Chatting Up The Neighbors - October 21, 2021

The best news ever! My brother has done extremely well with the oxygen and medications he’s been given. His doctor said he’s never seen such a fast turnaround. God is good! I was able to talk with him and it just felt so good to hear him say he felt 1000 percent better. I know I will sleep better tonight.

As if my surroundings couldn’t get any better, I had a treat today. While writing a card to a friend, I glanced out to the sea and saw a dolphin’s fin rising out of the water! I quickly grabbed my camera. they are too far out for good pictures so I am hoping some day they will be closer.

Feeling a bit anxious after being here more than two weeks and not feeling well enough to drive anywhere yet, I set my sights on calming my anxiety and making a decision to get out there and do it. I reminded myself that I have improved and although each day is a painful one, this one was better than some, so get out there! It felt good to drive myself where I wanted to go and not have to depend on Paul. It may not be like this every day, but today, it felt good. I went to a clothes store, tried on a few items and bought two. I don’t do a lot of driving at home or shopping so this was an accomplishment. I find it crucial to build on accomplishments, however small. Each one gives me more confidence in managing my condition and feeling like I have a life outside of the four walls of the house. I stopped at the post office on the way back to check on mail. As I closed the garage door, I said a silent “Yes!” Minimizing my accomplishments is second nature to me but I am not doing it today.

What I came home to was even better; a note on the counter; “At the beach. I brought your chair down.” Not a note I’d find on my kitchen table in New Hampshire. Because I didn’t stay out long, (Yay, good choice), I was able to get on my suit and spend a few hours on the beach with Paul.

A leisurely evening was needed and enjoyed. I did take my evening walk with my camera around 7pm to see the sunset. As fortune would have it, I met Pat, who offered to show me a better view from his and his wife’s place. I readily agreed and thanked him as we climbed 3 flights of stairs to get to their deck. At the top I marveled at the height and the amazing view over the palm studded marsh of pink, orange and yellow. I thanked them again as we chatted a bit. They are from Minnesota and this is their vacation home which they bought in 2004. I told them I gave them a lot of credit for hiking those stairs a few times a day to which they said, “WE will keep this place until we have to crawl up these stairs.” I don’t blame them. Standing halfway to heaven, ocean on one side and sunsets over the marsh on the other. I’m happy I met Pat and Dale.

I’ve talked to more people here than I do my own neighbors back home. It’s the Florida beach life. The weather is nice, people are out. Last week I met Pam. She saw me taking a picture of a flower and commented. It was then I saw her Michigan T shirt and that turned into a nice talk about how she got here and why I was here. Her girls are in Boston and I used to live in Michigan so we had some common ground. It’s given me a new way of connecting and I really like it.

When I got back to the condo, thinking I could sit down and relax, the bright moon over the ocean called me out on the deck. Yellow and perfectly round, nestled between the clouds, it shone over the waves and lit up the night. Sometimes it’s hard to sit still in this place.