The story heard around the world or "It's A Small World After All"

What follows is a quote from E-mail received from the head of TOP (Tours of Peace):

By the way, your article made it around the world on the Internet. I was forwarded the article by one of our vets who is currently living in Sri Lanka. The article was forwarded to him by another veterans organization to him. He said, "I thought you would like to see this." He also said, he wished he could meet you two.

Wow...what next??? we have been very moved by the strength of positive stories and the generosity of people. We received another e-mail from a Vietnam veteran somewhere who read our article and is going to send $100 to help with excess baggage charges on the items we are taking over. I responded with our mailing address and a big THANK YOU!

In actuality, I am trying my best to avoid those excess baggage charges by being very creative with my packing and planning to be very persuasive at the ticket check in counter (yes, I can do a very sympathetic "help us help the needy" plead).

If I am as successful as I hope to be then any and all contributions we get can instead purchase additional medical supplies and other living necessities needed for the schools and homes while we are over there. We are told we will be able to purchase medical supplies cheaper there than here...I guess that is not surprising.

Saturday morning we went to a meeting of our Oregon Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Association. They wanted to hear more about what we were working to do in Vietnam, in terms of humanitarian causes. As a result the association issued us a donation check for $200 and the general membership "passed the hat" which resulted in an additional $100. Wow, what $300 will do over there. They also gave me a valuable contact name that may come up with some brand new t-shirts to include in our loot to take over. Not quite sure at this point where I will put them to take over but if the volume and value dictates it then I will get real creative! and if we need to move on into an additional bag.

At this point I have everything literally "crammed" into our 4 very large bags and 2 carryons. We even ended up with a couple changes of clothes for ourselves which I am sure our fellow travelers will appreciate as the trip and the heat wears on.

When I say "everything", in addition to all the school supplies, pencils, rulers, combs, barrettes, etc, etc, we ended up with a total of 111 pieces of adult clothing and 336 pieces of infant and children's clothing. We also have 30 brimmed ball caps (someone had cleaned out their hat collection the day we were at the Goodwill outlet) and 65 small beanie baby animals.

I have to say that this has all come together in such a way that personally my heart is full to the brim and spilling over. I have wanted to do something special like this for ever so long and here we are living the dream!!!

Thanks to everyone out there who have been so supportive, you are all a part of this.

Gary says he had forgotten what the view was like from 6' up

Thanks to everyone out there who had been sending prayers and positive thoughts our way. Today, my husband finally stands 6' tall again. After being "hunched over" at 5' since his injury in October, he looks like a new man as he today was standing much taller and straighter.

We cannot say for sure what it was but we finally resorted to alternative treatments. The "rehab" doctor had done the sacrolilliac injection with no improvement. Then she did the lumbar injections, going after it as she said "very aggressively" with a number of shots in the general region. He was very sore after that but she said it might be partly from the "trauma" of the number of shots she gave him.

Then last Friday, she referred him to a Naturopathic Doctor. Evidently because the muscles and such in the region had been idle for so long, they had atrophied and needed to be "waken up". They did a treatment with a "biphasic pyramidal wave" machine (called Neuro Care 100 if anyone is into that stuff). Then they sent it home with him and he has been doing treatments on his lumbar regions twice a day for 45 minutes at a time. I have read on the website about this therapy and it is recommended for treatment of diabetic neuropathy so perhaps it will have some long term application to helping him in other areas as well.

They also prescribed some patches for him to wear that helps him deal with the pain. They are very long lasting (72 hours) and deliver a steady dose of the medicine so he can feel better overall rather than having the spikes of pain as the other meds wear off.

We go back this coming Thursday to have them review his progress. He is definitely better and getting more and more excited about the upcoming trip. We know we will still have to take it real easy but at least he may be able to do better and enjoy himself somewhat.

Our Humanitarian Shopping Adventure

We had quite an adventure at the Goodwill Outlet and much success obtaining quality clothes to go to our humanitarian destinations in Vietnam.

On this trip I had the help of my daughter, Cindy, plus a friend who has worked with me doing humanitarian projects for our soldiers in Iraq. We were further “assisted” by my three grandkids (ages 2, 4, and 8). The three of us literally dove right in and came up with LOTS of nice stuff. There was an abundance of children’s items so we had to keep refocusing on the hunt for small adult items. My daughter would probably tell you about how comical I was doing an actual "huddle" in the middle of our adventure and saying to them, repeat after me, "Small, Adult Clothes, Small Adult Clothes,..." It worked!

My daughter was nice enough to wash and presort it all for me. I finished yesterday with the adult items, compressing and bagging it up into large zip lock bags marked with regard to type (women’s t-shirts, men’s dress shirts, etc.) that should help when we get ready to allocate it to the destinations after we get there. In all there were 111 adult items of clothing which does not include about 30 assorted ball caps I also happened upon. I have a feeling we will have fun when it comes time to give it out!

Time to move on to "packing" the children's clothes...and then waving my "magic wand" over it to keep it small enough to not cost a fortune to take it all with us.

A Big Thank You to our Anonymous Informant

A few weeks back someone out there in our group of friends sent a letter to the Lincoln City News Guard and as a result a reporter called us and requested to do a "feature article". That article came out in the newspaper yesterday and the reporter did an excellent job on it.
You can read the article at:
http://www.thenewsguard.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=1739
As a result, this article already has generated a lot of interest in us and our upcoming trip to Vietnam.

Since the informant remains anonymous, I will have to extend my big thank you right here. The entire experience has been a positive one and hopefully it may generate some participation by others, if not in this one project then in others, for the benefit of those less fortunate than we are. Some times people just need some ideas of humanitarian ways in which they can direct their efforts.

My efforts the past couple of days have been directed to uniformly folding, stacking and compressing the clothing we obtained to take over to our humanitarian destinations. We (my daughter, friend Juel and myself) did an awesome job of getting some fine quality items to send over. Cindy also sorted through excess clothing items her kids no longer needed. I could swear, she must have torn some of them off their backs, but I am sure they will remain adequately clothed and it also aided Cindy's charitable spirit in the process. I am not sure we will get everything into our baggage allowance but am going to make a try and see where we end up. If we have to pay for an excess bag, it will not be as bad as having to leave any of these items behind knowing that they are so needed over there.

Finally, after Gary's second spinal injection yesterday (this time in the lumbar region), I believe he has some improvement. He seems to be moving around a little better, I am sure after being nearly immobile for so long that it will take awhile to "rebound". He goes back to the "rehab" doctor in McMinnville tomorrow to recheck his progress. I usually sit in on those visits but will miss this one as I am driving to Shelton for a doctor's appointment of my own. Life never gets boring!

Thanks for your support!

Hold Your Breathe With Us

Well on Friday when we saw the rehab doctor she said there was no rhyme or reason to the new wiggle in Gary's foot as the place she injected would not have affected it. Also she scheduled Gary for another injection tomorrow. This time it will be in his lumbar region which is where the physical therapist has said all along that it needs to be.

So, please hold your breathe with us, and say a little prayer that this injection will give him some improvement. He says he is going on the Vietnam trip even if he has to "crawl" so as usual he is very determined (which should not be any surprise if you know him at all).

So how is Gary's Back?

Gary will be visiting his "rehabilitation doctor" again tomorrow. This is the doctor who did his back injection last Thursday. The results of the injection have been much less than spectacular.

There have been some minor signs of improvement but he is still in a lot of pain. However, he has been a bit more mobile and when the physical therapist worked with him this week, Gary said it was not as painful as in the past. He is standing a bit straighter but is very limited on the length of time he can be up and about (always with either his walker or European crutches) before the pain is again excruciating.

He is hoping to persuade the rehab doctor to try to find an appointment time to do another injection before we go on our trip...she normally does them only on Tuesday and even last Thursday was "by special arrangement" to find the time available in the short stay lab.

One tiny unexplained "miracle" we saw this morning was that he is able to move his right foot. That foot has in the past been totally limp ("drop foot" they call it) and he can now flex it ever so slightly for the first time in maybe 10 or 15 years!

Humanitarian Activities While in Vietnam

A number of you have asked for more detail on the humanitarian activities we will be doing while in Vietnam. I just received this overview from our Tour of Peace leader and so I pulled out much of the organizational stuff (they even have delegated which of us will be actively heading up each of the "events") and pasted here just the basics of the programs.
Hope you enjoy hearing about them.

Check for some explanations I will add at the bottom as well:

School for the Visually Impaired
About 100 visually challenged children and young adults ranging from 6-20 years old. We will provide some specially ordered and requested necessities, as well as a few items from our suitcases. We will present a gift to the Director, Mr. Tam.
After our meeting, we will let the blind massage students do some practice work on our jet-lagged bodies.

Leprosy Village
Roughly 100+ families. Representatives from each family with gather to meet us, and pick up the goods that we will pass out. TOP will purchase and transport necessities which we will distribute--rice, sugar, noodles, milk, etc. We have a considerable number of handmade leprosy bandages from America, as well as medical supplies from our suitcases. A gift will be presented to the village authority.

Da Lat School for the Mentally Challenged
Approximately 100 children, ages 5-15. TOP will buy necessities requested by the Principal. Our suitcases will offer up clothing, toys, candy, and school supplies. Playing with the children will be their most cherished gift. We will present a gift to the Principal. If available, gifts will be presented to the teachers.

Nha Trang Street Children Homes (2)
We have two homes to go to: One home with approximately 25 children, ages 6-16 years. Another home houses almost 25 adolescent/teenage boys. TOP will buy school supplies, clothing, food, and tools for vocational schooling. Our suitcases will provide more school supplies, toys, clothing, and candy. Gifts will be presented to teachers and caretakers at each home.

My Lai
This is a ongoing good-will ambassadorial project. It will especially be poignant because of we go on the anniversary date of the massacre. We may have an opportunity to meet with survivors of the massacre. If so, we will present them with gifts. We will meet with the staff of the museum and present gifts to them. One survivor is especially dear to TOP and will receive gifts for her and her grandchildren. One special member of the museum staff will receive gifts for her and her children. Also, Howie, may have opportunity to make a presentation to another survivor important to him. We will make a presentation of a special flower wreath and arrangement to the site.

Hoi An Nursing Home
Approximately 100 residents; mostly elderly and some younger disabled residents. Everyone receives a packet of TOP goodies, (toothbrush, shampoo, soap, etc.) and some money. TOP also provides additional food and medical items. Adult clothing from suitcases will likely go here. Special gifts will be presented to some special people, including the Director. Caretakers will be presented gifts and some necessities.

Hue Street Children's Lunch
We invite street children for lunch. It is what we call "organized chaos." The project started a few years ago with inviting a handful of street children to lunch. In November, our count was 105 children. So, likely March 2005 there will be more than 105--maybe 120? We will be parents to these kids for lunchtime, and serve up the food. We will also give each child a goody packet with toys, candy and school supplies (Ziploc bags are best used for this project.)

Hue Orphanage
About 250 kids, ages infant to 16, are in this orphanage run by Buddhist nuns. We will likely spend most of our time with the younger children. Some of our toys will be left here. TOP will purchase necessities for the orphanage. Clothes, school supplies, and some medical supplies from our suitcases will be left at the orphanage. All non-mystery village/Khe Sanh village left-over necessities will be presented to the orphanage.

Mystery Village/Khe Sanh Village
The number of villages we will visit is unknown and where we go is random--that's why we call this project the "Mystery Village." There is one particular village in the backcountry of Khe Sanh that we will likely visit. In Khe Sanh, anything left goes here. For "Mystery Villages" and Khe Sanh all hotel amenities, water bottles, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. will be given out equitably to adults. We will pass out toys for kids. Clothes will be given out--perhaps presented to the village chief. Something special will be presented to the village chief. All giveaways must be organized to prevent any crowd control problems

My Notes: To put some of this into perspective, when they talk about giving "gifts" they mean something that we take for granted but is very special to the recipients there such as a full size shampoo, hand sanitizer, inexpensive dimestore watch, hairbrush, writing paper, pen, etc.

We are still working on putting together new and nearly new clothing to take over there for the adults in particular but my exploration of excess baggage penalty fees has resulted in the fact that we will be forced to pay from $109 to $200 for any bags we take over our allowance of 4. (It depends on who is at the United ticket counter when we check the bags in and how they interpret the regulations.) However, those fees add up real fast so we are weighing out (no pun intended) the benefits of paying the excess baggage versus saving that money to just purchase some humanitarian items there. Some of it will depend on the quality of small adult clothing that Cindy and I am able to find at her special "Treasure Chest" Goodwill this Friday and if we get anyone volunteering to "sponsor" a bag to go over by paying the excess baggage penalty fees.

The term I used with the charitable clubs I have contacted for possible donations still applies...Cash travels well!!!

Thanks for listening and for the support.

By the way our newspaper article here in Lincoln City has been delayed until next week...too bad as that may have put us in touch with some other resources before the trip and now it will not come out until so close to our departure...but oh, well, we will see.

The Potential Power of Networking

I have all kinds of ideas on possible sources for items to take to Vietnam but need to exercise the power of networking.

The Vietnamese love hats and T-shirts, especially ones that have names of destinations, events, etc. on them...nothing political. I remember when I was on the "board" for the Port Townsend Marathon Association that we always had shirts left over after the event. They were always the very small sizes and they usually ended up sitting on a shelf. The shirt symbolized that you had completed the event so you could not just give them away. The sizes would have been perfect and it would not have hurt to have them "donated" to an orphanage in a foreign country. Does this get you thinking of any possible sources for such a donation??? let me know if it does.

They tell us that medical supplies are readily available in Vietnam so we can just walk into a store and purchase them with any available funds and do not need to try to "hand carry" them from the US. Actually they say they are cheaper there.

If you hear or know of anyone else with surpluses of multiple clothing items or other appropriate supplies and a very large passionate heart, I would sure like to know about it.

Thanks in advance for any powerful networking you can put into action.

Again for anyone interested in knowing more about our trip and the group we are going with their website is

http://www.topvietnamveterans.org/about.html

Treasure Chest Goodwill

Daughter Cindy went shopping yesterday at what she calls the "Treasure Chest Goodwill" on Milwaukee SE Portland area. It is a special clearance center for Goodwill where they sell all items by the pound.

The real trick is that the more pounds you get the cheaper it is. Cindy says the big cut is at 50 pounds. If you only get 49 pounds they are $1.00 per pound and once you are over 50 pounds it drops to 49 cents per pound. She usually takes other shoppers with her to combine volumes to make sure she goes over the 50 pound "break point". She told the story of one day adding a bowling ball to her cart to get her over the 50 pound mark and thereby overall paying less money. After she got through the checkstand she just donated the ball back to them. Yes, my daughter is one shrewd bargain hunter.

Yesterday she explained to 8 year old Sharey that they were on a special mission for Grandma to find clothes to take to the orphans in Vietnam. Shareya was a great help scouting out the bins and bins of clothes and they found lots of great "stuff". I am anxious to go there myself and see what "treasures" I can find. Right now, before I purchase any more I am awaiting some direction from our travel group leader. He has been on several trips to Vietnam and will know more what is needed as far as age groups, sizes, etc.

I have analyzed the baggage allowances on both airlines we are traveling (United and EVA) to make sure I max them out when we go. Both limit to 2 bags per passenger but United says not to exceed 50 pounds per bag, EVA allows 70. I have a phone number for United Airlines charitable causes/donations department. I am going to call them on Monday with two purposes, get them to match the 70 pound allowance that EVA gives us and then also see if there is a possibility they will waive their normal $80 fee for a third bag...in consideration of what we are trying to do...taking school supplies and clothing for the orphanages and schools over there. EVA charges $109 for an extra bag and they said that was not negotiable. So potentially it could cost us $189 to take an extra bag....and I had in mind each of us taking one...WOW, we will have to give that some thought and keep our fingers crossed that I can at least get United to "budge".

Gary was concerned that we already had far too much stuff. It looks like a lot when we listed it out for the group organizer but most of it is relatively small (pencils, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, hot wheel cars, toothbrushes, crayons, scissors, girl's hair clips, combs, and a few bears-of course!) So we weighed a large plastic trash bag, put a liner in it, filled with stuff and weighed it again. Good news, we have less than 50 pounds so far!

My heart is so big for this cause and I am really getting into this...do you think anyone would notice if I only took one outfit and wore it the whole time...maybe just take some extra undies...they don't take too much room. Thank goodness at least I wear smaller clothes now...that helps a little! Somehow, as I am thinking about it right now...um does it make sense for me to have an extra outfit to wear there or would it make more sense to be able in place of that to take an extra say 4 outfits for an orphan to wear over and over again and pass on to others as they grow out of them.

Boy, that is going to have me looking differently at everything I pack for us to use there! Maybe I could wear my couple changes of clothes in layers on the way over to make more room in my suitcase??? That could be pretty inconvenient when I need to use the restroom but some people will do anything for charity. I remember one of my best friends in Port Angeles used to put on a Turkey suit and parade up and down the highway each year to raise funds for the needy...what am I willing to do??? I guess we will see.

A Special Valentine

To me a "valentine" is an expression of love.

Well my dear husband gave me a valentine today and he does not even know it.

It came about this morning as we were discussing what topics might come up during our "interview" with the local reporter. Gary was sure the article was going to be a valentine feature and he asked me, "What are you going to say if she wants to know why we have stayed married for all these years (37 this year)?"

In my joking way I said "Well, remember, to begin with we could not afford a divorce..." And then I realized he was asking a serious question so I turned the question back on him..."What would you say?" (here comes my special valentine without him knowing)
He said, the biggest thing was that we were friends first and lovers second and it has always been that way...but then he said that most of all it has been the "trust". Not just trusting that the other would be faithful but overall trust throughout all aspects of our lives together.
WOW, for a guy who normally does not express his feelings in words, he sure did a great job with that. Better than roses or diamonds!!!

So there he sits now, snoring loudly as he snoozes in his easy chair, zoned out on his evening pain pills, oblivious to the smile on my face as I recall the special valentine I got today. I hope all the couples out there are as fortunate in their relationships and exchange of "valentines" as the special day approaches. Treasure the special moments and try to make every moment special!

Now if I could just find the leather clad, biker bear I bought him a few months back as a valentine's gift...it's hidden somewhere really safe where he won't find it...problem is I can't find it either.

And yes, we are still waiting for the steroids to kick in and kick his back pain. He said he still hurt today but in a "different way". We went to Salem for a second Hepititas vaccination and stopped at Costco. On his tolerance scale walking around for about 10 minutes there, I would say he is a little better...or he was just really interested in what he was looking at!

Still Old Bro's Old Lady,
Linda

A feature & prayers...

This is Cindy here, testing out some settings on Mom's blog...

I also wanted to say how proud I am of my parents & that I think it is neat that someone let the local paper know what stuff they have been up to! :o)

I am sending prayers for this to be the "cure" for Dad's back - or at least the relief that will be welcome and needed to go on the trip that you have been planning for and looking forward to for so long...

And thank you for sharing the story of the man in the hospital... I have prayed for comfort for him as well & appreciate the reminder of how precious life is...

The day we waited so long for and we still don't know!!!

Well we waited several weeks for them to finally decide and schedule an injection in Gary's spine to relieve his pain and inflamation. Today was finally the day. They took him in and the doctor said it went very well. They really seemed to hit a VERY painful spot where they injected the lidocaine and steroids. Now we wait. The lidocaine wears off within 24 hours and the steroids are supposed to "kick in" within 48 hours. We will not really know until the steroids take effect if this will give him the relief that he has been longing for since his injury in October. Right now the mood is very tense...it was however refreshing that the doctor had such a determined attitude. She said her goal right now is to enable Gary to go on our Vietnam trip (we are scheduled to leave March 6th). We will be back to see her a week from tomorrow (on the 18th)and I am not sure what more she can do in that short time (18th to when we leave) but we will hope instead that things improve just based on the injection today....keep all fingers crossed and send up a few prayers for us. Gary needs the relief from the pain...I know it has really been wearing on him!

We had a surprise phone call this morning. I saw on the caller ID "The News Guard" which is the newspaper in Lincoln City. I almost did not answer it because I expected a sales pitch to get us to subscribe. Instead it was a reporter who "heard about us" and wanted to interview us for a feature story. WHAT??? She mentioned the blankets I did for Iraq, our upcoming trip to Vietnam and us as an enduring couple...(married 37 years this May). She said someone recommended us for the feature and wanted to remain anonymous. I can think of a couple friends who might have provided that much information. The reporter is due here at 9 am tomorrow morning. This may be an interesting experience...we will see. I guess if it stirs anyone else to move in charitable ways to support our veterans (both past/Vietnam and present/Iraq) I feel it will be well worth our time. We never have done things to get recognition or "glory" so I feel a little uncomfortable about that part but what the heck???

Today was one of those "There but for the grace of God goes I" days. Just visit a hospital admission, lobby, waiting room, etc. and you cannot help but encounter someone much less fortunate than you are. There was one man in particular that a nurse escorted into a side "consultation room" along with two plastic bags of "stuff"...Gary heard her say "That's all of her belongings". The man (about 55-60 years old) responded I've been ready for this for a long time now. Whew, puts you in your place real fast and you kind of give an extra hug or squeeze the hand of your loved one sitting aside you and appreciate what you have.

Everyday is an adventure,
Linda

Old Bro's new magic Adventure Machine

I am so proud I figured out how to add this picture to the blog by myself. They say in your advancing years that you should always be learning something new...as my granddaughter Jenna would say..."TaDa".

The picture was taken in front of our neighbor's house and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Watch for us on the road...we plan on exploring a lot with it this coming summer!

Got lost on E-Bay

It has taken me a number of days to get back to blogging here with respect to events. The main reason...OK excuse...I will use was I got lost on E-Bay. I got so engrossed in hunting out "bargains" on things...most of which I could do without...that I got hooked. I was staying up until 1 and 2 AM surfing and browsing and bidding. Most of the bids I "lost" due to lots of E-Bay tactics that I was not aware of nor skilled at. E-Bay "sniping" is a new technique that I had to have daughter Cindy explain to me and then even my "little" sister Becky admitted to being an E-Bay sniper. What next???

For those of you who don't know this term...here is your lesson for the day. The sniper sneaks in at the last minute or in most instances at the last couple seconds and just barely bidding over you to "steal" away the item you were trying to get a good deal on. By the time you see the new bid, the bidding on that item has "closed". My big hunt item most recently was a new coffee maker. I got it into my head that I HAD to have a new Cuisinart Brew Central Coffeemaker. It retails for $99 but I was determined not to pay that much. Anyway someone put 6 of them up on E-Bay in an open, no reserve auction. I had one scoped out and bid on it...at the last minute someone overbid my maximum of $20 and took it for $20.50. I had several subsequent auctions on this same coffee maker but they were such a "hot" item that the new ones went for everything up to $70. Finally, Gary...being really helpful...points out that I could walk into the outlet mall and buy one for $99 and no shipping. Heck, if I waited for "old ladies day" (every Tuesday you get 10% off if you are willing to admit you are over 55) I could get it for $90. Walking into the mall is not as much fun anymore now that I know the "thrill" of e-bay. Well, finally I bid on one that was a "Dutch Auction" (I will save that lesson for another time) but there were two available at bids starting for $50 with the auction closing at 3 AM. Not really sure what happened but I was the only one to bid and have one on the way to me for $50 plus $15 shipping. I better reserve my "winner's lap" until the unit arrives...perhaps it will be "tiddy pink" or have some other issue that explains why I finally "got one" at a decent price.

I just finished up some exciting sewing...attaching new affiliation (Big Foot Side Car Club", "United Sidecar Association", etc) patches to our motorcycle riding jackets. Those are always a challenge due to all the lining and pockets. Of course I try to mount the patches without sewing through everything so I search out a way to turn the lining and such inside out without destroying the jacket. Makes it sooo interesting to do. Done for now though.

Sewing project right before that was making from "scratch" some of the new packing folders that Eagle Creek puts out now and sell for $30 plus. They are pretty neat and you end up with your clothes all folded (like the freshly starched and folded men's shirts used to come from the dry cleaners) and they are stacked together and folded into a canvas case. Good thing I have lots of time and like the creativity of the project as I ended up with lots of time in them.

Our Vietnam trip is fast approaching...we leave on March 6th. Still moving forward with positive attitude that Gary's back will get enough better for us to go. He is having an Epidural Steroid Injection into his Sacroiliac on Thursday. That is supposed to dull the pain and calm down the inflammation that he has been dealing with for the past 4 months!!!

Today even though Gary was hurting he was determined to get something done. He went out the garage to work on wiring the trailer hitch on our PT Cruiser. Once on the cold floor, his back was intolerable. I volunteered and ended up under the car cutting nyeties (those are not night clothes nor undergarments, but plastic ties to hold up wiring), rerouting wiring and reinstalling nyeties. It sure feels good to be small enough to slide under something like that and take care of things that I would not have even attempted before. Gary has been especially patient with me appreciating the fact that I can be his hands in tight spaces and difficult positions that his back will not currently allow.

Water aerobics has been very productive lately as we are working on "abs" big time. I sure enjoy having a good strenuous class and excellent facilities (at the Salashan Resort) so near by...just 2 miles away. It is not a big class...we usually have 4 to 6 there but we all have a great time and take it pretty seriously.

Nuff for tonight...still need to "hit" e-bay...never know what I might be missing!