April Funtime at MIT

Boston composition featuring Ron

30 Apr:  

29 Apr:  

29 Apr:  

27 Apr:  

26 Apr:  

25 Apr:  

24 Apr: What a fun day living a simple life. We slept until 9:45 AM,  Cynthia ate and exercised while Ron worked on his projects, exercised, and ate. The best part is we are not pressured for time. We walked to Giant, Aldi’s, and back to Giant where we met Dean and Janina shopping for groceries. They gave us a ride home and they toured our cute condo.  We walked again tonight to Walgreens, intending to pick up Cynthia's prescription of fluconase which unfortunately had expired. Our daily total was 4.65 miles.  

23 Apr: Evidence of our needed rest was not awakening until 9:15 AM. Ron is updating routes, spreadsheets, and checking the markets.  It is not easy to return to eating spinach, raw carrots, red peppers, and broccoli after that tasty hamburger and pizza at MIT. Close to 5.0 miles today. Cynthia has hair and nail appointments scheduled, and her Apple watch is connected to the Pritikin Trainer app.

22 Apr:   Happy birthday Corrie!  Another happy day for us is on the horizon. The evidence of a right spirit is a merry heart. ❤️ A merry heart doeth good like medicine (Prov. 17:22 KJ). We are getting caught up on endless chores. It felt good to walk almost three miles without complaint to markets and then another two miles in the evening. 

21 Apr:  On the first morning of life at Rehoboth Beach, we awoke happy and hungry.  The geese in the pond outside are getting fed, too.  True to commitment, we exercised and ate a healthy breakfast.  Then, we needed groceries.  Ron walked to Aldi’s for food; he was surprised by drizzle on his return.  The drizzle has continued throughout the day.  Ron is updating his spreadsheet and has extended our stay at this condo to forty-one days of renewed focus on budget, exercise, healthy eating and, importantly, editing the James Lea book.  After recent, expensive hotel stays, it is nice to have a full kitchen and a washer and dryer for considerably less cost.

20 Apr:  Thanks to brother Dean who located a new and very pleasant two-bedroom condo for us to lease at Rehoboth Beach, five miles away from their home.  We will be here until the 30th May.  We are 2.5 miles from the beach in a lovely neighborhood setting.  This will be fun for Ron to spend a little time with Dean.  Cynthia is more hopeful that Ron will get the Lea book ready for the publisher and that she will get back into her usual exercise and eating routine.  Thanks to Janina for a marvelous salmon dinner! 

20 Apr:  We enjoyed a comfortable night at Cape May, NJ.  Thankfully, we carry a stash of oatmeal, and fruit because beach hotels do not provide a continental breakfast.  The room does have Keurig coffee pods.  We have a late checkout, just in time to catch the ferry to Lewes, DE to see Dean and Janina.  How fun to meet Pat and Denice from Cape May as we waited to board the ferry. 

On board, talking to another motorcyclist

My lovely bride, on the ferry

19 Apr:  Middletown, NY to Cape May, NJ  WHOA!  The gates to the ferry are closed at 6:10 PM  We were unaware they now require advanced purchase and reservation.  Ron did a walkabout and found a hotel on the beach that we cannot see from the room.  A lovely, but chilly, walk across the street and up onto the boardwalk for thirty minutes provided a needed exercise and views of the tide coming in.  Cynthia bought the ferry ticket for one PM tomorrow  $43.00  checkin is an hour ahead in person at the ferry

18 Apr:  We awakened in Waterbury, Connecticut with an eleven AM checkout facing very cold temperatures as we head for the Jersey Shore, going south to Lewes, Delaware to see Dean and Janina.   By 1:00 PM we were in Middletown, CT for lunch at Ruby Tuesday and decided to overnight here (where we were supposed to arrive last night).  We are checked in at the Hampton Inn, all nice and cozy warm. 

17 Apr:  We started riding at noon, got lost three times as Ron tried to negotiate Massachusetts and Connecticut roads without a GPS.  After five hours of riding, we stopped at a Denny's for food and discovered rain ahead.  This Denny's cooks entirely ignored our dietary restrictions, so it will be a long time before we eat at another Denny's.  Rain arrived sooner rather than later, so we exited the interstate into Waterbury, Connecticut, where we spotted a Hampton Inn as we rode parallel to the interstate on Main Street.  Not only did we gratefully check in there to spend the night, but the reservation in Middletown, NY was canceled without penalty.

16 Apr:  We checked out at noon on this lovely day and drove south to Hingham to see Maggie.  She was again delighted to see us, but insisted that we leave to feed Cynthia at 3:30.  Cynthia’s left outside thigh is complaining.  We lunched at Previte's, a New England marketplace that makes excellent sandwiches, and drove to the same Best Western hotel in Rockland for the night.  Tomorrow, we ride toward Lewes, DE, skirting New York City and crossing between NYC and Philadelphia to avoid the worst of the traffic (we hope).

15 Apr.  The Bomber BBQ, etc. was followed by lots of visiting with Ed, Rich, P.J. and a tour of Burton House.  Ron is packing the box to be shipped to Texas.  We ate contraband; Cynthia ate one hamburger, Ron ate two.  Does it matter if the beef is organic, 100% grassfed?  

Ron in springtime composition

Ron showing off new Bomber jerey

Ron Beatty class of '69

14 Apr  Ron walked at eight AM.  We missed the first part of the Alumni Brunch because Ron thought the schedule said 11 AM instead of 10 AM.  We had prepared by eating breakfast ahead of time.  Ron was interviewed by the students.  Our time at MIT is a HOOT!  Too much to write about these wonderful brilliant young people.  Ron is wearing the Bomber hockey jersey the current members of his dorm gave him.  This DTYD party has been held annually for 55 years, quite a legacy.  We are on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. 

SUNDAY OFFERING

From Miami to MIT Meeting Spring On a Motorcycle,

Spring is presenting herself along the highways and byways as we travel north. She commands our attention with bold and brilliant azaleas in Florida and Georgia.She delights us with Eastern Redbud trees dancing along the Virginia interstate for miles. Not to be outdone, the daffodils and purple wisteria send forth lush blooms. As we ride on, Spring's presence is less prominent, barely peeking into view in foggy, and rainy Boston, but the college runners in shorts along the Charles River sing of her presence. Spring makes me smile! My heart overflows with gratitude. I want to share this joy. As we rode, I prayed the same prayer, every day, many times a day, "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Gradually, I realized how many times a day thanks to God was on my lips and in my heart. I praised him for our safe arrivals, for a loving family, for our many friends, old and new, for the resplendent beauty of our world, and the gift of meeting Spring for so many years of my life. Having a happy heart that overflows with gratitude is the evidence of having the Right Spirit within. Thanks be to God.

Pastor Cynthia Forde

14 April 2024

Charles River & Boston skyline

Smooch & SmoochSmooch

13 Apr:  We walked 45 minutes along the Charles River to the Harvard Bridge (measured as 364.4 Smoots plus one ear). The lunch at Legal Seafood was marvelous. attended by 22 alums and wives.  We imagined that the "Bomber Formal" was a dance since we were advised to "dress to the nines."  Instead it was a ping pong party at a Sports Bar, loud but fun and exactly what MIT students might think to do!  The ping pong balls were dancing and Hans did a wicked slide step once, but there was no Rock and Roll to motivate us oldies to dance.     

12 Apr:  The Hyatt restaurant is too expensive, so we heated water in the coffee pot to eat our own oatmeal in our room, which was devoid of a microwave.  We enjoyed a delightful conversation with Ed M. P.J. and Betsy followed by a 2.82-mile walk to Whole Foods, where we used their salad bar to create perfect meals.  

many of the original Burton 3rd Bombers

11 Apr:  Our twenty mile ride to MIT/Cambridge, along the seashore, will begin about ten AM (or whenever Ron gets packed)  The rain is forecast to begin at twelve noon regardless.  We arrived at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge at1:24 PM.  Ron walked to MIT for our ID passes, plus he had fun going to the math department, and running into Bonny K.  We had an expensive dinner at the Hyatt.  Tomorrow we will eat oat meal.  After dinner we walked.  Total today is 3.2 miles.  Yay, the hamstring is healing.

10 Apr:  We will stay a second night in Rockland, Mass, and we visited Maggie again today.  She had tears when we left.  Ron’s PACEMAKER test was done today.  The next test is due July 10th.

9 Apr:  We were exercised, breakfasted, packed, and on the bike by 10:40 AM, arriving in Hingham, Massachusetts by 4:00 PM to visit 97-year-old Maggie L.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_Lettvin)  was Ron’s exercise guru at MIT.  We were astounded at her improved appearance from two years ago following an accident in her wheelchair.  Someone hit her in her wheelchair at 15MPH.  The ride was pleasant, warm, and quick on the Massachusetts Turnpike.  We even found food at an express stop where we could eat by Fresh Choice.  We split a whole wheat tortilla wrap with brown rice and veggies inside. Tonight, we ate dinner at Lucca’s next door to the Best Western Hotel, where we stayed. We split the excellent grilled salmon on red mashed potatoes with raw vegetable salad.  Ron rode to Trader Joe’s to buy fruit for breakfast.

8 Apr:  Our bags were packed and we were on the road by 10;00 AM for Middletown, NY, arriving at 5:10 after “experiencing” the eclipse ten miles from Wilkes Barre, PA at 2:50 PM.  The sky became very dark.  Cynthia had another breakfast, and Ron ate a large salad at a diner; Cynthia ate oatmeal for dinner.  The local roads locating the Hampton Inn are totally confusing.

7 Apr, Sunday:  Breakfast was delicious at Mount Airy Inn.  We are so tired, I can't remember what we did except for a walk towards evening.

6 Apr: Mount Airy, MD:  After a few hours of sleep, Ron arose at four AM and rode in 35-degree temps to Bob’s BMW to get the bike’s 18,000 maintenance and a navigation system installed.  The bike is done.  But, the top case and GPS awaits parts.  We will be back in a month, God willing.  Cynthia Is falling asleep.  We dined at Mount Airy Inn.

5 Apr:  Salem, VA for an overnight with a four-hour ride to Jim’s house Well, the ride was eventful. It was very cold.  We stopped in Lexington, VA for lunch at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant believing we faced another three hours of riding.  But, the wind got strong and we faced rain.  Ron detoured onto side roads to get out of heavy traffic and avoid rain.  The best part of the ride was when Ron detoured through Staunton, VA where we first discovered the VA slogan, Virginia is for lovers. Ahhh!,  such sweet memories as our life together began.

Ron resting at rest area

4 Apt:  Columbia SC to wherever we get en route to Mount Airy, Maryland.  Will it take two days or three?  Evidently, we are doing this in two days!  The wind was fierce, especially as we entered Virginia.  Ron noticed a few isolated snow flakes.  (Did we mention that it was cold?)  Next we encountered about ten minutes of sleet and freezing rain.  Ain't spring wonderful?  We stopped for the night in Salem, VA, but were disappointed that there was no Ruby Tuesday nearby. Uffda.  The elevator broke while Cynthia was inside it. Zzzz Good night!

Our friends in SC, Cheryl, Clark, Elizabeth, Mary

3. Apr:  Columbia, SC, After exercising, eating, and computering, we had a most enjoyable time with Tom, Cheryl, Mary, Clark & Elizabeth!  The wind was fierce riding home, especially as we crossed the Lake Murray Dam. 

2. Apr:  Sandy Springs, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina via I-75 south and I-20 east.  We ate lunch at Ruby Tuesday in Evans, GA (near Augusta) and rode directly to Irmo, SC, where we enjoyed dinner at another Ruby Tuesday in Lexington, SC, with friends Dick R. and Clark & Elizabeth G, who joined us.  Cynthia is praying for a mounting Kit for the GPS navigator.  route: W on Northside to L on Garmon Rd to R on Mt. Paran Rd (through a confusing intersection) to L & R onto I-75 S to L on I-20 E to Columbia to L on SC 6 through Lexington to Irmo and a Hilton Garden Inn, where the desk clerk remembered Ron's name from years ago, another person with an amazing memory.

1. April:  Sandy Springs, Georgia.  We are making progress as we travel north to Cambridge, Mass and the MIT Reunion in ten days.  Later, we will catch up on correspondence and phone calls.  Our days are consumed with packing, travel, eating, unpacking, and eating again.  Oh, we do our exercises too, absolutely every morning without fail.  Unfortunately, when traveling, our attire is not conducive to the walks we enjoy when stationary.  Ron is busy with MIT Burton Third organizing.  In the evening, we visited Michael & Angi, a cousin of a cousin, in Sandy Springs after eating again at the Ruby Tuesday in Marietta.  Tomorrow, we ride to Columbia, SC for two days. 

Pritikin Forced March

Ron (with sunburn) & Cynthia at Pritikin

31 Mar, Sunday: Happy Easter!  Jesus Christ is Risen Today!  Alleluia!  We ate at Ruby Tuesday again, and we walked again, but we didn't climb the hills in deference to Cynthia's hamstring.

30 Mar:  Onward on I-20 E and I-75 N to Marietta, GA near a Ruby Tuesday (click here), our favorite restaurant with a reliably good salad bar.  The hotel, a Hilton Garden Inn, is in a lovely wooded location with blooming dogwood and azalea.  After a late lunch, we walked for a half mile to find a trail into the woods.  Indeed, there is a trail down into a ravine we chose not to tackle.  Ron is working on the MIT reunion, Cynthia sent Easter emails to half the world, and she did resistance strength building.  The fitness center here looks very nice.

29 Mar:  We had a lovely breakfast with niece Danielle this AM; it is wonderful to see her self-confidence as she runs her father’s business in Perry, Georgia.  She sang the song Tomorrow for us.  Powerful voice.  I want her to record.  We left Perry, GA for Douglasville, enjoying a lovely, pleasant ride with spring bursting forth en route.  The wisteria, azaleas and flowering pear trees are beautiful to behold.  We were delighted to discover a Jasons Deli in Douglasville and a genealogical cousin, Skip, met us there for a great conversation.  Now it is time to rest.  route: GA 7 W -> US 341 N -> US 41 N to L on GA 92 at Experiment, Georgia to R on GA 166 W 2 mi to R on Chapel Hill Rd N 7 mi to L on Douglas Blvd and Hampton Inn.

28 Mar:  At 7:30 am this morning, it was raining industriously, but that soon stopped, although a small rivulet ran to a drain in the parking lot for an hour or two.  About 10:30 the bike was packed, and we were riding - but in the wrong direction.!!  Ron was disoriented and thought he was on US 341, 5 miles north.  After we had ridden a couple of miles and failed to find Crispen Blvd, Ron realized his error, backtracked to I-95, rode north 5 miles and proceeded as envisioned (US 341 W to stop light, L on Chrispen to first R onto Stately Oaks and R again) to visit Don and Doris, genealogy cousins.  After pleasant conversation, Cynthia decided we needed to leave, but Don forestalled that attempt by inviting us to lunch at Surcheros.  The salads were perfect.  Don still drives very comfortably and confidently.  We then said our goodbyes, got on the motorcycle and rode north and west on US highway 341 all the way to Perry, Georgia.  We saw lightning once before passing close by a huge dark cloud that did shower upon us for fifteen minutes.  Thankfully the windscreen and fairing kept us dry.  We arrived at Perry at 5:15, but Danielle is out of town until tomorrow morning, so we will see her for breakfast at the hotel at 9 am.  After all that, we walked half a mile to I-HOP for egg white veggie omelets and picked up berries and bananas from Walmart.  Ron is now trying to catch up with neglected projects, this blog being first.  route: US 341 N to Perry, but missed a turn approaching town, so took GA 224 W to L on I-75 N one exit to the Holiday Inn Express on GA highway 7.

27 Mar:  On the road again!  We rushed to pack and leave before 10 AM because rain was forecast to begin as early as 2 pm.  We were only mildly surprised to run into light rain as we began riding north on I-295 bypassing Jacksonville to the east.  The rain intensified slightly so we exited onto Baymeadows Road, serendipitously close to a Hampton Inn and St. Marys Seafood House, where we enjoyed a salad bar and baked potatoes.  When we finished, the rain had stopped and the pavement was dry all the way to exit 29 at Brunswick, Georgia.  (Ron forgot that Georgia has a helmet law, so we are thankful that no cops saw us.)  Cynthia enjoyed riding across the one tall bridge on I-95.  Tomorrow we will see Don B. in the morning and continue on to Marietta in the afternoon.  We ate dinner early at Denny's and took a brief walk to a homeless tent in the woods (sightseeing).  route: return to R on Tomoka Drive N  8 mi crossing I-4 to R on US 92 E briefly to L on I-95 N to exit 333 R on FL 9B N and I-295 N bypassing Jacksonville to I-95 N into Georgia to US 17 at exit 29 and Comfort Suites.

26 Mar:  A lovely breeze kept us cool on a 2.5 mile walk through Monte’s subdivision, in the countryide close to Port Orange, Florida.  Monte has trimmed a ton of detrius from palm trees in the couple of years he has lived here.  Monte and Ellen have bought into physical activity and healthful eating also, so we've had lots of fine conversations.  And then, late this afternoon, Monte drove us all to the National Seashore to enjoy another fine "home cooked" meal of salad, leftover chicken and rice on the beach.  It was fun to see the big, gray-green breakers under cloudy skies at the beach.  We even espied a US Post Office on the way home.  Ron ate more mango for dessert after we returned home.  Their home is in a subdivision named "A Quiet Place in the Country".  However the neighboring subdivision is a fly-in subdivision for small plane pilots who frequently take off and land throughout the day.  So much for the "quiet place."

cosin Monte and Ellen

25 Mar:  On the road again!  We left Miami at one-thirty PM after saying goodbye to as many of our Pritikin friends as we could find to hug.  We rode north on 87th Street, turned north and west on  Florida Highway 27, turned east on I-75 and continued into heavier traffic on I-595 E endlessly until able to turn north on I-95 to Daytona Beach.  It was a windy ride.  Ron was surprised to discover that it was a full hour before we passed West Palm Beach 50 miles north and that Jupitor, Florida was 15 miles further.  We exited onto FL 44 at mile marker 249, rode west to Tomoka Farm Road (FL 415), turned north for 4 miles to a R on Country Circle Drive, another R on Lakeside Drive and arrived at Ron’s cousin Monte’s lovely home at 7:30 PM.  This is nearly country with large properties and two Lakeside Drives, one east of the small local lake and the other west of the lake.  Of course we stopped at the incorrect one first despite Monte's good directions.  Monte and Ellen had delayed dinner, awaiting our arrival, and fed us a tasty meal of brown rice, baked chicken and fresh garden greens from their gardens.

24 Mar, Sunday:  For once Ron cooperated by packing luggage and boxes for shipping, thereby neglecting much-needed updates of this blog and his Burton 3rd site for the upcoming DTYD party reunion.

  SUNDAY OFFERING

What was God thinking on the first Palm Sunday? Step on Step on the high road, to the place of crucifixion, And so begins Holy Week with Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey amidst shouts of Hosannas and Palm branches, followed by a week of tribulation and his death. On this Palm Sunday, Ron and I were with new friends, gathered around a large table at breakfast and saying good-byes with misty eyes. An effervescent woman of color said, "Thank you for letting me experience your humanity." We were very moved by her expression and looked at each other with the love that I know flows from God. I looked around the room at the diverse group of people that included Jews, Christians, and Muslim from many countries I have come to know as friends. What was God thinking that first Palm Sunday? God was loving the world. (For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. John 3:16 RSV). What was God thinking this morning as we shared friendship and love (humanity) for one another? God is still loving the world through us. Amen.

Pastor Cynthia Forde,

24 March 2024

Another lovely Pritikin sunset

23 Mar:  Our days are packed with classes, lectures and eating  We are so busy we fall asleep in lectures.  Now that Cynthia’s torn hamstring tendon is healing, we are able to get in walks, too.  Today was an exceptionally active day,  totaling eight miles.  And we danced Rock N Roll for a solid hour at Miami Dance Night

22 Mar:  Cynthia had Dexa scans for bone density and body composition.  The BMI is 23.2, but bone density needs improvement.  We met with our doctors.  Ron didn’t do labs and Cynthia’s are perfect.

21 Mar:  Missing Day! we must have been having too much fun!  We had our doctor appointments with good news.  

Ron with petite Pritikin salad

20 We had a fantastic day!  We don't remember what happened, but it must have been fantastic.

19 Mar: About four miles.  

18 Mar: About five miles. 

17 Mar, Sunday:  Happy St. Patricks Day!  Ron completed the challenging puzzle, all the while teaching a waiter how to say pUHzzle instead of pooozzle.  See the wall of puzzles that Ron has completed, if they are the  actual ones or photos of the puzzles, we don’t know.

The Pritikin "wall of puzzles"

16 Mar:  We had a lighter schedule today. Ron made great progress on the puzzle.  Friends cheered him on.  We went for a late walk. 

gathered around the puzzle and puzzler

15 Mar:  Ron puzzled, we exercised, attended lectures, and ate.  Ron is bent over the latest puzzle beneath a wall of puzzles mostly done by him  

14 Mar:  We both had doctor appointments.  Cynthia had perfect lab results.  Ron is down two pounds after gaining five but did not do labs again.  We are enjoying our conversations with Steve and Heather, a couple from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and with the great Pritikin staff  

13 Mar:  The days are crazy busy with lectures, fitness, eating, and the granddaddy of puzzles.  

12 Mar:  Fasting Labs at 11:00 AM.  Cynthia’s weight was down 1.5 pounds in two weeks, while Ron is up to 181.  The puzzle has caused weight gain! 

11 Mar:  Cynthia made a trip to the Apple Store to send her watch in to be repaired.  Unfortunately, (like UFFDA AWFUL) the watch cannot be repaired because it was microwaved in the MRI, and the Apple Care coverage is limited liability to repair.  They would not take it as a trade in either.  That was all very disappointing!  Cynthia decided not to buy another watch (for about ten minutes) until she buckled and decided her watch was too important.  Ron is making progress on the puzzle.  

10 Mar, Sunday:  Iowa women won the Big Ten Championship game.  

SUNDAY OFFERING

”Lord, give your servant an understanding mind.” (I Kings 3:9,RSV) The Hebrew word for understanding mind is Lebh Shomea, meaning a listening heart. When you pray for a listening heart God answers in surprising ways through surprising people. A death and an accident upended my life twenty-five years ago, but, recently, I experienced “call” to return to parish ministry. Yet, parish ministry was not the invitation I was hearing. Instead, it is being a listening heart in Hoka tennis shoes, with a backpack of degrees, to those I meet on the trails I take. It is hearing God call through someone’s anger, suffering, grief, or loneliness. It is meeting the sacred in the eyes of a new acquaintance (with glistening eyes we nod our heads). It is bearing the spirit of God without unnecessary words. Forty-two years as a spiritual director changes nothing. Pray for a listening spirit and do not be surprised where the Wind blows you.

Pastor Cyntha Forde,

10 March 2024

9 Mar:  This was another day with three work out sessions.  

8 Mar:  Two days in a row Cynthia had three work out sessions.  

7 Mar:  Uffda  what did we do besides exercise, listen to lectures, eat and work on a puzzle?

6 Mar:  Cynthia spent 3/4 of the day dealing with Apple Support, a real challenge.  She has to bring the watch to an Apple Store, which is scheduled for Monday noon. 

5 Mar:  Our days are filled with classes.  

4 Mar:  Cynthia had a Pelvis MRI, and the new Apple Watch accidentally went into the machine for a few seconds and burned up.

3 March, Sunday:  We really are crazy busy.

Cynthia dressed to dance

2 March:  Classes continue daily except for Mondays.  Ron is making progress on the Pritikin puzzle.  This one is a challenge.  Dinner tonight was followed by Latin American dance lessons.  Cynthia was unable to participate due to a pulled hamstring, but she still dressed for the occasion.

1 March:  We arrived at Pritikin a week ago for continued investment in great health, not just good, but great health.  The Pritikin benefits are numerous.  We feel younger every year.  Our arrival labs are gold-star-worthy.  And Ron loves the jigsaw puzzles they buy for him.  We have six classes a day; Ron’s favorite is Chef Vince’s cooking workshop because he gets to eat the leftovers. Cynthia says the fitness instructors love Ron because he dances to rock n roll music on the arc trainer, making for a very lively group.  The lecturers love his comedic wit, and so does Cynthia, and now you know who wrote this paragraph.  Cynthia had a driver take her to a Lumbar MRI.  The Houston ortho had not yet changed the order to a pelvis MRI, and thanks to the driver, she was able to negotiate the Spanish-speaking staff.  And thankfully, the pulled hamstring appears to be healing a lot. 

Cynthia is the one in green

Ron in green dancing on Arc trainer machine

A February ride to Pritikin

The intrepid adventurers, dressed for cold

29 Feb: Happy Leap Day:  We both received our lab reports that are gold star worthy.  We are happy.  Cynthia has an MRI tomorrow.

28 Feb:  Another crazy busy day!  

27 Feb:  Exercise classes begin at nine AM, and our schedules are crazy busy.  Cynthia had a two hour physical to determine that she likely has a pulled or torn hamstring.  Her personal trainer sessions begin tomorrow.

26 Feb:  6:00 AM labs, doctor appointments, lectures.  Cynthia passed the cardio stress test, proof positive she is still alive.  We expect to be kept so busy having fun that we will be unable to update the blog much, and the daily routine is quite regimented: eat, exercise, exercise more, listen to lecture, eat, listen to lecture, walk a bit, eat, listen to lecture, and work on the intricate new wooden jigsaw puzzle whenever Ron finds ten minutes free. 

25 Feb, Sunday:  Cynthia arose at one AM again. Yuk.  Ron returns today. Yay!  We start our Pritikin Longevity Program (click here) today.  Ron is looking forward to eating everything in sight.  route: N on US 1 into Florida City, L on Krome Ave (FL 997) N past US 41 to US 27 S to 87th Street S to Pritikin

24 Feb:  Cynthia arose at 5:15, ready to do stretch exercises and eat.  Guests at last night’s dinner table joined her again today.  One is a Methodist pastor; two are interested in discussing faith, and the other one is a social worker.  Cynthia thinks she is catching a cold from the A/C fan.  She tried napping but that didn't work.  Ron enjoyed the day with Greg & Cindy.  We went for a walk and discussed the hurricane, etc.  They provided Ron with lots of good food that was Pritikin perfect, much of it from their garden.

23 Feb:  We stopped at the Oasis Visitor Center (click here) on US Highway 41 in the Everglades to watch a video about Seminoles wrestling alligators and another one about water conservation in Big Cypress swamp.  Ron dropped off Cynthia at Pritikin before he continued to Big Pine Key (click here) for a quick visit with Greg & Cindy.  They postponed their dinner in order to feed Ron and enjoy his company at dinner; such nice folks.  Their Florida room is repurposed into a much roomier guest bedroom; very nice.  Cynthia’s hamstring is better.  route: Collier Blvd S to L on Tamiami Trail (US 41) S to Miami then negotiating the city streets, esp. Flagler Ave E and 87th Street N.  From Pritikin Ron rode 36th Street E to Palmetto Express (FL 826) toll road S to Don Shula Expressway (FL 274) toll to Ronald Regan Turnpike toll to US 1 S in Florida City and, blinded by riding directly into the setting sun, over all those bridges to Big Pine Key.  Traffic was backed up on all those toll roads at 3:30 but flowed freely into the Keys and to Big Pine.

22 Feb:  dinner in Naples with Dave and Annie.  Annie prepared a fabulous feast.  Ron ate until he was merely full instead of his usual way too much overfull.  The ride to Naples was simplicity itself: L on Airport Ave E to L on Avenida Del Circo 0.4 mi N to R on Tamiami Trail (US 41) 0.6 mi S to L on Center Road 2.5 mi to L on Jacaranda Blvd 2 mi N to I-75 S to Naples to Collier Blvd and Comfort Inn (not the best lodging).  We were able to avoid traffic getting to Dave and Annie's by taking Collier Blvd N to L on Immokalee Rd W to R on Tamiami Trail N to R on Wiggins Pass and R and immediate R.

Ron & BD on beach

Owls manikins

T'nother owl manikin

21 Feb:  We spent another overnight with Drew and BD after attending the Gentlemen at Jazz concert in the park.  Photos to follow when we have good wifi.  (Cynthia, Is this still true?)

20 Feb: Jan and Dorothy drove us to breakfast at Keke's Cafe (click here), which made excellent omelets for us.   The 19 miles to Venice, Florida was simple and easy and overnight (or two?) with Drew & BD.  We attended an very interesting Audubon lecture on owls.  route: R on Honore to L on Bee Ridge Road to R on I-75 S to exit 200 for FL 681 S to US 41 S to L on business 41 to slight R onto Rialto S to any L 1 block to Nokomis.

19 Feb:  14 miles to Crystal River for lunch with Tom and Dot, 140 miles on I-75 to dinner in Sarasota, FL, a classic guitar concert, and an overnight with Jan and Dorothy, surrounded by boxes of books as they are packing to return to New England.  route: S on N. Williams 1.4 miles across bridge to R on W. Donnellon Road 7 miles to L on N. Citrus Ave (CR 495) 7.8 miles to R on US 98 N/ Suncoast Blvd 3 blocks to L on NW 6th Street to Crackers for lunch w/ Tom & Dot. S on US 98 13 miles to L onto US 98 (Ponce De Leon) to R on I-75 S to exit 213 / University Parkway, 1 mile to L on Honore Ave 1 mile to R on Longmeadows 0.7 miles to R on Hadfield Dr. to L on Hadfield Greene.

18 Feb, Sunday:  Dunnellon, FL:  Rain, again the forecast was correct.

17 Feb:  Dunnellon, FL:  Rain, the forecast was correct.

16 Feb:  We awakened in Mexico Beach and were delighted with the view from the balcony.  We are disoriented despite a great night's sleep.  The hotel is completely remodeled with new paint, new furnishings and new appliances.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow and Sunday, so we asked for two more nights, but they did not have any vacancies or cancellations until the moment we turned in our room keys.  We had planned to go to Lake Wales, but rain is predicted for Sunday.  Instead, we drove south, continuing on US Highway 98 uneventfully until we came to stalled traffic due to an accident that shut off the highway in both directions close to Perry, Florida.  Ron followed other drivers taking a parallel road.  A while further on, firefighters were putting out a trailer fire on the shoulder of the road.  We then exited US 98 at FL 121 N, but continued instead on County Road 336 to a R on Co. Rd. 40 into Dunnellon, FL and a left at Powell Road to a left at N. Williams Street to our Comfort Inn.  Police were out in abundance upon our arrival in Dunnellon at five PM due to a shooting threat at the middle school.  We checked in to the hotel and headed out for dinner at Miss Sweetie's cafe.  Bummer, she was closed, likely due to the shooting alarm.   The middle school was across the street and a lot of traffic was creating congestion.  And the traffic?  This is a small town, everyone came to investigate.  Thankfully, it was only a threat, and there was no identifiable source.  We shopped for groceries, returned to our hotel and ate oatmeal and fruit.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow.  We will sleep in!

15 Feb:  So what day is this?  The year?  Where are we?  Oh, yeah, Pace, Florida!  After breakfast, we quickly packed and boogied off to cousin Martha’s fabulous home where she lives with her daughter and son-in-law.   It was wonderful to see Martha’s bright, cheery smile and enjoy the interesting conversation and camaraderie.  We had a Valentine’s Party with heart-designed cups, plates, and napkins.  How fun is this!  We ventured forth to have an early dinner at Ruby Tuesday and drove on Highway 98 towards our next hotel south of Panama City at Mexico Beach, but the traffic was horrendous.  We are delighted with the hotel makeover after Hurricane Michael decimated the Gulf Coast region with wave surge of 15’.  We WILL return to the hotel!  Route: Davis Road (FL 291) N into Pace, 1st R on Diamond, 10 blocks to R on Floridatown Road S to L on Parkview, R on Bayview, R & L to Bayview Terrace.  retrace route to S on US 90 across water to L on Scenic Highway (US 90) along east edge of Pensacola across Texar Bayou to L on 17th Street, then around rotary and over bridge on US 98 into Gulf Breeze, immediate R on FL 399 to Pensacola Beach through the Gulf Islands National Seashore (wonderful) and back to US 98.  Here we made a BIG mistake AGAIN by staying on US 98 with interminable stop lights and stop-and-go traffic backed up for 3 miles at every light.  NEVER, EVER take US 98 across the panhandle instead of FL 30 (which is great) through to Mexico Beach.  We stopped at Walmart for blueberries and bananas as we rode through Panama City.  As we rode the final 50 miles to Mexico Beach at dusk, we saw a raccoon sprint across the road about fifty feet ahead of us and saw several individual deer standing close beside the road as we rode by.  We were very relieved to enter the safety of Mexico Beach and to see our El Governor Resort Hotel (click here) ahead.   They gave us a Valentine's Day special rate reminiscent of pricing before the hurricane.

14 Feb:  We enjoyed our morning visit with Pat before leaving Denham at one PM driving I-12 E to I-10 East into Mississippi, then MS 607 SE to US 90 East and a gorgeous drive on the Gulf Coast highway to Biloxi, MS.  We stopped for lunch at IHOP and should have taken I-110 north to I-10 east as US 90 east of Biloxi was devoid of scenery and filled with rush hour traffic and stop lights.  We were close to Mobile by the time we resumed travel on I-10 East, and it was dark by the time we arrived at the tunnel under Mobile Bay.  Driving on that high-speed highway in inky, black darkness was not pleasant for Cynthia.  Our Comfort Inn was right off I-10 in Pensacola at FL Highway 291, Davis Road.  Great that there was a Dennys within walking/ shuffling distance of the hotel.  Cynthia's pulled hamstring seems to be better for all the rest sitting on the motorcycle.

13 Feb:  Lafayette, Louisiana.  Ron slept like a baby through the night, uninterrupted!  He won the points for the first "I love you" of the day, and Cynthia won points for the first Happy Valentine's Day, oops that isn't until tomorrow??  She asked Ron, “Will you be my Valentine?” He asked for the job description.  We are 52 miles from our destination near Baton Rouge and I-10 traffic logjam has cleared.  We arrived at cousin Pat's duplex before noon and she took us out to the Salad Station for wonderful, huge salads.  We talked genealogy, etc. for many hours until lack of sleep caught up to Cynthia first and Ron soon after.  Route: I-10 E to Baton Rouge to I-12 E to exit 12 at LA 1026/ Juban Road S to round-a-bout to Buddy Ellis Road E 1.2 miles to a stop sign, R on John L road to R on Palmetto Lake Ave to immediate R to Palmetto Lake Court and cousin Pat.

12 Feb:  Ron tried to sleep four times, but failed every time and spent the entire night packing and cleaning his recycling.  At 4:30 AM, just as Ron had gotten to bed for the fourth time, Cynthia awakened, started the coffee, and announced that we needed to get up.  Ron agreed that we needed to leave early, so he forgot about sleep and started doing his exercises.  It was a sunny, chilly, and very windy day, and God was willing that we could leave by eleven-thirty AM for Baton Rouge.  Highway 105 was not quick, so we stopped in Beaumont for lunch at Jason's Deli.  We debated getting a hotel for the night to sleep early but decided to press on onto I-10.  Except, the right lane of the interstate suddenly turned into an exit only, and we exited by error.  Compounding the problem was that the entrance to I-10 eastbound at that exit was closed, so we wandered around the Louisiana countryside until we found Louisiana Highway 101 that took us back south to I-10.  Once back on I-10 east of Lake Charles, the traffic was stop-and-go backed up for miles all the way to Lafayette.  We exited Dusen, LA and entered a smoke-filled casino trying to figure out how to find a hotel.  Dusen didn't have one, but someone gave directions to Highway 90 which parallels I-10.  By now it was dark and this highway had a lot of traffic and stoplights.  We reached Lafayette and a Hampton Inn.  We will have hot oatmeal for breakfast.  But first we will sleep.  Zzzz.  Route: TX 105 E to Beaumont, TX, R on US 96 access road S to Dowlen Road (first intersection) W 5 miles to Jason's Deli and another great salad bar.!!  L on Phelan to I-10 frontage road N to I-10 E towards Baton Rouge, but we encountered parked traffic on the interstate and stayed overnight in Lafayette, Louisiana.

11 Feb, Sunday:  The rain has stopped.  Ron is packing.  Cynthia is icing a pulled hamstring muscle.  We moved boxes to storage.  Ron is cleaning the condo.  Cynthia’s bag is packed, she is showered and ready.  NO! The TV is not on.  We are not watching the Super Bowl but Cynthia sneaked a peek at the score.  Tied 19-19, then the Chiefs won in OT!  The big question is whether Cynthia will be able to ride passenger on the bike with her injury.

10 Feb:  Rain is scheduled for the weekend.  We will leave for Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Monday morning. 

9 Feb:  Cynthia shipped a box (mostly clothes) to Pritikin, a book to Carol and Bill, and we moved some boxes and clothes to the storage unit.  Cynthia was able to secure an appointment for an MRI at two PM on March 1, in Doral, Fl. 

8 Feb:  Ron spent yesterday cleaning, packing and moving boxes of recycling to the car.  We were outta here at 10:00 AM with a stop at Target to drop off plastic bags, then into Spring, Texas with the trunk and car full of recycling.  We are so GOOD that we deserved our huge lunch at Jason’s Deli.  Cynthia had an appointment with Dr. Birkin while Ron enjoyed chatting with other patients.  We dropped off a box of genealogy books at the Conroe Central Library, then shopped at Walmart for reverse osmosis water before coming home.  Cynthia ordered Rambo books, plus her revised edition of Spirit in the South for the Conroe library.

7 Feb:  The sunrise had a few lovely rose highlights, and Ron sought to get Cynthia's attention by tapping her on the shoulder, but that startled her, she whirled around and shrieked in pain from the aggravation of her injury.  The "sciatica" became much worse.  After her appointment with Dr. Sharpless, Cynthia is taking a break for a pedicure and a manicure.  She picked up her RX.

6 Feb:  Chaos continues; Ron is recycling aluminum foil he has saved from foil on baked potatoes in restaurants, plus our foil to bake salmon and potatoes.  Cynthia decided cooking is not a good idea, nor is ordering baked potatoes.   Ron is dedicated to recycling; he will save the planet single handedly.  We rode the bike to the dermatologist; a cheerful guy we like a lot.  He inspected Cynthia's body for mole changes and declared the brown spots on her arms and chest are wisdom spots which doesn't make sense; if one had wisdom they would not go out in the sun.   He froze five of the brown spots on her chest; the freeze was very uncomfortable.  Evidently, the walk yesterday was too much for sciatica; we turned back after reaching the park.  Ron walked tonight, Cynthia transcribed James Lea citations from the first of six research reports from Raquel.  Slow work!

5 Feb:  We took boxes and garment bags to the storage locker, ate lunch at Jason’s Deli, and mailed letters.  Cynthia has a doctor's appointment at Eyeland.   Less sciatica.  Walk 3.0 miles.  That was too much for Cynthia's sciatica.

4 Feb, Sunday:  Worship and brunch.  Our guests were sick and could not attend, but we enjoyed our meal!  Ron moved boxes and garment bags to the car.  He is organizing his boxes and aluminum foil.  Yes, he recycles it.  Cynthia did not walk today.

3 Feb:  It rained through the night creating lots of puddles on the trail.  Cynthia is wearing her hand brace to transcribe citations.  Very slow progress.  At least her sciatica is improving.  We walked 2.5 miles at a leisurely pace, shopped at Walmart for the sweet potatoes and spinach that we forgot yesterday, and Ron walked again tonight.  Ron is cleaning aluminum foil to recycle Thursday. 

2 Feb:  Cynthia needs to post a Feb. photo.  She is hobbling around but "successfully" managed to walk, 2.13 miles!  Ron had a successful day in the markets.  Tomorrow is forecast to be a rainy day, so let's see if we get to Walmart for sweet potatoes and spinach.  

1 Feb. arrived and the first day disappeared before we acknowledged it!  Ron watched the market reports, did a lot of Sudokus, and shoveled mud from the sidewalk to the compost hole.  We ran errands and dressed for dinner at the yacht club with Diane and John. 3.0 miles.

Happy New Year on Lake Conroe

 

The view from our patio

31 Jan: The sky is blue, the sun is shining, we walked five miles, and Ron listened to the market reports. Cynthia’s sciatica is complaining, and so is she.  Now, we are back to work.

30 Jan:  Zoom!  We were out the door for our walk at 10:21, twenty-one minutes after we pledged to leave.  What a gorgeous day with a high of 71 degrees.  But, we could not dilly-dally on the sitting bench soaking up the warm sunshine, we needed to visit newborn Baby Becks, and Cynthia needed a shower.  Ron needed to stop at USPS and send a certified card, but the line in the post office was way too long to wait.  We were only thirty minutes late.  Becks smiled for the first time today at her Grandmother.  They bonded!!  Poor momma Rachel was so tired we did not stay long.  As soon as we left, she and Becks fell asleep until four-thirty PM.  We stopped at HEB for cornbread mix; then we stopped at the post office again to send the certified letter to Ron's bank, followed by Walmart for more filtered water, then Lakeside Pharmacy to pick up another RX.  Ron is adding appendices to the James Lea book, and Cynthia completed the January financial report.  4.5 miles.  

29 Jan:  We awoke to gold; a brilliant sunrise flooded the rooms with every shade of sunshine in the Crayola box.  Projects are being accomplished, some easily, some not.  The James Lea book has now shifted to reviewing appendices.  Cynthia has sciatica resulting from moving large boxes to the car.  Cynthia stopped Lakeside Pharmacy for an anti-inflammatory RX.  Our walk was uneventful.  5.0 miles.

28 Jan:  After worship, we enjoyed brunch with Roxanne’s family at the Yacht Club, followed by a four-mile walk. 

Momma with her two darlings, Roxanne and Jon

SUNDAY OFFERING

Have you had experiences so profound that changed your life forever?  We celebrated one of my life-changing moments today at a birthday brunch for my oldest daughter, Roxanne.  The doctor said she was the second most beautiful baby he had delivered and the first was his own.  Oh, yes, I agreed.  I vividly remember kissing soft pink skin like a velvety rose petal.  I call her my Rosebud.   I was forever altered by that encounter.

There are existential encounters that reconfigure our lives; in retrospect, we know “Someone” is calling us, whispering in the night and transforming our being.   Like Moses standing at the burning bush, we stammer, “what is happening?”  God uses all of the experiences of our lives, as well as the people, to transform us.  Here we stand on holy ground.

“And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. “ 2 Cor: 3:18 RSV

Pastor Cynthia Forde,

28 January 2024

27 Jan:  The forecast is for a cloudy, dry day, but flood warnings continue.  The lake is receding; our benches are now accessible and no longer underwater.  We enjoyed baked salmon and sweet potato for dinner.  How can we be so crazy busy! 4 miles.  

Ron on bench before water rose to cover legs

26 Jan: Dr Sharpless Appt, dry cleaners, RX.  A fun photo from Hawaii in 2010.  We accrued 3.0 Miles just running errands. Cynthia is feeling partially organized for our trip in 15 days.  

A photo from Hawaii in 2012 ??

25 Jan: Montgomery County is in the global news because of flooding. But, we were able to walk five miles by circumventing puddles.  We could not get to the benches at our halfway point because they are under water.   Water is backing up in the parking garage via drains.  We started packing! 

This is the same bench in lake

24 Jan: Yes, the rain continued through the night and now through this day.  The walkway from the condos to the boat ramp is underwater.  A truck in the lake is surrounded by water, and the condos across the lake have water up to their foundation. We are good and the rest of our Texas family is fine.  We drove to the fitness center a few blocks away because the walking trail is flooded. We had great workouts! We will repeat this tomorrow because rain is forecast through the night.  3.0 Miles on a treadmill. Ron used the rowing machine along with his regular routine.  Ron found one of the first Christmas cards he gave to his beloved bride.  She was delighted all over again.  

Cynthia LOVES this card

23 Jan:  R.A.I.N. all the live long day, and into the night,  and onto the morrow  flooding is predicted.  Ron is researching the Burton Third Dormitory room placement from an old MIT student directory. Cynthia drove to the fitness center and worked out.  Cynthia’s Apple Watch did not track the time on the machine.  

22 Jan: The heavens opened and blessed Texas with a rainy day. Three more days could constitute our entire annual “rainy season.”  The rain was so heavy leaving for the doctor’s office in the Woodlands, Cynthia threatened to turn back and cancel the appointment.  But, it has already been cancelled twice so she prevailed. We arrived. The problem  is arthritis. Arthritis on the left foot has pushed the bones causing a bunion. On the right foot, a pinched nerve plus arthritis causes pain.   The Dr. injected cortisone in the pinched nerve and gave her a RX for an anti inflammatory. We stopped at Jason’s Deli to eat, and Ron took his glasses to Eyeland to get the frames repaired. Our last stop was for food at Walmart, and then home.  Cynthia drove in the rain.  Yay for her!  2.31 miles running errands. 

21 Jan:  We visited Walden Church with Jon and friends, then brunch at the Yacht Club with Jon, Joanne, her husband Bill G. It is fun to see that everyone knows Jon! The real feel weather is 36 degrees but we did do our five-mile walk, and we are very thankful to accomplish this since rain is forecast for the next three days! 

20 Jan: Zoom! The days are speeding by like a bullet train as we progress towards our February 10th take-off for Pritikin in Doral, Florida.  Ron is close to completion verifying source citations in James Lea manuscript. This was an exceptional day despite frigid weather with a low temperature BRRRRRR 28 degrees. Ron walked about five miles  

19 Jan: We walked 5.15 Miles after returning from a trip to Dr Sharpless’ office for annual routine thyroid test, and a stop at Wally World and Lakeside Pharmacy. At seven PM we had a lovely dinner with Julie and Lamar at the yacht club.  

18 Jan: 7 Happy miles!  We walked twice, YAY! The weather is lovely  Ron is editing James Lea, and nearly finished checking source citations. We had a delicious salmon and baked sweet potato dinner, Mmmm!  

17 Jan: Our readers think we are going to talk about how cold it is! Ha! No, indeed! We have a better plan, and that is to boast about the wonderful weather we experienced on the return trip from the five mile walk to the lake.  It was almost warm. The plan is to always walk with the bitter wind pushing us from behind.  Yesterday, we saw a lot of deer cavorting along then trail; today we met the goose and her three protector ganders who don’t like us. Ron puts his foot out, like he is planning to kick, and they back off.  5.0 miles  

16 Nov: Out and About? Sort of.  The sun is out, the snow has melted from the deck chairs, and the temperature increased to 31 degrees so we thought we should be brave and walk to the lake.  It didn’t take long to choose the fitness center to turn around instead.  Cynthia said it was hard to breathe under two layers of fabric covering her mouth and nose.  We are glad to be home safe, and to see the streets mostly dry and not icy.  Tomorrow the temperature will increase to a high of 45 degrees!  Ron is editing James Lea!  Hip, hip Hooray! 

15 Jan: Surprise! We awoke to snow!  This is rare in SE Texas!  After waiting for Cynthia’s 7 Volt battery to charge her Gerbing jacket, we set out to do our usual five mile walk to the lake, but once we went down the icy steps, crossed the slippery grass to the icy road, we decided it wasn’t safe for even crazies like us.  This means the roads are too slick to drive to the fitness center.  Instead, we are back inside, where Ron is working on James Lea! Glory, glory hallelujah!  

Cynthia prepared for cold weather

14 Jan: OK! It is here! Good grief! Winter arrived! Our worship service was outstanding with an excellent sermon by the bishop’s assistant. We had brunch at Magnolia Diner and our chronic hypothermic walked for five miles while she stayed indoors working on projects.  Son Paul texted he just tested positive for Covid again. Ron watched a zoom presentation of a celebration of life for his MIT alum who matriculated MIT age 16, graduated three years later at age 19.  It was a very touching service for a fascinating man  

13 Jan: Here we are, another too-busy day!  Cynthia is amused by a message Ron sent to a research friend that we have adopted as a cousin, although she is likely Cynthia’s Lea cousin: “Hi Barb, Cynthia's father drilled it into her head to NEVER EVER allow the gas tank to drop below half full.  Personally, I try to never drive with the gas gauge much below empty.  Our approach to cold weather is equally diverse.  I like to walk out and about to see what the weather looks like - sometimes you see pretty interesting sights, like the farmer who drove his huge tractor into downtown to the pharmacy. Cynthia follows your advice, stay indoors with a good book.”  Cynthia reports the condo is clean, the laundry is done, salmon is marinated to go into the oven, and she thinks Ron is very funny.  Daughter Julie is also very funny: yesterday, Cynthia asked Julie  for the name of a medication RX by the dermatologist. Julie said, “I lost my prescription license for impersonating a dermatologist; was there something else you would like to talk about, I know a lot about national security.”   5.0  miles 

12 Jan: The forecast was anticipated to be a high of 68 degrees, but it did not feel like it because of twenty-mile per hour winds.  By eleven A.M., we ventured forth to walk five miles.  Yes, we did! The day was uneventful, but crazy busy. We had a lovely salmon dinner at the Cafe on the Green followed by a trip to Wally World to buy food in preparation for the big freeze Monday.  Jon invested in a generator.  Ron is working on MIT emails.  

11 Jan: We are worn out! Ron did not sleep well. We are thankful to have one of the top-rated medical centers in the United States only seventy miles away: the Texas Medical Center of Houston is also rated #1 in Texas. Yet, navigating the busiest freeways in the U.S. is a major challenge to travel for our annual checkups. Should you require an outstanding cardiologist, we heartily recommend Dr. Kenneth Lance Gould, who has been Cynthia’s primary care physician for twenty-four years, and now Ron’s for fifteen years. He is the author of the book, Heal Your Heart. Dr. Gould pioneered the P.E.T. scan for cardiology, he is a research scientist whose practice is devoted to healing and preventing coronary artery disease. We are exhausted from the travels but affirmed with kudos for excellent results. Here are Dr. Gould's credentials:

Dr. K. Lance Gould

Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished University Chair

Professor of Cardiology

Executive Director Weatherhead P.E.T. Center for Preventing and Reversing Atherosclerosis. 

10 Jan: We both had hair appointments at eleven with Sasha, then a return to the Houston Medical Center for Ron’s appointment with the electrophysiologist, Dr. Anne Dougherty.  We were able to get a bite to eat between appointments, but it was a tight race to make it to the medical center, so we arrived late  The Texas Medical Center in one of the top rated in the U.S., the size of a city, with seven major hospitals  The traffic in and out is horrendous, especially for one of us who worries about minor things like being late as a passenger on a motorcycle in heavy traffic six lanes wide inbound on one of the the busiest freeway in the nation. But, she thanks God for Ron’s professional skill level (now that they are home  S.A.F.E.).

Sasha trimming Ron's few remaining hairs

Isn’t Ron handsome?

9 Jan: Worn-out from Yesterday’s medical appointments, we slept late, worked on and completed some projects.  About two PM,  we walked to the lake and back   Our lab results show excellent reports. 5.0  miles  

8 Jan: Our annual checkup appointments were at eight AM, usually lasting until eleven AM, after labs are done. Thunderstorms and high winds made the ride home perilous. Thankfully, the heavy rain came in squalls and we avoided being caught in one. Because of the rain, the traffic was lighter.  The Houston Medical Center, a city in itself, is the largest and finest in the world, making traffic challenging unless one knows where to go.  Cynthia drove home successfully.

7 Jan: After worship, we walked 5.0 miles, packed our bags, and drove to the Texas Medical Center for early Monday annual checkups. 

6 Jan: We met Jon at 8:15 AM to ride with him to Cheryl’s mother’s memorial service in Bellville, TX. From that sad occasion, we went to Charlotte’s joyful second birthday party, followed by a five-mile walk.

Charlotte discovered presents

Cynthia sat motionless with baby

The entire family, Stan, Julie, Paul, Roxanne, Cynthia, Jon

5 Jan: We had plans to walk late in the AM, except we woke up to rain!  One of us has a manicure and pedicure after lunch. The other one is working on financials. Cynthia started the #75Hard fitness program that isn't so difficult because we are already doing the nutrition.  We exercise twice a day, and read over ten pages a day.  We rarely have alcohol, and neither of us smoked.  Cynthia started counting water so that's her big change.  She is modifying the exercise program with the first set doing 20-25 minutes instead of 45 minutes.  Ron does about 45 minutes for #1, and we both do 90 minutes of outdoor exercise when it isnt raining.  The pedicure prevents her walk today. 

View from our balcony

4 Jan:  Charlotte’s birthday, she says, “I TWO!”  Ron had another successful day in the markets and at the Fitness Center, reporting he is lifting heavier weights now than when he finished last March.  We walked twice.  Cynthia completed the 2023 financial report for the CPA.  “It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, the sky is blue…”  7.0 miles

Charlotte looks puzzled

3 Jan:  Brrrr!  The weather app says it is a real feel of 43 degrees and we are bundling up for our walk.  One of us hates being cold; the other one is a chronic hypothermic.  After freezing nearly to death, the chronic hypothermic suggested we ride the motorcycle twelve miles to get his new glasses.  Cynthia drove the car; the new progressive lens for both distance and reading will take a few days to get used to, plus they are gradient to turn into sunglasses in the sun.  Ron needs cataract surgery, but we will know more about when to schedule it after Ron tries the new glasses for a few days.  If the glasses help enough, he will wait until December for surgery.  We enjoyed humongous salads for lunch at Jason’s Deli, dropped off three pairs of Cynthia’s shoes to be repaired, and we walked to the fitness center again.  7.0 miles. 

2 Jan: Ron’s new glasses did not arrive, but we walked five miles, rode the bike in frigid temperatures to run errands. Ron is delighted his stock investment was successful so we had a treat: Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche.  Oh, what fun!  Santa Claus left a package for Ron under the tree. What a surprise, it is exactly what he wanted, an antique counter balance postage scale.  Now, we are ready for sleep!  5.11 miles 

1 Jan. 2024: Here we are again, just like we were again, overlooking beautiful Lake Conroe.  Ron started the coffee with a joyful “Happy New Year” awakening.  After sleeping late, our favorite thing to do, we threw ourselves into routine exercises and gorged on oatmeal, raspberries, blueberries, and a banana. In other words, the year is new, our days continue the usual pace, but, we do get younger each year.  And that’s a good thing!  Ron helped Cynthia clean the condo, and the laundry was done, with yet another week stretching out before us without any outside commitments. We walked five miles, and Ron opened a bottle of champagne.  Happy New Year!  5.0 miles