Where Were The Police?

 We left Cary, North Carolina a few days ago for a drive down I-95 to Florida.  Normally on this route, we see Highway Patrol cars and sheriff cars keeping an eye out for speeders.  We like seeing them as it helps us feel safer.  We rarely go more than 10% above the speed limit so we don’t worry about getting caught speeding.

On this trip, we didn’t see a single patrol car until a few miles from the Florida line.  That’s never happened before, especially near a holiday when there was a lot of traffic.

So what happened without the presence of the police?  Did drivers behave?  No!  It was a zoo.  We would be going about 77 mph and a car would zoom past us going at least 100 mph.  Cars were cutting in and out of lanes.  It felt more like a NASCAR race than a trip on I-95.

 We’re hoping that on our return trip to North Carolina we’ll see many police cars checking speeds with their radar.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Extraction

 My dentist has been watching a tooth that was cracked and so damaged that she said it should come out.  Now was a good time for me so I scheduled an appointment.  Years ago, I never worried about a medical procedure.  Not so anymore.  I tried not to think about it and pretend it was nothing.  But I dreaded it.  I couldn't sleep for a couple of nights before the procedure.

The appointment was canceled and rescheduled because my primary care doctor didn't get my medical release to my dentist.  So I went through another few days of worrying

Finally, I was sitting in the dentist chair.  I didn't even feel the numbing needle.  The tooth was not coming out easily so the dentist cut it in pieces and took out the individual pieces.  I felt pressure, but there was no pain.  The dentist put in a few switches and gave me a prescription for a heavy-duty pain reliever.

After I was home, I took a couple of Tylenol pills and a couple more at bedtime.  Still no pain.  I didn't take a single one of the prescribed pain pills.

All of my worrying was not necessary.  Thank you Dr. Eissens.  You are amazing.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

1+1=?

 Aloma and I, when we were younger, thought that we complemented each other.  We had a synergy so when we were together we thought we made each other better.  Both of us together were better than the two of us individually.  Aloma was better at organizing, listening, remembering names, caring for other people.  I was better at digging holes in the garden for her plants and working on refining the formula E=MC 2.

 We felt then:  1+1>2

Over years, we slowed down.  Aloma kept her skills but at a slower pace.  Steve’s holes in the garden took more time to dig; Steve wasn’t making much progress in refining the formula.

We felt then: 1+1=2

More years went by.  We have to ask each other the name of someone we have known for years.  The names of plants in our garden are difficult to remember.  Steve digs holes in the wrong place in the garden.  We forget some appointments.  Steve was asked if he was making progress refining E=MC 2 and he said, “WHAT?”

Now, we feel:  1+1<2

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Mystery Solved

 From time to time, Aloma or I have misplaced our mobile phones and have frantically searched the house to find them.  We usually end up calling our own number and then tracking down the sound.

 Last week my phone was missing so I began the search.  I called my number, but I remembered the phone was on vibrate only.  I remember using the phone since I returned home the day before.  It had to be in the house.  I started the search looking at all of the normal places, e.g., my desk, bathroom, kitchen, charging station.  No luck.  Then I started a deep search.  I removed pillows from chairs and sofas; I looked under chairs, sofas, tables, desks, etc.  Then I tore my office apart.  I removed books, looked in all of the drawers of my desk, and searched the floor.  Maybe it had fallen behind something.

 I was about to give up.  Then I had a thought.  I had scheduled my Toyota Corolla for service and got a folder out of the file cabinet to get the phone number.

 I retrieved the file.  Sure enough, I had filed my phone in the Toyota Corolla folder and had carefully placed the folder back in the file cabinet.

 Seasoned Man           

stevelem117@gmail.com

State Fair

 I’ve gone to the North Carolina State Fair every year since we moved to Cary, except for last year when the fair was canceled. Aloma went with me the first year but decided not to keep going.

This year I knew where to park to get a quick bus ride to the fairgrounds.  I was careful to pay attention to where I parked so I didn’t lose my car like I did one year.  Usually, I get in free as a senior citizen.  Not this year--$5.00.  There were wall-to-wall people walking around and standing in line for food.  I passed on the food and just walked around enjoying the other people having fun.  I was getting tired so I decided to ride the very large Ferris wheel.  I gave a couple of dollars and change to the ticket person and she said the cost was $7.00.  I told her that was too much for me so she pushed the bills back through the window knocking the change to the ground.  I picked it up knowing that the people in line behind me were wishing that the old man would leave.

No livestock was being judged so I just walked around looking at different farm animals and vegetables.

Finally, I walked to the ice cream store where ice cream was being churned using John Deer engines that sputtered and backfired.  I ate ice cream watching a live performance of a string band playing bluegrass or country.

By the time I walked to the bus and then my car, I was tired.  But I felt good about attending the North Carolina State Fair one more time.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Overstimulated

 I’ve written before how Aloma and I enjoy sitting on our patio looking at our plants and the wildlife.  We know every single plant and point out to each other the subtle changes day to day.  We know most of the birds that nest in the spring and we watch them leave by mid-summer.  The squirrels give us more to talk about as they forget to be afraid of us and come on the patio while we sit out.  We scold them and, while not happy about it, they leave.

 The bees and butterflies have been plentiful this year.  They are also fun to watch.

 I enjoy the many chameleons, but Aloma has had enough of them this year.  Yesterday, one was on the chair she was going to sit in and wouldn’t move.  She yelled at it and tried to shoo it away, but it only moved a few inches and stopped to look at her.

 We didn’t need more stimulation, but I blew it.  I bought an eight-inch disk that floats in our birdbath.  It has solar panels and a pump that shoots water about two feet in the air when the sun is shining.  On an overcast day, it shoots water up about six inches.  Now, we have to watch it in addition to the other things.  The first night, we were so overstimulated that we couldn’t sleep.

 If we don’t get used to it, we’ll have to move it. 

Life is tough.

 Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Bill Hosley R.I.P.

 Bill Hosley was a friend at Eastman Kokak for many years.  One day while lunching with him and other friends, I finally got the nerve to tell them I had separated from my wife and moved into an apartment.  Bill thought for a moment and then said, “My wife Cynthia plays tennis with a young woman who just separated from her husband.  Would you like to come over for dinner and meet her?”  I thanked him and said I wasn’t ready to meet anyone.

After four lonely weeks, I told Bill I was ready to meet Cynthia’s friend.  I was sitting in their living room when Cynthia brought Aloma in and introduced her.  Within six weeks we were dating and have been together for 45 years.  

Aloma and I often wonder where we would be today if Bill and Cynthia hadn’t introduced us.  We regularly thank God for both of them.

Cynthia died a couple of years ago.  Bill died on September 26 at the age of 96.

Bill, Rest in Peace.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Corolla #28

 During the past week, 22 friends gathered for the 28th vacation together in Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  We missed last year because of COVID, and this year we scheduled it for September rather than April as we usually do.  Everyone was fully vaccinated and was tested during the previous week.

 I didn’t know what to expect this year.  Twenty-eight years ago, we were in our 40s and 50s.  Now most of us are in our seventies and eighties, some with health issues.  Other years we stayed in two rental houses coming together for an evening meal.  This year we were all together in one big house. 

 We felt safe as we arrived and hugs were the norm.  The energy level was high and kept getting higher during the first evening.  I compared it to what I thought it would be like if a sorority and fraternity got together for a house party.  Everyone was talking and laughing.  It was wonderful.  And the energy level remained high throughout the week.

 A big thanks to Pam and Bill for organizing and scheduling our Corolla vacations.  Without them, none of these wonderful vacations would have happened.

 Next year we are planning to be back in April in one ocean-front house.  Aloma and I are already looking forward to it.

 Seasoned Man           

stevelem117@gmail.com

Hummingbirds

 We’ve had a few hummingbirds visit our backyard in past years.  Last year, we bought a feeder and filled it with a commercial solution that claimed to have vitamins for the hummingbirds.  Several hummingbirds used it a couple of times, but we were disappointed as we expected more.

 This year Aloma decided to make our own solution-- ½ cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.  That did the trick.  We’ve got six or more birds that hang around our feeder, fight each other for feeder rights, and ignore us even when we’re sitting four feet from the feeder.  The hummingbirds are green in color, some with black and white on their tails.  One ruby throat stops by now and then.   We even have a baby, small and without a tail, that waits until the others take their fight away and then comes in to feed.  We’ve named her Nubin.  Aloma calls another one greenback because of her bright green feathers.

 We especially enjoy the hummingbirds this time of the year because our other many birds, except for a pair of cardinals and some goldfinches, leave us in July and don’t return until late winter or spring.  We understand hummingbirds in our area begin migrating to South America or Central America in September.

 We will enjoy them until they leave on their long journey, and we’ll look forward to their return next year.

 Seasoned Man

Stevelem117@gmail.com

Happy Birthday

 Eighty years ago, three baby girls were born within three weeks of each other-- one in New York, one in Wisconsin, and one in Pennsylvania.  These girls grew up to be exceptional women, raising a family, providing leadership to their church and schools, leading organizations they supported.  They made the world a better place.

 After many moves around the country, it seems they were destined to find each other living on Lake Norman in North Carolina.  They became friends.  They walked together earning the name Walker-Talkers as people heard them coming before they saw them. They vacationed together and were involved with the families of each other.

Their husbands became friends and planned celebrations in late August or early September to celebrate their joint birthdays.  They had picnics at home with friends; they traveled to the North Carolina mountains for a weekend; on one birthday, they were surprised by a limousine pickup to take them to a restaurant to dine with friends; on another birthday, they traveled to New York City.

Now that they are older, they celebrated their birthday with another dear friend and ex-Walker-Talker, Mary Beth, in a restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina.  As Bill, Rick, and I watched them, we could see the excitement of them being together and see the love for each other.

Thank you, God, for Priscilla, Pam, and Aloma.  They have made the world a better place.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Too Many Surgeries

 In early May, Aloma had a hip replacement (it was successful and she feels much better than before the surgery).  Two weeks ago, I had a large Squamous Cell cancer removed from my forehead (easy surgery).  Three days ago, I had a joint in my big toe frozen with a metal bar screwed in.  It was painful the first night but is fine now except I’ll be in a boot for six weeks.

During the interview before the surgery, I was asked about previous surgeries.  I started listing them.  Tonsillectomy, appendectomy, two knee operations while still in high school, ten more knee operations during the next 20 years, two knee replacements, two hernia repairs, broken hip repair, knuckle on hand frozen.  I didn’t mention dozens of skin surgeries.

What if I lived a hundred years ago?  I’d be bedridden or probably dead.  I was embarrassed to list so many surgeries, but I guess I should be grateful and be thankful for modern medicine.

I’ve read that every time one is under general anesthesia, brain functioning is lost--forever.  No wonder I can’t remember who Rumpelstilskin is. 

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Moutain Vacation

 While we love the summers in North Carolina, they can get hot and humid during July and August.  For the past few years, we’ve gone to Sapphire Valley/Cashiers, North Carolina for a weeks’ break from the hot weather.  Our last trip was a couple of weeks ago.

On past trips, we would hike to a different, beautiful waterfall every day.  This year was different.  Aloma had a hip replacement two months before and was not up to hiking.  She did walk around an exercise track near our resort without any problems.  Last year with a bad hip, she had to sit four times just to finish the walk around the track.

The weather was perfect for the mountains.  High temperatures during the day were in the mid-seventies.  It did rain off and on for the first few days, but that is part of the mountain experience for us.

Other than cooking fresh mountain vegetables for dinner one night, we ate lunch out every day and had snacks at night.  Mostly, we read, talked, and sat on our deck looking at the woods behind our condo.

We feel fortunate that we could visit the mountains again.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Salad Girl

 

After my last blog, a couple of people asked me about being a salad girl.  I’ll explain.

 Between our junior and senior year at Georgia Tech, two buddies, and I decided to go out west, tour, and work when our money ran out.  We had a great time driving out, sponging off of friends, camping out.  But we knew we needed gas money to get home so we planned to go to Yellowstone to look for work.  But we stopped at the Grand Teton National Park before we got to Yellowstone and asked about jobs.  They had three openings.

 The first one was for a pot scrubber for the cafeteria.  That sounded awful to me, but one of the other guys took it.  The next opening was for a salad girl.  Thinking that was better than a pot scrubber, I raised my hand immediately.  I was told they were looking for a girl, but they needed someone right away, so they took me.  The third opening was for a manager of the laundromat, which the third guy took.  It turned out that young women were the main customers of the laundromat, and my friend had a different date every night.

 Clara, my boss, complained when she heard a boy was going to work for her.  But I worked hard, listened carefully, did my best, and within a couple of weeks, she loved me.  I chopped vegetables, mixed dressings, put salads together, and learned a lot.  When I left to go home, she told me I was the best salad girl she ever had.

 Aloma tells me I make good salads.  I should.  After all, I am a professional.

 Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Like Going On Vacation

When we go on a vacation for a week or more, I do the grocery shopping and most of the cooking.  After all, what kind of vacation would it be for Aloma to cook and shop on vacation just as she does all year?  

When we’re in Florida for two months, she’ll get tired of my plain cooking, give me a shopping list, and cook a delicious casserole.  She’s a great cook, and I can just do the basics. Since her surgery, I’ve been shopping, cooking, and taking care of her.  For the first three weeks, I was so anxious and tired that I wasn’t sure I could handle my responsibilities.  But now that she’s seven weeks out from her surgery and doing really well, she is doing more for herself.  I still shop and cook and it’s getting routine for me.  While Aloma would always shop once a week, I go at least three times, usually before 8:00 a.m. 

I give her a choice of a few menu items.  Last evening she asked what we were having tomorrow.  I admitted I didn’t have anything planned.  She said, ‘You could grill me a steak.”  So I went to Harris Teeter and bought a 1 ¼ pound NY Strip steak and grilled it perfectly, serving it with baked potatoes, and a salad (I pride myself on my salads because I spent one summer as a Salad Girl in a resort in the Tetons--may be the subject for another blog.)

 It was a perfect meal and she told me I’m still her hero.

 Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

The U Curve of Happiness

 Years ago, I read a blog, 70-something.com, written by a woman in Boston who had an interesting life and wrote about interesting topics.  She wanted readers to hear what it was like for a woman to go through her seventies, now her eighties.  I decided to start a similar blog but from a man’s perspective. 

 Recently, the lady blogger wrote about the U Curve of Happiness, a discovery based on happiness surveys that shows happiness declines in the teen years and reaches a low around 50 years old, then trends up until death, thus the name U Curve.  I had never heard of it and googled it to learn more.  An article by Margit Cox Henderson, The Paradox of Aging: the Happiness U-curve is one of the resources I found.

It seems the U Curve is universal, showing up around the globe.  But, it is based on large populations and individual curves can vary depending on health, finances, and relationships.

 I looked at my age, 83, and the U Curve indicates that I should be at the happiest point in my life and my happiness just might continue to increase.  Believe it or not, I believe the U Curve got it right.

 Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Back To The Gym

 

Because of COVID-19, I hadn’t set foot in the Carolina Preserve Clubhouse since November 2019.  I’ve kept up my exercising by walking, crunches, squats, girl pushups, and leg and arm/shoulder training with therapy bands and stretch tubes.  I tried to do a short workout three times a week.

 On Monday of this week, I walked to the clubhouse and into the gym and went through my old workout routine.  It felt so good to be back.  I used all the weight machines and the free-weight routines I used before, but with lower weights and repetitions.  The gym now has a stationary bike that has an adjustable throw to the petals.  Since my knees don’t bend enough, I can’t pedal a normal bike.  So I spent a few minutes on the bike.  I felt great after the workout.

On Thursday, I went back expecting to be sore and my routine to be difficult, but it was even more enjoyable.  I increased weights and repetitions. 

Within a week or two, I’ll be back to my pre-COVID routine

To a younger person, my routine would be a laugh, but my 83-year-old-body thinks I’m back in the saddle again.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Graduation

Grandson, Jack Balint-Kurti, graduated from Raleigh Charter High School on Saturday morning.  Jennifer drove us to the graduation held outdoors at the school.  We sat in the shade, in perfect weather listening to a string quartet before the ceremony.  Even though the senior class is small (about 100), graduation was held in three separate ceremonies to keep the crowd small.  About one-half of the audience wore masks.

Jack graduated summa cun laude, never having less than an A in any high school course, earning him a National Merit Scholarship.  The three previous years, Jack was a star on the school’s soccer team, but he missed playing his senior year as Raleigh Charter did not field a team because of COVID-19.

He did not attend classes this year except for part-time during the last two months, but he applied himself to virtual learning and never missed a beat.

Jack has been accepted by Duke University to study science/engineering next year.

Jack, you are a fine young man.  We are proud of you.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Hip Replacement and Caregiving

Two weeks ago, Aloma had her second hip replacement.  I was a wreck, partly because her femur was shattered when her other hip was replaced, and she had no weight-bearing for two months and suffered excruciating pain.  I couldn’t bear the thought of something going wrong again.   I took her to the hospital at 6:00 a.m. but I was told that I couldn’t stay.  I didn’t see her until after 2:00 p.m.  That was hard. 

The good news is that the surgery went well, and while she has had a lot of pain, she is doing very well, already walking with just a cane.

Her caregiver started off tired.  I blame it on the second COVID injection rather than old age.  With a lot of duties, during the day and during the night, and watching her suffer, I was barely able to function.  But I started regaining my energy the second week, and I now feel better. 

I laugh at myself when I think of one thing that I did before the surgery.  I wrote a note for the surgeon and asked Aloma to give it to him.  I explained about her femur shattering during her first replacement and asked him to drill a big enough hole this time in the femur for the stem of the device to fit.  I thought he would be offended and ask to see my medical diploma.  But he told me he could not drill a larger hole because of the size of her bones, but he did use a device with a smaller stem.  That must have worked.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Goofing Off

 

I never thought that I would consider myself an expert on goofing off, but I do have some new insights

 We’ve spent a couple of months in a rented condo in Naples, Florida during the last four years. There, I have nothing to do except grocery shopping, which I complete by 8:00 a.m., and some cooking and cleaning.  I basically have nothing to do all day.  So I read, nap, take walks, and sit and daydream.  I actually got bored this past year, which was a good thing because I worked on my third book on the Turkey Grove series that I have neglected for over a year.

Now that we’re back home, I have a major list of things to do (and Aloma adds to the list daily).  I need to add an extension to the irrigation I system installed last year; the master bathroom cabinets should be painted since the work I did on the kitchen cabinets turned out so well; three boxes from our move six years ago that have never been opened (and we have no idea what’s in them) should be opened, categorized, and shelved or given away.  That’s just a sample of my to-do list.

Now that I’m home with an endless to-do list, to take time for a mid-morning cup of tea, to read for pleasure, or to take a quick nap is just wonderful.  If we go on an extended vacation again, I’m going to take a long to-do list so that I will totally enjoy doing nothing.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Brackets

The NCAA basketball playoffs, March Madness, has always been one of my favorite sporting events.  As part of the experience, I fill out the brackets, not to compete, but for the enjoyment.  I usually fill out the ESPN brackets, but this year it was the NCAA brackets.  At this point in the tournament, I’m at the 27th percentile, 1,500,000 people ahead of me.  Now that is terrible.  Any five-year-old who has never seen a basketball game could beat me.

So what’s my winning (not) strategy?  I pick my favorite teams and teams from my favorite conferences.  I used to analyze teams and pick ones that I thought would win.  But, I found myself rooting against the teams I like.  That wasn’t fun.  So this year I picked teams from the ACC and Southeast Conference.  They mostly bombed.  And I usually don’t pick teams from the west coast.  This year they have been brilliant.  In fact, Michigan was the only team east of the Mississippi River in the Elite Eight.

I’ve watched most of the games on TV, but It’s not as much fun when my teams lose in the early rounds.  Next year, I'm going to find a five-year-old to help me with my bracket.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

COVID-19

 We made plans to go to Florida for 2 ½ months in 2021 as we did in 2020.  But, then came COVID-19, and we weren’t sure whether we should go this year or not.  We decided to take a chance.  We stayed in one motel on the way down.  Aloma had her cleaning supplies handy, and she gave our room a good cleaning.

Once we were in our condo in Naples, we mostly stayed home and ate out once a week, but always outdoors.  Steve did the grocery shopping early while there were few people in the stores and was back home by 8:00 a.m.  We didn’t go to the pool, just walked and watched the wildlife from our lanai.

We thought we could get our vaccines in Florida and read they were available to everyone.  Florida residents complained, and it was announced you had to have proof of Florida residency to get a vaccine.

Most of our friends back in Cary had gotten their vaccinations by the time we got back home.  We immediately started looking online.  For the first few days, nothing was available.  Then we found an opening about 30 minutes away, so Aloma got her shot last Thursday.  We found another opening an hour away for Friday, and we grabbed it for Steve.

Neither of us had any reactions from the shots, although we were tired for a few days.  Our second shots are scheduled for the first week of April.

Hooray!  We feel lucky and blessed.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Wildlife

 We spent January and February in SW Florida again in a condo with a lanai overlooking  a small lake the size of a football field.  With nothing to do because of the COVID restrictions, we spent most of our time on the Lanai watching the lake, the fountain in the middle of it, and the wildlife.

Birds we recognized were:  ducks, anhingas, herons (baby blue and great), egrets (medium and great), kingfisher, osprey, mockingbird, woodpecker, vultures (circling overhead), and one of our favorites--ibis, with their beak curved downward, pecking at the grass..

Other than birds we saw rabbits, squirrels, turtles, and best of all, two lake otters that came out of the lake on the bank just 20 feet from where we were sitting.  No snakes, unlike last year.

Our best wildlife experience was watching eagles on a 24/7 camera in Ft. Myers 30 miles north of us.  We watched two eggs hatch in the middle of January, and we’ve seen them develop into healthy eagles, now 5 ½ weeks old.  They eat whatever their parents bring them including fish (occasionally still alive), small mammals, birds, and un-identified roadkill.  Some of it is pretty gross. An unusual development occurred this year.  Both babies got an eye infection.  They were removed from the next for about a week, treated, and then returned.  Their parents accepted their return immediately.  The website is:  https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Doctor Visits

 When I was younger, I visited the doctor and dentist maybe three or four times a year.  A couple of visits to the dentist, a physical, and maybe a doctor visit for the flu or a bad cold was all I needed.

Not anymore.  I checked back on my calendar for last year and counted 27 separate appointments between June 1 and the end of the year.  That is ridiculous.  And I consider myself reasonably healthy (for a man my age).  The numbers are slightly inflated because I had surgery on my hand requiring six or seven visits including physical therapy.  Other visits were for skin checks, blood tests (I take Warfarin), steroid injections for arthritis in my fingers, and other aches and pains.

What if had something seriously wrong.  I wouldn’t have time for anything except going to the doctor.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Sports

 I watch a lot of sports on TV.  In the past, I not only watched games but got emotionally involved.  When I tuned in to a football or basketball game, our dog would hide in the closet.  I did cheer my teams on, sometimes loudly.

Over the years, I still enjoy sports but don’t get as emotionally involved as I used to.  I like to see my schools (Ga. Tech and Florida) win, and I root for the Triangle Teams teams, sometimes even when one of them plays Ga. Tech.

Now when I watch games, I enjoy seeing some of my favorite athletes and am interested in the various offense and defense strategies, but I often turn off the TV before the game is over.

Maybe, it’s because COVID-19 interrupted sports.  Maybe, it is because very few people are in the stands cheering their team on.  Maybe, it's because I’m maturing.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

PS (added the day after the Super Bowl)

If we still had our dog, she would have been in the closet for sure last night. Not because of me--because of Aloma loudly cheering on the Bucs and Brady.

Fate

 Our granddaughter, Abbey Cowen, from her early teens loved to act and model.  While she was an excellent student and a good athlete, soccer and lacrosse, her passion was acting.  She was in all of her school’s plays, often having the lead role.  She modeled during her mid-teen years and saved money to fund her plan of going to Los Angeles for one year after high school to give acting her best shot.

She won parts in TV  shows: Red Band Society, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Wisdom of the Crowd, and I Still Believe, These parts were small, but she was following her dream.  She traveled to many parts of the world, her mother, Leslie, accompanying her until she turned 21.

Last week, a TV show filmed in Ireland, Fate: The Winx Saga, opened on Netflix.  Abbey had one of the lead roles and, in my opinion, was excellent.  I am amazed at how good she is.  The show is targeted to teens and young adults and is successful, rated number one for Netflix during its first week.  Caution: Some of the language is terrible.

Her next release is a movie, Redeeming Love, filmed in South Africa, where she has the lead role.  Its release date is later in the year when movie theaters open again.

We are proud of you, Abbey.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Changing Taste

 In a recent blog, I mentioned that I select different books to read than I used to.  

In the past, I always looked for action books, e.g. spy thrillers, serial killers, crime and legal, science fiction (but not fantasy).  Authors I enjoyed included Lee Childs, Clive Cussler,  John Grisham, James Patterson, etc.  I avoided books written by women because I was not interested in the details of everyone’s clothes, the name of their perfume, and lengthy descriptions of how their homes were decorated.  I also thought women authors were obsessed with sex.

Within the last year, I’ve read several books by Nora Roberts and have loved them.  Other female authors I’ve enjoyed are Sandra Brown, Debbie Macomber, and Lisa Wingate.  It seems I’m enjoying stories about families and relationships.  TV shows I watch are also changing.  I have watched every movie on the Hallmark Channel, and I’m pleased when a new release is broadcast.  I avoid action heroes, zombies, terror stories, and Halloween type programs.

So what caused this change?  I don’t have a clue.  Maybe my testosterone level is down.  Maybe as I age, relationships and love have become more important.

I still enjoy a Jack Reacher book and a Clive Cussler adventure and probably always will.  But my interests have definitely broadened.

I have to end this now.  A favorite Hallmark movie that I’ve watched before is about to begin..

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com