Category Archives: Aging

Travels with Waffles

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I came home Saturday from helping my daughter post shoulder surgery. To help her more, I traveled home with her pug Waffles. This photo was taken at the airport.

A family who lives near her took care of Waffles while my daughter had surgery and for the week while I was helping out. That’s because my daughter was staying at our son and DIL’s apartment — and our son is deathly allergic to Waffles.

The family sent my daughter pictures and videos every day. One that made me laugh was the mom and two kids in bed with Waffles. The kids were fighting over who got to sleep with Waffles, so the mom had them all sleep together!

Waffles hangs out in the daytime in my husband’s office.

I was a little nervous about traveling with Waffles. I’ve never flown with an animal before. But he was a trooper. My daughter has flown with him lots of times since his puppyhood. Now he’s nine years old and a pro at air travel.

My daughter gave me the low down on traveling with Waffles. She said I had to have him in the carrier when I checked in. I was instructed to call the airlines to make a reservation for him and then pay $125 at the check in counter. He used to travel for free. The fee is a new add on along with $35 for a checked bag — which also used to be free.

She said once I checked in, I could walk him on a leash through the security line. I had to place the carrier in the luggage tub to be scanned along with my purse. Then I carried Waffles through the security check point. Once through security, Waffles was back on his feet and I walked him to the nearest pet relief station — of which my daughter knew the exact location.

While we were waiting for our flight, Waffles jumped back into his carrier and snored. I took him on one more trip to the pet relief station before our flight boarded. While I was walking with Waffles, a woman came up to me and said, “This is so unnecessary! You are adding to the chaos!”

“Whoah!” I thought. I was only walking a 20-pound, well-behaved dog on its leash! I turned to her and said, “I don’t have a choice. My daughter had surgery and I need to take her dog home. This is my chaos.”

I got a half grunted “Oh, I’m sorry,” in reply.

Once on the airplane with Waffles inside his carrier, it fit under the seat in front of me. He slept and snored the entire flight.

Waffles likes to sunbathe on the throw rug by the sliding glass doors. That’s where kitty Olive spent her mornings, too. The first thing we do in the morning is take Waffles for a walk around the neighborhood, to our little park, and back up to our home. He is ready to go! He seems to enjoy a strict routine. So do I!

Have you traveled with a pet? If so, did you find it easy?

What do you think of strangers voicing their opinion on what you’re doing?

Travel Tired

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This was the wedding venue in a Redwood Forest. Absolutely beautiful!

But I had to walk WAY over there to the far distance from the parking lot, over the bridge and far away. My husband asked if he could drop me off at the venue but was told “No.” He parked down a hill even further away but dropped me off at the top of the hill by the bridge.

We stayed in a nearby town called Los Gatos. It was 20 minutes from the wedding venue. I discovered a week ago that I messed up on our hotel reservations. I had originally booked an upscale hotel in Saratoga, five minutes from the venue. That was for a different wedding for another friend’s daughter. My daughter was a bridesmaid. Unfortunately, I had surgery the day before the wedding. So I cancelled the airfare, hotel and car rental and rebooked for this wedding. But I forgot about the hotel. Last week I called and they said they were full.

Thank goodness for the wedding website where the bride listed five hotels. The first three had no room at the inns. I booked number four. On the website the top billing for rooms was “each room has a window and a flat screen TV.” Uh oh.

Fortunately, it turned out to be okay. Not perfect, but better than expected. Also, it was on the main street which was filled with restaurants, galleries and shops. I got lots of walking in wearing my ankle brace.

I found a new hat for myself. It made me laugh, but I didn’t buy it. Just took the photo instead.

The town was very cute, lots of trees, no homeless and very clean. It was a treat to be there and I had some amazing Chinese food and clam chowder, too!

We’re back home after a two-night trip and I’m beyond exhausted! I’m looking forward to a busy week ahead with PT, doctor’s appointment and a newsletter to write. I need to get my energy recharged!

What’s happening this week in your life?

Oops!….I did it again!

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Mrs. and Red have shown up together a few times. I wonder if that means they don’t have fledglings in the nest? Or, have they flown the nest?

Monday I had a big, long day and I woke up in the middle of the night with a dull ache in my ankle.

I started Monday with a 30-minute walk. Then I got ready to have breakfast with a neighbor. She offered to drive me to my hair appointment and we decided to get breakfast along the way first. My hair appointment is 50 minutes away — which is too long for me to have my pedal on the metal!

We left my house at 9:30 a.m. and I didn’t get back until 3 p.m. After elevating and icing, I cooked dinner. Normally this wouldn’t be too big of a day. But right now, post surgery, it was! I had my ankle brace on most of the day and I think that’s what made me sore.

I woke up yesterday beyond tired. I skipped my walk because I had morning PT. I explained to the physical therapist that I was tired and overdid it Monday. He thought I meant Saturday, not Monday. He told me to know my limits and continue to do more, but don’t push it.

Then he proceeded to rip into my ankle with his fingers. He added one legged leg presses and few other exciting things.

Needless to say I’m toast! In case you missed it, I wrote about overdoing it last week when my surgeon cleared me to walk, drive and get in the pool HERE.

Red before he took off from our tree. The Red flying photo isn’t perfect, but I like the movement.

When have you had a day where you felt you overdid it?

Baby Steps

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Mrs. was dining on sunflower seeds at my Birdbuddy AI bird feeder over the weekend. I abandoned my Birdbuddy because of my injury until this weekend. It was one more thing I didn’t want to ask my husband to do — charge the camera and fill the feeder with seeds. It waited until I could handle it myself.

My physical therapist told me to come in my tennis shoes for my next appointment, which was last Thursday — and to leave the boot at home. It was the first time I’ve been in tennis shoes since I fell wearing them!

I was more than a little nervous at the prospect of walking into my appointment without my boot. I survived the experience and my husband and I celebrated with tacos afterwards.

I’m reflecting on how far I’ve come in six weeks since surgery.

Never did I think taking a shower without help would be a luxury. It is. At first, I wasn’t allowed to shower and the nurses in the surgery center told me to take “bird baths” at the sink. After a week or two using the sink and splashing water all over the bathroom, my baby step was to take a shower with a plastic sleeve and saran wrap around my leg. My husband had to encase my leg in plastic and help me in and out of the shower. I also had to get in and out of the shower wearing that blasted boot!

This morning I filled the Birdbuddy and the bird bath. I also washed the casita window after a major rainstorm so I can sit and take clear photos! Woohoo! Who knew I be so thrilled to do household chores.

Baby steps, but I’m making progress! Sometime next week, I’m looking forward to hosing off the patio, pool bar and outdoor furniture. I also hope to get in the pool — hopefully at the end of this week after I see my surgeon.

It reminds me of the old saying, “This too shall pass.” Also, I’m thankful for what I have and my health!

What experience have you had that you began with baby steps?

What minor things in life are you thankful for?

A Blast from the Past

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My son at age four and half at our riverfront property in Washington State that my grandfather bought for a few dollars during the Great Depression.

I am facing a chore I’ve put off for years. I have stacks of photo albums with many of the same photos and duplicates from my high school years through raising kids — before digital photos became a thing. We had a photo developer a few blocks from our house in Palm Springs called Double Photo. Yes, you got two photos for the price of one for every roll of film you brought in. I’d walk to the store, pushing a double stroller with kids plus rolls of film treating them like treasure. Hence my abundance of photos and closet full of photo albums. I’d mail the double photos to Mom, but after she passed, they were all returned to me.

I’m finally addressing the elephant in my closet by tackling one album a day. I take out the photos I want to keep and put them in a photo box. The album with remaining photos gets tossed.

Here are a few photos I found this week that bring back memories:

Here I am at our property with both kids, my daughter aged 18 months, throwing a punch?

My son before little sis was born, bathing in the kitchen sink.

Baby Kat at our park for the Fireman’s annual egg hunt.

My son eating steamer clams we dug together in Washington at my mom’s house. Funny, he’s allergic to all seafood now.

My husband and I took a rewards trip to Hong Kong thanks to the company he worked for. This is the parking lot of the Peninsula Hotel. I couldn’t believe their fleet of cars. Or the flowers for a wedding.

Wow! I’ve never seen a wedding with so many flowers before. I guess it goes along with the cars.

Then in typical China fashion, this was a side of pork at a local open air market. Such a contrast between the haves and have nots.

A picture of me in Hong Kong. We were all turned around time wise and I tripped on the curb outside our hotel — my first steps outside — and sprained my ankle. We have lots of photos of me sitting on that trip wearing an ace bandage. Kind of foreshadowed our trip to the lake in Eastern Arizona last month!

What do you do with photos from the past vs. digital photos?

Favorite Photos of the week — so far!

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Red has been hanging out on a consistent basis with Mrs. That’s a relief after he left our yard for the better part of a week. I’m still looking for little Reds, but so far we haven’t spotted any. I sit outside in the early morning cool weather and I think he likes to see me outside. I spent two full weeks without being able to venture outside. That’s when Red disappeared. My husband jumps in the pool in the evenings and said Red flys into a tree overhead and watches and sings.

I’m waiting for the day I get cleared to get in the pool!

Red is my favorite model to photograph, so I’m glad he’s back hanging out in our yard!

This photo of Red and a sparrow make me think of Bonnie Raitt’s song “Something to Talk About.”

Then there’s Mrs. full of spunk.

Here’s Red across the yard on the yellow planter.

This photo surprised me because I noticed the quail but not the lizard when I took it.

Here’s Bonnie Raitt’s song “Something to Talk About.” I’m laughing to myself remembering when she won her 2023 Grammy for “Just Like That” and a headline read: “Shock as Unknown Blues Singer Wins Song of the Year!”

No words!

What photos do you like best and why?

The Quiet Hour

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The best hour of my day — 6 to 7 a.m. I’m out by the pool with coffee, journaling, listening to birds. The temperature is still cool in the 70s. Yesterday, I watched a coyote hustle by the fence, trying not to attract attention during my quiet hour.

Then the day moved away from quiet time to my first Physical Therapy session. I thought they were just going to talk to me and figure out a plan. They took off my boot and ace bandages. Then they measured my flexibility in both ankles. They worked on my right ankle with stretches, massage and manipulation. Then I had to do a series of exercises including tracing the alphabet with my right foot. They had me use bands and had me work through more exercises they want me to do there and at home.

When PT called a few days ago to schedule appointments, I was taken aback. I thought surely this was way too soon. I was not ready for this. I’m perfectly content cocooning in my casita. I’m not ready to leave the nest!

But my husband drove me there and I’ve got a month of appointments scheduled — to start. The therapist said within a few weeks, I’ll be out of my boot and walking without it.

The best thing about PT? There’s a taco shop next door called Oscar’s Tacos. We brought take out home after my appointment. It was a small shop where the employees and customers were all Latino except for us. That was a good sign. I have been on a quest to find decent Mexican food since we moved to Arizona. Now, after each appointment, I can take food home! And yes, it was good!

What is the best time of your day?