Our Buddy Jo

Though it's been almost 2 w-e's now, I wanted to post one of the photos from our trip over to see "our buddy Jo." I cannot take credit for the moniker there, however, as that is often the subject line that Susan uses when she sends out email updates on Jo. The photo here is from our visit to see Jo shortly after Susan baked her a big pound cake that we accompanied to her condo. As always, Jo looked happy and at peace, like the remarkable woman she is.

Last weekend, Dennis and John, our friends from DC, were visiting us. They both retired from government service in October and just moved to a new home in Fort Lauderdale. I hadn't seen them in about 4 yrs, so it was good to catch up and reconnect. We were the last stop on a grand one month tour of friends and acquaintances all up and down the Eastern seaboard from Savannah to Maine and back again. They pulled up Friday in their big Texas truck, as I like to call it, loaded with a month's worth of clothes stuffed behind the seats and bikes in the truckbed. One of the highlights while they were here was our trip out to Saxapahaw, a small rural community, really a crossroads, located on the Haw River to hear music. The area has a community park just across from the river where they have free music every Sat night as well as a farmer's market, Hula hoops for sale and use during the music, and of course, bbq (this is NC afterall). My boss had told me about the fun as she went with her husband and 2 young kids some weeks ago. We took our blankets and picnic to find a place among the families with kids and babies and all of the tie dye. There was a lawn facing the stage for enjoying the music (a great bluegrass band) as well as a slip and slide for the kids and a whole hill of people doing the hula hoop thing. I mean women, children and even guys not too scared to look silly, using a wide variety of hula hoops, which if you haven't looked lately have become more upscale with different sizes, bright colors and even come adorned with fancy ribbons. We had a great time just hanging out for a few hours doing the small town thing with music on the lawn. Very fun.

It's getting to be vacation time. Our friends Miriam and Alex are off in the Pacific Northwest visiting a montage of sights from Vancouver to Seattle and the Olympic peninsula. Laurie is off on a big Alaska hiking adventure, and soon we will be off to Folly Beach for a week. I have been busy at work and weighed down a bit by the serious health problems of my patients. Many of them are stressed to the max (and won't have anything like a vacation) since they have lost their jobs in this economy and are barely making it both financially and emotionally. I can help with some with their medical problems, but I don't see any easy solutions for the rest until the job situation gets better for everyone. It makes me feel mighty fortunate to have a good job and even better to have good job skills and a good career that will always reward me, both emotionally and financially. If all you know how to do is to make Gold Toe socks, like so many of my patients, then you are in big trouble.

I don't want to end on a sour note. I feel really fortunate for all that I have, and most especially, for all of the people who add meaning and love to my life.