A New Life: Great Expectations! 2024 – 45

December 31, 2024

It’s the last day of the year 2024 and I can’t let it slip by without adding one more post. It has been five months and fifteen days since I last published anything. How I miss writing and reading. Life has changed, basically because as we get “over the hump of 85”,  everything we do happens at a slower pace and I need much more time to take care of Mike.

My physical limitations are minor: still once in a while a problem with my left leg because of the meniscal tear, and vertigo. I do exercises for both, and when there are no symptoms, I have my great energy back with which I could move mountains! Not literally however, because my lower back started complaining about all the bending and lifting I do all day long. I am going back for physical therapy to the therapist who helped me with my torn  meniscus, and just by adding a few more exercises to my early morning schedule, I hope to be able to function again properly and without pain anywhere.

Mike is a wonderful patient, who tells me often that he loves me and still does himself whatever he is capable of. Because of his mobility problems, we have Telehealth doctors’ visits. The dentist, physical therapist, podiatrist and barber come to the house and treat him while he sits comfortably in his recliner. Who has all that??

We have many more blessings. Every day, a caregiver comes to help me for three or four hours; I order groceries and dinners on the computer and they get delivered promptly, and a lovely “dog walker” takes Lani out for a power walk every day, while I walk her in the afternoon in the neighborhood. I am not even close to the 10,000 steps I used to take three years ago, but I am working towards that in the new year. I love walking and there is a lake and also a trail close by.

We had a lovely Christmas together – the whole family came on Christmas Eve, and a neighborhood friend came for coffee on my birthday. A week before, we had a delightful dessert party for two birthdays, our neighbor’s and mine. Let me tell you that having a party before your actual birthday is the best! You can live it up, but you don’t have all the preparations and the cleanup on your special day. We took it easy and had many delicious treats, wonderful phone calls and mail to read. I did not get to open my presents until 5:00 pm 🙂

A proud accomplishment: the poinsettia in the picture came from Trader Joe’s on December 1, 2023. It bloomed until Easter. I nurtured it according to its needs and now, a year later, this is how beautiful it looks.

And now I want to wish you all a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year. May there be peace in your life and on earth. And may you be able to create pockets of time to do the things you love – as I am intended to do 🙂

Until next year!

Ronny