April Funtime at MIT

18 Apr: 

17 Apr: 

16 Apr: We check out, but, apart from South, we are uncertain where we are going. Just South. 

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,nRon ate two.  Does it matter if the beef is organic, 100% grassfed?  

14 Apr  Ron walked at eight AM. We missed the first part of the Alumni Brunch because we didn’t read the schedule. But, we were 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 school jersey the current members of his dorm gave him. He leaves a 55 year 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

13 Apr. We walked 45 minutes along the Charles River to the Harvard Bridge. The lunch at Legal Seafood was marvelous. and the champagne formal was a dress to the nines pool party at a Sports Bar, loud but fun and exactly what MIT students might think to do!   

12 Apr: The restaurant is too expensive. We heated water in the coffee pot to eat our own oatmeal in the room because they do not have microwaves. We enjoyed a delightful conversation with Ed M. P.J. and Betsy followed by a 2.82  walk to Whole Foods to eat from their salad bar  

11 Apr: Thurs: Our twenty mile ride to MIT/Cambridge, along the seashore, will begin about ten AM (or whenever Ron gets packed ) The rain begins at twelve noon regardless.  We stayed in a Best Western hotel because of the low rate.  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. Wed: 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: Tues: 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. We split grilled salmon on red mashed potatoes with raw vegetable salad. Ron rode to Trader Joe’s to buy fruit for breakfast. 

8 Apr: Monday: 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. 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!

 

4 Apt: Columbia SC to wherever we get en route to Mount Airy, MD. Will it take two days or three? Evidently, we are doing this in two days! The wind was fierce, especially as we entered Virginia with strong crosswinds. Then snow fell briefly, and lastly, we encountered sleet about ten miles from Salem, VA, our stop for the night. Uffda. The elevator broke while Cynthia was inside it. Zzzz Good night!

3. Apr: Columbia, SC, After exercising, eating, and computering, we had a most enjoyablewa time with Tom, Cheryl, Mary, Clark And Elizabeth!  The wind was fierce riding home. 

2. Apr: Sandy Springs, GA to Columbia, SC with lunch and dinner at two different Ruby Tuesdays. Tonight,  we enjoyed Dick R., Clark and Elizabeth G who joined us for dinner.  Cynthia is praying for a mounting Kit for the GPS navigator. 

1. April: Sandy Springs, GA. 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 travel, packing, unpacking, and eating. Oh, we do our exercise, too. Ron is busy with MIT Burton Third organizing. Today, we will visit a Angi, a cousin of a cousin, in Sandy Springs after eating at Ruby Tuesday. Tomorrow, we ride to Columbia, SC for two days. 

Pritikin Forced March

Ron (with sunburn) & Cynthia at Pritikin

31 Mar: Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is Risen Today! Alleluia! 

30 Mar: Onward to Marietta, GA near a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. The hotel 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, GA. 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 met Skip A., a genealogist, at Jasons Deli for great conversation. Now it is time to rest. 

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 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.

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).

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.

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 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) 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. 

24 Mar, Sunday:  For once Ron cooperated by packing luggage and boxes for shipping, thereby neglecting much-needed updates of this blog and my 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’s had perfect lab results.  Ron is down two pounds after gaining five.  He always has more than great labs.  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.  This was a 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 burning it 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., our schedules are crazy busy. Cynthia had a two hour physical to determine she has a pulled or torn hamstring.  Personal trainer begins tomorrow. 

26 Feb: 6:00 AM labs, doctor appointments, lectures. Cynthia passed the cardio stress test, proof positive she is still alive.  

25 Feb: Cynthia arose at one AM again. Yuk. Ron returns today. Yay!  

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. 

 

23 Feb:  We stopped at the Everglades Museum to watch a video about Seminoles wrestling alligators, plus another video about water conservation in Big Cypress swamp. Ron dropped off Cynthia at Pritikin while Ron continues to Big Pine Key for a quick visit. Cynthia’s hamstring is better. 

22 Feb: dinner in Naples with Dave and Annie. Annie prepared a fabulous feast. 

Ron & BD on beach

Owls manikins

T'nother owl manikin

21 Feb: Overnight with Drew and BD We attended the Gentlemen at Jazz concert in the park. Photos to follow on E we have good wifi 

20 Feb: 19 miles to Venice, Florida and overnight (or two?) with Drew & BD. We attended an Audubon lecture on owls. 

19 Feb: 14 miles to Crystal River for lunch, 140 miles to dinner in Sarasota, FL, a classic guitar concert, and an overnight with Jan and Dorothy.  

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 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, 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 ahead.

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 

Merry Christmas in Texas. Great grandchild # ten arrived.

31 Dec: Hmmm! 123123: 12/31/23, the last day of the year!   Worship at 10:00 AM.  Fifteen years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Ron responded to a friend's suggestion and proposed.  Cynthia surprised both of us by saying, “Yes.”  It has been a marvelous decision, a happy time, and a wonderful life.  We are amazed at how fast the years have passed, but we echo each other’s: "Thank God!"  5.0 miles 

30 Dec:  We walked to the lake and worked on financial reports; Cynthia upgraded her junk report, and Ron worked on James Lea.  Late afternoon, we walked once again to the point.  5.20 miles

29 Dec:  Today, we were glued to our electronics; Ron analyzed financial records for IRS required RMD calculation, and Cynthia did DNA administrative duties.  We walked five miles, followed by egg white omelets at Magnolia Diner, picked up packages at Jon’s and an RX at Walgreens, and shopped for groceries at Walmart.  Tick! Tick! Tick!  Yup!  Here we go again, zooming through another December to the big countdown at midnight Sunday.  5.0 miles

28:Dec:  The day was chilly but sunny; we delayed walking until one PM when the outdoor temp hit 52 degrees.  Ron completed his RMD analysis up through November, and we had a lovely dinner with Pastor Diane & John, Bishop Mike & Susan at the Cafe on the Green.  5.0 Miles

27 Dec:  Wednesday was a most enjoyable day to sleep late, catch up on projects, turn on the old Dell laptop, used to write five volumes of the Rambo Book, to see if it works; yes, it does.  Ron is working on financials to complete the MRD before Dec. 31.  Cynthia completed Ron’s medical paperwork for Pritikin; hers was done yesterday. Reviewing cardiac procedures since 2010, we are thankful for Medicare, plus excellent supplemental policies.  Cynthia’s Plan J requires no co-pay; it is no longer available, and the government cannot take it away.  Ron has supplement D via Mutual of Omaha, which offers great coverage in addition to Medicare.  We walked 5.31 miles. 

26 Dec:  We walked five miles after early AM email distractions. Cynthia checked her blood pressure after the walk: 104/68.  Then we walked five miles before jumping up on the motorcycle to shop for food. (Well, we don’t exactly jump up, but it sounds energetic.)  Traffic was heavy, the stores were still crowded, and the restaurant was closed.  Because she was starving, Cynthia ate a half bag of unwashed globe grapes in Walmart.  Ron is industriously editing James Lea.  5.0 miles. 

25 Dec, Sunday:  Merry Monday, Merry Christmas!  Son Paul and his family are in England visiting granddaughter daughter Zoe and her new husband, Jack.  Zoe is at the U of York studying for a master's in Public History.  Jack is playing soccer (see photo).  They will FaceTime at noon CST.  Thank God for the gift of family, phone calls, e-mails, plus our 5.0-mile walk to the lake and back, and we call it a day!  ZZzz 

Jack, Paul, Zoe, Fyn, and Cheryl

Fyn in England

Zoe's husband Jack

Blaire and Becks

Sister Bonnie and her family

24 Dec: Brunch with Jon and Jim & Jan at the Yacht Club, followed by visiting

 23-month-old Charlotte and her parents at one PM.  We met   Roxanne and Kiira, Julie, Lamar, and Jade for worship at four PM, then a Christmas celebration over dinner at the Salt Grass Restaurant.  

Little Charlotte (upper right)

Ron and Cynthia after church

23 Dec.  We exercised, oatmealed, and walked; Ron did Sudokus and edited James Lea.  Cynthia said this is Clean Condo Day!  5.0 miles 

22 Dec:  Ron is sending his Christmas cards today.  Cynthia is not sending cards.  5.0 miles 

21 Dec:  Winter Solstice is upon us.  So is writing Christmas cards, running errands, walking, and having a late lunch at Magnolia Diner. The hard drive did not successfully migrate everything to the new Mac, so we have many more things to accomplish before Feb. 10th.  However, the past three days of work on James Lea's book were not saved when the Mac rebooted.  Very sad!  8.31 miles 

20 Dec:  Another five-mile day!  Ron is hard at work on the Lea book  Yaay! 

19 Dec:  IMAGINE!  Yet another crazy busy day doing the usual, followed by a five-mile walk, then a trip to the Apple Store in the Woodlands for Apple School on the new Apple Watch #9.  The traffic was horrendous, but we were only a few minutes late.  We learned GPS and cellular on the Watch are the same as on the iPhone.  We get complimented often because we hold hands, “So sweet,” a lady said in Walmart.  The truth is Ron holds Cynthia’s hand to keep her from falling, shopping, or dawdling.  Take your pick.  And now we are tired, as usual!  5.51 miles

18 Dec:  Computers and James Lea ruled the day!  Ron worked on the book, and Cynthia spent half the day struggling with security issues on several websites.  We enjoyed two walks, 6.12 miles  

17 Dec, Sunday:  Worship was wonderful with tiny angels dressed in white fluttery wings, Mary adoring, Joseph with arms raised, a heavenly choir, and bell ringers telling the story of Jesus’ birth. Midafternoon we walked 5.08 miles 

16 Dec:  We exercised, oatmealed, walked to the lake, and drove to Jason’s Deli for their salad bar and our bike. Ron ran errands; Cynthia stopped at the pharmacy and then went home to read a gifted book, From Bremerton to River City, written by a 95-year-old woman about the first North Iowa Band Festival in 1938. And we walked again. 7.15 miles 

15 Dec:  Another early AM, but an appointment with Cynthia’s retina specialist is scheduled for ten-fifteen.  Good news all around. The retina specialist said everything looks good, and her AMD continues to be stable.  We ate lunch at Jason’s Deli and walked to Eyeland to schedule an eye appointment for Ron’s RX glasses.  Thankfully, they had an opening at two PM. He has prescribed transition lenses for reading and distance, using OSHA Safety design for use on the motorcycle.  It will have a gradient design to turn into sunglasses in the bright sun.  At 2:33, trouble started! Cynthia said, “I received a weather warning.  Heavy rain is scheduled for 2:33.  Oh, that’s Now.” And the forecast was right.  But the optician was measuring Ron for new glasses.  We finished, paid the bill, and wondered if we should sit at the optical company to wait for the rain to pass over or return to Jason’s Deli.  Cynthia bolted towards food.  By the time Ron arrived in the midst of the deluge,  she was nearly finished eating avocado sourdough toast.  The rain promised to pour indefinitely (eight PM).  Cynthia texted Jon, who just had a flat tire and needed to get new ones a block away.  He picked us up, we waited for new tires, and he brought us home.  We will get the bike in the AM.

14 Dec:  We left by nine-thirty for the ride to Hempstead for lunch with Carol S., stopping at the CPA, then onto Brenham for Ron’s eye appointment at 1:45 PM.  It was a successful visit until we realized Ron’s eyes were still dilated as we returned for the ride home on the motorcycle.  Thankfully, Ron did a great job, and we are still alive.  We arrived home after dark; we had no walk today.

13 Dec:  A busy day! Ron affixed the AZ motorcycle license tag for the next five years.  6.0 miles 

12 Dec:  Our walk to the lake at ten-thirty started out chilly but warmed up in the bright sunshine.  Ron is in a HO HO HO mood, writing Christmas letters with a goal of ten a day until the end of the month.  Cynthia is FA LA LA ing projects completed.  Becks is amazingly alert for a newborn.  Big sister Blaire is in love.  7.0 miles, all of the fitness rings are closed.  

11 Dec:  After the morning EO routine (exercise/oatmeal), we walked almost to the lake but turned to boogie back for our dentist appointments at 2:00 PM.  Our good reports were followed by a stop at Walmart to search for hard sourdough pretzels; they did not have them.  Dinner at Jason’s Deli was filling, and the ride home was not quite as chilly.  5.0 miles 

10 Dec:  We worshipped at Grace Lutheran Church, followed by brunch at Magnolia Diner.  Cynthia erred in trying to type a document on her Mac; her right-hand ring finger and middle finger sagittal bands do not allow her to be raised to type on a keyboard.  She put the brace back on.  4.0 miles 

9 Dec:  Luxuriating on a Saturday with nothing on our schedules except a walk, a trip to Walmart, and a package pick up from Jon.   Almost everything from the 2011 17” MacBookPro hard drive migrated successfully to the new 15” MacBook Air.  As we travel, it will conveniently hook up to 48” TV screens with an HTML cable.  We started our walk at 2:00 PM despite 80 degrees, plus high humidity, because of some cloud cover.  It worked - - sort of.  We returned home alive but sweaty after a five-mile jaunt to the lake.  Cynthia prepared baked salmon using a new recipe.  Ron made a baked sweet potato using the potato pocket that ElaRuth gave him years ago.  5.0 miles   

8 Dec.  The Bishop’s Clergy Christmas luncheon was at 11:30 AM, but we arrived late and ate lettuce.  We don’t eat pasta in cream sauce or butter rolls, and Cynthia disciplined herself not to eat the yummy-looking homemade carrot cake.  We left the luncheon a few minutes early to get to our appointment at the Apple Store to have Ron’s old Mac checked out, plus Cynthia’s 2019 Apple Watch needed to be checked.  The battery did show deterioration; she was offered a $60.00 trade-in on a new Apple Watch and bought one that includes the GPS and the cellular on the 2019 Watch.  Ron successfully removed the hard drive from the 2011 Mac with a delightful Apple Store assistant. We walked to Best Buy, nearby, and Ron bought an adapter, and their Geek Squad announced the hard drive was still good.  It is being migrated to the new Mac as we sit here exhausted from the day.  Riding on I-45, one of the most dangerous freeways in the US, in the dark is stressful to one of us, while the other said he was ready to do something different after arriving home.  Today's walk: two miles.

7 Dec:  After oatmeal and exercises, we were off to the Apple Store to buy a new MacBook for Ron.  Thankfully, they had what he needed in stock: a 15-inch MacBook Air with 16 Gig memory and 1 Terabyte SSD hard drive.  We stopped at Jason's Deli for large luncheon salads and a baked potato, and then Cynthia had an eye appointment next door, with very little change in her RX.  We walked to the lake and home, totaling 6.6 miles for the day.  Ron could not take the old MacBook Pro apart to get the hard drive out to attempt migration to the new computer.  When we stop at the Apple store again tomorrow, he will take both MacBooks to see if their Genius bar can help.  This is being typed on the new MacBook Air, and Ron is delighted with the keyboard.  Cynthia is happy to be riding the motorcycle instead of driving.  One of these days, her disinclination to present "hairdo by helmet" will overcome her reluctance to drive in Houston traffic.

Miss Blair & Baby Becks

6 Dec:  Our tenth great-grandchild, Becks, arrived late afternoon, 7.6 oz.  Her parents and big sister are elated and exhausted.  The Smooches slept late, luxuriating in the peace of togetherness.  We will be much rejuvenated if we get another few nights of good sleep.  After compulsory morning exercises and oatmeal, we walked to the lake and back, collected too much from the storage locker, and bought groceries (although Ron forgot the walnuts on his 4-item shopping list).  Ron connected Cynthia’s Mac to the 48” TV screen for a monitor to read about new Macs.  5.0 miles  

5 Dec:  Ron said his goodbyes to Rex and the dogs before continuing to Corsicana to research Albert Miller Lea, who died there.  The local genealogy librarian was familiar with Albert Miller Lea but had no Bible record.  However, there were a couple of good biographical sketches of him in their vertical files.  Next time, Ron will dig out his camera to take photographs.  He did promise the librarian to send a copy of the Lea book and articles from the Freeborn Standard next time he researches in Minnesota.  And home on the range, Cynthia walked to the fitness center and back, brimming with excitement because Ron is due in Walden soon and very soon!  The happy ending is that he arrives about 3:30, and the Smooches are very happily reunited.

4 Dec:  The ride from Miami south to Rockwall, Texas, on US 69 was quite pleasant, with fall scenery and colors adding to the green grass and fields along the road.  Ron spent the night with cousin Rex and his wife Danielle, and we all went to dinner at a great restaurant there.  Their home is quite hectic with four large dogs and eleven !! puppies.  Cynthia made chili to take to her granddaughter in Bryan, Texas, for an all-gathering birthday party with Jesus in the morning.  She was home by two.  Two miles 

3 Dec, Sunday:  Ron is visiting Clarence in Kansas City for a couple of hours or maybe sixty hours!  Who knows!  Cold and rain are forecast in one hour (at three PM) south of KC.  His next stopping spot should be a little more than an hour south of KC UNLESS HE DECIDES TO GO ELSEWHERE.  WHO knows? Aha! Ron made it to Miami, Oklahoma, by dark.  He phoned from a Walgreens drugstore while searching for a hotel.  The good news was that he was only two minutes from a hotel and checked in with a Subway restaurant nearby.  Meanwhile, at home on the range in Texas, Cynthia completed the final day of a 21-day, 10,000 steps-a-day challenge. 14,958 steps, 6.26 miles.  She is a happier hiker with more steps daily, but walking on uneven ground in the dark (alone) is not a good choice.

2 Dec: Sat: Ron left Trenton, Illinois, mid-AM, for the arduous ride to Kansas City, MO, arriving in Excelsior Springs, MO (drenched) to visit his friend, Les.  His wet shoes and socks sizzled on the heater.  At about eight-thirty PM, he will ride to Kearney, MO, a suburb of KC, check in at the hotel, shop for food, and fall asleep.  Kearney is about fifteen minutes west of Excelsior Springs.  Ron has a detour, wet drizzle, or heavy humidity riding to Kearney.  He arrived wet again at about nine PM.  Tomorrow, he will visit Clarence in KC, and, God willing, he will leave for the next overnight before dark or rain. Cynthia walked 6.5 miles today (day 20 of 21)

Hudson, Holden and Santa

1 Dec:  Ron spent another day and night in Trenton, Illinois, keeping Ann company.  He plans to leave for Kansas City, MO, tomorrow, likely about ten AM; he has several places to stop en route to Texas.  Cynthia walked at 10:30, shopped for groceries, and (for those who understand the importance) had a broken fingernail repaired.  HA! From the state of extreme boredom.  5.79 miles (day 19 of 21-day challenge)