Letters From New England

It comes in threes...and fours

Friday

August 12, 2011

 

Hi,

I wish good things landed in threes as often as the not so good things.

 

It all started last week when I got the call that my former brother-in-law was found dead in his apartment. His landlord had been on vacation, so no one know for sure how long he was lying there before he was found. He was 62. His funeral is tomorrow.

 

Then my daughter, who had her first mammogram last week, received a call back from her doctor that there was "something that's prooooobably not cancer" in her left breast and she needs to go back for an ultrasound. She is waiting for an appointment to be scheduled.

 

Then my manager, the picture of health and fitness, walked himself down to the ER yesterday because he had chest pain. Never said a word. Ended up getting a free ride by ambulance to a larger hospital in a nearby city and they placed 2 stents in his 100% blocked coronary artery last evening. This is a man who eats like Euell Gibbons and goes to the gym (or performs some type of exercise) daily. He ran in the Boston Marathon in April. He just finished 2 triathlons and is training for a third. If HE can have coronary artery disease, I don't hold out much hope for me. He is 49.

 

While I was on the phone with his wife getting the news about his ambulance ride, my daughter called to tell me that my cousin Keith died of a heart attack at work yesterday morning! He was 55. To add to this tragedy, he is the brother of my cousins Doreen and Debbie. Doreen died from breast cancer in 2008 and Debbie died from pancreatic cancer last April. Keiths' death leaves my poor aunt Ellen childless at 75. 

 

We have had 3 co-workers diagnosed with breast cancer in the last 4 months or so. Really?

 

What the heckity heck is going ON?

 

Hope you are all having a better August.

 

Peace,

Kay

 

 

A little of this, a little of that...

Sunday

August 7, 2011

Hi,

Summer seems to be flying by!  August already...sheesh!  Hope your gardens are abundant.  I'm still harvesting herbs.

We have had a lot of hot, humid weather recently, but 4th of July weekend was awsome.  I spent the "3 day weekend" on the porch reading.  I never finished The Passage...too tedious, too sci fi.  I just finished South of Broad by Pat Conroy and loved it.  I have The Thirteenth Tale on deck and will probably start it today.

This is the wkend our city holds its annual Sidewalk Sale.  They have gone to "hell in a handbasket" in recent years.  It used to be that all of the downtown stores would set up tables to sell (at discounts) the items that haven't moved in the store.  Now, since downtown is a ghost town, the sidewalk sale vendors are from who knows where and sell stuff like Sponge Bob balloons and bumper stickers.  Very disappointing for the most part.  I did pick up a few used books at one table, and the library was also having a used book sale, so I dropped $6 there as well.  Not a total loss.  Ran into Shelby and Sara and had breakfast at Cruisers, a local diner decorated 1950's style.

The Chamber of Commerce has tried to revitalize the downtown area with the stores that are still there, but it isn't doing very well.  Sad... it used to be busy and filled with stores selling every thing you need.  Then the 70's came and with it....the mall.  No one shops downtown and stores have closed left and right. Empty store fronts are the perfect palette for street artists, windows are dirty and cracked. Makes me wish for the days of my youth when "downtown/uptown" was the place to be.  Well, actually many things make me wish for my youth lately.  Nostalgia dogs me everywhere I turn.  Must be that awful birthday I'm sliding into.

My son is moving to Portland, OR at the end of this month.  From the desert to the rain forest. :) I hope all that needs to take place prior to the move happens quickly.  If you know anyone in the Phoenix area (or even outside of PHX...it's transportable) looking for "industrial" gym equipment (not home equipment), he's got it listed on Craigslist.  Great prices for a start up gym. Please send them his way (or send me an email).  I am looking forward to visiting him in Portland later on this year. 

I'm still watching seasons of The Tudors on Netflix.  And Monk.  And Six Feet Under.  And Weeds.  And Glee.  :)  The problem is that I have a dvd for months without watching it.  I thought the summer would be a good time to get some of this watched since tv is all repeats, but I find myself doing other stuff instead...like spending too much time on Facebook, for instance.  ugh...

My family reunion is coming up in a few wks...Labor Day Weekend.  Always a good time.  It's fun to see everyone and catch up.

I've had a roommate for 3 wks and he will be here until the wkend of the reunion.  My brother moved in with me temporarily on July 19 while he awaits a place to be refurbished a bit.  It's weird having someone else in the house, but we work opposite shifts so I hardly see him.  On the wkends, he's off and running around so we only pass each other now and then.  Bella is adjusting to his being here.  She was scared and would hide whenever he was in the house at first.

My clothesline arrived and Tony helped me get it in the ground with temporary measures.  We need to cement it in, but haven't had the opportunity yet.  I'm using it though and enjoying the wind and solar power that is drying my clothing.  I wouldn't let Barb pay for half of it, so she bought the clothespins and clothespin bag.  Good enough! :)

I'm running out of steam here, so adios until who knows when. :)

Happy Birthday, Darenna!

Peace,

Kay