Staying the Course -- Thanksgiving Week 2020

[Superbob]

Greetings, all you determined Coursers! It sure was nice to hear from several of you about your Thanksgiving plans. Would be wonderful to hear even more this week and from even more of y'all!

I realize we don't all live in the same countries or necessarily celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday, but I think giving thanks, whatever our spiritual inclinations might be, is pretty much universal. Maybe especially when we have been on the verge of loss, and have been able to move on in good form and spirits.

So near the top of my own blessings count would be health. I know many of you have overcome even more than I have, but being able to bounce back as much as I have from TWO open-heart surgeries just amazes me. And being able to walk for miles despite having my left knee totally replaced is another source of wonder for me and reason for being grateful.

Family would actually be No. 1, because without that support, where would we be? I am particularly grateful that on this Thanksgiving Week our daughter is moving from Tennessee to right here in our neighborhood, within walking distance, with a grand view of a beautiful lake out back. I think she largely did it to be a support for us in our advanced-senior years. (And yeah she loves walking her dog on the beach, too.) So yes family and health -- they do go together!

I have many more blessings, and I hope to write more about them as this week goes on. Would love your reflections here too.

Thanksgiving Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Superman]

Sounds like a lot to be thankful for, @Superbob. Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving in whatever manner you can be together this week. FaceTime or phone call or Zoom. Make the most of it. If you’re allowed in person, all the better.

Turned 48 today. First heart surgery was 30 years back on the 21st. I think I erroneously said the 20th last week, but I found my original St Jude card. Either way, still ticking all these years later.

The kids were kind enough to happily cooperate for a photo shoot for the family Christmas card. I was able to use my birthday lens! A Canon RF 85mm f/2. Fantastic portrait lens for a non-pro like me.

Mentioned in the anniversary thread, my wife and kids made heart shaped cookies for my 30th.

I guess I’ll just echo your thoughts, SB. Two surgeries. Still living well. Family is fantastic. I feel truly blessed.

 

[rich01]

I've got a question about the Covid-19 vaccine. It seems that some people will be vaccinated as early as December. I want to take a trip (for health reasons), but I think the risk/reward with Covid says stay home.

So I did some research, trying to find out when I might be eligible for the vaccine. What I found was not the official plan, but the document that was presented to whoever makes the final plan.

1a is First Responders/Health care workers/etc which is about 5% of the population
1b is people at significantly high risk which is about 10% of the population
2 is people at high risk and people over 65

I think I probably am in category 2, so it might be a while before I can get vaccinated, and I know at least 2 of the 3 vaccines require 2 shots. I couldn't find any information on how the states are going to determine who is in which category and how people will be notified.

If any of you learn anything about it, I would appreciate it greatly if you shared the information. I'm going to try calling the local health department and see if they have any information.

 

[Superbob]

I surmise from this LA Times article that states will have some leeway in how to set up their vaccine distribution. Who will get the first COVID vaccines? California and other states race to decide

There seems to be general agreement, though, that first in line will be (1) front-line health-care workers, and (2) nursing home residents. Beyond that there will be tiers based on degrees of risk and need, and perhaps plans could vary somewhat from state to state. So I gather that even some of us elderly folks who have had heart surgeries might have to wait 2 or 3 months to have the opportunity to take the anti-Covid shots.

An intriguing question is whether health-care workers will be required to be vaccinated. Who would decide that? If there were such a requirement, how would it be enforced?

This doesn't answer your questions, Rich, but I agree that it would be helpful for us to share information as it becomes available.

 

[Paleowoman]

Happy Thanksgiving Superbob and everyone on your side of the pond

Here in England we're going into a new sort of lockdown from next week which will last until the end of March (or maybe longer). We'll all get five days at Christmas when we can invite other family into each other's homes. DH and I will have our son over - he's doing very badly with this lockdown due to his autism and living on his own. Places he'd meet others like pubs are off limits under lockdown, and it's illegal to visit others in their homes unless they are in his 'support' bubble which you can only have one of. His mental health is severely deteriorating but there's no help available. GP has given him a letter to carry around explaining his difficulties in case he's stopped by police.

 

[skeptic49]

Thanksgiving gift...I just reviewed my echo report from last week. At almost six years post surgery the mean gradient of my St. Jude Trifecta AV is 6 mmhg. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here. Stay safe!

 

[Superbob]

Sounds like a lot to be thankful for, @Superbob. Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving in whatever manner you can be together this week. FaceTime or phone call or Zoom. Make the most of it. If you’re allowed in person, all the better.

Turned 48 today. First heart surgery was 30 years back on the 21st. I think I erroneously said the 20th last week, but I found my original St Jude card. Either way, still ticking all these years later.

The kids were kind enough to happily cooperate for a photo shoot for the family Christmas card. I was able to use my birthday lens! A Canon RF 85mm f/2. Fantastic portrait lens for a non-pro like me.

Mentioned in the anniversary thread, my wife and kids made heart shaped cookies for my 30th.

I guess I’ll just echo your thoughts, SB. Two surgeries. Still living well. Family is fantastic. I feel truly blessed.

Hey, Superman -- Happy Birthday, and Hey (St.) Jude! Appreciate all you contribute to our little corner of this important place in cyberspace, and also all the helpful advice on other forums you and others give folks re Warfarin/Coumadin. I had a porcine valve, now a bovine one, but had a three-month stint on the thinners because of blood clot problem coming out of OHS last September. I was scared by the whole thing but you and others make clear that it need not be scary and all can go smoothly and routinely. I think you all do a great job with that.

And your reports about family and fitness and such are always enjoyable. So Happy Thanksgiving to you and to all our Coursers here.

 

[MartinF]

Happy Thanksgiving week all. There will only be 6 here at our house for the day. The concern is a niece that's 18 and lives in a high positive case city. I will stay distant. Eating will be outside if it's warm enough.
I had a recent eye doctor exam, last one was 3 years ago. All was good, no change in prescription either. Early December I have my yearly physical with a GP.
My work just announced that due to the rise in COVID cases they are extending the Work from Home until June 2021. I'm still going in a couple days a week.
Weight still stable at 168.
Happy Birthday Superman!
Everyone stay safe and sane. The vaccines are coming.

 

[dornole]

I made it back from Chicago where I had to go intervene in an eldercare situation. I am grateful that I was able to travel to do that. It was necessary despite the risk. Today, hoping I can still order the groceries I need for Thanksgiving with hubs and the four of my children who live here in the house.

 

[Superman]

Took a picture of the dogs with the new toy. Got a portrait lens for the birthday. Had to shrink the file for here, so doesn’t quite do it justice. Full family effort to get the dogs to sit. Had a second to get this before they moved again.

 

[FredW]

Hi Folks,

I haven't posted in a while and thought Thanksgiving time is as good as any to stop by and say 'hi'.

Oh, I've been busy this crazy year. We shut down my wife's studio in March due to Covid. That forced her to downsize, so we built some walls making a smaller potter studio and we expanded our living quarters to take space that the studio used to have. That meant rearranging our living space.

This summer we expanded our garden and put up a large deer fence. That paid off in work during harvest time that resulted in food goods sitting on shelves and in the freezer.

At the end of summer, we decided to finally get those solar panels I have been planning for years. Now, the sun produces 14,000 KW of electricity annually for me which means I had extra to use, so we got a 2019 Chevy Bolt electrical car. That will save on our pocketbook and reduce our carbon footprint.

I'm thinking about that hot tub we've been wanting for the past few years. It will use up that extra KW capacity. It will also help my aching body after hours of Pickleball playing and my wife's aches and pains due to the long term Lyme's disease she had been fighting.

Covid has kept us isolated, but that just means we had more time to do those projects that have been in the queue for so long. Now, I have to go prepare for the 3" - 5" of snow we are expected to get tomorrow.

We did take a Covid risk and have some family visit for Thanksgiving. My daughter from MA and her family were prudently safe can drove down for a few days. I picked up my granddaughter from West Virginia University and she visited for a few days. We vetoed her father from visiting. He lives in CO and was planning on flying into Pittsburgh. That risk was just too high for us. So there were six of us around a new dining table we just made and had a great time. We took prudent measures to be safe and hope that was enough.

I wish all my friends on the forum well and hope you avoided Covid and have happy and healthy hearts.

Enjoy,
Fred