Home again, home again, jiggly jig!

Home from the Denver trip…thank God. Traveling by plane at my age is NOT fun. Not enough leg - room, too stiff…by the time I get to my destination, I’m exhausted. While in Denver, I got to walk on their state-of-the-art walking trail down the creek behind Tammy and Roger’s house. Great place, that. The visit was good, giving me a chance to connect with Beatrix’ s three nieces; Kennedy (16), Jordan (14), and Magdalene…Maggie (11). The oldest and youngest are gymnasts, and from them I learned more about gymnastics than I wanted to know. Kennedy practices 5 hours a day, six days a week. Maggie – 4 ½ hours a week, four days a week. Not much time in their lives for anything else, apart from school and homework and meals. I’ve never seen such calloused hands on a young person, nor have I seen six-pack abs on a child before. Maggie has a phenomenal body, which will change when she goes through puberty and gets more rounded. Their lives are packed…and unbalanced, from my perspective. Jordan is a cup-stacking champion, and leads a much more balanced life.

The walking in Denver continued my recover program – I am now walking a full hour every day – and I’m feeling the better for it. Some new thoughts entered my mind this weekend. I may recover fully from this surgery and body change, but I m entering the final stage of my life. I will be 80 in December. My father lived until one month prior t his 85^th birthday, my mother until just before her 84^th. Perhaps I will live longer – the benefits of a healthy childhood diet – but not necessarily. What do I have? Four years? Perhaps five? With luck, a decade? So many things I want to do, so many people I want to thank, so much time I want to spend with my children and grandchildren. Who knows how much I will be able to do? And what if I become demented? Or disabled? Questions for which I do not have answers. So every day, I walk my hour, knowing that each step gives me the chance to live a bit longer.

Attended a Klag play twice this week. An hysterical comedy about a farmer who hates change. His characteristic comment on everything is, “Aw, Jeez…!” The final scene is a giggle, with the older woman – his life – flashing him because they have “an hour to…you know, “use”” before company arrives!

 This weekend, we will wind up Beatrix’ two week vacation (time from last year) by having dinner with friends in Edmonton and then attending a burlesque show! Great fun…lots of humour…and no stripping, Erin informs me! We spent the day in Red Deer, shopping and looking for “I am Canadian”: T’s for the US girls – who asked for them. Last stop Saturday: the West Edmonton Mall, where we have been told the T’s are available. In the meantime, walk daily, meet with my Masonic brothers for coffee tomorrow, and gear up for the weekend. It’s good to be home. After being driven through Denver traffic for an hour to get to our flight (“We live close to the airport…”), I’m glad that I live in a small town, where “close” means a five-minute walk around the corner!