Is it Really November?

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween.  We went over to the Lion and the Rose and distributed candy to about 700 people.  We actually ran out of candy!  The most popular mask was the "scream" by Edward Munch (?).   Today they make the mask so "blood" comes out of the eyes and drips down the side of the face and then recycles back up.  Amazing!  It was fun!  I went as a pumpkin and Patrick was himself with a duck hat on.

We are finally calmed down after the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in the "best" game ever (Game 6) so the sports people say.  Patrick won some money since he had placed a bet on them last January.  I even got into this and I am not a sports fan.  The Cardinals won some on luck and errors from the other side, but overall they did a fantastic job.  Their general manager, Tony LaRussa, retired yesterday. . what a way to go out.  World Series Champs in 2011!  Go Cardinals. Now Tony can spend more time in California running his shelter, ARF, for homeless pets.  Go Tony!

My commitment (to myself) to read a bio or memoir of all 44 presidents is progressing and I am ready to start Madison now.  I veered off for a bit and am reading a bio of Ben Franklin. . he truly was a genius and an affable guy.  That was the diff between him and Adams.  Adams tended to PO people because he was so direct! But both were brilliant men.   Adams, of course, had Abigail to guide him!  Anyway, it is a great series and I wish I read these books earlier in my life. Love them.

Have finally finished my teeth.  Hurray!    My first appt. for these two teeth was in June.  Since then I have had root canals and crown extensions and two temporaries and my permanent crowns put in yesterday.  Not an inexpensive thing. In fact, the Mayo bill for my chemo was less than the dental bill.  Unbelievable.

CFA's fundraising push was successful.  Gifts from individual donors poured in as well as Thomas Wright's contribution from our event at the Battery Park Book Exchange.  We had a ball.  Leslie made some great treats and people donated more than $115 to buy them.  She is a great pastry chef!  Totally we raised about $1,000 from all sources.  That is 3 fences.  Our focus next year will continue to be on fences of course but we are also going to run  a major PR/educational campaign on the radio and TV and print and billboards. We are seeking grants now to fund these activities.

I have been doing ok although the skin issue is still there.  I have an appt. with the surgeon Nov 15th at Mayo and I am trying to see my oncologist on the same day who may have some other ideas about this infection.  I am really up to "here" with this thing.  Constant stinging. Without the pain meds I could not make it.

Anyway, other than gaining 5 pounds recently, things are great.  I must stop eating MoonPies and Pizza and Cinnamon rolls from Plant and all those wonderful things!  Yummm.

Patrick is fine.  Reese and Allie are well and anxious to get to warmer climes. We leave for Florida on November 11th, none too soon with this 30 degree weather in W-ville.  Walking the dogs each morning has become something else with 3 layers of clothing!

Patrick's Aunt Jean will be in Palm Coast for the entire month of January.  She has booked a condo near the ocean and will ship her painting supplies down to us so she can do her watercolors while she is there.  She is a really wonderful woman so we so look forward to her being down there. She can also hold my hand, since she is a PhD nurse, if the bowel reconnect is in January!

We are also counting the days until our cruise to the Panama Canal.  We leave December 12th and will visit Cozumel (to get tequila for Jim!), Belize, Costa Rico, Colon, Cartenega (Columbia) and GeorgeTown in the Grand Caymans.  We'll be gone 11 days and Aunt Pauline is lined up to take care of the dogs and we've selected our shore adventures including viewing the locks, a visit to the sea world observatory, city tours, and we'll try to get a bridge tour (behind the scenes of the ship).  I will have to lose 10 pounds so there's plenty of room to gain 5 again on the voyage, right? 

Our 2012 trips will be to Las Vegas and Best Friends again in June with the Palmers who are great traveling mates.  We'll also be using our miles to visit California sometime next year and then also visiting DC for a week or so.  Probably next fall.  The following year we are looking into visiting Seamus and Martine in the UK.   We have been in touch with them via Skype and that is amazing. . just like the 1964 World's Fare previewed. . . the video phone.  And it's free!

Well, that's it from our corner of trhe world.  How are you doing?  Please write and let us know.  Love to all of you!

Peggy, Patrick Reese and Allie.