Well here we are at the last day of the November. It's hard to believe we are heading into the Christmas/ Hanukkah season. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving celebration, be it small or large. I know many of you had to change your normal routines and celebrate alone. Thankfully ZOOM and FaceTime help but there's nothing like a big hug from our families and friends. I've talked about hugging before and I am very much looking to the day when I can hug my friends and not have to wear a mask. But in the mean time I will follow the rules and stay safe!
We were able to spend our Thanksgiving this year with Ryan & Kristen, and Celly too of course. We all got tested for COVID so we could spend the day together and thankfully we were all negative! It was a wonderful calm quiet day and the food was fabulous. I'm not good with crowds so having the four of us worked out well. And congratulations to Kristen for making her first turkey dinner! You are Ryan are excellent chefs🦃
This month was pretty busy for me, but only because being busy keeps my mind in tack. I finished three books this month - 'Maybe You Should Talk to Someone', 'Night Road' and 'True Colors'. They were all good so if you want any recommendations let me know. My bestie Monica recommended the first one and it was fascinating. The other two are by Kristin Hannah, my new favorite author. Right now I'm re-reading 'Where the Crawdads Sing' and am thoroughly enjoying it the second time around!
I was able to join some of our FOAS friends on a ZOOM call and reconnected with Nick & Jane Mallett. They live in England and we miss them very much! It was fun to see some of my other friends on the call too. I decided to join their book club and will be reading 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernadine Eavaristo. I don't know much about it but I will give you an update next month.
Most days I am walking 3+ miles around either the Iron Horse Trail or just wandering in Danville. When I'm walking I'm listening to books which is why I have read so many. Sometimes after my walk I continue to listen while I'm knitting. I don't watch TV until after dinner and I like to be busy, so reading, knitting, texting with friends and all that make the days fly by.
I had Infusion #19 earlier this month and tomorrow I have Infusion #20! I guess that means I need to figure out what shoes to wear😁
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and if I can get my act together I might bring them some homemade cookies. Last visit I brought Gluten Free brownies and sugar cookies! They were so happy and since they are so very nice to me, I feel it's only nice to give back to them. I'm extremely grateful for such an amazing staff at UCSF.
The biggest bummer of this month was making a decision to stay home in December and miss our annual Maui excursion. It wasn't a tough decision, it was the right decision, but I was still a little sad. I love the ocean and the warm weather but I can't imagine spending two weeks there under quarantine and not being able to participate in all the fun things we normally do! We are hopeful to return next year🌊
Another cool thing this month was our Zoom call with Gov Gavin Newsome. This was part of our role on Maria Shriver's Alzheimer's Task Force. Bob and I spoke and shared the recommendation for a digital portal - California Cares. Right now there are too many places to seek information. We need one central place, spanning dozens of federal, state & county departments. We really need a one stop shop! Many thanks to Maria and her staff and all of our colleagues who have been working on this all year.
So I guess this has been a busier month than I thought. Getting outside helps me feel connected and all the texting/FaceTime/Zoom are wonderful too. My shoulder is still in constant pain but the ice at night helps. I am more anxious than I used to be and I get pretty exhausted in the afternoons. I am sleeping well which is great! My short term memory is horrible but thankfully I'm a good note taker. Every day I write down what I did or want to do and then check it off. I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I'm done. So today I can check off 'write another blog'! That will make me happy💜
I'm thankful for your support, your prayers, your texts, cards and phone calls. I'm thankful for the Alzheimer's Assoc virtual support groups every week. I'm extremely grateful that our family got to spend Thanksgiving together. I'm thankful for outdoor events with friends, with the ability to walk and to eat outside.
I'm also beyond grateful for my amazing husband and caregiver extraordinaire. He's the chef, the grocery shopper, the bartender and has many other amazing talents. He does all of this with a smile on his face and we are making the most of our 'new normal'.
My other amazing caregiver, my daughter Kristen checks on me every single day! She sends me texts, calls me on FaceTime, comes over when she can and I'm extremely grateful for her support. As you know, family is everything!
I'm wishing you a wonderful holiday season! A month filled with happiness and good friends. I'm sure the holidays will look different this year too, but together we can get through it. God bless you all for your support, donations, friendship and kindness. I can't wait for the day that we can connect in person🙏