On the eve of an extended travel adventure, my excitement is tempered by many thoughts. I will miss the many personal and electronically enabled bits of communication with all of you dear family members and friends. We have been anticipating this journey for several months and it now is actually going to happen; we hope according to the plan. From our first stop in Kiev, across the lands that form Russia, to China, Tibet, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and more. What a dream trip. What unexpected encounters we face with people of all walks of life, both natives of the areas we visit and those traveling as we are, to learn, discover and be amazed at this great big world we inhabit.
The political temperature in our home land is soaring and we hope for some good resolution as we soar across thousands of miles, 12 time zones, hearing many languages and traveling via airplane, bus, boat and balloon. Upon our return, we hope that our beloved USA is in good stead, that we can keep the amazing places we have visited clear and straight and have the chance to share our adventures with all of you that are interested.
We wish you all good health, a beautiful fall and holiday season and many adventures ahead.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Warmed in Heaven
Journal item; 4 surgeries, 1 month
Procedure #1; Westfall Surgical Center, Dateline; July 23rd, 2013 surgery to remove mucus cyst on index finger-left hand. Grandson Tal,10, flying into Rochester from summer camp in Wisconsin by himself and the help of Delta's air escort service.
Storyline, while under local anesthesia, my purse “rang out” across the room--my cell phone. To my shock, the nurse handed me the purse and said go ahead, answer it. I spoke to Tal and then his escort updating his arrival time 5 hours late from Detroit, after a rainy delay.
Later I queried the surgeon about the nurse's action. He said no problem but was glad I am not Italian (hand talk). I responded, I am not Italian but still talk with my hands--NO WAY was I going to gesture with that left hand undergoing the knife.
Still having the surgeon's ear, I complained that last year the thumb joint was reamed and I had a “noticeable”, large purple bandage (being offered a color choice). This time the bandage was once again large but boring beige, with no choice offered. What gives?
Trouble! Dateline; August 1st, Storyline, I fell while “fiddling” with shopping bags and such, not watching foot placement. Urgent care than an evening in emergency, a Ct scan and big ice packs. Diagnosis, Zygoma and orbital wall fractures. Not good, painful, black and blue. Appointment in a week with a facial reconstruction surgeon at Strong.
Procedure #2; Brighton Surgical Center, Dateline; Aug 8th. Storyline. first cataract procedure, right side as scheduled, given the go by the Doctor, much to my amazement. The AC was blowing furiously and lo and behold, blankets appeared—warm and heaven sent. I was covered with 3 and stopped shivering.
Surgery went well, I slept through and then heard the words, “wake up you are done.” Wow, I can now read with my right eye—monocular vision is my chosen plan and I was warm and comfortable for the duration of the stay in recovery.
Procedure #3; Strong Surgical Center, Dateline; Aug 15th; Storyline; Procedure involving facial reconstruction and more TLC, with blessed warm blankets. I am getting very spoiled. Surgery lasted about 110 minutes, half of the estimated time, the surgeon finding less damage than at first suspected. I stayed overnight, foggy, in pain, but warm by, yes, warm blankets and lots of caring staff. Home the next day. Taking care to follow directions for a successful recovery.
Procedure #4; Brighton Surgical Center once again. Dateline; August 27th, Storyline; left eye cataract replacement postponed only one week. How amazing in light of my recent facial surgery. Again, warmed by those blankets and a caring staff. Surgery went well, I was aware this time of work being performed on the eye. The surgeon remarked that often that is the case for the second eye.
Update; Now into the month of September, a month of new beginnings. My index finger and two cataracts are healing well, my face is no longer a colorful mask and I can now pay attention to those whom I have had to “ignore” but thought of so often. I wish everyone Jewish a wonderful and healthy new year, a good fall season to all and the ability to savor every moment of the day, seek the beauty of this world and witness healing among nations.
Ann Carol Goldberg
Sunday, June 9, 2013
On the Road Home
Life on the road 2012-13 was fulfilling, with daily, over the top activities, a family reunion in Texas "circling" up our RV and our sons' rentals around the campsites, all kinds of quirky weather, more wonderful people time, discovery time, art and music, hiking and such but no time for blogging or artwork. I am not complaining, just lamenting that I haven't shared a blog in months. So here is another message in a minute--a re-start.
Our new rig is lovely and I have accustomed myself to the overkill of 4 TVs, a washer and dryer, automated awnings and things that most people don't even know exist. Our rig is built by Tiffin and called a Phaeton, an update from the original type of transportation so named, but life is good and our wheeled home serves us well going over the road or hooked into some sort of campsite.
Paul's blog covered our return to Rochester in detail for those of you that receive his blogs. We are now perched in our 4th floor apartment hovering over downtown Rochester and the view of the Genesee River. Missing life on the road is real, but actually staying in one place for 2-3 months is enjoyable. However, after a lifetime living in this city, I feel as if I am still on the road in a new location. Finding my route to familiar destinations, groceries, doctors, venues, has turned inside out. I am used to traveling from the eastern edge of the city but now travel east or southerly to reach my destinations. So, to avoid mistaken turns, I leave with a route in mind or have used the GPS in my home town to avoid wrong turns; similar to travel in a city in anywhere, USA.
I'm getting it, becoming more comfortable, but still encounter the long range construction projects in midtown, Mt.Hope/West Henrietta, Clinton Ave and so on. How different our city will be when these project are completed. Nothing stays the same and that is good.
Returning home in the NYS Thruway, however is still a bugaboo for me. The antiquate highway does not meet the quality of the many highways we travel during our marathon cross country trips. I have complained to various staff serving the Thruway Authority inquiring as to why exit numbers are old style and do not correspond to mile markers as they do on every other Interstate in the country. And, why are not all of the welcome center to New York State not just that, welcoming? (especially when entering from the west). The answer was built on lack of funds, the "enormity of the changes and the difficulty for people to change to a new system and other excuses.
A lame answer when we should be encouraging visitors and potential businesses to this state. Now that I am a registered Texan, maybe I am not supposed to care, but I do. There are too many empty buildings and store fronts, too many people still in economic need and our perch over St. Paul St. gives us much evidence of the "class" disparity of our lives in Rochester. I am so glad to have some time in my home town, am pleased and proud of what Rochester has to offer and invite many people from On the Road to visit. Many do so and like what they find. Hey, thanks for listening and I hope all of you are doing what you enjoy.
Ann Carol Goldberg
Our new rig is lovely and I have accustomed myself to the overkill of 4 TVs, a washer and dryer, automated awnings and things that most people don't even know exist. Our rig is built by Tiffin and called a Phaeton, an update from the original type of transportation so named, but life is good and our wheeled home serves us well going over the road or hooked into some sort of campsite.
Paul's blog covered our return to Rochester in detail for those of you that receive his blogs. We are now perched in our 4th floor apartment hovering over downtown Rochester and the view of the Genesee River. Missing life on the road is real, but actually staying in one place for 2-3 months is enjoyable. However, after a lifetime living in this city, I feel as if I am still on the road in a new location. Finding my route to familiar destinations, groceries, doctors, venues, has turned inside out. I am used to traveling from the eastern edge of the city but now travel east or southerly to reach my destinations. So, to avoid mistaken turns, I leave with a route in mind or have used the GPS in my home town to avoid wrong turns; similar to travel in a city in anywhere, USA.
I'm getting it, becoming more comfortable, but still encounter the long range construction projects in midtown, Mt.Hope/West Henrietta, Clinton Ave and so on. How different our city will be when these project are completed. Nothing stays the same and that is good.
Returning home in the NYS Thruway, however is still a bugaboo for me. The antiquate highway does not meet the quality of the many highways we travel during our marathon cross country trips. I have complained to various staff serving the Thruway Authority inquiring as to why exit numbers are old style and do not correspond to mile markers as they do on every other Interstate in the country. And, why are not all of the welcome center to New York State not just that, welcoming? (especially when entering from the west). The answer was built on lack of funds, the "enormity of the changes and the difficulty for people to change to a new system and other excuses.
A lame answer when we should be encouraging visitors and potential businesses to this state. Now that I am a registered Texan, maybe I am not supposed to care, but I do. There are too many empty buildings and store fronts, too many people still in economic need and our perch over St. Paul St. gives us much evidence of the "class" disparity of our lives in Rochester. I am so glad to have some time in my home town, am pleased and proud of what Rochester has to offer and invite many people from On the Road to visit. Many do so and like what they find. Hey, thanks for listening and I hope all of you are doing what you enjoy.
Ann Carol Goldberg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)