Passport Renewal

US Passport

With many countries requiring that your passport have at least six months of validity beyond the dates of your trip, I decided to go ahead and renew my current passport. It expires in about twelve months. The last time I renewed a passport, it all had to be done through the mail. How nice and easy it is to renew online now! You can even have someone take your picture with a phone and upload it, following the photo instructions on the government website.

As soon as I hit the submit button, I received an email confirmation that my application had been received, and that my payment was being processed. Once the payment went through, another email arrived stating they had accepted the payment. A third email advised me that my application is being processed. All of this occurred within a three day time period.

In light of the turmoil going on at federal government agencies in the United States, I wasn't quite sure what to expect in terms of service for passports. But so far, so good!

Reflecting on Mother's Day

my brother Joe, mom & me

Mother's Day has always been more about my mom and my mother-in-law than me, even after I had children. I guess it is natural to think about the one who gave birth to you. I haven't been able to celebrate my mom in person since 1989, when she died in a car accident as she and my dad were driving back to Cincinnati from visiting my brother in Colorado.

My mom was only 69 when she died, which is my age now. I have thought about that a lot, so I decided to calculate exactly how old she was on the day of her death. AI informed me that she was 69 years, 193 days old. Then I entered my own date of birth to see exactly how old I am currently. At that point, I was 3 days older than my mom on the day she died. Let me tell you, that gives you a lot to think about. Even at my age, I don't give a lot of thought to dying. I doubt my mom did either. When they left for their trip to Colorado, I'm sure she didn't even consider that it would be the last time she would ever see her home.

I'm forever grateful that they stopped to see us in St. Louis on their way to my brother's house. It was the last time I saw her, laughed with her, hugged her. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her and think of things I'd like to share with her. But it hits home particularly on Mother's Day, especially since my mother-in-law died in 2020.

Love and miss both of my "moms", who were such incredibly loving women and exceptional role models for me and all their children and grandchildren. Hopefully I still make you both proud. 

Relatives in Reno

American Airlines

Last week we flew to Reno to see Jim's aunt, uncle (M & L) and cousins. Jim's dad was one of 11 children, and only two are still alive. It has been many years since we have seen them, and I had never visited Reno. I had a conference at Lake Tahoe over 40 years ago, but I did not have time to really see the area, so this trip was an opportunity to see not only family, but also do some sight-seeing.

Jim's cousin and his wife (J & C), whom we had visited in Phoenix in March, also flew in. The four of us stayed at the Peppermill Resort Hotel, which is also a big casino. None of us are gamblers, but the hotel was recommended by the local cousins. It was beautiful, and the location was good for what we wanted to do and see.

We saw Jim's aunt and uncle along with one of their daughters the first night we arrived, and had a lovely meal with them. It is always great when you get together with people you haven't seen in years, but can pick up right where you left off.

The next morning we picked up donuts and went to M & L's house for a bit before heading out to tour the area. Jim's cousin had prepared a great map for us, and we visited Truckee (a charming town) before driving around Lake Tahoe. We picked up sandwiches and ate them along the lake as it was such a pretty day. What a gorgeous area! Back at M & L's we were treated to another delicious dinner.

Truckee and Lake Tahoe

We began Friday morning with pickleball at a wonderful indoor facility called 3rd Shot Pickleball. We are so fortunate that J & C love to play as well! Surprisingly, we were the only ones playing. It's hard to pay the rent with that kind of revenue (or lack thereof). After stopping to have coffee with M & L, we drove to Virginia City and had lunch in an old saloon. We went back to M & L's for dinner and met up with some more of the cousins. On the way back to the hotel, we drove to see some of Reno's iconic sights lit up at night.

Reno signs at night

Saturday morning we hit the pickleball courts again, only to find that we were once again the only people in the building. After a half hour or so, a lady came in and met with a coach. It was so surprising to see a lack of players on a Saturday, especially as the weather wasn't great. Following play we went back to the hotel to clean up, and then did a driving tour of Reno. I always research ahead of time to see what oddities exist in or on the way to our destination, and I found no lack of choices in Reno. The cousins got a kick out of trying to find them. We went out to dinner with a few of the cousins.

Reno oddities

J & C were flying out on Sunday afternoon, so we all met for a lovely brunch at M & L's house. Many of the local relatives were able to come, so it was great to be able to catch up and meet the newest members of the family. We were loaned a car in the afternoon, and went to Donner's Pass to the museum. We learned of the sad tale of a settlers group who had tried to take a wagon train to California, only to get trapped by a freak blizzard. The weather Sunday was cool and rainy, with the wind chill making it feel like 35 degrees. We opted not to do any hiking or walk along the lake. We grabbed lunch a a cute barbecue restaurant (which seemed a little ironic considering the information we had just learned at the museum), and then headed back to our hotel.

We returned the car to L the next morning, and had a last good-bye with M & L before going to the airport. Our flight left Reno pretty much on time, and we had a layover in Dallas. The flight out of Dallas was delayed, and instead of getting home at 9:50 at night we didn't get in until 11:20. But despite all the hassles, it was so good to be able to see all the relatives, especially since family reunions are probably a thing of the past.

In the Garden

One of the things I miss most about St. Louis is the opportunity to go to the Missouri Botanical Garden, widely considered one of the best botanical gardens in the world. We had a membership there for many years, and visited frequently as the gardens were always showing off different blooms. 

Here in our area we have the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, which has just been renamed the Daniel Stowe Conservancy. There is no comparison between the gardens, though that is not surprising as the Missouri Botanical Garden was opened in 1859. Stowe, while much larger at 320 acres, only opened in 1999. It has not had a lot of time to mature, nor does it have the funding of the garden in St. Louis. Much of the property has been left to its native state and is not planted in gardens at all.

Nevertheless, we have been to Stowe numerous times, including three years in a row to see the holiday lights. In March we purchased a membership to help support the garden. An added benefit is that the membership entitles us to entry into 300 other reciprocal gardens throughout North America. We recently were able to gain admission to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, which has already paid for the membership.

We went to the Stowe garden last week for the first time this year. We had barely made it through the door when we heard our names being called. One of the gals that works at a pickleball center that we go to was there with her family, and saw us come in. It always surprises me when someone knows us in Charlotte, even though we have been here over five years now.

It was a beautiful day, and a nice time to enjoy the spring flowers and get out in nature.

Daniel Stowe Conservancy

 

Foot Followup

Wednesday I saw the podiatrist for a followup on my foot issue. When he asked how things are going, I told him that honestly I don't see much improvement in the pain despite the toe splint, orthotics, or Voltaren and ice treatments twice a day. He pressed his fingers underneath the second toe a bit, which was not pleasant. 

But surprisingly he said he could tell that my ligament has begun to heal itself. He said the pain is to be expected and is a good thing as it will keep me from doing things I should not be doing yet. I am to continue as before for the next four weeks. Then for the next four weeks he only wants me to wear the toe splint when I am going to be excessively active, such as walking for a long period of time or hiking. I presume that includes pickleball, thought I forgot to specifically ask that. I'll wear it then just to be on the safe side. I return to see him at the end of the eight weeks.

When I last saw him he asked me to bring my pickleball shoes in so he could take a look at them. I had told him that I wear Skechers, and he seemed surprised that they made a court shoe. I explained they are dedicated pickleball shoes. The problem is that I cannot wear the toe splint and the orthotic as there is not enough room in the shoe for both. I have been wearing my Acacias instead, as they can accommodate the inserts and the splint. So I brought in one of the Acacias and one of the Skechers to show him.

Skechers pickleball shoes

He performed a three part flexibility test on each shoe, and the Skechers passed with flying colors. The Acacias failed all three, and he said I shouldn't be wearing them. Visually we could see that the Acacias have more height in the toe box than the Skechers, which is why the added items work in the Acacias. 

My compromise for the moment is that I will wear the splint and the orthotics anytime I am not playing pickleball. For pickleball, I will wear the splint only in my Skechers as that will fit with the regular insert provided by Skechers. I may try taping my toe and not wearing the splint, which is acceptable to the doctor, and see if I can then make the orthotic work in my Skechers.

Overall, I am pleased with what the doctor had to say. I picked up a second splint from the office so I have a clean one to put on instead of always having to wait for the one to dry after washing. I also got a second orthotic so don't have to keep pulling the one set out of one pair of shoes to put in another.

Cousin Time

Last month we flew to Phoenix to see some of Jim's cousins. Relatives from both sides of his family have winter places in the area, and we had never been to visit. One set of cousins put us up for the week, which was incredibly generous of them. They even had a car that we could borrow!

We spent time with them doing some hiking and eating at some really good restaurants. We got a few games of pickleball in as well, which is always a bonus for us. The community they live in has some very nice courts in addition to golf, swimming pools and various amenity buildings for different activities. I also try to compile a list of unusual/cool sites when we travel, so we picked a few of those off my list as well.

Phoenix Sites

The Desert Botanical Garden was definitely on our must-see list. We were lucky with the timing as there was a special show going on. Light Bloom was an exhibit involving geometric light installations. We arrived at the garden late enough in the afternoon to be able to see the plant material, and then stayed through the early evening to catch the lights. It was pretty stunning.

Desert Botanical Garden

We took a couple days by ourselves and drove up to Sedona. Neither one of us had been there before. We didn't think to reserve a room ahead of time, and did not take into account that spring break would be such a big deal there. We got the last studio at the Bell Rock Inn, which is a Hilton property. It was very nice and had a small kitchen area and nice patio. I think they just had one two-bedroom suite available besides our room. We very much enjoyed our time in Sedona, and the weather about 15 degrees cooler than Phoenix. It is certainly a beautiful area.

Sedona

We got back to Phoenix in time to have dinner with another of Jim's cousins, a sister to the cousin we were staying with, at a great Italian restaurant. They were not super busy, so they did not mind us chatting for a couple of hours.

Our time in Arizona was busy and fun, and we enjoyed catching up with family. Now that semi-annual family reunions are no longer taking place, we don't get a chance to see extended family very often. Hopefully we can keep in touch more often in the future.

St. Patrick's Day

sunrise this morning

May your joys be as bright as the morning

And your sorrows merely be shadows

that fade in the sunlight of love.

Not Immune to Infection

today's sunrise

Well, unfortunately my ED&C surgery resulted in an infection. By Saturday the area around the excision site got red, warm and hard. Sunday the red area had increased in size and my arm began to hurt. First thing Monday I called the doctor's office and explained what was going on. They had me take a photograph of it and text it to them.

As the doctor was confidant that it was indeed infected, she ordered an oral antibiotic for me. I have to take it twice a day for 10 days. I'm now on the fifth day of using them, and the area definitely looks better than it did originally. I guess I was expecting it to be almost healed by now. The redness, warmth and hardness are gone, but the wound itself still has some oozing going on. That's probably normal, but with my allergy to adhesives, keeping a bandage on it has been very difficult so I really need it to dry up. I've been keeping it open to the air during the day, wearing only sleeveless shirts. So I have been pretty housebound for a week since I can't put a jacket over the open sore.

I did cover it up Wednesday evening as we had registered for a floral watercolor class that was being offered here in the neighborhood. It was nice to get out for a bit, and the class was pretty good. I need to work on some of the techniques we learned for sure. Some of my flowers definitely do not look like what they are supposed to be!

floral watercolor class

ED&C Number 4

basal cell removal

On Wednesday I had my fourth Electrodesiccation and Curettage (ED&C) performed to remove the basal cell carcinoma from my right arm - my 20th skin cancer surgery to date. As I have posted in the past, the dermatologist scrapes off the top layer of cells with a curette until healthy cells are revealed. Then an electrocautery device is used to apply small amounts of electricity to the treated surface to burn away any remaining cancer cells. This is performed as a less invasive cancer removal option.

As with every time, they bandaged the spot before I left. And as with every time, the skin in the area broke out in a rash due to my adhesive allergy. You technically don't need a bandage for the wound, but since I have to keep vaseline on it for two weeks, the bandage protects my clothes and sheets.

Today my arm is feeling sore and a little warm in the area of the excision. I have it totally uncovered except for the vaseline. I am a little concerned that it is getting infected. I'll keep an eye on it and call the doctor if necessary. Only once before has a skin cancer surgery resulted in an infection, so I guess I have been pretty lucky. I pray that my luck will hold in this case as well.

feeling lucky

While at the office I had the doctor treat two sun damaged spots on my lower lip with liquid nitrogen. She had done this once before in July of last year, but the spots came back. Does that ever hurt when she zaps them! So far they have not turned into large blisters like they did last time, but instead have gone directly to the draining stage. Hopefully this time will do the trick. 

Dragging My Feet

toe splint

My feet have never been pretty. Ever since I can remember the bunions have stuck out and the toes have curved sideways. My mom, my sister, and my sister's son all have/had the same thing - bilateral hallux valgus. It does have a hereditary component, and is more common in women aged 40-60. That is interesting since we all had them forever. In fact when my nephew was born, the delivering doctor asked who had the funny feet.

At any rate, none of us ever had pain in our feet or saw a doctor about them. But around 9 months ago the ball of my left foot began to hurt a bit. It felt like I was walking on a marble, and only hurt when I put weight on it. Oddly, when I would press on the ball of my foot with my hand, it did not hurt.

I wasn't overly concerned about it, but did notice that after I played pickleball it hurt more. Since that is a game where you put more pressure on the balls of your feet, that made sense to me.

I tried resting it and also purchased shoe inserts. Some days were better than others. Obviously it is not a debilitating pain as I could walk and play pickleball. It just hurt all the time I was upright. With a break in our travel schedule I saw a foot doctor last week. They took x-rays to rule out a fracture, and the doctor poked around on it a bit. When he pressed the area where my toes meet the bottom of my feet, I sure felt that!

His diagnosis is that I have predislocation syndrome, which is a slowly progressing condition where the structures that hold the joint of your second toe stable begin to degenerate. He said because we are catching it early he is hopeful that wearing a splint on my second toe (taping the toe is also an option, but since I am allergic to adhesive that won't work well for me) as well as better orthotics in my shoes will fix the issue. I am also to use a diclofenac gel on the area twice a day, and ice it. He will see me again in six weeks to check on improvement. 

Honestly I thought this doctor would take one look at my feet and declare that I needed surgery done to both of them. To be able to go a non-invasive route first with no limitations on activities is quite the gift. Several people in my neighborhood have gone to this guy and sing his praises. I will be adding my voice in song. Especially if this approach does the trick!

Long in the Tooth

long in the tooth

Last year my husband and I were both told by our dentist that we needed crowns. In fact, I was informed that I had a crack in my lower left back molar as well as my upper right back molar. The hygienist went over the cost of the crowns, stating that we had great dental insurance that would cover half of the expense.

My husband had his done, and I only had them do the back left tooth. It was no picnic, that's for sure. But what was less enjoyable is that our dental insurer denied both of our claims, saying that the crowns had not been necessary. We went back and forth for months on this. Finally the insurer covered mine but not Jim's. He refused to pay the balance since they had inferred that they had gotten authorization for the crown. As it ends up, they did not. In the end, they waived the balance on his account, but we both decided to change dentists. The billing issue was only one of many, but it was the final straw for us.

We knew we were changing Medicare insurance companies beginning January 1 of this year, so we waited to find a new dentist until we were able to see who was in network. (The old practice was, of course, since we no longer wanted to see them.) Upon a friend's recommendation, we selected a female dentist who is in network and reasonably close to us.

We both saw her on different days last week. There are things I liked and didn't like about my visit. The paperwork could not be filled out online, and it was ridiculously long. Good thing I got there plenty early! The dental hygienist was pleasant and thorough. I had to get all new x-rays taken since they don't have access to my old ones. But the dentist barely spent 2 minutes with me, after dropping the bomb about all the cracks in my teeth. What?!? She then hustled out of the room.

The hygienist showed me the x-rays, indicating I have two crowns needed on the bottom left molars, and two on the upper right molars. Wait a minute! The back bottom left was just done last year, as outlined above. She said there is a gap in the crown where bacteria can get in, and it needs to be redone. I asked if it could just be filled or something. Nope. Then she kind of rushed me out to the front desk for checking out. The gal behind the desk said she has to submit these for pre-approval due to Medicare. Huh, that's probably what the prior dentist forgot to do.

At this point I'm not sure what I will do. Do I really need four crowns? Is the gap in the one crown really that big of a deal? All I know at this point is that I am obviously getting long in the tooth!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

cemetery

The proverb where there's a will, there's a way is said to mean that if someone has the determination and desire to do something, they will find a way to achieve it. So, a strong will can overcome obstacles and lead to success. It seems to me that this applies equally well to a different kind of will - a last will and testament. Having one of those will help your heirs overcome legal obstacles and will help you succeed in making sure your estate goes to the people you intended without being tied up in court.

Today my community had a lunch and learn that discussed wills and trusts. We have had two wills done in the past - one when our first child was born, and the second as we neared retirement. They both were filed in Missouri, and it has been weighing on me that things might not go smoothly when one of us dies since we now live in North Carolina. The presenter today confirmed my fear. An out of state will is better than no will, but a death will be incredibly difficult for either one of us without complicating things having to go through probate.

The presentation was very good. I picked up some new information, and some additional things we should take into consideration when we update our will. Or go with a trust, which was not recommended by our attorney in Missouri. But years have gone by and we are in a different jurisdiction, so I'm not sure which direction the new document will go. The sponsoring organization offers a free one-hour consultation to Imagery residents, so I signed up to be contacted for that. This was just the motivation I needed to jump-start the process of updating our estate.

A Tropickle Vacation

Turks & Caicos

That's not a typo in the headline. We just returned from a pickleball trip to Turks & Caicos put on by Travel Shark, a local travel agency. They set up Tropickle Vacations to take pickleball enthusiasts to beautiful, tropical locations. This was their first trip, and it was held at Club Med, which boasts 10 dedicated pickleball courts!

I believe there were 24 in our group, which consisted of players who are rated 3.5 and above. We had folks from Alaska, Utah, Florida, New York, Connecticut, South Carolina and North Carolina. Most of them are in their 30s and 40s, and I had suspected that we would be the grandparents in the group. That was close to being the case, but we are used to playing with the younger set so it was no big deal.

While the Club Med is showing its age, you just can't beat the location. It is a short 3 hour flight from Charlotte, and the islands are gorgeous! I had requested a balcony ocean view room, and that is what we got. We could see the sunsets from the balcony, though we usually chose to go to the beach for a broader experience. The resort is on the small side, with only one swimming pool and a restaurant, though a bar called Sharkies serves a few items a couple times a day.

beautiful sunsets

Eight of the pickleball courts were installed on two tennis courts. While they are dedicated courts, in order to get that many on they had to orient the courts east/west. This makes it miserable in the early morning and the later afternoon as the sun is in your eyes. That is really unfortunate. The other two dedicated courts are properly oriented north/south.

The weather was nice and sunny, with the high hitting 78 degrees each day (the low was always 77). But the winds! Each day they were 20 mph, with gusts up to 25-27 mph. That made play very challenging, especially with the pickleballs being so light in weight. Sometimes you just had to laugh as you anticipated the ball being in one place and the wind would blow it to another. Generally the pros will not play if the wind exceeds 15 mph.

Tropickle players

We had some time to snorkel, which we always enjoy. They had a big party for the Super Bowl, and while I didn't necessarily care who won the game, it was fun to watch the game on the three big screens with a lot of other people.

Overall, it was a relaxing and fun trip. While I would definitely go back to Turks & Caicos, I would probably look for a different place to stay. Club Med was built in the 1980s and has only been updated once since then and it shows.

Hoping for a New Dawn

Sometimes when the world gets crazy and the news headlines make my heart beat too fast or shatter all together, I just have to take a deep breath and go outside to let Mother Nature do her thing.

Skin Cancer Number 20

skin cancer biopsy

Tuesday was my six month checkup with the dermatologist. Since I have had so many skin cancers, she has me come in every six months for a full body review. There was a pre-cancerous spot on my left arm that she zapped with liquid nitrogen, but also a spot on my right arm near the shoulder that she was concerned about. It looked suspiciously like the squamous cell she removed from my left arm last March. She removed a small piece for biopsy.

Surprisingly I received the path report this morning. That came back fast! It was indeed cancer, only this time an early basal cell. The doctor cannot fit me in until March 5th for removal of it. Because it is so small and a basal cell, she will again do an ED&C procedure to take it off and I won't require Moh's surgery. This makes skin cancer number 20, of which 4 were squamous cell and 16 basal cell. Early detection is the key here, but holy moly that is a lot of skin cancer!

The Not So Sunshine State

January 14th we began our drive down to Florida to visit friends from our neighborhood. Our first stop was Palm Coast, where the Hamiltons spend their winter on a small yacht. While we had been on the boat before, we had never gone out on it with them. The weather was cool and a bit windy, but it cooperated enough that we were able to boat on the intercostal waterway for a few hours. It was fun, and it's always great to see them!

Palm Coast

After a couple days in Palm Coast we headed south to Key Largo. I had been there once before in 1991 for a meeting, but Jim had never visited. In Key Largo we stayed with the Staleys in their condo. Again it was unseasonably cold and rainy for this part of Florida. Our plan was to get in lots of pickleball, but we only had good enough weather to do that once. One day was actually sunny and warm, and we went out on the Staleys boat. I loved seeing the birds, dolphins and the manatee that came to drink the fresh water from the hose. That ended up being our one and only warm, sunshiny day the whole trip. Again, we made the best of the situation and enjoyed being with our friends.

Key Largo

Our next stop was a quick one in Naples, where we had lunch with the Bambergers. I had met them in 2017 in St. Louis through pickleball. I wish we would have more time, but it was good to reconnect with them in person rather than just through Facebook.

Naples

The last destination was Port Charlotte to visit the Stuckeys. It rained every day but one, and even that day was quite cool. No pickleball for me as I did not pack warm enough clothes to play outside, but Jim was able to play once. We did visit the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, which we really liked. It was nice to get outside and walk, even if it was cool and windy yet again. 

We ended up staying one extra day in Port Charlotte as it was bitterly cold and snowy in the Charlotte area. When we did leave we drove straight through, which we normally don't do. But with the weather not cooperating, there was really no place we wanted to stop and see for the night.

Port Charlotte

Note to self - maybe going to Florida in January is not a good idea! 

Ring out the Old

Despite the fact that we didn't have any company in town for the holidays, we managed to visit a couple of nice Christmas displays in our area. The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden does a great job with their lights, and nearby McAdenville is a must if the weather cooperates. We had great weather for both events, and it was pleasant walking around to really enjoy the decorations.

Christmas lights

For the first time in our 46 years of marriage, my husband and I spent Christmas Eve and Day on our own. Early on we always traveled to either his parents or my parents, even after we started our family. After we moved to North Carolina in 2019, our kids came here to be with us. But this December our daughter couldn't get the time away from her job, and our son and his family went to his in-laws for the holiday.

We ended up opening gifts via FaceTime on Christmas Eve with our daughter. We made our signature Cranberry Cosmopolitan, and put on music in the background. While it wasn't ideal, I'm grateful for the technology that makes it possible to do a virtual gathering.

On New Year's Eve we drove up to our son and daughter-in-law's house to do our gift exchange with them. Again making our signature cocktail, we got our daughter on FaceTime and we opened up our presents together. It was a nice way for everyone to catch up. The next morning afternoon we again used FaceTime for our granddaughter to open her presents with her aunt. Hopefully we can all be together in 2025.