Mom’s Thriving Lifestyle
Mom’s Thriving lifestyle
Here is the continued and ongoing journey of mom’s active lifestyle in her advanced age…
The below three parts document her recovery from emergency open-heart surgery in Oct 2020 at the age of 91.
Here is part 1 ==> Oct 19, 2020 to Feb 17, 2021
Here is part 2 ==> Feb 18, 2021 to Sep 26, 2021
Here is part 3 ==> Sep 27, 2021 to Mar 3, 2024
The Central Figure: Mom
Most of you know mom, but for those who don’t, here are some of her tales and adventures including her workout routine when turning 90 in August 2019.
Fri, Dec 20, 2024 (5:00pm) Jumping the Gun
It may be a little premature to say that mom has returned to health. She slept into the late morning and was a bit unsteady and needed a little more assistance when doing her bathroom duties and showering today. She did walk down for breakfast, albeit very slowly and gingerly as her right foot is clearly bothering her – the “toes” are extremely sensitive. She did eat her entire fruit plate of one banana, mandarin orange & apple pieces, and a variety of nuts. And then she went over to the black chair for a modest snooze, and was then watching TV. She had some coconut milk yogurt and cookies as a snack, and despite our very slow pace she made it accident-free all the way down to the bathroom. After that, she felt extremely tired and wanted to go to bed – we talked about it for a while, but she said she felt weak and thought being in bed was the safest option. So at 4:40pm she went to bed. I took her temperature and she did not have a fever, but obviously the bed seemed very enticing to her. Clearly, she is not over this UTI thing despite being on the antibiotics (morning and evening). So we will just take it slowly.
Note: Mom slept for 2.5 hours (4:40pm to about 7:15pm) and then got up and came down for dinner. Also, I just learned from my sister that it is not at all uncommon for antibiotics to make the patient feel tired, fatigued, and sleepy.
Thurs, Dec 19, 2024 (11:40pm) Almost Back to Normal
Mom had a lengthy, well-deserved nap in the black chair for much of the afternoon, and she remained there all evening. She ate a large dinner along with dessert. So we just let her rest up and eat. But she was very capable at the end of the evening in terms of getting herself down to the bathroom, doing all her duties, and getting into bed. She clearly had strength and is feeling much better. Most of her recovery is already done, and hopefully she will get stronger and stronger. The thing is who knows how long that UTI has been depleting her system, which may account for why she was struggling on the treadmill the last few weeks until we gave it up altogether. So let’s see where this all leads, but in the last 24 hours mom has had a remarkable turnaround.
Thurs, Dec 19, 2024 (1:20pm) Getting Settled at Home
Surprisingly, after the super-long day yesterday, mom got up at the “early hour” of 10:40am and wanted to get out of bed and shower. So we stood her up (with some effort) and then with some engineering sat her down on the rollator and rolled her into the bathroom. Then again we did a transfer to the toiler where she did her business. Then we used the bars to get from the toilet to the shower seat. All the the moves demanded careful coordination and a good bit of assistance. Mom had a nice shower, and to my amazement, did a solid job of powering herself over to her chair just outside the shower to dry off – the strength in her legs to keep her up was evident. She sat in that chair while she got all dry and dressed – at a very comfortable and relaxed pace. And then once dressed, she walked herself down to the kitchen with the rollator!! So that was a big, unexpected bundle of progress!!
Mom ate a solid breakfast: banana with peanut butter, diced apple, and mandarin orange. And now she is snoozing in her black, reclining chair. She was fatigued after breakfast so we sat her in the rollator and transferred her to the black chair.
Clearly, the antibiotics are active in fighting off the infection, and helping mom gain strength and recover. The results from the urine analysis arrived this morning, and after getting a good rundown of the results from my sister the nurse, this is a clear-cut case of a UTI as there was nitrite and lots of evidence of white blood cells as well as bacteria. So the ER visit was indeed needed, and they seemed to have identified and treated the problem!!
Thurs, Dec 19, 2024 (3:10am) Home Sweet Home
We got back by 2:45am. It was very generous of them to give mom a pass on that standing / walking test. I think they wanted the ER cleared out as there were no beds in the main hospital, and they saw I was eager and willing to take her. Whatever may be, we’ll take it. We rolled mom down on the rollator and scooped her right into bed. And she was certainly pleased to be in her own bed, under her own blankets.
She was a real trooper throughout, including watching the road like a hawk on the way home, reading out the signs and keeping a close eye, checking to see we had enough gas etc. So she was 1000% assertive from beginning to end.
Hopefully, in the next few days, she regains her mobility.
Thurs, Dec 19, 2024 (1:40am) ER Visit (cont) – Discharge Time!!
Mom sufficiently demonstrated that she could stand with assistance, and they are getting her discharge paperwork together so we can go home. Mom has been talking about going home and getting warm all night. And now it is going to happen!!
Thurs, Dec 19, 2024 (12:20am) ER Visit (cont) – UTI
The last two tests they did were to check for a UTI and perform a scan of the head. And the doctor just came to us and said mom tested positive for a urinary tract infection, probably due to all the incontinence she has at night and the build-up of bacteria etc. So they are giving her antibiotics for that now, along with a prescription for a 7-day course of treatment, and then they will check / test mom’s ability to stand. Assuming that goes ok, we should be able to go home. But that is a big IF. If she cannot stand properly, they may do more imaging on her hip. But hopefully, the weakness caused by the UTI – along with her diminished appetite – is the root issue. Mom’s appetite did pick-up here in the ER – and fortunately we had food for her. So maybe she will have the strength to pass the standing test.
Wed, Dec 18, 2024 (9:20pm) ER Visit (cont)
This place is totally packed with people lined up in stretchers all down the hallways, and most are seated in simple chairs packed together. Mom (and I) are fortunate as we have our own private room in the ER!! That way it is quiet, she is comfortable, and we can easily charge all our devices. Two nurses came in just now, and one of them was completely enamored with mom’s smile, and she said, “Oh my goodness, I have had such a hectic day, and it is so nice to see your bright smile! What a beautiful smile.” Then the nurse turned to me and said, “Is she always like this?” and I replied, “All day long!!”
Just now they put in a PureWick so we do not have to worry about the urine anymore and we can keep her nice and clean.
Wed, Dec 18, 2024 (8pm) ER Visit
Right now, mom is doing just fine and passing all her tests with flying colors. We still have a few more to go….let’s see….
When mom woke up today, around 11 am or so, there was no clear improvement from yesterday — still very little energy or strength to mobilize herself. I called our primary care clinic, and they put me on with a nurse who did a 25-minute interview with me about mom’s condition / history. At the end, her conclusion was that mom should go to the ER and get a workup. We were really try to find some other avenue, but with mom’s limited mobility they did not see any other options.
So again we called 911 (uggh!!), but I told them upfront that we were not in any type of life-threatening emergency. Once they came onsite, mom interviewed them (asking them their ages etc!!) as much as they interviewed her / us. Anyway, they whisked her away in the ambulance, and I soon followed in my car after packing up some food and supplies for us. When I got to the ER, mom was sitting there in the waiting room, and she seemed alert and comfortable. They warned us that it would be a long wait, but things have gone much faster than I anticipated. We did have to wait in that dirty waiting room for a little while (maybe an hour or two), but once we got called back things have been rolling right along, and everyone has been great and well-coordinated.
Thus far, all the test results have been good. Her hip scan was negative; her EKG was fine; the blood work looks good; and, her chest x-ray came back perfectly clear of all respiratory illnesses and infections. And the doctor has been by to see us twice. So now we are just waiting to do a head scan and a urine test.
So it looks like we will able to go home soon (I hope!!). When we first got here part of me was wondering if we had made the right choice to come, but I think now that really there was no other way. We had to know what we were dealing with, or at least be able to eliminate certain things. Hopefully, in the next day or so mom will regain her normal strength and vigor, and be able to manage well.
Mom has been in great spirits the whole way through!! And, while sadly, so many in the ER waiting room and even in the rooms were eating the worst of the junk foods and fried fast food, mom has been plowing through bananas, apples, and nuts. At first she was not very hungry, but now she is really eating them down. So that is a very good sign, considering yesterday she had no appetite. We are down to our last apple (and lots of nuts) now at 8:30pm so part of me wishes I had brought more food. It is hard to fathom what condition we would be in without our own food as we have not been offered a single bite the whole time, and the 911 transport crew from the house advised her not to eat or drink anything before getting on board.
Wed, Dec 18, 2024 (1:45am) Another 911 Call
Had another situation where we called 911 today, though it took hours to come to this decision, and once again — just like on 9/30/24 — we kept mom at home and did not take the ambulance ride to the ER.
(Aside: If you do not take the Ambulance to the hospital then Medicare does not cover the paramedics’ visit to the house. But it is not nearly as costly as one would think; it must get subsidized somehow. For the Sep call we were billed $250, and got a 25% discount and had to pay $187, which could not nearly cover the cost of 4 first responders and the various tests they do. Just an FYI.)
Mom woke up around (Tues, 12/17) at 1p / 1:30p, and I could see that she was very weak, and she stated she had pain in her hip. The way she was lying in bed and was all twisted it looked like she could not move her legs. I touched her feet, and she could feel my touch. With some effort, we got mom out of bed, into the bathroom, and fully showered. But she needed more help and support in getting showered. It was a much more tenuous ordeal to get in and out of the shower. She could hardly stand up on her own, and she seemed depleted of all her energy. We got dressed, and I helped her to her feet, and she was able to slowly make her way to the kitchen for breakfast. She only ate a fraction of her breakfast.
From the time mom was in the bathroom to after she finished breakfast, over the course of hours, I was on the phone with my sister (a nurse) and we were going over mom’s condition. Here vitals were ok, though her heart rate was 95 which is high for her, and as best I could judge her respiratory rate was around 30+. Her BP was fine (125/70) as was her temp (97.8). Mom just seemed so lethargic and weak, so I called Urgent Care and spoke to the front desk and nurse, and they felt they would not be able to do much for her. I told them that I was not going to take her to the ER and that I would monitor her at home. And they seemed to approve of that plan.
My sister and I continued to communicate back and forth, sometimes mom would get on the phone and sound strong and said she was ok, but at some point mom really seemed to get glassy-eyed and out of it. And I decided to call 911. Just about the entire time I was on the phone with the 911 operator, mom was dropping her head and her eyes were shutting. It really seemed like she was losing consciousness. I kept talking to her, and the paramedics seemed to be taking longer to arrive than on 9/30. Like on that day, I thought mom might be dying. The team arrived, and mom perked up, though her energy level was still extremely low, but at least she was not fading in and out of consciousness.
(Here it should be noted that mom was not aware I had called or was on the phone with 911, even though I was sitting right there with her and coaching her while talking to dispatch. So this is not like some type of attention-grabbing ordeal where mom gets better when the team arrives. Mom is the last person to call 911 – she well proved that back in Oct 2020 when she sat at home alone for an entire weekend with moderate to severe respiratory distress – only to have emergency open-heart surgery that Monday evening. And she stood firm the whole time there was no need to call 911, yet when she showed up at the UNC respiratory clinic, they took one look at her and wanted no part of it, and THEY called the ambulance and sent her to the ER.)
The paramedics did a full set of vitals, and they commented (and were amazed) at how everything was just about perfect: BP 115 / 65, pulse 79 and coming down to her regular level, and respirations and temp were quite normal. They could not find anything awry. They asked me if I could prepare a full list of the meds she was on, and they were stunned to hear she was not on any meds, save for her tiny dose of Eliquis. They hung around a bit, and we all watched as mom (with help) was able to get on her feet and slowly go over to the black chair. It seemed like a no-brainer to keep her home, and the paramedics left. Mom then slept for a few hours in the black chair, and then ate a small amount for dinner. At around 9:45pm, I got her up and seated on the rollator (we never do this, she always walks) and went to the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for bed. I really was not sure how we would be able to manage this, but mom was able to summon the strength to stand up when needed in order to get changed, and then she was able to push the rollator from the bathroom to the bed. And she was all too happy to get in bed, and said she was ok. She has been sleeping well thus far, and we will see how she is in the morning.
All that said, mom did get to gym on Mon (12/16) and did this workout:
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Nu-Step (Level 4) – 13 min 14 sec – 500 steps
Balance Work: Alternate Leg Standing
Sun, Dec 15, 2024 (10:15pm) Joyous Weekend
Mom was around the house all weekend from Friday to Sunday visiting with friends, reading the newspaper, and engaging in a big Zoom gathering with family from around the country. All in all, she is doing very well, and we hope to get some good gym days in this week!!
Fri, Dec 13, 2024 (12:15pm) Gym Update
Well, we broke our spell and were able to get to the gym yesterday, Thurs (12/12). We needed to get at least a short session in. Mom got on the treadmill, and as has been the case of late, her right foot bothered her and she was half limping. She seems to have residual nerve pain that has again cropped up from her amputation surgery. She struggled through 5 minutes on the treadmill so we pulled the plug on it and transferred over to the Nu-Step machine where she put up these numbers:
Nu-Step (Level 4) – 13 min 06 sec – 574 steps
Thereafter, we went over to one of the gym stations where mom can hold onto some grips, and she did 15 step-ups. And we will probably aim to do more of these types of balance and stepping exercises as it seems her ability to comfortably do the treadmill is slipping away from us.
At present, mom is relaxing in bed but will be getting up soon to shower. Though she told me she could not shower today because she only has one leg. But I reminded her that she does indeed have two legs and she will be fine to shower.
Thurs, Dec 12, 2024 (8:45am) Not Much to Report
Can’t say there is much to report…at present mom is still sleeping as it is still early for her. Yesterday, (Wed 12/11), she slept into the early afternoon, which is highly unusual for her these days. I do not think she made it down for breakfast until 3pm or so. She must have really needed the rest because when I tried to get her up in the late morning she was could not even get her eyes open…just completely overcome by sleep. Both Mon (12/9) and Tue (12/10) were washouts in that our main event was basically cancelled due to accidents. Just when we were all set to go to the gym on Monday, we had an accident, and then same on Tuesday with the farmers’ market. With all of the nothing to report, mom could not be happier and she is eating well. Her basic outlook is, “Everything is going great.” 🤗
Sat, Dec 8, 2024 (9pm) All is Well
Thankfully, the weird incident we had on Fri (12/6) at 11p did not repeat itself; rather, at 11p on Sat (12/7) mom was the essence of vigor and readiness, and easily handled her nighttime pre-sleep routine. Today (Sun, 12/8) mom enjoyed a casual day around the house – reading, eating, doing a few indoor laps, and having a leisurely Sunday!!
Sat, Dec 7, 2024 (6pm) Cold Snap
It has been one of the colder weeks for us as we woke up to a 20 degree morning today. It did warm up to the 40’s, and mom did get out for a walk today until she decided that she had had enough fresh air.
If you wish to see the video version, here it is….
Last night (Fri, 12/6), we had a bit of a scare. At 11p, mom had very little energy to get out of her chair to go down to her room to get ready for bed, but she made it there. She sat on the toilet for a while, which is very unlike her as she is usually very speedy, and then we transferred her to a regular chair where she broke out into a sweat, followed by spitting up, followed by the chills. She was alert and oriented, and she was remarkably clear at assessing her own condition. Her vitals were good (123 / 69 with a pulse of 65) so although we were concerned, we felt she was probably ok. And she felt she was ok too. She went to bed at midnight, and woke up just fine today. So who know what was going on.
Mom was around the house on Friday, but on Thursday (12/5), we did get to the gym:
.11 miles total on treadmill (5 min 17 sec)
Nu-Step (10 min 07 sec, 450 steps, level 3)
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
As you can see above, mom did not do much on the treadmill so we did some work on the Nu-Step machine. Lately, mom has been complaining of nerve pain / discomfort in her right foot while on the treadmill. So it may be that we skip that for a while, and instead focus on doing more laps around the track.
On both Tue (12/3) and Wed (12/4), mom was around the house as they were quite chilly days.
We did get to the gym on Mon (12/2), although it was not one of our better outings.
.28 miles total on treadmill (13 min 20 sec)
20 industrial steps up
1/2 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
Once again, mom was complaining of nerve pain in her right foot while on the treadmill so get got off it and went up to the track where mom promptly had an accident so we made a quiet exit and went home.
When mom was served the below meal, she said, “Now, that’s a dinner!” Our local farmers’ market has a grand variety of potatoes of all colors.
Sun, Dec 1, 2024 (10:30pm) Sheltering in Place
With the cooler temps settling in on us, mom was a homebody the last few days. Her Saturday friends stopped by for a visit as per usual, and mom always enjoys their company. Other than that, mom has just been doing her normal things around the house, and we have big hopes of getting to the gym 2 or 3 days this week!!
Fri, Nov 29, 2024 (12:45pm) Great Holiday Week
Mom is sleeping in today after getting to bed a bit late last night, but she had a find holiday yesterday and a great week on the whole….one of the main things is that we have basically been accident-free all week. And that is always good – we needed to check the cycle that we had been in.
Yesterday, (Thurs, Nov 28), mom was in the house all day for a fine, quiet holiday – and she really did a lot of different types of newspaper puzzles (numbers, crosswords, mazes etc) that I had not seen her do for such an extended period. Beyond that, we spent the day together and mom enjoyed the carrot / apple cake that we made. It was our first time making it, and we might do it again with perhaps a few design changes.
On Wed (Nov 27), mom had a great outing at the gym:
.45 miles total on treadmill (20 min 00 sec) // .25 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Tuesday (11/26), mom was around the house most of the day – it is a busy day for us with the Farmers’ market.
On Mon (11/25), we had our annual cardiology visit. They are the ones that initially prescribed the Eliquis for mom after her PE back in 2022 so we just have to check in with them each year. And, truly speaking, they really do not do much other than take vitals and talk to us for a few minutes. They did do an EKG, and that came out just fine. I asked if next year we could do a tele-health visit instead – thinking that they probably needed to physically see her – and to my surprise they readily agreed to it. So next November we should be able to skip the trip and do a short check-in from home instead.
Sun, Nov 24, 2024 (8:30pm) Casual Sunday
Mostly a relaxing Sunday for mom. Slept in till 11:30, had her usual morning shower, and had another round of pomegranate and mandarin oranges to start the day, and the weather was mild enough where mom was able to spend some time on the front porch watching the day go by. Other than that mom passed the time reading and watching TV. We did have to have a half-shower today in the mid-afternoon, and this needs to be addressed in some way. Tomorrow we have a routine / annual cardiology appointment in the mid-afternoon so mom will be having sweet potatoes for breakfast in hopes that we can avoid any mid-afternoon accidents. Beyond this issue, everything is smooth sailing so if we can get a handle on this we will be in the clear.
Sat, Nov 23, 2024 (6:35pm) Bumpy Ride
We’ve had a bit of a bumpy week due to a persistent issue – other than that things have been great….Have a look…
Today, (Sat, 6/23), mom was up, showered, dressed and ready for breakfast shortly after noon. She started with a pomegranate / mandarin orange bowl (pictured below), and followed that up with a heart slice of cranberry-raisin-walnut bread. But by 3:30pm, mom needed a half-shower and we just got into her pajamas for a cozy afternoon.
Similarly, we got to the gym (Fri, 6/22) and mom did the following workout:
.26 miles total on treadmill (11 min 56 sec)
20 industrial steps up
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
…And when we got back from the gym mom needed a half-shower and we changed into her pajamas.
On Thurs (6/21), we had our big 4:30pm appointment at Cosco to get set-up with a hearing test and new set of hearing aids. We did all the prep needed at home including two bathroom trips and headed out early enough to get to our anticipated appointment by 4:15pm. So far, so great. Then at about 4:27pm mom said she needed to use the restroom. Within seconds, it was already too late. We had to bail on the hearing aid appointment, and instead did some shopping for some fresh fruit, and then headed home for a half-shower and change into the ol’ pajama routine.
On Wed (6/20), we were all set to go to the gym, but mom needed to use the restroom, which she did perfectly, but then was buckled over by stomach cramps. I called my brother and took mom’s vitals, and we determined that she was probably ok. Here it should be added that mom got on the phone and gave a very logical and rational assessment of what she thought was wrong. In the end, we bailed on our gym endeavour, and mom was in bed that evening at 7p (no dinner!) and slept till 9a the next morning and woke up feeling fine.
On Tue (6/19), mom was around the house all day, and by and large things were quite normal.
On Mon (6/18), mom had an afternoon dental appointment. Fortunately, we had no accidents, and the appointment went quite well. The dentist saw nothing of any concern, while the hygienist really did a great job of cleaning, even doing what seemed like a deep scaling. The outcome was that mom needs help flossing the back teeth and brushing along the insides of all of the teeth. So that is something we are going to try and proactively address.
Sun, Nov 17, 2024 (11:20pm) Quiet Weekend
Mom spent much of the afternoon on the front porch watching the world go by, and she was joined here and there by a passer-by. Yesterday (Sat, 11/18), mom’s friends came over for their regular Saturday visit, and mom spent (Fri, 11/15) around the house. So a very quite yet comfortable weekend.
Thurs, Nov 14, 2024 (7:20pm) We’re Back
Pardon the absence…let’s get caught up a bit…
We went to the gym today (Thurs, 11/4), but mom said she had discomfort and pain in the 4th toe on her right foot. We did .08 miles on the treadmill and then bailed to adjust her foot and sock. That did not help us much because when we got back on the treadmill, mom shut it down almost immediately. We did make the 20-step climb to the track and did two laps, though mom was a bit shaky. When I asked if she wanted to do a third lap, she began listing all the various things she would have to do to get to the car so she was pretty much planning her exit. So we left. She was happy and well – the foot was just not cooperating. As I write this, it dawns on me that we should have done the Nu-Step machine where she can sit and do some leg work.
Yesterday (Wed, 11/13), we also went to the gym, and she also complained of foot pain, but we were able to do our workout:
.40 miles total on treadmill (17 min 14 sec)
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
And we also got to the gym on Monday (11/11):
.35 miles total on treadmill (15 min 02 sec) // .25 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Tuesday (11/12), mom and I were mostly around the house.
GREAT FAMILY VISIT: Thurs 11/7 morning to Mon 11/11 afternoon:
We had a great visit with family for the long weekend. My oldest brother, his wife, and one of my sisters were in for visit. We shared many meals together, and got outside a bit as the days were quite lovely. On Thurs (11/7), we all walked to the gazebo and hung out for a bit, and on Fri (11/8) they all participated in the alley meeting. And during the weekend, there was lots of time to talk, catch-up, cook, eat, and swap stories. They thought mom looked really great, and it was just a wonderful visit.
From Mon (11/4) to Wed (11/6), mom and I were just around the house getting ready for the family visit, getting projects done, and sitting on the front porch.
WE PHOTOBOMBED GOOGLE!!!
Somewhere along the line over the past week or so we also came to realize that mom and I totally photobombed Google. If you look at 38 Caswell (Pittsboro, NC) on “Street View” (or click on the below image) you will see this:
Each Street View photo is dated, and this one is from June 2024 – quite recent!! In contrast, the Street View image of our MD house is from 2008. So mom and I have been immortalized on Google!!
Sun, Nov 3, 2024 (8:50pm) Glorious Weather
The amazing weather has been continuing these past few days. On Halloween evening 10/31, mom and I walked to the gazebo, and we saw folks arriving in costume for a Halloween party and mom took their presence very, very seriously. She treated them as suspicious characters and had me keep an eye on them!! 😂 😂
On Friday (11/1), mom was mostly around the house, and on Sat (11/2) we got out for a walk a bit late in the day and she felt a touch cool so we headed back early – but at least she got outside for 25 minutes or so. Today, (Sun, 11/3), mom spent some quality time on the front porch with the sun on her face, and many passers-by sat down and chatted with her.
Thurs, Oct 31, 2024 (10:00am) Happy Halloween!!
It has been quite warm of late, reaching 80 yesterday (Wed, 10/30), and mom and I walked over to the gazebo accompanied by one of our neighbors.
On Tue (10/29), mom was around the house most of the day. And at present, mom remains under the covers, and we shall see what we do on this day of Halloween!!
Mon, Oct 28, 2024 (9:25pm) Great Workout
Mom put in a strong effort today at the gym in the early evening:
.62 miles total on treadmill (25 min 15 sec) // .37 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
She was pretty ambivalent about going, but once we got there she was strictly business!! We haven’t hit .62 miles on the treadmill in quite a while!!
Sun, Oct 27, 2024 (7:15pm) Productivity – Not So Much
Well, the last few days have been fine, but a few hiccups have kept us from getting out or getting to the gym. On Thurs (10/24) afternoon, we had a bathroom situation which kept us homebound, then on Friday (10/25) I had a bit of a computer meltdown, and then the weekend (10/26 & 10/27) came and went with mom sleeping past noon both days, and then hanging around the house most of the afternoon. So not quite as productive as the beginning of the week. That said, we are fine and well, and let’s see what the coming week brings!!
This did come out of the oven on Friday….
Thurs, Oct 24, 2024 (12:45pm) Productivity
As I write this, mom is still sleeping – an odd thing to admit since the title of this entry is “Productivity”. But mom went to be late last night – i.e. 1:30am – and getting ample sleep is being productive. That said, I will get her up when I finish this entry.
Lately, when we have been going out for walks it has been difficult to actually get anywhere. Mostly mom walks a few steps this way and that way and we do not get very far. And that is how it started on Mon (10/21) as well, but ultimately we made a push for it and walked from the garage and up the alley and around to the front door. So that was a positive outcome – and hence very productive.
On Tues (10/24), we went to Fearrington Cares for our podiatry appointment, in the wake of our awful 10/10/24 podiatry experience. So this new appointment was a big, big deal and it could not have gone better. Fearrington Cares is right next to the pool – as well as the newly implemented compost dropoff – so it is about a 2 minute drive, maybe less. The woman who comes is not an actual podiatrist, but a pedicurist who has since gotten her nursing degree, plus she has ten years of experience working as an assistant in a podiatry office. And now she comes to our area a few times a week. I had no idea if she could manage mom’s toes or not, but it was a piece of cake for her, and her overall demeanor and manner were so wonderful. This was a big boon. Now, we can stand by our vow to never return to that old podiatry office, and instead frequent this new pathway whenever it is needed. There is not a long line for appointments – and she only charged us $20 since mom just has the one foot that has toenails. The situation could not have been better or gone more smoothly.
Yesterday (Wed, 10/23), mom went to the gym and did this workout:
.40 miles total on treadmill (17 min 19 sec) // .18 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Mom was keen to get off the treadmill, but I think that is mostly due to boredom. As soon as we start then she starts looking at the clock and asks when we will be done.
The other night when mom was going to sleep, I said my usual, “See, you have a nice, clean bed.” And usually, she just delights in that, but this time she said, “It won’t be clean for long.” And I asked, “Why not?” And she said, “Because I’ll have an accident.” While, this is indeed a nightly feature, but it is very rare (& humorous) for it to come up in this way.
Ok – now it is time to get mom up….
Sun, Oct 20, 2024 (9:00pm) Fantastic Fall Weather
The weather has been just delightful these last few days. Yesterday, Sat 10/19, mom had her friends visit in the early afternoon and then got out for a walk to the gazebo. It was a moseying, meandering walk, but she really enjoyed it and got full sun. At one point, I had gone off around the circle to pet a cat and noticed a car who slowly going by mom. So I ran back over there and the couple stopped and I said, “Have you been waiting 1/2 hour for mom?” They were were nice and quite interested in mom and had been watching her – to ensure she was ok since I was out of sight. The woman commented how they were just remarking that, “This person walks just like my mom.” She then told me that her mother was 94. Mom relies on that rollator pretty heavily these days, and moves quite slowly. She can get going on the treadmill, but less so when walking on the street. She stops and looks around a lot.
On Fri (10/18), mom was out there for the alley meeting for a little while, and since there was just one other person I was out there as well, and finally both of them came inside for some tea. Mom enjoyed being out there but was not much involved in the conversation.
Both Thurs (10/17) and today (10/20) mom has mostly been around the house, hanging around so to speak. Mom has been getting to bed a bit earlier, allowing us to start our days earlier as well. That might mean finishing breakfast shortly after noontime, as opposed to starting breakfast at 2pm or so. But last night when mom was watching TV I could see she was involved with it and at 10:30pm I asked her if she wanted to go to sleep. That was a firm “No”, followed by, “I am not going to bed now; I am going to stay up.” When it was all said and one mom went to bed at 1:30am. So she had a late Saturday night!!
Wed, Oct 16, 2024 (7:20pm) “You Can’t Say I Don’t Try”
Mom put in a good workout this afternoon:
.52 miles total on treadmill (22 min 10 sec) // .30 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
4 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
As we were walking to the car, I was telling her that she did well at the gym today, and she replied, “You can’t say I don’t try.” And that is very, very true.
One good thing is that we are getting to bed a little earlier, maybe 10:30pm or so on a good day, and that enables us to start our day “earlier”. If we can get to the breakfast table around noon, then we can get to the gym in the later afternoon as opposed to the early evening. So we seem to be in a good cycle.
Yesterday, (Tue, 10/15), mom was home most of the afternoon, and things went mostly smoothly. We had two minor bathroom type of incidents in the late afternoon and late evening which is unusual.
Tue, Oct 15, 2024 (11:35am) Right Start to the Week
Albeit a touch late – pushing towards 6pm – but we did get to the gym yesterday (Mon, 10/14) and here is the work mom put in:
.47 miles total on treadmill (20 min 23 sec) // .28 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
So that was a solid showing. And we were able to get to sleep a bit earlier last night as well, so it is now 11:35am (Tues) and mom is out of bed and showered(!!), and in process of getting dressed. That is a good start to the day for us.
Sun, Oct 13, 2024 (9:30am) “But It’s Worth It”
Our whole week (and this era) can be summed up in mom’s single answer. It was on Wednesday (10/9), when we had a bit of a challenge, and I said something to her like, “It’s not easy getting old” or “Life isn’t easy” and and she thought about it for a minute, then said, “But it’s worth it.” And that’s what allows us to keep plugging along.
Yesterday, Sat (10/12), was an absolutely beautiful day, and mom had her usual Saturday visitors in the early afternoon, and then she was sitting on the front porch for much of the late afternoon, soaking up the sun, fresh air, and passers-by, all the while reading and watching. By the time, we actually got off the front porch for our walk it was merging into evening, and a bit of a chill was settling in. But we were able to walk up the front side and a bit over towards the gazebo when mom stared to feel that chill, so we headed back home. But it was good for her to move.
On Fri (10/11), mom was again outside for most of the afternoon (2+ hours) for the alley meeting. She is always one of the very last people to get up from her chair!! She may not contribute a whole bunch to the conversation, but she enjoys being out there with the crew!!
We had a long-awaited visit with the podiatrist on Thurs (10/10). As you may recall, after the April 2021 foot surgery, mom was left with zero toenails on her right foot, and the ones on the left are not possible to trim at home. So every four months we go to the podiatrist for a basic trimming. We actually should go every three months, but it is a bit of a headache to get there so we stretch it out to four months. It is not that it is so far, maybe 25 minutes or so, but it is buried in a business park set back from the street – with poor signage – and it is tricky to remember where exactly to park. We tried to get ready the night before, and all day Thursday I was reminding mom and trying to get ourselves ready for our 3:15pm appointment, but we did get off to a bit of a late start, but made decent time driving there, only to have a horrendous experience getting to the right area to park. Anyway, by the time we walked in there we were about 14 minutes late. And they refused to see us. There was a bit of a push and pull, and in the end we were not seen. After the missed podiatry appointment, for all her tenacity to tackle all challenges, mom was rewarded with a specialty coffee (we do not drink much coffee these days) and a glazed donut in the Whole Foods eatery, while I shopped.
Yesterday, our Saturday friends reminded us that Fearrington Cares (right around the corner from us, by the pool) offers all kinds of medical services and support, including toenail trimming. So I reached out to them online, and they said to call back on Monday to make an appointment. The cash fee for the appointments is quite modest, so if this works out it will be a great alternative to that podiatry office.
On Wednesday (10/9), we got to the gym and did this workout:
.47 miles total on treadmill (20 min 06 sec) // .27 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
Mom did extremely well on the treadmill for how inconsistent we have been at the gym. We had a quick restroom visit, and I asked her if she wanted to go home, or if she wanted to go up to the track. And she said, “Well, since we are here we probably should go up to the track.” Go Mom!! So we touched ourselves up and climbed the 20 step, double-staircase to the track and did just a single lap. But that was enough to round out our workout. When walking down the steps at our pace, mom said, “This must be terribly boring for you.” I assured her it wasn’t, and noted how it was quite rare for her to make those types of comments.
Mom was around the house all of Tuesday (10/8), and did some laps in the house that evening. On Monday (10/7), mom and I had some banking work to attend to at our local branch here in Fearrington so we did a short stroll around the village while we were there. A year or so ago, we could have walked all the way up to the mail kiosk and village area – no longer.
Sun, Oct 6, 2024 (10pm) Uneventful Week
After the scare on Mon (9/30), we have had a very calm, uneventful week. Mom was out for the alley meeting on Fri (10/4). It was a lovely day, and mom sat out there for about two hours. This afternoon, Sun (10/6), mom also ventured out onto the front porch. She gravitated to the front door all on her own and got herself out there – and then she stayed for a while. Beyond sitting outside, mom did not go to the gym or for a longer outdoor walk all week. That has got to be a first; I cannot remember the last time that happened. Now, we did have some relatives in town and we had the 911 call, and typically speaking both Monday and Thursday are days we are generally able to get to the gym. Anyway, that was the state of things this week, and let’s see what the coming week holds for us.
Wed, Oct 2, 2024 (11:20am) Totally, Totally Normal
Just a quick check-in here: Since our midday incident on Monday, things have been completely normal. There was no hangover, nor were there any repercussions from Monday’s event. So hopefully that was just a one-off ordeal, and we just continue on smoothly, as things were going prior to the episode that sparked the ambulance call.
Mon, Sep 30, 2024 (9:30pm) Ambulance Call
This morning mom woke up and seemed fine, and gradually made her way over to the shower sometime after noon. I’ll often check on her to make sure all is well, especially when I think she is going to transfer out of the shower, and when I went in there today mom seemed almost non-responsive. At best, she was mouthing her words, but as I cued in on her more she literally seemed to be slipping away from us. She was seated in her shower chair, but her eyes were glazed over with a yellow film, and she was listlessly drooping sideways off the chair – and her facial features were completely blank. Part of me really thought these might be her final moments on this earth, or perhaps she was having some type of moderate to severe neurological incident. I called my brother, and we spoke about it, while mom’s condition seemed to be worsening. We decided to call 911, and within three minutes (very speedy) or so two emergency vehicles were onsite – four people total. For the first five minutes or more while they were there mom’s condition seemed to remain the same, and then suddenly she began whispering in a more coherent manner. We transferred her from her shower chair to her dressing chair outside the shower, and the team began performing their various tests: BP 115 / 65, Pulse 72, O2 Saturation OK, and her EKG was fine and she was in sinus rhythm. So she checked out fine, and mom slowly came out from that spell, until she became fully alert, was asking meaningful medical questions, and was speaking in a strong voice, smiling, and joking with the emergency responders. They were asking if she was standing in the shower (which she wasn’t), and she thought they were asking her to stand up now. As she was wrapped in two towels, she commented that if she stood up then her towels would fall down. She was smiling, and we all laughed. She was able to recall the incident and said she had been dizzy, but did not have any pain. Ultimately, nothing was found medically, and they gave us the choice to go to the ER for further testing. We opted to remain at home, and we basically chalked up the incident to being vasovagal syncope. Maybe it was due to an overly hot shower, or who knows. The rest of the day progressed normally for mom. She ate three solid meals, and was alert throughout, reading the newspaper and watching TV etc. We took the day off from the gym, and mom seems to be doing fine. Hopefully, it was just a fluke event, but things were really looking dicey for a few moments.
Sun, Sep 29, 2024 (11pm) State of Affairs
Thanks to all who reached out inquiring how we were doing in the face of Hurricane Helene. Fortunately, our place is in central Carolina, clearly away from the wake and destruction of Helene. We had a bit of extra rain, but nothing more serious than that.
Today (Sun 9/29), we had a number of friends and family over for melons and raisin bread in the morning (photo below), and then for a grand feast in the evening. On both Fri (9/27) and Sat (9/28), mom was mostly around the house just doing normal things.
Here is mom’s workout from Thursday (9/26):
.52 miles total on treadmill (20 min 46 sec) // .35 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On both Tue (9/24) and Wed (9/25), mom was hanging out around the house: reading, eating, walking, and the like. As noted in the prior entry below, mom had a gym day on Mon (9/23).
Mon, Sep 23, 2024 (11pm) Gym Day
Mom was around the house most of the day, and then got a late afternoon / early evening workout in at the gym. She has a tendency to want to stop the treadmill early on, whereas once she gets going she fares better. Here are her totals from today:
.38 miles total on treadmill (16 min 00 sec) // .15 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
4 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Finally, as per our normal strategy, mom guarded the house nicely while I made a late evening trip to Costco.
Sun, Sep 22, 2024 (6:20pm) Pool Grand Finale
Today was the final day of the season for our outdoor community pool. The whole crew showed up for it. The ambient temp was 85 or so with sunny, blue skies, and the pool temp was probably around 78 or so. We knew the water temp would be too cool for mom so she did not have her suit on, but it was a lovely day to sit poolside. She had her own table and umbrella with her Sunday paper, nuts and dried dates, and ice water. A number of folks went over to mom to say hello. All in all, she had a fine afternoon at the pool, and now the goal is to stay in good enough shape over the fall and winter that we are again ready for the new pool season in the late spring! That’s the idea anyway.
Sat, Sep 21, 2024 (11:30pm) Last Week of Summer
Mom closed out the summer in grand style. Tomorrow is the last day that the outdoor pool is open so hopefully we will get over there. The temp is supposed to be in the mid-80s – ideal for hanging out by the pool. Mom has had a great last week of summer and here it is on a day-to-day basis.
Here is mom’s gym workout for Monday, 9/16/24. I was stunned by how well she did on the treadmill. It was a great showing!!
.55 miles total on treadmill (22 min 12 sec) // .36 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Tues (9/17), mom was around the house most of the day. And on Wed (9/18), mom went on a 50-minute walk around the gazebo and did not sit down even once. On the way back – as we were getting closer to the house – I asked her if she wanted / needed to sit on the rollator as per her request on Sat 9/14, but she just laughed at the suggestion that she would need to sit. So she had a really good walk.
We went for an early afternoon doctor’s appointment on Thurs (9/19) – and nothing could have been more casual. We went in there without a care in the world, and we left there without a care in the world. Our doctor is wonderful, and she loves to see mom. And all mom’s bloodwork was basically stellar, which is pretty much what we expected. So all good on that end of things. Later on in the afternoon / early evening, we went to the gym and did this workout:
Thursday, 9/19/24
.30 miles total on treadmill (12 min 19 sec) // .19 initial miles without stopping
3 stand-ups from chair with lightweight ball
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Not a great day at the gym, but not a bad one either. Just getting there and putting one foot in front of the other is positive.
Friday (9/20), mom was around the house most of the day and then sat outside with her friends for the alley meeting – she was out there for nearly two hours.
Today, Sat (9/21), mom’s good friends came by for a late morning visit, and in the afternoon mom and I went out for an hour plus walk, including a nice restful, seated stopover at the gazebo. It was quite warm in the sun, and mom felt it. She did a good job of handling the walk….
…And that was mom’s last week of summer!!
Sun, Sep 15, 2024 (Noon) Not a Single Wrinkle
Mom’s hair is the longest it has ever been in her adult life. And whenever I ask her if she would like to get a haircut she says she likes it the way it is. That said, we do have our issues with it. For instance, she brushes it everyday, but does not always get the underside. Hence, the other day we had to cut away a huge knot / dreadlock. Ultimately, we decided it would be best to go in for a simple trim and wash to ensure everything was alright and clean it up a bit.
On Fri (9/13), we scheduled a visit to the fanciest of beauty salons: Great Clip!! The home of the $17 haircut + $10 if you want a shampoo. So off we went, and the results are in. Mom’s hair is clean and in great shape. They trimmed off the dead ends, easily eliminated the tiny knots and tangles, and declared her all set and ready to go. Their overwhelming comment, however, was that mom does not have a single wrinkle on her face!! That they really found to be amazing.
It had been months upon months, since mom went for any type of hair care, and we will probably go back there on a fairly regular basis just to keep her hair healthy and well-kept. The other benefit of going there is that they have a good outdoor staircase so we are able to get a bit of a workout as well.
On Sat (9/14), mom had a good walk out to the gazebo. We walked around to the backside and then cut through and rested in the gazebo to set our course home. When we got back to our alley and were heading down it, mom asked to be pushed home, which is quite rare. She was tired of being on her feet so she sat on the rollator as we made the final stretch back to the house.
Today (Sun, 9/15) has not amounted to much of anything yet as mom is still relaxing in bed – it is a Sunday after all!!
Mom has been having all kinds of fruit plates as her appetizer to breakfast, and here is the one from yesterday: fresh mango, dried dates, and a sliced, cool (refrigerated) banana.
Thurs, Sep 12, 2024 (10:15pm) Back at the Gym!!
Despite being away from the gym for a month, mom really showed out!!
.45 miles total on treadmill (18 min 25 sec) // .29 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
4 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
She was really strong on the treadmill – I suppose those neighborhood walks which are slow but lengthy have been a reasonable substitute. When mom walks outside she really shuffles and scrapes her feet, whereas on the treadmill she is forced to lift her feet and make proper strides. With fall fast approaching. I think this time really does mark our switchover to gym workouts – let’s see.
Yesterday, Wed (9/11), mom had a fine evening walk, for about 30 – 40 minutes. Nowadays, and for the last several months, walking means using her rollator outside.
On both Mon (9/9) and Tue (9/10), mom was around the house…and did a few laps inside.
Sun, Sep 8, 2024 (11:30pm) Walking to Gazebo
This week was marked by walks to the gazebo. Mom made three or four walks to the gazebo: one time from the front door of the house and the rest from the garage door. Those are good walks for her as she is on her feet for 30 – 40 minutes. Admittedly, we are pretty slow, but just being upright and moving is a big plus. The early evening was quite conducive for our walks, and on some of the days we did not get to the gazebo we just toiled around up and down the alley. So mom was outside nearly every day, and even spent one afternoon on the front porch with an old family friend. So that was a treat.
With all those gazebo walks we did not get to the pool or the gym. Apparently, the pool was well attended on today (Sun, Sep 8) but for us to get there is really tough when mom stays in bed till noon. By the time we are ready to do anything or go anywhere it is 4p, and that is a bit late for the pool as it is no longer mid-summer. So that is the quandary in which we find ourselves. We are just not a fast moving ship – it takes us all day to get to where we want to be.
Since her birthday on 27 Aug, mom has been making regular stopovers at the dining room table to read and browse the collection of birthday cards. Every time she walked by she was quietly look over and pick-up various cards. Then today, she reread them all and folded them up and stacked them on her rollator. Ultimately, they ended up as a stack on the kitchen table, where she will no doubt continue to read them.
Sun, Sep 1, 2024 (11pm) Summer Winds Down
Far and away, the main thing mom and I did this summer was go to the pool and swim. Mom would typically be in the pool for an hour or so: cruising around, checking out the babies / young’uns, and sometimes I would pull her around the pool while she was floating using her noodle. But pools and phones are typically not a good mix so we did not get many photos of all those adventures. With August behind us, and September on the rise, mom’s pool days for 2024 are probably behind her – especially as I get a look at the 10-day forecast.
Beyond that, with 95 years now behind her, mom’s 96th year seems to be starting out quite fine. Mom was mostly around the house this weekend, and had some friends over on Saturday afternoon. Other than a Zoom call tomorrow, that’s the bulk of mom’s Labor Day weekend.
I shall officially dub September as Gym Month for mom.
Fri, Aug 30, 2024 (4pm) Birthday Week
Essentially, mom’s 95th birthday was celebrated from August 20 to August 27 – the day of her actual birthday. And since Aug 20 – 25 was documented in the prior entry. I will just pick-up where things left off…
On Mon (Aug 26), mom and I were around the house most of the day and went out for a walk in the evening.
On Tues (Aug 27), mom had an early afternoon breakfast of carrot cake cupcakes, and they came by with all kinds of birthday celebrations.
Both Wed (Aug 28) and Thurs (Aug 29) were hot, glorious days, so mom spend those afternoons swimming at the pool. She really enjoyed the water and seeing all the young children who were there. And here below is mom hanging out in front of the house waiting for our fresh, butter-bean delivery.
And thank you for all the cards and flowers that continued to pour in!!
Lastly, today (Fri, Aug 30) is a dark, rainy day and mom and I are just hanging out at the house. Mom is doing a few indoor laps here and there, and we realize that we need to transition back into gym mode.
Sun, Aug 25, 2024 (9:15pm) Pre-Birthday Week
Mom’s official birthday is this Tuesday, Aug 27, but my goodness she sure has had a great pre-birthday week of celebration…Check out all that has been going on….
The cards have just been rolling in – and mom has enjoyed every single one of them. Indeed, it seems like everyone knows it’s her birthday. We were at the pool today (Sun, 8/25) and as we entered the pool attendant wished her happy birthday, and mom was very surprised and inquired, “How did you know?”. And the answer of course is that everybody knows!!
And yesterday (Sat, 8/24) good ‘ol Tucker stopped by with a pint of ice cream and freshly picked flowers from his garden – and yes, he brought his two owners as well, though they are not pictured below.
Here is the alley crew circling up around mom with cards and cookies on Fri, 8/23.
One guy who could not make it in person so he made his own card….
Then on Thursday (8/22), we had mom’s very dear friends over from the literacy council for a grand afternoon of ice cream sundaes and more. Yours truly failed to get any photos but we had three types of ice cream, blueberries as topping, a farmer’s market date crumble topping, homemade coconut oatmeal cookies, and homemade peanut butter bars delight as a base. And of course everyone mixed and matched everything, and everyone went home with freshly baked bread and olive baguettes.
On both Mon (8/19) and Wed (8/21), mom and I went for an early evening walk around the neighborhood gazebo – the humidity was low and both were quite lovely evenings. And both days of this weekend (Sat 8/24 & Sun 8/25), mom and I went to the pool. Mom was in street clothes since the pool temp has “dropped” to 80 degrees due to the cooler nights. Mom was loaded up with snacks and plenty of newspapers so she enjoyed sitting poolside.
But top of all, mom has been really enjoying her pre-birthday week, and as the cards roll in we collect them on the dining room table and mom pitstops there from time to time to read and reread the cards!!
Thanks so much to one and all, near and far, who have made mom’s pre-birthday week so very special!!
Sun, Aug 18, 2024 (11:45pm) A Week of Swimming
The week started out with a real bang (literally) as mom’s house got a whole new roof on Mon (8/12). We also got new shades that day, but that was a far quieter experience. Pictured below are the shades, both the ones hanging on the wall and mom’s “1960’s summer of love” shades (& beads!!).
Mom’s friends come over every Saturday, and for the second week on in a row (Sat, 8/17) mom decided she should wear her shades inside the house. We have since decided that she is the coolest person on the block. During that visit, mom was also asked about her favorite games as a child, and mom took great interest in giving her reply. She said she played tag and hop-scotch, and with hop-scotch they had to make a new one each day they played. It also came out that she never played capture-the-flag. Another thing she enjoyed as a child was going over and sitting by the waterfront, i.e. the Hudson river which flowed through the outskirts of Hoboken.
It has been a great week for getting to the pool. We are in the midst of a 5-day streak. Mom was there from Wed (8/14) to Sun (8/19), generally going in and doing her cruise around the pool for about 45 minutes or longer. It takes her a little while to get in, but then she’ll stay in for a while touring around on her own.
Both Mon (8/12) and Tue (8/13), mom was around the house. She actually slept through most of the loudest roofing work!! And Tuesday was just a hanging out around the house occasion as that is generally a home-day for us.
Sun, Aug 11, 2024 (9:45pm) Gym & Swim
We got a whole week to catch up on here so might as well start with today (Sun, 8/11). It would have been a very fine pool day, but we did not exactly get there. However, we did get out for a moseying walk in the late afternoon. So mom did indeed see the sky today, and was not just in the house all day.
Yesterday (Sat, 8/10), our good friends came over for an early afternoon visit, and while visiting indoors, mom put on her sunglasses, which she opted to wear for quite a while. So one of her friends could not resist taking this photo. Note: For those who don’t recall, Paul Newman was the essence of cool wearing sunglasses in a dark pool hall in the movie, “The Color of Money”. Mom comes in a not-too-distant second.
This type of thing is not too atypical for our Saturday morning visits with her friends. The week prior mom was watching the Olympics before her two friends came by, and when they did arrive mom was fully focused on getting them ready for their Olympic events – offering them fruit and water, and making all sorts of plans to ensure they would be at the starting line on time!! There was quite a bit of laughter about that, not from mom though as she was pin-pointed focused on how she would cheer them on her the events and that they should be cen-per-cent ready for the competition.
After our visit, we did get to the pool and mom thoroughly enjoyed her extended late Saturday afternoon swim.
On Fri (8/9), we had an extremely late start to the day, losing an incredible 4 hours of lolly-gagging from the time of wake-up until breakfast, which concluded at nearly 4pm. Thereafter, I decided that oral prompting was not enough, and that I would be more physically involved in getting mom through her morning routine. And thus far it has been fairly effective. I do not do everything for her, but just get her going with the task at hand. Needless today, after that late Friday afternoon start, we did not get much activity in the rest of the day.
Here are mom’s gym days from Thurs (8/8) and Wed (8/7). As we have not been on the treadmill much her numbers are down but they improved over the week.
Thurs, 8/8/24
.40 miles total on treadmill (16 min 27 sec) // .21 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Wed, 8/7/24
.26 miles total on treadmill (11 min 12 sec) // .14 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
5 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Tuesday (8/6), mom was around the house for the day as we had a variety of things going on.
And on Monday (8/5), mom and I went to the pool though she was not in her swimwear, rather she was just reading poolside, which she enjoyed. So on the way back we went to the gym and did a short treadmill session:
.30 miles (12 min 26 sec)
Sun, Aug 4, 2024 (11:15pm) Between the Raindrops
Today would have been a fine day for the pool but it was never in the plans for us to get there – not the way we got up!! That said, mom did get out for a good walk this evening, though did have to return back for mom’s sweater!!
Due to rain and late wake-ups, both Fri (8/2) and Sat (8/3) were home days, while mom did get to the pool both Wed (7/31) and Thurs (8/1), and mom really enjoyed her swims on those days. And both Mon (7/29) and Tue (7/30) were home days.
So, all in all, a fairly mellow week. It looks like we may be getting even more rain this week so we will not dilly-dally, but will instead aim to head over to the gym if we get rained out for the pool. Beyond that, all else is well…
Sun, Jul 28, 2024 (9:15pm) Poolside Weekend
Mom was at the pool both on Sat (7/27) and today (7/28), but she went in her street clothes and her homemade sweater – the only person at the pool with a sweater!! Yesterday was not completely hot (maybe 85 degrees) and the pool water was “cooler” (84 degrees since we’ve had so much rain) so I did not think mom would want to go in – and that was right. She was perfectly content sitting at her table, having snacks and reading the paper. So we tried the same tactic today. Indeed, mom said she would go to the pool but did not want to put her suit on. So we went with that plan. But after we had been at the pool for a while mom said she would go to the ladies locker room and put her suit on – the only problem being we had no suit. So mom was tempted to go in. Anyway, you can’t win them all, the the first bright, sunny day this week (possibly Wed) mom will have her suit on, and she will be over at that pool!!!
Fri, Jul 26, 2024 (5:45pm) A Wet, Humid Week
The temps have dropped into the 80s, the rains are sporadic, the humidity is high, and the mosquitos are on the prowl…
Today (Fri, 7/26) looks like it is turning into a hangout day around the house. Mom was in bed until almost 2p and came down for breakfast at 3:15p. Here is how the rest of the week has gone…
Yesterday, (Thurs, 7/25), we went to the gym and did this:
.33 miles on the treadmill for 12 min 46 sec (we had a wardrobe adjustment halfway through and it affected her rhythm, plus she seemed a bit low-energy)
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Wed (7/24), mom and I went for a late afternoon walk around the gazebo. I am not sure how long that took us but she was on her feet for at least half-an-hour, probably longer.
On Tue (7/23), it was quite hot and humid so mom hung out around the house for the day.
Here is mom’s gym workout from Mon (7/22)
47 miles total on treadmill (19 min 23 sec) // .33 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
All in all, a fine 5-day period. We had no daytime accidents, and are experiments with different techniques for nighttime management.
Sun, Jul 21, 2024 (11pm) Weather Shift
With the shift in the weather – i.e. all the afternoon rain we have been getting – it is a change from our normal routine and scheduling, and we are still figuring that out.
On Fri (7/19), we did get to the gym and do this workout:
.42 miles total on treadmill (16 min 34 sec) // .30 initial miles without stopping
Mom was doing just fine on the treadmill and could have gone further – and done other exercises thereafter – but we had to abort the workoutdue to a bathroom issue. This is perhaps our biggest issue these days, and I have on the hunt for suggestions and strategies.
Mom was home for the weekend. On Saturday (7/20), a friend graciously came by – and after that it was a mostly uneventful weekend, i.e. smooth-sailing around the house.
Garden-fresh stir fry:
Thurs, Jul 18, 2024 (6pm) Basal Cell Carcinoma Treated
Yesterday (Wed, 7/17), mom had her basal cell carcinoma treated at the dermatologist’s office. What a huge difference from last time. Back on 08 Feb 2023, mom went to the Mohs clinic to get her basal cell carcinoma treated and while it worked out fine in the end, it was an all-day event and mom walked out of there with a massive open wound that took weeks to heal on its own. In comparison, yesterday mom was in the chair for 10 – 15 minutes and we were all done. And in a few days time the wound should be all healed. I am not sure why we got off so easy this time, but we’ll take it!! They did say it was very slow-growing and not a big threat, so perhaps that accounts for the grand difference. Anyway, mom did well with it, and we are on to bigger and better things!!
On Mon (7/15), mom had a nice hour-long swim at the pool, which she really, truly enjoyed. For a variety of reasons, both Tues (7/16) and today (7/18) mom was around the house most of the day. She and I did head out from the garage this afternoon for a brief walk – make that very brief as the thunderstorm clouds quickly began enveloping us and did not get too far before we had to hightail it back inside.
Mom has been starting her days with large fruit trays, and here are two of her latest ones: cantaloupe and mango, followed by watermelon and cantaloupe.
Sun, Jul 14, 2024 (9:15pm) Active Week
It has been an active week for mom on a variety of levels, but she just cruised through it at her own pace – here is the overall rundown…
Today, Sun (7/14), mom had a relaxing day at home by sleeping in, eating breakfast in the mid-afternoon, reading the Sunday paper, and hanging out this evening.
Yesterday, (Sat 7/13), we got an out-of-town visit from cousin Stephanie which was a real treat for us – moreover in late morning a local friend also came by to visit with mom. So we had a nice little gathering. The home visit was filled with stories, photos, and recollections, and in the late afternoon we went to the pool for a swim and mom was in the water for 50+ minutes. And, yes, we baked breads galore for the occasion – sorry, no photos.
On Fri (7/12), the rains came down so mom and I headed over to the gym where she did this workout:
.55 miles total on treadmill (22 min 41 sec) // .29 initial miles without stopping
Nu-Step Level 5 – 5 min / 200 steps
It was good to see that mom was still able to knock off a half-mile on the treadmill despite not having been to the gym for two weeks – not bad at all.
On Thursday (7/11), we had our new windows installed in the kitchen / eating area. The install went smoothly, and the windows look great. So we were around the house most of the day. On both Mon (7/8) and Wed (7/10), mom was at the pool for the late afternoon into the early evening, and on both days she was in the pool for an hour plus. Tuesday (7/9) was a hang-out around the house day.
On Mon (7/8), mom also got the call from dermatology that she indeed does have a basal cell carcinoma on her cheek, and we made an appointment to have it treated this coming Wed (7/17).
Sun, Jul 7, 2024 (6:55pm) Rain, Rain, Rain
After an incredibly hot and dry month of June and start to July, the daily thunderstorm season is upon us. It is wonderful for mother Earth, great for the farmers, and loved by the plants – but it does make going to the pool a challenge. If it is just raining then we are fine. The sound of thunder means everyone has to get out of the pool for 30 minutes, and that 30 minute dock starts anew with every successive sound of thunder. Once lightening enters the picture everyone must vacate the pool deck etc. I remember this routine well from years past. The mornings tend to be more stable weather-wise, but mom and I do not go anywhere in the morning so by the time we get to the pool those thunderclouds are starting to build up – and from there it is a game of tag to see how long we can use the pool. That is how this week is seemingly going to go. Now to the wrap-up…
We did indeed great high-quality pool time in on both Thurs (July 4) and Fri (July 5). Mom was in the pool for easily an hour on both of those days – cruising around the pool in her own flow, greeting people, and checking out the babies and toddlers etc. Our exit from the pool on Fri (7/5) was a sign of the things to come. (Note: You may not be able to see the raindrops but you can see the havoc they create on the surface of the pool.)
Mom has been home all weekend, Sat (7/6) & Sun (7/7). I thought I was going to catch a weather window on Saturday afternoon and went over for a quick swim, but sure enough as soon as I got there ol’ man thunder rumbled int he background and all I could do was stare at the pool and return home.
With thunderstorms on the menu for this coming week, mom and I will redirect our attention to the gym. Good thing we do not freeze our gym memberships during the summer months like so many other do.
Below is one of mom’s several morning fruit plates from this week followed by an Israeli couscous dish with summer veggies.
Thurs, Jul 4, 2024 (12:20pm) Swimming & Realty Rating
Yesterday, (Wed Jul 3), mom had a wonderful outing at the pool and she was in the pool walking around for nearly an hour. She was just moving around in her own flow, checking things out. Every so often she would go to the ladder to get out, and I would convince her to stay in for a little while longer. All in all, she had a great time and enjoyed sitting in the sun when she first got out of the pool, before heading over to her spot in the shade.
We also had a walk-through by the local Fitch realty team – four of them came – and we got an A++ rating. So that was good news. We are not selling nor thinking of selling, but are involved in some upgrades & general maintenance (windows, roof etc) and wanted to make sure we were heading in the right direction. In short, they were open-jawed about mom’s house and how open and light it was.
Tuesday (Jul 2) was a home day for mom. We got off to a bit of a late start as she did not have breakfast until about 2p or so. But she did some laps in the house. And on Monday (Jul 1), we also had a late start but made it to the pool eventually. We got there at around 6pm or later so mom just went in street clothes and read the paper, but she enjoyed being outdoors and getting fresh air at the pool.
Ands yes the plan is to spend this blistering hot day at the pool as well – hopefully we can get there by around 3:30pm or so…let’s see. Mom is all showered and getting dressed and coming down soon for breakfast.
Sun, Jun 30, 2024 (6pm) Zoomy Sunday
We had our first rain in weeks so mom and I spent the afternoon at home on Zoom calls with family, and the highlight of course for mom was hearing about the weddings and seeing the babies!!
Sun, Jun 30, 2024 (9:45am) Week of Swimming, Sleeping, & Dermatology
This morning, Sun (6/30), mom is up, alert, and happily hanging around in bed with the sun on her. But that was not the case much of the week as she was seriously power sleeping.
Yesterday, Sat (6/29), with sufficient urging mom emerged from the bed at 11:30am (not bad actually) and was ready for breakfast by the time her friends came over for their weekly Saturday visit at 1:30pm. And by a little after 4pm mom and I were at the pool. We stayed till nearly 7pm and mom was in for at least 45 minutes or so, maybe closer to an hour. It was a hot afternoon and mom really enjoyed the pool.
On Fri (6/28), we started getting mom up at 10am but she seemed exhausted and did not get out of bed until 2pm and did not have breakfast until 4pm. But she did a good job of caring for herself as I went to the pool at 6pm and got back at 7pm or so, and then I gave her dinner and went out to Costco until around 9pm or so. In total, mom was by herself for 3 out of 4+ hours and pretty much stayed in the black chair the whole time, eating dinner and watching TV.
On Thurs (6/27), we went to the gym and did this workout:
.52 miles total on treadmill (19 min 44 sec) // .38 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Wed (6/26), we went for a dermatology appointment. We hadn’t been for close to two years, and it just seemed like a good idea to get in there. And sure enough mom has had an active opening on her cheek which they took great interest in and did a biopsy of – results come back in a week or two. But they seemed pretty sure it was some type of slow-growing basal cell carcinoma. I mentioned mohs, and they said they would aim for a less aggressive approach if needed. We shall see.
Tuesday (6/25) was a stay-at-home day for mom, though she did have a nice visit on the porch from a great friend who went to the Farmers’ Market with me. And on Mon (6/24), mom had a great late afternoon at the pool where she ventured down to the deep end and spent well over an hour in the water.
Sun, Jun 23, 2024 (11pm) Soothing Pool Days
Mom got lots of pool time in these last three days (Fri, Sat, & Sun: 6/21 – 6/23), generally going from about 4p – 6:30p, or so. Mom was usually in the pool for an hour, give or take some. That was a great way to beat the heat, and mom felt quite comfortable and happy to be at the pool. No other real major news than that.
On Thursday (6/20), we visited a dear friend out in the country and were gifted these hand-picked flowers from her backyard.
Wed, Jun 19, 2024 (9pm) Good Gym Workout
Even though it has been two weeks since we’ve been at the gym, mom had a really solid workout today:
.56 miles total on treadmill (20 min 48 sec) // .40 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Then we went to the pool for and hour or so into the early evening, and mom relaxed at the table and read and ate snacks.
Wed, Jun 19, 2024 (12:50pm) Runaway Mama
Yesterday evening (Tue 6/18) mom was sitting out on the front porch before dinner, and when I went out to get her for dinner I saw that her chair was empty. I looked up the sidewalk, and sure enough there was mom walking up the street in her socks and without a rollator. She said it looked so inviting she thought it would be nice to go for a walk. And indeed it was a peaceful, calm evening. For the most part mom was around the house on Tuesday, save for her runaway jaunt.
On Mon (6/17), mom and I went our for an early evening walk around the gazebo – and we sat down there for a while as well. It was still around 88 or 90 degrees at 6pm, but mom did well managing the heat and the walk.
Today, (Wed 6/19), our plan is to go swimming in the mid-afternoon or so.
Sun, Jun 16, 2024 (11pm) Lots of Swimming & More
Well here is the week in review….
Mom started out the day (Sun 6/16) with a bang by cruising through the chair yoga class. The day began quite sunny and mom enjoyed breakfast under the awning with the sun at her back (nice & warm!!), and then as the day became bit more overcast she remained inside and opted to stay home. She cracked open a book from her shelf and as best I can tell proceeded to read the first 164 pages this afternoon!!
On Thurs (6/13), Fri (6/14), and Sat (6/15), mom enjoyed extended afternoons at the swimming pool. On one of the days she was in the pool for well over an hour. Most days she would get a solid float going where she wraps a noodle around her back and lifts her feet as I pull her around the pool. And of course she enjoyed visiting with all the toddlers at the pool. Here below mom is just enjoying lounging on the top step towards the end of her pool time.
Both Tue (6/11) and Wed (6/12) were home days where time was spent on the front porch and hanging around the house. We aimed to go to the gym on Wed 6/12 but for one reason or another it did not quite come together for us. We did get these wonderful veggies at the local farmers’ market on Tue 6/11. Do you know what they are? Here is the explanation.
And the week began (Mon, 6/10) with a trip to the podiatrist for a routine trim. Mom pulled off a BP of 112/65 at the podiatrist’s office!! So with her diet and exercise her BP remains quite stellar.
Sun, Jun 9, 2024 (10:10pm) Swimming Weekend
Mom got in the pool both days of the weekend, mostly in the shallow end enamored with the toddlers, though yesterday she did get got in up to her shoulders whereas today she was not in too much higher than her hips. On Saturday, her friends stopped by for their regular visit, and by and large all is well.
Fri, Jun 7, 2024 (8:30pm) Swimming
Today, mom had a good pool outing. It was just her 2nd time in the pool this season, but the ambient temp was around 90 and the pool water was 85 so it was quite inviting for her. Mom got all the way in and ultimately floated on her back as I pulled her around the pool using her noodle. We were at the pool yesterday as well, and mom read the paper at her table.
Wed, Jun 5, 2024 (9pm) Gym-Pool Combo
Ok, so we are getting better at doing our gym-pool combo workouts and making that part of our routine. The only thing missing is that mom is not yet going in the pool – other than the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend – and she just goes to the pool in street clothes. But it is good we are getting to both spots and hopefully soon she’ll be going in the water as the temps rise. But walking from the parking lot to the pool is beneficial, as is sitting outside in a shady, open-air environment, watching the kids play in the pool as her son does his laps. We always bring snacks, water, and plenty of reading material for mom – and she gets her own table – so it is an enjoyable outing for her. Here are her gym numbers from this week:
Wed, 6/5/24
.40 miles total on treadmill (15 min 14 sec) // .28 initial miles without stopping
Mon, 6/3/24
.43 miles total on treadmill (16 min 12 sec) // .28 initial miles without stopping
1 walking lap around the pool
Note: It has been a bit of a struggle to keep her going on the treadmill as she keeps saying, “OK, that is enough, let’s stop now.” But with some strong encouragement we are able to get to a respectable distance, though really I would like to see her crack that 1/2 point and get a solid 20 minutes on the treadmill.
On Tue (6/4/24), mom was around the house and hanging out on the front porch, and here below mom is taking her breakfast (Wed, 6/5) under the awning on the patio.
Sun, Jun 2, 2024 (11:30pm) Family Visit
Mom has really been enjoying all the local and tropical fruit plates we’ve been having so when family came down on Saturday afternoon we hung out under the awning eating mangoes and clementines. All in all, mom had a grand visit and a fine weekend!!
Fri, May 31, 2024 (10pm) Double Duty
Yesterday, (Thurs, 5/30), mom and I did double duty for the very first time. First we went to the gym and mom put up these numbers:
.45 miles total on treadmill (17 min 11 sec) // .35 initial miles without stopping
And then we went to the pool. Full disclosure: It was not very hot so mom was not in her swimming attire so it was easier to convince her to first go to the gym and then to the pool; moreover, at the pool mom just sat, read, and at snacks. That said, the groundwork has been set that we can get to both places in the same day, even if it is just a basic treadmill workout at the gym without any of the other stuff.
Today (Fri 5/31), mom was outside in the back for the alley meeting for two hours, and then when it was over she came in from the back and went out the front door to sit on the porch!!
Thurs, May 30, 2024 (9:50am) Strolling
It has been a week of strolling thus far….
On Mon (May 27), it was stormy in the morning so we did not go to the pool, but the weather cleared nicely by the late afternoon and mom and I walked around the gazebo and sat down there for a while too.
Tues (May 28) was a stay-at-home day for mom – as Tuesdays tend to be – but mom did get in a few laps in the house, and yesterday (Wed, May 29) mom and I went to the pool, but she was in shorts etc, not her swimsuit, so she made a lap or two around the pool, and sat under an umbrella and read and had some dates and nuts. Not a bad afternoon!
The day for mom is just getting going, but we started off on a solid note as this morning (Thurs, May 30) – mom’s vitals before leaving the bed were: BP 111 / 64 with a pulse of 64. Yesterday, she even had a resting pulse rate in the 50s…so looking good!!
Sun, May 26, 2024 (11:30pm) The Big Plunge
We made it to the pool both days of the weekend, and when I told mom it was 89 degrees (we actually hit 90) then she said she had to get her suit on and swim. So today (Sun, 5/26) mom got into her new suit and got in the pool!! She did a lot of kid-watching, but did a bit of walking and got in up to her sternum. All in all, she was in for about 25 minutes, and for those wondering the pool temp was up to 86 degrees today. So from Monday to Sunday, we got to the pool 5 days, and the swimming season has officially started.
Fri, May 24, 2024 (9:30pm) Pool Time
We made it to the outdoor pool three times this week: Mon (5/20), Wed (5/22), & Fri (5/24). We basically went for 1 – 2 hours in the mid to late afternoon. Mom has not gotten in to her suit yet as the water may still be a touch cool for her, but today the water temp was up to 81 degrees so it is rising. On Monday, mom lounged out laterally (something we did not attempt last year) and did a few walking laps around the pool, and on Wednesday she sat partially in the sun (not a great idea), and today we got her a table with an umbrella in the shade and she had her newspapers, magazines, snacks, and water. It was a good way to get outside, see folks, watch kids in the pool, and enjoy the weather.
We did get to the gym on Thurs (5/23), and mom did this workout:
.40 miles total on treadmill (15 min 50 sec) // .23 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
Last year we went heavy on the pool and got a bit less gym work in so we will have to be mindful about that this year. Until mom starts getting into the pool, it would be good to go to the gym first and get on the treadmill for 20 min and then head over to the pool. Although it sounds like an easy plan, it is fairly difficult to accomplish. To date, we have had no such success with it. Let’s see…
On Tues (5/21), mom was around the house for the day.
Sun, May 19, 2024 (1:30pm) Escaping the Rain
Mom has had a fine, casual weekend with the most momentous experiences involved in escaping the rain.
On Fri (5/17), mom was around the house all day and then went out for the alley meeting for what seemed like a lovely, comfortable gathering. Within 25 minutes, the rains swept in out of nowhere and they all got caught in it. Friends led mom into the garage and our next-door neighbor came over for a visit. Then on Sat (5/18), mom and I walked to the gazebo and hung out there for a solid hour or so visiting with neighbors, as mom and I were the last ones to leave. Mom did a good job of hightailing it home as she made it back in the house just before the rains let loose.
On Sat morning (5/18), mom once again imposed her will on our yoga classes.
Mom deservedly slept in today (Sun, 5/19) as she was up quite early much of the week, and mom will be down for breakfast shortly.
On Thurs 5/16, we had an afternoon appointment for new kitchen windows. The sticker shock was enough to call in three more sellers this coming week for estimates.
Thurs, May 16, 2024 (10:35am) Grinding It Out
Yesterday, (Wed, 5/15), was a real “grind it out” day at the gym. Mom was amenable but certainly not keen on being there. When I said, “Let’s go the gym”, she retorted, “I’ll go swimming tomorrow.” 😂 Mind you, we have not been to the pool all year – (but hopefully soon). All that said, mom stuck with the program and got her basic workout done:
.42 miles total on treadmill (15 min 50 sec) // .16 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
Seated Rest
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
Tuesday (5/14) was an extremely rainy day so mom was around the house all day, and on Monday (5/13) mom had a successful dental check-up. Let’s see what today brings…
Sun, May 12, 2024 (7pm) Mother’s Day Weekend
Here we had a fine Mother’s Day weekend. On Friday 5/10, mom was outside for much of the afternoon at the alley meeting, and then on Saturday (5/11) our friends came by for an early afternoon visit. Thereafter, mom and I headed out for a stroll around the gazebo – see video below.
And today (Sun, 5/12) mom slept in, showered, had her favorite vegan, open-faced, “egg” sandwich on homemade sourdough bread (shown below), and once breakfast was over she began fielding an array of phone calls and texts from family members and loved ones. All in all, she had a fine day….
Thurs, May 9, 2024 (9pm) Two Gym Days & More
Mom had a pretty casual day around the house, lounging, reading, eating etc. We contemplated (once again) of getting poolside just to stick our toes in but, alas, the afternoon escaped us and we were home all day. Here are mom’s two gym workouts from earlier in the week.
Wed, May 8
.59 miles total on treadmill (22 min 33 sec) // .50 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Mon, May 6
.46 miles total on treadmill (17 min 37 sec) // .27 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
4 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
So both of the above were decent workouts. On Wed, she was cruising right along and could have kept going save for having to attend to natural call. And afterwards, she did not want to go back on. That said, in contrast to last week, we had an uneventful visit to the gym bathroom so that was a real plus. Mom is no longer having coffee of any sort (neither regular nor herbal) and that seems to be helping us tremendously.
On Tues (May 7), mom was hanging around the house most of the day, and she was out on the front porch while I was at the farmers’ market.
Sun, May 5, 2024 (5:50pm) Rainy Weekend
The outdoor pool opened yesterday for the summer season but I do not think anyone could take advantage of it given the rainy weekend we had. Of course, it was sunny and approach 90 degrees in the days before the opening. Anyway mom had a fine week. On both Mon (4/29) and Thurs (5/2) we took a neighborhood walk, and the the Thursday walk we were flagged down and re-routed to our friends’ place where we sat and visited and left with two big bags of salad greens and herbs from their garden. So that was a big score. In turn, we’ve been baking breads and sharing them all around this week. The big surprise was having the water in Fearrington shut off for several hours on Thursday evening, and some lost their water hours before we did. Fortunately, we keep gallons of RO water in water bags that we could rely on. And just when mom was getting ready to wash up and go to bed on Thursday – around 11pm or so – the water came back on. So her day was not affected at all.
We did get to the gym on Wed (5/1) and had a curtailed workout on the treadmill (.35 miles / 13 min 02 sec) before we had the adventure or all adventures in the restroom, which entailed me hustling back to the house to get some spare clothes. Fortunately, the gym is no more than a 1/4 from our front door!! On Friday (5/3), mom was on the front porch taking in the sights and visiting with neighbors before transferring to the back alley for the weekly alley meeting with a whole crew of neighbors.
All in all a fine week. Here are trends we are working on: rising earlier as opposed to sitting down for breakfast at 3p, avoiding herbal coffee (and all coffees!!) to remain accident-free, and getting our new swimsuits ready for the season.
Here is a peek at what we baked, made, shared, and received this week:
The below salad was made with greens and herbs exclusively from our neighbor’s garden.
Sun, Apr 28, 2024 (11:50pm) Quick Weekend Review
Today was getting on the warmer side, and mom and I took opportunity to take a casual stroll, leaving from the garage and circling around to the front. Thereafter, mom remained on the front porch for some time. On Fri (4/27) mom was outside for most of the afternoon as she attended the alley meeting. And on Sat, we were mostly around the house.
Fri, Apr 26, 2024 (11:15am) The “Work Week” Recap
Well, yesterday (Thurs, 4/25), mom pulled a fast one on me. She was lounging in bed all morning and finally took a shower in the early afternoon. And her clothes were all arranged for when she got dressed, but lo’ & behold she made an executive decision to forgo getting dressed and instead got a fresh, pair of pajamas and put those on. When I told her to get dressed in regular clothes so we could go for a walk, she stood steadfast that she would not take her pajamas off, only to have to put them on again in a few hours. So indeed it was a pajama day, even spending the late afternoon on the front porch in her pjs and a blanket!!
We did get to the gym on both Mon (4/22) and Wed (4/24). On both occasions, mom put up quite modest numbers, not the sky-high totals she was cranking out two weeks ago.
4/24/14
.42 miles total on treadmill (15 min 44 sec) // .27 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
Seated Rest
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
4/22/14
.36 miles total on treadmill (13 min 20 sec) // .34 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
Standing exercises
20 industrial steps down
Tuesday (4/23) was a stay-at-home day, and mom sat outside for a bit.
Sun, Apr 21, 2024 (1:30pm) Weekend Wrap-Up
Had an absolutely wonderful visit with my 88-year-old aunt who is still very road worthy. On Thurs 4/18, the three of us did walk over the to gazebo and hang out for a while. It was a warm one at 86 degrees, but we were able to get some walking in and have a good conversation. And the rest of the visit went well; she left midday on Friday. That afternoon (Fri, 4/20) mom was outside with her friends for about 2 hours for the alley meeting, and then Sat (4/21) in early afternoon when mom was having breakfast (she slept through the entire morning as she did today as well!) our house was like grand central station as we had a grand stream of very welcomed friends come over to visit, some announced and some unannounced. Mom enjoyed them all. And today (Sun, 4/21, 1:30pm) at the time of typing mom is getting ready for the shower.
So we had a wonderful week of visitors and gatherings, but admittedly were not able to get to the gym or out for a very long walk, but we will pick up the slack on that this week!!
Thurs, Apr 18, 2024 (9:30am) Aunt’s Arrival
My aunt – mom’s co-pilot for decades and decades – arrived shortly before 7p yesterday evening. I kept telling mom over the last week or so that she was coming, and then mom would forget etc. And when she finally walked into the house yesterday evening and mom saw her she lit up like a lightbulb, animately exclaimed her name, and made quick attempt of standing up from her easy chair, but ultimately remained seated. It was a great and grand meeting, and I should have filmed it. Thereafter, we got my aunt checked in at the local Inn and we all spent the evening together eating dinner and catching up till about 10:30p or so. And she will be with us all today as well…
Wed, Apr 17, 2024 (6:15pm) Flowers & Sidewalks
The biggest news around here are the flowers that blossomed up the alley and the new brick sidewalk that was put in outside the house, both of which are pictured below.
On Mon (4/15) mom slept in and had a casual midafternoon breakfast on the front porch as she read the paper. Typically, this would have been a gym day, but I had to make a Costco run, and already most of the day was gone due to our late start. That said, mom and I did get out for a short walkJust for the record, it did get up to 90 today.
On Tue 4/16, mom was up and at ’em super early and she a fairly full day around the house. And then today, Wed (4/18), mom had a leisurely sleep-in and early afternoon breakfast. Typically, we would have gone to the gym today but we were waiting upon my aunt’s arrival this evening.
Sun, Apr 14, 2024 (9:15pm) Four-Day Recap
Mom has been quite fine and consistent over this span.
On Thurs 4/11, she did this workout at the gym:
– .51 miles total on treadmill (18 min 18 sec) // .43 initial miles without stopping
– 20 industrial steps up
– 2 laps around the track
– 20 industrial steps down
Both Fri (4/12) and today (4/14), mom was around the house and spent extended periods on the front porch, and on Sat (4/13) mom walked from the front side of the house to the gazebo and back. She also had good phone and Zoom calls with family. The warm weather (mid-80s) arrived today enabling mom to have a care-free day on the front porch, whereas when she was on the front porch on Friday she was buoyed by a blanket, gloves, a hand-warmer, etc.
Here are the breads we baked the last few days…
Thurs, Apr 11, 2024 (9:30am) Treadmill Workout
Yesterday (Wed, 4/10), mom outdid herself by not emerging from the bed until nearly 2p and then showering and putting on her pajamas again and going back to bed. Well, we put that saga to an end and ultimately made it down to the breakfast table by 4p, and pushed onwards to the gym at about 6:30p where she put in a valiant workout:
.70 miles total on treadmill (25 min 27 sec) // .60 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
2 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Here is a mom on the treadmill during her workout yesterday.
But these very late wake-ups are becoming a problem. Actually, it is not when she wakes up, but when she will emerge from the warmth of her bed. Very pleased to report that today (4/11) mom has gotten up as I am typing here and is actively getting herself ready for the shower etc. So that is a very positive development!!
On Tues (4/9), mom was mostly around the house after a late wake-up….
Mon, Apr 8, 2024 (9:45pm) Eclipse & Evening Walk
Mom got a glimpse of the solar eclipse as the neighbors were out viewing it, and they were kind enough to come over to our sidewalk with some glasses so mom could also see. At first she did not look high enough in the sky but eventually she got it and could view it nicely. After spending a good portion of the afternoon on the porch (not looking at the sun), mom did make it out for a solid evening walk. We did not go too far but we were out for a while and mom was on her feet for approximately 45 minutes or so. We walked around the gazebo and this pom-pom tree.
Below are some olive baguettes that we made over the weekend….
Sun, Apr 7, 2024 (11:20pm) Front Porch Weekend
On Fri (4/5), mom and I did a modest walk outside but it was quite windy so it was just a fast jaunt, and then we were back. On both Sat (4/6) and Sun (4/7), mom passes hours on the front porch with her usual accoutrements: sunglasses, blanket, tissues, water, reading material, & hand warmers etc. Mom enjoyed her Saturday visit with friends, and due to a late wake-up mom did not make the alley meeting on Friday. All in all, doing just fine.
Thurs, Apr 4, 2024 (10:20pm) Treadmill Terminator!!
Before going to the gym this afternoon / evening, mom’s hip was bothering her, which can happen from time to time, usually after she’s been sitting for a while. So she was not all that keen to get to the gym. But once we got there she took no prisoners!! Mom topped out at .82 miles (29 min 53 sec) on the treadmill, including the initial .57 miles (20:27) without stopping!! So that was a solid treadmill workout. As it was late in the day, we did not climb the double staircase to the track.
Wed, Apr 3, 2024 (11:30pm) Marathon Walk II
Mom did a really great walk today, and we used the rollator which turned out to be a really great way to go. I think that is how we will proceed in the future. She walked to the gazebo, and on to West Camden, and then to Caswell and then on back home. We must have been gone for an hour, or close to it. She has to hunch a bit over her red outdoor rollator (which is on lone from Fearrington Cares), and we are going to try and get an upright model, even buying it if need be.
Yesterday, Tue (4/2), mom was around the house all day, and was up till 2am!! Needless to say, we got off to a bit of a late start today.
Mon, Apr 1, 2024 (6:30pm) Marathon Walk
Mom and I just got back from a 54-minute walk!! She was not keen to go to the gym, and it was such a nice day outside so we just took off from the front porch and did a big loop. We were not speedy, but she was steady. We took a few pauses or standing rests along the way, but she did not sit down at all until we returned back home. She has actually been on the front porch all afternoon, even having her lunch out there.
Sun, Mar 31, 2024 (10:45pm) Carolina Spring
Mom enjoyed the 80 degree weather this weekend. On Sat (3/30), she was out on the front porch for hours – taking her lunch and entertaining all kinds of passers-by. On Sun (3/31), she had a luxurious morning into the early afternoon in bed. Indeed, she was even late for our 3pm Zoom call with family!! But, on the whole, she has made solid strides with her wake-up times. On Fri (3/29), she was out of bed by 7:30am and on Sat (3/30) she was also up by mid-morning. On Fri (3/29), mom was outside her the crew for the alley meeting. So she got plenty of fresh air this weekend.
Here is mom’s Thurs (3/28) workout – a great culmination to a very impressive week on the treadmill wherein she hit at least .65 miles each time!!
.65 miles total on treadmill (23 min 15 sec) // .44 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Wed, Mar 27, 2024 (10:45pm) Burning Up the Track
Mom has had some really great sessions at the gym to start the week!! On the downside we are not making much progress in mom’s wake-up / get-up times. Today she started he breakfast at 4pm!! And it was nearly 7:30pm when we finished our workout at the gym!! That is just too late to get the day going. That said, check out these eye-popping numbers!!
On Mon (3/25) mom really topped out!!
.79 miles total on treadmill (28 min 25 sec) // .69 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
And then today (3/27) she again went at it:
.65 miles total on treadmill (22 min 59 sec) // .39 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
4 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
Both Sun (3/24) and Tues (3/26) were fairly quiet days around the house…
Sat, Mar 23, 2024 (9:45pm) A Full Week
Today (Sat, 3/23) has been a mostly quiet one as mom slept in, had a visited from her good friends, and took it easy most of the afternoon. Of late, we have been working on our wake-ups, i.e. trying to get out of bed earlier, but mom really likes being under those covers, often remaining in bed for extra hours!!! So let’s just call it a work in progress at this point.
Yesterday (Fri, 3/22) was a late, late get out of bed day – 1pm. It was so late that after mom showered and dressed she had to go directly out to the alley meeting without any breakfast. This was a special alley gathering as one of our longtime neighbors was moving so literally everyone came out for it. And the weather really cooperated. It was a grand gathering, and by the end mom was giving good-bye hugs to everyone telling them that she was also moving!!
On Thurs (3/21) mom got the following workout in at the gym:
.50 miles total on treadmill (18 min 58 sec) // .31 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
And we baked this sourdough:
On Wed (3/20), mom did a 45 min walk outside without stopping or sitting. She had a ski pole in her right hand, and she and I were mostly arm-in-arm on the other side. When we got back from the walk she happily plopped down in her chair on the front porch.
We also baked these olive baguettes…we shared the above sourdough and the below baguettes with our neighbors who are moving.
This guy (mourning dove) was also hanging around our feeder, which has been like grand central station the past month or so. But this fellow was just dipping his tail in our freshly filled water tray, and I told him he could dip his tail as much as he wants so long as he doesn’t poop in it as I had just cleaned the tray and changed the water.
Both Mon (3/18) & Tues (3/19) were low impact days. On Monday, we had a follow-up visit at the dentist to get mom’s new nightguard, and Tuesday was our busy farmer’s market day.
Sun, Mar 17, 2024 (9:15pm) Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Mom and I spent a wonderful two hours today at a very lovely neighborhood gathering hosted by our friends across the street. Mom really enjoyed going over there and seeing everyone. For those who remember, we were over at Tucker’s house, and good ol’ Tuck spent time sitting on both of our laps. In total, there were about 20 – 24 people there, and it was good to meet and connect with others in neighborhood who we see less frequently. On Saturday, mom and I were around the house and she sat outside for a good while. All in all a fine weekend, and we are ready for the upcoming week!!
Fri, Mar 15, 2024 (10:50pm) Spring Came & Left
Mom had a good go at the gym today, not record-setting but sufficient:
.50 miles total on treadmill (18 min 44 sec) // .30 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
On Tues, Wed, & Thurs, mom spent lots of time basking in spring on the front porch. Due to a busy schedule, we did not get out and walk, but mom sure did enjoy her time on the front porch.
Mon, Mar 11, 2024 (4:50pm) Back in the Saddle
Well, we got back to the gym today and while it wasn’t our best showing on the treadmill, mom did do some solid work on the track getting a total of 6 laps in. Here are the numbers:
.41 miles total on treadmill (15 min 11 sec) // .29 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
Seated Rest
2 laps around the track
Seated Rest
1 lap around the track
20 industrial steps down
Sun, Mar 10, 2024 (7:10pm) Blustery Sunday
It was a very blustery day, but in the late afternoon mom and I ventured out for a walk around the block. Not exactly the longest walk of the year, but, nonetheless, we got out and about for a bit – and that was good. In fact, for the last few days we have been homebodies. We did not get to the gym on Fri (3/8) as an old friend came over late Friday afternoon which mom really enjoyed, and then mom was treated to her usual Saturday morning visitors which was also very welcomed. So all is well around here. No major changes or updates, and we’ll take it. That said, we do need to get to the gym tomorrow.
Mom’s latest venture into yoga class in case you haven’t seen it: Mom barges through
Thurs, Mar 7, 2024 (7pm) Sunset Wonders
This below photo is actually from Mon (3/4) on my return trip from Costco…if you click on the image it will take you to IG to view the full series of photos taken.
Thurs, Mar 7, 2024 (11:45am) Excellent Check-Up
Well, she did it again!! On Tues (3/5), mom went for her local medical check-up and her bloodwork was excellent. Our wonderful doctor did a thorough analysis and ordered a serveral tests, and mom’s numbers were all terrific. And that is without any medicine to alter the results and / or cover-up what is really going on. So at 94.5 years of age, mom is in really good shape.
On Mon (3/4), we went to the dentist to fix a cracked tooth and get a new nightguard so that is another sphere of life that is in good order as by and large her teeth are in excellent condition. There are no ongoing issues or problems.
Here are mom’s gym numbers from yesterday, Wed (3/6):
.50 miles total on treadmill (18 min 22 sec) // .36 initial miles without stopping
20 industrial steps up
3 laps around the track
20 industrial steps down
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