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| View of Casa Tipton-Kelly from our mosquito infested back yard |
How are you all doing?
It's been awhile since I posted an update on our situation here are Casa Tipton-Kelly.
Well, I can tell you that the mosquitos are biting and the heat and humidity are oppressive. If I go outside at all I have to suit up in my white shirt, long denim pants, combat boots and Safari hat with mosquito net. Even then, after only moving around for about ten minutes my T-shirt is soaked with sweat. Ah summertime, we have arrived!
I wish I could work outside in our beautiful backyard more but I can't because of the heat and humidity and the mosquitos. I do like to refresh my pond with about twenty-five minutes of well water (all free and not contaminated with chlorine) at least once a day. The fish like it too. I also have to clean out the filter of the floating solar water fountains from algae buildup at least once a day. The fish like those bubbles which provide much need oxygen for them. I recently installed a large solar panel to provide even more air bubble in the pond.
Bill continues to need my care. His health is fine, as far as I can tell. No open leg wounds. He's swallowing better now that I'm pureeing all his food, mainly oatmeal and bananas. He's getting much better care at home here than he ever would at a $$$$$ assisted or total care facility. Bill is in his own home and we're together. I have accommodated myself to the fact that caring for Bill for the next few years is my reality. Could be a lot worse. Bill is not in pain and knows who I am. He can also get to the bathroom by himself and rarely has "accidents." Of course I would like to resume my quarterly travels with Pat but that is not to be in my foreseeable future. It's been two and a half years since Pat and I have embarked on one of our adventurous travels to our favorite destinations in Palm Springs, Philadelphia and Canada. Friends of mine just returned from France. I don't think we'll ever go to France but maybe Japan. But in the meantime, there are plenty of places to visit right here on the North American continent.
I'm not sure if I could ever return to work at the hotel again. I'm having more trouble just walking. I'm very unsteady. And walking up stairs is a real chore for me. I have to pull myself up by holding on the banister. Last night I was cleaning the kitchen and living room wood floors and on a couple occasions I had to go down on the floor on bended knee. I almost couldn't get up. It's amazing how weak my legs are.
My arthritis continues to worsen. Yesterday I broke the antlers off of one of my acrylic reindeer I had sitting on our kitchen counter. That makes two things my stiffened arthritic hands have knocked off our kitchen counter. Last week it was the glass mixer jar I use to puree Bill's oatmeal meals. That cost me $45 to replace that jar. I was lucky I could find a replacement on Amazon. I broke my heart to break the antlers off that reindeer. I had two of them on our kitchen counter. I bought then many years ago at Walmart in Exton, Pennsylvania in an after Christmas sale. Of course they are irreplaceable. I ordered some acrylic glue from Amazon. I will try and repair them.
Last night I had a bad attack of allergies. The runny nose. Runs like an open spigot. I had to go to bed early just to get away from it. If I lay on my side while sleeping all that mucus drains back into my body. I'm better now. If I take allergy pills I can usually head off the worst of the sneezing and runny nose. When I was deep into the sneezes last night I noticed the allergy tablet still on the counter. I had forgotten to take it!
Seems like this post is nothing but complaints. Not my intention folks, just telling it like it is around here at Casa Tipton-Kelly. We're entering into the depths of the summer season. A good two months of this heat and humidity. I am thankful though we're not getting the worst of the heat that much of the rest of the country is suffering through. And I am so thankful our air conditioning works great. Of course I pay a big bill for that air conditioning but that's a small price to pay for the comfort we enjoy and are able to survived in this heat and humidity.
