Good News

My last post painted a rather dire picture of the future.  All that has changed.  First, our driving trip to Las Vegas was such a success that we are now planning a driving trip to Denver and Phoenix in late September.  Ron had tons of energy, and although we used a wheel chair in the casino all the time, it worked well and was easy.  We discovered that driving and having all our equipment handy in the car to be much easier than flying and having to ship a walker, rent a wheel upon arrival, and deal with having to get into our kids cars, all SUV's.  We will solve all that with a driving trip, and we can't wait to go.

Second, I saw Dr. Bugbee last week.  He's the orthopedist who operated on my left knee four years ago.  After reviewing my x-rays he agreed that I did have osteoarthritis and if the pain was severe, surgery would be necessary, but he said that if I could control the pain with cortisone injections I should do that.  I had a cortisone shot in my right knee on June 4, and over seven weeks later, I am still pain free.  I feel fantastic and relieved that for now, there is no knee replacement in my future.  I can have a shot every three months if necessary, but I may be lucky and may go much longer without pain.  In any event, it reminds me NOT to jump to conclusions until I have all the facts.  I will keep playing pickleball, golf, walking and boogie boarding as long as my knees allow.  

Planning For The Future

When Ron and I were first married, we made lots of plans.  We saved money, bought our first house with help from Mom and Dad, and we were on our way.  Five houses later, three wonderful children  and five grandchildren later and multiple  trips to countries all over the world, we achieved most of what we planned for.

Now, at 75 and 73 years of age, we still have plans, but I find planning for the future is quite different.  We have many health issues to consider, so driving trips are always easiest.  We plan to go to Las Vegas in July (driving), and assuming that is successful, we will fly to Denver in late August to see kids and grandkids.  I have just been told that I need a knee replacement on my right knee, so I am planning for that.

Out of nowhere my right knee began hurting, so much so that I was close to tears.  X rays revealed severe osteoarthritis, among other problems.  So I'm now planning for how I can take care of my own medical needs while still taking care of Ron.  My friend Phyllis from the dog park gave me a suggestion that I intend to follow.

I will first make a list of my needs.  I will consider options for after care.  Who will help me?  Where will I stay, home or after care facility?  After I figure that out, I need to figure out care of my dog (list of several options for his care) and care for Ron (again, several options).  This will be a big list!  So much to think about.  When we have someone else who is relying on us for help,  we often ignore our own needs.  I have found that this is NOT a good idea.  Caregivers need to take care of themselves, so I am going to do what I must and get this knee repaired.  I will feel better and happier (living with pain is a bitch) and be a better everything(caregiver, wife, daughter, mom, grandma).  That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.  Thanks, Phyllis, for the great suggestion.

Fishmongers For The Freshest Fish

My lunch bunch group traveled all the way down to the San Diego Airport area to eat lunch at Fishmongers, on the last day of April.  It was a longer drive than I had originally thought, and was thinking my group my be upset traveling so far, but as soon as we walked into the restaurant, we knew it would be worth the drive.  It was.

Lunch on a cloudy day was slow, which meant we had the fishmonger, owner, and server's full attention.  There was only one other table occupied, but that did not deter of from having a fabulous time and eating more fabulous food.  Fishmongers is an inviting restaurant, with big tables, nice bar area, and outdoor seating with beautiful hanging plants.  The restaurant is attached to another building called 57 Degrees (the temperature at which wine should be stored), which can be rented out for private parties.  Great space, but back to Fishmongers.

We always like to share, so we can get a taste of everything.  We started with a delicious bottle of white wine, something we don't usually do at lunch, but I felt like a glass of wine, and everyone agreed to join me.  We started our meal with some tastings from their crudo (raw fish) menu.  We ordered hamichi with a mango salsa, beautifully displayed.  It was almost too pretty to eat.  We also tried a crab crudo on cucumber and several other flavors.  They had a cherry hamachi and a chocolate tuna, among other crudos.  For the main course we ordered the following, which we split up so everyone got a taste of everything:  smoked tuna with brie cheese melt, crab cake sandwich, seafood salad and .........Everything was served with wonderful thin cut french fries.  Oh, did I mention the crusty sesame seed bread that was served with oil and balsamic vinegar.  It was great.  The owner was funny and friendly, and made sure everything was just right.  The fishmonger, Frankie, gave us suggestions, and even gave us samples of their famous smoked tuna.  Even Regina, who doesn't care for smoked fish, tried it and liked it.

Too full for dessert, we vowed to come back again, try some other dishes like fish and chips, chowder, and grilled halibut, and to save room for dessert.  We were happy and satisfied when we left, another lunch bunch outing success.

Eataly Los Angeles: Where Do I Start?

Finally, the new Eataly in Century City is in full operation.  Mom and I went there to check it out on a recent Saturday night.  I had previously been to the New York Eataly and the Chicago Eataly, but they both pale by comparison to what they have achieved in LA.  It's located in the newly remodeled Westfield Century City Mall, which I have written about before.  The mall is stunning, with more high end shops and restaurants than you can imagine.  Eataly is the piece de resistance!

Eataly is huge.  It's on three floors, and I couldn't get the square footage, but it must be tens of thousands.  The new rooftop restaurant Terra, is 11,000 square feet, and the bottom two floors are huge.  We did not eat at Terra, but I would sure want to try it in the future.  It has a big bar, where the focus is gin and tonic, with special gins from all over the world.  The restaurant is indoor/outdoor, with twinkling lights everywhere and a beautiful view of the city.  The food features Italian skewers, meats and fish on a skewer cooked over the grill, and lots of fresh grilled veggies.  It has a complete menu of salads, lots of Italian themed dishes and good wine.  Very romantic.

On the other two floors, you will find several restaurants, including a casual pizza place where you stand in line to order, the get your pizza and seat yourself.  The line was very long when we were there.  I would not have waited, but lots of people did, and were rewarded with some fantastic pizza.  Wine bars are everywhere, and a huge wine shop is there too.  Another eating possibility is the place mom and I ate.  It's also casual dining, with an open kitchen.  All the tables are high tops, and you seat yourself.  Soon a very knowledgeable wait person will come and explain the menu items to you.  We had a delicious charcuterie plate (for 2) but very large, which included several meats like prosciutto, ham and salami, several cheeses, an apricot spread (think spicy jam), and pesto.  This was served with thin grilled rounds of bread that resembled pita.  Delicious.  We also tried the tagliatelle with lamb ragout and beef and pork meatballs with marinara.  Fabulous, all of it.  We each had a nice glass of wine and were thoroughly stuffed.  One final restaurant option is a full service fish restaurant, with great grilled fresh fish and Italian specialties.  Wherever you eat, you won't be disappointed.

There is another area near the front of the store that serves coffee.  Lots of delicious kinds of coffee.  Most people select a dessert from one of the many dessert windows to enjoy with their coffee.  Around the rest of the store you will see a large cooking school, busy most weekdays with lots of students learning how to cook Italian.  There are several cheese displays, featuring hundreds of cheeses, both imported and local.  Love the smell.  Also, another display of sliced meats.  There were about 20 different types of salami alone!  You can watch the pasta man make pasta, or the bread man make bread.  There are imported Italian canned foods, dishes, pots and pans, you name it.  I can't think of anything they've missed.

Next time you're in LA, make Eataly one of your stops.  I would plan at least two hours, one  hour to shop and one hour to eat.  If you're a foodie like me you will be in a happy place.  If you're not, you're still going to like it.  It's quite something.

What RBG Taught Me About The Right's Of Women

Ron and I went to see the movie RBG, a documentary on the extraordinary life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  I learned so much I did not know.  First, the story of she and her husband Martin Ginsberg, a tax attorney, was a real love story.  They met when she was 17, he 18, and were together until his death in 2010.  He was a man unafraid of a women who was smart and ambitious, and he supported Ruth's work and career always.  She's a small, quiet woman who never raises her voice, but never the less, gets things done.  Prior to being appointed Supreme Court Justice by Barack Obama, Ginsberg appeared before the court six times, winning five.  Her cases are mostly regarding women's rights.  She is a true champion for women!

Prior to 1970, women were truly second class citizens.  Except for the right to vote, which took decades to get, women were treated as less than equal.  For example, married women could not be prescribed birth control until 1965.  Imagine that. It wasn't until Roe Vs. Wade that women were allowed the right to choose what happened to their own bodies.   Women could not serve on juries in some states until late in the 20th century.  When I got married in 1967 women could not have a credit card in their own name.  Their husband had to co sign.  Women were not allowed to serve in any of the military academies.  Women couldn't report a rape by their husband either.  In the senate, an unwritten law was finally lifted in 1993.  Until then, women were not allowed to wear pants on the senate floor.  In many states, women were not allowed to own property or stocks without their husband's consent.

How things have changed, and quiet, diminutive Ruth Bader Ginsberg was responsible for some of these changes.  We always want change to occur rapidly, but it doesn't.  It took years to get women the right to vote.  I can think of something that has changed rapidly, and that is this:  attitudes on same sex marriage have changed, to a point where over half the population agrees that he or she should marry who he/she chooses.  Women and minorities have a long way to go, but we're going in the right direction.  Young people today are more open minded, and will hopefully strive for equality for all.  

The President Sang Amazing Grace

https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/556574/joan-baez-amazing-grace/


Thank you Karen, for  introducing me to this amazing song, "The President Sang Amazing Grace," performed by Joan Baez.  She did not write it, but when she first heard it on the radio, she knew she had to record it.  It was written after the church massacre in Charlottesville in 2015, and it so very powerful.  The video that goes with it adds to its power.

I was a fan of Joan Baez back in the 1960's, when she was an activist, doing what she could to create a more peaceful world.  She had the voice of an angel, and that hasn't changed.  In the 1960's she knew everyone in politics, music, science, you name it.  She had many lovers through the years, among them Steve Jobs and Bob Dylan.  She thought Vaclav Havel from the Czech Republic to me the leader she most admired.

Through the years she has mellowed somewhat, but has retained her incredible beauty.  She has silver/grey hair cut short, and looks incredible.  Please play the above song.  I hope you are moved by it the way I was.  It's a modern day folk song, and reminded me of why I loved (and still do) folk music so much.  A simple melody, simple words, simple message.

How Do Honeybees Choose A Home?

As I was walking one day in my neighborhood, I noticed that a bee keeper's car was parked at the end of my street.  The bee keeper was on the roof (a tile roof), tearing it up, trying to find the home of the swarm of honeybees buzzing around the roof.  Why did the bees choose this particular roof to put down their roots?  I did a bit of investigating, and here's what I found.

Every year, honeybees must find a new home.  Honeybees use inhibitory signals when house hunting, paralleling the human brain's decision-making process.  It's another example of the sophistication of the honeybee population.  Every spring, about two-thirds of the honeybee colony split off from the group to form a new swarm.  After canvassing one potential home site, each scout returns to the group to report on the quality of the prospective home by doing a waggie dance on the swarm surface, literally dancing on a platform of bees.  Each scout visits only one site and instinctively know the difference between a so so spot and an excellent location.  The better the site, the longer and more vivaciously they dance.  The scout who recruits a certain threshold number of bees wins, and the swarm heads to that scout's location.

If two nests are equally desirable, the bees risk a deadly stalemate.  The swarm has only one queen, so they can't split up.  Scouts dance to win worker bees to their site, but might also head butt other bees emitting a high-pitched beep.  These inhibitory signals allow bees to break a deadlock and decide on a home faster.

So, next time you find that bees have made a home in your tree or outside your house, think of how hard the scout bee had to work to win the other bees over to his choice.  Your house or yard must be very special!