Peru & Ecuador - Part 3

Seymour Galapagos Airport

On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!) we had a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call as our luggage needed to be outside the room by 5:00. We had time for breakfast before boarding our bus to the airport at 6:00. Our flight ended up leaving a little late, then had to stop at Guayaquil Airport for about 45 minutes before heading on to the Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport on Baltra Island.

Our journey to the Western Route of the Galapagos Islands took place upon the Santa Cruz II, a ship owned and operated by our tour group, HX Expeditions. The dock was located a short drive from the airport, and we had to travel by panga (we would know these as zodiacs) from the dock to the ship. It was always required that we wear a life vest when on one of the pangas, and these were different from the life vests in our cabin which were to be used only in case of an emergency.

boarding the Santa Cruz II

Once on board we were able to check out our cabin, and then went to lunch in the ships's only dining room. The Santa Cruz holds 90 passengers, but we had only 83. This included a group of 12 young ladies from a local university. After lunch we had to participate in the mandatory emergency drill.

our stateroom

The afternoon brought us our first hike, which took place on Santa Cruz Island. We were divided in groups of around 12, and our group was the Sea Lions. The pangas brought us from the ship to the island, where we had a dry landing. We saw the interesting landscape of Dragon Hill, located on the north shore of the island. After that we walked inland on a trail that gave us a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago. Out first true glimpse of a Galapagos island felt like a National Geographic moment. The terrain and wildlife were everything we thought and hoped they would be.

Santa Cruz Island

Before dinner we were offered a briefing of the next day's activities, and this was the case each evening on the ship. That night the dinner buffet included turkey for those on board who were missing their Thanksgiving meal back home.

Peru & Ecuador - Part 2

November 24th we had a 4:00 a.m. wake up call. We were able to pick up a to-go breakfast box at 4:30 and then our buses took us to the Ollantaytambo train station, which was about three hours away. Our train left the station at 8:48, headed to Aguas Calientes which was an hour and fifteen minutes away. Once you depart the train you take a 30 minute public shuttle to Machu Picchu, which sits at an elevation of 7,970 feet.

Our tour began at 10:00. While the area was socked in with low clouds, they made an interesting shroud of the mountains. Unfortunately it began to rain (pretty much the only steady rain we had on the trip), but luckily we had rain coats with us. It did quit after a bit, so we were able to enjoy the experience a little more. We only had a little over two hours to explore, so much of our day was spent in transportation. We took the shuttle back to town where we had lunch with a little time left over to check out the buildings in the area.

Then it was a reverse of the trip, and we did not get back to the hotel until nearly 8:00. We had a late dinner at the hotel before heading off to bed.

Machu Picchu

The next morning we had an early breakfast at the hotel because our buses were taking us to the Cusco airport at 7:20. We had to fly from Cusco to Lima, where we met with different representatives from the tour company who would get us onto our connecting flight to Quito, Ecuador.

Quito Airport

We arrived at the JW Marriott in the late afternoon. Dinner was included at the hotel, so we ate there and turned in somewhat early as the next day included an all day tour of historic Quito and the Middle of the World. In the city center we visited churches, saw the Presidential Palace, and toured a chocolate factory (very small and family-operated.) After that we headed out of town for lunch up in the mountains in a gorgeous setting.

Quito tour

Following lunch we drove outside of Quito to the Middle of the World, which marks the Equator. This is the point that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The site includes a monument, museum, shops and interesting artwork. 

Middle of the World

Once back at the hotel we had dinner and then it was off to bed. The next day included a 4:30 wakeup call in preparation for an early flight to our next destination.

Bucket List Trip to Peru & Ecuador - Part 1

At the beginning of 2020 we had a trip to Peru and Ecuador with our daughter all mapped out. Well, we all know what happened in 2020. Covid put the brakes on all travel. Five years later, we finally got to make this trip. With the original trip we had planned everything on our own. This time we booked through HX Expeditions so they arranged everything except for the post trip that we selected to go to the Amazon.

CLT Airport

We left Charlotte on November 21, flying first to Miami and then on to Lima. Our daughter was able to fly directly to Lima from Los Angeles, and she arrived in Lima about forty minutes before us. However while she breezed through customs, we had an hour and a half wait in an extremely long line. And this was at 11:30 in the evening!

After collecting our luggage, we headed outside to wait for our airport shuttle. We had decided to stay at the Holiday Inn by the airport since we were getting in so late. The hotel where we would join our group was about an hour away from the airport. After a few times of up and down curbs (no ramps), the handle broke off my large suitcase. This was not a good way to start a trip that was going to be filled with many changes in lodging over the course of two plus weeks. We finally checked into our hotel at 1:45 in the morning.

Following breakfast the next morning we took a cab to our hotel, the AC Hotel by Marriott Lima Miraflores. Fortunately they had our rooms ready, so we dumped our suitcases and headed out to explore the area. There was a mall area nearby, and we found a nice place to have lunch. Later we booked a van tour of Lima. There were only two other people in our group - a man from India and a woman from Jamaica. 

Lima November 22nd

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel before meeting up with our tour group. I think there were about 31 of us for this portion of the tour. We were transported to the airport for our flight to Cusco. One thing I didn't like about this tour is that we were just given our boarding passes right before getting on the plane. I was not seated with the rest of my family, which I didn't like. The seats were three across, so it should have been easy to keep us together.

Once we arrived in Cusco we had a short transfer via bus to the Hotel Palacio del Inka, where we had lunch. Cusco sits at over 11,000 feet above sea level, and we were lucky in that aside from a mild headache the first day we did not suffer from any other altitude sickness side effects.

After lunch we did a half day tour of the city, including the Santo Domingo Monastery, the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, the Sulca Textile House Museum with their animals, and Cusco Main Square. Then it was time to rest up for the next day's trip to Machu Picchu.

Cusco

Let's Get Physical

Medicare Wellness Exam

Last week I had the CT Cardiac Calcium scan as well as the bone density test. I was able to schedule both of the tests last week at the same location 45 minutes apart, so that was a time-saver for sure. Both of them were non-invasive and quick. 

The bone density results came back that same afternoon, and it showed that I have osteopenia, which is a loss of bone density. Mine is located in both hips. Experts think that 30% of people over age 50 have some degree of bone density loss. Females are 4 times more likely than males to have osteopenia.

Fortunately my results are at the lowest end of the osteopenia scale, which means I won't require any prescription medication at this time. The doctor just wants me to take 2000 units of Vitamin D3 each day, as well as 600 mg of Calcium twice a day. That certainly seems manageable enough. And then she will request a repeat of the test in 2-3 years.

The CT Cardiac Calcium scan results were not so quick to come back. I just received the report from the lab yesterday. It indicates that my total coronary calcium score is 10. The test measures five different areas of the heart, and four of the five had a reading of 0. The fifth, Left Anterior Descending, is where the 10 came in. Any score from 1-99 puts you at a mildly increased risk for a heart attack or stroke.

My doctor has not had a chance to review the test yet, but I am anticipating that she will view these results as pretty good for someone of my age. I don't think any medication will be required at this time.

Celebrating Three

Buc-ee's

We were home from Belize a total of two days before we packed up the car and headed north to our son and daughter-in-law's house. Our granddaughter was turning three, and we wanted to be there as we have for all of her birthdays so far. The fall color on the drive was still pretty nice, so that always makes the drive more enjoyable. 

We also had our first opportunity to stop at a Buc-ee's. We have heard a lot about them but never had the time to stop at one. They pride themselves on their bathrooms, and I have to say they have justification for their bragging rights! The ladies room was huge with individual stalls each boasting a red/green light overhead so that you could tell which ones were occupied. The restroom was spotless to boot. We went ahead and grabbed sandwiches to go, and they were large and delicious.

3rd birthday

We had a really fun time with the kids, with lots of visits to the neighborhood park. It is an easy walk from their house, with a nice lake, trails and playground. Our grandgirl loves to swing, so we got a bunch of pushes in. I cannot believe she is already three and well on her way to being potty trained. She is a delight, still a grandma's girl (which I love), and I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to spend this time with her. (And her parents too, of course.)

Celebrating Seventy

Charlotte skyline

We have often traveled with our friends, Kathy and Paul. Kathy and I went to high school together, and later college at Iowa State University. Our birthdays are three days apart, with hers falling on Halloween. Jim and Paul were fraternity brothers at Iowa State, so we have all known each other a long time.

Paul and Jim put their heads together to plan a surprise for Kathy and me as we were both turning 70. They booked us into the Orchid Bay Resort in Belize. None of us had been to that country before, which is surprising since Paul was a captain for a major airline and has been around the world.

coming into Belize

Our ungodly early flight on October 30th necessitated a 4:30 a.m. Uber pickup, which was ugly. We had a few delays out of Charlotte due to maintenance issues and the government shutdown which has resulted in a shortage of control tower workers. From Charlotte we flew to Atlanta so that we could be on the same plane with our friends for the journey to Belize.

The resort was a two hour drive north of the Belize City airport, so we definitely wanted to share transportation for that ride. Upon checking in we were offered a welcoming beverage before being shown to our separate, thatched-roof casitas. They were lovely and included a good-sized screened lanai, which we took advantage of in the mornings and evenings. 

welcome to Orchid Bay

The next day we hung out at the resort. Because we had the all-inclusive package, we could have anything we wanted to eat and drink. We did some hiking on the resort grounds, played some games and also took out the kayaks to paddle around looking for birds. On Saturday we took a boat ride, which included a visit to some Mayan ruins, a trip down the New River, some snacks and then a stop to watch the sun set over the bay. It was lovely. Following dinner that night the staff provided both Kathy and me with our own cakes while they sang Happy Birthday to us.

birthday celebration

Sunday was our last full day at the resort. We decided to do a snorkeling expedition. Following a breakfast sandwich we made our way to the boat dock to meet the captain and his crew. It was only the four of us as passengers, so that was nice. They first took us to Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that a reef touches land.

Bacalar Chico

Next we made our way to the Belize Barrier Reef. Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, it is the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. As we have also been to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, we have now snorkeled at the world's two largest reefs. The first stop that we made was not very pretty nor were there very many fish. The second stop was super shallow and when the captain said you had to walk backwards over rocks to get to the deeper water, I decided to wait in the boat. That ended up to be a good call as they quickly spotted sharks and hustled the others back to the boat. The third stop was much better in that the coral looked healthier and there were a lot of fish. I will say that I have never snorkeled where there were not a ton of other boats around. We were the only ones there. And also normally the guides will feed the fish to draw them in, but that was not the case here. The fish were just there without added enticement.

snorkeling

One of the most interesting things to happen is that the assistants on the boat captured some conchs. They brought them on board and showed us how the conch hides within its shell. You have to tap the shell in a certain spot to loosen the conch so you can pull it out. They placed the shells back in the water as they become a home for other sea creatures. They then cleaned up the conch and served it in a dish called ceviche. You really can't have any seafood that is fresher than that!

conch

Following our breakfast Monday we make the two hour trek back to the airport. I have to say, it was a lot easier to leave the country than to enter it. When we arrived there were three other lines/checkpoints to go through once you got through Customs. Ridiculous... 

Our flight to Atlanta left a little late, but we had sufficient layover time in Atlanta to weather that. Plus our flight leaving Atlanta was late anyway, so no big deal. Going through Customs in Charlotte was a piece of (birthday) cake since we have Global Entry. It is worth every penny if you do international travel.

goodbye Belize

Cheers to Seventy Years

pickleball party

Today was a new dawn and a new decade as I turned 70. I began my celebration yesterday when the gals at my pickleball facility threw a little party for me after our clinic. Can't think of a better way to kick things off than pickleball and good friends!

There's always something special about leaving one decade and entering another. I can't say that I really feel any different. Having just completed my annual Medicare Wellness Exam, they obviously look at things a little differently. The cholesterol level that was considered mildly elevated last year now is considered a little more menacing now that my age has a 7 in it instead of a 6. Even though the blood work did not show it to have raised much at all.

The doctor has recommended that I undergo a CT Cardiac Calcium Test, which is a noninvasive test that looks for calcium deposits in the heart arteries. Because it is considered a screening test, my insurance will not cover it. I spoke with the radiology booking people today, and they advised that the CT would cost me $125. As I think the information will be beneficial, I went ahead and scheduled the test for next month.

My doctor also has been after me to get a bone density test done. I have never had one, and I tried for the past two years to get one scheduled. My prior insurance carrier would not cover that test either because they said I don't have any underlying conditions to warrant it. Hello, old person here! Surprisingly, my new carrier will cover this test. I was lucky enough to be able to schedule both of them back to back so I only have to make one trip to the radiology center.

My bloodwork also indicated elevated thyroid hormone levels. This led the doctor to suggest thyroid medication. As I don't have any of the signs of hyperthyroidism, I am reluctant to jump on the medication bandwagon. It occurred to me to question whether the flu shot or Covid shot could impact the thyroid levels in a blood test. Guess what? They BOTH can, and as I had taken one of each in the two weeks prior to the blood work, that makes me wonder if the results were reliable. The doctor agreed with me, and suggested that I have my blood test redone in four weeks. That seems very reasonable to me. Here's hoping that the level will be back in the normal range by then. I do not take any prescription medications, and I sure would like to keep it that way.

Lighting Up Mount Holly

seahorse lantern

Last night was the 8th Annual Mount Holly Lantern Parade, and for the 5th year in a row our community had an entry in the parade. Also for the 5th year in a row we took 1st place in the Group category. This year's theme was "Into the Deep Blue Sea". 

As we plan what we want to do we take a couple things into consideration: What is going to resonate with the kids who line the parade route?, and how can we involve the large number of people who want to walk in the parade with us? We have a core group of 8-10 people who consistently show up each week to build the lanterns. But we normally have 30+ folks who want to walk down Main Street with our group.

This year we decided to do "Baby Shark", the wildly successful YouTube video featuring a family of sharks and a few sidekicks. Mommy, Daddy, Grandma & Grandpa sharks were five feet long, not including their tails. Baby Shark was four feet and his buddy William the pilot fish was three feet. The other main character, in our minds, is Pink Fong who is kind of the mascot for the show. 

Once we built those lanterns, we moved on to ancillary items. We made a seahorse, three jellyfish, three schools of fish containing twelve fish each, seven starfish and four clams that were our first attempt at hand puppet lanterns. A crowning late addition was a coral reef that was worn around the waist of the carrier. It could have been an entry all by itself.

coral                                                banner

An Imagery banner led our entry, followed by a baton twirler with a lighted baton, then a decorated wagon with speakers playing the Baby Shark theme song on repeat. Two residents dressed as the little boy and girl from the video came next, running away from the sharks. We also had four people handing out shark-shaped small bags of candy. At the end of all of our lanterns was a wall of wavy blue streamers complete with lighted bubbles to signify the end of our group. All in all, we had 39 folks in our unit including two of our own parade Marshalls to keep us in order.

Imagery Lanterns

Though the night was a little cooler than previous years, it was a beautiful evening to be out. The parade went off mostly without a hitch. Baby Shark decided to act up and his pole disconnected inside his body. This caused him to drop down on top of my nose. Ouch! I was able to get him somewhat situated before we passed the judges station, but after that I just hand carried him for the rest of the parade. Bad Baby!

It was rewarding as always to be named First Place as we have been working since April to pull this project together. After the winners were announced, the organizer released the theme for next year - the "Wide World of Sports." All I could think was, ugh. The theme does not excite me, and I wonder what we can pull together that makes sense with the theme but will still engage the kids. What a challenge!

Another Shot in the Arm

covid booster

Thursday I went in for the Covid booster shot. I know there is a lot of discussion going on regarding whether or not this booster is really necessary. But we will be doing some travel outside the United States, and the last thing I want to do is get sick in a foreign country. Hopefully between the flu shot and this booster, I will be pretty protected.

The shot itself was a piece of cake. I barely felt the needle going in. Later in the day I got really tired, which is a normal reaction for me. (And a great excuse to take a nap.) I never felt sick that day at all. By Friday I had a large, warm, red knot at the injection site. I also had a headache, and felt a little sluggish while playing pickleball. That afternoon I slept for over two hours, which is atypical for me.

By Saturday all was back to normal, so overall the experience wasn't too bad. I go in on Tuesday for my annual physical, so I'll be happy to report to my doctor that I am all up to date on my vaccinations. It's nice to have them out of the way.

Falling into Color

fall color

On Monday we took a drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in search of fall colors. One of the things I miss about the St. Louis area is the large tree diversity that results in brilliant fall colors. Here there are so many evergreens that you just don't get that burst of color. Except when you go to the higher elevations in North Carolina. We are fortunate in that we can get to the mountains in about two hours.

We left the house around 5:40 a.m. as we hoped to see the sun rise over the Linn Cove Viaduct. That part of the BRP is not only an architectural marvel, its complexity resulted in it being the last section of the BRP to be completed. The seven mile segment was completed in 1987. 

As we drove up it began to mist. The forecast for the area had called for partly sunny skies - perfect for photography - so we were disappointed to see the gray skies. Though tempted to turn around and go home, we continued with the journey. We rounded a curve (the BRP has plenty of those!), and there were blue skies.

We had a perfect day in the mountains. Crowds were larger than expected for a Monday, but we had forgotten that it was Columbus Day. That explained the abundance of children in the area. Nevertheless, we found parking spots at all the stops we wanted to make, and a favorite restaurant in Blowing Rock had outdoor tables available when we arrived for lunch. By the time we left it was packed.

Blue Ridge Parkway

All in all, it was a great day. It did my heart good to see all the glorious fall colors and to get out in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Flu Time

too much?

It's the season when a lot of germs get passed around as we start to spend more time indoors with other people. I decided to get my flu shot on Monday. I go to Walgreens as they are the closest pharmacy to me, and they have a record of all the shots I've received in North Carolina. 

I love the fact that I can make an appointment online, and complete the paperwork ahead of time. Also, when you get to the store you can scan a QR code and check yourself in. As I was doing this, a huge cockroach was making its way across the floor to me. It was headed right towards the area where I would have to sit to be called for my appointment. I can't stand the sound of crunching bugs, but there was no way I wanted to have to keep my eye on the bug's progress. So I stepped on it. What a loud popping sound it made! A lady way down the aisle said she could hear it from where she had been standing. Ugh! One of the pharmacists came from behind the counter with a tissue and picked it up, thank goodness.

The shot went smoothly, and only stung a little bit. I really didn't have much of a reaction to it, other than a little swelling and rash at the injection site. Now I just have to decide if I want to get the latest Covid booster. As we will be doing some international travel, I suspect it would be a good idea.
 

Scar Face

surgical scar

The stitches were taken out of my left temple surgical site on Thursday. It was quick, easy and painless. I was in and out of the office in less than ten minutes. My only instruction for post-op at this point is to keep  putting vaseline or something similar on it for one more week. I'll be glad when that's done as it makes my hair greasy.

The swelling has gone down a lot over the past week, and the bruise has lightened. The bottom part of the scar is still puffy, but I am hoping that it will continue to flatten out. The surgeon said it can take a year to settle completely down. I guess I'm lucky that it is located so close to my hairline as I can probably cover it somewhat with my hair.

Latest Mohs Surgery

basal cell after biopsy

As I posted previously, the biopsy taken on the spot on my left temple back in July came back positive as a basal cell carcinoma. The Mohs surgery could not be scheduled until September 25th. The specialist who performed my previous Mohs procedures is no longer with my dermatology practice, so this was my first experience with their new surgeon. He is fine, but I really liked the gal they had before. 

The surgery was scheduled for 8:45, but the doctor was late and didn't even get to the office until 9:10. Not a great first impression. He took the first cut around 9:30, and I was bandaged up and sent to a small waiting area with all the other walking wounded. Everyone else had bandages on their noses, so it must have been Mohs Nose Day or something. It was an hour before they took me back and said they did not have a clean margin on the piece removed. The surgeon said while the basal cell was not deep, there were still some cells along one of the sides that needed to come out. By the time he got done with me, the small waiting area was full, so I had to go out to the main waiting room.

A gal came out to get me a little after 12:00, and since she took me to a different area of the clinic I assumed they had gotten a clean margin on the second try. That assumption proved correct, as I was led back to the plastic surgeon's procedure room. I have had this plastic surgeon for wound closure every time they have done Mohs on me, so I'm very comfortable with him. He stitched me up, gave me my followup instructions, and the gal put a covering on the site. They are aware that I am allergic to every known adhesive on bandages and tape, so she put on a gauze pad and attached it with paper tape.  

This is my 22nd skin cancer removal, not all of them by Mohs of course. But this one has been pretty painful. When I removed the gauze pad after 24 hours as instructed, I was stunned to see how large the cut was. No wonder it hurts! For the first three days I alternated taking Tylenol and ibuprofen every four hours during the day. By the fourth day I was only taking them every six or seven hours.

Mohs surgery

Hopefully this wound will not get infected like the last two ED&C removals have done. I go in this morning to get the stitches out, and I am praying that the skin smooths out after that since the bottom third of the wound looks really rough.

The Gateway City

St. Louis Arch

Following our Kentucky and Indiana stops, we drove the remaining three hours to St. Louis. Even after all these years, it remains a thrill to catch sight of the Arch as you cross the Mississippi River into Missouri.

The main purpose of our trip was to attend the 30th Anniversary celebration of SWT Design, the company Jim founded with Ted Spaid and Susan Trautman in 1995. What an accomplishment!

But the trip also gave us an opportunity to catch up with friends and family while we were in the area. We were able to see my sister's family, which was great, and Jim got in a bit of motorcycle riding with his friend.

While he was off the first day, I met a girlfriend at the Sophia Sach's Butterfly House. It was a pretty hot day so neither one of us wanted to go on a long walk outside. While the butterfly house is on the warm side, at least you are in the shade. It was great to sit and chat while the butterflies flitted around us. We grabbed lunch after that. 

Butterfly House

The next day while Jim rode, I picked up another friend and she and I went to the Missouri Botanical Garden. I have been to many gardens in my travels around the world, but I have yet to find one that is as wonderful as the one in St. Louis. It is easy to navigate while offering a different visual and sensory experience around every corner. As this particular friend is also a photographer, we were in perfect sync stopping to photograph the flowers and insects around us. When we were finished, we went to the Trainwreck Saloon for lunch. This restaurant is owned by a gal that I worked with at the American Cancer Society from 1980-1982. In all the times I have eaten there, she has never been around. But that Wednesday was my lucky day as Chris was in! We had the best time catching up, and since my lunch friend graduated from the same high school as Chris, they had things to talk about as well.

Missouri Botanical Garden

On Thursday Jim and I spent the day together since the party was later that afternoon. We first went to the St. Louis Zoo. Again, I've gone to a lot of zoos in my lifetime, and none of them compare to this zoo. And it is FREE to get in! SWT Design has done a bit of work in the zoo, so in addition to enjoying the animals it was fun to check up on the progress/maturation of some of their work. The nice, hot day necessitated a stop at Ted Drewes for some frozen custard - always a highlight of a visit to St. Louis.

St. Louis Zoo

That afternoon was the SWT celebration garden party. While it was hot, it was wonderful to catch up with staff members and clients. I don't think Jim and Ted ever anticipated what their dream would one day become. It's a huge milestone to make 30 years in the design field, and to know that their projects have made and are making a lasting impression not only in St. Louis but throughout the country.

Friday was our last day and we began it by playing pickleball in a nearby park with Jim's riding buddy, who has been playing even longer than me. Then the three of us had a late breakfast, and the guys dropped me off at the hotel so they could go pick up the motorcycle trailer. For a few months Jim's motorcycle has been garaged in St. Louis. But it is time for the annual inspection and licensing, so we needed to get it back to Charlotte. It seemed easiest to trailer it back so Jim wouldn't have to make that long bike trip on his own.

Saturday morning we left St. Louis as the sun was rising and made the thirteen hour drive back home. The trailer added time to the trip as we had to stop more often for gas, and be a little more cautious when driving through the mountains. So we saw the sun rise and the sun set, but made it safely back here.

sunrise, sunset

 

Kentucky Whisky

A couple weeks ago we drove up to St. Louis to see friends and family. As it is a long drive, we stopped in Loretto, Kentucky so we could experience the Maker's Mark Distillery tour. There's a bit of a connection between Loretto and Webster Groves, the St. Louis suburb that we lived in before moving to North Carolina.

Loretto is known as the national home of the Sisters of Loretto, which were founded in 1812 to provide education and serve the community. The early nuns enlisted the aid of Father Charles Nerinckx, the Flemish missionary priest who served the area, to help them establish their community. We visited the Loretto campus, and saw the sign for a road named Nerinx. 

Sisters of Loretto

In Webster Groves, very near where we lived, is a girl's Catholic school called Nerinx Hall. It was founded in 1924 following the Loretto values, and the name is a tribute to Reverend Charles Nerinckx of Kentucky. Also nearby is Webster University, which was founded in 1915 by the Sisters of Loretto as Loretto College. It was one of the first women's colleges west of the Mississippi River.

In Loretto we stayed at the Hill House Bed & Breakfast, a home that was built in 1863. We had a lovely stay there, and the hosts recommended that we head to Yellowstone Bourbon for a free flight of whisky. As I am not a whisky fan (and felt bad about only getting a free flight with our coupon) I ordered a gin Old Fashioned. It was tasty!

Yellowstone Bourbon

Following a delicious breakfast at the B & B, we drove the few miles down the road to Maker's Mark. The campus, also known as Star Hill Farms, is approximately 1,100 acres. Our tour began at 11:00 and lasted an hour and a half. The tour guide provided a lot of interesting information about the history of Maker's Mark and the process they use to make, bottle, label, seal and ship their whisky. An added bonus for us was the Chihuly glass exhibit that is taking place this year. After the tour we made our way to Huntingburg, Indiana, where we spent the night at our daughter-in-law's parent's house. They are right on the way to St. Louis, so it was great to be able to catch up with them for a bit. 

Maker's Mark Distillery

Hand Book

Dupuytren's

On Wednesday I saw the hand surgeon regarding the lump on the palm of my right hand. More accurately, I should say that I went to the hand surgeon's office. As it turned out after waiting 40 minutes to be called back, I only saw her physician's assistant. I know that stuff happens and offices start to run behind, but I would have appreciated a heads up on the delay, as well as an apology for making me wait. It was also disappointing to not see the doctor as I had never met her before. Apparently my case was not serious enough to warrant her attention.

Anyway, the PA took one look at my hand and said that it is Dupuytren's disease. Basically it is a build up of collagen that forms tough
tissue under the skin. As it progresses it may form rope-like cords on the palm, which can cause one of more of the fingers to bend toward the palm. Over time, the finger(s) cannot be straightened.

This disease is more common in men than women (!), and people of Northern European descent are more likely to get it. It is hereditary as well, though I don't know of anyone in my extended family who has ever had it. It is also more common in smokers, and I have never smoked. I guess it is just my year for oddball medical conditions.

The PA said there is nothing that can be done for it right now. There are procedures that can be performed when it gets to the point where I can't straighten one or more of my fingers. But because the disease can reoccur, they prefer to wait as long as possible before doing injections or surgery. Since it doesn't hurt or cause problems with my pickleball game or other daily activities, I am fine with doing nothing at this point. He did send me off with a Patient Guide on Dupuytren's Contracture (though I am not at the contracture stage yet.) It kind of lends new meaning to the words "Hand Book", right?

hand book

Grandma Time

 Following our week in Massanutten, I spent a little over a week with the kids to help out with my granddaughter while my daughter-in-law went away for the long holiday weekend. They had her in daycare for the first few days so I took advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoyed a local park and long walks with Monty, their small dog.

Green Springs Gardens

I also visited our nation's capital. I rode the train in with my daughter-in-law, so I arrived pretty early in the morning. A good friend from college lives in Arlington, so she took the metro in and met me on the mall. We had an incredible day together, picking right up as if we had just seen each other last month instead of years ago. We saw many of the iconic structures of DC in addition to stopping at some of the Smithsonian exhibits. I logged over 22,000 steps, and had the time of my life. It never gets old to visit the seat of our democracy.

Washington, DC

On Friday we took A to the National Zoo. It was another beautiful day, and we were blessed to see the new pandas that have arrived from China. There's nothing like a trip to a zoo to bring out the kid in all of us.

National Zoo

The days passed quickly, and soon it was time for me to fly home. It was such a treat to get to spend so much time with my sweet little gal (and her parents, too, of course!) She is still very much a grandma's girl, so I'm going to eat that up while I can. I know it won't last forever.

Family Trip to Massanutten

our Massanutten lodging

Last month we rented a house in Virginia at the Massanutten Resort for a family vacation. We had not known of the resort before but were looking for some place that would be an easy drive for our son and his family to make, and not too long of a drive for us either. When I asked on our community page if anyone had visited the area, I was amazed at the number of comments I received. Apparently there are a large number of time share units in the development, and some people here still own theirs while others recalled fond memories of traveling to the resort as children. 

With the positive feedback in mind, I booked a four bedroom, single-family home for our small group. The house gave us the privacy we desired without sharing common walls as in the condos. It was perfect as it gave some separation for the adults, and had a nice playroom in the lower level. A bonus for Jim was that it also had a pool table down there.

We found plenty of things to do at the resort with the two recreation centers, multiple pools and playgrounds, pickleball courts, miniature golf, etc. The surrounding area had good restaurants when we didn't want to cook, as well as wineries to visit. Nearby Shenandoah National Park offered a beautiful drive and the opportunity to put a new stamp in our National Park's book. 

infection

The only negative thing that occurred on the trip was the fact that my recent ED&C became infected despite all my efforts to keep it protected with Aquaphor and bandages. I even used waterproof bandages while at the pool, and the doctor had okayed me going into pool water. I reached out to my dermatologist's office, and they sent a prescription to the local Walgreens. A week of using the ointment cleared it up with no additional issues.

While we enjoyed our visit to Massanutten, I think we all agreed that we would like to try someplace new next year. I'll keep looking in Virginia as that makes it easy for the kids while not being too bad of a drive for us.

Surgery Number One Done

Wednesday I saw my dermatologist for an ED&C, the procedure she uses for removal of small basal cell carcinomas. She's done a few on me in the past, including one in March on a basal cell that was near the one she removed this week on my right arm.

The procedure itself is not too bad, once you get over the sting of the lidocaine shot. The whole thing only took about 10 minutes. For me the issue is my allergic reaction to anything with adhesive. They want me to keep this covered for two weeks, and that will definitely be a challenge. I have tried every type of bandage out there, including the so-called sensitive skin ones. They all make me itch and break out. 

Last night I put on a gauze pad and wrapped an elastic bandage around my arm to hold it in place. It held up pretty well, but even the elastic bandage irritated my skin a bit. I'm going to try a different brand tonight and see if that works better.

My Mohs surgery for the basal cell on my left temple is scheduled for September 25th. That one will take several hours as they remove tissue, wait for it to be read by a pathologist, and then take more as needed. I'm definitely not looking forward to that, and pray that the doctor will get it all in one or two tries. It was really unnerving when it took five attempts to get all the cancer on my nose in 2019.

Also on Wednesday I had my annual mammogram. I had to go to a different radiology center as my insurance changed January 1. The office was very efficient, and I was in and out in no time. Now I just have to wait for the pathology report.