Had a terrific evening yesterday at the Wellspouse dinner gathering in Manalapan. It was at the Java Moon and we had a cozy alcove away from the larger dining room, with great food (I had salmon) and good company. This wasn't a business meeting, but it included some useful tips and comments. Most important was the atmosphere of warmth and sharing; all the attendees care for loved ones with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. Wellspouse is open to all caregivers, so the name may be a bit misleading, but it's descriptive in that the emphasis is on the needs and well-being of the caregiver--the "well spouse"--rather than the care receiver. All the attendees last night, seven women and three men, did care for spouses, who have a range of conditions from MS to mental illness.
It was a long evening for me. I went to Vivian's in Barnegat and her lovely daughter, Vanessa, 26, then drove us the hour or so to Manalapan. (Vivian had brought wine and didn't want to drive after imbibing.) Vivian's parents live nearby, so Vanessa visited with them, then picked us up after dinner; it was almost 11:00 when I got home. Great evening and I definitely plan to attend other gatherings.
Son Mike added pictures of his Vivian to her web site. These are from their most recent vacation in Cebu, the Phillipines, where they had a villa on the beach.
Guess what, all you fellas and girls in Cyber World? Daughter Alison's Mike (all these same names are confusing) has added something to their lives: bees. A serious environmentalist, Mike has decided to keep bees not only to pollinate his own fruits and veggies, but for their neighbors in Cream Ridge; he has two hives. Just got an e-mail from Alison saying the bees have arrived. She included a link with pictures, but it's coming up with a "can not display" message. I think the problem is a typo in the address and I asked her to re-send.
Mike's other environmental pursuits include the solar electricity panels he put on their roof (the electric meter actually runs backwards at times), his remarkable photographs of plants in the woods (thousands of them), and his extensive knowledge of botany and other aspects of the outdoors. Every Friday night, year-round, he--and Alison--lead their hiking groups on 10- to 12-mile treks through the pine barrens. They canceled only once over the several years they've been doing this--when ice on the roads made driving to the site too dangerous.
Five more days to the Boston.