Elections

 There are only a few more days until the election.  The election commercials on TV are non-stop and  I’m tired of them.  I especially dislike the negative ads that tear down their opponent without any backup data.  I’ve decided on a strategy to decide who to vote for.  I keep track of negative ads and will vote for the candidate with the most negative ads against them.

One of the worst negative ads shows the candidate’s photo and next to it, “Rapist, Murderer, Thief.” His name is Wiley and he is an attorney who defended criminals during his career.  That ad is so bad and misleading that I decided to vote for him even though he was not someone I would usually vote for.

Aloma and I went to our voting site two days ago for early voting.  It was set up like voting day, but only two other people were voting while we were there.  We were in and out in about ten minutes.  But, I was disappointed.  The attorney with the stupid negative ads against him was not on the ballot.  While our address is in Cary, North Carolina, and if we go into the yard behind the house, we are in Wake County.  If we go out the front door, we’re in Chatham County where we have to vote.  The attorney is on the ballot in Wake County, not Chatham County.

I’m an independent and am not fond of either the Democrat or Republican party.  I tend to vote across party lines and usually for a conservative or moderate candidate.

But, next Tuesday, I will cheer for Wiley, a liberal candidate.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Puzzled

 In March 2016, the CDC published guidelines for reducing the use of prescribed Opioids for reducing pain.  The goal was to reduce the abuse of Opioids and reduce addictions and overdose deaths.  I remember thinking that it was a shame to restrict the drug for those who need it in order to protect the few abusing it.

Did it work?  Yes, the use of prescribed Opioids dropped dramatically and deaths from prescribed Opioids are lower than in 2016.  Last year when I had surgery, I was prescribed five Oxycodone pills.  If I needed more, I had to return to the doctor who would hand me a written prescription that I would hand-carry to the pharmacy.  Instead, I lived on Tylenol.

Since deaths from prescribed Opioids are down, the crisis in drug overdose deaths is over.  Right?  Wrong!  The deaths from overdoses exploded from about 20,000 in 2016 to about 92,000 in 2020 and over 100,000 deaths from April 2020 to April 2021.  It seems people turned to Fentanyl which is synthesized in illegal labs, mostly in other countries, and smuggled into the United States.

Would hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths be saved if the CDC hadn’t recommended restricting the use of prescribed Opioids?  Would people still choose Fentanyl even if prescribed Opioids were readily available?

I’m no expert.  I’m just puzzled.,

Source of information https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/National_Drug_Involved_Overdose_Deaths_1999-2020.pptx

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Old Age

 When I retired, my brother, five years older than me, gave me a sign that said, “Old Age Ain’t For Sissies.”  As the years go by, I understand it more and more.

I read that the 50s are the new 30s and the 60s are the new 40s.  I’m guessing 83 is the new 84.  The 80s are just old.

Case in point--on Monday I had steroid injections in two trigger fingers and the thumb on my right hand (injections were painful, by the way).  The doctor told me that since I had steroid injections before, these were the last ones.  Surgery would be next.  I’ve already had joints surgically frozen on my hand and big toe.

The next day, I was at a surgery center to have squamous cell cancer removed.  It hurt like the blazes until the numbing injection took over.  The hole left by surgery is so large that a golf ball cut in half would fit perfectly in it.  But they got all of the cancer.

I have more issues that need work, but I’m holding off until next spring.  Maybe when I turn 85 years old next year, things will calm down.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Scientific Discussions

 Since Aloma has a BS in Biology and I have an engineering degree, we never shy away from complex, scientific discussions.

For instance, we were sitting outside on the deck last week, and Aloma said, “When the sun came up on September 22, It was exactly behind the trunk of the oak tree.  Just three months ago the sun came up way other there.”  She pointed to the left.  “And it’ll come up behind those pine trees in three months.”  She pointed to the right.

“Yeah,”  I responded.  “At the Autumnal Equinox, the sun comes up due East and that is behind that oak tree.”

Not to be outdone, I said,  “Okay, I’ve got another Fall Equinox observation.  You know the lever that controls the hot and cold water in the shower.  During the summer months, I move it to the right because the water coming into the house is warm and we don’t need as much hot water to take a shower.  On September 22, I had the lever straight up.  In a few weeks, we’ll need more hot water for a comfortable shower and the lever will have to be to the left of vertical.  That’s the opposite direction that the sun moves.”

Aloma looked at me and rolled her eyes.  “If you’re looking for a Nobel Prize for that observation, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”  She got up and went inside.  A minute later she poked her head back out and laughed and said, “Don’t worry.  I’ll give you a Nobel Prize for your shower observation.”  

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Royal Funeral

 Aloma and I, along with several billion people, watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.  We were amazed at the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets to see her casket moving by.  It was a beautiful event and orchestrated to perfection.  And we loved the tradition.  And we loved watching it together.

Obviously, Queen Elizabeth was loved and respected all over the world.

We enjoyed seeing the royal family, especially the children.  Aloma has always enjoyed following the Queen and the royal family.

Now, to be honest, I have trouble with people acquiring an important position by their birth.  I’ve always believed that all people should be given an opportunity for any position and should work to reach it.

I also commented to Aloma that there was an issue with inclusion.  Most people at the funeral and burial were old, white men, like myself.  There were few minorities present.

When I continued my remarks during the funeral, Aloma finally said, “BE QUIET.”

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Smart Doorbell

 Aloma mentioned several times that she would like to have a doorbell that worked with her phone to show who was at the door.  I was never too interested because we can just look when the doorbell rings and see who is there.  She mentioned it again the day before her birthday.  I went online and ordered a Blink doorbell from Amazon that was delivered overnight.  I gave it to her on the morning of her birthday.  She was surprised and very happy,

It turned out to be fairly easy to install.  We had fun ringing the doorbell and seeing ourselves on the phone.  It also detects motion so every time we went out or in the front door, we had a ten-second video clip.  We got tired of that, so we disabled the motion detector.  I still have to set it up with Alexa so that we can ask who is there when we don’t have a phone nearby.

Leading up to her birthday, we had lunch and dinner out several times and Jennifer took us to brunch at a fancy restaurant.  Aloma said it was one of her best birthdays ever.

That makes me happy.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Backyard Wildlife Part 2

 I mentioned in an earlier post that we had few birds this year in our backyard and took our feeders down.  We noticed several hummingbirds a few weeks ago, so we put our feeder back up.  Now, we have four hummingbirds competing for a spot at our feeder.  We love to watch them.

While other birds never returned this year, pesky mammals overwhelmed us.  We’ve had rabbits that have eaten most of our flowering plants.  They come early in the morning and late in the evening when we’re inside.  They think our garden is a restaurant and enjoy a variety of salads.

We have two Little Lime Hydrangeas that are usually covered in white blossoms that turn lime-colored after a week or so. They have been stunning every year--except this year.  Deer come during the night to eat the buds and the tender new growth.  We haven’t had a single blossom.  I spray them with smelly Liquid Fence that used to keep deer away.  Now, they think of it as a salad dressing.

I had mentioned previously that one of the chameleons that scampered around our patio lost a tail.  We called him Nubin.  Then, his tail started growing back.  We saw him a couple of days ago and he has almost a full tail.  He seems pretty proud of it.

I guess it’s probably obvious that we spend a lot of time on our patio and in the garden.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Revcovering From A Vacation

 Years ago, Aloma and I and the children would leave Rochester, NY early on Saturday morning, fly to Florida, stop at a grocery store to shop for a week, and check into a condo for a week's vacation.  We would swim or hike every day and then leave for home at the latest possible time.  After getting home on Sunday night, I would get up at 6:00 the next morning and leave for the office at Kodak.  It’s amazing that I would be rested from the vacation and energized for months.

Now, we start planning and packing for a week’s vacation at least two weeks ahead and prepare lists for our lists.  We complete loading the car the night before.  We leave early but always stop in the early afternoon.  And we arrive exhausted and take the first few days to rest up.  When we return home, we’re so exhausted that it takes days to unpack and rest.

Last week, we spend days in the North Carolina mountains, enjoying the cool mountain air after a very hot summer in Cary.  In spite of all of my lists, I forgot the charger for my laptop and had to buy one.  We’ve been home a week and we’re finally feeling rested from our vacation.

Seasoned Man

Stevelem117@gmail.com

Jim Evans R.I.P.

 Jim was a member of a ten-person golf group that I played with twice a week for over 15 years in Mooresville, NC.  A couple of members were still working, but most of us were retired.  We would play nine holes and then have lunch together.  Lunch was rowdy and loud with a lot of laughs.  You get to know someone in a special way when you play golf with them.  I think Jim was one of the finest men I have ever known.

Jim took golf seriously, but never complained about a bad shot.  He was one of the few in our group that I never once questioned his ability to count his strokes.  He was a redhead and his skin didn’t tolerate the sun, and he had numerous skin cancers.  But, I never heard him complain.  He tolerated our awful jokes during lunch, but he never told an off-color joke.

He was a food scientist for 30 years with Pillsbury and was probably the smartest person in our group.   He contributed to the community.  Every time I took a donation to the Habitat ReStore, he and his wife Connie were there volunteering.  He was active in St. Therese Catholic Church.  It was obvious to us that the most important thing in his life was his wife and children.

We moved from Mooresville eight years ago.  I miss that golf group and miss Jim’s friendship.

Jim Evans, Rest in Peace.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

What It's Like To Be 84 Years Old

 I’ve had three months of experience at being 84 years old.  Since the purpose of my blog is to relate what it’s like for a man to live through his 70s and 80s--here goes.

First of all, I’m happy.  I have a wife that I love and enjoy every minute I have with her.  We live in a nice home that is small, comfortable, and safe.  We have a daughter who lives nearby and three daughters far away that I keep up with but rarely see.  We have seven grandchildren that we think of as special.

At any age, health is important but in the 80s, it’s critical.  I’m lucky that I don’t have anything major wrong with me, but I have more aches and pains than I can list here.  My hands are a mess--one knuckle surgically frozen, two trigger fingers that require steroid shots, and thumbs that hurt.  I need both hands to pick up a glass of water.  Both shoulders hurt at times as does one elbow.  My feet are uncomfortable unless I’m wearing sneakers.  I get tired much more quickly.  I used to love the hot, mid-summer days, but now I wilt pretty quickly.  I haven’t played golf, which I love, in two years.  After a two-year break because of COVID, I’m back working out in the gym and am doing pretty well.

My main health issue is my hearing.  Even with good hearing aids, my hearing is worst than all my friends.

Words escape me at times although I usually remember them later.  I still do projects around the house, but slower, and sometimes with mistakes.  I’m finishing writing the last book of a trilogy and it’s slow going.  A friend taught me to play Wordle and I play every day, and while I’m usually successful, I’m very slow.  I read about one novel a week.

So that’s my story.  I’m going to take a nap now so that I won’t sleep well tonight.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Nubin

 When we sit on our patio, we usually see one or more chameleons running across the deck or just sitting watching us.  They are lizards and turn green on green leaves and brown when they are on a tree trunk.  Sometimes, we see them catch a bug, but mostly they are running around or sleeping.

We noticed one last week with most of his tail gone.  We guessed a bird or animal attacked him, and he got away but without most of his tail.  Over the next few days, he seemed to spend more time on the deck than the other chameleons.  And even without a tail, he still had an attitude.  He would blow out his dewlap (orange thing under his neck) that I interpret to show his toughness.

I told Aloma that I had read chameleons can regrow a tail.  We watched him daily, and sure enough, a brown or dark area on the end of his tail appeared after a week.  Each day, it got bigger.  He was definitely growing a new tail.  And he seemed proud of his growing tail.  Whenever we came out, he would appear, show off his tail, and blow out his dewlap under his throat.  He obviously thinks he is hot stuff.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Where Are The Birds

 Normally, our backyard is full of birds.  We have a suet feeder where mockingbirds, robbins, brown thrashers, and small birds such as sparrows and wrens love to dine and carry food away to their nests.  Cardinals, bluebirds, and goldfinches explore our shrubs and plants looking for a snack.  Hummingbirds usually fight for a position on our feeder.

We love when the birds bring their babies out and feed them in our yard and do their best to teach them how to feed themselves.  We spend hours watching the birds.

This year, a pair of robbins eat from the feeder.  One mockingbird came and a robbin chased it away.  Nothing else.  We had two hummingbirds come a month ago and nothing since.  

This is our eighth year here and the first year without a lot of birds.  

Is it because of the bird virus?  Maybe other homes have a better menu for their feeders?

We don’t know but hopefully, we will be back to normal next year.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Just In Time

 The chair in my office was so low that I’ve had problems getting out of it for years.  Aloma wanted to buy me a recliner and took me to several stores, but I kept putting off buying one.  I saw a recliner with a lift to assist in getting out of the chair and it was on sale at Costco.  I ordered it and immediately loved it.  It’s comfortable, the right size, and the lift function lifts me up to almost a standing position.  The chair is higher than the previous one and I can easily get out of it without using the lift.  I didn’t think I would need the lift for a few more years.  Wrong!!

One night last week, I woke up in the night with pain in my right elbow.  It was the most intense pain that I ever had except for 10 broken ribs.  I woke Aloma and told her I needed to go to emergency.  They immediately gave me pain medication, took an X-ray, and did an ultrasound.  But they didn’t know what was causing the pain.  I was discharged and scheduled to see an orthopedic specialist two days later.  He didn’t know the cause of the pain either.

I rarely take more than one or two Oxycodone pills after surgery.  Not this time.  I took one every five hours for three days.  Finally, my elbow improved but my hand became swollen and very painful.

There was no way I could have gotten out of a regular chair.  I lived in my new recliner with a lift day and night for four days.  I have no idea what I would have done without the new chair.

Sometimes,  things just work out. Oh, my elbow and hand are almost normal again

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Storm Door

 Aloma has been asking for a storm door.  I kept putting her off until she said,  “Let's go to Lowes and pick one out.”  We did and brought it home.  She wanted to have it installed, but I said I would do it.

I got home and watched two videos on installing storm doors and then went to the website for the company that made the door.  I read the full instructions that came with the door.  I gathered the tools I needed and two sawhorses, and a ladder. The videos said it was a 30 to 45-minute installation.  Since I’m old and slow, I planned two hours to install the door.

I worked on it all afternoon and finally got it hung.  But it wouldn’t open all of the way.  I hung it wrong.  I started early the next morning, took it down, and caulked the holes I had driven in the wrong place.  I read the instructions again, but I couldn’t figure out how it should go.  I used to be good at projects like this, but I had trouble understanding the instructions.

On day three, I still couldn’t figure out the instructions, so I did a lot of trial-and-error but didn’t drill any holes.  No luck.  I started early on day four and one of the trials worked, so I drilled holes and hung the door.  It worked fine so I put the glass in.  Then I tried to insert the molding that keeps the glass from falling out.  No luck. On day five, I glued the glass in place with Gorilla glue and then glued the molding in.  So far, the glass hasn’t fallen out.  I installed the two closing units that came with the door and they worked.  But cousin Bob came by and told me I should reverse the top and bottom ones so we could use a foot to press the hold-open button.  I did that the next day.

One day before I put the glass in, I had the other door open and sat in the family room with Aloma.  Two birds flew into the house at warp speed.  One smashed into the patio door and knocked himself out.  The other bird stopped in time and just flew around the house.  I got the flying bird out and took the knocked-out bird to the patio.  An hour later he was gone.

It’s now day 15 and all I have to do is finish the latch and buy some molding to cover a couple of open areas around the top and bottom of the door.  I still have tools next to the door to remind me that if I ever buy another door, I’ll have it installed.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Doghouse Again

 Aloma has either a hair or nails appointment every few weeks.  I think of them as beauty appointments.

I knew she had one yesterday.  She came into my office when she returned and sat down.  I noticed her pink nails and told her how much I liked them.  I took her hand and said I liked the designs on a couple of the nails.

She looked at me and said, “I had my hair done today.”

I told her how nice her hair looked, but it was too late for that.  She said, “I don’t believe you noticed my nails that are two weeks old and didn’t notice my hair.”

Later in the evening, I told her again how nice her hair looked.  She just held up her nails and wiggled them in my face.

 

The good news is that Aloma never holds a grudge.  I’ll be her hero again in a few days.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

My Favorite Belt

 Almost eight years ago, soon after we moved to Cary, North Carolina, I took some stuff to the Goodwill Store to donate.  I decided to go inside and look around.  I noticed a handsome leather belt for under $2.00. My belt was old and worn so I decided to buy a new belt.

After almost eight years, the belt looks almost new.  Rather than use holes for the belt buckle to adjust the fit, it has loose woven leather.  The pin slips through the woven leather making it adjustable for any length.  And it doesn’t make a crease like a belt with holes.  I love it.

There is another reason the belt is special to me.  As I was checking out, I handed the clerk my credit card.  She said they don’t take credit cards.  I looked in my wallet and I only had one dollar so I told her I didn’t have enough cash.  A nice-looking woman behind me said, “Don’t worry, sir.  I’ll pay for it.  It’s less than $2.00.”  I looked in my pocket and felt some coins.  I had enough coins to add to the dollar bill so I paid for the belt.  I thanked the woman behind me and took my belt and left.

As I was walking to my car, I noticed I was wearing old sneakers, torn jeans, and an old T-shirt.  I’m sure she thought I was homeless.

So when I buckle my belt each morning, I remember the nice lady who offered to pay for it.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Twenty-Nine Years

 This past week, we spend a week in Corolla in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with a group of 18 friends in one large, wonderful house, right on the ocean, with a bonus view of the sound.  This is remarkable because it is our 29th year vacationing together.

Twenty-nine years ago, we were in our forties and fifties and spent our days playing tennis and riding bikes.  At night we would have skits, and talent shows.  We were so active.  Now, we are in our 70s and 80s and our only sporting event was putt-putt golf.  Evenings were quiet with movies, TV, and conversations.  But what hasn’t changed is the energy and the absolute delight of being together.

While I loved being here this year, it was difficult for me because my hearing is so bad--worse than last year.  When the gang was together and everyone talking, I couldn’t understand a thing.  It was embarrassing.  I could still have a one-on-one conversation if the room was quiet.  But that’s not good enough.

During the week, I wondered how many more years we can get together.  Four of the original couples were not here this year and I don’t know if they will return.  My guess is that we’ll continue to lose couples because of our ages and disabilities.

When Aloma and I returned home, we were exhausted.  Years ago it didn’t take days to recover from a vacation.

Thank you Bill and Pam for your organization and hard work.  Without you, these group vacations would never have happened.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

84

 I turned 84 years old a couple of days ago.  I started my blog years ago to share with my family what it was like for a man to go through his seventies and, as it’s turned out, to go through part of my eighties.

Well, so far, so good.

My life is different than when I was in my fifties, sixties, and seventies, but I can say that life is good.  I have a wonderful marriage that I’m thankful for every day.  While I have more aches and pains, my overall health is good, and I’m still able to do most things I could do when I was younger--but much slower.  My memory is not as good.  Some words are just not there when I need them, but they do finally come to me hours later.  One of my major issues is my hearing.  It’s worse than all of my friends and it does affect what I can and can not do.

I’m fortunate to be close to my daughters who are now middle age, and my grandchildren.  One grandchild is in high school, three are in college, two are well in with their careers, and one is getting married in November.  It’s a gift to see them move through their own lives.  We lost our son and will grieve for him forever.

AT 84 years old, I wonder how many years I have left--maybe just a few and maybe more than I actually want.

So what are my goals for the next few years of my life?  Be a good husband.  Love and support Aloma.  Continue to be close as I can with my daughters and grandchildren.  Be a positive influence as I interact with friends and other people.  Oh, I almost forgot--finish the last book of the Turkey Grove trilogy.

But now, I need to take a nap.

Seasoned Man

stevelem17@gmail.com

March Madness

 Every year, the NCAA basketball tournament to crown the national champion is one of my favorite sporting events.  I start by filling out the bracket before the tournament and updating it after each game.  I’ve learned to mostly pick teams I want to win, not just the teams I think will win.  In prior years, I rooted for teams playing against my favorite teams just because of the bracket.  No more.  And I watch almost every game on television.

The selection committee for the tournament only chose four teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).  Three teams made it to the Elite Eight and two teams played in the Final Four including Duke and the University of Noth Carolina.  The energy in the Raleigh area was incredible.  The newspaper and TV news all talked about the basketball tournament.  It was so exciting.

Then Duke and UNC played each other and UNC won the right to play for the National Championship.  While I rooted for Duke, I was thrilled that UNC was in the championship game.  And they were ahead much of the game and lost by only three points when their last shot bounced off of the rim.

I love March Madness, especially living in the Raleigh area.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

R.I.P. Mickey Radman

 I met Mickey and his wife, Janet, when we had neighbors over for a cookout about five years ago.  I was talking with Ray, another neighbor, about a tee time for the next week.  Mickey heard us and was overjoyed that some golfers were in the neighborhood.  From that time on, whenever we played, Mickey was with us.  He loved golf.

Mickey and Janet moved to Carolina Preserve from Latrobe, Pennsylvania because they had children living in Raleigh.

After a year or so, Mickey discovered a nine-hole golf course and from that time on, that’s the course we played.  Ray and Mickey were in their late eighties, so it was a perfect place for us to play.  We developed a habit of going to Costco for lunch after playing.  For $1.50, we had a foot-long hotdog and a coke.  It was a great deal and we all loved it.

One time after playing, we stopped at Bojangles.  Mickey was nervous ordering food in this Southern chain.  After that meal, Ray and I often teased Mickey that instead of eating at Costco, we were going to Bojangles.

Over the years, in addition to playing golf together, Mickey, Ray, and I often got together for breakfast and we met in the evenings with our wives to socialize.

Playing golf with someone seems to create a bond that lasts.  I really miss you, Mickey.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Hearing

 I’ve mentioned before that my hearing is bad--worse than my friends.  I’ve had hearing aids for years, but they don’t help me hear when multiple people are talking,  or if I’m in a noisy environment.  Last week we took grandson, Jack, out to lunch.  The noise in the restaurant wasn’t that bad, but I couldn’t take part in the conversation.  It’s really hard for me.

This past week I had a three-hour test to determine if I was eligible for a cochlear implant.  I was tested for sounds at different frequencies, word recognition, and even sentence recognition.

The doctor who evaluated the results told me that I could have a transplant, but the average results for a transplant are similar to my hearing now.  She didn’t recommend one but said to get tested again next year.  The doctor recommended some changes to the settings on my hearing aids and thought a microphone with a Bluetooth connection to my hearing aids might help.

Some of my hearing problems are my fault.  I had an 8:15 meeting with a doctor a couple of days ago.  I hurried to get there in time and forgot my hearing aids.  Without my hearing aids, I am almost totally deaf.  Aloma can have the television on at a normal sound level in our bedroom, and when I take my hearing aids out, I can’t hear any sound.  I told the staff at the doctor’s office that I forgot my hearing aids.  They had to shout about a foot from my ear.  I thought it was kinda like a comedy show, but the staff wasn’t amused.

I’m disappointed that an implant won’t cure me this year, but I’m relieved that  I don’t have to go through surgery at this time.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Road Trip North

 When we return from Florida, we always enjoy the change of the vegetation as we travel north.  Leaving 80-degree temperature in Naples, we noticed the cultivated areas around town had green grass and shrubs and many beautiful flowers.  But when we were away from the town, the grasses were mostly brown and the trees had not put out new leaves because of earlier cold weather and little rain.

When we reached central and north Florida, we saw that trees were showing their spring green, and it wasn’t until north of Savannah, Georgia that trees were again bare.

We always enjoy watching for flowering Yellow Jasmin vines.  Where we see it depends on how severe the winter has been and the time of the year we’re traveling.  This year, we saw a few yellow flowers in North Florida, and then full bloom from the Georgia state line until Savannah.  It was the most colorful we’ve ever seen.  The woods along I-95 had so many Yellow Jasmin flowers that it looked like a forest of yellow flowers.  It was spectacular.  North of Savannah, we could still see the vines, but the blooms hadn’t opened.

From the South Carolina state line through North Carolina and home, we saw fruit trees beginning to bloom.  White blooms on wild plum trees stood out in the woods along the highway.  I pointed them out to Aloma and she reminded me that I had no idea what their real name is.  Doesn’t matter.  They were beautiful.

Now that we’re home, we see our daffodils are blooming and some of our shrubs are showing new growth.  Within a few weeks, all of our plants and trees will be beautiful.

I’m thankful that we both enjoy our plants.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmal.com

Forty-Fourth

 On January 28, Aloma and I celebrated our forty-fourth anniversary.  We exchanged cards and then went to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  We thanked God for allowing us to be together for so long, and we told each other our favorite stories of our years together.

We remembered Bill and Cynthia Hosley, who introduced us after our failed first marriages.  What a gift to find love a second time!  We talked about our children and grandchildren.  Our combined children didn’t turn out like the Brady Bunch as we hoped, but they all turned out fine.  We are proud of each of them.  We talked about how sad we still are about losing Rob, or son, at such an early age.  We remembered special vacations and special people in our lives.  Mostly, we remembered the routine in our lives as we enjoyed each day together.

I’m almost 84 years old, and Aloma is 80.  We wonder how many years we’ll be together.  We promise to make the most of every day.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Piccolo

 I looked at a full-length mirror the other day and was horrified at what I saw.  I saw an old man wearing shorts and high support socks.  I thought I looked like a third-chair piccolo player in the junior high school band going to a Latin Club meeting.  Now, I have nothing against piccolo players or participants in the Latin Club, but, what I wanted to see was an athletic man ready to be called to replace Tom Brady to quarterback the Bucs.

I have a friend about my age who wears support socks.  He doesn’t look like a piccolo player.  I would get rid of these socks, but I was having shooting pains in my calves that a doctor diagnosed as poor circulation.  He prescribed support socks.  I refused.  Weeks later, I tried them and the shooting pains disappeared.  I guess I’m stuck with them.

I told Aloma that I thought I looked like a piccolo player.  At least once a day, I wiggle my fingers at the side of my face like I’m playing a piccolo.  She laughs and says I look handsome.  I laugh and say, “You lie.”

I looked in the mirror again, and said to myself, “I’m only 83.  If I look this way now, what will I look like when I’m old?”

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Redeeming Love

 Yesterday, Aloma and I went to our first movie in two years to see “Redeeming Love,” a movie based on the novel by Francine Rivers.  My granddaughter, Abbigal Cowen, played the lead role of Angel, a prostitute.  We think she did an amazing job.

Even before high school, Abbey loved the theater and modeling.  Her mom helped her get an agent and she got numerous modeling contracts and saved her money to one day go to Hollywood.  She appeared in every high school play, usually earning the lead role.

After high school, she left for Hollywood, and got several roles in television series, including “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” and “Fate,” a very popular Netflix series.  She completed filming the second season of “Fate” in Ireland last fall.  Her dream came through. She was cast as Angel in Redeeming Love and left for South Africa for the filming.

My daughter, Leslie, chaperoned Abbey on trips all over the world until Abbey turned 21.  She and her husband Andy were with Abbey for the grand opening last week in Hollywood.

Aloma and I were uncomfortable at times watching my little granddaughter, now an adult, play the role of a prostitute.  But we are so happy that Abbey is living her dream.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Frustrated

 I’ve always thought of myself as easygoing and slow to anger.  In the past when I’ve encountered a problem or a setback, I usually worked through it without getting upset.  That seems to be changing.

Most of my frustrations come when I’m on the computer or on the phone.  I make up my own passwords as I don’t trust the computer to create and keep them.  I remember most passwords and I have a notebook handy when I’m not sure.  Then I get a screen that says my user name or password is incorrect.  I look it up and enter it again.  Same message.  So I say I forgot my password.  To change it, I need to type in my favorite pet’s name.  I get it wrong.  By now, I’m steaming.

Phone calls for me are even worse.  I’m hard of hearing.  Sometimes, my phone connects with my hearing aids and I do pretty well.  When there is no connection, I put the phone on speaker and put it next to my ear.  When I do make a connection, I usually have to talk to a computer, and I’m given choices of what I want to do.  None of them are what I want.  So I finally get a person on the line, and he/she has an accent that I can’t understand.  If Aloma’s around, I’ll ask her to interpret for me.  Otherwise, I hang up.

Now I know sometimes the problem is because I made an error.  But some websites just seem to want to torture me.

I’m only 83 years old.  What will my frustrations be like when I grow old?

Seasoned Man

Stevelem117@gmail.com

Pool Watching

 Our timeshare unit in Pompano Beach, Florida is on the sixth floor, overlooking a pool that is ideal for kids, a sloping no-step pool entrance, a large shallow section, large water slide with twists and turns.  Because of many COVID cases in Florida, we mostly stayed in our unit, read a lot, watched some TV, and, of course, watched the kids in the pool.

While the dads played with the children in the pool, it seemed to be the young moms who introduced toddlers to the pool for the first time.  They were all so patient.  They would lead the toddler to get his/her feet wet, then wait while the child walked around in inches of water, finally sitting in the water and splashing.  I loved watching them.

We did have some excitement.  A father dressed in boots, jeans, a heavy long sleeve shirt, and a cowboy hat was watching three children, two of them older and could swim, and a toddler, not more than 1 ½ years old.  After a while, the two older kids jumped into the deep end of the pool, and the toddler jumped in right behind them, flailing his arms, but sinking.  The cowboy just stood there frozen.  Fortunately, a woman on the other side of the pool reading a book saw what happened.  Like a superhero, she got up, took a few quick steps, and jumped into the pool scooping up the child.  She walked to the side of the pool and handed the child to his father.

The mother must have been watching from her unit, as she came running out a few minutes later and took the child from the father.  After assuring that the child was okay, even from six floors up, I could tell she was giving her husband a lecture.

I was hoping that the mother would go over and thank the woman who saved her child.  She did.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com