SUN!
It has been a while since you have heard from us. I have been trying to get the Muse up-to-speed. Summer was rather routine. As noted in our last newsletter, Serena was quite a hit at the Y-Bridge arts festival and is now in a gallery window. The good news is that we are at our sunny winter residence in Bucerias. What a relief.
I attended the Nature Printing Society Conference at the beginning of October and had a wonderfully productive time. However, upon our return, Rebecca had one of her October surprises. Those of you who have followed our journeys know that just before we are ready to move to warmer climes, Rebecca oftimes is struck by some illness. This time it unfortunately was COVID and she was relegated to the hospital for about a week; she gives a synopsis below:
Alas I was feeling very bad. When Dan stuck a thingy (Swab; COVID test kit - dt) up my nose it said I had COVID! Dan took me to the ER. (This was after the PAXLOVID did not work for Mrs.T. - dt) I heard the nurse say, "We are going to admit her!" I guess my blood pressure was very low. I thought they wanted you to have low blood pressure! I waited in the ER all day until they got a room in the COVID wing. A nurse carried a bell walking in front ringing and shouting, "Unclean. Unclean". Everyone who came to my room had to wear a yellow gown and a mask. Just kidding about the bell.
Well they ran lots of tests. My breathing was unsatisfactory. (It is much of the time. -dt) So I got lots of breathing treatments. I had an IV and another machine attached to me that would beep whenever I was beginning to sleep. (Oxygen low -dt) Every four hours they drained quite a bit of blood. In a few days I was feeling a little better and was ready to leave. No such luck. Dan talked to the doctor who wanted me to finish my IV antibiotics. Okay I could stay til Saturday. We had tickets to fly to Mexico on Tuesday. I wanted to vote. Couldn't vote in the hospital. Dan was a hero. He got me out of the hospital and took me to vote. Dan helped me pack. (Fortunately I had packed most things before the NPS conference. -dt)
Dan dragged me to the airport and our plane was not there. It was delayed and delayed. It was so late it wasn't there at all. Finally we flew to San Francisco. The next day we got to Mexico. We were surprised to find that our luggage had already gotten there and was patiently waiting for us. (First time we have had problems getting to PV. The details could make another story. -dt)
It was a great relief to get to Mexico. I was totally exhausted but with Dan's remaining energy we disembarked and began to unload our luggage and possessions, both the necessary and the frivolous. I am not sure which was which. The first few weeks were very hot. (Mostly high humidity. -dt) I mostly lolled about in the pool with Brenda. Dan took care of me and periodically gave me a little jab to try and get me going. I felt very tired. I started taking magnesium because in the hospital they said I was very low in magnesium. That COVID is no joke!
I started riding Johnny, the horse. (Same horse Mrs.T rode last season -dt) Once George - the horse person - managed to shove me on top of Johnny, we did fairly well. I was totally exhausted by the heat but I still enjoyed riding along the beach and watching the waves rolling in and thinking of nothing at all. George thinks I will do well riding earlier when it is cooler. He probably is right. Tomorrow I will start an hour earlier at 8:oo am. This is good except I am not an early riser. (Yes, some more prodding required. -dt)
Last week I gave George some money to get supplies, mandarinas, i.e., tangerines, apples - red only, Johnny will not eat green ones - two cokes, and various and sundry. The sundry included coconut cookies. I found out when I noticed Johnny nodding his head contentedly. "Here, try one of these," George said as he handed me a coconut butter cookie. It was delicious. " It is Johnny's favorite kind, " George reported. I wondered what kind of cookies was second with Johnny. Did he like OREOs? We ambled down the back streets of Bucerias a contented threesome: a man, a woman, and a horse all munching on coconut butter cookies.
It is night in Mexico. Dan and I look like space travelers lying peacefully on our bed in our CPAP masks. I, alas, given the deterioration of my lungs every night plug myself into two machines. I have the oxygen machine which is connected to the CPAP which is connected to me. So, every evening, in the dark, I push the button on the oxygen with my shaky hands. I think it is easy to understand how I by mistake push the button that gives me three liters of oxygen instead of two. I fail to notice this little error and am happily getting an extra little kick. Having successfully plugged myself into both machines I snuggle down peacefully and begin to take my nights repose. Unfortunately, the oxygen machine. which is a trifle lazy, realizes that it is having to work harder than usual. It begins to emit angry little beeps of protest. I am feeling fine and totally ignore it. However Dan, who takes every technological problem seriously, awakes instantly. (Sounded like an alarm clock. -dt) He inquires as to the problem. I, not hearing very well, sleep on. Dan turns on the light and corrects the problem. I sleep on. Of course in the morning Dan will explain my error in great detail. Sigh!
"O vanity thy name is woman." I am not sure exactly who made up this little saying: Shakespeare, Pope, or Rebecca - but I will not claim that it is totally untrue. (Actually: "Fraility, thy name is woman." Hamlet. -dt) With my well rounded stature, and my wrinkly old face you might think that I have nothing to brag about but you are wrong. I am quite proud of my hair. It is thick, and sleek, and after I wash it with purple shampoo, white and shiney. Unfortunately, purple shampoo is hard to find and when you do locate it sometimes the results are less than satisfactory. In fact I have on occasion ended up with purple hair. But after assiduous shopping the purple shampoo is found. And as long as I use it cautiously and don't stay in the pool too long, which has a tendency to turn my hair green, I have lovely tresses. (Lady Godiva? -dt)
Last week when we were riding the horses we went to see the piggies.
The sows are enclosed in a large field with muddy wallows. There are large trees with lots of shade and several small enclosures for piggy privacy. Sows seemed to be quite content and mostly lolled about. The piggies all squeezed under the fence and explored the surrounding forest. If something alarmed them the piggies would squeal loudly and run and squeeze back under the fence and return to mama. Although we tried to be stealthy, two people on large horses were quite alarming! I love to watch the piggies. Suddenly my Appalachian heritage kicked in. "HERE PIG, PIG, PIG," I yelled loudly. These pigs evidently shared the same heritage. They stopped running around and gathered in a line about ten feet away from me and stared at me expectantly waiting for me to dispense food. George was quite amazed. I find my life full of wonderful moments.
As you can see, we are into our routine. Sunlight has a curative effect. Sadly, Mrs.T is not yet scuba diving, and it might not happen. Her mobility issues and lack of stamina lower the probability of a return to her underwater activities. Two strokes and COVID have had their effects. But she is slowly improving.
Construction in our section of paradise - or at least it was a corner - is moving apace. As we mentioned in previous issues, we have condos or apartments, literally hundreds, being built everywhere. We presume they will mostly be rented, not having residents, even seasonal ones like us.
A special shout out and thanks to JG; we are blessed to have such a friend.
And the sunsets are mostly beautiful.
A few pictures:
Have a great winter.
Dan and Rebecca
www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com
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