I am in seclusion because of the pandemic - along with all of my neighbors. Seeing some of them occasionally outside of our apartments is an uplifting experience during this crazy time. 

I do go occasionally down to our common area and visit with some other cabin fever residents. And amazingly I talk to some of my neighbors by phone more often than seeing them.

Those of you who have known me for a long time know that I do not do isolation well. I crave people and their interesting or not so interesting lives. I am not a loner, nor have I ever been one unless ill. And believe it or not, my three shots and booster appear to be working.

This morning I had a delightful surprise coming after a restless night. I was still in my caftan - had not gotten dressed and was just watching all the kid's programs that are on CBS on Saturday- about dogs, other animals, and good people doing good things.

I had a quiet knock at the door - even Riley did not hear it. I opened up a crack and there stood one of my neighbor's very good friend. He is more like a son to her than just a friend. He gave me a beautiful little purse to carry (and I needed one) for summer. He said he was sorry I was not doing well, and if I needed him to drive me anywhere or help in any way, just tell my neighbor.

That touched me so deeply. I will use that purse starting today. And I will tell my darling neighbor about his kindness. She has been so instrumental in the way he has turned out. He was basically an orphan who had not been loved and she was there for him. They are different races and their story and relationship speaks volumes about getting along with everyone.

So dear friends, have good day. The sun is shining here in Florida outside patio and inside my heart.

I am battling dizziness from my fall and my extreme weight loss. It appears when my mind was on vacation, I forgot to eat. I have lost about 25 pounds. This is a good thing, but since it was fast, I think that is partly the cause of my dizziness, I have an appointment with my doctor early next month and my prescriptions might need to be adjusted. I have a dear friend who is a nurse, and she agrees with me.

Other than that, things are going pretty well. Riley is doing well and loving all the sitting and cuddling. I have been taking it really easy - only going out when necessary. But I have had to stop driving. I even got rid of my car because it needed a new $300 Florida tag, and a fortune to fix the alternator, more than a pensioner can afford.

Giving the car up was the hardest thing to do, but I have great neighbors who are willing to take me to the few places I need to visit. I am hating to have to admit that I am old now. Remember from a very bad illness years ago, I was told I had aged my body by ten years. I am feeling that now. 

For a while after the fall, I was using a walker a friend loaned me. Now I do not need it as much, but I am taking it with me for certain trips where I have to walk far and there are no shopping baskets to push.

I am better every day, and I am able to walk farther each time I take Riley out. I am planning on a shopping trip in a few days- a very short one, but I need some things I cannot order from the grocery store (to be delivered).

And a doctor's visit is coming next month. I will get all the "numbers" then - I just want to get my strength back. I doubt I will do much more than shop occasionally and go to the doctor, but I want to be able to go and do it without problems. (major problems).

On another note - my air is still out - going on 5 months and it is getting hot. A repairman did come by a few weeks ago and diagnosed what is wrong. Management told me they finally got approval for the "board" that is needed, Now if it is not in Japan (it is a Mitsubishi) it should be installed soon.

Sometimes I feel like I am in purgatory paying for my sins. But I know it is just my life that is going wrong-, as it has over the years. But I will keep on trudging along for as long as it takes.

-I have fallen again -backwards this time, twice in one day. I did not trip. I just fainted. Both times I could not get up with dead leg muscles, and I had to dial 911 for the firemen to come and pick me up. The second time they came I got a lecture that if they came again, they would take me to the hospital. I sat in my recliner for the rest of the day.

I have remained upright for the time being, but I am very dizzy when I stand. I make sure I have my cane with me. For the first few days after the fall, I used the walker a friend loaned me. I move slowly now to make sure I do not fall again. 

I do have an appointment with my doctor next month and I will tell her about this, and I seem to be losing weight - which is a good thing, 25 pounds so far.

I am so much better now. I can walk Riley in the morning, very slowly, but I can walk. I am also practicing walking down our hall in the morning and at night. I can hold on to the handrail. A nurse friend told me that she does this every night - she has had several heart attacks and is very weak.

I wish I had some good news. None of my neighbors or friends have gotten the virus. I believe they did what my neighbor and I did. We went to the health department for first two shots and then my grocery store was offering boosters last fall, so we got one.

Nothing fun or exciting is happening right now. Our pool is closed. Our grounds need some work, since they are looking neglected. Some representatives for the owners were here a few weeks ago, and they were not happy. There are rumors our management will be changing in July. Keep your fingers crossed that is this happens, and we get a good one like the one we had when we opened.

I will post soon even if it is boring stuff like this, so you know I am alive and well. I love your visiting my site after all these years. I thought of just disbanding it, but I see people still visit. So, I will keep going.

Happy Spring!

I am still here. I am having trouble negotiating my own website. It might be just me since I keep falling and hitting my head. I fell twice last week in the same morning. I had to call 911 because my arms and legs are not strong enough  to get up by myself. The firemen always show up first and the second time they told me if I called them again they were taking me to hospital. They had a nurse with them and she checked me out and actually moved my coffee table so I had to go to the other side of it to get to the door to let Riley out. I made myself sit in my recliner all morning, until my meds took effect. I am still a bit dizzy, but doing much better. I even was able to walk Riley on his nighttime walk and his morning walk. I am on the mend, I guess.

Life other than that is pretty boring. I rarely see anyone - they call, even the friends living here. We all have pandemic blues and it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have a newer resident who has decided we need to do game, night,, crafts night, and even a potluck night. She has appointed herself to organize it. When I feel less dizzy, I plan to attend. I might meet some of my new neighbors, in addition to seeing some "ole" friends.

We have exterminators (I call them bug men) who come every so often and spray for bugs. However not every apartment is done. After 7 years and living in Florida, the bug capital of the US, I am having to fight them like I did when I moved here. I actually caught one coming in through the electrical socket. I have taped all that are not used with strong tape. I am doing this because it appears some of my neighbors above me do not care if they have bugs and I want to discourage their visitors from entering my apartment. Now that I am feeling a little better, I will begin my search for orifices to block,

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and week. Mine will be quiet.

I have Cox TV for my interest and phone. The last two days I tried to upgrade and add TV since we are having lousy weather and I am home all the time. I just spent several hours of my life on the phone trying to add cable. I finally have a technician coming out tomorrow to set it up. 

This morning for some reason, nothing wanted to work. I have internet and phone with Cox, but I did not have service this morning. AND THE BILL HAS BEEN PAID.

​I had to go over to my neighbor's apartment and use his phone to contact them. Mine was not working since it is part of the Cox Plan. 

So today and tomorrow I will be reading books and using my laptop - which is still working, and I have Roku so I can watch some old TV shows and movies. I will have to watch the news on my laptop, as well.

​sigh!!!!

I wish I could say that March is going better than last month. It does not seem to be in the cards for me right now. I have been a loony, dizzy old broad for three days. Finances are a bit better than last month which is a good thing.

My head feels like it is full cotton, I am dizzy when walking and have to steady myself with furniture and my cane. I WILL not fall again, even though the fireman who show up to help are gorgeous young men.

I woke up at 6 AM and walked Riley very slowly and actually did everything without falling down = a major accomplishment, (even picked up the poop).

I went back to bed and slept until a neighbor called me at 8. I honestly cannot say what she said to me, I think it was a well check call. - I usually check in with her because she has had some major heart attacks since moving here almost 7 years ago. We were some of the first to inhabit this complex.

I am up mow drinking coffee and Riley actually jumped up on the recliner and is sleeping. Yesterday, he could not do that and was acting odd, so my neighbor Craig is taking us to the vet this AM. The office is just up the street from us, and I made an appointment yesterday. (Remember I got rid of my car since it needed major work that I could not afford.)

Both Riely and I feel better this AM if not totally normal. Once I know Riley is OK, I will feel much, much better.  

My nurse friend has told me to drink lots of water when I feel this way. So, I am on my second glass along with coffee. I know coffee is a diuretic, but I crave that caffeine. I have no Cokes so coffee it is. AND WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!

I will be celebrating March 1 next week, in hope that it is a better month for me. I am so glad that February is almost over - and that it was a short month. I have had money issues thanks to Medicare and Social Security this month and I have had a type of health issue this month because of all the falls and hits to to head I have had in my recent past.

The last fall was weeks ago, and I fell backwards and landed full body and head on my hard concrete floor. My nurse friend believes I had a concussion, even though I did not pass out. I did not go to the doctor, but I will go in March for a complete checkup. because I have been so dizzy, I have difficulty walking Riley in the AM. I walk so slowly, like I am 100 years old, to keep my steps short.  I have a very long leash so he can wander while I do not move much.

I also have been sleeping long nights and even some naps, since I have always gone to bed when I needed mending. I think it actually helped, because I have slept so much. My head still feels like it is full of cotton on top - might be sinuses but could be something else. Anyway, February will be gone tomorrow, and March will arrive. AND I will be taking care of myself and my life, too. Medicare is back on track and thankfully my Social Security is back within 100 dollars a month of what it was last year. They paid $500 less in February because they had made an error and that only takes care of my rent and some utilities. 

So even though circumstances took another potshot at me, I am making it through it. I gave away my car because it was going to cost too much to fix it, and keep it legal with $300 tags, etc. And they had tagged it for towing the day I decided to get rid of it. Also, with my dizzy brain I would not be driving it. I have two younger friends here who will drive me to the grocery and doctor so I will be OK. But i figured it up - I have owned a car for 53 years and have been driving myself for more than that. That is a really big change in life for an old woman. 

I will be sitting in my apartment waiting for March to come. Maybe the air conditioner will be fixed, since it can get warm then, and maybe I will adjust to a new lower cost of living. But as I look back and remember where I have been, what I have done, and who I have met, I realize my life has been full. BUT I am not gone yet, and even though I have not been skydiving, I do not think I will try that. There has to be something out there to try before I leave this life. I will be looking and if you can think of something other than jumping off a cliff or out of an airplane, send me suggestions. 

​

February has not been a good month for me, thus far. Finances with SS and Medicare reduced my income by $500 because they made a mistake and I had to pay for it right now. Payment will be higher next month than it is now but will also be $100 less than previous months from now on. Whew! I am going to have to look into a reduced rate for my apartment. I cannot move so I will have to find a way, even if it is Section 8. 

My brother graciously loaned me a couple of hundred dollars to help me pay late fees from auto-payments that came through my bank making my balance plummet. Checks payments were jumping everywhere. This caused me to receive returned payment fees for total of $70. That stress almost wiped me out mentally. I always pay my bills first and to have this happen almost knocked me down to stay.

Everything is up to date now. I have altered my budget so I can survive, and I WILL SURVIVE! However, I have been sleeping too much (it helps me to escape all of this stress) and today I actually am awake and thinking again.

I have a doctor's appointment next month. I can make it until then to see what she thinks of this. Some have suggested a TIA. I do have high blood pressure that I treat with meds. I also take diabetic meds (family inherited diabetes.)

I had to get rid of my car since I could not drive it any longer with my health situation. That was hard, since I have had a car for 55 years. It was my independence. It needed some kind of repair and also needed a Florida license plate ($300). Florida has levied a high charge for people coming from other states to live here. I just could not afford to do it. The morning that the apartment put a towing notice on it for not having an up-to-date tag, I just gave it away to my neighbor's son to repair. He got it running and gave it to his mother to use. She likes it because she has more room inside than her little SUV for her infant grandchild in a carrier and her 8-year-old granddaughter.

Hopefully this is much ado about nothing...I intend to keep going on for a while longer. I will take my meds and continue to enjoy life as it is presented to me.

I hate to share this with you. But since I do not know right now what will happen in the future, I wanted to let you know what is going on. Hopefully I will be around a while longer = just not as feisty and independent as usual.

I have been visited by my wonderful neighbors all day long. Some just checked it with me to make sure I was OK after the past few days, and others offered to help me get apartment patio in order.  I have 30 days, but two sisters and another neighbor who live here came by and they are ready to help now.

The bleak day and night of yesterday warmed into a nice day with all the nice neighbors who came by to check on me and offer help. I might be able to rest tonight and not panic all night. All of my visitors offered help and told me not to worry that they would help. 

I am so grateful to them for everything they offered. And tomorrow, I will start on this project. With my wonderful neighbors supporting me, I will be able to get it done and stop worrying about it.