Today's Temperature

You think I'm going to talk about the weather but that would only be what I do most of the time, not all of the time. I was sitting here thinking about my friend Penny, who was spending about an evening a week with me two years ago, watching a movie of my choice at her house with our little snacks of dried cranberries, grapes and fried pea pods. Penny was 84 and that seems to have been a turning point for her. She is now in a foster home and doesn't know my name when I'm announced. The good news is she still knows me when she sees me so I go to see her every few months.

Her husband died of Alzheimer's about 6 years ago and I'm not sure if that's what she has but her symptoms are similar. Her team of family and friends has always raised the most money in the Portland area for the Alzheimer's walk but she won't be walking anymore. Her daughter, Mary, has taken charge of planning for the annual event though and she is amazing.

Penny's situation makes me sad but her family continues do important work that will hopefully contribute toward the cure of this nastiness someday.

This is back to the gym week, or next week will be at the latest. Between the three birthdays we've celebrated over the last three weeks, and work of course, there has been no time for anything else.

I'm halfway through Harry Potter #4, that is my stress relief. A heated bean bag wrap for my neck and an hour pouring through that book make me perfectly sleepy and wipes all the worries and work stuff out of my head. It would be nice to be able to command that same blankness of mind throughout the day when things get crazy, unfortunately I need the 20 pound book to do it. I just can't feature that each of the next three books are even bigger and heavier. I'm going to have to have thumb surgery just to be able to finish reading these confounded books!

Nighty night!