THURSDAY AND OKTOBERFEST

 The day was a little draggy at first. I didn't get up until 7:30, then mostly lazed around until lunch. I had that with Kathie, Paula, and LaVerne. After, I ordered from Amazon, low-cal peanut butter, no sugar added candy, and some unmentionables--all right, adult underware, why be subtle?

Went outside to sit in the 85 degree sunshine for a bit. While there, I called Mary Hoffman, with whom I hadn't spoken for months. We graduated from HSHS together in 1954, although she's 13 months older than I am. We had a good chat and will keep in touch.

I went in after that to enjoy the German-themed Oktoberfest, starting at 4:00 pm with cocktails; it was a lot of fun and here's the print-out about it:

Above: The first floor was decorated nicely.

Many of the staff were in Germany-theme attire; here are Director Tiffany and Activities Directory Mindy

Maintenance guy, Joe

Our van driver, Rick

The servers were in German-themed outfits, too. Here's one of my favorites, Anthony; BTW, he wasn't able to serve me my beer--too young.

Anyway, the food was good and entertainment was terrific--German dancers who brought the house down: 

Several residents dressed up, too, and helped with the occasion:

Residents Katherine and Mary as pretend barmaids.

Today T.O.P.S., to which--again--I'm not looking forward. Mary Ann is still overwhemed, but Cheryl will pick me up. BTW, I have no idea while the print has turned blue, but oh, well...

WEDNESDAY

 I went downstairs at 8:00 an to have Katherine to pick me up at 8:15.  She's not usually late, but it got to be 8:25 and she still wasn't here. Hey, maybe she texted me she'd be late, so I looked--oops, she had said she'd pick me up at 8:55, not 8:15--my mistake. She got here just when she said she would and off we went to the Oxnard Yacht Club. The program had an anthropolgist outlining the human history of the Santa Monica mountains area, starting 13,000 years ago and was very interesting: 

We didn't go to lunch after, which was fine by me. I was home by 11:30 and had lunch with Kathie, LaVerne, and Paula. After, I put in a large load of wash, then did twenty minutes on the stationary bike. Retreived my wash and hung the ones I don't put in the dryer on my patio/porch. It's so hot I knew they'll be dry by dinnertime.

At the BCNN meeting, I saw Judy A., who's a friend of my T.O.P.S. friend, Bobbi R. What's interesting about Bobbi (who's two years younger than I am) is that she had been an au pair in Ventnor during her high school summers; she lived in Brooklyn. Heavens, it's quite possible we had seen each other. I called Bobbi and unfortunately, she isn't doing too well. I knew both she and her husband have cancer and seem to be facing the end. I hope they get a reprieve.

I went downstairs to have the visiting nurse take my BP. Hey, this had happened before: Far from experiencing the well-known "white coat syndrome (higher BP because of nervousness), I registered 134/73, better than I usually get on my own. 

Had dinner with Paula, Denise, and LaVerne and it was lasagna--really delish and accompanied by a good salad and sides. 

Ellen called to fill me in on her getting my rental insurance (which is required of residents here). She'll bring the papers when she picks me up on Monday for my Primary Medical appointment and will bring the lemons and detergent I requested, too.

I was surprised and pleased to get a text from my ex-daughter-in-law, Paula, asking how I was doing. I wrote back and we had nice exchange. I still care for her and am glad the divorce unpleasantness seems to be over--or at least put on the back burner. 

TUESDAY

The Assess Van got me to Ellen's a little before noon. After hanging out for a while, we left for Santa Barbara and the Boat House restaurant. Carolyn came shortly after and we settled in:

The food was yummy and so was the hazy IPA. After a leisurely meal, we left for Villa Alamar, where Betty has lived for the past several years. At the same time I wanted to see her, I dreaded it--a strange mix of emotions which others who have known alzheimers too intimately must feel.

Betty no longer knows who I am, nor does she speak, except occasinally in a garbled way. Attendents puree her food and feed her, but even so, she's lost a lot of weight. She doesn't walk, but is in a wheelchair permanently now. 

We stayed for about an hour and Ellen, Carolyn, and I played gin rummy while Betty watched. That may seem like a peculiar thing to do, but why not? Betty doesn't know anything that's going on and, though we didn't deal her in, she watched and--maybe, who knows?--got some enjoyment out of it.

Saying goodbye was, as always, something I wanted to get over with. I whispered to her "I love you" and, as I always do, "wait for me." I'm not even sure what I mean by that, but I've been saying it to her since we were children. Betty has a big picture window and Carolyn took this picture of Ellen and me as we waved goodbye: 

Traffic was horrendus going back to Ventura, but we got in at 5:30. Dinner had already been served, but I got two bagels and salmons, one I ate then, the other for a nightime snack. While I ate in the dining room, Ellen went up to my apartment to do a few businees things for me. When I went back up, we visited for a time, then said goodbye. How I could ever got along without her, I never want to contemplate.  

As for my overall feeling about the day, Thomas Wolfe said it best in Look Homeward, Angel: 

 "O lost, and by the wind grieved/Ghost, come back again."

😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔

MONDAY

 I slept well--until 7:30, in fact--did my morning routine, then went down to balance class. I had forgotten that leader Jackie wouldn't be there, but resident Elaine led reasonably well. After, I saw Beverly in the dining room, just sitting there all by herself, so I sat with her and we chatted for twenty or so. During her working life, she had been a psyhologist, and specialized in teenagers. She's well over ninety now and seems to be failing a bit; however, we had a good talk. As I was heading for the elevator, I saw my other older friend--Anita will be 96 in December--waiting for her hair dresser to pick her up. Anita, whom I like a lot, and I chatted for a bit. 

Lunch with the regulars, sans Denise, who had said she was going to veg out at home for the day. It was pasta with a side of squash medley--very good. After, Paula invited Kathie and me to her place, saying she had something to give us. Her apartment is a studio and nicely decorated with a lot of old family pictures. What she wanted to give us were some little wrapped candies; she had a lot of them. I avoid sugar, but took a few to be polite and stowed them in the freezer.  

Nothing much going on elsewise. I had dinner with Kathie and Paula and was treated to toothpick ice cream after (well, it was the regular dessert). 

😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

Yep, it was a hundred degrees yesterday, Monday, October 5, here in Ventura, California.

😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬

SUNDAY

Lunch with the usuals, aside from LaVerne, who didn't show. Entree was shrimp, which was good, as was the salad, rice, and asparagus. After we ate, I put together my RX meds for the week, both morning and night, plus the vitamens and supplements.  

At 2:00, we gathered in the dining room for Chef Michael's olive oil presentation. He had a display of, and explained a lot about,various olives and olive oils. The spread was delicous, especially the coarse bread dipped in balsamic, also the olives of various kinds. We all enjoyed it and I brought some home to eat as a T.V. snack.

Chef Michael setting up.

There was considerably more than this once he finished.

While I was there, Ellen called to see if I was available tomorrow, Tuesday, to go to Santa Barbara, meet niece Carolyn for lunch, then go see Betty. Yes, indeed, and I'll call the Access Van to take me to Ellen's; she'll take me home.

I got a text and pictures from Susan, my Soaring Spirits friend. She's in San Diego at a dog show and  here she is:

Susan's the one on the right with her adorable little Gismo. I'm going to skip Soaring Spirits lunch this time, as Susan's out of town and I  have outings the next two days, anyway. 

Had dinner with Paula and LaVerne; Kathie didn't show, which isn't unusual. I skipped the so-called Philly cheese steak for a large vegetable salad (well, I guess all salad's are vegetable, but this had additions). 

SATURDAY

 Noreen called me at 7:00 am  to say she had picked up some Halloween-y things for me--what a sweetheart. I want to see her soon for lunch. Sat with Paula and Denise for lunch here, then went to the "store," where I used funny money to buy a packet of nuts and hangers. Signed and dropped off  my rent raise notice, which starts November 1.

Down to quarter Bingo at 2:00 and I played my usual four cards. I won twice and replenished my supply. We then switched to dime Bingo and I won one there, too. 

Nothing much else going on today, except I straightened up the apartment a bit. Went downstairs to take my artifacts out of the showcase, since it's now October and the new theme is Octoberfest. Did a few other little chores, which are too boring to mention except they included dusting and so on. 

I was pleased when my friend, Kathryn, texted me to ask if I wanted to go the BCNN meeting on Wednesday. Yes, indeed, and she'll pick me up at 8:15.

Had dinner with the usuals, five of us at a table for four, but that's okay. Chef Michael had a new banner put up:

I know they're promoting the Mediterranean diet, in which I'm interested and today, Chef Mike will do a seminar and tasting on olives and olive oil; I'm looking forward to it. 

FRIDAY AND MEMORIES OF KEITH

When Mary Ann picked me up for T.O.P.S., I told her I preferred not to go to breakfast after all. I was tired and just didn't feel up to it. She was okay with that and maybe we'll go next week. At home, I was down four tenths of a pound to 141 even; at the meeting, down .5 to 141. Big whoops, but at least it wasn't up. Sharon had one of her snappy outfits on, this one including a matching hat:

Home, I changed, then napped for an hour before going down to lunch. Only Paula was there, then Bea joined us. I knew Denise was on the thrift store and lunch trip, but Kathie wasn't there, either. I was stunned when LaVonne came up to me and gave me this card: 

* See below.

LaVonne said she had found it in a book in our library. Presumably, Keith as taken the book out and used the card as as bookmark. Re the note on the card, which mentions it was for his thirty-fifth birthday--that was forty-four years ago. I'm amazed LaVonne gave it to me and I greatly appreciate it; I'll cherish it.

After lunch, I stopped in to see Mindy and she apolozied profusely that she hadn't called me: It seems the group that pedals the "bike" couldn't find anyone able to get here, so it was cancelled. Hey, that was okay with me. Although I enjoyed it when I went before, I was pretty sure Kathie had forgotten. I called her and yes, she had. It turned out okay, but if it had gone as planned and Kathie didn't show, I would have been very much annoyed.

Went to Happy Hour at 3:00 and enjoyed the violinest/singer, who first played classical music...

...then turned into Elvis:

It was great fun and I had a Margarita and popcorn, too. Although that was shortly before dinner, I ate the chicken bowl and it was pretty good. Sat with Kathie, LaVerne, Paula, and Denise and we had our usual free-ranging talk, peppered with laughs and a few appropriate naughty words.

I was pleased to get a Facetime call from son Mike and we had a good chat. He said Violet was doing well at SCAD and he sent me some pictures and a video she had taken. 

* On the card:  "You're 35 now and for 15 years, it's been a friendship and I am looking forward to another 50 more. Best wishes on your birthday!  Boris (?) & Shelly"