Resplendent Roseate Spoonbill

There's nothing quite like glancing out your living room window to discover a pink bird about three feet tall wading along the edge of your lake.  

Even though my camera couldn't capture the beautiful pink color, I knew I was seeing a Roseate Spoonbill.  I was "tickled pink" that I did capture a good view of the spoon shape of his bill. 

Here are two photos from the web that show you the color a bit more clearly.

    The wing feathers range from bright red to magenta, depending on the age of the bird.

Click this link/title for an interesting article.  

My Favorite Florida Birds, The Roseate Spoonbill

Seeing something like this in a zoo is one thing, but seeing it in your own backyard is radically exciting to me.  Rah, rah, resplendent roseates!

Puerto Rico - Robinson School Reconnections

I was attending the Welcome classes in preparation for joining the First Methodist Church of Port St. Lucie (FL).  The associate pastor, Dr. Rad Orlandi, was leading the class and started to introduce himself.  I knew he was Puerto Rican but when he said,  "I went to a small private Methodist school named Robinson School,"  I almost fell off my chair!  I raised my hand, quietly saying (but felt like yelling),  "I taught there!"

We were both sooo surprised!  We figured out that he was a senior the year I taught fourth grade in 1971.  He brought his yearbook in and I scanned lots of photos, which brought back MANY forgotten memories and people.

This is Dr. Rad Orlandi and MaryMay Angelil today:

 And in 1971:

 

People in the church might be surprised at what a heartthrob the young lad Rad was.  (He's still a heartthrob.....just a more mature version!)

Look at all that hair! 

Here's Miss May (AKA María Mayo) and her class: 

 To add to this story, Robinson School is celebrating their 110 year anniversary next weekend.  Rad is going and I'm already looking forward to his photos and report.

More to follow on Robinson School memories...

Blanche, the Bolter

Blanche Devereaux (my Cornish Rex kitty), in spite of training and consistent use of a spray bottle, bolts out the door in a flash when I least expect it. She goes further away each time she escapes and it was all I could do to catch her last week.

I fixed HER little red wagon! She got her very own bio-chip "installed" by her vet yesterday. He said most pets have chips nowadays.  If a pet is found, every vet has a scanner, which reads a phone number and the number assigned to the animal.  The pet is registered so if a call comes in, they can locate the owner.  

Between having alligators around who might consider Blanche a tasty morsel, living in a hurricane zone (knowing that pets cannot go with you to a shelter), and traveling with the cats, I decided I needed to take action.

I feel so much better about Blanche and her safety!

p.s.  Pepper, my other Cornish, is older, calmer, and well behaved.  I don't have to worry about her.

Can't Boil Water

I was spoiled during my years with Ed because he did all the cooking.  When he started getting weaker, I made some food.  He laughingly told people he thought that cooking would be like riding a bicycle, it would come back to you .....but, that hadn't happened with MaryMay.

I had some Weight Watcher points left one evening recently so decided to make some popcorn.  It must have been old because, not only did it barely pop, it burned very badly.  I rushed it outside but the microwave, kitchen, and house were filled with a strong burnt smell.

My Facebook friends gave suggestions and I googled it.  After using the vinegar, baking soda, and lemon along with boiling potpourri, buying spray odor remover, and leaving all the windows open with fans overnight, the smell was still there.  One especially helpful "friend" suggested cooking fish.  A week later, after boiling cinnamon water in the microwave daily, the odor is finally starting to dissipate. 

Maybe I'll give up my meager cooking and just eat out --- cooking for one isn't worthwhile anyway.  More importantly, I think I'll forget about EVER making popcorn again!  

Endodontist Ends Excruciating Pain

This was from March 27, 2012

When I told my endodontist that I was soooo glad to see her, she said not too many people feel that way.  I'd had four days of zinging pain and was barely able to sip room temperature Ensure through a straw, even the tiniest bit of toothpaste or touching my face sent me through the roof, so yes, I couldn't wait to see her!

Many people might describe these as instruments of torture but I say they're instruments that delivered me from pain. 

Most offices have some files but I learned that

endodontists have LOTS of files!

When I'm being worked on, I always try to envision what's happening.  I asked what they used to get the infection out and, as I thought, they use files..... all of teeny sizes! 

Here is my dear Dr. Jusarra Morsani and her assistant, Tanya.  This is the 2nd tooth she's done for me and I think she's THE best!

The thing I was most curious about was what they refer to as a rubber damn.  A former endodontist called it a raincoat.  Here the good doctor gets the rubber damn ready for me.

I'd been trying to imagine what it looked like so took my camera.  Oh, my, I didn't realize how strange this was!  It isolates the tooth and prevents anything from falling in my mouth while they're working.  The sunglasses protect my eyes.

Now comes the most amazing part!  Dr. Morsani works with a microscope and when it's a top tooth, she does it in reverse with a mirror.

I took a picture of my X-rays on the large computer monitor she has in the corner of the room where she works.  Somehow infection got under that 2nd crown I had gotten in December.  There was lots of infection in all four roots but luckily it hadn't reached the bone.

Now I have a clearer understanding of why flossing is crucial --- it keeps germs from gathering under our teeth.

Good-bye pain and another thousand bucks!!  
It was worth every penny. 

Quickly through the Quagmire?

It's been over a month since losing my loving husband, Ed. I miss him every single day but I know he's with me in spirit.  

The tough part now is the quagmire of paperwork, which I plug at diligently every day.  I sometimes wonder if there will ever be an end!??  

Each detail is sooo complicated. I thought computers were supposed to make our lives easier and more efficient --- yeah, right!!!!! 

For example, getting the Comcast account changed into my name has involved many phone calls, verifying numbers, addresses, etc., and faxing of documents.  The faxing process took the whole morning yesterday because the fax number they gave me didn’t work.  

 

At that point, I had to start over with that annoying 800 phone number and fight my way through their phone menu until I got to a real person. Then that real person kept putting me on hold for “a minute or two” while they “researched”. Finally, I got a fax number that went through, hopefully.

 

The cover letter I sent requested that they send me an email or call me to verify that they had received the information. They didn’t --- of course --- so I called today. Well, “that might take 24-48 hours so call back...but don’t forget that Monday is a holiday.” 

 

It looks like Comcast gets to continue using up the minutes of my life and producing a few more gray hairs in the process.   Then again, if I let Comcast go, I won't be able to get on the internet and that would  give me a plethora of gray hairs!

Getting quickly through the quagmire of paperwork is simply not going to happen, is it?

Always in My Heart

Rest in peace my dearly beloved "angel man," Edmond Angelil.

Frightened Fashionista

Somehow I got convinced to be a model in the March meeting of the Women's Club of Savanna Club, which was a fashion show of clothes bought at Kohl's.   I happened to be in Kohl's in Ft. Lauderdale with Ed's sister, Lorraine Barkett.  She really got into it and found a shell, an over-jacket, necklace and earrings.  I found the rest of the pieces later.

I invited my sister-in-law, Mary Kay Angelil, to come.

The tables were beautifully decorated by Jane Roy and her team.  Notice the little shoe and purse in the middle.

 Behind me are my friends, Linda Ricioppo and Bonnie McDonnell. 

There were 19 models in the show.  Diane Novelli, the organizer, cleverly divided the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" program.  She had 3 groups of models with games in between.

Above is group 1 and below is group 2.

I didn't think that much about modeling until I went to rehearsal the day before.  That's when I realized how HUGE that theater is and how far we had to walk.  The spotlight was also intimating!  Boy, was I ever NERVOUS!!! 

I guess I've never done anything where people were just staring at me.  I just went on automatic pilot and somehow managed not to fall down!

Below is group 3.  (There was another gal with her little granddaughter in our group but I didn't get their photo.)

   New experiences are good for us and being a "fashionist fashion model" turned out to be a personal victory and 

a fun day for MaryMay.

Ed's Little Corner

A computer guru needs his space and Ed claimed this little corner in our kitchen as his.  I was sure it would be too crowded but this little desk fits perfectly.

He totally enjoys looking out at the lake and seeing all the sandhill cranes, herons, anhingas, turtles, ducks, and our alligator. 

His body may have slowed down, but his brain hasn't so he still "memorizes" the Washington Post each day!

Hospice - a Good Decision

We’re both pleased with Ed’s decision to go with Hospice, as we now have a whole team of professionals to help us. This week, we’ve had visits from his nurse, his new doctor, the Hospice chaplain, social worker, the oxygen delivery guy, a medicine delivery, and a dietitian will be coming.  We also have a 24/7 number to call to speak with a nurse with even tiny questions. They take over all Ed's medical care.

His nurse will come weekly and later, if he needs help with showering, etc., a nurse’s aide can come. There’s also a beautiful new facility a few miles away.

Hospice people don’t sugar coat things and they discuss in different ways what Hospice means.  We had thought it was just for the last couple of weeks of one’s life, but we’ve learned it’s far more than that. I see that comfort care includes “coaching on how to LIVE” in the best manner possible for as long as you can, even if you have to adapt your activities.

I can already see a difference in Ed’s spirit and he seems more peaceful, as am I. Hey, how many patients get a home visit from their doctor these days? He told our minister that he might be around another year --- but that’s all in God’s hands.

p.s. Ed’s mind is totally intact so he’s not missing a thing.  As the admitting nurse left on Monday she said to me, “I really like Ed. He’s quite a character!”   Yep, she’s already figured out “our Ed”, hasn’t she?

Giddy-up Golf Cart!

One more "oldness" benchmark......you move into a 55+ community in Florida and buy a golf cart!

I've noticed golf carts in RV parks and many of the communities where we shopped for a winter abode.  I was inwardly amused at "oldsters" and their golf carts.

Things change when you're in a situation with only one car.  It seemed wasteful to think of buying another car with more insurance, upkeep, and taxes.  

BUT, it was becoming inconvenient for us.  Ed would drop me off at a club house for one of my activities.  Then I had to call and interrupt whatever he was doing or bum a ride home with someone....but there are only so many times I can bum rides without feeling guilty.

Thus, the "new" idea of getting a golf cart came about last year.  Our golf cart is used and old but has been well maintained.  Voila, problem solved!! 

Of course, when you do one thing, it often requires you must make changes with others.  

Change #1:  We needed to extend the driveway.

Above is the "Before" version.  You can see the tall eureka palms that were planted too close to the house.  They required constant trimming and picking up branches. So, we got rid of them (that was another complicated project).

Ed did a great job supervising the cement work.

Side story:  Just about the time  that the cement was finished, Blanche sneaked out the door and ran into the wet mess.  With each step, she sank deeper until she couldn't go any more.  It was quite a process to get her cleaned up.  Thankfully, the cement guy had a sense of humor and just smoothed out the mess.

Our friend, Dick Roy, can do anything.  Here he was putting rocks between our new driveway section and our neighbor's house.

Here's the "after" version of the driveway extension, which will be painted later.

Change #2:  Next issue to deal with was that when we parked the cart at the end of the garage, we couldn't open the door to our shed, where we keep the garbage can, etc.

 

Once again, Dick saved the day by adding a door at the end of the shed for access.

 

 He also put an opening for the charger cord.

No gas, insurance or taxes.  Here I am "putting in gas" (plugging it into the charger)

 Change #3:  Ed ordered and installed a back seat so when people visit us, we can give tours of Savanna Club.

 
Naturally, Ed did his research and bought a seat that folds down to make a cargo area.

Change #4:  He also got a dash insert that provides doors that can be locked and protect items from rain.  He was especially pleased that the installation involved getting a different ignition key, an added safety feature as it's a universal key for all carts of this brand.

Hence, we have more freedom thanks to our new-to-us helpful "toy".....

 and yet another sign of being "oldsters".


Yee Haw! 
Giddy-up, Golf Cart!

Sandhill Crane Colts

Did you know that young Sandhill Cranes are called colts? People are surprised to learn that the baby crane designation is the same as a horse. However, with those long legs and their love of running there are similarities, if only in concept. 

We've seen some colts around Savanna Club this spring.  They just walked across our backyard and they are soooo cute!  

 

One stopped for a snack, happened to notice his fellow colt and parents were moving on, started running, and I could hear him holler,  "Hey, wait up, you guys.  Wait for me!!"

The novelty of seeing animals wander around naturally never wears off.  A zoo setting is never the same.

We are always thrilled at the various animals we see behind our house, both walking and in the water.  It's a daily show and the price is right --- free!  But the Sandhill Cranes will always be our favorites!!

Hold on Hospice

Hospice came to do a baseline evaluation of Ed today.  He says he's not ready for someone to come by to check on him, even as seldom as every two weeks.  We're glad to know there is such an excellent program here and it will be available to us in the future.

Yes, he's lost 45 pounds since October so looks very gaunt, but his meds have helped with his breathing and he seldom coughs these days.  

It seems like it's a relief to him that he's made the decision not to have any more chemo, especially since there's only a 10% chance it'll help.  We've also decided not to return to Virginia in May, but to see how things go, and I think he's relieved to have made that decision, too.  (Thank you to Maggie, our house sitter, for staying in our house there for now.)

His flamboyant, feisty spirit shone through for the Hospice nurse!    He told her he's also going to try to put on some of the weight he's lost.  He certainly is better than he was a month ago.

We know that his lung tumors aren't shrinking but, hey, he was told in October of 2008 that he had only 3-6 months to live!  He says he could be around another year!!

Prayer is powerful and I think it's helped!  Thanks to all our Prayer Warrior family and friends.

Savanna Club Surprise Turnout

They've been trying since November to get a Weight Watcher's meeting here in Savanna Club.  We had to have at least 20 people to warrant a meeting of our own and there were about 25-30 people expected for our first meeting on March 10th. 

Lo and behold, almost 75 people showed up!!! 

I'm pleased because I feared that when the "Snowbirds" flew North for the summer, there wouldn't be enough to keep the group going.  There are surely enough people who live here full-time to keep our meeting going all year.  Plus, the leader is young, poised, and enthusiastic, which makes things all the more pleasant.

Hope to see less of everyone next week!

Trek to Tampa

Ed had his appointment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa last week. Steve, his son, came up from Ft. Lauderdale to drive us over. The trip took about four hours because of tons of traffic around Tampa.  We stayed one night at a hotel nearby.   Moffitt is part of the University of South Florida and the campus/hospital complex is huge with many, many buildings. 

We saw Dr. Jhanelle Gray, who went to medical school at Cornell. Since Ed had been to 5 oncologists (see "A Bit of Background", below) there were lots of records and disks but Dr. Gray had read them thoroughly and came in with a paper full of notes. She took her time, answering our questions as she went. A clinical trial would involve many trips to Moffitt and, considering the advanced stage of his cancer, Ed said he does not want to do that.

She gave him a prescription for an Advair inhaler to help with the breathing, along with the nebulizer and other things he’s already using. She gave two treatment suggestions. One is a pill called Tarceva. This used to be only for a certain type cancer but is now used with other types. The other option is a type of chemo called Pemetraxed. Dr. Bellam will be able handle this her in Port St. Lucie, thus avoiding that long haul to Tampa.  

Ed will decide which suggestion he wants to try first.  He also has the option not to try either treatment for now and if that's his choice, I'll try to accept it.

Ed, Steve, and I feel it was worthwhile to have made the trip, especially since the Advair is helping with Ed's breathing. 

A Bit of Background about Ed’s Cancer and Chemo

When Ed was diagnosed with lung cancer in the fall of 2008 in Virginia, he did not want to let chemo interfere with his life.  He started chemo in Virginia and we took off to Florida in our RV.  We spent part of the winter in Ft. Lauderdale, where he continued chemo, and the rest of the winter in Ft. Myers, where he finished the 2nd course in the spring of 2009.  At that point, the treatments didn’t shrink the tumors much and Ed decided to quit chemo.

He went to Dr. Augustin Schwartz in West Palm Beach after being referred by Rene Angelil (Ed’s first cousin who’s married to Celine Dion).  Dr. Schwartz monitored his spring and fall CT scans until policies changed and he no longer accepted our insurance.

The tumors stayed about the same until the fall of 2011 when growth showed.  So, he took two courses of chemo in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  The chemo didn’t work and, much to the disappointment of his oncologist, Dr. Bellam, the main tumor grew even more.  That motivated the trip to Moffitt for another opinion.

Enjoying the Equinox

Yes, I'm already enjoying the Equinox, and I don't mean "the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day of approximately equal length..."

After my LITTLE accident with the BIG Chrysler Town and Country Minivan two weeks ago,  I've been totally gun-shy about driving that big car.  When we bought it last fall, Ed was doing most of the driving.  But, as his health situation has changed, I'm the main driver.  I had a heart attack every time I pulled into the carport because it felt like I was going to scrape the sides.

We spent almost the whole day at the Chevy dealer yesterday but they couldn't locate a 4-cylinder car for us.  The 6-cylinder doesn't get the good gas mileage Ed was after.  

He went back online and we headed out to test drive a Kia today.  Within half a mile, I discovered that their headrest is at an angle that put my neck into major pain and no adjustment of the seat would change that angle.  Sounds kinda silly, but that was the end of the Kia for me.  

Turns out that they had a 4-cylinder Chevy Equinox that someone who wanted a larger car had just traded in.  It isn't the white that I thought I wanted, but it has every other feature we were after.  Turns out that I like the shade of blue just fine.  

We now own a car that I feel comfortable with.  Whew, I feel equalized in an Equinox! 

Shucks, It's Shingles

Ed went to our Primary Care Physician (PCP) Wednesday morning for his follow-up visit after 4 days in the hospital last week.  At the end of his visit, he asked the doctor to take a look at the redness on the side of my face.  

As Dr. Pinto approached me I said,  "It can't be shingles because I had my shingles shot last fall."  He took a look, declared it shingles, sent me for blood-work, and gave me a prescription for the virus.  The dermatologist verified his diagnosis today. 

He said shingles shots are only 60% effective.  If I had known that, I might not have gone through all the hassle to get the shot last fall.   (Misinformation Melodrama - November 5, 2011)  Than again, I would have thought I wouldn't have fallen into the 40% of non-success stories!

He even said to not use my CPAP machine for a few nights because the straps are going to aggravate the red rash, swelling, pain, etc.

I think the stress of dealing with Ed's worsening lung cancer and getting cars repaired undoubtedly helped bring this on.   (I backed into a our friends' empty car last Saturday evening, breaking both driver side tail lights and causing some scraping on both cars.)

My shingles aren't super painful and I first thought it was because it was diagnosed and treated quickly.  Now, I'd be willing to bet it's a mild case because of my shingles shot!!  (I just read online that if you had the shot, you have less pain and shorter duration of shingles)

So "shucks on shingles" but when you hit 50 or 60, DO get your shingles shot!