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| 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.
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| Momma with her two darlings, Roxanne and Jon |
SUNDAY OFFERING
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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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:
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.).
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| 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.
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| Charlotte discovered presents |
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| Cynthia sat motionless with baby |
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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
