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.

Have a meaningful Memorial weekend to all of our readers in the US…Birthday party tonight…

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We traveled this road when leaving Campanario, Madeira, to Ribeira Brava to go to the grocery store.

This morning, when Tom wanted to watch CBS Sunday Morning on TV, he headed to the breakfast room in the main building, loaded up our plates with eggs, turkey sausage for me, and bacon for himself, and returned it to our room. I don’t eat deep-fried bacon cooked in undesirable oil, which we’ve found commonplace when breakfast is included in the hotel rate, which is the case here.

Instead, I’ll eat the turkey or chicken sausage, which may not be ideal, but the breakfast holds us until dinner. This morning, instead of hard-boiled eggs, I ate scrambled eggs, but when I looked up the ingredients in those processed scrambled eggs, I decided I wouldn’t eat them again. They contain soybean oil and corn flour, ingredients I don’t eat.

That’s the problem when dining out…having no control over what ingredients are used in the preparation of meals. I often choose salads with grilled chicken (without oil). Unfortunately, many of these salads are dry and require salad dressing. In those cases, I ask for sour cream with fewer added ingredients.

Yesterday, we headed to the grocery shop at Cub Foods. Tom waited in the car since I prefer to shop on my own. I selected organic salad ingredients, sour cream and Fage Greek yogurt, a variety of imported cheeses, and various meats to cook: steaks, pork chops, and pork ribs for Tom and salmon, shrimp, and chicken for me.

For dinner last night, we had roasted chicken, rice for Tom, and salad for both of us. If we feel hungry for a snack after dinner, I purchased Kemps Vanilla ice cream for Tom and spicy cheese curds for me. We tend to eat early, and often, we may feel like a little treat a few hours later.

We spent about $200 on groceries, which will be enough to get us through the next few weeks since we have many dinner dates planned and will only cook a few nights each week. But it’s nice to have something in case we get hungry.

We’re celebrating Heather’s birthday tonight in a restaurant, the location I’ll know in a few hours when Greg decides where it will be. I ordered a gift for Heather from Amazon but it wouldn’t have arrived on time. Subsequently, I placed the order to be delivered to an Amazon locker in the Cub store.

We didn’t leave for Cub until I received the delivery notice from Amazon, a code to access the locker at the store. That sure was convenient! I never knew such a service existed until I saw the lockers at Cub a few weeks ago. Many items offered by Amazon that can’t be received on time for a specific situation can be delivered to an Amazon locker that day or the next. This is one of many convenience scenarios we’ve experienced in the US during this visit.

We’ll spend most of today in our room, which has a nice living room. It’s raining, and we don’t care about going out. We’re looking forward to watching the Indy 500, which starts in less than an hour from now.

Have a safe and wonderful Sunday. Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 26, 2014:

Wildflowers growing in our garden in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. For more photos, please click here.

Loving the new place for several reasons…Booking for the future

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Fresh seafood was available in a market in Madeira.

There’s no doubt we enjoyed Hyatt Place during several stays over the past years when we came to Minnesota to visit. The drawbacks were the lack of laundry facilities, the tiny bathroom, and a limited kitchen area with only a small refrigerator but no microwave. This resulted in us dining out most nights since few ready-made options suited us, adding to the cost of staying there. Management, maid service, and staff were excellent.

Also, the included breakfast at Hyatt was marginal, at best, with only processed eggs and no other options for me other than to eat a few hard-boiled eggs. Tom liked the donut holes. Plus, we liked the easy access to our streaming services with the smart TV with casting for all streaming services

Now, here at Residence Inn by Marriott, after only 48 hours, we’ve been pleased with several features that appeal to us, including:

  1. Easy-to-use laundry facility close to our room.
  2. We’ve seen an excellent breakfast with new offerings daily, which we’ve enjoyed over the past two mornings.
  3. Massive bathroom with walk-in shower.
  4. A coffee table is in front of the sofa, which is ideal for keeping our feet up, which is vital for me right now when my feet swell by the end of the day.
  5. Full kitchen with all amenities.

Drawbacks to Residence Inn: (None of which is a big issue)

  1. A queen-sized bed as opposed to a king at the Hyatt. Only king beds are located in units on the second floor, accessible only by stairs, which is unsuitable for me.
  2. There are no drawers or storage space other than a tiny closet. We’ve left our belongings in the shared large suitcase on a luggage rack for easy access.
  3. Smart TV only has Prime and Netflix, not Hulu or Paramount+. Instead, we have to hook up the other streaming services to our laptops using our HDMI cord.
  4. We must walk outdoors to the reception desk, breakfast kitchen, and laundry facilities. It’s been raining a lot lately.

Otherwise, we are happy with this facility, and only moments ago, we booked it for another 28 nights for when we return from Milwaukee after Sister Beth’s Jubilee celebrating her 70 years as a nun. The booking dates will be June 16 to July 14. While we’re here during the newly booked period, we’ll decide if we’ll stay for the final month before we head to Cleveland Clinic in August and book it accordingly.

When we booked Residence Inn months ago, we got a special rate of $84 a night. With summer here and hotel rates soaring, we had to commit to $134 a night for 28 nights, plus tax, for a total of $4092, which translates to $146 a night, with taxes. We used a credit we had an Expedia/Hotels/VRBO of $135 to get the price down a little.

This is more than we usually pay for long-term hotel stays, but there weren’t any affordable vacation homes or other hotels as nice as this in this convenient location. Also, we could book the next period for fully refundable rates if we have to leave up to three days before the commencement of the booking. That’s particularly important to us right now.

Last night, we had a good time at Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka and returned to the hotel in time to watch the basketball game with the Texas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Sadly, Minnesota lost, but it was fun to watch the game. We had a good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed and ready for a new day.

Soon, we’ll head to Cub Supermarket for groceries for the upcoming week. We’ll make our first dinner tonight since we left Apache Junction on May 1.

We’ll be back with you soon.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 25, 2014:

Would that I could! Pastries for sale in Madeira. Oh, how we find comfort and pleasure in such treats! It’s funny that eggs are also sold in this case. For more photos, please click here.

Talked to Cleveland Clinic…One day and counting…

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More colorful wares were offered for sale in the souk in Marrakesh.

With the utmost determination, yesterday I called Cleveland Clinic and spoke to Tina, the rep handling my file. I felt bad calling again after sending several email messages with no response over the past three weeks. Tina explained that the doctor has been on vacation and is returning tomorrow, Wednesday. Of course, he didn’t look at files in his absence to determine who takes priority in upcoming appointments.

Tina apologized profusely, especially when I jogged her memory, about how my UPS package was lost after delivery to the clinic, which was verified with the tracking order. At that point, until they found the file, I’d lost a week on the waiting list. Tina promised to work on getting me an appointment as soon as possible.

I am not holding my breath, but I am a little more hopeful that I will hear something soon. They will want me to see a cardiologist to do the ultrasound again. However, I sent them two of the three ultrasounds I had done: one in South Africa, another in Ecuador, and the third, most recently in Las Vegas.

In most cases, a medical facility wants to do its tests, and I have no problem with that. I expected another cardiology appointment. Tina is working on setting this up for me. We shall see.

So here we are, one day from departing Arizona to drive to Los Angeles to see my sister. As of this morning, before I started this post, I am fully packed. Tom will head to the Mesa Airport at noon to pick up the rental car, which we’ll keep all the way to Minnesota until May 30, which I hope is big enough for all of our stuff. We’re hauling the extra foodstuffs we’ll use in Minnesota at the Residence Inn with a full kitchen. It’s not that we’ll do a lot of cooking, but avoiding eating out when we’re not dining out with the kids will be good.

The hotel room isn’t big enough to have the family come for dinner, and since they don’t cook much, we won’t be dining at their homes. We will figure it all out once we get settled there.

Separating the packing for the road trip and the first few weeks in Minnesota was easy. Until we know when we’ll need to head to Cleveland, we won’t fully unpack. There isn’t enough drawer and closet space in hotels for all of our stuff.

Yesterday, on our way to Taco Tuesday on Monday at the VFW, we stopped by the Goodwill store to drop off a bag of clothes I no longer wear. This eliminated about ten pounds of unnecessary items. Each time we pack, I make every attempt to lighten our load.

Afterward, we stopped at Walgreens for Margie and CVS for Colleen and then went to the taco lunch. Once again, we had a lovely time and returned to our place around 3:00 pm. I did a little more organizing, after which we settled in for the remainder of the day and evening.

The taco salads we ordered were small, and by 6:00 pm, we were both hungry again. I made a huge onion, ham, and cheese omelet with bacon on the side that we shared. We are taking Margie and Colleen out to dinner again at JJ Madisons, which we all enjoyed. There aren’t a lot of restaurants we like in Apache Junction, so we’re happy to drive for 15 minutes to this establishment for today’s dinner.

Tomorrow, since we’re leaving early, I will write the post while in the car on our way to Los Angeles. Once we arrive there, the other days will be easy to do the posts in the mornings before we head to Julie’s home where we’ll spend the day. Julie has a severe ankle injury, and she’s unable to walk. Thus, we won’t be sightseeing. We’ll help her get into the car when we go to dinner each night and lunch with the cousins on May 4. It will all work out.

Be well.

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

Shop owners and workers in the souk often play with their phones as they await the next customer. For more photos, please click here.

Two days and counting…Slight change in plans…

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Colorful handbags are on display in the souk in Marrakesh, Morocco, and many have designer labels that are “knockoffs.”

It’s shortly after 8:00 am, and we have the laundry going in the building close to the business office. I’m still amazed by the software on my phone that allows us to pay for and start the washers and dryers. Now, back at our place, knowing we’re leaving for Taco Tuesday on Monday at the local VFW at 11:30, we knew we needed to get going early today.

We’re both showered and dressed for the day and have made the bed. I’ve even managed to get in a little more packing this morning, knowing we’re packing two ways: one batch for when we arrive in Minnesota, the second for the three days in California, and the four or five-day road trip.

As it turns out, we won’t attend Sister Beth’s 70th (anniversary of being a nun) Jubilee Celebration until June 15. At first, it was explained that only one family member could attend the event due to a shortage of space, so we thought we’d go early to see her. But yesterday, we received the notice that all the siblings and spouses could attend.

As a result, we’ve decided to drive to Minnesota from California. We’ll stay at a hotel from our arrival date, May 8th or 9th, check out on June 14, leave our bags at the hotel, take only enough for two days in Milwaukee, and then drive to Wisconsin for the event. When we return, we’ll check into the hotel and stay put until we need to go to Cleveland Clinic.

If we do it this way, we won’t have to pay for two hotel rooms simultaneously. With the high cost of hotels and all the fees and taxes, it makes much more sense to do it this way. As a result, we’ll never unpack when we arrive in Minnesota for the first month. We can easily launder the clothes we wore for California and the road trip and wear those again, never having to open our suitcases until we finally settle in after returning to Minnesota in mid-June.

We’d love to have been able to stay in a holiday home in Minnesota, but the prices were either too high or the locations were not safe. Our best option is to stay in a hotel with a kitchen and maid service since we could be there for a few months or more. Only time will tell.

Yesterday, we ate dinner around 3:30 pm, and by 4:15, we were at Margie’s home for the four of us to play cards. We had a great time, laughing and talking, while Tom won most of the games. I didn’t win a game, although I won many hands. It’s not so much about winning, although I’d like to, but the pleasure of playing with his sisters makes it quite enjoyable.

As of now, we’ve already switched the laundry to the dryers, and everything will be dry in about 35 minutes. Tom will pick it up, and I’ll fold everything when he returns, carefully sorting what we’ll take to use for the road trip and what we’ll leave in our suitcases for future reference.

We still have a lot of packing, most of which we’ll do tomorrow in plenty of time for our departure on Wednesday. Tomorrow, Colleen will drop Tom off at the Mesa airport to pick up the rental car. Today, he fill Margie’s car with gas and get it washed. We didn’t use it for more than 150 miles and are grateful for the loan.

As for posting during the road trip, we’ll try to post each day, including some photos we encounter. Driving to California is mostly desert, so there won’t be much to see, and we’ll want to get there in time for dinner with Julie. We have a reservation in Los Angeles for 6:30 pm. It’s about a seven-hour drive, and we hope to stop for breakfast in the first few hours.

Plus, we’ll get checked into the hotel in Santa Monica before we head to Julie’s house to pick her up for dinner. It will be wonderful to see my sister. It’s been at least four years since we were together.

Be well.

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

Products such as these are often offered for sale and placed on the ground in the Big Square. For more photos, please click here.

Three days and counting…Time to “get the show on the road”…

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It is a commonly seen type of wall art in Morocco, utilizing well-crafted stained glass.

The month in Apache Junction is almost over. We’ll drive away in three days. Colleen and Margie are the only two sisters yet to leave, and they’ll be returning to Minnesota in a little over a week. Of course, once we get to Minnesota around May 12, we’ll see them all again, except for Rita, who lives in South Dakota.

Tom has six sisters, a few of whom we hadn’t seen while in Arizona this past month. One is Patty, who lives in Blaine, Minnesota, and his sister Betty, known as Sister Beth, who lives in a retirement home for nuns in Milwaukee, whom we’ll visit on our way to Minnesota, most likely seeing her around May 9 or 10th, while we spend one night in Wisconsin. The next day, we head to Minnesota.

We have a reservation in a Residence Hotel in Eden Prairie for May 23, when we thought we’d stay here longer. But, since we’re leaving early, we’ll need accommodations when we arrive, two weeks earlier than planned. But, in this case, we’ve decided to wait to book those first two weeks to avoid having any pressure during the road trip. That way, we can take our time.

Also, we haven’t informed Sister Beth that we’re coming to see her and won’t do so until a day or two before our arrival. That way, it will prevent her from being concerned about our arrival.

We’ll do our last loads of laundry tomorrow morning and then join Colleen and Margie for “Taco Tuesday on Monday” at the local VFW. We’ll have a late lunch and won’t be concerned about dinner. If we get hungry, we can eat the remaining bacon and eggs.

Yesterday, I made a turkey breast with leftovers for today, with rice for Tom and salad for both of us. Today, before visiting Colleen and Margie, we eat the leftovers. Soon, I’ll make a fresh salad since we have ingredients we need to use. We’ve used everything that was in the freezer and most of the food in the refrigerator.

We’ll be taking seasonings and non-perishables with us since we were in Minnesota, and we’ll have a full kitchen at the residence hotel and be able to cook. We could be in Minnesota for quite some time and don’t want to eat out every day as we’ve often done. Dining out is very costly in the US.

Last fall, we were shocked in Minnesota when we started ordering Jimmy John’s unwich sandwiches to pick up rather than have delivered where there are so many fees. However, we get free delivery with Grubhub, which is offered to Amazon Prime members. The cost was $22 for each sandwich, including no sides. It doesn’t make sense to pay that much for a breadless sandwich. We can purchase the ingredients at a grocery store and get two to three meals by making our own.

We’ll possibly be staying in the hotel in Minnesota for two to three months as we await my appointment at Cleveland Clinic. With the cost of staying in a hotel for so long, we will be mindful of our other expenses. Also, renting a car in the US for such an extended period will be costly. It would be fine if we could keep our food costs in check. No one ever plans to live in a hotel for so long, but with a kitchen, we’ll be fine.

Once we get to Cleveland, we will repeat our living style in Minnesota, staying in a residence-type hotel with a kitchen and making our meals. While I am recovering, Tom can make easy meals, order takeaway, or pick up food ready to eat.

I took a break from this post and emptied a full-size suitcase for us to use to take in and out of the hotel in Santa Monica and on the road trip. This way, we won’t have to haul all of our bags into the hotel room each night. We have a big blanket to cover any bags in the vehicle’s trunk. My main clothing bag is packed, and I have a bag of clothes to drop off at Goodwill in Apache Junction.

Be well.

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

Baskets of spices outside a spice shop in the souk in The Big Square in Marrakesh. For more photos, please click here.