Embrace the Journey: Find a Role Model

Jeanne speaking at Toastmasters

She’s small, spunky, sassy, and super smart. She’s my role model. I want to be as fit and vibrant as her in another ten years when I’m in my eighties. No grass grows under her feet. She travels the world, takes on enormous projects, and still takes time out for a glass of wine with her husband every afternoon. Wow. I’m impressed.

Her name is Jeanne Resen. I am fortunate to know her through Toastmasters. I also see her at Gold’s Gym where I exercise. I caught her running up and down on the exercise stairs. I also use them for training, so I asked her if she was training for something. 

Embrace the Journey: Enjoy the Attention

Picture for the Program

The Induction Ceremony for the National 4-H Hall of Fame was special. My sister Penni, Donnie, and several colleagues from NC Cooperative Extension who nominated me attended with me. I learned about the award in March, 2022. The Hall of Fame is an on-line repository of information about each inductee for the past twenty years.  

My letter contained specific instructions and deadline for "homework". I was to submit a laureate picture, my motto, full biography, short biography and several other items. Basically my life story in brief, and pictures. I don't do pictures well now! 

Later I learned I would be doing a three minute acceptance speech. This was exciting and challenging. 

Embrace the Journey: Reinvent Yourself

At the Peace Center 

Confession. I like being pampered, waited on and catered to. Why? I have more time to exercise my brain, read, do Duolingo or puzzles. I call it “Therapy”. I am unashamedly spoiled and I love it! To be honest, Donnie likes “spoiling” me. He told me recently that it suits him. We have a nice fit! He gives and I take!

He had to have knee replacement surgery this summer. The upheaval in roles challenged both of us. Stressful only begins to describe how we felt. It's tough doing things that are hard. He would do as much as possible then say, “I’m done. I’ve got to sit down and put ice on my knee.”

Since I’ve been working on being more independent, I can say, ”No worries, I’ve got this!” “This” could be any of the many tasks he typically does around the house from dishes to laundry or tending to Sootie the cat. Mowing the big yard had to wait.

Embrace the Journey: Enjoy Yourself

Express Train was great

I'm enjoying myself reliving our exile in Italy. This post captures our last touring visits to Rome.

Eight days of exile in Italy passed quickly. We had traveled around Civitaveccia, Maori and the Amalfi Coast. For the duration till we could go home, we were staying at the Hilton at Rome Fuimicino Airport. On this Sunday, day eight of our exile in Italy, I was still testing Positive but Donnie was Negative.

The Rome airport was conveniently located so we could do day trips to Rome. There was a thirty minute non-stop Express train advertised at the airport. For our first day trip however, we took a van because it let us off in a better place for seeing sites we wanted to see. 

At the Rome Coliseum

We got to Rome early and got off close to the Coliseum. There were tourists everywhere and it was already hot. I knew two thing immediately. First we had to lose the crowds and second, we wouldn’t see much just walking.

The Hop-On Bus was easy and  outside

“Donnie, let’s keep an eye out for one of the ‘hop-on,’ type red bus. Look at that line going to the Coliseum. Wonder if they’re waiting to buy tickets or to go in? I can see all I need from right here. Let’s take some pictures and call it ‘good’. Besides, we toured a nice coliseum in Arles and learned all about the gladiators and other spectacles.”

Water stations were all over Rome

We headed in the opposite direction from the crowd toward a park. It was up a hill and looked cool and inviting. We spied what looked like a water pump. “Donnie, let’s fill up my water bottle. It’s already empty.” Donnie was skeptical.

While we were talking, a young man stopped and got a drink from the spigot. So, I asked him if it was safe to drink. He said he uses it everyday and that we would find similar water holes all around Rome. Then he pointed us in the right direction to start our walking tour.

No handrails!

We enjoy doing our own thing. I hate guided tours where you stand politely till the guide finishes the spiel and answers questions. We miss details but we wouldn’t remember them anyway. Walking the cobblestone streets and seeing the buildings told us a lot about Roman life. They walked everywhere and in summer, and it would have been hot, and uphill. 

We saw a lot of interesting architecture, landscaping, statues and gardens. Much of Rome seemed to be under construction. We found several churches and another watering spot.

We were hungry so we hopped off at what looked like a high end retail area. We walked around checking several possibilities before going back to one on a busy corner. I think it was “fast food”, Italian style. There was a refrigerated display case showcasing different sandwiches, salads and deserts. After answering our questions and ordering, we sat down and wait to be served. This restaurant seemed very typical of others we had tried. It was small, old and quaint, with friendly and efficient staff.  The service was quick and the dining experience felt leisurely and relaxed.

Loved the architecture!

Our day trip to Rome was a huge success. From our walking tour, we got a sense of ancient Rome; from the hop-on bus, we could see the big picture of ancient Rome blended with the modern city. We rode the Express train back to Rome Fuimicino Airport. It was nice to sit back and watch the scenery. Back at the airport, we had more Covid Testing work to do. 

At dinner, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Our self testing showed that we both tested Negative! Let the plan to get home begin!

Embrace the Journey: Get a Grip

Home Base

“Okay, so we are still testing Positive. Well, at least we have two nights in Rome reserved. Wish we had gotten three. The Airport Hilton will be a central home base till we test Negative.”

One problem was fixed but the Covid problem lingered. Testing Positive hung over us like a heavy dark cloud. We became intimate friends with the airport during our five night stay at Hilton. One by one, we found the places we needed: rental car return, the train station, the Uber pick-up spot, food and restrooms accessible without doing security, a pharmacy and most important, the make-shift Covid testing site.

Lobby was usually packed with travelers

We arrived on Friday and the beginning of a sold out situation at the hotel. In addition to a conference, vacationers on religious holiday, a wedding party and the beginning of summer. People without rooms were trying to get a room. We had reservations for two nights but needed more. Our room wasn’t ready, but we were check-in and luggage stored.

New problem was getting more nights here. Donnie said, “Don’t worry. I’ll call Ramona to get her on it and I’ll keep on it as well. Let’s get lunch and head to the airport.”

Mall was a disappointment

Our first day was like a ‘broken play” in sports. The airport wasn’t close to anything. Transportation was either train, taxi, or Uber. I said, “Donnie, why don’t we check out the mall Ramona said is close. I don’t need anything, but it might be interesting to see what stores an upscale Italian mall has. You can practice using Uber.”

After finding the Uber pick-up place, the Uber ride itself was nice. We both thought Uber driver was taking us on a wild goose chase through literally nothing of note. We had envisioned an interesting mall with boutiques, restaurants and windows dressed with intriguing fashions and merchandise. What we got was a long ride ending at a strip mall identical to any in the states. 

It was already hot outside. We were disappointed and didn’t want to waste anymore time or money. Almost in unison we said, “This is not what we were looking for. Sorry, please take us back to the Hilton.” Uber driver wasn’t happy. 

Express Train

We spent the afternoon researching our trips to Rome. We had at least two days to tour there. Our objectives were to learn how to ride the train; see Vatican City; walk around to get the feel of this ancient city. We did our research, on foot in the airport.

Big signs promoting the Express Train going to Rome in thirty minutes were everywhere. The train station itself, was harder to find. 

Terminal A 

We started inTerminal A where our outside path led us. Inside, we looked around for train signs. There was nothing. “Wonder how we find the station. Surely there’s a way to get there without going through security. There’s an information place, let’s ask them.”

Of course, we were in the wrong terminal and on the wrong floor. We got directions and started walking. After many twists, walking sidewalks,  and different corridor tubes, we finally saw train station signs. Once in the doors, the ticket counter was easy to locate. It wasn’t a busy time, so the clerk patiently answered all our questions. 

Got a grip on mass transit

We were getting a grip on the airport. We noted our path mentally. We would get an early start on seeing Rome. Normally, our travel agent Ramona would take care of  everything. We learned that we could fend for ourselves and have fun doing it. We were slow but steady and gaining confidence. We would do Rome much like we did Civitaveccia and the Amalfi Coast. We got our daily mental exercise to boot! 

Embrace The Journey: Don't Get Stuck

First night out

I have posted several blogs about our dilemma and what proved to be a delightful “land cruise” on the Amalfi Coast. The experience was both memorable and stressful. 

We started in Civitaveccia, the port city, several days. We got lodging which was a valuable commodity at that time. We think we hit the beginning of a holiday in Italy. Securing lodging on a day to day basis was stressful. We tried to make the most of the nights we had in any one place.

Embrace the Journey: Plan an Adventure

We enjoyed breakfast at Hotel de la Ville

In Civitaveccia, we quickly realized we were on our own. In terms of priority, securing lodging every night would be Job #1. I felt confident Donnie and Ramona would handle it. We had to do self quarantine in Italy for who knows how long, so my job was to generate ideas for fun.

“Donnie, I’m glad you like the idea of driving to Amalfi! Ramona will find us a good place to stay. Meanwhile, there are good things to see in Civitaveccia. The railroad station looks interesting. That fort-like place across the way must have a story and Civitaveccia looks interesting.”

Embrace the Journey: Pivot and Redirect

Thinking positive in Civitaveccia 

Sometimes, you just have to pivot and go a different direction. Bad Karma had followed us from Lyon to our Mediterranean Cruise. Proof of vaccination, which is what we thought was all we needed, wouldn't do. We had to produce a Negative Covid test before embarking on the cruise ship. Donnie still had a sore throat. Could this be Covid? We used the self test kits we brought and sure enough he tested positive. Testing again at the port, he still tested positive. So, instead of cruising the Mediterranean, we were exiled to Civitaveccia. 

Embrace the Journey: It's Okay to Need Help

The Confluence Museé

Our next adventure was the Confluence Museé. It was promoted as a "must-see" tourist destination. The Museé was located at the southern tip of Lyon where the Rhone meets the Söene. It was very modern, large, cultural, historical, and an architectural sight.  

Donnie and I usually do museums, even big ones in a couple of hours. We saw inside and outside by early afternoon. I easily walked 13,000 steps, my daily goal. On the down-side, it was hot. I battled fatigue by going inside and sitting down.

We were hungry when we arrived. Then we explored all around looking for a cafe. Museums always have cafes, right? This one only seemed to have an expensive, sit-down restaurant - not what we wanted. Donnie was getting antsy, so Liz went off site in search of food. She returned with sandwiches. Not the lunch we envisioned. We ate our sandwiches on a bench while watching the sleeping Loleh.

Entrance to Park de la téte d'or

By mid-afternoon, Donnie and I were ready to leave, but how? “The plan” was to end the day at a BIG park. Philippe wanted more museum so we left him. He would join us at the park later. We rode the bus to the park, a nice respite.

When we got to the park, I was ready to walk again. This park was reported to have lots of unusual features. I was curious. My first impression was, “This is nice. I love the wide paths. Wonder where all the ‘good’ stuff is? Where are the bathrooms?” I was really focused on finding a restroom. We found what looked like some permanent porta potty.

(Aside: Restrooms didn't seem to be high priority here. We found Porta potty look a-likes. They were gender neutral, positioned side by side on the side of the wide path. The stainless steel potty had a rim to sit on. There was no toilette paper and no hand washing available. I rejected the facility.) 

Loleh preferred playing out of his stroller

I went in, turned around and came back out. I said, “Liz, surely there’s a restroom somewhere. This potty is not working for me.” We walked some more, seeing a lot of the park while looking for a real restroom. It was late afternoon and I was worn out. We had planned to eat leftovers in the refrigerator for dinner. 

We never found a restroom. My legs were really fatigued so I said, “Liz, can you help us get home? I’m too tired to enjoy the park today. Let’s do the park tomorrow when we are all fresh. Do you think we can get a taxi? I don’t think we are set up to do Uber.”

The busy corner with whizzing cars

Back at the entrance, rush hour traffic was bumper to bumper. Liz had no luck finding a taxi or Uber. Finally, we decided to walk toward a taxi area. We stopped at a bus stop.

“Let’s wait here? There’s a bench and maybe we’ll get lucky.” Time advanced as we analyzed our situation. 

"Donnie, this is bad! We don’t know where we are. Our phone is low on battery juice, and communication is challenging. Could it be any worse? Yeah, we could be stuck here all night. Maybe Liz will come searching for us. Wait, we have the only key to our place! Nobody can get in. That's really bad. Maybe we should call Liz to see what she suggests?”

Donnie said, “I already did. I’ve texted both but I’m not sure it’s going through.”

“Looks like we are stuck! This is when I curse MS! If I weren’t so weak, we would find a way to walk home. I'm sorry, my legs are done. Wonder how far we are? You do have the address, right?”

Resting after walking to the park

Very soon, a young man comes to the bus stop. I'm thinking, “He looks smart, maybe a student. I'll try speaking French to him.”  With my awkward French, I learned he was a student and spoke some English. He understood our dilemma. Then he proceeded to call at least three taxi companies before finding one that would come get us. No doubt he missed his bus. 

He insisted on staying with us until the taxi came. “I want to make sure you get in the taxi and he knows where you want to go.” We were so thankful and relieved!

When the taxi  arrived, before getting in, I gave him a big hug. “You are our Angel! Your mama would be proud of you. Thank you. We had visions of being here all night.”

The next day, refreshed and eager to try the park again, we walked to the park along the Söene river. Our scare was a learning experience on many levels with many lessons. We were reminded that it's okay to ask for help. There are really good people everywhere. We realized we aren’t ever totally helpless. We survived the crisis! 

Embrace the Journey: Bad Karma Happens

First outing in a Lyonaise Bouchon

Our big trip to France then Italy to start the Mediterranean Cruise was suddenly here. Since I don’t travel so much anymore and have health issues to manage, travel is really a big deal. I love everything about travel. I find it to be empowering, exhilarating, and worthy of documenting. 

We work with a travel agent to do the detail work and keep us straight. We trust her advice on everything. Usually, everything is perfect.

Embrace the Journey: You've Got to Want it!

In Annapolis 2021

It's been almost two years since I fell and fractured my hip. My recovery seems to be complete. I don't have pain anywhere and I feel like I'm close to where I was physically before the fall. Now with the foot operation being successfully completed, walking feels wonderful. 

The fall seems like a long time ago. It was, two years. Last year, 2021 I was trying to do "normal". We traveled, we helped  Liz, Philippe and Loleh move. We played with them for three months before they moved to France. It was a whirlwind year. The elusive "walking" was always lurking as a goal in my mind. This story is really about how I wanted "it" too much too quickly in 2020.

The Covid shut down was another factor. I didn't see my usual team of therapist until mid summer. I did what I thought best, not listening to my body or my doctor. Finally, Body said, "I'm done! Enough of this. You have pushed me over the edge so, I'll just shut down."  

Walker back in action

When Body gets like that, there is no negotiating. Walker was happy to come out of retirement. We became good friends again. Walker made me feel good and safe. My lower body, hips and legs were in too much pain to walk without support of upper body. 

I created this bad place. Doing my own rehab was not good. The short walks were fine. We would drive to the bottom of the driveway to start on the pavement. I needed Donnie’s hand for balance and support. By the end of the summer of 2020,  I had graduated to walking down the driveway. 

Walking up the driveway

Our driveway is challenge under normal conditions. It's steep, long (.01 mi.),  and made of shifty, gravel. When I wanted to go farther, Donnie would always remind me, "Don't forget we have to go back up the driveway." When it's hot and I'm tired, that hill is a demon. Doing the whole route of two miles was my goal. 

Getting adjustment from Dr. Keifer

Walking was fine, but I decided adding weighs would help me achieve my goal quicker. Body probably went on strike when I did one of my usual leg, core, or upper body weight exercises that I wasn't ready to do. Doing hot yoga seemed to be going well, but the weights were too much for Body. The pain factor dictated an emergency visit to my chiropractor.

Suddenly, my life revolved around fixing this pain problem. I was going two and three times per week for chiropractic treatments. At home, I did ice therapy several times a day. I eliminated yoga and walking for a week. Week two I was able to add walking and hot yoga. I didn't try adding weights until I consulted my physical therapist. Finally after a month, I could retire Walker again.

Walking on our usual route

The sad truth is that the whole body has to recover from injuries. I've learned this the hard way. I also acknowledge that age and MS contribute to how long it takes me to fully recover. Two years later, I am close to where I was before the fall. The goal of walking 2 miles has been achieved, but not consistently. It's still elusive. My new trainer Jeanne is giving me exercises and the strategies needed to increase stamina, endurance, and pace. Finally, I feel like I'm going to maybe go beyond that 2 mile goal and do it consistently. The best part is that my hips and legs don't feel exhausted when I finish.

Maybe working toward another goal of seeing grandson Loleh and walking miles and miles around Lyon, France was just the incentive I needed. The body is amazing. Hot yoga teaches that the body is good at healing itself. That's true but, it heals on its own time, not mine.  I wanted "it" quickly and imposed my own rules. What I got was a lot of pain. I know now that Body rules.  I am trying to be more mindful, but in case I irritate Body again, I'm still good friends with Walker.