August 24, 2010

And the weeks go by....still here in NY, and we’re beginning to have conversations about what to take with us when we return to the boat.

The nice drivers from UPS and FedEx have been our friends during these weeks as Fred orders more and more items to replace those things we ‘lost’ to the thief.  No encouraging words from the GCS Police about catching anyone so we’re guessing that event will simply slide into history.

Whoever was in charge of the weather for Ada and Jim’s wedding did a fantastic job!  Eighty degrees was the top number the thermometer scored, and that was perfect for an outdoor event overlooking the gorgeous Hudson Valley.    We had two opportunities to get to know Jim’s relatives--the Rehearsal dinner on Friday evening and then the reception after the wedding itself.  A good time was had by all, and now Mr. and Mrs. Seymour have moved into  the ‘happily ever after’ phase!  

I’m officially  a sighted person!  Tomorrow it’ll be a week since eye #2 was enhanced by Dr. Mary--she implanted a prescription lens, and also relaxed my corneas to clear some of the major astigmatism I’ve looked thru for lo, these many years.  I swear my eyes look different, and I can certainly attest that everything I look at is sharper and clearer.  I’m slowly adjusting to the ability to turn my head quickly without fear of losing a lens, and can’t wait to go swimming!  Yee hah!  To go from 20/800 to 20/60 in 15 minutes with no pain is a pretty remarkable experience!

So we muddle on, doing the things we do in New York--we meet with family and friends, hang new blinds in the last 4 of our five  bay windows (only took 6 years to get to that!) and count our blessings.  Will update when we’ve actually returned to YA--for however brief a visit--and know that one day we’ll return to our status as live-aboards!

Happy to have you checking in with us--we send love and peace and happiness to all!

Fred and Linda

August 4, 2010

Well, let’s see what marvelous excuse for not writing I can come up with this time! 

I’ve got it!  When we are not on the boat, there is no YOUNG AMERICA news!  Remember how when last we spoke, Fred and I were looking forward to returning to Shelter Cove at Hilton Head?  Didn’t happen.  YET.  We shall return, but probably not for another month.

There are a lot of reasons, all of them good, and the bottom line is that we’ve chosen to remain in New York and participate in family events, as well as clean up unfinished business and take care of health issues new and old.

We knew that daughter Ada was planning to wed the love of her life, Jim on August 14---and she will.  Plan A was that we’d spend July bringing the boat to the Chesapeake and drive home from, say Baltimore, for the wedding.   First week in July, 21 year old granddaughter Tarryn announced her engagement and imminent marriage to her college sweetheart, Austin,  who has become a Pfc in the Army and will be off to Hawaii in mid-August.  In order to get Tarryn enrolled as an Army spouse prior to that date, they had to marry pronto!  And so they did--a lovely ceremony in a Rhode Island Rose Garden, with a delightful reception last weekend at the West Point Club.

They are an adorable couple and happy as newlyweds ought to be.   Tarryn will leave for Hawaii Sept. 1st.  Good excuse for a visit there, but not on YA!

Now that we were in town for July, there was time to advertise our condo (my home before Fred and I married, which had recently been vacated by Ada) on CraigsList.  The excellent response was  a real surprise to me--showed it two and three times a day and within a week we had to choose between two good tenants.  Strong recommendation for CraigsList.com!

In a totally different vein, we’re doing all the medical stuff (pun intended) while home.  Fred’s in great shape.  The doctors and dentists have seen his smiling face, soon he'll glow with one of the fancy new tests the cardiac people have devised, and he’s also been able to re-connect on a pretty regular basis with the Wed. a.m. breakfast group of guys he’s been a part of for over 12 years. They call themselves the  DOF's (Dutchess Old Fogies--Dutchess is the county in which they meet).  It is very nice to have such a constant in life, thinks I.

At a routine eye exam, I discovered that the lens inserted as a replacement after cataract surgery can be a prescription lens--and one need not have cataracts to have that procedure done!  So after wearing coke bottle glasses from age 2-18,  followed by 50 years of hard contact lenses, yesterday a prescription lens was inserted into my left eye, and in two weeks the right lens will be placed.  Holy Happiness!  For the first time in my entire life I was able to read the alarm clock (with it’s 3” high digital numbers!) as soon as I woke up today--no fumbling for spectacles.  I’m beyond excited to discover lens free life on YOUNG AMERICA--- 

YOUNG AMERICA--we miss her terribly, and remain unclear about when we’ll rejoin her.  Best guess is end of August, and it may be mid Sept.  So we’ll continue to randomly keep in touch.  Happy to hear from all of you, and we send love and peace......lots of it!

Fred and Linda