May 21

Termites, Parkinson’s and Executive Function

It’s always something.

~Gilda Radner

Termites are big headaches in Florida. As a general rule, termite season is in springtime, when the weather warms up enough for termites to “swarm”. They emerge from their mature colonies in the hundreds or thousands to establish new termite colonies. When they do, it is one of the few times when homeowners can easily see these normally hidden insects. I would find them flying around the kitchen in the evening. The counter top would be covered with larvae hatching and wings.

The effective way to get rid of them is to tent the house and have it fumigated. You can attempt to just treat the affected areas with injections. The problem with that method is the termites move around. They have lots of choices with an open wood beam ceiling in dining and living room and antique furniture. We had some beams treated a few years ago, but it did not get them. We also discovered powder post beetles were feasting at our house. The beetles were in the kitchen cabinets or beams above them. Although they do not swarm, they leave sawdust clues on top of the ceramic cook top. Powder post beetles compared to wood termites are slow eaters and will take many years for them to destroy an area. Tenting has been on the “A” to do list, but not eagerly scheduled!!

My Executive Function–No Problem

The tenting project is event coordination! This really means it deals with cognition. One of the most common cognitive changes associated with Parkinson’s is executive function. These functions include making complex decisions, keeping multiple things straight, organizing tasks and doing tasks in specific sequence. I am blessed that I do not have issues with executive function. I had to work out an acceptable schedule with the exterminating company depending on their tenting commitments, the vet for boarding Chauncey, Grace and Maggie Mae keeping in mind the business is closed on Mondays, Joe’s travel schedule and my doings. Then I had to make hotel reservations. That was just the beginning!

Why Does It Cost So Much?

A few days before the tenting date, the company owner brought by the contract and preparation instructions. Somehow, someway there was miscommunication, and the contract did not show treatment for powder post beetles. Well that takes ten times the amount of gas and possibly longer for gas to disappear. Normally with just wood termites, the tent goes on one morning, comes off the next morning and house is cleared for occupancy on third morning. Plus we have a no access crawl space and that was going to require extra attention to test for gas. Of course, the treatment for termites and beetles was more expensive and went from $1740 to $4376! So he had to return to office to get new contract typed up. But the staff was  gone for the day, and it took another day for that document to be finalized. Meanwhile I had to re-contact the hotel and vet to see if extending our accommodations was possible if needed. I started to look forward to our “termite getaway” and gathered up a stack of reading materials for poolside.

Preparing House for Tenting

We had to prepare the house. Joe spent many hours/days on the outside trimming vegetation away from foundation of house. He moved potted plants and decorative items.

Potted coleus plants at entry were moved

Window liner box of flowers lifted out

The day before evacuation all food items except canned goods had to be put in special plastic bags provided by company, double bagged, twisted and folded down tops and secured. That also included refrigerator and freezer items and the bags set back in refrigerator. My housekeeper helped me bag up the pantry. All my medications had to be removed from house and taken with me. We also had to slightly open every cabinet door and drawer about an inch throughout the house to help with the gas elimination.

Evacuation Day

On the “E” day, we had to be out of the house by 8:30 a.m. with suitcases and the three fur babies! I gathered up my clothes for packing the evening before, but I waited to bring out the suitcase until we had captured each cat and placed in carrying case. They are so intuitive when their routine is about to change and will hide under beds or crawl inside box springs. Today was not the day to tear a bed apart. Been there–done that! Whew!! Now you know why I really want to sit by pool and read and do nothing for the rest of my life!!

Always A Story

Convenience was at the top of my list in selecting our hotel accommodations. The hotel was just a couple miles from house and the vet was across the street from hotel. Buffet breakfast, parking and WIFI were offered free. We had a five-minute walk to a French cafe we love. Plus the hotel served dinner. The off season hotel rates were in effect. That’s the good part. The bad part was our room was literally the next to last one to be cleaned. Despite my best effort to get into the room early, that did not happen. The hotel offered to put us in a different room, (a smaller room), but for the same rate I’d already paid. What a deal! Since done online, they could not/would not change rate. So we waited and waited. We were both exhausted. We sat in small lobby for a while, but a hotel TV screen kept showing a lady relaxing in a luxurious bed. I couldn’t stand it!! Sitting in a shaded area by the pool provided a calmer respite.

After lunch we  drove by the house to see how it looked. Warning signs had been placed on the house.

Warning Sign

A slow drip of water was left on Christmas palm tree to help protect it. It’s the tree in the middle to right of vehicle. The  black olive tree on the far right in swale next to sidewalk was treated for termites last summer. Our arborist is trying to save it.

View from across street

Well, finally at 2:55 (5 minutes before check-in) our room was ready. When we got to the room, the door sign indicated Palm West Suite which I had not booked. I had reserved a regular room with a king bed. But we had a spacious bedroom, bath, plus a huge room with sitting and sleeper couch at one end and dining/kitchen at other!! What’s that saying…good things come to those who wait!!

During our stay, something was constantly not right or working. The staff seemed accustomed to operating this way, and apologies were not given. There were key card issues on multiple occasions. We asked for a non-skid bath mat the first evening . We were informed the housekeeping supervisor was off duty, and we would probably have to wait until the next day! Someone eventually brought us a mat the same evening. The restaurant door was stuck shut for breakfast one morning and a patron saw us trying to get in and helped us. He even informed the staff, but no one rushed to fix it. The business center was located next to a housekeeping closet and elevator and was so noisy that Joe gave up on it. The morning we had to request late check-out while we waited to hear if we could return to house had to be negotiated. New key cards had to be issued since they automatically stopped working at 11 a.m., but no one told us. The phone in our suite did not work. Someone came to look at it, tried another phone and decided AT&T would have to come out which they never did!

Back to Normal–Sorta!

Friday at 7:55 a.m., the tenting company called to say we were cleared to return! Yippee!! The process I described above was reversed. Except with food sacked up, you saw that the entire refrigerator needed to be washed down. Now when did I last do that? Well, probably, never!! So each shelf and drawer was removed and washed. I also cleaned and reorganized my pantry which is like a walk in closet with lots of stuff (including a bag of powdered sugar expiration July 2010!!) There are six shelves on two of the four walls, and you need a ladder to reach top shelf. I took the challenge to declutter. I donated a trunk load of serving items to my favorite thrift store.

Time to unpack refrigerator contents

I have lived on my street since 1980 and every house has been tented, some more than once. People often wait until they are ready to sell or in our case, just can’t stand it any longer. A few years ago the house behind us had a major renovation stalled when the contractor discovered a load-bearing wall was dangerously infested with termites in the middle of demolition!

Well, there you have it. Just part of Florida living ranking just below hurricanes for things I could do without! ​

Blessings!
Linda​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 13

Reflections on 5 Year Parkinson’s Anniversary

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. ~ Louisa Mae Alcott

Five years ago on an ordinary beautiful South Florida day, May 13, 2014, I left my neurologist’s office going down an unpredictable extraordinary path. I had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Signs popped up as early as 2011. However, until enough symptoms surfaced for the right doctor to observe, I thought my challenges were due to growing older.

What has my life been like the past five years? What have I given up? How have I adapted? To reflect on these questions, I turned to my lifelong personal values of helping people learn, continuing my education, preserving moments in time, expressing gratitude and having faith.

I value helping people learn.

I launched Parkinson’s My Way website, blog and Facebook page in 2018 to help people live quality lives and to showcase their creative side. Before PD, my personal mission was “to make a heartfelt difference” and that is unchanged. Through my sharing in Parkinson’s My Way, the intent is to educate, to inspire, and to give hope. Five artists and poets have been interviewed, and it’s been my honor to meet these incredible creative people with Parkinson’s and to share their talent and determination with the world.  Although I retired from a full-time career in education in 2013, I am blessed to continue teaching strategic management online for Northwood University—Michigan. In this senior capstone course, I am also my students’ loudest cheerleader to help them cross the finish line.

I value continuing my lifelong education.

The World Parkinson Congress took me to Portland, Oregon in 2016. My love of poetry was discovered after PD diagnosis and led me to study under the presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco at Omega Institute in 2016. I was honored with a Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion for a cat poem The Morning Visitor in 2016. I studied English Country Houses at Oxford University in 2017 residing on the Christ Church campus and dining in the Great Hall. I was selected to attend the Palm Beach Poetry Festival in 2018 and studied under Mississippi state poet laureate Beth Ann Fennelly.

I value preserving moments in time.

I have been a top rated eBay seller since 2015 of anything vintage—from buttons to books. My writing is published in twelve anthologies, seven journals and one cat book. Nine of those publications have been in the past five years. I photograph cats, country scenes and abandoned houses. I have collected brooches for 40 years and still add favorites such as Christmas trees, women’s faces and cats to my collection when I travel.

I value expressing gratitude.

Every morning before I get out of bed I express one gratitude. Today it is living my best life the past five years with Parkinson’s. Every evening before I drift off to sleep, I count ten blessings for the day. Since 2010, I have created My ABCs of Gratitude in November to represent the current year.  A sample is as follows:

2014 Lexie Lee…our 12 years together
2015 Weinberg…a special healer
2016 Tai Chi…class 2 minutes from house
2017 Knight…picture with Coach Knight & brothers
2018 Yellowstone National Park…trip with Joe for memory bank

I know I am incredibly blessed in thousands of ways. I’ll always be in gratitude to  my dentist. In 2015, I fell on my face (nothing to do with PD) but due to a poorly maintained village sidewalk near my home. An ambulance took me to the emergency room where I had x-rays and was released with my two front teeth sticking straight out. My private driver took me to Dr. David Podbielski and with phone coaching from an oral surgeon, he popped my teeth back into place without them breaking off. I was a mess for several months. My jaw was broken and eating was difficult. I cancelled Christmas travel to the farm. The stress brought out the worst in PD and my medications were adjusted.

I value faith in God.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Psalm 143:8

Rather than asking why do I have Parkinson’s, I ask why not me? I believe I have been given all the time I need to fulfill my life’s purpose.

How has Parkinson’s changed my life the past five years?

Before Parkinson’s,  medical appointments were routine and preventive, and the pills I took were vitamins. Now I spend over twenty hours a week on Parkinson’s self-care such as doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, support groups, exercise, tai chi, yoga, social media, reading, researching, writing and blogging. I am blessed to have Dr. Michael Okun at the University of Florida’s  Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration  become one of my doctors in 2018. Having this world renowned movement disorder specialist on my care team is worth the five-hour drive and over-night stay.

I am in better physical condition than I was five years ago. Although my brain is short on dopamine, it is stuffed with PD knowledge.  Chemistry keeps me going. I take a baker’s dozen of pills a day to manage symptoms. Gotta love chemistry! Although I have excellent insurance, not all needs are covered, so I have to budget a hefty amount each year. I have learned to be mindful of the moment and to breathe through the pain. Dr. Adam Holleman, my physical therapist taught me to rub a tennis ball on stiff muscles or ones stuck in contracted state. In most instances, I can manage the pain and trust that I will be better in fifteen minutes! I wear a Lifeline necklace  for peace of mind and flat shoes for safety and comfort.

Suffering from Rapid Eye Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), I acted out  many terrifying dreams. I was chased, stabbed, drowned, robbed and even attended my funeral in these vivid and violent dreams. I screamed and talked out loud. When a jet plane landed in my bed, I was ready for medication. My last RBD dream was August 19, 2018 as  I started a bedtime pill the next night to shut down the disturbing drama.

In 2014-2016, I served as vice-regent of Daughters of the American Revolution of Seminole Chapter. DAR is near and dear to my heart and also represents my values of education, historical preservation and patriotism. I was on track to be on Seminole’s slate of officers as regent for 2016-2018. But due to PD, I withdrew. Two perfect trade-offs were waiting for me. In 2018, I was ask to serve on executive board as advisor to regent. I was also appointed chair of DAR School Committee and created an award winning project for Crossnore School in North Carolina.

How has Parkinson’s not changed my life the past five years?

PD has not changed the core of who I am or the essence of my soul. My longtime values still guide me in how I live and what I say “yes” to doing. A variety of interests still add richness to my life including antiques, travel, baking, animals, nature, reading, photography, poetry, family farm visits, education and DAR.

According to Danny Kaye,” life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can.” I keep a watchful eye on my yearning list and checked off five yearnings in the past five years. These included getting another cat (in reality the backyard stray Tortie adopted me!), returning to London for tenth time, staying in Mayfair Chesterfield, being an Oxford student for The Summer Experience and going to Omega Institute. I still go and do—but at a slower pace.

When my life gets too whacky

I do my best and forget the rest. I watch I Love Lucy and laugh until my stomach hurts. Or I make my signature dessert from the 1990s–Baked Alaska. In spite of Parkinson’s, some of my interests will never change!

Blessings!
Linda

 

Apr 25

Creative Springtime Easter Tablescape

 

During Parkinson’s Awareness month, I think it is important to consider that some people  live well with the disease for a long time and in some cases even decades. “Not everyone is affected by Parkinson’s equally,” Hubert Fernandez, M.D., director of the Center for Neurological Restoration at Cleveland Clinic, says. “It’s a disorder that you can live with for a long time—it’s doesn’t have to define you.”

One way I live well with the disease is to participate in a dinner club as part of a social group in the American Association of University Women. I joined in 2011, three years before my PD diagnosis.  We meet four times a year. One of those times, Joe and I host three other couples at our home usually in March or April. The objective is to meet with different couples in different homes on a rotating basis. The hostess sets the theme and provides the main entrée, and the other three couples bring appetizer, salad and dessert. I have as much fun designing the tablescape as I do preparing the food.

Salad served on rabbit plate and white charger

We hosted our dinner on April 7 with an Easter in Springtime theme. I found these adorable ceramic rabbit plates and plastic white chargers at Hobby Lobby and that inspired the rest of the setting. I did not go shopping with the goal of creating an Easter table. I was just browsing, but the creative process  unfolded naturally. It was meant to be! The new pieces were combined with my favorite vintage and antique treasures, and there you have it!

New linens form the backdrop for the tablescape

The white napkins with a brown embroidered rabbit hopped out at me at Burlington Coat Factory. The yellow mats (only had 8 and that is what I needed!)  plus the long blue and yellow plaid tablecloth (needed for table with three extensions) also came from Burlington Coat Factory. This store is next door to Hobby Lobby where I also found the garland of blue, green and yellow eggs strung on a fuzzy brown cord!

Conservatory dining room

My dining room is like a glass conservatory with all windows that are  three-feet by five- feet on two sides of the room. During the day it is a light spilled room and at night white lights strung around the patio on one side reflect in a mirror on south wall and add magic to the room. White lights also decorate an arbor on the east side. I love being in this room–day or night.

A short Fenton hobnail ruffled milk glass epergne from mid century is conversation friendly. Large yellow chysantheum heads adorn each of the three horns. Milk glass candlesticks with blue and white candles are on each side of epergne. The flatware is primarily Gorham Fairfax sterling silver, and yes, polishing silver is great therapy and keeps my Parkinson’s challenged fingers moving. I really do like to polish silver! The hand painted stemware was found in a thrift store decades ago and makes me smile.

Vintage salt cellar displays colorful jelly beans

Crystal napkin rings, salt cellars and knife rests create continuity as well as contrast with casual tablecloth and brown cord. Jelly beans are in the salt cellars and serve as a table favor for each guest. People like to talk about jelly beans and eat them as well! My mother had a lovely collection of salts, and they were passed on to my siblings and me. Salt cellars date back to classical Rome. Salt shakers took their place in 1911, but salts became collectibles.

The knife rests never fail to be a curiosity with guests. So it’s fun to share a little history. Victorians protected their fine linens from stains by using knife rests. My collection is mainly cut or pressed glass with dumb bell ends.

Entrée and dessert were served on Meissen Blue Mitterteich plates

A look into kitchen and west end of dining room

This year marks our eighth dinner club that we have hosted. I have never considered resigning due to Parkinson’s. The event is a fun social evening. It requires planning, creativity and multi-tasking. I end up with an extra clean house, patio and yard. I also do one new household project each year in anticipation of the dinner, such as new living room drapes or adding a rug. The saying “if you want something done around the house, plan a party” is true for me. The end result is this dinner club party is one way I can live my best life now!

Blessings!
Linda

Apr 21

Happy Easter

Raphael Tuck & Sons

 

This antique Raphael Tuck & Sons Easter postcard was chromographed  in Bavaria in 1910. It is part of Artistic Easter Postcard Series with floral and rural setting,  Lilies and a cross are to the left and trees are to the right of road.  The unique card is beaded.

Back of postcard

Blessings!

Linda