A Week Fraught with Change
This coming week brings a great deal of anxiety on the part of this country and I believe the rest of the world. We face an unprecedented election on Tuesday and no matter what the outcome, it is going to have major ramifications that will ripple through the national and international communities. My solution, make a smoothie and go for a long walk. However, despite Hurricane Matthew and all the havoc he brought to our beautiful island, we will celebrate our Veteran’s on Tuesday and here on Dataw we do it right. Right now there are a thousand or more flags spaced about 10 feet apart on the road leading into and out of the island. It’s about three miles and both sides have the flags. It is quite a sight to see. In addition, we will have a ceremony on Tuesday morning honoring all who served here on Dataw and their families with a parade, music and a fly over as well as the traditional raising of the flags. It is very moving. Following that there is a golf tournament with many wounded veterans playing. It is one of the most special days on Dataw and makes me very proud to live here. We may be a gated community but we don’t let that stop us from being a part of the greater community.
Puppy Update
What a fun week we have had with Winchester who is now 10 weeks old. He is delightful and has brought so much energy and joy into our home. We know Buckingham would be pleased that we are continuing our love of Golden Retrievers by having this baby join our family. He has charmed everyone he has met and every dog that he has met. We are able to take him on longish walks, usually about two miles but we did get a full island walk in but then he slept for the rest of the day. He just had a visit from our daughter Margot’s and Hadley’s dog Brewer and his buddy Baxter who came for the weekend. The big boys were wonderful with him and by the time they left he was really wrestling with Brew and holding his own. It amazed me that he knew to just drop and roll when Brew came after him to play. I guess having nine brothers and sisters to rough house with prepared him. He is eating well and sleeping well. His playpen on the porch is where he spends his sleeping time during the day otherwise he is with us under a chair or outside looking for sticks.
Exercise and Nutrition
We both continue to walk every day and this past week I happily added Zumba back into my life as well as Restorative Yoga. Walking for me is a pretty solitary activity unless I walk with John and the dogs but many times when I go out for a Nordic Walk, I go alone. I like it that way so I can listen to music and keep my tempo up with Bruce Springsteen. I used to run in my 30’s and it was always to Bruce – makes me feel young I guess and I always have a smile on my face and sometimes I can be caught almost dancing. All good things. Anyway, I love Zumba for the music, the dancing and the pure movement of it but also for the social side, it is exercising with others which is fun. So is Yoga, wonderful group of women and a super leader.
This week I spent four days packing my good friend Ashleigh who is moving to Knoxville, Tennesee. Our other close friend, Pam and I were there most mornings about 9:30 and worked until we couldn’t anymore. We did break for Yoga on Thursday and I think the three of us practically fell asleep. The stretching was so good for those muscles that we had used packing boxes and lifting and stacking them. So I feel I have had quite the workout this week. Lots of good smoothies for breakfast with energy ingredients, salads for lunch and fish and vegetables for dinner. A very healthy week actually. My doctor changed my blood pressure medicine and added some Vitamin B12, B6 and Folic Acid and I feel better than I have in a very long time. Much more energy and very even and calm. That must be the BP medicine. Plus, I am happy!!!!
The Eyes Have It
Since I now know I have cataracts and that I have to do something about them, I met with the surgeon this week and have decided to go ahead and have one eye done before Thanksgiving and the other done in January. My right eye is the worst one so it is the one that gets to go first. It is quite the process. I certainly have heard from many friends that it is nothing to worry about and how thrilled I will be afterwards when I can see so much better. However, any surgery is a risk and should be weighed heavily. I have chosen to go the laser route. I did my research and it just seems to make sense to go with the method that is the most precise, with a quicker healing time, and with a surgeon who has trained extensively in its use. The other thing is he is young. He is energetic and caring and an expert at what he does. The bad side is that it costs money. Medicare will pay for the old tried and true method but not the laser treatment. I don’t understand why. I would think they would want the method that would cause the best outcome so they don’t have to pay out more money at a later date. It is interesting to talk to others and there are many here who have had cataract surgery. Some say the laser treatment is great, others are the doomsayers who think I should go with the old guard. That’s not me. I want the newest, the brightest and the best. Medicine has changed dramatically over the years and I want someone who is up on the latest and greatest. So we shall see. This coming week I have the pre-0p appointment and have been putting drops in my eyes and using hot compresses to make sure the surgeon gets the best measurements possible. In typical fashion I told him I didn’t need a pre-op physical because I just had the most complete physical of my life on the 25th of October. He said my doctor must sign a release that I am healthy enough to have the surgery. CYA I guess! Then the surgery will be the following week on the 16th. It sounds simple, it’s really not. But being a curious old lady I am interested to see how it all works. Shall report back as things move along.
Hurricane Update
The hurricane cleanup continues on Dataw Island. We have been blessed with beautiful weather which has allowed the crews to continue to work on getting things back to a new normal state. The big contractor has left as we await the FEMA contractor to show up. Once again the piles are building up on the side of the road. Most of this is from work that was behind homes and not immediately apparent. The tree work is staggering. Areas that were very dark and heavy with trees are now bright with sunlight and open space. There is a huge machine that has been working its way around the golf course chewing up the debris and spitting out rather large wood chips. The mess it makes and the dust it kicks up is, I think, perhaps rather bad for folks with any breathing problems. We were sitting on our porch this week when it came by our place to work on the debris just outside our backyard and within minutes we could not see anything beyond our back door because of the dust it kicked up. The other huge machine, the grinder, that was turning debris into wood chips at a central spot on the island has departed but the pile it built has not. It has been nicknamed “Mt. Dataw” and an enterprising person somehow managed to get a golf flag up on the top of it. You might not be able to see the flag but perhaps you can get an idea of the height of this pile from the picture. It is enormous. We are still waiting for our repairs and I think we will wait for a little bit longer. Things are moving a bit slowly if you are not in immediate danger.
Wishing you all a wonderful week and a peaceful outcome for this Tuesday.
I have a great recipe for you for a treat. Three ingredients. Pitted Dates, Raisins and Raw Cashews – rolled in unsweetened coconut. That’s it that’s all. We are enjoying them very much but not too much!
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