Catching Up

In the unlikely event that any of my former readers are still hanging around, here's what's been happening over the past few years.  After this, we'll just move on.

• My family: After a horrifying incident where my mother's body stiffened like a block of wood and wouldn't unlock, a neurologist diagnosed her as having both Parkinson's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.  Medication softened her symptoms and probably lengthened her life, but couldn't stop her precipitous mental and physical decline.  She died quietly 2 days before my parents' 67th wedding anniversary, a bewildered and pain-ridden shell of her former self.  My father is still in overall good health and mentally sharp, although he suffers from pretty constant back pain; he is still living with Puma, his "rental cat," and will be 93 years old next Wednesday.  My sister has retired and keeps busy volunteering with the Humane Society and the library.

• My job: I stopped teaching online classes a little over 2 years ago when I became eligible to collect (partial) Social Security benefits as a widow.  I needed to take back the time I had been devoting to it: The church where I work has been through a period of extreme turmoil, during which I felt like the little Dutch person at the dyke, plugging leaks with all my fingers and toes and wishing for more extremities.  My dad says this is the only part-time job he's ever heard of that entailed working 90 hours a week.  Fortunately, we've had a dynamic new pastor since July and everything is settling nicely; I expect to be able to bail in September without chaos ensuing.  For about 3 years, though, the job did swallow most of my alleged free time. 

• My hobby: Having found my singing voice, I have continued to try to develop it.  I sang for 3 years with the Arizona Masterworks Chorale and started taking private singing lessons.  Last fall my instructor took a full time job with the Arizona Opera and gave up her students, so I will be starting over with a new teacher next Friday.  In the meantime, I have been continuing to sing with the church choir and at weddings and memorial services.  However...

• My health: About a year and a half ago I caught a cold that turned into a cough which wouldn't quit.  When I finally went to the doctor, she informed me that my allergies had morphed into asthma.  Since then I've had several scary out-of-control episodes that included breathing problems at night, coughing until I throw up, and being unable to laugh, sing, or even draw a deep breath without choking.  For several months this winter I couldn't do anything much more strenuous than sit quietly next to an air purifier.  I am now under the care of a great allergist and am temporarily breathing well - keeping fingers crossed.  I can hardly wait, though, to be eligible for Medicare and out from under the cost of private medical insurance and all my copays and prescriptions.

• My love life: While singing in the church choir, I caught the eye of a great guy who had been splitting his time between Washington (state) and Arizona.  He is now living full time in Arizona and we have been a couple for almost 4 years.  We each still have our own home, but spend much of our free time together.  Lee has also had health challenges over the past two years; he will be having a reverse shoulder replacement next month to repair a badly injured right rotator cuff.  He has been a rock for me during the worst of the asthma, so I am gearing up to give him whatever support he needs during his convalescence.

My cat Charlie is still alive and well!

...and that's the Cliff Notes version of why I haven't had the time or energy to blog for several years.  Fortunately, everything is looking up now, and life is good.  As of today, 119 days to retirement - let the countdown continue!


“Working people have a lot of bad habits, but the worst of these is work.” – Clarence Darrow