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Yup.....another year has been tallied into my calendar age record. My numbers keep getting bigger and bigger (and so do I but let’s not talk about that right now). Rats. Because I am in my Golden Years now, I decided I needed to know what that meant and what to expect. I googled it (Google is our friend). Google stated: “The Third Age is now considered by many to be the “golden years” of adulthood. It is generally defined as the span of time between retirement and the beginning of age-imposed physical, emotional, and cognitive limitations, and today would roughly fall between the ages of 65 and 80+.” Well, that’s it! Yup...I am in my Third age! I meet all the criteria for the Golden Years. I could offer up my specifics for each category but just take my word for it.....I’m there and have been there for 11 years. Moan & Groan.
I’m always thrilled to know that all the folks of Mexican heritage enthusiastically celebrate my birthday...Cinco de Mayo. I feel so honored! But I really felt special when some of our friends made me feel joyous and happy on my birthday, May 5th. Walt and Diane brought
scrumptious cupcakes with a twisted candle. I made a special wish! Blowww! Not telling you, though. Sandy and Sam delivered a gorgeous chocolate, chocolate, chocolate cake. My favorite! Yummmmmm. We all had cake for breakfast. “Let them eat cake” was my offering. Delicious! Melba made me a delightful Puerto Rican dessert called tembleque. She made me a pumpkin flavored one. What a treat! Thank you so much for all your thoughtfulness, dear friends.
My celebration didn’t end here. After enjoying the luscious desserts for breakfast, Cory took Sandy and me to the Catfish Place for a late lunch. We arrived just in the nick of time. Sam preferred to stay back in his own confines to remain safe and healthy. He is smart to do that because of his compromised status. The restaurant had a sign-in book on a table outside. Hand sanitizer was on it also. Because of the small number of people inside, we were escorted right in. We were seated at a table in the center of their dining room. We felt like we were sitting in the middle of a roller skating rink....definitely we were placed far apart from the few other customers. “Hel-looow” over
there. You could hear your echo. Disposable menus were handed to us. All “extras” were brought to our table as needed....the tables were kept clean and bare. Our meal was wonderful.....they have the best fried shrimp of any restaurant that we have been to. I think I have told you that before. Smack, Lick, Yum-Yum!
On the way home, Cory stopped at a Beall’s Outlet store that was open for business. That was unique and fun....minus having to wear our masks everywhere we go. That’s getting really old....fast! We recently have moved up from the surgical mask to decorative cloth masks but even then, they become so smothering and hot down here in swelterland. Gasp, gasp....air....we need air! Hypoxia!! At least if I have a “resting bit_h face” on, no one needs to tell me to smile. I really hate that when someone does that....tells you to smile! I wasn’t born with curled up corners to my mouth....blame my parents. I just can’t go through life wearing a grinning clown face all the time. Take me as I am or look away......
Moving along with more festivities that had me smiling. As we sat outside our RV, a
wonderful sight suddenly appeared on the horizon. A big sign reading “Happy Birthday” was held up by a great friend, Sonny. There he was....parked in the driveway of Melba’s old site holding this thoughtful message in my direction. What a swell guy. I wish you could all meet him. Sonny would make your day “sunny” for sure! He made me happy!
This evening, Nicki Jo (our activity director) arranged for all of us to form a golf cart parade to wish a young lad a Happy 6th Birthday. Unbeknownst to me, she also had a birthday balloon and birthday hat for me! Wow!! What a great place to live with the greatest people ever! I was honored by having silly string sprayed all over me....better than the horrible love bugs that want to land on me all the time. It was a terrific time and I’m glad I could share my birthday with this adorable young man. Thank you all.
Whoa.....A serious tragedy almost ended this birthday celebration. Yup. It was scary! As we were tooling around in the golf cart parade, Lulu fell off the cart! Splat! Flat on the pavement. Cory squealed to a stop as
soon as I released by blood curdling scream. Everything stopped! Even my heart but I raced to her head and turned her over to assess her injuries. OMG. She wasn’t moving! Call 911! I prepared myself to perform CPR when suddenly, I saw a flutter of her eye and heard a weak moan emanate from our lovely Lulu. Ooh....such relief! Of course, I had to monitor her for 24 hours for a head injury but she rallied around and is good as new. Whew! What happened you asked? Let me tell you....She had insisted on wearing my birthday hat. Well, it dropped down over her eyes and she lost her “footing”....(in her own way....no feet, remember). That was it...that’s all it took.....swish .....she almost became roadkill. We don’t even want to think about it. But it was a close one. Much too close for comfort. We want her to wear a seat belt but when we tried it, it strangled her so we had to give up on that. We are thinking about a small cage attached to the cart but she’s not going for that! She is a free-spirit and plans to stay that way.....free in all forms. What
to do to keep her safe? Suggestions welcome.
In between doing the wash and cooking food, our days get broken up when we take a golf cart ride. Cory drove us all up to and around Old Town again. Slowly, stores and restaurants up there are beginning to reopen....just no one around to go in them. Sad. It still has the Chernobyl look. This odyssey took us further beyond Old Town. Cory steered the cart along back roadways, behind various hotels and gift shops until we ended up at a 7-11 gas station/store. The store is finally allowing soda fountain drinks to be purchased....goody! We got our caffeine fill-up as well as a gas fill-up.....looked authentic but the golf cart is electric so it was all for appearance sake. Cory did clean the windshield though. The terrible lovebugs cause havoc on everything and everyone. Look what they do to traveling motor homes! That was us last year driving to Red Bay, Alabama.....horrible! Riding on the golf cart allows us to see areas we have never seen before...places where cars can’t drive. Nothing to write home about...or I would! You know that.
We are dealing with a very dry
spell in our area. Nothing will rain on our parades. Yippee! Nicki Jo arranged another celebratory golf cart parade. This one was honoring four young people who were graduating. Because of this coronavirus situation, schools have been closed and graduation ceremonies banned. It was nice we could all recognize them in some small way. The parade culminated in a celebration with cupcakes and congratulations.
Sometimes, with very little to do and completely blank dance cards....we have found ourselves drowning our sorrows in wine. Yes whining with wine. Our small group combine wine bottles as we taste them all....down to the very last drop! A tasters delight. Cheers! Even though we should be, we aren’t struggling here in our corner of paradise.
The wildlife here aren’t struggling either. The deer and feral cats get fed on a regular basis. Both are increasing in number. With no predators around, they are almost like pets. The deer mosey up close to you.....hoping to find food morsels as a hand out. Luckily, there are also possums around. They are beneficial creatures because they eat ticks.....if there are deer, there are ticks! There are hundreds of squirrels scurrying around everywhere. The raccoons make
their home in the dumpsters. It’s a real menagerie here.
Today, Cory, Sandy and I tried to help out a local restaurant: Denny’s. They have set up new canopies for outside dining. We picked out our table....no one else was there so it was easy! EXCEPT for the dumb lovebugs! They were there and everywhere! So we ate inside....and had it all to ourselves. Will this ever come to an end and will life return as we knew it? I just don’t know. It’s surely is going to take time. The restaurant did have a couple take-out orders while we were there but that was it. Our waiter said it had been slow....very slow....like almost nothing. I’m glad we could help a little. Jeepers.
And that’s all she wrote! Yup....I’m done for now. I want to thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes you gave me. You made me so happy and made me feel so special. You are the best! See you soon. Check out the 22 photos.
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Karen Cooper McKean
non-member comment
Wine
Glad to see you both are surviving this crazy virus. All ok here in Ohio. I agree, wine helps us all. Stay safe. Karen