5 November 2024
Election Day! It’ll be over soon – within a month or two. How times have changed when I would go down to the basement at the Bank of Morton and watch my grandmother count ballots with the poll workers. They did the tally method of four lines with a diagonal to make five. They called the names on the ballot and she would make the tick marks. People respectfully waited outside the bank to hear the totals as they came in. It was all very civilized. Of course, back then, Mississippi voted almost completely Democratic Party line.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this Allamanda. It was so fresh looking after a morning shower. You find this all over southern Florida. The genus is native to the Americas and it belongs in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). The stems produce a white latex and this particular one is vine-like.
As far as the walk goes, it was 1.4 miles and I was pretty tired after that effort. I feel like I have a very long way to go before I’m anywhere close to being back where I was physically. As they say – one step at a time.
The more I look at what needs to be done in the yard, the pool, housecleaning, etc. the more I’m looking at independent/assisted living. Add to that home insurance. By this time last year, Citizens had already quoted me a price for insurance and I paid it a few days later. I’m beginning to wonder if they are going to renew the policy. Of course, they could simply be swamped with the claims from two hurricanes in the panhandle.
I put in an order for groceries for Whole Foods which included Kefir. It’s a fermented drink which includes live bacterial cultures and yeast. Dr. Fingado (the hand man) recommended it to replace the “good” bacteria in my stomach. In essence, the bacteria in Kefir feed the good bacteria in your intestines. I’ve never tried it but thought I’d give it a shot. I like Fingado. He’s undergone chemo so he knows what I’m dealing with the diarrhea.
It’s very windy today and the pool has all sorts of leaf litter in it. I’ll wait until this evening and try to clean it if the winds die down. Even if you have a pool person who cleans your pool, you are going to be faced with you doing some work on it anyway.
I’m on record pace to feel well. I haven’t had this many days in a row that I feel better than just OK. However, it’s a little like being bipolar (which I am) – you know after the highs come the lows. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
I foresee another afternoon of reading and a nap since it’s a windy, rainy day. Good thing I’m retired.
Stay tuned!
