Life Goes Marching On

Here we are in month 11 of 2018.  2019 will bring our 30th wedding anniversary, Jenna and Jon's 15th, Tony and Marie's 8th and David and Brenda's 3rd. I'm sure the whole family will have a whole new set of adventures in the coming year!  Who knows, maybe we'll get a new grandbaby!

I am still adjusting to not working and haven't found my new normal yet, but I continue to explore.  I am getting to read more which I enjoy and sitting on the lanai with Tony in the afternoon has become a favorite thing.  We crank up our "growing up" music, or play light classical pieces and drink wine when we want to feel sophisticated!  Dixie is always there; tasting the wine and sleeping through the music, usually on Tony's lap!

Tony went to Charlotte for Veteran's Day.  He, Tony Jr and the boys went to an airshow.  It seems that all of the Swegle men have their eyes in the skies when it comes to airplanes.  They all had a great time.

David, Brenda and Alex will be here for Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to seeing them again.  I can't wait to see how Alex and Dixie interact. I think they are equally as tall, so we should get some good pictures!

This Sunday, we start car shopping.  We will ultimately go down to one car, but for now, we are just replacing Tony's.  Just like restaurants, Wilmington is full of car dealerships so we will have a lot to look at. 

Tony replaced our outdoor shed this week since Florence took our old one.  He ordered a bigger one from Rubbermaid and put it together in the garage.  I got to hold the roof down while he put the screws in and then I pushed on the walls so he could get them aligned.  I told him that helping him entitled me to half building credit, but he worked so hard on it, I couldn't steal any of his thunder.  

I had my third light treatment on Monday.   I think I am seeing a difference in my skin, but need to have additional treatments before any real progress happens.  I was in for a minute and fifteen seconds this time.  I have another treatment and a consultation with the dermatologist on Thursday.  

And so, life goes marching on.  Thank goodness!

Please enjoy pictures of some of our beautiful grandchildren (and the shed):

Our new shed and grill

Alex and her first sucker

Alex sending Papa Veteran's Day greetings

Goofy Boys

Swegle Men at the airshow

Anthony, Tony and Coleton watching airplanes against a blue sky

49 Seconds

I had my first photo light session for my skin yesterday.  We drove for 30 minutes to the dermatologist for a 49 second treatment.  

It's kind of an interesting process.  The booth is the size of a small shower so before I went through with the procedure, I had to know I could get out if my claustrophobia kicked in.

The technician gave me step by step instructions and I was ready to go.  So, here I am in panties, a bra and goggles.  It was some look!  Tony stayed in the procedure room so he needed goggles too.  He didn't look as silly as I did because he had his clothes on.

And so, with the lights shining on my skin, I stood there for 49 seconds and hoped this was the first step into getting clearer  skin.  We shall see. 

I am officially not working anymore.  I got a dozen beautiful red roses that were the envy of the Emergency Room (and isn't that really the point of getting flowers!!) and I was on my way.  

Unfortunately, my "new" normal is looking a lot like my old normal....Dr. Phil, showering, Dr. Phil.  Not really...I manage to fit in laundry, cleaning, playing with Dixie, reading, Lanai sitting with Tony and bill paying in the course of my day.  But, it is really, really different than when I was working.  Other than early doctors appointments, it's great to open my eyes, look at the clock and say, "cool, I can sleep for another half an hour!"  

We are getting closer and closer to car shopping.  We are trading in Tony's car and keeping mine for awhile.  We are hoping for some great year end deals, but we will see.  So far, getting a Kia is top on the list, but I would like to see other options.  It's going to be Tony's choice, so I will go with whatever, but it's fun to anticipate a new car.  We are both over 100,000 miles and that is the most I have ever had on a car.  But, I love my Toyota and it is still strong and reliable. Seriously, have you ever seen as many  grey Toyota's on the roads than there are now?  It's a sign!!  Not blue or black, grey!

We had our friends, Beecher and Carol over the other night.  They are moving and we will miss them.  But, they are not moving that far away so we will still see them from time to time.   It was fun sitting on the Lanai and getting to know each other better.  They sang us their wedding song (country western and really silly!) and we played ours..."Two Less Lonely People In The World" by Air Supply.  Very cool.  At our ages, second marriages are the norm, so it was fun to compare notes!!

Tony will be in Charlotte this weekend with the kids. They are going to an air show and having family pictures taken.  I hope to get one with Tony and the grand-boys when they are photographing.  

I have an exciting weekend planned.  I'm going to clear out the closet in the office!!  I have business clothes and evening wear that I won't need now and hopefully, someone at the Women's Shelter will decide they are exactly what is needed in their closet.  Wow...how exciting!  But, I will also be going to a neighborhood good-bye party for Beecher and Carol so that will be fun.  Hmmm....party or checking out our grandson's "man poop."  I think I am on the winning end of this weekend!

As always, the year has gone quickly by.  David, Brenda and Alex will be here for Thanksgiving, Donna and Bob will be back in January through March and Chris, Shannon and Emma will be here in April.  We hope to see Sarah and Steven this year.  Another year, another fun filled adventure.  

And so, another light treatment tomorrow--one minute and twenty seconds this time.  Hopefully, the injections will be approved soon.  Another 30 minute drive for a minute in the treatment...doesn't seem logical, but I will do whatever I need to do to get this fixed.

Blue Light Photo Box Therapy

For 13 years my skin has been a problem.  It started with a feral cat bite and morphed into an auto immune disorder.  I reached the end of my rope this month.  As I described in my last post, purple skin and lesions were just too much for me. 

I went back to my dermatologist and she suggested a different kind of therapy while they work with my insurance company on getting approval for injections that can get pricey.

Starting November 5, twice a week, I'll be having Blue Light Photo Box Therapy, which is a fancy name for standing in a shower like booth and having ultra violet rays bounce off of my skin.

The therapy itself begins with just seconds in the light until your skin gets used to it.  The rays are the safest part of the spectrum and it isn't a long term solution.  

Right  now, I'm back on a steroid and an anti bacterial skin cream.  I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but my skin is now two toned--purple and pink.  I'll take that over what it was.  And, I can actually walk without my skin rubbing against my slacks and opening up.  

The weather has turned absolutely beautiful.  It's cool in the mornings and evenings and the highs now are in the 70's.  I love it.

I'm still working on what my new normal is going to be.  There is a Writer's Conference at UNCW in November that I want to attend and  Compass Pointe had a Craft Fair last weekend where our friends, Jan and Stu, showed off their talents.  Stu is a wood worker and I bought two great pieces from him.  Jan does jewelry, bird houses and Christmas ornaments.  Jan is going to teach me how to make jewelry and I'm looking forward to a new creative outlet.

Tony mentioned cooking a meal once a week.  I started to think about the last time I cooked a full meal all by myself and I couldn't remember when that was.  I'm guessing that cooking is not going to be part of my new normal!

This is 3 "air plants" Stu mounted on driftwood

Dixie wanted to ensure it wasn't something she could eat

This is a bowl that Stu made from Sweet Gum wood

Here is Dixie napping--she doesn't care about crafts!

This is a Christmas Tree that Jan made from a bunch of pistachio shells paint-sprayed white with silver sprinkles.

     

Alex, Michael and Jan

You can really see time fly by when you have grandchildren.  It seems like we just welcomed Alex into the world and then she turned one, just the other day.  It doesn't seem possible, but she is walking, waving, laughing, running, swimming, cutting teeth and being charming.  She is such a tiny, little  thing, but she is all wrapped up in cuteness and light.  

We went to Florida for her 1st birthday party and had a great time.  David showed his bakery mastery again with a beautiful cake celebrating everything that Alex loves.  She was surrounded by a loving family and all kinds of presents!!

She smashed her cake with glee and was a true birthday princess!  

After we came home, we dealt with hurricane Michael that hit south Florida.  We made sure that our favorite Aunt, Gerri, who lives in Sandestin, Florida was OK and then rode out the wind and rain that reached up from the south.  It was certainly nothing like Florence, but annoying none the less.  We lost power and Tony's pine trees took another hit, but once again, we were so, so lucky compared to many others who had to brave the worst of the storm.  

After that, it was another round of doctor's appointments--this time focused on my psoriasis.  My legs and chest got infected to the point that my skin was a Merlot shade of purple and I had open lesions on my legs.  On the positive side, people at work thought I was young enough to be having menopausal hot flashes that turned my skin a deep red color--on the negative side, I hit menopause in my 40's and this was really intense pain-wise.  It burned and itched.  I went back to the dermatologist and now on a regiment that will address the infection and attack the actual disease.  

Squeezed in among all of that was another trip to a new doctor and a rescheduled heart doctor's appointment.  

I have 5 official days left to work and that will be it for me.  November 3rd will be my last working day.  I am glad and I am sad, but mostly glad.  I have to define my new normal now and get my health under control.  It will be nice to plan things without having to consult my work schedule or worry about having to get up early the day after an important event. 

Fall brings many good things for us.  I love our clam bakes, fires and sitting on the Lanai with blankets.  We are having friends over in the next few weeks and I am looking forward to that.  

Tony will be going back to Florida soon for the charity golf event that he does with David and then, David, Brenda and Alex will be here for Thanksgiving.  What a crazy year.  What a happy year.  

I am one!!

The Aftermath

The rain is gone, the wind is soft.  We have sunshine and beautiful weather again.  When I look out the windows I see white clouds drifting and rolling by as if they are being manipulated, like Pinocchio,  across a big blue stage.  

We have driven around the development a few times and count our blessings each time.  Although, overall damage in Compass Pointe was minimal, we fared so much better than others.

We saw the most dramatic damage yesterday.  We were on our way to the mall (past the downtown area.)   As we approached,  we saw more and more downed trees that had damaged homes, bent fences, took down phone wires and traffic lights and broken up sidewalks.    

The trees in that area are mature and in some cases, suffering from rot on random larger limbs.  The power of the wind pushed the trees over so that their roots were exposed and standing 3 to 4 feet above the ground while the body of the trees laid majestically against the houses, their upper most leaves fanned out on the roof.   

As we went over the bridge (to downtown), we saw a sail boat, twisted and resting on the shores of the Cape Fear River and a small power boat that did not survive the churning waves and powerful wind.    

It was a sad drive, but a successful outing.  Tony found a small grill to replace the one that Florence destroyed and we stocked up on candles and batteries.  Wal-Mart was definitely the place to be yesterday!

Dixie is glad the storm is over.  She has been trembling of late when she hears thunder, so we got her some, "liquid marijuana!"   It's actually just a hemp based dog medication that calms them down.  She stayed close to us during the storm and it didn't seem to matter to her that we lost power and couldn't watch Dr. Phil.  

We are shifting back into our routine slowly.  The golf course was open on Thursday so Tony worked.  The traffic routes to the hospital have all been cleared so I am working today.  It will be odd to go back since I have not been there in so long. 

I hope we don't experience a storm like Florence again, but if we do, we are now better prepared.  

Tony building our new grill 

The dented, broken grill attacked by Florence 

Every time we give her the liquid marijuana, I expect

her to get the munchie but she pretty much just  chills out.  

Hello Flo!

It's finally over.  Florence has come and gone and as the news people are saying, "good bye and good riddance."  The rain and wind started on Thursday evening.  It was amazing.  I saw trees bow to the sheer power of the wind and water rippling down our street like a small river.  

I read one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's book in her prairie series when I was in elementary school.    In it, she described experiencing a tornado.  She and her family were in the cellar and she could hear the sound of the wind.  She felt confined and wanted to be able to breathe in the air and see what was happening.  I felt the same way.  We could see and hear the storm, but I felt stuck and sticky.  But the rain hitting the pine trees unleashed the smell of pine.  I loved the smell.  It was fresh and liberating.  

We lost power at 6:45 a.m. on Friday and it didn't come back on until Monday night at 9:45.  We used the generator sparingly and managed to keep hot water until Sunday night.  We got creative with lighting.  We have solar powered, stand alone garden lights in the yard.  We brought some of them inside and used the lighting from them instead of candles.  It was dim, but it worked. 

We did attempt to leave on Sunday but flooded highways and police turned us back.  We saw cars stuck on roads with water up to the door handles and massive trees uprooted, many blocking house entry ways and garages.  

Highway signs were bent and displaced and we saw a gas station with the overhead awning totally destroyed and laying on the pumps.  

On Sunday and Monday, lines for gas were 3 hours long and many were turned away as the gas ran out.  Luckily, Tony filled both cars before the storm.  Grocery stores were closed and those that opened on Sunday had long lines of people waiting outside in the rain to get in.  Drug stores were closed, but many sent out email warnings about getting meds before the storm hit.  

All in all, we were very lucky.  We survived with minimal damage.  The wind took our portable garden shed and flew it two yards away, including over a tall fence.  Tony's grill was destroyed and two of our pine trees were damaged.  

Destroyed plants, no power, cold showers and Scrabble by candle light were very small things to deal with when we looked at the damage that others had sustained.  

We are confident now that our house will stand up to a major storm so if this happens again, we will evacuate right away.  

Here she comes!

View from the Lanai, the trellis went over and one of

 the large bushes in the background was uprooted 

The cornhole games were in the shed that flew away.  The games fell out. 

 There goes the grill.  Five minutes later it on blown 

over face down on the grass, propane tank included

Scrabble instead of Dr. Phil....hmmmm

The shed door landed on our small island

The day after

I will share  more of our adventures soon.  Right now, I'm off to take a hot, hot shower!

We are well.  

An Odd Normal

We are settling into an odd "normal."  Normal used to be one of us going to work (depending on the day), watching Dr. Phil (um, that would be me, not Tony!!)  Doing odds and ends, doing laundry, reading, watching a movie and in general just being here.

"Normal" since Florence has been watching the weather channel, checking radar, enjoying a brisk breeze on the lanai and preparing the house.

The wind is picking up again.  Trees and flowers and "bouncing" up and down to the rhythm of Florence.  Tony braced our favorite palm tree and I hope nothing happens to it.  The beautiful potted flowers that Tony planted in the spring are taking a beating and we aren't even in the worst of the storm yet.

I watch the weather channel and see many of the places that we have been over the years.  It's odd to see them as being in the path of harm instead of being on the path of future growth.  

Dixie is getting more and more nervous, even with her medicine.  She senses the change in the temperature and pressure and stays close to us.  She's not sure what is going on, but she knows she doesn't like it.  

We didn't sleep in the closet last night, but may this evening.  2:00 to 4:00 a.m. seems to be a theme in the weather community so we anticipate that may be the worst time for us. 

We got the scrabble game out just to pass time.  Tony beat me again, but not by as much as usual.  It's something different to do while we wait.  

Here are some new pictures:

Beautiful flowers taken yesterday....

....bent by the wind today.

The same photo subject from earlier....gray clouds.  

You can hardly see the house across the street 

Scrabble, part of our new normal