December 1 through 5:
Tuesday, 12/1 – I stayed home with Dad but he seems to be fine (his back was hurting yesterday.) We received an announcement from my brother Bill’s daughter Christina. She explained to the family that she and Wim were married last May 1st by a judge in a park in Nebraska where they live. She said that they were going to tell everyone at their planned wedding ceremony in October. But, because of COVID-19 the ceremony was cancelled. She was now very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby next May and she sent a picture of the sonogram along with the message. We are all very happy for them. I told her that we would try to come out to see them all at the end of next summer, provided it is safe.
Wednesday, 12/2- I went to the dentist for teeth cleaning. The dental hygienist who has been cleaning my teeth for years told me that she is only working 2 days a week now because so many people are still afraid to come to the dentist due to COVID-19. Speaking of which, Florida’s cases exceeded one million this week, making it the third state in the US with that many.
Thursday, 12/3 – With no appointments on my schedule, I took some time to wrap some of the Christmas gifts that I have been stacking up in my closet.
For the rest of the week, we had a clear schedule.
December 6 through 12:
Sunday, 12/6 – Emma and I went to Sunday School and church while Dad stayed home and watched the service on-line.
Monday, 12/7 – I helped Dad write Christmas cards for each of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and then took them to the post office to mail.
On Tuesday, 12/8 – I returned to my volunteer work at the church and then at the pregnancy center.
My left shoulder has been hurting ever since we returned from vacation in October, so on Wednesday morning, I had finally had enough and called the doctor for an appointment. In the evening, I went to church for a meeting followed by choir practice.
Thursday, 12/10 – I saw my doctor in the morning regarding my shoulder pain. He says there could be a few different causes. First, he ordered an x-ray (which I got done as soon as I left his office); secondly, he thought I would benefit from physical therapy. (I must wait for insurance to approve that and then someone will call me to schedule it.) I attended a board meeting at North River Care Pregnancy Center then rushed over to the church for another meeting.
Friday, 12/11 – The news reported over 11,000 new cases of Coronavirus in Florida yesterday. That is the most in a day since July 25. Dad and I went to the YMCA today for the first time in a month.
Saturday, 12/12 – We enjoyed college football Saturday as FSU won and both Florida and Miami lost! (If you weren’t aware, I am a graduate of FSU.)
December 13 through 20:
Sunday, 12/13 – Emma and I went to Sunday school and church while Dad watched on-line at home. Emma went to a friend’s birthday party in the afternoon. Dad watched NFL football starting with the Church and football, as usual. The news announced that the US has had more than 16 million cases of Coronavirus which is more than any other country in the world.
Monday, 12/14 – No Y today as my shoulder was hurting.
Tuesday, 12/15 – I attended another meeting of the Senior Adult Pastor Search Committee.
Wednesday, 12/16 – Dad didn’t feel good today, so we skipped the Y again. A cold front with rain barreled through the area with heavy rain here and a couple of bad tornadoes in two nearby counties. I did not go to choir practice.
It’s not something that the original source generic cialis is happening the present time.
Thursday, 12/17 – I left the house at 6:30 in the morning to drive over to Ormond Beach for a very short visit with Rick’s brother, Edward. I took Christmas gifts from our household to him and picked up gifts from him to each of us. Today was his father’s birthday, Phil Hoffmeister, Jr., so we spent some time reminiscing about Dad as well as catching up on current affairs. I left there at 1:00 so he could get ready to go to an appointment and made my way down A-1-A to the Daytona Christian Drive-in Church where my niece Melissa is the assistant pastor. We had a short visit, made some travel plans for the upcoming summer. I wished her well with their “drive-thru-Bethlehem” which starts tonight and she gave me a small bag of her home-made chocolate truffles. I arrived back home at 5:30 in the evening.
Friday, 12/18 – After a 6-month checkup with my oncologist, I stopped by Jackie’s to give her some packages that she which she had delivered to my house while she was in Georgia with her mother. In the afternoon, Dad and I went to the YMCA for the first time this week. Saturday and Sunday were routine.
Saturday, 12/19 – I wrote out Christmas cards for church members which I will put in their mailboxes in the morning.
Sunday, 12/20 – Emma and I attended church and Sunday school while Dad watched on-line at home.
December 21 through 31:
Monday, 12/21 – I had my first therapy session this morning. The therapist said that my shoulder was swollen and she believes my problem is arthritis. I am now scheduled for therapy 3 times a week thru the middle of March.
Tuesday, 12/22 – I drove up to North Reddington Beach in Pinellas County to speak to the timeshare people where we own a unit at Grand Shores West. I needed to get a copy of the deed so that I can have Rick’s name removed. JP is going with me and because Emma is out of school, she will join us also. While I was meeting with the timeshare rep, JP and Emma went for a short walk on the beach.
Wednesday, 12/23 – I had my second session of physical therapy in the morning, and went to an an outside Christmas Eve Eve service with Emma. She got to sing on the stage with the regular church group (of 5 adults) and she loved it.
Thursday, 12/24 – After my physical therapy, I went to three places trying to get the battery replace in Dad’s “Talking Watch”. I finally found someone who could replace it, and, of course, it was the closest to our house. Dad is very happy to have his watch working again. I got Emma to help me carry all of the presents under my tree over to her living room and put under their tree where we will open them in the morning.
On this Christmas Eve evening, Kellie, JP, Vanessa, Emma, Dad and I were joined by Kellie’s parents, Roy and Judy, sitting at the end of the driveway to watch the neighborhood golf cart Christmas parade. They were zooming by us, so my picture is a little blury.
Friday, December 25
Merry Christmas
Kellie fixed a wonderful Christmas dinner of prime rib to finish our day.
Monday, 12/28 – I started slowly taking Christmas decorations down to put away for another year.
Tuesday, 12/29 – Dad went to dentist who recommended using a water pik.
Wednesday, 12/30 – Dad was tired so no YMCA in the afternoon; instead, Emma and I took down a lot of the Christmas decorations both inside and outside. Florida Gators played in the Cotton Bowl.
Thursday, 12/31 – Happy New Year’s Eve. I went to physical therapy in the morning and slowly got the remaining Christmas decorations down and put into tubs waiting to go back up into the attic for another year. The last thing to be put away was the creche that Rick and I painted with my Grandmother “Honey” in the early ‘70’s.
Our journey has been inspired by Joy and Steve Fredrick. You can see more of their story at