I'm Just Visiting This Planet

I spent yesterday at Winthrop Hospital with Aunt Mary. She had a port put in for her chemotherapy (which started at 8:30 this morning) and I read Love in the Time of Cholera for my book group. I left the house at 9:45, drove the 40 miles or so to pick her up, spent the day mostly reading, eating and waiting, then drove her home. We had dinner together and then I drove to my book group meeting. It's hard not to worry about who'll take care of me when I'm 82. Gini keeps saying don't look at Joe or Michael, and I understand-everyone has their own lives. I guess I have two choices-stay really, really healthy or find the lesbian old age home (soon!) so that I'll have a community of friends to care for me. I never thought I'd be 60, never thought my mother would die, or my dad would get old, or my sister would become a grandmother. It's not that I thought these things wouldn't happen, it's more like I never thought about them. As my friend Nancy Amy ...

Well here's what 60 looks like (at least the way I'm doing 60): I'm not really 60 until the 25th, but the party was Saturday night, and a good time was had by all (at least I hope so-I had a blast!)

So here it is, 2008. How did that happen? We sat down and worked out a set of, well not exactly New Year's Resolutions, but things that we want to do in 2008. Like spend more time together, take more vacations, stuff like that. But the highlight of the new year (so far!) is the new outfit I bought today at Chico's for our 60/60 party (which - I can hardly believe - is this Saturday!). Pictures to follow (for sure!). I wish us all peace, health and happiness in 2008.

Here it is, December 19th. Two final projects down, one final exam to go. And all I want to do is sit here and "play" with my beautiful new 17" iMac-the resolution is astounding, it's lightening fast, and it makes my 6 year old iMac look like an antique-although that one is not being retired, exactly. It's going downstairs in the home office to become the "accounting" machine for the house.

Where has this last month gone? Here it is, November 9, and I'm still lost in October, which was a horrendous month. And now Anne has to have knee surgery tomorrow, just to add to the fun. The good news is that our bathroom looks great-Kevin Doyle of O. Doyle Construction has done a fabulous job of taking our 1965 bathroom with its awful green tiles and making it into a very 21st century spa-like oasis. Way to go Kevin! Pictures to follow! [ Pictures added on May 18, 2008. ]

What can anyone say? Jerome Herbert Norman Selman was a giant of a man, in every way. Lovable, annoying, easy going, short tempered. He was a man of contradictions (aren't we all?). The world is a better place because he lived and I will miss him. His funeral was wonderful (he would have been proud) and his children eulogized him beautifully. His daughters in law (Tillie and me) were proud to be his pall bearers. This picture of Ruth, Matt, Jerry and Anne was taken two years ago when we celebrated Ruth and Jerry's 60th wedding anniversary. I'll remember him like this-before his leg was amputated, before he spent 227 out of the last 365 days at the VA Medical Center, before he was on the ventilator. Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas

We've been struggling for the last two years with Anne's father's health-he's been in and out of the VA Hospital (more in than out). We celebrated his 89th birthday during Rosh Hashanah. He didn't look well, but he was home, and that was a blessing. Tuesday he had two incidents of cardiac arrest. We spent Tuesday and most of Wednesday at the hospital. Anne's going in today, and we're both going in on Sunday. So much of our conversation has revolved around the big issues (please, please don't ever let me be on a ventilator) and the mundane (where will we sit shiva? how many people will we feed after the funeral?) Jerry will probably die this week at the age of 89. The weird thing about Jerry is that many years ago, a palmist reading his palm told him he'd live to be 89-which is also the age at which his mother, Nanny, died. We had a big party for her 89th and that was it! Our friend Donna died in May at the age of 53. You never really know, do...