "direct access," because I'm pretty sure any of the east coast states, Hawaii and California can beat that number. Goes to show that you can't believe everything you read (unless it's written by me). Just like GPS's. George can choose to listen to those, but he's usually better off listening to me.

Regardless of it's nickname, I loved Rhode Island and want to return again and again. This stop had us meeting up with friends Tricia, Craig and Charlie, all of us converging at Meadowlark Campground.

Meadowlark earned high marks from all of us despite the fact that we were squeezed into small sights and backed up inches from our neighbors to our rear and awnings almost touched slides. Most of the people in our vicinity were seasonal campers who had been coming here for years and years. It turned out to be such fun with these friendly folks as we joked, shared food and stories.

Photo courtesy of ACR

We all converged on Tricia's and Craig's site to enjoy a meal of whatever we all had in our refrigerators. It turned out to be a great meal.

Charlie's site was right next to theirs and was eerily tucked almost on top of a small cemetery. There were less than a dozen stones that were difficult to read, but we did make out one dated 1776. I wonder who Charlie was parked on top of? I'm not sure I could have slept there and we never ended up eating dinner at his site either. 

A sandy beach was less than a mile from the campground and many interesting historical sights were within walking distance.

Right down the road was the Boyd's Wind Grist Mill. This windmill was the only "eight-vane" mill ever built and operated in New England. Sadly, it's only one of a very few surviving across the United States. I tried researching the others in the US and have come up with nary a one.  I located one in the UK and Germany, but nothing closely resembling Boyd’s here in the States. If anyone reading this knows of any of these unique pieces of history, please leave me a comment with its location.

Our nightly view from our bedroom window were the vanes illuminated by ground lighting. Quite a sight.

Steps away was Paradise School, which now houses the Historical Society and Museum.  It was closed for the Labor Day Weekend, but the exterior was a sight to see with its pale yellow wooden clapboard. A small sign noted the name and year, "1875."

Paradise School

While looking at the building I assumed the bell would have hung in the top cupola and wondered if, as in my own childhood, boys and girls entered and exited through separate doors. I was disappointed at not getting to see the inside so I I had to just imagine how it must have been for students and teacher so long ago. 

The next day found us headed to Bowman's Wharf in Newport where we spent the day strolling around, grabbing lunch and taking an afternoon Trolley Tour.

Bowman's Wharf

George had his eye on that big baby in the background. It was navy blue and white.

We found a nice place for lunch and enjoyed a great meal sitting a flight above a busy street.

Tricia and her date for the day.
Craig's fav football team was playing.

Me and my date.

Photo courtesy of ACR

After lunch we took a short walk to the Trolley station and hopped on for a one and a half hour tour of Newport. George and I believe that there is no better way to learn the history and secrets of a place than a tour upon a trolley. We were fortunate, once more, to have a very talented and witty driver/tour guide. He was an Irish bloke, a Newport native and a retired history teacher, making him a favorite in Charlie's book. This trolley, opposed to our last one in Bar Harbor, was packed full.

Our driver told us stories about his childhood as he rounded turns or passed places where he had played baseball, went to school, or told his best story, which he peppered throughout the tour, which was about Trinity Church. where Princess Diana and Prince Charles Jackie and John F. Kennedy were married. Her family was from the area and we drove past the farm she spent most of her summers. At Trinity Church, there was even a sign with their photo announcing that great event. Coincidentally, our driver's parents got married at that same church in 1951. He told us he's still trying to get a sign displayed out front in their honor.

We were all pretty excited to see a beautifully restored Crown Victoria. It clearly stood out as it inched through the heavily trafficked road. Look at those white-walls. It was a sight for sore eyes.

My name and the word "crown" go together so naturally; don't you think?

No bathing suits, thankfully, just a great "Destination Dinner."

A most enjoyable dinner on the beach.

A view of the beach and cove.

Always a friendly person offering to snap a photo

Capturing the sun setting on our new Jeep Wrangler.
Dis be MY photo.

The next day all of us, except George, hit the Newport Vineyards Winery and Brewery. My new "thing" this summer has been an interest in IPA's and locally brewed beers. Pale Ale's are so far my favorite, but I am new at this game, so my immature palate needs experience.

A line of wine enthusiasts about a mile long greeted us as we pulled up to the winery and we were worried we wouldn't get to participate in a tasting or get a table for lunch. Although that tasting never did come to fruition, we didn't have to wait long for a table and we got to taste whatever we wanted while sitting! 

Waiting on line before we realized we could just make a reservation for a table.
Photo courtesy ACR

The vines

Courtesy of ACR - my "Beer Flight"

Photo courtesy ACR -
The interesting cheeses that paired so well with the different beers. Ah-ma-zing.

At lunch, Tricia ordered a wine flight and I opted for a beer flight. We all shared a cheese board that contained five different cheeses that I've never tasted before. It had crostinies, nuts, fruits and jams as well. I've always known about wine and cheese pairings, but was astounded to discover that it works the same way with beer. And I thought beer only went with pretzels and nuts!  I began noticing distinct notes in each beer as I compared the cheeses. I can't say exactly what those notes were, but one was definitely citrus. This may be a new obsession for me. I'll keep you posted.

We all had a great last day, including George, who got to take his new bicycle out for a long test ride.

Happy for the month to be over.
She had a rough time,
but she carried on like a trooper.

Thirty-two days on the road seemed to quickly come to an end. We got to add five stickers to our map: VT, MA, ME, NH, and RI and Lucy got to add a sticker to her US map of Vet visits. We ate our way back and forth throughout New England and we were able to witness a different way of living, eating and talking. For example, "Hey, ya need more butta with that lobsta?"

Charlie, AKA ACR, also writes a blog and you can compare his notes to mine as he went into much more detail, especially with our trolley tour, sights and food. You can read his version of the day HERE!

Deep thought for the day: All good things must come to an end and all "ends" are the result of beginnings. Enjoy the beginnings, the middles and the ends. If lobster is involved at any portion, don't forget to ask for extra  'butta." ~ vc

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Most times, these "welcome" signs come up too quickly for me to snap a photo and this time I only got a "State Line" sign, no welcome from New Hampshire. The "Granite State," as it is known, has the Purple Finch as its State Bird the Purple Lilac as the flower. Their motto is "Live Free or Die," which was pretty black and white; no shades of purple there.

Wolfeboro was a relaxing place to call "home" for a couple of nights in a campground that was dark enough to trick you into sleeping late. The first morning, I kept waiting for the sun to rise and awaken me naturally, but only Lucy's meows of protest woke me after 9 am resulting in someone having to eat a late breakfast (paw tap, paw tap).

We visited New Hampshire on our way out to Maine, but we didn't earn a sticker for our map, because our "criteria" to earn one is to spend at least one night camping and do some sightseeing. This time, the sticker was ready to get affixed to our USA map! It filled up the Northeast States nicely

Entrance sign to campground

I booked Wolfeboro Campground due to its proximity to the town of Wolfeboro, Lake Winnipesaukee and for its price. George had some reservations as we approached the entrance sign. He was already in a "bit of a mood" after our GPS routed us to a dirt road that traversed up and down a steep hill. My Waze app was suggesting a different route, but we opted to follow the one that is designed for RV's. Goes to show you that you can't believe everything you are told. At times you just need to with your gut or listen to your wife. I must say, the sign gave me pause also.

After meeting the quirky owner, checking in, convincing George that this place was great and getting situated in our site, I took a walk around and quickly felt such a sense of  peace and serenity being among the tall pines. Looking upward or down, you could see the dappled sunlight playing among the leaves on the trees and the pine needles on the ground. One roadway actually made me hope that the path to heaven would look similar (see my photo below).

My vision of the "Pathway to Heaven."

Although standing there provided me with the rustic beauty of nature, magical sounds and smells and comfort, no photo I snapped did the place justice.

George was just happy to get situated in a location where sap wouldn't drip on the roof of RV or Jeep.

The next morning, George headed out for a ride on his new toy and the owner stopped by in his Polaris 6-Wheel ATV, which was his main method of transportation. We had such an interesting conversation about his, and the campground's past, present and future.

Back in the 1970's his father bought the property  and initially carved out 18 camp and ten tent sites. They designed it, laid the water and electric lines and built two large homes, an office, restrooms and a barn.

After his dad passed, every site was enlarged, sewer was installed and an additional 20 large sites and three cabins were built.

I was amazed at how many details were put into each site, such as a hand-designed fire pit with natural "fire walls." No two were the same. Each had a large tree stump to use as a table for your cooking needs. A picnic table was supplied as well. A rustic, woody, camping experienced was provided and it was all you needed.

Fire pit made by owner and his dad.

Notice "fire wall" behind

and tree stump "table" on left.

The problem facing this brilliant man and this creation is the fact that he's getting at an age where maintaining the grounds is becoming out of his physical capabilities.  However, this is his "home" and life-long project.

 It's sad to realize that this park peaked, flourished and is going to either weaken or disappear as times goes on. I was happy I got to experience his "piece of paradise" while it still existed. While far from a resort, this place was an obvious labor of love and an amazing result of hard-work, talent and determination.

"Camper," with his GPS tracker

Later that morning I came across a man walking his cat on a rope. I had to snap a photo of "Camper," a lucky stray cat who was found at a campground and became a special member of a new family. I was told he has a GPS gadget on his harness so his dad can find him if he gets loose. Great idea!

Our HUGE site. Fire pit was located far to the left, out of range in this photo.

The small, quaint town of Wolfeboro resembled an old time fishing village and is located on Lake Winnipesaukee. Lake Winnie, for short, is the largest lake in New Hampshire spanning 21 miles. We noticed a sunset cruise was planned for the next night and we were able to get last minute tickets. Turned out that a popular local band was playing and we soon discovered that we were oldest (and definitely most sober) of the bunch.

The boat circled the perimeter of the lake and we witnessed a rare sight - undeveloped lake shoreline. It was pristine, calm and a perfect evening. The view of the sunset made the inexpensive trip even more of a bargain.

Thought this was just too cute not to include.

Pre-cruise dinner on the dock. Weather was very cooperative.

Our cruise boat. We sat below, party was on top.

Ahhhh, the "piece de resistance".....the sun dipping behind the mountains.

Oh no...
George checking out another toy?

Our short stop in New Hampshire came to an end. We never did get to see or do many things, but what we did was quite enjoyable.

I would love to return to Wolfeboro Campground if ever in the area. I'd be interested to see if the owner is still there and take a stroll on that "pathway to heaven," but not all the way! A boat rental to explore the lake on our own would also be on tap. 

Next stop will be our last of our August itinerary, Rhode Island.

George took this somewhere in New Hampshire and I had to post.
Love my beautiful home.

Deep thought for the day: Home is where we park it. I love living an RV lifestyle, especially when it's spent on the road finding new places, meeting different people, and seeing amazing sights. Although in New Hampshire, I will defer to Maine's state motto:  "The way life should be."  ~vc

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