Everyone Listen: Here’s Why I Must Say Goodbye

July 4, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Family Life 13 Comments

It is with a heavy heart that I must discontinue posting to my blog; why I must say goodbye. I find that I have less and less time for this endeavor as Chuck’s condition continues to decline.

If you remember, a little more than a year ago I posted a description of my initial reactions to Chuck’s diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. You can read about it here.

We entered into a long line of tests feeling confident that they would find an answer to his short-term memory problem, a diagnoses that could be reversible. We were wrong. It appears Chuck is part of the 65% who worsens over time.

At the time I thought I could continue the blog and maybe even share moments of our life with all of you. I even thought it might be therapeutic.

But I was wrong on so many levels. As Chuck’s condition deteriorates, I have less and less time for the blog, book, the garden, or any other hobbies that I had. It’s time to say goodbye.

One Wild Ride

It has been a wild ride. He completely stopped paying bills back around Christmas of last year, and it was a relief at the time because I never knew whether all the bills were getting paid or not. Since then I have had to pick up that chore myself. For the first time in 30 years I’ve had to sit down and pay bills. On the bright side I haven’t had to worry about our finances in a very long time.

On the other hand when things break, I no longer have him to depend upon. In fact the situation has reversed and is worse than ever. He still thinks he can fix it.

For example, a few weeks ago one of the toilets at the coast malfunctioned. We don’t stay there all the time, and we noticed an odor each time when we arrived—an odor that disappeared after a short while. Then a couple of weeks ago we arrived but this time the odor did not disappear right away. Instead Chuck flush the toilet and water poured out of the seal just above the floor.

We immediately called the plumber but it was Friday afternoon and the plumber could not get to us until Monday. We decided not to use the toilet until he came. He told us that the toilet had been re-sealing itself after each long period of non use until finally the gap got so large that it released water.

However on that Saturday Chuck called me into that bathroom and proudly announced that he fixed the toilet. He had a bucket of water and had taken the lid off of the back of the toilet whereupon he demonstrated how he could pour the water into the tank and then lift the bulb to flush the toilet. I tried to explain that this wasn’t the problem but he would have none of it so convinced was he. I’m learning to just agree and move on. By that afternoon, he broke the bulb off.

The next Monday I had a doctor’s appointment and was away when another plumber came who did not know exactly what was wrong with the toilet. So he fixed the broken bulb and left without fixing the seal. I had to call the plumber back to fix the original problem.

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

This is my life now, one step forward and two steps back. And now Chuck is having fender benders—at least five that we know of in the past several weeks. Two totaling almost $5,000. He is having a driving assessment. Meanwhile we have to try to keep him out of the car…and the boat.

He is angry about it because he doesn’t understand. He keeps telling us that he feels fine and that nothing is wrong and that we are all blowing this out of proportion. Yesterday he angrily accused us of treating him like a child.

Time to Reorganize

And so my time is consumed by phone calls, appointments, and general minutia. It is time for me to re-organize my life so that I begin to have more time for Chuck as well as myself. I also have to realize that I cannot do it all.

So I won’t be posting anything new and will probably not continue updating any of the old posts as I have been doing since the first of the year. I will keep the website up and I may give everyone an update from time to time but nothing will be regular. For now I owe it to my sweet, sweet Chuck to try to maintain calm and carry-on the best that we can, to bask in the fleeting golden moments of time together.

It has been a wonderful five years writing to you. Thank you to everyone for all the supportive comments and feedback and all the best to each of you. I may be back when life changes again, but for now it is goodbye.

Why I’m Celebrating an Ancestor this Mother’s Day

May 8, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Family Life 4 Comments

This Mother’s Day I wanted to write about a matriarchal ancestor–my third great grandmother on my mother’s side. This is her story.

The family lore we heard was that she was a red-headed if not a hot-headed woman who loaded up her family in a wagon and moved to Florida in 1848. Florida was only three years old a state, but Peniope McSwain Hamrick decided that her sons and daughters would have their best chance to thrive in a state of mild climate, fertile soils, and cheap land. I wish to remember her this Mother’s Day because, without her strong-willed temperament, we would not be in Florida today.

When I grew up in the 1960s, the old-timers said that the family got all the way from York, South Carolina to Monticello, Florida in wagons; and that they brought with them all their worldly possessions. It was a long migration, but their real problems came at the end when trying to get on to their new land. For that part of the trip, they used homemade wooden sleds to slide over the brush and low lying stumps left behind by the quick clearing. The older relatives said that the sleds set back of an old barn until they finally disintegrated several generations later.

Peniope’s sons, daughters and their offspring helped populate Jefferson County, Florida. You can find their names on plaques in the courthouse, at the library, and in her history books. One of her offspring is the current editor of the Monticello News/Jefferson Journal.

Descended from Peniope’s oldest son, I grew up in this county to which she entrusted her children. It seems she made a good decision for all of us.

Peniope’s oldest son and some of his family.

A few years ago my niece (Peniope’s fourth great-granddaughter) met and married a man from the same area in the Carolinas from which Peniope McSwain Hamrick embarked. It wasn’t long before the Hamricks from that scarcely populated region realized that my niece was one of the Hamricks whose ancestors migrated to Florida.

An elderly Hamrick from there wanted to talk to her, but she waited until I came to visit before the two of us went to see him–I being the self-proclaimed amateur genealogist for this part of the family.

It was a pleasant conversation as he tested my knowledge of my Hamrick ancestry. And then he asked me if I knew why Penina (one of her nicknames) packed up her kids and came to Florida. I told him that I heard that she got mad at someone and came South.

What surprises me most about what I learned that day is that they are still talking about her up there over 170 years later. My great-great-great grandfather was killed in a farming accident leaving her with seven children to raise on her own. It seems that she left because her husband’s family pressured her relentlessly to marry his youngest brother, who she did not like.

Several of Peniope’s Grandchildren

So this Mother’s Day I’ll remember the mother in my family who brought us to this great state of Florida which has been so good to all of us. Thank you Peniope McSwain Hamrick for your perseverance, your courage, your insight, and your strength.

Peniope’s great-great-granddaughter, my mother.

Why a Concealer No Longer Works for Me

May 8, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Beauty Leave a Comment

Finding a good concealer is getting more difficult. At least for us baby boomers.

This is an understatement, but this aging thing is certainly a problem. What I really mean is that I constantly reinvent the wheel lately. Life is getting more and more complex.

Take my under eye circles for example. A few years ago I wrote a post about the new concealer I found. You can read it here. I waxed on eloquently about its attributes, not realizing that in less than five years my complexion would change once again. My concealer no longer works, except for the broken capillaries on my leg.

What’s Happening to My Skin

In addition to the wrinkles and sagging skin, it seems I use fewer cosmetics. I’m learning that wearing less looks better. Many of the formulas were not made for older skin anyway.

They tell me that the outer layer of my skin is thinning, even though I still have the same number of skin cells. All the while, my pigment cells are decreasing, so my skin gets paler and more translucent.

This is why I now wear a sunless tan on most days. Pale skin looks pasty to me and every pound I gain looks like I gained five. I perfectly understand why our president and most politicians wear sunless tans.

For more info on how your coloring changes, the following blog post has a great explanation. You can read it here.

Then there are the blood vessels that feed my skin and which get more fragile while the connective tissues decrease. This is getting ugly.

They also tell me that the oil glands in my face produce less oil, and that’s why my face is drier. So I apply hyaluronic acid to my face daily. It sucks in the moisture my skin needs, but I wonder how long it will work, too. You can read about my skincare routine here.

In addition, I apply retinol. Retinol reminds skin cells to behave as they did when I was younger and healthier, It minimizes wrinkles, thickens skin, controls acne, strengthens blood vessels (so there’s less breakage and discoloration), and fades sun spots. Lately, I noticed that it takes more to do the same job.

So all of this seems to no longer work as well. Lately, my concealer doesn’t work at all, and my skin gets dry and itchy far too easily. It could be my hormones, but they are stable because my doctor checks them at least once a year. I am on bio-identical hormones.

Why I No Longer Wear Concealer

While my concealer should be the answer to erasing under eye circles and combating the look of fatigue; if used incorrectly, it also makes me look older. Too much makeup around the eye area highlights wrinkles and lines.

Careful about its application, I used my finger to melt the concealer into my skin. If I piled it on without blending it in, it settled into my fine lines and wrinkles. I looked for lighter and lighter weighted textures until I realized in the end that nothing worked well any longer. It seemed to just sit on the surface. Instead of making me look younger, it only made me look older.

A few years ago I ran across a makeup artist named Cindy Joseph. She now has her own makeup line.

She said, “Allow the character in your face to be your beauty. Adding texture to texture just makes more texture. So if you want to get rid of wrinkles, putting makeup on them is just going to make them more so. A young face is more like a blank canvas so you can paint colors and textures and all that stuff. But when you get older and you have character and wrinkles and age spots and all that stuff going on, just let it be there. You know, you’re not going to trick anybody. You’re not going to fool anybody.”

I don’t have to give up my foundation yet, but I guess that day will come too. In the meantime, I just keep adjusting my makeup routine to fit my situation.

You can read about more tips from Cindy Joseph here. The video at the end of the post really convinced me.

So what concealer do I use now? I took Cindy Joseph’s advice and I don’t wear concealer at all. I just use my foundation to cover my circles though it doesn’t do the job as well as concealers used to do. I make sure, though, that a primer is mixed with my foundation. It helps with the application.

Dozens of Spring Trends Inspired by Fashion Week

February 5, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Fashion 2 Comments

Last September during Fashion Week, fashion designers, brands, and houses displayed their latest collections for buyers and the media. Their hope was to influence trends and markets for the upcoming 2018 Spring season.

So Spring/Summer 2018 is finally here, and online and in our stores are the latest fashions inspired by fashion week last fall. Below are examples of what I found, several of which are too rich for my pocketbook, but are beautiful examples.

Here’s What to Expect

Ice cream colors. Pick a pastel shade but do it up right from head to toe. Maybe a muted peachy pastel.

Tailored, polished denim. Does this mean it’s time to pack up those holy jeans?

Polished jeans from Talbots.

Wider shoulders, a la the 80s.

Pants legs all over the place. Skinny, wide, shorter, ankle, whatever you like.

Shorts, mostly short. Sorry, not something I still do, but it’s great for the younger women.

Vinyl–raincoats, boots, jackets, ponchos, even dresses, and skirts. It started last fall; but will it make it through the summer? I’m not even sure we can do vinyl down here in Florida in the summertime.

Here are three trends in one piece. The rainwear is vinyl, is cherry tomato red, has broad shoulders, and is a trench coat. Oops, that’s four!

Pencils skirts with pointed kitten heels for a touch of class. I would love a sailor blue pencil shirt to add to my wardrobe.

Styles

The trench coat reappears mainly in softer earth colors, especially warm sand. And trench details are in our blouses and dresses. Again with wider shoulders.

A trench coat with broad shoulders in warm sand.

Colors

Other than the all over pastel shades, there are bright colors. Especially worn together. Think a jeweled purple like ultraviolet and a chili red…or a neon lime mixed with a cherry tomato, though the latter seems a little Christmasy to me. All the same, be colorful!

Something for a formal wedding!

Think multi-faceted and very colorful. There’s a sunny yellow and a soft rosy violet. The reds are a cherry tomato and a chili hue. There’s an azure blue and a violet so deeply purple that it’s called ultra violet. Expect to see this color in shades of nail polish and eye shadow.

Look for ultraviolet and the retro green shades in eyeshadows and nail polish as well as clothing.

There’s a green that’s somewhere between mint and emerald and looks like a retro color. There’s a muted peachy tone called Blooming Dahlia that will look great with Almost Mauve which looks more like it is almost white.

For a good foundation color, there’s a deep cognac brown. I need some new brown pants, and something in this color will be very useful. Or maybe some chili red ones.

Finally there is a fuchsia orchid and a neon lime.

Rounding out the foundation colors are coconut milk, harbor mist grey, warm sand, and sailor blue, a navy shade.

Prints

Prints include all-over checks and tartans; and there are stripes up and down, horizontal, and all directions including vertical candy stripes.

Wouldn’t this make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your young granddaughter or daughter? Or how about for yourself to your husband?

Lots of floral patterns–some soft romantic and airy, others like we had in the 60s, and some micro sweet and tiny. Florals are definitely in.

Rainbow patterns, black and white polka dots, and statement shirts that try to tell us how to think. Included are tropical and art inspired prints.

Trends I’ll Reject

One trend I’ll refrain from trying is the “in your face” nipples…all over the place—maybe in The Big Apple or Los Angeles, but goodness, not in out here in Realville.

Reminded me of the cool see-through blouse I brought back from Miami, while visiting my cousins in the early 70s. It was hard to see anything with its dark, dark fabric and large pockets strategically placed. Black and supposed to be worn with a black bra, that shirt didn’t last two days in my parent’s home. It vanished into thin air never to be mentioned again.

So that’s my take on what to expect. Go forth ladies and discover what’s out there in fashion for Spring, 2018!

Why It is Important to Understand Frailty—Part 2

January 19, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Health 5 Comments

Earlier I did a blog post about how our bodies begin to lose muscle mass while we are in our 30s and that loss of muscle mass is how we become frail as we age. You can read it here.

This is part 2 of the two-part post on frailty. In the first part we discussed the definition of frailty, how it affects us as we age, and the very important symptom of muscle mass loss. In this part, we’ll talk more about muscle mass, what to look for, and how to reverse its loss. We will also discuss how doctor’s measure frailty.

What I’m Doing Now

As mentioned in part 1, the primary treatment for loss of muscle mass is exercise, mostly resistance training or strength training, so I joined a gym and bought weights for my home. If I failed to make it to the gym, I tried to lift weights at home in the evening.

I also tried to increase muscle strength and endurance by other means, such as carrying bags of grocery instead of using a cart and by unloading them myself instead of asking for help. I tried to pick up my own bags of fertilizer, straw bales, etc. when gardening.

The other night I moved my own furniture like I used to do. I compete with my husband to handle my own luggage. He’s always worried I’ll hurt my back. I try to take stairs and ride my bike twice a week on the hills of Tallahassee.

At the next appointment, Dr. Emhof noticed an increase in muscle mass in my arms and chest, but I was still lacking from the waist down. I had to do all this and do at least four exercises just for my hips and thighs. Finally, my legs responded. Dr. Emhoff is pleased, and I don’t have to go see him every three months now.

But Frailty is More Than Muscle Loss

Our fifties trigger lots of problems. When we get to our fifties, the risk of heart disease increases along with problems such as cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you are a smoker, this is when it really catches up with you, holding your body back from repairing itself as it did in the past.

Degrees of Frailty

Remember the discussion earlier about how frailty increases about the time we get to be 75? That downward spiral accelerates if we don’t begin to worry about our muscle mass and our heart by our fifties.

Doctors Use An Index to Determine How Frail We Are

So frailty is when we have many things wrong with us. When your doctor notices this, a geriatric assessment is made and he counts the number of things we have wrong or the number of deficits. It shows how fit or frail we are. There is a frailty index to help them determine to what extent one is frail.

The medical community measures frailty several ways, but two stand out.

Fried et al in “Frailty in Older Adults: Evidence for a Phenotype” defines frailty as an imbalance of the “physiologic triad” of sarcopenia, immune, and neuroendocrine regulation. The latter is a big word, but our nervous system and our endocrine system work together to regulate the physiological processes of our body, otherwise known as homeostasis. It regulates reproduction, energy utilization, blood pressure, our metabolism, and much more.

Using this index, patients are considered frail if they have three or more of the following:

• Reduced activity; maybe even a slower gait

• Slowing of mobility

• Weight loss, such as an unintentional loss of ten pounds or more during the past year

• Diminished handgrip strength

• Exhaustion

Someone who has only one or two of these items is said to be “pre-frail”; someone with none is said to be “robust”. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t plan to get anywhere near my doctor when I’m having a bad back day.

The assessment takes about fifteen minutes.

Another way to measure is The Frailty Index which is based on the concept that frailty is a consequence of interacting physical, psychological, and social factors. It was developed by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood and Dr. Arnold Mitnitski at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Frailty Index (FI) = (number of health deficits present) ÷ (number of health deficits measured. These deficits include diseases, signs, symptoms, laboratory abnormalities, cognitive impairments, and disabilities in activities of daily living.

As these deficits accumulate, people become more vulnerable to unfavorable outcomes. In short, this frailty index is based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment. It includes functional dependencies as deficits, such as say the patient needs help dressing.

My Cousin

I have a cousin, an octogenarian, who took to her chair and later her bed due to rheumatoid arthritis. She looked as if a puff of wind could blow her over. Her gait was slow and unsteady, and later she hardly rose from her chair. On my last visit she took to her bed–never getting up again. Hers was a classic case of frailty.

So as you can see and as I learned, the word frail means so much more. It is important to realize that the whole person is in a process of aging, and it is a very dynamic process. Some of us will be helped by knowing and will try to keep ourselves from going farther down the index.

For all the rest of us. It is good to remember what one doctor said–that there seems to be a natural order of life. When we are well, we walk around a lot. And when we get sick, we move around less.

When we really get ill, we may take to our bed. And at some point, we might not get out. And finally just before we die, we hardly move at all.

Another doctor noted that people fail in predictable ways.

Why It is Important to Understand Frailty—Whether You are 30, 50 or 75

January 14, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Uncategorized 5 Comments

Loss of muscle mass begins early. We loseas much as 3% to 5% of muscle mass each decade after age 30. Frailty is the top reason seniors seek medical care.

Did you know that U.S. seniors use more of all the health-care related spending than any over demographic–about 34%. Yet we only make up about 15% of the population here. Frailty is the #1 reason seniors seek medical care.

But what is frailty? This is part 1 of a two-part post. In the first part we’ll look at the definition of frailty, how it affects us as we age, and one important symptom. In part 2 we’ll focus on how it is diagnosed.

What Frailty Means to the General Public

To most of us, frailty simply means a person who is weakening, who is less able to take care of their own needs. The dictionary agrees and simply says that frailty is a condition of being weak and delicate.

In reality, though, frailty begins much earlier than our senior years; and the medical community has a much more extensive and complex definition.

What Frailty Means to the Medical Community

According to the Review Annales de Gerontologie, Authors Jean-Pierre Michel. Pierre-Olivier Lang, and Dina Zekry say that “Frailty is an extended process of increasing vulnerability, predisposing [one] to functional decline and ultimately leading to death. Different presentations of frailty are encountered by the clinician, as a result of the combination of factors such (as) age, gender, lifestyle, socio-economic background, co-morbidities, and affective, cognitive or sensory impairments.“

In other words, frailty is a condition, a medical syndrome, or a group of symptoms that collectively characterize it as a disease. It is also important to understand that some elderly never get frail.

How Does Frailty Affect Old Age

Frailty appears as an age-related physical vulnerability resulting from an impaired homeostatic reserve. Homeostatic here means the tendency of the body to maintain stablility as it compensates for changes such as diaseases, broken bones, etc. This word (homeostasis) will be used repeatedly throughout this post.

The body is a marvelous machine, always repairing itself; but as our body becomes less able to withstand stress, it becomes unstable leading to a higher risk of frailty-related complications such as falls, functional decline, multiple medications, an increased risk of hospitalization, cross infection, institutionalization, and eventually death.

One is pre-frail when one has physiological reserves sufficient to respond adequately to acute diseases, injury, or stress. In this case, the patient recovers completely.

One is frail, though, when one has incomplete recovery after any new acute disease, injury, or stress. I have recurring back problems and using this definition I wonder if I could be diagnosed as some degree of frail?

What my Doctor Prescribed

My doctor suggested that I was losing too much muscle mass. He prescribed drinking a protein shake immediately after any type of exercise as well as lifting weights. He was especially concerned about my legs. You can read more about him here.

I paid attention to the problem but decided that more walking would do the trick. I also ditched the protein powder. I was wrong. After three months he measured and I came up far short.

Dr. Emhof wanted to see me again in another three months to measure my progress. Each time he used a body composition monitor to measure muscle mass throughout my body.

So in three months I was back and had made only a little progress. He stressed weight training again– five reps of 15 or more—about a 15-minute workout at least two times a week. Begrudgingly, I joined a gym for the first time in twenty years.

What Leads to Loss of Muscle Mass

Loss of muscle mass begins early. As we engage in lesser activities, this leads to a loss of as much as 3% to 5% of muscle mass each decade after age 30. This lessens our strength and mobility.

Remember the term homeostasis? Well our body’s damage repair processes start out really good but as time goes by the damages accumulate. The repair process wanes. As a lot of things go wrong, everything begins to double and the body cannot repair itself.

According to medical science, our muscles grow and strengthen until about age 30, but then the process reverses itself. We begin to lose muscle mass and function, losing some muscle mass even if we remain active.

What does Loss of Muscle Mass Lead to

The medical term for this is sarcopenia, and this process typically happens faster around the age of 75, though it can begin as early as 65. Loss of muscle mass is a characteristic of frailty.

Also around the age of 75, a person’s overall health can spiral downward leading to weakness and loss of stamina. Physical inactivity increases and muscle mass declines faster. This is most prevalent in those of us who are inactive, but it can affect active adults too.

This causes other symptoms, such as a reduction of the nerve cells that normally send signals to our brain to begin movement. There can also be a decrease in hormones, such as testosterone. Loss of muscle mass can lead to a body’s inability to turn protein into energy, and even more important an inability to get enough protein and calories a day to build body mass. We notice this when an individual stops eating and begins to lose weight.

In the next segment of this post we’ll talk more about muscle mass, what to look for, and how to reverse its loss. We will also talk about how doctor’s measure frailty.

Do you worry about being frail and losing your strength and balance as you get older? Is the loss of muscle mass something that is affecting you in your 60s? Please share your observations in the comments below.

What I Learned About the French Riviera

November 28, 2017 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel 2 Comments

Most people come to the French Riviera for its sun, beaches, and views, but we discovered so much more. The villages and countryside are awesome, too.

Today, we left Nice and headed back toward Monaco and visited Èze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, both Medieval hilltop villages with amazing views in the French Riviera.

What makes it very special here are the roads that are high on the mountains overlooking the sea. These roads cut into the mountains and into the sides of the cliffs. It makes for awesome views and nail biting rides. If you remember, Princess Grace lost her life on a road like one of these.

Èze

First, we stopped in Èze, a village high up a mountain on the sea.

It has narrow winding streets that we just loved.

Èze was a great place to stop for lunch and see great sweeping views of the French Riviera.

The village sits on a high cliff over 1,400 ft above sea level and is very near the Italian border. Its oldest building dates back to 1306. We learned that Walt Disney spent a significant amount of his time here.

Èze, population about 3,500, is very popular with tourists and especially with honeymooners. It is what some call a village-musée, a “museum village” because few residents of local origin live here now.

Chuck and I wandered through it and spent a significant bit of our time having lunch in a little alley restaurant. We were entertained by a blind kitty.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Afterwards, we went to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. This village sits high on a hilltop also in the French Riviera. It is one of the oldest medieval towns and is known for its art galleries.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence was a haven for the famous, mostly due to the La Colombe d’Or hotel. We were told that all kinds of celebrities stayed here including Satre, Picasso, Sinatra, and many more. This was their base of operations here in the French Riviera.

Saint-Paul was an old border village from the 16th century separating France and the House of Savoy. The views are fantastic over the hills and down to the sea.

On the south side is a panoramic view of their beautiful countryside. Walking along the cobblestoned ‘Grande Rue’ its main street is most impressive. We ambled down its narrow cobbled side streets, too, taking some time to do a little shopping.

We loved the patterns in the cobblestones.

This is a great place to just ramble.

Chuck took one look at the Grand Rue and its shops and mumbled something about his wallet. Funny man. He acts like I don’t have any credit cards. ☺

This was the end of our trip to Southern Europe and we flew back home from the Nice airport. Both of us had been to France, the first time over twenty years ago; but this was our first trip to the French Riviera. We really enjoyed it. We hope you did, too.

Everyone Loves Paris: Here’s Why I Love Nice

November 26, 2017 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel 3 Comments

Nice is also called Nice La Belle or Nice the Beautiful. We visited it recently and agree with its nickname. Here’s why!

We entered Nice from the east with sweeping views of the city below from a ridge high above. This is a large city with over 1 million in its metropolitan area, making it the fifth largest city in France.

Nice from high above on the east.

We stayed here two days touring Nice and then two more villages nearby. We lodged in the Hotel Splendid which was within walking distance of their promenade by the sea. Anyone visiting for just a couple of days will want to stay near this area. Everything is in walking distance. Near the Hotel Splendid is the Casa Corleone, a great Sicilian restaurant, and one of the best meals we had the entire trip. Love this place.

The Hotel Splendid in the background.

Old Town

The next morning we went first to the old town which is south-east of our hotel. We took a bus, though it may have been within walking distance.

Walking in the Old Town section of the city

They renovated and changed much of the old town down near the sea. Our tour guide showed us a hotel that faced the Boulevard, and she told us that most of the old grand hotels that were built up until the beginning of the 20th century faced the boulevard and not the sea. People were less interested in seeing the sea and more interested in being seen.

One of is grand old hotels.

A closer view

Then we took a walk through their marketplace which for vegetables is open until 2 pm and for other non-perishables is open until 5 pm. They gave us time on our own to shop, use the facilities, and snack. We met our guide at the other end of the market 30 minutes later.

Between the market and old town

Nice’s Churches

As a group, we walked north deeper into the old town where we stopped at a small magnificent cathedral that was built in the 1650s.

Eglise de Gesu

This is the Eglise de Gesu and it has beautiful Baroque interiors. It looks out at the intersection of the former Street of the Jews, where the city’s Jews used to be locked in at night. This street is now called the rue Benoit Bunico. The Eglise or church sits at the intersection of Benoit Bunico and Gesu Street thus the name of the church. Gesu is Jesus in the Nissart language.

Inside the Eglise de Gesu

But Nice grew rapidly in the 1600s and the church was already too small when completed so they built a larger cathedral to replace it within 20 or 30 years of the smaller one.

We also visited the newer church built in the late 1600s called Cathédrale Sainte-Reparate, which was built on the site of an earlier church from the 1200s.

Cathedrale de Sainte-Reparate

It too was beautiful inside.

Cathedrale de Sainte-Reparate

Note the umbrella.

It had a yellow and red umbrella showing that the Pope made this church a basilica.

There were several amazing paintings, too.

They named the basilica after a young Palestinian teenager called Reparate, who refused to renounce her Christian faith in 1060. Her torturers tested her but the angels foiled their attempts. It poured rain when they tried to burn her, and she didn’t die when they poisoned her. Finally, they decapitated her.

To deny her a Christian burial, her murderers left her body on a raft in the sea; but the angels intervened again and the raft came into the bay of Nice where her body arrived untouched and pristine. Today the bay in Nice is called the Bay of Angels, and the young martyr became Sainte Reparate, the patron saint of this Cathedral.

This old town part of Nice looks like an old medieval village.

Streets of Old Town

More of Old Town

More of Old Town

This is another city where they did something to the river. In this case, they covered the river and put a park on top of it so the river runs underground.

The river is under the grassy area which is a park.

The park built over the river.

By the Sea

Later, Chuck and I walked down to the promenade by the sea. It was a beautiful day, and there were sunbathers. There is a wide sidewalk that stretches between the boulevard and the beach. On the other side of the boulevard are the hotels, most of which now open on the sea side of their buildings.

The Promenade in Nice

Looking down on Nice from the east

The grand old hotels in Nice that now open toward the sea.

This is the promenade where the terrorist drove his truck on Bastille Day. We saw several armed men and women in full riot gear patrolling the streets and the Promenade de Anglais Boulevard which was closed the night of the attack and made into a pedestrian thoroughfare. Today, though, I never felt unsafe.

We also walked down toward the sea to a street which is full of restaurants and had a great plate of paella. This is a great city for walking.

More of the Old Town

We usually avoid cities but we loved Nice.

What is the Difference Between Monaco and Monte Carlo?

November 23, 2017 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel Leave a Comment

Since the 12th Century, Monaco has been an independent country. Today it is a constitutional principality. It is a constitutional monarchy and a city-state with four quarters.

The oldest quarter is called Monaco-Ville and is the high area or as the locals call it, “the rock”. This is where the first Grimaldi built his fortress and palace, easy ground to protect.

Photo from Wikipedia

Monte Carlo is another quarter and sits on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps and along the French Riviera. It is in the center of Monaco and is where the famous casino is located. The other two areas are Fontvielle, the newly constructed quarter with the only beach and La Condamine which is the port area.

One time a Grimaldi disguised himself as a monk but took up his sword. That is why their crest is a monk and a sword. And Monaco in French means monk.

Prince Albert II is the current prince of Monaco and is the son of Prince Rainer and Princess Grace. His full name is Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi.

Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly at Engagement Announcement

05 Jan 1956, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA — 1/5/56-Philadelphia, PA: Prince Rainier III of Monaco and lovely Grace Kelly, reigning “Queen” of the American screen, pose for photographers at the home of Miss Kelly’s parents after the pair’s engagement was announced Jan 5, 1956. The wedding plans were disclosed to more than 40 American and European reporters and 25 photographers and cameramen at a news conference in the Kelly’s red brick home. The couple announced they would be married shortly after Easter. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

There’s also his sister Princess Caroline who lives in a villa near the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco. Another sister is Princess Stephanie.

Monaco has 0% unemployment. Its major problem is space and room to grow with 38,000 inhabitants. Only 19,000 are native. To be a resident you must live here six months plus one day of the year.

Every day more than 40,000 people come to Monaco to work. It is very expensive to live here at least $10,000 per square meter, which is ten square feet.

Monaco is a tax haven with no direct taxes. They get most of their tax dollars from vat tax, but the casino pays for everything else needed by its residents.

We sailed to Monaco our last port and are now on a post-cruise adventure. We will stay two nights in Nice, but today we tour Monte Carlo.

We headed first to the rock which is where the Royals built their fortress. The old town is immediately below the rock. The photos appear smoky because it was. They are experiencing a drought here, and there were forest fires in Italy, which is only five miles away.

Prince Charles, an earlier Grimaldi was the first to build the casino. The casino was built in 1863. The natives were forbidden to gamble. Before the casino, Monaco was a poor country, but after the casino, it became very rich. The area of the city-state called Monte Carlo is where the casino is now. Monte Carlo literally means Mount Charles.

The Casino (Photo on Wikipedia.

His son Albert I built the Institute Oceanographique upon the rock. We started our walking tour there.

Then we walked through a beautiful garden/Park with wonderful views on one side and a cathedral on the other. One of the best was looking straight down on a marina.

We noticed that a lot of the plants are the same as in Florida. I even saw a camellia bush. there was beautiful statuary throughout the garden.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral is where Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in 1956. Built in the late 1800s it is Romanesque in design. This has significance to me, as I’ll explain later.

Many of the Grimaldi’s are buried here including Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

The inside was beautiful. This was extra special for me. In my Grandmother Roe’s house was a “Life” magazine that told the story about Grace Kelly marrying her prince. There were pictures of the church they married in and the gowns she wore.

I thought she was beautiful and loved to look at the photos. It was like a real live fairy tale. Both Mama and Ranny were fascinated by it all, too. So here I am standing in this same church more than 50 years later.

Across the street from the cathedral is a 14th-century building that was also a church at one time.

We visited the palace where Albert II lives (just the outside). The old part was built in the 14th century. He was also married here.

In the view from the wall near the palace you can see France just past the city up above

and to the right of the city, there’s a peninsula far in the distance. That is Italy, about five miles away. Monaco is indeed a tiny country.

The Monte Carlo Grand Prix is their main event. Over 20 million people come here to see the race. The Formula One event began in 1929.

In the streets of Monte Carlo, the cars reach speeds of 200 mph. They follow the Circuit de Monaco and even use the city’s tunnels. You can read about it here.

The streets here are used for the Grand Prix.

There are lots of tunnels in the city, 42 miles in all. Because of them, you can drive quickly through it. They disappear under buildings and under other roads above. In fact, we even changed countries in one of the tunnels going from Monaco to France.

This tunnel has openings looking out on the Mediterranean.

Entering this tunnel which runs under a hotel.

Leaving this tunnel. See the city beyond.

This is a fascinating city. I’m glad I saw it. Here’s a few more scenes.

Better Than I Deserve and Thankful

November 22, 2017 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Family Life 2 Comments

Sometimes I think I am so blessed. People ask Dave Ramsey how he is doing, and his reply is “better than I deserve.” And sometimes I feel the same way.

I lost both of my parents far too soon, but God left me with their siblings. Each had only one sibling, but visiting each of them was a chance to keep my parents a little longer.

The only photo I have with both uncles in it. My Parent’s Wedding

Uncle James & Uncle Ferrell

For fourteen years now, I visited my Uncle James Roe, and I got to hear my Dad’s voice, the cadence of his speech, his Southern drawl, and what I loved most, the stories.

Uncle James at his 90th Birthday

Uncle James was truly a model of dignity and respect to everyone who knew him—a special man. He was also my father’s older brother.

But when I visited Uncle Ferrell, it always took me back to so many good times that our families had together—the Christmas Eves which were always with the Hamricks, my mother’s family; swimming in lakes rivers & springs; camping; and traveling. The two families did a lot together.

Uncle Ferrell was good-natured, always teasing, and younger—another special man in my life. He was my mother’s younger brother.

Uncle Ferrell & Mama

Uncle Ferrell was only 17 when I was born. He loved to recall when he held me in church, and I wet him good. It was right there in the First Baptist Church of Monticello, Florida, or at least the building that was there in 1954. I wet him so much that it streamed down the pew and dripped on to the old wooden floor, loud enough that people looked around to see from where the water dripped.

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I’ve got great memories of Uncle James, Aunt Nell, and their boys, too. They visited my Grandmother Roe, who lived next door, and a good time was always had by all. I loved best the stories, as both Daddy and Uncle James were master storytellers. The adults would sit up late into the night talking and reminiscing. I was one of those that was supposed to be asleep, but I seldom was. Those stories were just too good.

James Nell Roe Kenny Jimmy

Great Role Models & Mentors

Both uncles were good role models for me. Uncle Ferrell’s determination to finish college made its mark on me. He did it while married and providing for his family, working full-time. Uncle James went to Jones Business College in Jacksonville, and he was the first Roe that I know of that went to college.

Uncle James’ work ethic inspired so many of us. World War II interrupted his college plans. Because of polio, he could not enlist; but he was called back to Jefferson County to run the Rationing Board. He did this until 1945 when Atlantic Coastline Railroad (now CSX) recruited him to join their Engineering Department in Jacksonville. He spent the next 38 years working for them.

Uncle James contracted polio at the age of 18 months. Two other children in the county were not as fortunate. It took six long years of therapy to get Uncle James to where he could lead a normal life. My Grandmother Roe said that he had to learn everything all over again, especially the walking part. And he walked on the side of his foot for the rest of his life.

It never slowed him down a minute. Sometimes I believe my Grandparents made sure that Uncle James never once felt like a victim. He plowed ahead no matter what the circumstances. His “can do” attitude, non-complaints, and work ethic inspired us the most.

Uncle Ferrell gave many of us our love for turkey hunting, including myself. He was a master hunter in his own right, so much so that one time back in the 1970s Sonny Shroyer came to Monticello to film an outdoor TV show about turkey hunting and Uncle Ferrell was in it. Sonny Shroyer was Deputy Enos on “The Dukes of Hazard”. When I decided I wanted to call on my own, Uncle Ferrell was my mentor. He showed me the calls and showed me how to scout.

Both men had kind and caring natures. Uncle James had this wonderful laugh that reminded me of Dad’s. Uncle Ferrell was a teaser and loved to get your goat. Uncle James was a Florida Gator and Uncle Ferrell an FSU Seminole. Well, we can’t all be perfect. Our family goes both directions during football season, so it depends on one’s perspective.

Both uncles’ “will to live” was phenomenal. Uncle James at the age of 96 is believed to have been the oldest polio victim in Florida.

Uncle James’s 95th Birthday

Uncle Ferrell was diagnosed over four years ago with inoperable kidney cancer. Two years ago this past summer they told him to call Hospice because it was over. As instructed he called Hospice and showed them all and lived another two years, even planning a trip to the coast with his old Air Force buddies, literally days before he passed away.

Uncle Ferrell and Aunt Sandra last Christmas

So you see these two men were my heart. They inspired me in their own ways and I will truly miss them. They inspired all of us in the Roe and Hamrick families.

Losing them Both Within Ten Days

Uncle James passed away at the age of 96 on September 23rd and ten days later Uncle Ferrell passed at the age of 80 on October 3^rd. I’m sure it was a joyous occasion in heaven, but we were shocked that they died so close to one another. We knew that Uncle Ferrell’s time was getting close, but not Uncle James’s. Looking back, though, we realize now that there were signs that we missed.

Uncle James told me several times that he planned to have a foot race with Daddy in heaven. My Dad was the star football running back in high school and Uncle James was his biggest fan never missing a game even after moving to Jacksonville.

My Dad and Uncle James

My uncle said that sometimes he thought that because he couldn’t run that God blessed their family by giving Dad an extra helping of it. But Uncle James told me several times that when he got to heaven, there would be a footrace and that he was going to win it, too.

I told Uncle Ferrell about it, but I guess they already did it by the time Uncle Ferrell got there.

So this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful that God let us have these two men for as long as we did.