Busy days, busy nights…Life in the USA…

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My cioppino (fish stew) at Stella’s Fish House was delicious.

Our days and nights couldn’t be busier consisting of one event after another. Today, my dear daughter-in-law Camille and I shopped at Cub Foods, Target and the dollar store in preparation for making a fabulous rocky road bar recipe (from my baking days, long past).


The goal was to make as many as we could with the ingredients we purchased for an upcoming bake sale event at the three grandchildren’s charter school in Edina which we visited on Monday for a special Veteran’s Day celebration.


Maisie, our granddaughter is on the school council and each of the council members planned to participate in the bake sale.  Maisie was excited Grandma was here to help bake something special for the event occurring on Thursday evening. I was “all-in” of course, never wanting to disappoint our precious grandchildren.


Camille and I shopped this morning and my eyes were like saucers at the abundance of “stuff” on sale in the three stores we visited, particularly Cub Foods, a massive supermarket, containing literally everything a person could dream of buying at a grocery store. I was on information overload.


It had been over two years since we’ve visited the US and as expected, walking into a spacious store of any type makes our heads spin in sheer delight over the vast options, more than we’d ever imagined.


Back at hers and Greg’s homes, we hustled to get the bar’s ingredients mixed together to get them into the oven before Tom planned to pick me up by 5:00 pm.


We told our kids and our thoughtful host not to worry about meals for us. We’d figure them out on our own. Plus, I didn’t feel up to standing in the kitchen cooking big meals for hours since in any case, it’s in my nature to help out.


But, busy all of these hours made me realize I still wasn’t quite “up to snuff” and didn’t possess the stamina and strength to perform lots of tasks to help anyone out with their day-to-day lives.


This was the first time in nine months I’ve had busy full days and I could easily feel the strain on my still recovering body. I’d overestimated what I was capable of doing and in my typical style I jumped in with both feet pushing myself as hard as I can with some consequence.


Going forward, I will take it a little easier, reducing what I expect of myself to a more manageable level. No one in our family is expecting me to push myself. It’s all on me.


Tomorrow will be a little more low key. Tom and I will hang around at Karen’s home during the day while we work on our visas, two-year passports, and logging receipts. In the afternoon, we’ll head back to Camille and Greg’s home so I can cut up the bars and arrange them in the pretty containers we purchased to use to sell the bars at the bake sale. 

Afterward, we’ll take the three kids out to dinner at their favorite local restaurant, Bunny’s, returning them home after dinner.

My sister Julie has flown back to Los Angeles. It was wonderful to see her and in the next month, I’ll see my other sister Susan in Las Vegas, Nevada along with son Richard in Henderson. Busy times. Good times. Memorable times.


Back at you soon!

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Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2018:
The convoluted photo is difficult to decipher at first.  Note the one kudu attempting to eat the seeds in the birdfeeder which she eventually accomplished. For more photos, please click here.

Fun times dining with family…Cold, cold, cold…Veteran’s Day event…

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Out to dinner at Stella’s Fish House, charming granddaughter Maisie sat next to me.
Introspective grandson Miles wasn’t interested in fish and had a burger instead.
Always-smiling Madighan loved being with her family and eating seafood along with a taste of Grandpa’s barbeque ribs (who, like Miles, didn’t eat fish). 

We knew it would be cold in Minnesota, even as early as November, but we had no idea it would be as cold as today. As of this moment, close to 2:00 pm, the temperature is 15F, -9.44C. That’s cold. 

Considering today’s windchill is bitter cold -1F, -18C, walking outside is downright uncomfortable. For the locals, this is normal. We remember living here seven years ago.

This bitter cold weather takes our breath away with a cold grasp that sucks our lungs dry. Yesterday, a light covering of snow fell, which melted a short time later. Upcoming on Wednesday, the snowfall could be substantial enough to cause congestion and accidents on the roads. I’ve yet to drive a car.

I wasn’t a good driver in the best of conditions, and I doubt I’d be any good in this slippery weather. We’re doing everything we can to avoid the necessity of me driving either the rental car or the SUV offered by Greg and Camille (son and DIL). 

We’ll see how that goes since it seems we’re always on the move and often finding we need to split up on several occasions to spend time with our respective families. That’s how it goes with “blended families.” Very few situations allow for the two separate families to get together.

Our grandchildren are delightful and the parents happy to see us at long last. We feel bad about being away for so long, but my health issues of this past year kept us away for an additional seven months, over and above the time we’d initially planned to be here.

The price we paid for the unavoidable delay has been cold weather which will only worsen during our remaining time here, depending upon when we decide to leave Minnesota to head to Nevada to see son Richard in Henderson and sister Susan in North Las Vegas.

How’s it going here? Very well. Thus far, we’ve been swamped, more than we ever have while traveling since my surgery in February. It’s beautiful to spend time with the family, and I look forward to plans together over the next few weeks.

I’m working hard to keep up with everyone and all the planned events. Previously, we had many more hours a day to lounge and lay low.  Now, it’s a relatively consistent activity level, and I’m striving to stay in tune with everyone else.

At night, after a long day and evening, we wind up back at Karen’s gorgeous home to relax and spend more time catching up. Over these years, Karen and I have stayed in fairly close touch, and now our conversations are similar to those wonderful chats we had together, day after day, for many years. 

Tom and Karen’s significant other, Rich, get along well. They watched the winning Minnesota Vikings game late last night while I wandered off to bed for much-needed rest. It’s all going quite well.

This morning at Maisie, Miles and Madigan’s charter school, Agamim Academy, a school devoted to educating eager students about US history, the Constitution, and the American way, we attended a beautiful presentation for Veteran’s Day commemorating many veterans in attendance and recognition of service provided by our armed forces.

It couldn’t have been a more inspiring presentation. Seeing the smiling faces of our three grandchildren and all the other almost 400 students, so proud of their school and country, was inspiring in itself.

At the moment, we’re back at Karen’s, working on today’s post and reviewing the prep necessary to apply for our visas for India, which we’ll need in a little over 60 days. 

That is quite an undertaking, as we heard it would be. We’ll be using the services of a visa company to assist. Also, we’re applying for other passports…for two years. Our current tickets don’t expire until 2021. We’ll explain more about this later.

Tonight, Tom has plans with grandson Vincent and daughter Tammy while I am going back to Greg and Camille’s home to spend the evening with sister Julie (she leaves tomorrow to return to LA), Camille, and the kids while Greg is out on business.

We are happy to be here with family and muster our way through the bitter cold weather and the busy family activities.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 11, 2018:
“Little” came back for more pellets on the veranda. He feels quite at home here. Who knew pigs climb stairs? For more details, please click here.

A fantastic day with friends…A castle..A memorable meal…

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Us and Linda and Ken having a few drinks at the Boat Inn in Chepstow.

Fascinating Fact of the Day About Shirenewton, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales:

From this site:
“After the Norman conquest of England, Chepstow was a key location. It was at the lowest bridging point of the River Wye, provided a base from which to advance Norman control into south Wales, and controlled river access to Hereford and the Marches. Chepstow Castle was founded by William Fitz Osborn, 1st Earl of Hereford, in 1067, and it’s Great Tower, often cited as the oldest surviving stone fortification in Britain dates from that time or shortly afterward. Its site, with sheer cliffs on one side and a natural valley on the other, afforded an excellent defensive location. A Benedictine priory, now St Mary’s Church, was also established nearby. This was the centre of a small religious community, the remains of which are buried under the adjoining car park. Monks, originally from Cormeilles Abbey in Normandy, were there until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.”
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With little time this morning to spend on presenting facts and photos about our outstanding experience at the Chepstow Castle, which we’ll share in a few upcoming posts starting tomorrow, today we’re posting photos from our memorable lunch with Linda and Ken.

We stopped at a cafe for tea located next to Chepstow Castle.  We loved the colorful tea timer!

As it turns out, based on their schedule we’ll only have one more day to spend together and we’re all making the most of it.  Our friendship with Linda and Ken began in 2013 when we met them through Kathy and Don when we spent our first three months in Marloth Park and continued as we stayed in touch over the years. 

We walked along the River Wye to the Boat Inn for lunch.

While living in Marloth Park for 15 months beginning in February 2018 and ending in May 2019, we had many opportunities to socialize with them including a week they spent staying with us at The Orange House where we lived during that extended period.


They, along with Kathy and Don and many other friends became a part of our social circle with everyone being loving and supportive during and after my recent open-heart surgery.  

We stopped to check out the various relics.

With no family around these friendships meant the world to both of us.  Now, healed and ready for action, we met at Chepstow Castle at Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain for a rewarding experience in a castle.

Ken ordered the fresh trout which he enjoyed.

Over the years of our world travel, we’d seen many castles but none impressed us more than Chepstow Castle.  We can’t wait to share the photos and stories of this stunning piece of history.


But, today, it takes less time to present our dining experience after our visit to the castle than it will when we begin sharing castle details tomorrow.  However, in no way do we want to minimize the significance of this exceptional dining experience so conveniently located a short walk from the castle.

Both Linda and Tom ordered the Guinness Beef Pie.  They both loved this dish with bread and veggies on the side.

To be able to spend time with friends after such a long period of our own, was refreshing.  The last time we had an opportunity was when we were in Ireland between May and August when friend Lisa and Barry came to Connemara to spend time with us.

Two plates of steamed vegetables were placed on the table.

The walk through the castle was outstanding but when we had an opportunity to sit down for tea in a charming coffee shop and later for lunch at The Boat Inn, the day proved to be rich and fulfilling.

This was the largest and most delicious plate of mussels I’ve ever had.  The sauce was made with butter, lemon and cream without flour.  I’d like to return to the Boat Inn one more time before we depart to order this again.

Here’s information on the historic Boat Inn: 
From this site:
The Boat Inn, The Back, Chepstow
“An inscribed date in this building suggests that it was erected in 1789. The original character has survived in many of the interior features, such as the low ceiling and stone flags on the floor. At one time the inn was known as the Chepstow Boat. From around the Second World War to the 1980s the building was a private home. Inquests were held in the building in the 19th century, often into the deaths of people recovered from the river. See the Footnotes below for the names of previous Boat Inn licensees.

The inn was built alongside a dry dock, where ships’ hulls were repaired until the mid-19th century. This waterfront area is known as The Back, an old word for quay or wharf. Previously it was known as “Hell’s acre” because of the rowdiness and fights were common when sailors hit the bottle in the dozen or so pubs in the area.

In 1880, four men who held “respectable positions” in local society, were tried for hauling a fishmonger called Thomas Scott from the Boat Inn and throwing him into the river on the evening of the Chepstow boat races. The defendants said Scott had reneged on a bet. They were fined 30s each, plus costs, and told they were lucky not to be on trial for manslaughter.

The area was once the hub of Chepstow’s maritime activity. There were two slipways, and officers kept watch from a Custom House to ensure the correct duties were paid on incoming goods. Timber was one of the main commodities which passed through. Tourists boarded pleasure boats here for trips on the river Wye, and in 1840 Chartists who took part in the Newport uprising of 1839 departed from here after being sentenced to transportation to Australia. Light industries thrived in the vicinity, including a blacksmith’s forge, a sawmill and a bobbin factory.

One area of the Boat Inn, in the section to the right of the entrance, is said to be haunted. A notice painted on the wall advises customers: “While sitting here you [may] experience a sudden shiver or catch a fleeting glimpse of a figure from times past.”

After lunch, we chatted by the fireplace in this relaxing area of the restaurant.


It’s almost time for us to get on the road to drive to yet another castle where we’ll meet up with Linda and Ken to tour the Raglan Castle and later, once again, find a restaurant where hopefully we’ll have as good a meal as yesterday and no doubt, another great opportunity to chat with these dear friends.


We’ll be back tomorrow with more.  May your day be fulfilling and meaningful!

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Photo from one year ago today, October 16, 2018:
The continuation of photos of the “Ridiculous Nine” we’d seen while on safari in Kruger National Park with friends from the US, Tom and Lois. “Black-backed jackals are closely related, both genetically and physically, to side-striped jackals. They are leanly built and quite hard to spot in the wilderness as they swiftly move through the terrain into areas of thicker vegetation, with their long, bushy tails bouncing behind them. They are a ginger color below the middle of their sides and their shoulders, and a mixture of black and grey above this line on their backs (the origin of their name). They are generally smaller than they appear in photographs and weigh only 6 to13 kg (13 to 29 lb), the same approximate size as most species of dwarf antelope.”  For more details, please click here.

Our friends have left Connemara…A challenge handled…Tom’s stunning photos.

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Rainbow view #1 from our window.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
The country has had a high birthrate for the last 50 years. Subsequently, Ireland has one of the youngest populations in the world.”
           

Lisa, Barry, and Chuck spent the day and evening with us. With my left leg and foot very swollen from sitting too much over the past few days, I’d decided to stay behind while they drove to Clifden for lunch in a pub/restaurant.

It was the first time in a long time I was alone for several hours. The time went quickly while I sat with my feet up, made a salad for dinner, and even managed to take a nap after a fitful prior night’s sleep.

Rainbow view #2 from our window.

Before too long, Lisa called to let me know they were on their way. The plan was to play a fantastic card game, Five Crowns, we’d played with them while on the cruise we met.

But, once we all sat down together in the living room to catch up on the day, we never got to the card game until 1900 hours, 7:00 pm. Since the three of them had a late lunch in Clifden, they were in no hurry to eat. For me, it didn’t matter.

Rainbow view #3 from our window.

Tom had purchased three roasted chickens for the meal to keep the work minimal for me. He cooked a big pot of rice as a side dish.  Later, when we finally dined at 2100 hours, 9:00 pm, all I had to do was butter the buns and grill them in a pan on the stove, heat the chicken in the microwave, and cook the broccoli.  

We were ready to eat. We all sat at the dining table, and everyone went back for seconds. We were done with dinner in less than 15 minutes, hoping to get back to the game. It was an easy meal, perhaps not as exciting as meals we’d made for guests in the past, but it was ideal for us to make at this point in my recovery.

Tom wasn’t quite sure what this animal was at first sight until they turned around.

After dinner at almost 2200 hours, 10:00 pm, we continued playing the card game. Something was amiss with my bad left leg and foot. I took off my sock to discover my ankle, foot and toes were grossly swollen. The efforts I made all day were of little consequence in reducing the swelling.

Also, there was a lot of moisture on the compression sock. I knew I couldn’t sit comfortably and play cards, plus it was getting late, and our guests needed to head back to their hotel in Carna on the winding roads, riskier than usual on a Friday night. It was nearly 2300 hours, 11:00 pm, and it was still light outside.

This morning, Tom took these photos through the glass of the kitchen window to avoid scaring off the hare.

After warm hugs and heartfelt goodbyes, they left. It had been a fantastic two days. We plan to meet up shortly. With Barry, an airline pilot, they travel a lot and can easily meet us anywhere in the world. We’re all looking forward to seeing one another again.

Tom and I cleaned up the glasses (Tom had done the dishes earlier), and we headed upstairs to remove the compression socks and bandages to see how the wound was doing. Much to our surprise, it looked a little better than the previous day. He did the usual every other day treatment, and we called it a night.

Cute hare in the garden.

This morning, the swelling was reduced by 50%. Today, I’ll walk but avoid sitting with my feet on the floor or spending any time standing. Tonight, we’ll have leftovers and spend a quiet Saturday evening, perhaps watching a movie. Again, it’s raining off and on and cool and windy.  

This morning the temperature was 8.33C, 47F, but with the winds, it’s not appealing to go out sightseeing, nor does it make sense to be sitting in the car with my feet on the floor for a few hours.  

And so it goes, the recovery continues, albeit not at a pace we’d like to see, but it’s moving forward nonetheless. However, we’re cheerful, grateful for the fun two days we had with our beautiful friends, and look forward to another good day in Connemara, Ireland.

May you have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 8, 2018:

A leisurely drive in Marloth Park resulted in spotting these giraffes. For more photos, please click here.

A day to remember with friends…Lunch in, dinner out…More fun today but limited activity for me…

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Lisa took this selfie of all five of us at the bar/restaurant in Carna, Tigh Mheaic. After drinks, we moved to a comfy booth and enjoyed lively chatter and dinner. At the bar, Lisa, me, Tom, Barry and their friend Chuck.The boys drank Guinness and Lisa and I enjoyed part of a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
A peace agreement between Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Britain was signed in 1998. Ireland gave up control of Northern Island to the United Kingdom as part of this agreement.”
                  
It was quite a wonderful day. Lisa, Barry, and their friend Chuck arrived at noon.  Ann, our housekeeper was finishing cleaning the upstairs and the house was spotless and organized.

I set the table with what we had on hand.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have any linen napkins but we did have a placemat with Irish ocean scenes and wine glasses. I folded oversized sturdy paper towels to resemble cloth napkins.

I’d already made the side dishes and all we had left to do was cook the Rueben sandwiches in a big skillet, based on everyone’s preferences such as; Barry doesn’t care for sauerkraut and Lisa doesn’t eat bread, sugar, or starch due to a medical condition that has tremendously improved after changing to her way of eating.

As a result, I made two regular Ruebens with corned beef, sauerkraut, smoked swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing, and a third with the same but leaving out the sauerkraut. Lisa and I used lettuce to wrap our sandwiches which proved to be so delicious we didn’t miss the dark rye bread.

Yesterday morning, I baked lemon cake topped with powdered. None for Lisa and me due to our wheat and sugar-free way of eating.

After lunch, we moved into the living room with exquisite views of the sea and chatted and laughed for hours. We got so wrapped up in conversation, we failed to get out the door for dinner in Carna until after 1830 hours, 6:30 pm.

It was pouring rain when we left and continued raining throughout the evening.  They didn’t want to impose upon us and chose to stay in a hotel in Carna not far from the pub/restaurant, Tigh Mheaic, where Tom and I dined a few weeks ago where the pub is superb, the food excellent and the service beyond reproach.

My photo of the four of them at the bar in the pub.

We sat at the bar until 2030 hours, 8:30 pm, when we finally moved to a cozy booth with a banquette. Shortly thereafter our dinners arrived. The food was hot, fresh, and overall very good. The animated conversations and laughter continued.

With their hotel in Carna where we were headed for dinner, we drove separately.  Tom and I had decided to leave the pub before darkness fell. Here in Ireland, this time of year, it stays light until around 2230, 10:30 pm. We wanted to head back before it was dark.
Tom’s chicken dinner.  He was thrilled to have both mashed and roasted potatoes. Most Irish restaurants serve two types of potatoes with each meal. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal.

The narrow winding roads are dangerous during daylight hours and even more so in the dark. When one thinks of who may be driving after dark in this remote location, the risk of accidents is substantially increased.

Last night, before heading to bed, after sitting so much all day, I noticed my left leg had become very swollen. During the night, I tossed and turned, well aware I’d obviously caused the swelling by sitting with my legs down all afternoon, sitting on a barstool in the pub, and then again at the dinner table.
Chuck ordered the scallops which we’d had last time we were there.  The little dark round on the right of his plate is blood pudding. Delicious!

Lisa picked up on my discomfort after dinner, although I hadn’t said a word, and insisted I put my legs on her lap while we were seated at the banquette. It felt comfortable to do so allowing us to stay longer than expected.

Alas, the entire day resulted in my awakening this morning with a very swollen left foot and leg. As I write here now, my feet are on top of a little table with a small cushion.

Barry ordered pizza which we all know isn’t always the best when ordered in a regular restaurant as opposed to a pizza restaurant.  Barry agreed it wasn’t ideal.

However, it appears I won’t be able to go to lunch in Clifden today. I’ve insisted Tom go with Lisa, Barry, and Chuck while I’ll stay behind continuing to rest my legs and walk around the house which seems to help. Sitting with my legs down is definitely a huge deterrent to the healing process.

In any case, they’ll go to town, have lunch and return here for dinner and to play cards. Tom will pick up some roasted chickens at SuperValue and make rice as an accompaniment while I make salad and vegetables for tonight’s dinner. I’m fine with this plan knowing how important it is for me to get the swelling down.
Lisa and I each ordered the smoked salmon salad and shared a side dish of blood pudding described as follows: “While black pudding has some positive nutritional traits, it’s not something we should be eating in abundance. Black pudding does have some benefits. It’s high in protein, which can keep you feeling fuller for longer. It can also be rich in zinc and iron as it contains blood.”  We both loved the four little rounds of blood pudding we shared.

Later, while we dine and play cards, we’ll arrange my chair with the little table and pillow nearby to allow me to keep my feet up. There’s no way I’m going to miss the evening’s activities and the last evening with our friends.

We are so fortunate to have friends from all over the world, a huge benefit of our almost seven years of world travel which began on October 31, 2012. Seeing Lisa and Barry after meeting them on a cruise in November 2017 makes us grateful, so very grateful. Our heartfelt thanks and love to them and Chuck for coming all this way!

Be well, dear readers.
Photo from one year ago today, June 7, 2018:
A stunning scene of the Crocodile River from our visit to Wild & Free Rehabilitation in Hectorspruit.  For more details, please click here.

Cows in the yard…Today’s the day…Questioning medical science once again

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This appears to be an angry bull who doesn’t want us looking at him.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“The story of Dracula is said to have been inspired by the Irish legend of Abhartach. Bram Stoker was Irish born and raised and learned the legend of Abhartach when he was young.”

We’re so excited!  Our friends, Lisa and Barry, will be here in a few hours.  This morning I made a lemon cake, crab salad made with fresh crab brought to us by John, the fish guy, and have everything ready for the Rueben sandwiches we’ll be making for lunch.

We have Irish-made potato chips, dill pickles, carrot slices, and pre-strung (by me) sugar snap peas to go along with the sandwiches. We have plenty of red wine, Pelligrino sparkling water, bottled still water, and soda.  

We don’t have placemats or linen napkins this time, and I forgot to purchase paper napkins. We’ll have to use the solid large-sized paper towels I’ll fold nicely and we’ll be good to go.

As we drive down the shared driveway between us and the owner’s house, we now have cattle on both sides.

Standing on my feet for any length of time preparing food or other tasks is still a challenge. My legs tire easily, although I can walk each day, now up to 8000 or 9000 steps daily. A dear friend and reader sent me an article she spotted regarding my goal of accomplishing 10,000 steps a day. It reads as follows from this site:

“I-Min Lee, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the lead author of a new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, began looking into the step rule because she was curious about where it came from. “It turns out the original basis for this 10,000-step guideline was a marketing strategy,” she explains. “In 1965, a Japanese company was selling pedometers, and they gave it a name that, in Japanese, means ‘the 10,000-step meter.'”

Based on conversations she’s had with Japanese researchers, Lee believes that name was chosen for the product because the character for “10,000” looks sort of like a man walking. As far as she knows, the actual health merits of that number have never been validated by research.

Cows are intelligent and curious. “According to research, cows are generally quite intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that they interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time and sometimes holding grudges against other cows who mistreat them.”
Scientific or not, this bit of branding ingenuity transmogrified into a pearl of wisdom that traveled around the globe over the next half-century, and eventually found its way onto the wrists and into the pockets of millions of Americans. In her research, Lee put it to the test by observing the step totals and mortality rates of more than 16,000 elderly American women. The study’s results paint a more nuanced picture of the value of physical activity.

“The basic finding was that at 4,400 steps per day, these women had significantly lower mortality rates compared to the least active women,” Lee explains. If they did more, their mortality rates continued to drop until they reached about 7,500 steps, at which point the rates leveled out. Ultimately, increasing daily physical activity by as little as 2,000 steps—less than a mile of walking—was associated with positive health outcomes for elderly women.”

Please click on the link for the balance of this article.
From this site: “If an animal is left on its own in a pasture, it will spend a third of its time gathering food, a third of its time eating, and a third of it sleeping. If they’re lying down, it probably doesn’t signal much beyond the fact that it’s sleeping time.”

I deliberated over this study carefully, wondering if I should lower the number of steps I’m striving to accomplish each day. The reason I chose to continue with the goal of 10,000 steps daily is in regard to the recovery of my heart and arteries after the recent cardiac bypass surgery. But even there, the science isn’t precisely how much exercise protects the heart and arteries from future problems.

The question and answers remain ambiguous, such as: 
  • How much exercise should a cardiac patient do post-surgery? Is it the 10,000 steps?  Are they to be done consecutively, or are small spurts better?  No one seems to know, nor is there consistent evidence on the 10,000 steps shown in the above article. “They,” say 30-minutes a day but is that enough?
  • How much fat in the diet is suggested after bypass surgery?  We know the obvious foods to avoid. Transfats, fried foods, and chemical-laden foods. But as a low-carb dieter, how can I make this fit into my way of eating?  Eating a low carb, low-fat diet is unhealthy, according to several studies. No one, including my four doctors, a cardiologist, a cardiothoracic surgeon, a plastic surgeon, and a family practitioner, has a definitive answer. 
  • Is drinking red wine beneficial? Or, is avoiding alcohol altogether better over the long run? There are no definitive answers here either.
Thus, I trudge along, striving for as many steps a day as I can do.  I consume a high protein diet (recommended by the plastic surgeon particularly while the wounds are still healing), still avoiding excess “carbage,” and eating fish, chicken, seafood, and tons of a variety of colorful fresh organic vegetables each day. Now I am drinking a glass and a half of quality red wine each day. It’s quite a treat.
From this site: “Cattle can experience “Eureka” moments. In research published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, researchers observed cattle given a reward after completing a task and gave the same reward to other cattle which had no control over their rewards. By measuring heart rate, they determined that the cattle who could control their fate got more excited than those rewarded passively. This could be interpreted as cattle having an emotional reaction to finishing a puzzle, not just getting food.”
Each day I prepare the protein smoothie recommended by the plastic surgeon. I add organic unsweetened cocoa powder and a scoop of high-quality protein powder with water and ice for a tasty smoothie drink. (Tom used to make it for me each day, but now I can do this myself.

As for what I can and can’t do at this point…I can walk, but I get extremely tired in the grocery store.  I have trouble bending to the ground to pick something up (due to my chest hurting) and have difficulty getting up from the low-slung sofas and chairs.  

Why do I have trouble getting up from a low sofa or stuffed chair?  Usually, a person uses their legs to provide the traction needed to arise from low furniture. It’s only been two months since I had two separate surgeries on both of my legs. I realized this could take a while to recover.  

Also, my arms are still painful when used to support my body upon arising. This is due to the trauma to my chest and surrounding nerves and muscles. The scar on my chest is still painful, and now the skin is stretching and itchy.  I am doing some arm exercises, using bottles of Pellegrino as weights, and performing some lunges at the kitchen sink every other day.

As for the healing of the severe wound on my left leg, which many have inquired about, it is slowly improving, although it’s still open.  Every other day, Tom removes the compression socks and bandages, cleans the wound with a special antibacterial liquid, covers it with a special cream Dr. Theo provided, and then with “Jelonet,” a sterile moist wound gauze. He then bandages it all once again.  

After this process, he helps me put on a clean pair of compression stockings that are tough to put on while I still wear them day and night.  Again, there was no definitive answer as to how long compression stocking should be modeled after leg surgery and infection. We decided I’d wear them until the wound completely closes, hopefully in the next 60 days.

So there is our story for today, dear readers. Thank you for your love and ongoing support and concern. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of all of you and smile.

We hope you’ll have an enjoyable day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2018:
This is a Bovine Tuberculosis infected kudu we spotted only the day after being educated on this dreadful disease impacting mainly kudus in Marloth Park. For more photos and information on Bovine TB, please click here.

An outstanding birthday party in the bush…

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Ken set up the camera on a timer to take this photo of all 10 of us! Fantastic!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Fork-trailed drongo Ken was spotted in the garden.

It was quite a night. A fabulous time was had by all. Per my expectations, the food all came out well, and everyone kindly gushed over the vast array of options and flavors.

Rita loved being silly with all of us at her birthday dinner party.

We included the menu in yesterday’s post. If you haven’t seen it, please click here. It was a lot of work making all the menu items in the sweltering heat and humidity, which has finally cooled down a bit today.  

Rita and I pose for more silly photos. We’ve built quite a lasting friendship in only a few short months. We both feel fortunate for all of our beautiful friends.

With Linda’s efficient help, we managed to get through all the food prep, and later, both she and Louise jumped in to help with dishes. Tom kept loading the dishes, and soon, all will be completed, perhaps even before Zef and Vusi arrive, who are always willing to do dishes when they clean the house each day.

Danie, Leon, Tom, Gerhard, and Ken, from left to right, toasting a good evening.

Somehow, we don’t feel right leaving them piles of dishes from the previous night’s dinner and party, and we make every effort to clean up as much as possible. By 8:00 am this morning, I had the second load of laundry washing, Tom had the dishwasher emptied and put away, and we were ready to begin a new day.

And the girls, from left to right, Louise. Dawn, me, Linda and Rita.

Most likely, this will be the last dinner party that we’ll host in Marloth Park. With only 28 days remaining until we leave the park, we’ll begin chipping away at the food we have left instead of buying large quantities of food for future entertainment purposes.

Linda and Louise took on dish duty.

And what a party it was! It was a perfect compilation of personalities, the ability to laugh, and the commonality of our mutual love of the bush. The evening passed so quickly. We were disappointed when it was over.

We celebrated with one toast after another.

Yes, we worked hard, but it was worth every moment. Today, my legs are tired from being on my feet for almost two days, standing on the ceramic tile floors. The awful weather, humid and hot, made the prep all the more taxing.  

The boys were toasting once again.

But I can’t wipe the smile off my face in recalling the fun Rita, Gerhard, our other friends, and Tom and I had last night. Of course, adding to the night’s good humor was the constant flow of some of our favorite warthogs who stopped by to see what all the commotion was about, and yes, check out the pellet situation.

We had no idea why the fingers were on our heads, but Ken, who took photos, thought it worth a shot.

We saw “Little,” Mike and Joe, Sigfried and Roy, Mom and Babies, and not surprisingly “Basket, The Bully,” who stopped by for a while to show off that he, too, could be good-natured in a social setting.

 Initially, I’d planned to serve the meal in courses, but when we got a late start with the food since we were preoccupied having fun, we narrowed it down to only three courses instead of four. It all worked out as well as we could have wanted.

Rita and Ken pose for silliness.

Today, Linda and Ken are heading to Kruger for a few hours, and soon, we’re off to the dentist for my second to the last appointment. Then my teeth will be done, done, done until our next cleaning in some other country down the road, wherever that may be.

 Tonight, we’ll dine on leftovers which we’ll particularly enjoy at a leisurely pace with Linda and Ken. Perhaps, after dinner, on the veranda, we’ll play a few more rounds of their dominos-type game while seeing who stops by to say hello.

 Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2018:

There are also many historical hotels and buildings in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For more photos, please click here.

In another state of mind today…It’s all about the food…Tonight’s menu…

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Today, there has been an invasion of baboons and Vervet monkeys around our property.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Young male bushbuck in the garden.

Today reminded me of our old lives when we entertained, making a wide array of main and side dishes and, of course, some delicious dessert.  The place settings, the linen placemats, and linen napkins folded into a configuration I learned almost 50 years ago when I worked as a server in a supper club in Minnesota for a short time.

No doubt, I always make more food than we’ll need, fearing that there’s enough for everyone. Plus, Tom and I both love eating leftovers. The convenience of not having to cook for a few more days, along with the opportunity to savor the special foods, once again makes leftovers incredibly pleasurable for us. 

Little, while he was lounging in the water in the cement pond.

With Linda and Ken here, we’ll feast tomorrow night again and freeze whatever is left. Based on the foods we have accumulated in the chest freezer, we may not have to shop for food again, other than fresh produce, for the remainder of our time in Marloth Park, at this point in 29 days. It’s hard for us to believe the time is passing so quickly.

 Tonight’s menu for Rita’s birthday consists of the following items:

Happy Hour 
Lemon Drop Martinis (sugar-free) *
Assorted Nuts and Cheese
 
First Course
Spiced Pumpkin Soup*
 
Second Course
Par 30 Salad*
with bacon, cauliflower bits, slivered almonds, diced green onions, fresh greens, and tossed with homemade dressing
 
Third Course
Marinated Filet Mignon*
Rosemary Lamb Chop*
Peel & Eat Prawn Tails*
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Cheesy Cauliflower Bake*
Sauteed Green Beans with Crispy Bacon and Caramelized Onions*
Toasted Garlic Ciabatta Bread with Parmesan Cheese
 
Fourth Course – Dessert
Cheese Pie with Buttery Almond Crust*
 
All items marked with an asterisk (*) indicate the item is low carb, grain, starch, gluten-free and sugar-free
 
 This young male bushbuck stops by several times a day along with other bushbucks.
So far, I have everything prepared except the final touches on the salad, cooking the prawns, baking the side dishes, and preparing and grilling the garlic bread. Tom will be cooking the meats on the braai.

But even with this seemingly small amount left to do, it will result in a busy day when putting it all together. Thus, based on this, unfortunately,  I have to cut today’s post short to get back to work on this lofty menu.

Little, leaving the cement pond after a soak on a hot, humid day.
By the way, last night, we had a barrage of visitors, including many warthogs, kudus, bushbucks, and duikers. It was a delightful evening on the veranda with Linda and Ken. We had a nice dinner and played a fun domino-type game.

Tonight’s party should be fun as well. Let’s hope the power stays on!

Happy day to all.

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2018:

This scene in La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, where Evita Peron is entombed, particularly caught our eye.  For those photos, please click here.

Celebrating with friends…Dinner in town…Is it dangerous at night?…

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Last night, Rita sat at the edge of the veranda feeding pellets to the kudus. This photo so much bespeaks her love of wildlife.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Mom and Babies arrived this morning to greet our guests.

Yesterday was the actual date of Rita’s birthday, and we’ve been committed to making her birthday as unique as she is.  She and Gerhard had hosted Tom’s birthday with an elaborate meal and decorations on December 23rd, which we posted on December 24th at this link.

Our original plan was to host her dinner party yesterday, but with this horrible heat and humidity, we postponed it for tomorrow, Wednesday, when it’s supposed to be cooler. We’ll see about that!  
Tom at the end of the big table on the veranda.
Right now, at 11:30 am, the humidity is outrageous, and the four of us, including visiting guests Linda and Ken, are situated on the veranda sweating up a storm. Every so often, I go into the kitchen to work on a recipe for tomorrow’s dinner party, sweating all the more.
 
As of this moment, I have prepared one dish for tomorrow’s dinner party, with six more dishes to prepare, including salad, sides, and dessert but not including the three main dishes. If it weren’t so hot, this meal would be a breeze.
Ken and Linda were at “happy hour” last night before we headed out to dinner.
Because Rita’s birthday was yesterday, we wanted the evening to be special for her, so we all decided to go out for dinner on Linda and Ken’s first night here.
 
Most residents of Marloth Park don’t drive to Komatipoort for dinner based on a history of car-jackings on the highway before Ngwenya. But, with all the dining out we’ve done lately in Marloth Park, we suggested leaving Marloth Park to go to Tambarina in Komatipoort, a famous Portuguese dining establishment known for their prawns.
Gerhard was conversing during the happy hour. 
It was a little risky, especially when Zef, one of our two outstanding household helpers, was recently attacked at gunpoint on this same road but deftly defended himself with the spray from a hose of scalding hot water from the radiator in his vehicle. He escaped with his life after spraying the perpetrator in the face with the boiling water while ending up with severe burns on his arm. 
 
We hesitated in driving the two cars necessary to carry all six of us. Still, We decided we’d all be extra diligent in devising a plan on how we’d divert any potential criminals trying to get us to stop the car.
Rita’s fillet and salad which she enjoyed at Tambarina last night for her birthday celebration.  
I had called ahead and made the reservation for six informing the staff it was Rita’s birthday. They made it special at the end of our meal by singing “the birthday song” and serving each of us a shot of pink marula (a local alcoholic beverage/liquor made from the fruit of the Marula tree).  
 
Rita and I, both low carb, passed the marula shots on to our husbands for their pleasure. By 2200 hours (10:00 pm), we were on our way back to Marloth Park, relieved as we passed the security gate into the park that we’d made it back without incident.
Tom’s dinner of Beef Condon Bleu with rice and vegetables.
The night’s sleep was fitful. I awoke at 2:00 am and didn’t go back to sleep until 4:00 am, dosing in and out until I finally got up, showered, and dressed by 7:00 am, anxious to visit with our lovely long-time friends and houseguests, Linda and Ken.  
Gerhard’s meal of fried calamari, baked potato, and vegetable.
Upon entering the living room from the comfort of the night’s airconditioned room, I knew we were in for another scorcher.  Although today’s temperature will only be 34.4C (94F), the humidity is running over 80%. Brutal. Brutal.
 
For this reason alone, we appreciate the fact that we’ll be moving on in less than a month. The rest, not so much. Departure day is looming before us, and as we celebrate with the people and wildlife, we love we know it won’t be easy to say goodbye.
Linda, Ken, and I each ordered the chicken stir fry, which was prepared for our dietary needs.
Goodbye for today, dear readers. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.


Photo from one year ago today, January 15, 2018:

Tom was thrilled to be seated in the comfortable big booth in the bar with me at the Prodeo Hotel in Buenos Aires, watching the live Minnesota Vikings playoff game. For more details, please click here.

Busy last month in the bush…Wonderful friends…One month and counting…

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She decided to look at her reflection in the glass of the little red car.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Mom opted for a sitz bath on the steamy hot day.

Tom is inside the house watching the US football game playoffs, having the time of his life. I’m outdoors on the veranda on a cooler but very humid cloudy day, hoping it stays this way for a few more days for the upcoming cooking frenzy for Rita’s birthday party on Wednesday.

 Friends Linda and Ken are on their way here from Johannesburg and should be arriving sometime in the early afternoon. Tonight, we’ll have our first celebration for Rita’s birthday at Tambarina Restaurant in Komatipoort.  The next few days will be pretty busy but most certainly lots of fun.
My beautiful friends Linda and Kathy (left to right) took me to lunch five years ago for my birthday.  

Kathy is planning a special “going away” day for me on February 5th,  a pedicure at a local resort with a spa with lunch following. Hopefully, Rita and Linda will join us for the “girl’s day.” 

Five years ago, this reminded me of when Kathy and Linda took me to lunch at a beautiful resort outside of Marloth Park to celebrate my upcoming birthday. Here are the photos above and below and the link to that beautiful day.
No one was handy to take a photo of the three of us.  Linda and I had to suffice. The Buhala Lodge was located on the Crocodile River.
And now, more fantastic memories are being made as our time in this magical place comes to an end, one month from today. It has been such a joy for both of us to have the great friends we’ve made in Marloth Park, many over five years ago and others in recent years, which ends on February 14th when we head to Nelspruit for one night before our early morning flight to Nairobi, Kenya.
 

On Friday, February 8th, Kathy and Don will be hosting a going-away gathering at their house. We had decided we wouldn’t have time to host our own going away party (a tradition in the bush) before we departed with so much to handle and pack after spending a year here.

Last night, Wildebeest Willie and Mom and Babies got along well while eating pellets.

On our last Saturday night in the bush, we’ll have a little get-together at Jabula for dinner, more time to celebrate friendships we’ve cherished in our extended period in Marloth Park.

Mom and Babies ate some pellets and some lucerne.

Oh, I don’t mean to go on and on about how blessed we are to have such good friends. But the reality remains when we leave here in one month, friendships and close relationships will be sparse again. Nomads, like us, don’t have the luxury of making lasting relationships wherever we go.  

This is a female hornbill with red on her beak.

There isn’t enough time in each country to cultivate the types of relationships that last a lifetime.  However, we’ve been fortunate to have made many lasting relationships with the beautiful people we’ve met as our landlords/property owners and other passengers aboard a cruise.

She stops by and squawks at us for birdseed.  We always cooperate.

We recall our three months in Tuscany, Italy, in 2013, while we lived in the tiny village of Boveglio. No one spoke English. In those three months, we never shared a meal with anyone we met, although we were invited to a party, doing our best to communicate with the other guests.  

A blurry photo was posted July 20, 2013, in Bovelgio, Italy. Handing off the camera to a kindly gentleman to take our photo, I must have accidentally changed to “out of focus background.” After the beautiful night we had, I couldn’t resist posting the images, although they were all out of focus. In the photo with us is Daniela at my left and Armenia sitting on the steps.  For the link from that date, please click here.

There were numerous other countries where we’ve lived, where we had little to no social interaction with locals, often based on language barriers. Nonetheless, we still had a marvelous time together in each of these instances, depending on one another for idle conversation and friendship, a vital part of any relationship.

 In a mere 84 days, we’ll be back in Minnesota for 17 nights, hoping to be able to see many of the friends we’d made in a lifetime along with many beloved family members.  

This female hornbill often reminds us she is hungry.

But, then, we’ll be on to new lands, new adventures and we’ll carry all the great memories we made with us here in Marloth Park, looking forward to the time in the future when we’ll return to see our friends once again.

We are grateful and as Tom always says, “Humbled and blessed,” to experience this world around us, filled with amazing people, fantastic scenery, and of course, fantastic wildlife, who by the way are stopping by more and more each day, as the holiday season in South Africa winds down.

The family enjoyed a few hours in our garden.

Plus, we never forget for a day all of our kind and thoughtful readers who touch our lives every day, knowing YOU are beside us all the way. Thank you for sharing this life with us.

 May your day be filled with the companionship and memories of good friends throughout your life. Be well. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, January 14, 2018:

At a local “cultural” restaurant in Buenos Aires. To us, these stuffed pig intestines, “Chinchulin,” were the least desirable items on the platter. Please see details and more photos here.