A New Life! Retirement at its Best 79

Dentist Day

After almost 2 years we have found a great dentist here in Cary, the third one we tried. Different procedures are done in the same building on the same floor but behind separate doors. Cleaning takes place at #1 and other procedures (they make in-house crowns too) at #2. I was due for a bi-annual one hour cleaning. My hygienist performed the final rinse of my mouth when I felt something drop down on my tongue and it was not water. It was the filling of one of my pre-molar teeth. The hygienist stopped spraying, shocked at what she saw, and I closed my mouth and then, when she held a cup in front of my face, I spit. But there was no filling. I rinsed and spit over the sink (I could sit up faster than she could manipulate the chair in an upright position) but no filling. After all this water splashing I had to go to the bathroom and in the mean time the hygienist checked the chair and the floor: nothing.

I could not help laughing. It was a large, old amalgam filling, it did not hurt, and it was definitely the most ideal place to lose it! After finishing up my cleaning session the hygienist took me to the other department, where the dentist was able – in between other clients – to fill the remaining hollow tooth in preparation for a crown next week. And then I will have a nice, white porcelain crown. In the last six years I only needed cleaning, and I will always remember that my mother proudly said when she was 101 years old, “I still have all my own teeth!” And that despite 4 years in a Japanese prison camp with severe malnutrition; something to be proud of indeed.

Growing up Tales

Lani has just passed the 7 month mark. At this time she weighs 18 Lbs. Statistics say she can be expected to weigh between 15 and 35 Lbs. I hope she will not get much heavier that she is now, otherwise I will not be able to carry her anymore. Ha! We thought we were getting a really miniature golden doodle, small like her mini poodle Dad. One that could sleep in a little basket underneath the coffee table. But she will be more like her mom, only mom is white and Lani is black. A sign that she is getting older an that she knows all the regular things that are going on in the house, is that frequently she does not hang around us in the living room ready to play, but stretches out for a nap on the cool tiles close to the front door. Or, when I am working on the computer, she lies down on the plastic desk chair mat behind me. I can imagine that you don’t want to lie on carpet if you have all that long hair! And with her body, her hair is growing too, straight and wavy, she looks pretty shaggy. But so far, so good. I’ve been able to keep any tangles out, but she is slowly getting too big to bathe her in the kitchen sink. Tomorrow, when we are both busy, she will go to the doggie day camp again; no longer with the teacups, she will meet and spend the day with the larger size dogs. A new experience.

She barks unexpectedly at a variety of things that she sees or hears and are new to her: A sun spot on the wall above a painting, the pattering of the rain on the patio outside, which she peers at through the glass window pane next to the front door, the sounds of the blender, a new, large candle on the coffee table. Funny moments for us, learning experiences for her.

Our older grandson here has gotten his Driver License and is now officially driving. A blessing for this very busy family of five; we trust he will be a safe and good driver. The second grandson turned 14 this week and both he and his younger sibling are tracked out for three weeks. Hoping we could do something fun with them, like take them to the trampoline jumping alley, we were told No, because he had suffered a concussion in a head-on collision during a LaCrosse game four days earlier. The boys were both wearing helmets but the one boy hit heads with our grandson on purpose! His parent was later heard saying to his son: “You did not hit him hard enough!” 

In what kind of world are we living? Two Middle School boys, on the same team, one being instructed by his parent to hit another one hard on the head! And when he did, he was told it was not hard enough.

Signs of spring

We are having cold nights and warm nights, cold days and warm days, up to 70 degrees, rain and sunshine. All that has caused the blossom trees, white and pink, to spring into bloom and it is a delight to see them all around. Last Sunday I took Lani in the car to a new greenway and we walked for a good hour. Lovely. One goose pair has decided to stay at our pond. They built a nest right next to one of the big, rocky drains, completely in the open, but high enough above the waterline as it is now so future rain storms hopefully won’t damage it like they did last year’s nest. I watched Mother goose line it with feathers and sticks, while Father goose floated on the water keeping an eye on her. Can’t wait until the irises and other greens shoot up to at least partially hide the new nest because there are hawks in the air above. We have a new addition to our garden menagerie: a pair of Woodpeckers. And I have hung our hummingbird feeder on a branch in the pink tree, just within reach from the fenced dog yard, waiting for last year’s hummingbirds to return or new ones to discover our paradise. Spring is in the air!

It’s a Wonderful World!

Until next time,

Ronny