Today started out nice enough. It was terribly cold for Florida yesterday and last night but this morning the sun was shining and there was a promise of warmer weather. Then I got the phone call from my daughter back home in Canada to say it was frigid there and my furnace had stopped working.
This is a time to panic because I was 1200 miles away and might need to have a new furnace installed. My daughters love me but it was so unfair for them to have to deal with a problem like that. My good neighbors had already been inside the house and tried to get the furnace restarted but it was a no go.
My son-in-law who happens to be an electrician had offered to look after everything but he's tied up with his own job and couldn't get there till later in the day. He was unable to fix the furnace so he called in a professional who did the job and got the furnace running again. Thank heavens!!
I worried about my furnace all through my coffee morning but the ladies who came were so much fun that I was able to forget for a while. We laughed and joked over 2 pots of coffee before everyone headed home.
Around lunchtime an old friend and neighbor from the park stopped in for a visit. She'd sold her trailer a couple of years ago but we'd kept in touch via e-mail and phone calls. I'd had such a hectic summer that I hadn't realized there'd been no contact since the previous winter. Today I discovered why. She's in the first stages of Alzeimers but had convinced her daughter to bring her to Florida for a visit. My heart is still broken to have seen a once strong and purposeful woman reduced to a colorless version of herself. She didn't seem to remember clearly the fun and interesting times we'd had over the years but she did remember what good friends we'd been. She's visiting the area for a while so I'll get to see her again before she goes home but the future isn't good for her.
I don't hate the wrinkles and weakness of old age but I do angrily hate the loss of one's mind. We begin building memories to carry us through life from the day we're born and it's misery to imagine losing more and more of these memories as each day goes by. Alzeimers is a disease that all of us seniors fear more than death.
After my friend left, my neighbor came over to ask me to take care of his dog while he took his wife to the hospital. She's one of my best friends here and had not been feeling well for a while but now she'd become sick enough to need medical help. I worry terribly about her because she takes so much medication for various things and sometimes these medications wreak havoc with her body. Of course, I took in their little dog and was happy to have him around.
Having a pet in the house gives you permission to talk openly to yourself because you can always pretend you're talking to your pet. I yakked to Rusty constantly and he'd look at me with his intelligent eyes as though he understood every word. He is one of the sweetest little dogs I've ever seen. He just exudes gentleness.
When I left to play Pokeno I left the lights and T.V. on for Rusty's benefit. It was nice to go back home and have his sweet little self jumping with joy to see me. I took him for a walk around the park and then settled in for the night, thinking his father was going to stay at the hospital with his mother but no, Rusty was picked up and taken home around 10 P.M. My friend remained in the hospital for observation overnight but it seemed she was going to be okay. I can't bear to lose her so she'd better be okay!!
It's lovely to have reached the age where we can travel to warmer places for the winter but there's always the unknown to worry about back home. And there's always the health of friends our age to worry about (also our own).
I remind myself daily to count my blessings...good children, good grandchildren, good relatives, and good friends. I do my best to make every moment a positive one because the sad times creep in when you least expect them. Today held some worries but that's life.
But tomorrow is another day and we can choose to enjoy it or waste it. I choose to enjoy.
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