Nearly normal?

It is starting to feel again like COVID is not the only thing to worry about. This is good. It is certainly one of my major concerns, but climate change is another. We were at a memorial service yesterday evening. Lots of people we hadn't seen in ages, many dealing with their own issues (thinking of a friend whose young adult daughter has a virulent form of cancer and others with health issues), coming out to support Nat and his family. His wife Stephanie died after 8 years of Alzheimer's, which they couldn't help but talk about, at 74. Yup, I could be starting to have it right now. She was fired from her job and had to leave a nursing career that meant a lot to her, mainly because she couldn't learn a new computer system, which is the kind of thing that often first indicates Alzheimer's. Both her parents had it, so her younger sister was not completely surprised, but devastated. Two children adopted from Colombia. 

The son described what their family was like growing up: he got a goat from Heifer International for Christmas when he was 7. I could identify, although that has been more recent for us. Those values are our values. 

Anyway, going to a memorial service with friends and acquaintances and strangers felt normal and helped me sort of recalibrate to post-COVID (?) life. The service was outside under a big tent. People were masked except when sitting at their tables with other vaccinated people. Our table had the 3 of us and one other couple. It was a beautiful evening, sunny to start with, but not too hot. There were sandwiches and spreads afterward (no dessert). We walked around the grounds briefly. It was a place I had not been called Long Hill and I look forward to going again. https://thetrustees.org/place/long-hill/

It is a lovely time of year here and there is an annual event called Trails and Sails that showcases many of the local parks and cultural places with free activities, self-guided tours. We have participated 3 years, I think, and it gets us out into the community to discover new treasures of our part of the world. I am happy to go again and love having choices that I can change based on the weather (or the pandemic--lots of outdoor and self-paced activities). https://trailsandsails.org/events/

The sad thing about the change in seasons is that it appears to be too cool for swimming and kayaking now. We will see. There is a group that goes kayaking in wetsuits, but I am not ready to do that. It sounds unpleasant (and one more thing to pay for). Time to take the window AC units out and think about bringing in some firewood. Maybe set up another puzzle! 

One thing I have reinstituted (in my mind) is my intention to go away at least once a month. It is not always completely pleasant and stress-free, but does feel like it's important for my mental health, giving me new experiences to think about, and a change of scenery. One of the challenges is whether or not to invite my Dad, who often thinks he wants to go with us, but sometimes regrets it. His digestion has been good lately. I urged him to keep a journal, so he can look back at how long these good spells last, since he complains when he is having trouble and feels like it will last forever. Whether or not he has dementia or something else, time seems to be a little hard to keep track of. I can identify, to some extent. Of course, he was not interested in my advice, but sometimes I find if I repeat it enough times, he will decide it's a good idea. If we go without him, we will probably also go without Tamara. He would not want us to take the dog anywhere, since he provides company, but I do not want him to be responsible for walking him. And leaving him alone seems more and more like a bad idea. 

It is pleasantly cool this morning after a thunderstorm in the night.