The Last Post

If you have gotten to this blog you probably have not received the email that contains pictures as well as the words below. All future information will be sent by email - no more posts. So if you haven't gotten that email and wish to get future ones please email me to that effect at swidoc@cox.net

Hi,

Welcome to Pat’s e-mail blog. Okay so it isn’t really a blog any more, but it does continue the communication that we established with the blog. The latest news is that we’re waiting for the results of last Tuesday’s bone marrow biopsy. Done under anesthesia, it was no problem for Pat, and she is back on track. For the first time since her chemotherapy, she did our usual Friday morning walk and breakfast unabridged. No problem! That says it; she’s her old self, but with a much shorter hairdo. She loves it and now wears a hat only if she has to protect herself from the sun. In case you forgot, or I forgot to mention it, the Friday ritual involves an approximately 3-mile walk to Starbuck’s for breakfast, and then a 1 plus mile trudge up the hill home. Until this Friday, she had been leery of the walking part, even though she had done some walking at our fitness center.

Pushing my mental rewind button, I’ll fill you in on our trip to Roanoke for the Bar and Bat Mitvahs of , Pat’s sister’s (Bunny), grandchildren. That’s Bunny on the right below, with Delly in the middle. We made it a leisurely trip, with a number of stops. Into Dulles late on Wednesday, August 18th, rented a car to drive to Manassas where we had reservations. We started the next day with a lovely drive through the Virginia countryside to Orange and James Madison’s Estate, Montpelier. It is being restored and has been in restoration for quite some time, recovering from a “modernization” by the Duponts. Then it was off to Charlottesville with a stay at a charming B&B and a fascinating dinner story that you can ask Pat about. Friday - Monticello, a ride on part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and then on to Roanoke where Pat’s great niece was Bat Mitvah that evening. It was quite an event with Bunny hosting a fantastic spread after the service. Saturday morning Pat’s great nephew was Bar Mitzvah, followed by a sumptuous luncheon at the temple as well. An afternoon cruising around Roanoke provided a perfect segue into dinner at a lovely Roanoke restaurant. Sunday morning late, we headed up to the Skyline Drive, ending up in the Shenandoah National Park at one of its highest points. After unpacking. we set off on a moderate trail for a mile and a half hike. There was a real, if not steep, grade that taxed Pat’s endurance, but which was probably not as steep as the hill on Santa Margarita. Her tenacity got us to objective, a spot with a beautiful view of the Shenandoah valley. At the left, you can see Pat enjoying the view, if not the wind. Monday morning started with a relatively short trip downhill to the Luray Caverns. Rather than try to describe it, www.luraycaverns.com will get you quickly to pictures and as much detail as you might want. We tore ourselves away from the awesome beauty to continue our trip to the Dulles Airport Hyatt. We timed our arrival to get to the nearby Air & Space Museum at 4:00 pm, when parking fees for the otherwise free museum are no longer collected. Then off to the Hyatt for a good night’s rest before trundling home the next afternoon.

There are many more stories associated with the trip. I only included this detail to give you a picture of what a trouper a Pat was. Of course we tended to pace ourselves and if we were taking that trip now, there is so much more we could do. Or maybe not. On request, Pat will fill you in on some of those stories.

You can expect the next communiqué after visits with her doctors at UCI and City of Hope to review the results of that biopsy.