Last of March

 Hoping that this last day of March brings some much needed rain to the Carolinas, with the cold front that is expected.

Cars on Old 70 approach the turn onto Walker Rd, where my neighbor has planted some lovely spring blooms.

I can only dream about a tree like this, but then again, what kind of willow has purple flowers? They don't even look like wisteria flowers!

Quince has been blooming for about a week!

If this bee was so accommodating, I also am grateful for the photographer on the ground capturing a sunset.

Feeling grateful for having survived the pneumonia, and now a week of hiding from smoke of wildfires, and extremely grateful for the little rain that helped a lot, and maybe more is coming today!

I'm going to have the apartment inspected for my housekeeping today...a twice yearly thing as we have out of town owners...and they have verry strict rules to follow. I'm really grateful for the cleaner who worked me into her schedule, though she seems to be pulled this way and that by her 2 young boys (11 and 13 years). It's been wonderful having a clean house...and I keep telling myself that I can keep it this way all the time!

Today's quote:

If you look at every human being as a Divine mirror, you will know yourself and understand life. 

Sherif Baba

Truth

  Documentary about the Hurricane Helene storms and effects in North Carolina. 

Several cables still dangle from poles, and one pole lies along the side of the parking lot, left overs from 6 months ago's flood damage.

Maybe you can see the Canada Geese on the lake. Others were flying around, squawking away, but not landing yet!

Beautiful Trencadis mosaics by Gaudí, made of broken tiles, at Park Güell in Barcelona

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wildfires & smoke2025-03-27 162837, western NC

Mish mash of critters

 Looking through my collection of critters, I will offer what's already on file. Haven't met many new ones this week

Brown bears with salmon run

  

Llama  and Inca wall

Some rabbits for vernal equinox

Mandarin Duck

Sharing  with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

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Today's quote:

Life should not be lived through a series of mind games, but instead with truth and self-reflection.

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Today's art:

By Carol Long

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Family  album:

A birthday gathering for my ex-hubby in 2023 for his 84th, with son Marty standing behind him, then my grandsons Michael and William, with ex's cousin Margaret and her hubby behind them. 

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Smoke continues, so I wear my N-95 mask when going out. It's no fun having my windows with curtains and blinds down...but by evening, I start to cough without that precaution, just sitting near the windows. Fires continue in the mountains within a few miles, and we're sure hoping for rain soon.  Forecast for tomorrow now (originally said Monday.) I'll take it, any time possible. Poor fire fighters from all over have been working so hard.

For the bookish among us

At Lake Tomahawk there are two free libraries, one for adults, one for children's books. I gave you this peek a few days ago.

I guess someone is reading all the adult books. Mmm, have to see if I have any to donate! They are supposed to return them of course!

Children's books were there that day, gone the next.

I and some of my friends are lovers of books...and usually are reading at least one, while there's a pile waiting for us.

My current fun is rereading Sir Terry Pratchett's Wee Small Men with Tiffany Aching. They may be geared for young adult, but are smashingly funny anyway. I'm listening to this one, and have several others of the series waiting. I just finished several non-fictions, and am due for a few laughs.

I was happy to have access to audio library books on my phone for my recent hospital visit. The TV was awful, and I hate daytime TV anyway. (a tiny blurry screen, Direct TV choices.)

I recently posted this photo of my mother while on vacation, and she enjoyed reading more than any activities. She never enjoyed being photographed though.

Linnie and Lou(ise) George, distant cousins of mine, 1880. We shared our ggg grandparents  One of them wrote her journal of moving from Alabama to northern Louisiana, with all the trials of growing up and being educated in the south before the Civil War. I've transcribed it for my descendants if they are ever interested. Here's the first of four chapters describing their lives. They were my first cousins three times removed.

Sarah Louise George Tompkins Specht, journal keeper (Lou George) at 84 in 1926

A tea party with laughs, unknown date (maybe 1900?)

Teresa and her hubby, Chuck, in Pigeon Forge TN a few weeks ago. She is one of my favorite book-lover friends. And yes, that's really his beard!

Sharing with Sepia Saturday where there's anything one wants to share that perhaps is related to the posted meme of the week. Yes, there's a fellow reading late into the night. I know the feeling, and fortunately nobody has taken my photo while doing that.

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Today's quote:

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age.

-Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934)

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Today's art:

Cyndy Salisbury...paper artist..mask maker..sculptor....Bainbridge Island..Washington

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(More) Family Album:

Granddaughter Kate

My middle son Russ, and his daughter Kate, 2023-24

Kate's senior photo

Kate recently played Lacrosse in tournaments with her team in Clearwater FL (they live in OH). Then she and her family went to Berlin Germany for a week to meet with her sister who's doing a study abroad semester. Such fun to have those opportunities for this family!

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Sequestered!

Smoke from wildfires several miles away, came roaring (blowing!) through last evening. Sitting in my living room with windows closed, but curtains and blinds up, I started coughing.

So now blinds are down, and curtains closed. It's a dull place inside, while bright sun shines outside.

Screen shot of warning of unhealthy air last evening.

It has gone down this morning. I'm wearing my N-95 mask when I go pick up my lunch at the senior center.

Wildfires - environment keeps changing

Thanks to Good Morning America for featuring Asheville 6 months after Hurricane Helene, and raising $2.7 million to help - this morning.

Last night and this morning...

My environment:

Black Cove Complex fire

^ Made up of three fires totaling 6,500 acres

* Two largest fires are now 10-20% contained

* Two fires caused by downed power lines

* Third fire cause still under investigation

- Blaze has spread into Henderson County

- 250 houses evacuated

- Named highest priority fire in southern U.S. (3.26.25)

The 4556 acre Table Rock Fire lights the Carolinas Sky. Started in Pickens County, SC, the fire is now encroaching into Transylania County, NC, near Brevard 3.27.2025

Black Mountain is to the east (right) of Asheville, about 15 miles along I-40.

And Facebook just posted this (Thurs, 11:15 am)

Questions and recovery

 

Medical realities:

Dr. at hospital was checking my condition (no touch, just an interview by my bedside) and I started having the problem which has become worse with this visit. My word finding ability when speaking was horrible...not just what's the word I want for say, a kind of cookie that's black on the outside with sweet on the insides...an Oreo...but saying  words that were kind of similar sounding but of no meaningful connection. This newer thing was saying 'dollhouse' instead of 'doorknob'!

And my respiratory doctor said, you've been taking this drug for how long for your essential tremors? 

A couple of years, I answered. A low dose of an anti-epileptic which also made my hands somewhat more steady...though lately it hasn't been working all that well.

He said that could be causing my mental frustrations. And how did he know? His father had had the same symptoms, and gone through neurological testing to determine if he had Alzheimers (where word jumble happens.) Then he stopped this one drug and things cleared up for him. 

I said that he was lucky to have a son who was a doctor.

He said his father was a doctor also.

Wow, so I thought, maybe normal aging of just forgetting names that I want to remember (movies and singers at the top) can be mine again. No more dollhouses?

I'm now on day 5 without Primidone. Shaky fingers no worse, but can still type. Mental? Who knows, since I'm home pretty isolated. But I have had a few phone conversations, without any big 'dollhouses' evident.

The eyes:

And yesterday talked with my Care Manager by phone, mentioned this conversation...and he could find nothing in his literature (google?) indicating this side effect to Premarin! I called him about my eyes giving me trouble, and my remembering some drug(s) with side effects that effect one's vision. But of course I don't know which one I might be taking that might do that.

So the problem is that the eyes are slow to react to light...and my right eye doesn't dilate at the same rate as my left one. Looking in the hand mirror in a dark room, I would then look towards the window, and my right eye stayed darker quite a noticeable bit longer to change.

Healing:

So I have a doc appointment  this (written on Tues) morning, to check on vision difficulties, and update post-hospital. It's with a new PA so she won't have knowledge of the Premarin thing probably. But I need on record that this is happening, and maybe get suggestions.

And now, something more upbeat!

Wednesday night note:

The PA who examined my eyes agreed I had slow response to light. She referred me to an Eye Doc...not an optometrist, but an ophthalmologist? Whichever, they haven't called yet to set up an appointment.

I'm through taking all the meds from hospitalization, no more antibiotic on an empty stomach and steroids on a full stomach. And now I'm a bloated mess. I hope this weight gain and overly hydrated goes away...about 6 pounds increase in the last week! Silly me, when I'm sick why would I gain weight?

If it's not one thing...

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And today marks 6 months since a lot of rain and wind (remains of Hurricane Helene) ruined the lives and livelihoods and homes of many people here in  Western North Carolina. It will be featured at 7 am on Good Morning America. Since I've been waking up at 5 am lately, this should be a breeze for me to see. (Hospital stays do change one's schedule!)

My environment and hospital food

 

This tree just shines in dawn light as the sun hits it first thing, and I love seeing it out my window, but can't capture that from the distance.

These are the slim and not so healthy (tiny green shoots!) remains of the lilies of the valley under the big old maple tree.

Hospital notes: 

I had a rather limited view of Asheville downtown looking north. That big window also made my room very cold at times. When I first came in (4 or 5) I finally asked for some way to be warmer. The thermostat had been set at 55  degrees F, and outside was in the 30s and rapidly going down.

Parts of this hospital are quite old, so the houses around it are probably either residences of staff, or perhaps changed into specialty offices of doctors.

Looking over the roof of another wing of the hospital, which has just been refurbished before being bought out by HCA, a conglomerate which the public of  Asheville has complained about since...at least I had a view of the mountains that lie to the north. There are still legal cases being worked about problems of care that don't meet the contracts, and staff shortages publicized frequently, and lots of complaints.

I have to say that all the staff that I met went far beyond just a smile and doing their "defined job."

There was just one guy working with me in the ER was not sure of things, but he admitted that even though it was his first day there, he'd been doing this for 30 years.

There were a couple of places where shortcomings were evident. The housekeeping seemed nil...a very streaked mirror, dust all over bedside table, medical stuff (tubes in baggies) left lying around, sticky places on the floor (before getting socks to wear) and the night nurse had to collect the bags of soiled linens and trash.

I did have some delicious beef stroganoff, without a creamy sauce. The beef was tender and lean, and the best thing I think I ate the whole visit.

My friendly nurse, Becca, was on two shifts while I was there, so she introduced me to an alternative menu that was available for patients who didn't want the standard menu from the "kitchen." We went through making my choices, when I knew I'd be staying over the second night, because I hadn't been there to order for the first day, and missed at least one meal because I needed a test on an empty stomach.

So I chose a delightful sounding breakfast, and a lunch with a hamburger and a baked potato and a salad.

Breakfast- I received scrambled eggs, sausage and little cut up potatoes with lots of seasoning. All unsalted. That's apparently a no-no for a regular diet (not diabetic, not carb reduced, not vegetarian, etc.) There was a tiny packet of salt that I added to the eggs.  Why? Because all I've been able to return to tasting so far are salt and sweet...and unfortunately, pepper. Which I don't like. I scrape if off if I can.  Anyway, my super breakfast didn't come, and I asked the server if I could get what I'd ordered, and she said it would take a while. I just said I'd be happy to eat this. And I did.

When the same thing happened at lunch, I took what came. I later mentioned it to my last nurse (not Becca who helped place my orders that hadn't been fulfilled.) She said that must have been someone new. Because they hadn't been doing that since before covid! That was 5 years ago. I laughed. Poor Becca went to all that trouble for me, and did I ever have my hopes up to have something beside hospital food. I ate my chicken stew with a biscuit made of puff pastry on top.

Here's my dinner, first day.  It had grilled chicken strips with imbedded pepper, so I ate just a couple, and used my tiny salt packet on half the broccoli and half the rice,, which I ate...as well as the pineapple (not sour, but naturally sweet). I drank the sweet tea as well as some non-brand ginger ale, and saved the jello for a snack.

If you notice I can't always come up with a correct simple word, I blame it on brain disfunction, which became even worse while I was there at the hospital.

I did talk to the doctor about that, and that's my next story I'll tell you!

Today's quote:

Observers in the full enjoyment of their bodily senses pity me, but it is because they do not see the golden chamber in my life where I dwell delighted; for, dark as my path may seem to them, I carry a magic light in my heart. Faith, the spiritual strong searchlight, illumines the way, and although sinister doubts lurk in the shadow, I walk unafraid towards the Enchanted Wood where the foliage is always green, where joy abides, where nightingales nest and sing, and where life and death are one ... 
      -  Helen Keller, Midstream, My Later Life.

Today's art:

An Invitation, 2019 by Andrea Kowch

I always get a kick out of these surrealistic/photo realistic interactions between women and animals, and often food. There's a story there which some readers of mine might be able to define...and I can't!

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Today's family album:

Ancestors from my ex-husband's family: his Uncle Carl Heym who served in WWI as a sergeant in the US Army Ordnance Department. He is shown with his mother, Fannie Martin Heym in 1919. Fannie was also mu ex's grandmother, though he never met her.