2007 in Review

Happy New Year, everyone!

At the end of every year I try to look back to the previous 12 months and review the good and bad. So here's a rundown of the year for me:

• JANUARY: Don discovered a lesion inside his mouth. He had it biopsied and discovered it was cancer. Not the best news to get at the very beginning of the year. I remember feeling totally shattered and wondering if Don would ever be able to enjoy good health and we could have some sense of normalcy to our lives.



• FEBRUARY: Adam and Beth got married. The wedding was a very casual affair and Adam and Beth were very happy. After all the struggles that Adam had been through, I was hopeful that this would be a positive new chapter in his life. **Don had surgery on his mouth. While we made the difficult and risky decision to opt for a less-invasive procedure, it was still very involved. Don needed about 6 weeks to recover, during which he had to endure a loathsome feeding tube and great discomfort.



• MARCH: This was a relatively quiet month. After 5 months of dieting, I reached my Weight Watchers goal! I also began training as a fitness instructor at an aerobic studio. I had a sense of accomplishment and pride in my fitness level.



• APRIL: After nearly cancelling this trip due to Don's prolonged healing process, we went on our first cruise. It was so much fun and very relaxing: just what we needed! We stopped in Cozumel, Belize and Costa Maya (had to skip Grand Cayman due to dangerous waves).



• MAY: Don bumps his leg, resulting in a gash that required 10 stitches. Because of his suppressed immune system, the wound became terribly infected and there was some talk about surgery. This freak accident took about 6 weeks to heal.



• JUNE: Leiacha was born about 7 weeks early but healthy. I drove down while Beth was in labor but missed the actually delivery by 90 minutes. I was a "Gammy."







• JULY: I did a shoe-string budget kitchen make-over. The cabinets, counter-tops and tiles all got painted. We added handles to the cabinets and new lighting. Then we purchased a new stainless steel range and replaced the dishwasher door with a new stainless steel one. For less than $1600 I got a kitchen that looks like new!





• AUGUST: I climbed Mt. Washington with some friends. The hike was difficult but greatly rewarding. This was the third time I had done this and each time it became more challenging. I vowed never to attempt this climb again. We'll see. ***Don and I went on vacation. We spent time in New Paltz/wine country New York. We stayed at a wonderful B&B and travelled to numerous wineries, sampling all the way. Then we travelled down to Adam and Beth's to spend time with them and Leiacha.



• SEPTEMBER: Back to school! I was thrilled to be placed with the same students I had the year before.***Barbara and Campbell, our friends from Scotland, came to visit. We had a great time and I am hoping to visit them in the summer.***Leiacha came up from PA with her grandfather and we had her with us for a couple of days. It's great being a Grandmother!



• OCTOBER: Don and I quietly celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. Don surprised me by designing custom-made postage stamps in honor of the occasion.



• NOVEMBER: Just a quiet month of giving thanks. We participated in throwing a surprise 80th birthday party for Don's dad. It's hard for me to see my father-in-law as 80. I have known him for 38 years and love him like my own dad.



• DECEMBER: This year's Christmas present is a vacation to New Mexico in April! We are hoping to look at real estate in hopes of liking the area so much, we leave the snow and cold of MA and move within the next 1-3 years. ***I got several pieces of great news. One of my dearest friends has a lump in her breast but it is not breast cancer. What a great relief! Makes you realize just how valuable your health and your friends are.

So, that's it. Nothing too earth-shattering. Sounds like allot of tough times with Don's health impacting our lives but this is something we try to live with as best we can. I think the joys in our lives, the happy times and fun far outweighs the difficult times.


Wishing you a happy, healthy 2008!

Vacation Days

It's always great to get away. We usually try to have one "fly-away" vacation and one "drive-away" vacation each year. We are very lucky.



After an emergency trip to the hospital with Don on the eve of our trip, our vacation needed to be delayed for two days. Fortunately, Don's illness, though scary and mysterious, did not linger and he was in great shape to head off on vacation. By this time, we really need to get away!


After about 4 hours on the road, our first stop was in Hyde Park, NY where we visited the campus of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). An unusual stop for a vacation, you might say. However, I had read that the restaurants were top notch and the lure of good food was just too much for us to resist. Unfortunately, because of our vacation schedule change, most of the restaurants were closed. However, we did manage to have an excellent lunch at the bakery/cafe where they serve soups, salads, sandwiches and the most decadent desserts on earth. I had a three salad assortment (chicken, garbanzo beans and Mediterranean pasta) and a cherry tart (there goes my Weight Watcher points for the day). After lunch we toured the school a bit, watching the students prepare food behind large glass viewing windows and strolled the beautiful grounds.


After lunch we drove up the road a bit to the Home of Franklin Roosevelt, a National Historic Site. I have always admired the work of this remarkable president. He was able to unite and organize the country during a time of great challenge. Someone we could use in power now. We toured the grounds and the home site, then went to the FDR library. It was amazing to think that this man who suffered so painfully with polio and was confined to a wheelchair was able to keep all his medical problems out of the media. That certainly would not happen today.


Next we drove to Moondance Ridge Bed and Breakfast, our "home" for the next two nights. We enjoy staying at B&Bs and have had some wonderful experiences. This place did not disappoint. We were met by Patti, the innkeeper and given a brief rundown of the house and our room. The room was very large, elegant and comfortable. After a sauna and bath in the huge whirlpool tub (insert relaxing sigh here), we set off for a wonderful supper at a place called Barnaby's.



In the morning, Patti prepared us a lovely breakfast of fresh berries, baked herb eggs and biscuits. Don and I were well-fueled for a day of winery tours and tastings. We drove to Brotherhood Winery, the oldest winery in America where we bought a few bottles of Charval, a blend of Chardonnay & Seyval Blanc. Next to Benmarl Winery where we had a very nice tasting experience with a fellow named Nick. After purchasing more wine, we drove to Rivendell Winery. One more tasting and several more purchases completed our Hudson Valley wine touring for the day. Supper at a place called The Gilded Otter in downtown New Paltz was a bit of a disappointment to an otherwise pleasant day.


The next morning, Patti out-did herself with making us a tasty breakfast of fresh strawberries, Challah bread french toast and bacon. A great way to begin our day and start our journey down to Reading, PA to see our son, Adam and his wife, Beth and the STAR of our lives, our new grandbaby, Leicha.



This was our first experience holding Leicha, who was born 6 weeks early on June 27. We spent most of our time mesmerized by this tiny (now a big ol' 7 pounds!), sweet angel. Adam and Beth were very excited to show off their baby and we had a memorable visit.



While in Reading, we made a visit to The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum (my concession to Don's interests). As we were the only tourists, we got a very personalized tour by an elderly gentleman named, Joe, who really knew his stuff. Of interest at this museum is a P-61 nightfighter that was recovered from the jungles of the Philippines at considerable expense. I guess it's one of only four in the world and they will be restoring and flying it in the future. Don took many photos as I tagged along and tried to look interested for the sake of Joe, who focused all his attention on explaining every detail to me.


We also managed to visit the Reading Public Museum, a really nice collection of interesting and unusual "stuff" from all over the world. We strolled the beautifully landscaped grounds, enjoying the peace and quiet.


All-in-all, Don and I had a very nice time, the highlight being our time with our grandbaby. Back to reality.

Revelations of a New Grandmother

Well, I'm a Granny now! My sweet little Leicha was born on June 27, 2 days after my birthday and about 6 weeks early. She was only 4.3 pounds and 17" long. Just a teeny-tiny thing. She is doing very well and has now passed the 5 pound mark.

I have so many mixed feelings about being a grandmother.

I feel like I'm too young to be entering this phase of my life. I have been denying my advancing years for some time now. While 53 is not THAT old, it's closer to "elderly" than it is to "teenage" (not that I'd want to relive those years). I recently lost some weight and I work out 5-7 times a week. My body is in the best shape it's ever been in. In a few days, I'll be leading a hike up Mt. Washington, NH's highest peak. But the fact of the matter is, things aren't quite what they used to be. I feel it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

I feel sad that my grandchild lives so far away and that I'll be a long-distance Grandmother. I talk to other Grandmothers who get to visit their Grands often, sometimes daily. They are firmly entrenched in their soccer games, school events and childhood illnesses. They are close by to offer advise or babysitting. I will be the voice on the end of the phone line, someone who mails packages for birthdays and fusses and dotes once a year during the holidays. I can only hope that I am able to find ways to become someone special in this little girl's life.

I feel excited to know that we have an addition to our family. It will be great fun to watch how this person turns out.

I feel loving and protective of my Grandbaby. I want her to have all the joys in the world at her feet. I never want her to experience heartbreak or deep sorrow. I want to wrap her in the comfort of my arms and never let go.

... and so, I am "Gammy" (my mother is "Grammy").