Update on Mrs. B

Mother has completed surgery and is in recovery.  The operation went well; 5 bypasses were performed.  She’ll be in the hospital about 5 days, then 4 weeks in Michigan before returning to North Carolina. 

And I’m still packing.

Dining at IV’s

On my meandering return to Florida, following an extended trip to Michigan, a bright spot was stopping to visit son Reg IV in Athens, Georgia.  We had a nice visit, I met his new cat, and he grilled steaks for us.  A great meal and a relaxing evening.  And here’s a photo of the meal, taken with my new iPhone and then e-mailed to myself.

Back in Georgia

My whirlwind road tour of the East continues.  Tonight, I’ve returned to Brunswick Georgia, where in the morning I’ll pick up the last document I need for my retirement visa to Thailand.  Then it’s on to the Thai Consulate in Atlanta to hand deliver my passport and paperwork, then over to Athens, Georgia, where I’ll spend the night with son Reg IV at his new place.  By the way, my plane ticket is purchased, and it is wheels up on September 24 on Northwest Orient (ok, I know they’ve dropped the Orient, but I like that name better) on to my new home, Bangkok. 

Mother is “relaxing” at Henry Ford hospital, and her surgery is scheduled for late Wednesday or early Thursday.  It will be done by the same Doctor that did Dad’s bypass.  And we’ve yet to cooperate with her request we bring some wine with us when we visit.

From Henry Ford Hospital

Well, this is a first…blogging from mother’s hospital room.  The hospital has wi-fi.

MJB had her heart cath yesterday afternoon, and it appears she has multiple blockages.  Thus, it will not be possible to do a stent; bypass surgery is needed.  However, she was on a medication that she must be off for five days, and thus the surgery will likely take place Wednesday or Thursday of next week. 

On the plus side, it hasn’t started snowing here in the North yet.

Updates

I start with the most important one first…

Mother, sometimes referred to in my circles as “Mrs. B” has had a second opinion relative to her health issues.  She does have a blockage, albeit a single one, and will have a heart cath  next Thursday, after which it will be determined whether to do a stent or a bypass operation.  The doctor has pronounced her stable and has given her permission to drive. 

I suspect, even as I write this, that they’re on the way out to the cottage for cocktails.

I am still packing furiously, and am projecting departure for Bangkok late in the third week of September.  I’ll be heading to Brunswick, Georgia in the morning to haul a load to storage and to fetch back to Florida the big Mercury Colony Park station wagon, so that the next load to storage will be a larger one. 

And now, I’m off to O Bistro for dinner,  bringing along my own bottle of wine as I dispose of the wine supply at home.

Georgia Beyond My Hood Ornament

I returned to summer, in my beloved Georgia, after a weekend in much too cold and wet Michigan and Ontario.  I’ve visited Reg IV’s new apartment in Athens, and we had a nice tour of the campus of the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA), home of the Georgia Bulldogs.  Reg IV has completed his orientation week and begins his masters program here next week. (studying Public Policy)

The historic campus (UGA dates to 1785) is very scenic.  I’ve posted some photos here and on my Facebook page as well.

         

         

IV’s new apartment is only a few minutes away from the campus and is in a nice area, at the back of a gated subdivision of expensive homes in a hilly and wooded area.  Even better, it has two bedrooms, so there is room for Dad to stay when he comes to visit.

         

The photos above show the parking lot, with IV headed to the Volvo and one of my Lincolns just behind, and the building that his apartment is in.

A Wedding In Port Huron

Howie Ferns, having failed to respond to my traditional wedding advice, “run, run like the wind,” was married Saturday afternoon in a garden wedding at Grace Episcopal Church, in Port Huron.  The weather held off long enough, as storm clouds were gathering, for a very nice service. 

The skies opened up and the temperature plummeted by the time the outdoor reception began under a big tent at the home of the bride.  Alas, the Southern contingent were very cold and didn’t stay late, sprinting for the Lincoln soon after dinner and setting the thermostat on 80 to crank in some heat. 

Weddings are a story best told in pictures.  Here is a sample from the ceremony on Saturday:

         

         

         

Songs That Make Me Smile

Florida has gone quiet for another season. The snowbirds have returned North, and the streets and restaurants are quiet as the lazy, hazy days of summer settle in. But how long will it be before this tune is heard again in the North??

The song is Drive South,  and in the video the drive is in an old Mercury Comet.  Some of the lyrics…

♭♭      …windows open….all the way to Dixieland…

           it gets hot down where we’re going     ♭♭

 

And a lifetime ago, Grandma and Grandpa Levitt drove South in a Mercury Comet too…   

 

Mothers Day

In honor of Mother’s Day, a few photos of my mother, with her mother, down through the years:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Mothers Day Mother

 

 

 

A Day At Fort Benning

I’ve just returned from the graduation ceremony for Reg IV and the Fort Benning tour we took following the ceremony.  It is a picture perfect day here in Georgia, and here are a few perfect pictures to prove it.   (you can click on the photos to enlarge them)

In front of the building where the graduation was held:

The backdrop on stage at the ceremony:

And, since the lighting and distances didn’t permit photos during the ceremony, some additional shots around Fort Benning.  The first photo is where FOB was performed.  These tents are heated and air conditioned, and showers are provided…just as in the field.

My favorite sign (we should have positioned the Lincoln crossways behind it):

And of course, the graduate himself:

In due course, I’ll be posting more photos online to my Facebook account and my online photo album.