Scooter Saga

Our four grandchildren (11 to 6) are past the "lap" and "carry me" stage*.  Their hands and legs are better than mine, so it made sense to take advantage of that.  Zoe, the 9 year old, has been offering her party preparation services for awhile and I've come to depend on that.  She wipes down outdoor tables and chairs, counts napkins and moves things from point A to point B.  It was surprising to me how many simple tasks are associated with getting ready for a party.  It would take me forever, but she is done in a few minutes and ready for the next job. Even Lexi, the youngest, folds napkins as precisely as a military recruit makes a bed. I often save the small, meticulous tasks for her; what focus!  She's happy to open a door for me and old enough to keep her toes away from the wheels of a scooter or walker.  Before their dog got so big, she could hold Porter's leash as he enthusiastically pursued affectionate scratching when we visited.  Sh...

Years ago, I watched a talk show host interviewing the most famous couple in India about living in a multi–generational setting.  "Living with your parents and children.  I can't imagine.  How's that working for you?" he inquired.  They were successful, popular, and affluent.  Necessity wasn't their motivation. The man responded, "Living with just your wife and children.  I can't imagine.  How's that working for you ?" Our national culture values settings where the children grow, leave and build their own nest apart from their parents.  However, families live together for a variety of reasons (happy and sad) , and lengths of time (permanently and temporarily) .  It's easy to forget that multi-generational households are the global norm and single family households are not.  Still, we are a product of our culture.  Earl and I were happy to launch our children, see them find partners, have children, and establish hom...

Biking in the Pyranees Mountains between Spain and France!  Over many of the famous Cols (mountain passes) in the Tour de France 2014 route with more than 38,000 feet of elevation!  A bucket list trip... For Earl.   Certainly, my ataxia/limited mobility was a big issue, but even in my able–bodied biking days, this trip would never have made it into my bucket.  The keyword here is E-L-E-V-A-T-I-O-N.  Great for biker Earl, but it held zero appeal to me–for several reasons.  None the less, I didn't want to rain on his parade. "How exciting!" I honestly enthused, "It sounds like a trip of a lifetime!  Bye and have a great time." The reality was, it was our first long term (2 weeks) separation since identifying myself as disabled.  I could cope with missing Earl and his 'aroundness'. While I look forward to periodic solitude, having someone available in the event of an incident has been reassuring.  My search for a reasonable plan beg...

Managing rental properties, when you're disabled, has it's drawbacks and advantages.  Earl has to do most of the legwork, inspecting properties, attending important homeowners' meetings, or showing prospective tenants.  Since he has a job, that tends to take up his days off, evenings or weekends.  We know we can always call on our village* and being up front with our tenants (It's nice to have a tenant with a sense of humor) about my ataxia has been very helpful.  However, armed with a smartphone, computer and some cognitive ability, I can be responsive, troubleshoot most issues, and not have to move my butt out of the chair. Text Message to Earl: Awesome! Since your European biking trip is over and you’re now flying home, I thought you’d get a kick out of this adventure.  I believe texting has an undeservedly bad rep.  It has been a boon to me as a landlord with limited mobility.  High tech combined with low tech–text messaging, computer, sm...