For those dear readers who have followed my blog over the years, you probably have read about my contracting Bell’s Palsy...and my continuing journey on the road to recovery.* The first couple of months were extremely difficult days, and I dealt with them in the best way I knew how: with words...lots and lots of words. Now, as hard as this is for me to believe, another anniversary of that terrible day in 2012 has rolled around. My stars! Can it truly be six whole years?
(*You can revisit Day 1 here, if you need to refresh your memory...I’ll wait...)
If you recall, the doctor originally said it could last 15 days...or the rest of my life. Ah well, it seems to be the latter, doesn’t it? Because, while my face no longer appears to be sliding off my skull and I was able to recover my speech patterns, I continue to live with residual effects of facial paralysis known as synkinesis. Not the worst fate, most assuredly, but still bothersome on a constant basis.
Sip a beverage through a straw? My left eye closes. Smile? My left eye closes. Smile too big...or for too long...or squint into the sun? The left side of my jaw locks into a painful spasm. It goes away with massage, but I know it will return. Just a matter of time before the next one. Sigh.
There’s something else I know. I know that I am fortunate to have recovered as much as I did. I know there are worse afflictions. I know “that which doesn’t kill one, makes one stronger.” OK, that’s three things I know.
Anyway, another year is over...and another chapter in this saga has been written. And as anniversaries go, this particular “celebration” has been a quiet one. No champagne. No party. No cute or sentimental cards. I mean, really, a truly boring commemoration if ever there was one.
But that’s good, right? Because even though I don’t want BP to play a major part in my life, neither do I wish to forget the role it has played. And to remember it is now a bit player.
So, hip hip hooray! Now, let’s move on...
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
One Year Ago...One Month from Now
I know I’ve brought this subject up before, but it has been on my mind lately: the older one gets, the faster time flies. Apparently there’s been research, as reported in Scientific American (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-time-seem-to-speed-up-with-age/):
One year ago today, Mr. T and I saw the sunrise at Mather Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon...not an entirely “new experience” for me, but a new experience for T...and for us together. Words alone are inadequate to describe the anticipation just before “official” sunrise...and that ooh-ahhh feeling as the sun clears the North Rim landmarks. Pictures, too, never seem to capture the incredible beauty of the moment, but they will have to do for now.
And now...it's time to dust off the passports and get those suitcases out of the attic in anticipation for our next adventure!
One month from today, we will be getting on a jet plane, beginning that “once in a lifetime” (OIAL) trip to...drumroll please...Australia and New Zealand! This is a trip that I have dreamed about for as long as I can remember...and when better to make it happen than the year of a milestone birthday, I ask you? Yes, I will celebrate the Big 6-5 in Sydney (there’s some lovely symmetry in that homophonic, serendipitous name, don’t you agree?). But I’m getting ahead of myself...
Thirty days from now, we fly from ATL to LAX and take a break there before the (really, really) long haul...which has been the biggest obstacle to making this OIAL trip: I simply have not been able to get over the hurdle of being on a plane so (very, very) long. (Well, I must have cleared the hurdle because we have booked the tickets!) Anyway, a day and a half later (okay, so some of that is due to the 14-hour time difference...and some is due to crossing the International Dateline...but you can also give credit to the 15+ hour flight time, Lord Help Us), Qantas Airlines (finally, finally) delivers us to Melbourne, AU.
Why Melbourne, you may ask? Well, some of you may know what Brit Wits we are (addicted to British TV programming, especially the mountain of murder mysteries available)...so, it should come as no surprise that we got hooked on Aussie and Kiwi programming when they came to PBS. One of our favorites is “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” which is a smashing 3-season series starring the gorgeous Essie Davis as the Honorable Phryne Fisher, who is described as “(a) female sleuth (who) sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.” I cannot wait to see the city that started calling to me the first time I watched Episode 1. Heck, we are currently rewatching all of the episodes, trying to memorize the look of the buildings in the backgrounds of the scenes. Oh.....and we are booked for a tour that will take us to the Grampians Mountains through Ballarat...the setting for another of our favorites, “The Doctor Blake Mysteries.”
After five fun days there, we are back on Qantas to “cross the ditch”...AKA the Tasman Sea...to fly to the Pacific Ocean-side of the South Island of New Zealand, landing in Christchurch. Why Christchurch, you may ask? Why not the usual stops of Auckland (where my new fave “800 Words” and the “Brokenwood Mysteries” are filmed) or Hamilton (both on the North Island) or even Queensland? Well, this choice is a sentimental favorite.
You may not remember back in 2010 and 2011 when devastating earthquakes very nearly destroyed this beautiful English-styled village that has been nurtured since its founding in the late 1800’s. I remember. I saw a documentary on the recovery and rebuilding efforts, and I knew...I just knew I wanted to go there. I want to help them celebrate resiliency! Plus, I wanted to go to the wine and wool part of the country...see a Rugby* game...and ride the train through the Southern Alps, which is the setting for many of the scenes of Middle Earth for “The Lord of the Rings.” Sure enough, the Tranzalpine leaves from Christchurch. So there we will be!
Five days later, and we are winging our way back to Oz, this time landing in Sydney. I will spend my birthday day climbing to the top of the Pylon on Harbour Bridge and then having a lovely lunch over 1000’ above the City. We already have tickets for “Aida” at the Opera House, so we can see that landmark from a distance and then up close and personal.
Did I forget to mention any gardens? No worries! We will be taking in the Starry Skies of the Southern Hemisphere (which we will NEVER see at our home latitude) at the historic observatory at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, enjoying the Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, and being immersed in the beauty of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens while staying in a hotel situated on the edge of the Avon River and Hagley Park.
After three weeks of our OIAL adventure, it will be time to say so long to the Southern Cross constellation and return to the land of the North Star. I do have to wonder how many pictures we will be able to take? Any guesses, guys?!?
There are a couple of wrinkles in this beautiful plan. My recent diagnosis of gout (left toe for 3 weeks, then left knee for the past 2) has been a major pain...literally and figuratively. But, at least I had that happen HERE, where my doctors are, so I have time to get treatment, rest, get started on appropriate meds, and recover. You better believe I am packin’: extra prednisone dose pack and colchicine (a med for gout, to be taken at the first sign of an episode), plus a couple of tubes of diclofinac gel (topical NSAID). Be prepared, as they say!
And yes, observant reader, it IS Winter down under. But that just means fewer tourists...and remembering to dress in layers. And I look forward to being a part of their traditional “Christmas in July” festivities. Remember, it is the height of Summer there on December 25th.
So, if you hear that I’m singing Jingle Bells on my birthday this year, you will certainly understand. Meanwhile, I'll continue to chant the following in my head: "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi"
(...as remembered from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta...)
===================
* Have you ever heard of/seen the NZ All Blacks Rugby squad's famous pre-game haka? OMG...chills!! I learned of this at a recent UGA OLLI class called "New Zealand...The Land of the Long White Cloud," which I took in prep for this trip. Check out this YouTube video.
NZ All Blacks Rugby haka
“This phenomenon, which (psychologist Claudia) Hammond has dubbed the holiday paradox, seems to present one of the best clues as to why, in retrospect, time seems to pass more quickly the older we get. From childhood to early adulthood, we have many fresh experiences and learn countless new skills. As adults, though, our lives become more routine, and we experience fewer unfamiliar moments. As a result, our early years tend to be relatively overrepresented in our autobiographical memory and, on reflection, seem to have lasted longer. Of course, this means we can also slow time down later in life. We can alter our perceptions by keeping our brain active, continually learning skills and ideas, and exploring new places.”Oh yeah...we know I’m all about that “exploring new places” thingie!
One year ago today, Mr. T and I saw the sunrise at Mather Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon...not an entirely “new experience” for me, but a new experience for T...and for us together. Words alone are inadequate to describe the anticipation just before “official” sunrise...and that ooh-ahhh feeling as the sun clears the North Rim landmarks. Pictures, too, never seem to capture the incredible beauty of the moment, but they will have to do for now.
 |
| Sunrise at Grand Canyon 6/3/17 |
 |
| Watching the Sunrise at the Grand Canyon 6/3/17 |
And now...it's time to dust off the passports and get those suitcases out of the attic in anticipation for our next adventure!
 |
| Our Next Adventure! |
 |
| AU & NZ money is soooo colorful...and has this see-through strip...! |
One month from today, we will be getting on a jet plane, beginning that “once in a lifetime” (OIAL) trip to...drumroll please...Australia and New Zealand! This is a trip that I have dreamed about for as long as I can remember...and when better to make it happen than the year of a milestone birthday, I ask you? Yes, I will celebrate the Big 6-5 in Sydney (there’s some lovely symmetry in that homophonic, serendipitous name, don’t you agree?). But I’m getting ahead of myself...
Thirty days from now, we fly from ATL to LAX and take a break there before the (really, really) long haul...which has been the biggest obstacle to making this OIAL trip: I simply have not been able to get over the hurdle of being on a plane so (very, very) long. (Well, I must have cleared the hurdle because we have booked the tickets!) Anyway, a day and a half later (okay, so some of that is due to the 14-hour time difference...and some is due to crossing the International Dateline...but you can also give credit to the 15+ hour flight time, Lord Help Us), Qantas Airlines (finally, finally) delivers us to Melbourne, AU.
Why Melbourne, you may ask? Well, some of you may know what Brit Wits we are (addicted to British TV programming, especially the mountain of murder mysteries available)...so, it should come as no surprise that we got hooked on Aussie and Kiwi programming when they came to PBS. One of our favorites is “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” which is a smashing 3-season series starring the gorgeous Essie Davis as the Honorable Phryne Fisher, who is described as “(a) female sleuth (who) sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.” I cannot wait to see the city that started calling to me the first time I watched Episode 1. Heck, we are currently rewatching all of the episodes, trying to memorize the look of the buildings in the backgrounds of the scenes. Oh.....and we are booked for a tour that will take us to the Grampians Mountains through Ballarat...the setting for another of our favorites, “The Doctor Blake Mysteries.”
After five fun days there, we are back on Qantas to “cross the ditch”...AKA the Tasman Sea...to fly to the Pacific Ocean-side of the South Island of New Zealand, landing in Christchurch. Why Christchurch, you may ask? Why not the usual stops of Auckland (where my new fave “800 Words” and the “Brokenwood Mysteries” are filmed) or Hamilton (both on the North Island) or even Queensland? Well, this choice is a sentimental favorite.
You may not remember back in 2010 and 2011 when devastating earthquakes very nearly destroyed this beautiful English-styled village that has been nurtured since its founding in the late 1800’s. I remember. I saw a documentary on the recovery and rebuilding efforts, and I knew...I just knew I wanted to go there. I want to help them celebrate resiliency! Plus, I wanted to go to the wine and wool part of the country...see a Rugby* game...and ride the train through the Southern Alps, which is the setting for many of the scenes of Middle Earth for “The Lord of the Rings.” Sure enough, the Tranzalpine leaves from Christchurch. So there we will be!
Five days later, and we are winging our way back to Oz, this time landing in Sydney. I will spend my birthday day climbing to the top of the Pylon on Harbour Bridge and then having a lovely lunch over 1000’ above the City. We already have tickets for “Aida” at the Opera House, so we can see that landmark from a distance and then up close and personal.
Did I forget to mention any gardens? No worries! We will be taking in the Starry Skies of the Southern Hemisphere (which we will NEVER see at our home latitude) at the historic observatory at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, enjoying the Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, and being immersed in the beauty of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens while staying in a hotel situated on the edge of the Avon River and Hagley Park.
After three weeks of our OIAL adventure, it will be time to say so long to the Southern Cross constellation and return to the land of the North Star. I do have to wonder how many pictures we will be able to take? Any guesses, guys?!?
There are a couple of wrinkles in this beautiful plan. My recent diagnosis of gout (left toe for 3 weeks, then left knee for the past 2) has been a major pain...literally and figuratively. But, at least I had that happen HERE, where my doctors are, so I have time to get treatment, rest, get started on appropriate meds, and recover. You better believe I am packin’: extra prednisone dose pack and colchicine (a med for gout, to be taken at the first sign of an episode), plus a couple of tubes of diclofinac gel (topical NSAID). Be prepared, as they say!
And yes, observant reader, it IS Winter down under. But that just means fewer tourists...and remembering to dress in layers. And I look forward to being a part of their traditional “Christmas in July” festivities. Remember, it is the height of Summer there on December 25th.
So, if you hear that I’m singing Jingle Bells on my birthday this year, you will certainly understand. Meanwhile, I'll continue to chant the following in my head: "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi"
(...as remembered from the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta...)
===================
* Have you ever heard of/seen the NZ All Blacks Rugby squad's famous pre-game haka? OMG...chills!! I learned of this at a recent UGA OLLI class called "New Zealand...The Land of the Long White Cloud," which I took in prep for this trip. Check out this YouTube video.
NZ All Blacks Rugby haka
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