Good Morning.
The death of John McCain was expected, of course, but that didn't lessen its impact. We also learned that the American playwright, Neil Simon, had died after a long life of giving us his delicious humor. On Sunday afternoon another shooting took place at a gaming tournament in Jacksonville, and then there was the charge by a Vatican official that the pope knew about Cardinal McCarrick's misconduct for years and did nothing about it. The pope, flying back to Ireland after a difficult weekend, had no comment.
I offer several short shots to offset a very sad weekend.
A friend in Colorado wrote me that he recently went out for lunch with his daughter and son-in-law who took along their elderly dog in a baby stroller. These people somehow managed to get the twelve-pound girl declared a service dog, an occupation normally associated with breeds like German Shepherds or Labrador Retrievers. In addition to being able to go places where other dogs are not welcome, she can ride in the passenger section of an aircraft. When her owners lived in Hawaii for awhile, the dog flew back to Washington state, their previous residence, for dental appointments because she insisted on seeing her regular dentist, they said.
Congressman Duncan Hunter of California is under indictment for misusing campaign funds for personal pleasure. He apparently took his family to Italy and purchased various items for private use, but the best item on the no-no list is an expenditure of $600 to fly the congressman's pet rabbit from San Diego to Washington, D.C. for a little vacation. A spokesman said the rabbit needed a change of scenery.
I bought myself a walker on Saturday to handle large venues that require a certain mobility. I tested two or three in the store and settled on a real slick item on wheels. It folds up easily so I can keep it in the back seat of my car because I don't need it in the house. I had an absolute ball shopping for this thing and I hate to shop for stuff like clothes and groceries but always enjoyed wandering around Toys R Us.
My daughter has started doing my laundry so I don't have to do the stairs to the basement. This had been a point of some discussion for awhile but I finally caved in. She calls it being flexible.
My older son mowed my lawn this past week. He does a superb job even though my yard is full of crab grass and other
unwanted material. The secret is that he mows precision rows and edges the lawn. My neighbors have better grass but
they don't edge. It's like the crown moulding in a room. It makes a statement even if the wallpaper is terrible.
My younger son used to live a few blocks away but moved to Chicago. He feels left out of the We Need to Take Care of Mother process so he pays for dog clean up in my carefully mowed, beautifully edged yard. He also consoles me about the president at least ten times a week, not an easy service to provide.
I have my annual checkup with the doc this morning. I always schedule it very early because I have to fast for my blood work and I never fast any longer than necessary. I will use my new toy to get around a brand new building that's the size of a football stadium. You understand that the average age of the patients is probably seventy-nine at what is tactfully called Adult Medicine. It's kind of like these architectural wonders, built with taxpayer dollars, that supposedly improve the public school systems. I went to junior high and high school in an old house where the bedrooms were turned into classrooms. The school focused on the quality of the faculty.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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