The War is On

I have seen old pictures of myself recently and asked, "where is that woman today?"   In those pictures, I am smiling, I look happy and I appear to be in good health.  I have also noticed that during much of my adult life, my legs looked good.  My father used to tell me that I had my mother's legs.  She was an elevator operator in one of the large, downtown department stores when she was in her 20's.  He told me that when the elevator was coming down from floors above to the lobby area, all you could see was my mother's great legs arriving first. 

 

My legs aren't great anymore.  They are ravaged and riddled with the end results of a skin disorder.  I hate the way they look.  But, we continue to challenge the disorder with varying doses of medication, each one stronger than the last. But now, there is  a new "thing."

 

Last week, Tony and I were watching a movie and I grew more and more uncomfortable.  My left side felt heavy and it was painful to move.  I went to work the next day and could hardly get out of my chair to approach patients. I felt like a turtle who had been turned over, shell side down, struggling to right myself and get on with life.   Several members of the staff told me to sign myself into the Emergency Room, so I knew I must have looked as bad as I felt. 

 

One of my favorite doctors in the Emergency Room did a quick examination and told me I probably had pneumonia. 

 

I saw our primary care doctor and got a chest xray and blood work.  I  am currently waiting for confirmation of a diagnosis.  He talked about pneumonia, Lupus and even a collapsed lung.  Each word sapped more and more of my strength.  I am tired of being sick and tired of being in pain. 

 

Yesterday, I decided the battle is on, I want my healthy life back. 

 

I love the fitbit that we got for Christmas and find myself paying more attention to what I am eating.  I push for extra steps and analyze my sleep patterns, hoping that I can maximize my time at rest to add to being healthy.  

 

I can't wait to go shopping with Donna again, have dates with Tony and visit with David and his new fiancée, Brenda. 

 

I can't wait to look at pictures of me, smiling because I feel good...and look better.  Stay tuned! I may lose a day or two, but I will win the war. 

Family

We all  have memories of our childhood...things that stand out to us either as  every day occurrences, or when something strikes a chord in the depth of our being and we identify it as something we remember fondly from years ago.

 

That happened to me this morning.  We spent the night at Donna and Bob's condo in Sunset Beach, Sunday over Monday.  We watched football and just hung around.  It was nice.  This morning, I had to work, so we got up early and Tony dropped me at work.  While I was getting ready for work, I could hear Donna and Tony talking in the kitchen.  I couldn't hear words, but conversation and laughter. It reminded me of growing up.  Of approaching our kitchen and hearing our parents talking "grown up stuff." I couldn't hear their words either, but I knew they were talking about things that would make our lives better.   It was a comforting feeling.  I wondered if Tony and Donna spent time around their kitchen table talking and planning their lives with their parents.  Their ease in conversation made me hope that all of our children enjoy that.  That there is someone around their kitchen tables that they are making memories with that will last for a long time. 

 

Family.  Such an important word.  Such a complex word.  We love it, we reject it, we find it again--thankfully but we don't appreciate it every day as we should.   Family.  The tie that binds.  The tie that cuts.  The tie that is really a thread in our family tree than spans generations. 

 

Family...what a powerful word.

 

To support our family, Tony will be traveling to Charlotte in a few days.  I will miss him, but I know that he will be helping Tony and Marie and making family memories with the kids. 

 

Family...what a powerful word. 

Stepping Through Life

I confess to jumping on various fads throughout my life--I did the loose top that fell off of one shoulder ala Flash Dance in the '80's, hit the gym in the '90's and got a Financial Planner in the new millennium.   And now, there's Fitbit.  The newest thing in personal health care management.

 

I mentioned in another blog that Tony and Marie got us each a Fitbit for Christmas, but did I mention that we are hooked?  I don't think this will be a quick fad--this is an awareness.  Its' primary function is to track the steps you take throughout the day and encourage you to get to 10,000 steps a day.  It also measures your sleep and awake times after you go to bed, counts your calories, tracks your weight and sends you encouraging "badges" when you achieve a goal.  You can challenge and track others, change your goals as you achieve them and watch the rate of your heart at rest and during vigorous exercise.

 

I enjoy getting the weekly summary reports of my progress and measuring how busy work is by the number of steps I took there (today, I was 400 steps shy of 10,000--a very busy day!)

 

I notice that I am moving more--walking more--taking the long way instead of the short cut.  This is a good thing.

 

With the Fitbit and Donna in town until March, who knows, maybe I'll get more healthy.  Maybe I'll eat better.  Maybe I'll hit 10,000 steps everyday.  I am stepping through life with this wrist watch looking device that holds my day and what I do with it in its memory.  How cool is that?

 

 

 

Another Christmas

If life was a movie with commercials, I feel like we have been in fast forward for the past month or two.  We are present in the moment and glad for it, but with an eye to what is next.  Where do we have to be?  What has to get done?  What is my schedule and what can we fit in around it?  How can we click fast forward to get to the next "thing?"   Faster, faster, faster, time goes by. 

 

Christmas is over, but not our memories of the time we spent with Coleton and Anthony.  We went to see them the day after Christmas. Tony and Marie surprised us with "Fitbits" to keep us healthy.  We use ours to track our steps, calories, heart rate and sleep patterns.  It's a really cool thing.  I got my first weekly summary today.  It shows that on average, I sleep 4 hours a night and am either restless or awake the other times.  I think that may be a bit off, because it also shows that I take zero time to get to sleep.  In other words, when my head meets the pillow, I'm out.  And, I really do think I sleep more than 4 hours.  Must be the re-set time. 

 

We got the kids a gift certificate to ImaginOn, so they can see a play (when they are older) or take part in a planned activity.  We also got books and some fun things to do.  We got Anthony a farmer driving a toy tractor with farm animals in it that make noise.  The tractor drives forward and makes really cool sounds.  Anthony loved it--unfortunately, so did Coleton.  But, Tony and Marie did a great job of demonstrating the importance of sharing and not knocking down your little brother because you want to play with his toy and you think the adults in the kitchen aren't watching.   "I was trying to hug him," Coleton said after doing the classic football personal foul move that brought Anthony down on his padded butt!   It was one of those moments where you can't laugh because poor Anthony was knocked down, but Coleton was so creative! 

 

It was busy, but it was also a relaxing time in a way, because we just focused on being with the kids. 

 

Tony and Marie are doing so well in their careers and focus in life.  They seem to be at that point in their careers where anything is possible.  Where everything they do is right and golden.  Where they are making a difference in the company and growing in the process. Marie has taken on a new venture that may turn out to be her road to a new business life.  She is doing marketing and sales for Rodan and Fields, the doctors that created "Proactive," but this is more for general skin care and maintenance than fixing acne.  This is her own business and she can take it anywhere she wants to.   Tony is focused on Rio and the next Olympics and has been travelling to get things in motion.  But, after Rio, who knows?

 

We touched base with David and Brenda and found that they had a nice Christmas too.  We hope to see them soon.

 

Enjoy our time with the Charlotte Swegles....

 

Dixie sat under our suitcase to make sure we didn't forget to take her!!

 

 

OMG....can he be any more cute!!

Coleton and a marathon....."CHEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!"

Fitbits and Babies!!

Daddy explains a "task chart..."

 

...While Mommy loves on Anthony!

...and Coleton!!

Coleton and his Papa

 

 

 

 

And tomorrow......well, get the candles, get the noise-makers, get the fire crackers!!!  Get ready for a celebration second to none.....Dixie's birthday!!!!

 

 

MORE TO COME....IT'S DIXIE'S DAY!!!

 

 

 

 

Christmas, 2015

I guess the wonder really never goes out of Christmas, no matter how old you are.  We had a wonderful Christmas and hope that all of those that we love did as well.

 

I worked Christmas Eve and will be leaving for work this afternoon again, so Tony had a great idea and started our Christmas when I got home last night and opened a bottle of Asti.  I love Asti and usually have it for New Year's Eve.  It was a nice surprise.  We sat in the warmth of the evening on the Lanai, enjoying the unusual weather for this time of year.  It was 73 when I got home last night and is going up to 79 today.  Even for North Carolina, that is really mild weather for Christmas. 

 

We toasted each other and the times we have shared and started to plan our next year together--a big 27 years as "The Swegles!!"   

 

This morning, we opened our gifts, glad to be able to share some time together today.  After that, we had a wonderful meal and soon, I will be off again to the Emergency Room.  Hopefully, it will be a light day, patient wise. 

 

We talked to Donna, who will be down with Bob next week and I called Lynn.  Tony and I sent her a few gifts and she opened them while we were on the phone.  It wasn't much, but at least when she got up this morning, there were things under her tree, purchased for just her with our good wishes. 

 

"Santa Claus" wise, we got some really nice gifts.  I got Tony a book on Salvatore Dali, since he enjoyed the exhibit that he and David saw in Florida.  We got each other matching gift cards to Applebees and I got shooting lessons.   I know, not something you get everyday, but Tony listened to me.  Many years ago I was going through a dark period in my life.  I felt overpowered, angry and quite vulnerable.  I went to a pistol range with a friend of mine and learned how to fire at a paper target with a small pistol.  The only other experience I had with guns was when Bill and I were married.  We went to a friend's ranch and I was encouraged to try to skeet shoot.  I was handed a long rifle and ended up flat on my back in the dust and with a dislocated shoulder when I fired at the target.   But, shooting at the firing range was different.  I felt empowered and strong.  I knew at that point that no one was ever going to physically harm me again.  Now, that doesn't mean that I'm going to be "packing" every time I go out, or have the slightest desire to purchase a weapon, but there is a tiny piece of my mind that whispers to me not to be afraid anymore--and that is worth so much.  The other good thing about getting this gift is that Brenda also shoots, so it's something we can do together when she visits.  Can you imagine the conversation at work???  "So, Jan, what did you and Brenda do when she was visiting--lunch, massages, getting your nails done?"   "No," I would reply, "we went to the pistol range!"

 

Tony also got me some very nice clothes (he has great taste!) and a gift certificate for a massage--something I really need.  I got Tony a golf shirt since he has been golfing more lately and a "jogging suit" that I encouraged him to just walk in and not jog. 

 

So, all in all, this was a very nice Christmas.  Tomorrow, we are on the road to Charlotte to see Coleton and Anthony.  I'm back to work on Monday--some sadist put me on the schedule for 6:30 in the morning, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then 11 to 11 p.m. on New Year's Eve.  Donna and Bob will be here to keep Tony company and I hope to be home in time to see the ball drop, bringing in 2016. 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our family and friends.  May you have as wonderful a day as we did and a bright and healthy new year.

 

 

Highlights:

 

Dixie will sit for hours looking out the window at nothing....do you think we could get her to look up at Daddy so he could get a nice picture of her under the tree--nope--just like a kid!

Our stockings, in front of the fireplace

The tree without Dixie!!

A beautiful card from Tony

A beautiful stuffed bird--also from Tony!

 

Home Again

Well, once again, we went to Cleveland early in December to see the grandchildren, family and go to our Financial Planner's Christmas party.  The weather cooperated for once and we enjoyed brisk but mild weather.

We stayed with Rose and Joe in Macedonia and were glad to see that Joe is almost finished with his medical treatments and is doing well.    Rose made everything perfect.  Like Donna and Bob, they are fantastic hosts. 

We tried not to cram a bunch of activities in this time, as we were going to stay with Tony, Marie and family on the way back and I had to work the very next day. 

 

I just couldn't wait to see Ben, Sam, Ellie and Zach.  We took Lynn with us to see them and their new house and we had a nice visit.  We bought some games and played them after we got a tour of the house from Ben and Sam and then  looked at the ornaments on the Christmas tree.  Ben is getting so tall, I couldn't believe it.  Sam is the same--a short, loud, little bullet.  Ellie opened up to us a bit more than she did last year and I felt like I made some progress with Zach.  He talked to me about the game we were playing (Operation) and said the noise the game made scared him.   We worked on it for awhile and he got used to the noise enough to laugh when it happened.   As always, Jon was a great host.  He played a word game with Tony, Lynn, Ben and Sam and they did really well.  It was a fill in the blank kind of game and they really got into it.   As always, the kids were very into Papa and he took turns playing the games with them. 

 

All too soon it was time to leave until next year and head to TGI Fridays to see our niece, Sarah and her significant other, Steven.  It seems like we spent a lot of time in Cleveland just eating--and all of the food was great!!

 

We went to a new restaurant that Rose and Joe recommended, Jekyl's Kitchen in Chagrin Falls.  We got a great table overlooking the falls and met some people from Oklahoma at the next table.  We watched a young couple get engaged and checked out the ring as they left the restaurant.  What a fun time we had. 

 

And the next day was Sunday--football day, so we watched the Browns.  I was going to say that we watched the Browns play, but that's not exactly how to describe what they did.  It was one of those games where I wished we had a cheerleading team because I was sure if we put them in instead of the Browns, we may have had a chance to win.  Or, maybe the announcers, maybe even the old people in the front row--I think anyone could have out played the Browns that day.   Tony always says that being a true Browns fan isn't easy, but you have to stick with your team.   I guess we're true Browns fans!  Oddly enough, when we went back home, we went to the Front Street Brewery to see the game with San Fransisco at the Browns Backer Club.  Geez, what a difference--the Browns actually played like a football team.   AND THEY WON.  Go figure, they won.   

We saw Coleton and Anthony....oh, Tony and Marie, too, on the way back to Leland.  Coleton sang, "Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer," to us and Anthony is walking.  All we have to do is blink and so much time has gone by. 

We are getting ready for Christmas and, of course, work.  I work Christmas Day from 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Christmas Eve too.    I had oral surgery on Tuesday and am glad it's over.

Here are some Cleveland highlights:

Ben

Ellie

Zach

Sam

 

Lynn and Ben

 

Ellie plays the turnover game with Ben while Jon looks on

Sam and Zach play Operation

 

 

Zach tosses the bean bags and wins!!

Zach, Sam, Papa, Ellie, Ben and me

Lynn, Sam, me Papa and Ellie

 

The three Tony's

 

Anthony says, "Why is walking so difficult????"

And, 5 minutes later...."This walking thing is a piece of cake!!"

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night

 

 

 

 

Tis The Season

 

 

What a terrific season this is.  It's starts with goofy Halloween costumes, morphs into a turkey dinner with sides and stuffing and finishes with lights, stars and songs.  The weather steps away from swim suits and flip flops and all of a sudden, we're not playing in the water, we're raising umbrellas to hide from it.  And, just as we get used to wet shoes and windshield wipers, we start looking for scarves and mittens and a "do over" with a new year. 

 

This season, we got to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with David and Brenda.  They came up from Tampa with Bernie (David's English Bulldog) and stayed until early Sunday morning.  We had fun.

 

We packed a lot in during their visit. Tony and David played golf while Brenda and I did lunch at McGrooder's--a Leland favorite.   On Friday, David and Brenda spent the night at the City Club and spent Saturday morning exploring restaurants and shops in  Wilmington.  The four of us had a cornhole tournament, went to dinner, set up the Christmas tree, had some really good wine, sat on the Lanai getting to know each other better and watched Dixie and Bernie frustrate each other. 

 

It was good to spend some one-on-one time with Brenda.  She is a wonderful young lady.  You know that the dreams she shares with you today are going to be her reality in a few short years.  She loves being an attorney and has a passion for helping people and doing the right thing.   She has an eye on the future of our younger generations and wants to help make the world a place where people are valued for who they are, not what they have.  She can passionately state her opinion and her case and not judge anyone in the process.  She holds fast to her values and is proud of her heritage. 

 

Brenda and David are good for each other.  They encourage each other and laugh freely at each other.  What more is there for people who love and care for each other?

 

All too soon, it was time for them to go back to their lives in Tampa and for me to go back to work.  

 

With any luck at all...we will see them again soon.  Next up...Cleveland and the Purdum kids--with a quick visit to Tony, Marie, Coleton and Anthony on our return home.

 

Tis the season....to be with people you love, doing things you enjoy, while remembering the spirit and reason for the season.

 

Happy Holidays to all!

 

Highlights:

 

Thanksgiving Turkey--The Bird is The Word!!

Tony comes home victorious in golf--The Swegle Golf Trophy stays in Leland!!

Not sure what Tony is enjoying more--winning the Swegle Golf Trophy or seeing David's face!!

 

Tree decorating--Brenda starts with a blank canvas

TA DA!!!

Brenda and David sitting in the tree......k-i-s-s-i-n-g

 

Let the games begin....cornhole, that is

To the Victor, goes the spoils....

We draw straws....Brenda draws the "old guy"

 

David took this picture of Brenda and Tony counting the scores....odd angle, but I guess David likes it....

She's armed and ready, but Tony took her down

Yep, David really likes this angle

 

Notice my stellar form against David...

You gotta love the body language....David standing like the King of Siam and me shaking my arms and hands like I'm playing a tambourine!

Well, I lost...no big surprise!

 

The Winner Plays the Winner....

Scoping out the lay of the land and mapping out strategy

David calls Victory....but a bit too soon...

 

It comes down to the rubber match.....

...and Dad wins again!!!

The play ends as a beautiful day turns into a beautiful night...and now, off to Joseph's Italian Restaurant in Southport!!