Too much time indoors?…

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A beautiful white lily in the garden of our holiday home in Campanario, Madeira.

There’s no doubt about it: we’re spending a lot of time in our hotel room. It’s somewhat like an apartment with a living room, bedroom area, kitchen, and roomy bathroom, with the convenience of daily maid service. All we have to do is dishes, using the full-sized dishwasher, and do our laundry every Friday.

Our free time is abundant without a garden, lawn to mow, house to maintain, oil changes, and shopping for household goods. Monthly, we pay off our credit cards online, review retirement financials, and annually, prepare expenses for our accountant in Nevada to do our taxes.

We never go to Home Depot and seldom visit Costco when buying in bulk is not in our wheelhouse. On July 1, Tom has a hearing aid appointment at Costco, but other than that, we had little reason to visit the crowded warehouse store packed with items we didn’t need.

These days, while waiting for my upcoming appointments at Cleveland Clinic at the end of August, we have little to do other than shop for a few groceries here and there and get together with family and friends. I have no interest in shopping for clothing, knowing I’ll only be wearing pajama bottoms and button shirts for months after the surgery. I’ll purchase the items I’ll need from Amazon when the time comes, never having to go to a store.

As a result, we have little reason to be outdoors right now. It’s been raining most days since we arrived. As much as I’d like to walk outdoors, the uneven pavement presents a tripping hazard for my unsteady gait. Instead, I do steps indoors in our room, often standing in place, setting my phone timer to remind me to get up from sitting for extended periods.

We cringe when we talk about how much time and effort it took to get our home ready for spring and winter in Minnesota and how doing so monopolized most of our free time. I recall the angst I felt over knowing I had to get down on my hands and knees and plant flowers each year when it wasn’t ever an interest of mine.

Tom worked 12-hour days with two hours of driving time, leaving little time and energy for home projects. But, he, too, lived up to the responsibility of outdoor home projects while I handled the indoor tasks, washing windows, keeping the house clean and free of clutter, and on and on.

I know many enjoy doing all the tasks and have done so with enthusiasm. But that type of enthusiasm was beyond our reach, although we were both relieved when the tasks were done. We did them all. Now, having the freedom we’ve had over the past 12 years has fulfilled us in a way that is hard to explain.

We commend and recognize those who accomplish these tasks with joy and dedication and are proud of their finished work. We have always longed for more time to enjoy our home and its beautiful surroundings freely. Instead, now and especially over the past years, we’ve cherished our free time and our surroundings, but on a much larger scale…the world.

We are grateful for our experiences in all areas of our lives, including those before we began traveling and time spent with family and friends, which will remain constant. But, for now, the simplicity of our nomadic lives, whether indoors on a nice day or not, continues to be fulfilling in many ways.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 6, 2014:

This was the remaining tuna the truck fish guy in Campanario, Madeira, cleaned and cut for us after we gave Judite, our housekeeper, a good-sized bag, some of which we’ll cook over the next few nights. We sealed the remainder in Ziploc bags and froze them for future meals. For more photos, please click here.

Travel news for those considering European travel in the next few years…

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    Houses on a high hill in Madeira, Portugal.

One of the determining reasons we haven’t visited Europe, as one might think during our world travels, has been the visa restrictions imposed by the requirement of us applying for the Schengen Visa that prevented us from staying in participating countries as follows:

“Schengen visas have several restrictions, including:
  • Entry type
    Schengen visas can be single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry. A single-entry visa allows the holder to enter the Schengen area once, while double-entry allows two entries. Multiple-entry visas allow unlimited entry and exit as long as the 90-day period within six months is not exceeded.
  • Length of stay
    Schengen visa holders can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within any 180 days. After leaving the Schengen area, the holder must wait 90 days before re-entering. Staying longer than 90 days without a long-stay visa or residence permit can result in being considered illegally present and a potential re-entry ban.
Country of application

Schengen visas are generally valid for all countries in the Schengen area, but applications must be made at the consulate of the primary destination country.”

The restriction prevented us from staying in multiple European countries for multiple two to three-month stays, which we’ve preferred over the years. Another factor is that after 34 cruises and many European countries we’ve already visited, we have less interest in touring historic buildings, churches, and museums than other venues. We’ve seen more than we can count.
As most of our readers know after reading our posts for years, our primary interests have revolved around wildlife and remote locations. There are countless such places in Europe, but long-term stays in such locations are cost-prohibitive for our budget and lifestyle.
Short-term stays of one or two weeks are more affordable, but we are past the point of staying only one or two weeks in one location, especially at this point in our lives (hopefully able to travel again within the next 12 months). Our time in Europe was amazing, and we treasured every moment. But we’re not chomping at the bit to return.
Now, Europe is instituting a new visa/entry process planned to commence in 2024 but postponed to 2025 due to a lack of preparedness for this new system. See below for details:
 / Source: NBC News
By Marley Jay

Americans who are planning to visit Europe in 2024 don’t have to worry about applying to the European Union’s new travel authorization system yet.

For almost a decade now, European Union authorities have been working on a visa-like system called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It’s for travelers from “visa-exempt” countries like the U.S., and the U.S. has a similar system. After several years of delays, ETIAS was expected to go online in 2024, but it has now been pushed back to mid-2025 because its entry/exit database isn’t ready.

The system is not handling applications yet so that American travelers can hold off a bit longer on their paperwork.

Eventually, travelers from visa-exempt countries who want to go to most EU nations, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, will have to register online. Most people will have to pay an application fee of 7 euros ($7.70). All of those travelers, including small children, will have to apply.

Travelers from Canada, Mexico, Australia, and most South American countries will have to apply through ETIAS as well.

The EU says most applications will be processed within minutes, but some will take days or weeks and require additional information, so it advises people to apply well in advance before their trips.

Assuming authorization is granted, it will be good for three years or until the user’s passport expires, whichever is first. That authorization will allow travelers to enter those European countries as often as they want for short stays, typically 90 days in any 180 days — assuming border security approves.”

Again, like the Schengen Visa, this process will take time and preparedness for travelers considering travel to European countries, regardless of how long you plan to stay.

At this point, we have no intentions to travel to Europe. Those days are over for us. However, we still have to deal with the restrictions of staying in South Africa for over 90 days. The easiest solution is to fly back to the US, stay for a few days, and return for another 90-day stay. For right now, we’re looking forward to a 90-day stay.

We hope this information is useful for our readers considering travel to Europe for short and long-term stays at any time in the future.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June , 2014:

This was our house in Campanario, Madeira, which is high on a hill, like most homes on the island. We took this photo as we walked down the steep road in front of it. For more photos, please click here.

Fantastic lunch with Theresa…Playing cards with family for nine hours!…

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The interior of the Catholic church in Campanario, Madeira.

It’s 10:30 am. I slept poorly last night and almost didn’t post since I felt so tired. But once I showered and dressed, I started to feel a little better and got to work on today’s post.

Regardless of that, yesterday was an enjoyable day. Lunch with Theresa at Oliver’s was a pleasure. The food was fine but pricey. But we plan to get together again in the next few months before we leave for Cleveland in 82 days. The food was OK but pricey. I ordered the Waygu beef burger (3 ounces – no bun) topped with cheese and bacon with roasted Brussels sprouts.

Everything was too greasy for my liking. The Brussels sprouts were prepared with a sweet Asian sauce I could easily have done without and weren’t cooked well enough to make them easy to cut and eat. However, the delightful conversation with my dear old friend was more important then the food. Catching up on our lives since we last got together in September 2023 was lively and animated.

Of course, Theresa was concerned about my upcoming surgery, but we hurried through that discussion to move on to more cheerful topics, which was easy. I never want to be one of those people whose only conversations focus on health issues. No doubt we see this more and more with people our age.

Sure, it’s essential to express our health concerns with friends and family as they offer us love and support. But many more points of discussion make get-togethers memorable and meaningful.

As it turned out, Tom dropped me off at the restaurant in Blaine and intended to visit his sister Patty, who lives nearby. As it turned out, Patty had things to do, so he left earlier than expected. Unbeknownst to me, he was sitting in the parked rental car outside the restaurant, patiently waiting for me to be done.

The altar at a church in Madeira, Portugal.

I planned to call him when Theresa and I were ready to go. When I called him at 1:30 after our two-hour lunch, he cheerfully explained he was parked outside, not far from the door to the restaurant. I felt terrible he had waited so long, but he didn’t mind. That’s my guy, always looking out for me with a smile. When we came outside, he exited the car to give Theresa big hug. I did the same, and we were on our way to Mary and Eugene’s home, about 15 minutes from that location.

Shortly after we arrived, nephew Kevin, niece Jean, sisters Mary Ellen and husband Eugene, Patty, Collen, and Margie were there, and the day and evening’s card playing began. It couldn’t have been more fun, and we didn’t wrap it up until around 11:30 pm.

Mary served spaghetti, meatballs, and bread for dinner, which I don’t eat, but I gobbled up plenty of nuts that Kevin brought from Costco, eating way more than I should have. When we returned to the hotel, I felt stuffed and uncomfortable. Early in the evening, I drank two small glasses of low-alcohol red wine and later switched to a massive mug of Crystal Light Iced tea, adding to feeling full.

I tossed and turned all night, even getting up to take a few Rolaids around 2:00 am, and finally, by 3:00 am, I nodded off, awakening at 7:15 am. That was not much sleep, but perhaps a nap is on today’s agenda.

This afternoon, Tom will drive less than one mile to Cub Foods and pick up a grocery order I placed a while ago. I ordered two roasted chickens for tonight and tomorrow night’s dinner. All we have to add is rice and salad. Easy peasy.

That’s all, folks! Have an enjoyable day, whatever you do.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 4, 2014:

The view at sunset in Madeira took our breath away. For more photos, please click here.

Rushing this morning…Busy day!…

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This bottle brush plant was an unusual color display in Madeira.

We are leaving in 90 minutes for Blaine for my lunch with Theresa. Tom will drop me off and pick me up when I am ready to go. In the interim, he’ll head to his sister Patty’s home in Blaine and visit with her while he awaits my call to come pick me up. Then we’ll drive to Andover, about 20 minutes from there, to play cards for the afternoon and evening.

It will be such fun to see Theresa. We’ve been friends for over 20 years and enjoy getting together when it works out while Tom and I visit the US. We always have lively conversations that seem to end too soon as time flies by when we’re together. Today we’re going to a restaurant she suggested. Oliver’s, meeting up at 11:30.

Nephew Kevin is back in town for a wedding and will join us playing Buck Euchre this afternoon. These games tend to go on for hours. Since I am more of a morning person than a night owl, I may bow out of the game by midnight, most likely sitting on Mary’s sofa nodding off. We’ll see how it goes.

The rest of this week is a little busy. Tom will watch trap shooting with Vincent on Thursday evening while I stay behind, and Friday evening is Vincent’s graduation party. The weekend is free right now, but surely it will fill up with something. We need to start scheduling more time with old friends now that we’ve been here for a month and have spent lots of time with family, with many more great times yet to come.

Time seems to be passing quickly. I can’t believe that in a mere 11 days, we’ll be on the road again, on our way to Sister Beth’s Jubilee Celebration, after 70 years as a nun. We’ll stay two nights in a hotel and then return to this hotel with a new booking beginning on June 16.

I’m pleased I haven’t felt anxious about heading to Cleveland in 2½ months. I’ve resigned myself to this reality and can put it out of my mind while enjoying our time in the US. Sure, I think about it a few times daily, mostly when walking is difficult. Yesterday, I went to the reception desk to collect a few of the Amazon packages that had arrived. One of them was a larger box, although not that heavy, along with two smaller packages.

When I walked across the parking lot back to our room with the packages, I was exhausted, although not necessarily out of breath. I can see that the sooner I get my valves replaced or repaired, the better I will hopefully feel. I still feel like I am holding my own as the disease progresses, which is inevitable with this condition. Many people with valvular disease are much worse off than I am.

My walking plan has fallen flat, but I will continue to try. Avoiding a fall is of the utmost concern when I am unsteady. Preferring not to draw attention when I am walking, I make every effort to appear to be walking normally, which ultimately enhances my progress.

It’s getting to be time to get going. I have a few things to do before we walk out the door.

We hope you have a lovely Monday.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 3, 2014:

Check out the busy bee on this Bird of Paradise in Madeira, Portugal. For more photos, please click here.

Fun evening with Lyman family members…

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In Madeira, the musical vegetable truck came by a few times a week. We were always ready to greet him and make our fresh-from-the-farm purchases.

Yesterday afternoon, in the pouring rain, we embarked on the 40-minute drive to Anoka to Billy’s Bar & Grill for the weekly Lyman family get-together. Often, the group consists of Tom’s sisters, Mary Ellen (husband Eugene), Colleen, Patty, and Margie. With us included, there’s often the seven. (Tom has two more sisters, Rita in South Dakota and a nun, Sister Beth, in Milwaukee).

At times, other family members, such as adult nieces and nephews, daughter Tammy, Tracy, and grandson Vincent, join us. Yesterday, there were 14, including those mentioned above seven, plus four generations for some: even Tom’s great-grandniece, almost two-year-old adorable Addison.

However, this group is only the tip of the iceberg for the Lyman family. When they all get together, it could easily be over 100 relatives. It’s not easy to get everyone together, but at times, it gets close to being the full group on special occasions.

The Lymans are lovely people, warm, friendly, and very close. There is never any evidence of animosity. They all get along well. Conversing with any of them is filled with wonderful stories and good humor, and they easily invite two-way conversations that never include gossip or negative comments about one another.

I sat at the round table with Tom on my left and sister-in-law Margie on my right. We consistently arrive at 3:30 pm, in time for happy hour. Most enjoy a cocktail or two, but no one drinks in excess, and everyone figures out safe ways to drive home.

It feels fantastic to be a part of this sizeable group of people when I come from a small family: my sister, my two sons, and their girlfriends, my three grandchildren, and on my father’s side of the family, my cousin Phyllis and her two adult daughters whom, unfortunately, I rarely see. We haven’t all been together in years.

Yesterday, as the size of the group expanded as more arrived, extra tables were added, and we could all sit together. Some of them moved from one seat to another to converse with others. It was pretty fun, to say the least. By about 6:30, we all began to filter out and head to our respective homes. It was still raining hard, and no plans were made for the remainder of the evening.

Once we arrived back in Eden Prairie, Tom dropped me off at a liquor store to see if I could find low-alcohol wine. After asking for help, I found white and red, of which I purchased two. It is funny how readily available low-alcohol wine is in South Africa, with few options in the US.

After the liquor store, we headed to Cub Foods so I could purchase a few items to round out what we had on hand. We plan to dine in tonight and tomorrow night. On Monday afternoon, after my lunch with old friend and business partner Theresa in Coon Rapids, we’ll head to Mary and Eugene’s to play Buck Euchre. Nephew Kevin is coming to town and always enjoys playing cards with us. No doubt, we’ll have another enjoyable evening.

During this extended period in the US, we’re having a great time with family and friends. On past visits, we stayed for two to three weeks, but now, with the remainder of the summer before us, we’ll have plenty of time for more enjoyable times ahead.

Thanks for all the positive feedback after yesterday’s post, which encouraged us to keep posting, even during these quiet times, as long as it doesn’t cause stress. No, it doesn’t cause stress. It’s a joyful experience sharing our lives with all of you each and every day!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 1, 2014:

Many little shops were found on the side streets of Ribeira Brava, Madeira. For more photos, please click here.

It’s not easy…

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The view from the dining room in the house in Campanario, Madeira, in May 2014.

Each day, when I load my computer to prepare another post, I ask myself, “What will I write about today?” Unless something specific has happened that inspired me for the day, I am often at a loss as to what to write. It’s easy when traveling with endless photo ops and stories to tell. Right now, it’s not easy.

At times like this, when it’s not exciting, I peruse the most recent news to see if there’s something interesting to report. Often, that news is distressing, and I don’t care to go down that road too often.

Yesterday, when a police officer and two civilians were killed (see the story here) and several injured in a shooting only 20 minutes from here, I cringed over writing about this. But a part of me feels compelled to report such local incidences to serve as a warning to everyone to be careful. Even so, there would have been no way to prevent what happened. The only lesson it serves us right now is to stay away from Minneapolis if possible and stick to the suburbs.

But even suburbs aren’t exempt from shootings and crimes. Nowhere is safe, including many areas we’ve traveled throughout the world. We’ve been fortunate, although we’ve made many efforts to stay safe, but no measures can ensure total safety.

Now, back to commenting about what to write during these quiet times, which is more in my mind now than in the past, I can’t help but be concerned about the upcoming many months. I even considered taking a break from posting, not for me but for all our readers who may become tired of our mundane posts and stories with nothing much going on.

Based on our current circumstances, it is almost three months until my appointments at Cleveland Clinic, beginning on August 28. Once we arrive, a series of tests will transpire, possibly over a few weeks. Once the tests are completed, there will be a surgical consultation with Tom and me to discuss and determine the course of action and time frame for the upcoming surgery.

From there, it could be as long as two months until I have the surgery, during which, most likely, we’ll stay in Cleveland while we wait. They will plan my surgery date based on two factors: 1. The severity of my situation, 2. The availability of a time slot for the surgery. I have no control over either of these factors.

There will be other patients lying in hospital beds with my condition, with worse symptoms disabling them, that will have precedence over my case. I fully understand and accept this reality. Also, if I were a celebrity, the waiting would be minimal. That’s another fact of life.

Thus, if the consultation occurs in mid-September, and I can have surgery within two months, the surgery might occur in mid-December. From there, with at least a three-month recovery period sufficient for air travel, it could be mid-March until we can fly to South Africa. If my recovery is slower, we could be as late as next June, a year from now. As much as that is a painful thought, it’s a possibility.

Although after my last open-heart surgery, I was able to travel three months later, it took me a year to fully recover. This may be shorter for younger patients, and also, since I already have coronary artery disease, the recovery period may be longer. I don’t know the answers to that now…everyone is different in their recovery.

Subsequently, I don’t know what I’ll write about in the next three months other than to continue on this current path…the trivialities of our daily lives, not necessarily trivial to us but undoubtedly trivial to our worldwide readers. Once we get to Cleveland, we’ll share the processes at the clinic, where we’re living, and so forth.

Once I have the surgery, most likely, there will be a two-week lull when I won’t be able to write at all. Once I can move my arms a little, I will begin again, with the utmost enthusiasm, knowing the healing process has begun. I can’t wait to get this over with.

After careful consideration, I have decided I will continue to do the posts, however dull and uneventful they may be. If you find yourselves uninterested, you know what to do. We understand and offer the utmost gratitude for your encouragement and support over all these years.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 31, 2014:

We chose a table closest to the ocean under a bright red umbrella, casting a red glow on our photos. For more photos, please click here.

Another fine social evening with old friends…Saving money on hotel costs…

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A road in Ribeira Brava, Madeira, as we drove to a restaurant ten years ago.

At 4:40 pm, we picked up our dear friend Sue. Sue and Chip were our beloved friends and neighbors in our old lives. Chip sadly passed away a short time before we left Minnesota. Losing him was heartbreaking for Sue, us, and many who loved this special man dearly. We were with him on his last day, May 31, 2012, only five months before we left Minnesota to travel the world.

We recall him being happy about our upcoming travels, but he was also sad about the prospect of us being gone. He and Sue were a daily part of our lives, with some of the best memories of our lives. He and Tom shared the same birthday, December 23, and we often spent the birthdays together. I recall making birthday cakes, with half of each celebrating our exceptional husbands.

We have stayed in close touch with Sue all these years we’ve been away, and most often, when we were in Minnesota, we made time to get together. Last night was no exception, and dear next-door neighbors Nelleke and Dave were included with us. We had quite a close neighborhood with many great memories we’ll always cherish. Now, everyone has moved away except for Nelleke and Dave.

The conversation was delightful and only as intimate and meaningful as one would have with long-term friends. Of course, they were concerned about my upcoming surgery, asking me many questions with answers I freely shared. Over the years, we have all had trials and life challenges, and we have never failed to share them. That closeness is a treasure in this “hustle and bustle” world, often with little time to get together, let alone have time for deep conversations.

The food at Jimmy’s Kitchen & Bar was excellent as always, although a little pricey for our objectives. It was almost $200 for Sue and the two of us. But it was a special occasion, and we didn’t mind the expenditure.

Back at our hotel, by 9:00 pm, we streamed an episode of a show, and before we knew it, we were off to bed. I was thrilled to have a good night’s sleep and feel refreshed and energetic today. Yesterday, I started walking outdoors and hope to increase the distance daily.

After writing about how little I’ve walked or exercised in the past week, I am working hard to motivate myself to do more. The sidewalks at this hotel are uneven, but I am doing my best to be sure-footed. Minnesota’s winter frost and summer heat often result in uneven walkways and sidewalks, which are repaired infrequently.

Nothing much is on today’s agenda except for Tom returning the current rental car for another by noon, and then before 5:00 pm, he will leave to drive north to grandson Vincent’s trap shooting event. I will stay behind since attending this event requires standing for extended periods, not something I cannot do with ease.

Yesterday, I had an idea to contact Marriott Bonvoy, the rewards program for Marriott Hotels worldwide. After some time on the phone, they were able to get us a better price for this hotel, saving us over $1200 for July and August since we already had a great rate until June 14, when we’ll leave to drive to Milwaukee, returning here for the new booking from June 16 until August 25, when we begin the drive to Cleveland Clinic. What an unexpected break!

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 30, 2014:

As a gust of wind came in from the sea, the density of the cloud escalated in Campanario, Madeira. For more photos, please click here.

A great day with a dear friend…More social time tonight…

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Fountains are often designated as spiritual shrines in some countries worldwide. This one was in Ribeira Brava, Madeira, where we had lunch several times.

Yesterday morning, Tom dropped me off at the Atelier Beauty School in Hopkins, where Chere and I were scheduled for pedicures at 11:00. On the drive there, Tom offered to stop at Dollar Tree to buy a wine glass for me. I’d looked it up on maps, and there is a store within .4 miles of our hotel.

I’ve noticed that many restaurants in the US don’t have stemmed wine glasses. It’s been trendy in the US to serve wine in short stubby glasses. With how little wine I drink, I like to drink it in a stemmed glass. I thought if I could keep one in my bag when we dine out at locations where I know they don’t have stemmed glasses, I could use my own in such cases.

For me, drinking wine is about the ritual, the feel of the glass in my hand, the aroma, the color, and the taste. None of it feels right to me in a short, stubby glass. Thus, I chose to take the matter into my own hands, literally. Also, with a few bottles of low-alcohol wine left from our month in Arizona and no wine glass in this residence hotel with a full kitchen, buying an inexpensive wine glass was on my radar.

When Tom dropped me off at the beauty school, ten minutes earlier than our appointment time, he noticed a Dollar Tree across the street. How convenient! I was shocked to find a decent-sized wine glass for $1.25. With inflation, Dollar Tree can no longer sell their merchandise for $1.00. I was happy to pay $1.25. There’s hardly anything one can buy for $1.25 these days, not even a pack of gum.

By 11:00, Chere walked in, and we were hurried off to our appointments. The pedicure at Atelier is $24 plus tip as opposed to as much as $65 in regular spas or salons. The two young women who provided our services were professional, friendly, and did a fine job. Since I left my flip-flop sandals in storage at the Marloth Park house, I had to wear the plastic throw-away flip-flops they provided at the facility.

Knowing my polish would be done when we arrived at Jimmy’s Kitchen for lunch, I wore the neon green flip-flops into the restaurant carrying my shoes in my hand. My toes would be dry by the time we finished lunch, and I apologized to the hostess for my choice of footwear. No one noticed. No one cared.

The lunch was delicious, and the conversation with Chere was delightful, as always. I love having an opportunity for “girl talk” while we are in the US, which is sorely lacking in some countries worldwide. Of course, with many friends in Marloth Park, there are many opportunities for lunch with “my girls.” I have many more such lunches planned while we are in the US.

Speaking of Jimmy’s Kitchen, we are going out with old friends and neighbors, Sue, Nelleke, and Dave, with a 5:00 pm reservation. First, we’ll pick up Sue at Friendship Village, a lovely retirement community in nearby Minnetonka, and then head to Jimmy’s, where we’ll meet up with Nelleke and Dave. This is the same restaurant where we dined together last September when we were in the US for a few weeks.

Last night, we watched another basketball game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They lost the first three games of a seven-game series. If they hadn’t won last night, the potential of going further on to the playoffs would have been over. Much to our delight and surprise, they won, and game five will be on Thursday night.

We’re looking forward to watching it. Tom will go to grandson Vincent’s skeet shooting contest on Thursday evening but will watch the game balance when he returns to the hotel.

There are no big plans for today until dinner later on. Today will be another quiet day in the hotel.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 29, 2014:

No matter how busy we may become in planning for the future, we never fail to stop and notice the beauty surrounding us at the time, whether it’s a simple flower on our veranda or an expansive view. For more photos, please click here.

Rushing today…A fun day planned with a friend…

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Our lovely owner/property manager, Gina, brought over roses from her garden, which was appreciated.

In less than two hours, Tom will drive me to the beauty school where my long-time friend Chere and I will be having pedicures, as we did the last time we were in Minnesota last September. As we did then, after our polish is dry, we’ll head to a restaurant for lunch, the location undecided at this point.

Chere will drop me off at the hotel when we’re done since she lives in Eden Prairie, which is not far away. Not driving anymore is an inconvenience for others but safer for me and other drivers on the road. My reflexes aren’t as good as they were before I had open-heart surgery in 2019. I am hoping they don’t get worse after this upcoming surgery, but I don’t have a clue at this point.

After this next surgery, I may find my arms and legs work better with more blood flow after my valves are repaired/replaced.  That will make it all worth it. Being able to walk better could change my life. Whenever I go out, I first think about “How far am I going to walk?” or “How uneven will the roads and walkways be while out and about?” It’s been getting worse day by day.

Unfortunately, the fitness center at this hotel is a long flight of stairs. I can do fine going up, but coming down is very difficult. I can’t expect Tom to come to help me go up and down every day when the fitness center is not near our hotel room. He’d have to go back and forth four times, which makes no sense. Plus, even with his help, I could easily fall.

Instead, when it’s not raining, I will walk outdoors. Since we arrived here last Thursday, it’s been raining daily, making the walkways slippery. Some of the sidewalks are uneven, with tripping hazards, even for sure-footed walkers. Another alternative is walking indoors, often in place, in our hotel room. I am not feeling motivated right now and need to get this “show on the road” in the next few days, one way or another.

I hope I do not sound like I am complaining. These realities are part of life for any person with any type of walking disability. No, I am not willing to accept this and start using a walker or wheelchair. I will continue trying as long as I can put one foot in front of another.

In any case, I will return to doing those chair yoga exercises, which I stopped when we left Arizona for the road trip on May 1. I can’t say they helped substantially, but at least I was doing something. I am sure many of you know how hard it is to motivate ourselves to work out.

On another note, being so far from nature and wildlife definitely impacts our sense of calm and peace. Living in a hectic city with traffic and too many people directly affects our state of mind. Regularly seeing our family and friends is, without a doubt, what softens the reality of this fact.

Most likely, I will return from my day with Chere around 3:00 pm. Shortly thereafter, I will start preparing tonight’s dinner, and we’ll spend yet another quiet evening staying in. Last night, we started re-watching season six of the wonderful series Outlander. Due to the writer’s strike, the newest season won’t be out until November 2024. We highly recommend this stunning series.

That’s it for today, folks. I have a few things to do before I go in an hour. We hope you have a fantastic day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 28, 2014:

The beauty of the terraced hills and gardens in Madeira. Astounding! For more photos, please click here.
Day #162 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…

Today is Memorial Day in the US…Time to appreciate fallen heroes…Our photos from Normandy…

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Day #162 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…
The visit to Normandy, France, in 2014 was emotional and life-changing.

From this site: 

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

We stumbled across the burial site for Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. as we wandered through the Normandy American Cemetery in Normandy, France.

It is unclear where this tradition originated; numerous communities may have initiated the memorial gatherings independently. Some records show that one of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina, less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865. Nevertheless, in 1966, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Waterloo—which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed. Residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

Did you know? Each year, on Memorial Day, a national moment of remembrance occurs at 3:00 p.m. local time.

It is a beautiful yet heartbreaking statue in the cemetery.

Decoration Day

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated to strew with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried there.

Steele was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He pretended to be dead for two hours when his parachute became caught on the church steeple during the Allied invasion of France. German troops eventually took Steel prisoner, but he later escaped and rejoined his regiment.

Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890, each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor the dead on separate days until after World War I.”

Last night, we attended Greg’s girlfriend Heather’s birthday party at a beautiful restaurant, Lumi, on the Nicollet Mall, a popular area of downtown Minneapolis. Three of Heather’s four children were there, and Greg’s three children, our grandchildren, for ten of us.

Both of us are standing on Normandy Beach in France in 2014.

We had a lovely dinner and evening and returned to our hotel shortly before 10:00, able to watch the last five minutes of the Timberwolves basketball game. They’ve lost the first three games of this round of the championship and most likely won’t win the next four games and will be out of the playoffs. So it goes.

Today, it’s raining again. We’ll be staying in and cooking dinner again…salmon filet for me and pork ribs for Tom. It will be a lovely, quiet day.

Be safe and enjoy the last day of the long holiday weekend.

Be well.

Photos from ten years ago today, May 27, 2014:

This is the nighttime view from our veranda! These streetlights stay on all night on the entire island. This must be entirely the view from a ship. For more photos, please click here.