There's no place like home!

We left NuTech at 10:10 pm Sunday evening and walked in our door at 10:45 pm on Monday (1:15 pm USA time!!) we are exhausted, but safe & sound.  Wanda & Janusz met us at JFK and drove us home, so very nice & quite funny in the car!

Today is Tuesday and I slept from 7:00 pm until 7:30 am with a bathroom break at 2:00.  Robbin was up from 2:00 on, poor guy!  Napping now.

New caregiver, first day; seems real nice. Her name is Jessica; moved here from Florida.

Taking it easy, trying to line up PT& OT.

Last post for a while

It's Saturday night and the last night we will sleep at NuTech.  

Today, Abha & I went to Asian Roots Spa. I got a haircut, mani/pedi and eyebrows threaded. Abha had her hair washed and styled plus a mani/pedi with polish. It was nice to be out!  Robbin stayed in the room to get some piece & quiet.

Robbin will go to a storage facility in Gurgaon in the morning to store some things that we don't need at home; about $25 per month.

So you won't hear from me for 2 days or so.

Hugs to all!

Brain SPECT is normal!!

Very exciting.  We saw the pictures but don't have them yet to share with you.  But it's normal after 4 months of stem cells. Geeta wants me to have another SPECT in January in the US and if its still normal I can postpone my trip back to NuTech.

Tomorrow is Saturday and Abha & I will go to Asian Roots, Spa!  Then packing as we leave NuTech at 10pm on Sunday for a 1:50am Air India flight to JFK.  About 14 hours.

Our friend, Janusz, is picking us up around 8 am.  Bless him!

xoxo

Hey Deb, How ya doing?

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Robbin took Abha with him to shop & I got some really nice Indian outfits! In the evening, we Skyped with Ryan and that was really, really great!  Robbin went out and bought Indian pastries-about 100 of them and we gave them out.  They were a big hit. He went out for more!  Then Geeta had them bring me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing! How did she know that's my favorite??

So many people are asking what's improved, how I'm feeling, etc.  Here's the official update.

I've felt a bit better the past few days. I've had trouble sleeping so they gave me something, even though I'm on 6 mg of Melatonin and Tradozone.  According to my practitioner, Shawn Bean, based on my genes & my neurotransmitter report, he said "my sleep is horrendous & at night time my mind races." It's true and I never told him! 

I'm stronger in certain fingers and my wrists, but maybe 20% functional overall.  I still can't lift my arm & that's frustrating for me. I can just about get the electric toothbrush to my mouth. My legs are lifting more weights now at 5 kgs (11 lbs) both forward & backwards with a better range of motion. My balance is a bit off so walking has its moments; I tend to lean forward.  Yesterday, I walked without the walker for the first time since Germany; yeah! And emotionally I'm better, not crying.  My speech is still garbled but my OMs, etc are better for the past 3 days.   So I think my 5 week decline was related to the intense detox and sleep.

Embryonic stem cells take a long time. Think of a new born out of the womb, no muscle control for many, many months, and they are so tiny. The cells I received the first 2 weeks at NuTech are now 4 months old.  As nerves grow the muscles need to relearn movements.  So it will take a long time.  

My doctors now think more detox is in order so I think I'm on the right track. They think the recirculating toxins caused my inability to recover. My cell membranes are damaged & aren't functioning.  This was an assumption made by Shawn as his lab work showed my body not containing the supplements I'd been taking for many months! And then proven with lab work sent from Germany to a specialized lab in the UK. I'm still amazed that they can tell all this! Unfortunately, no such lab in the US.  

Theory: my illness started when I took Cipro & Levaquin '04-'06 & in '08, respectively.  (Jav, Frank -beware!) These antibiotics are in a class called Fluoroquinolo.  Shawn believes this is the suspected catalyst. They damage DNA and with this class of antibiotics "bacteria can enter a physiological state in which the antibiotics do not affect them. This phenomenon, referred to as persistence, is different from resistance because there is no genetic modification and because it is transient.  The presence of persister cells in bacterial biofilms contributes to the difficulty in treating biofilm-related infections."; like LYME!!!!  Then I lost 50 lbs by diet and exercise and in doing so 'shocked my body'.  Toxins are stored in fat and when I lost weight the toxins flooded my body and likely triggered dormant Lyme. 

Are you all amazed? I am!

Sibylla, another one of my practitioners, once said when the pieces of my illness puzzle start coming together, true healing can occur.

One week to go!

On Fri the doctor put the catheter higher up in my spinal chord and when he injected stem sells I could feel them in my left thigh!  It was like a shower inside my leg!!  Never happened before.  After the procedure, I had to lay down for a bit and when I sat up I had a major pain in my left hip; I saw stars!!  So I cried (what else is new?) and laid back down.

So a junior dr was called & told me not to worry its very common as its inflammation.  Inflammation my ass!  He prescribed a pain killer, twice. I typed on my iPad" I think the catheter is hitting a nerve!"  "Oh no, no, don't worry."  After an hr and trying to sit up again I called for another dr.  It's structured here that everything gets told to 1 of 2 senior doctors.  So when the senior dr came (the one who did the procedure) he said maybe the catheter is pressing against a nerve. So he put on sterile gloves & removed the bandage and pulled it out a tiny bit; I moaned because he was touching a nerve and then it was fine.  No more pain.  

Saturday nothing much happened but Sunday, Robbin & I went to the mall.  We went to a GNC to return something I purchased. They said we could only exchange it, but that's not what we were told when we bought it! The guy called his superior who said no also. This was all in Hindi so we don't really know what the conversation was.  The guy proceeded to take other customers but Robbin didn't budge.  Robbin finally spoke to someone on the phone (owner?) and said if we don't get our money back he would call Visa and have them deduct the amount AND take the product home, explaining that they would end up with nothing! The line went dead.  More waiting, more conversations in Hindi via phone and then they asked if he could come back tomorrow.  NO, duh!  So Robbin got the full refund in cash!  (Which we proceeded to spend).

Next came lunch at Nando's, yummy.  Had enough to take back for another meal. Then a bit of shopping and then Food Hall for sheep & goat cheeses!  Enough to bring some on the air plane!

Monday was the norm with PT & OT and then 3 injections in each hand, 1 in the neck, 1 in each cheek and an intravenous one.  Plus 1 IM in each arm once back in the room.

One week and we'll be home --- eating beef!! :-)

xo

Mid Week Update

On Wednesday I had my spinal chord and gut procedures.  Spinal was just an injection.  Then what they call nerve blocks; one in each ankle & and one in each wrist.  When he put the needle in my right wrist I got a shooting pain up my thumb!  "OUCH" followed by tears. When done he apologized but explained that it was actually good he hit a nerve as that's where we want the stem cells to be.

Later in the afternoon I saw an ENT, Dr. Gandhi, so he could remove wax from my left ear. He had a teeny tiny vacuum and cleaned both ears; no pain but the suction noise in both ears was kind of creepy.

On Thursday, I got new reading glasses. Robbin made an appointment for a van to pull up and test my eyes. I was suppose to climb into the van but I couldn't, so they brought everything into NuTech's lobby; no small feat!  We bought Abha reading glasses too.  We'll get them next week.

Tomorrow, Friday, I have a 2 day catheter procedure.  Last one was only 2 days too.

Thought for Today

Monday

Dr. Bieber got back to me even though she was on vacation.  Love her!  She told me I am still detoxing & I should cut down on my liquid PC if it was too much for me.  So now I'm taking it once a day instead of 3 times/day.  Time will tell.  I'm still very unstable on my feet.  Ugh.

Dinner was tough chicken (sad but true) so I had leftovers from Saturday night; yum.

Wednesday I have 2 procedures, one injection in my spinal chord & one for my gut.

They hired a psychologist 2 days per week here so I met her last Thursday and she use to live in Ridgewood, Queens!  Robbin & I were married in Glendale, the next town over.  Small world!  She's nice. I'll see her 4 times before I leave.

Not much else new.  Robbin and I are ready to go home.  I need to line up caregivers, doctor appts, etc.

Thought for the Day

"If you can't convince them, confuse them."   ---- Harry S. Truman

Saturday

Went to the mall tonight for dinner. A place called Nando's.  It was delicious!  Grilled 'boneless' chicken thighs in spiced rice with grilled peppers and chick peas; yummy. For dessert, chocolate ice cream but it wasn't very good; our friend Karan's homemade ice cream spoiled me!

We went to Food Hall for sheep & goat cheeses as we had run out. I'm on a high protein, low carb diet. Then we did a little shopping.  It was so good to get out.

I haven't been feeling well since returning from Germany; very weak and I'm having a tough time walking even with the walker!  ugh. In PT, I haven't even tried walking without it. And when I stand without holding on, I sway much more than before.

I have an email in to my German doctor to see if this is still from the intense detox.  I recall her saying I should feel better in a week or two. And her husband mentioning a month for things to turn around.

On a happier note, my sister-in-law Louise is awake and improving. Yeah!!  Thx for all those prayers.

Wednesday

PICC was removed yesterday morning; when I saw it I knew something was wrong as it was only 8-10 inches long, if that much.  The doctor put in a pediatric PICC because I'm so thin.  That makes no sense to me as I'm 5'4" and weigh 119lbs!!  Good grief. 

Took a nap today; nice.  Robbin worked on brain SPECT data for Geeta.

We had takeout for dinner as they served one gluten free meal & one with gluten.  

We are ready to come home! Less than 3 weeks.

xo

PICC Troubles

Didn't do much on the weekend as Robbin had a major headache.  He's pretty sure he ate gluten unknowingly.

It's Monday and I have a procedure at 1:00. the 3 day catheter one.  I'm ready in my gown.  Did my morning OT & PT.

Had procedure but while still in the operating theatre (OT) I complained that my PICC line was hurting around the inner elbow.  It had been hurting since they put it in but I thought it was from the stitch; ugh. The dr removed my bandage, checked the area and flushed it.  Said I had some inflammation.

Back in my room they gave me a dextrose drip and it began hurting more.  When I sat up after 1.5 hrs, my sheets were wet and my arm swollen (majorly) by the inner elbow!  I have to wait til morning to go to the OT.  Crap; I want it OUT!!

My sister-in-law, Louise, is in the hospital unconscious; please say a prayer for her and my brother, Pete.  Thanks.

Enough excitement for 1 day!

xo

Abha's Birthday!

I've decided not to post daily as there is really nothing new and my ass is dragging.  But I'm ok!  I'll post when there's something note worthy.  Like today is Independence Day in India.  Big holiday, no buses run!  Can you imagine?

Today is also Abha's 40th birthday.  Sue made a great sign & Robbin laminated it.  We gave her a leather wallet from Germany.  She really liked it; showing it to all the sisters. Robbin wrapped it with perfection, bow and all! And he bought some munchkins from Dunkin Donuts for her.

Only a skeleton staff today due to the holiday. At 11:00, there was a flag ceremony out in front of NuTech. Music was blaring! Then a national anthem was played and they all joined in. Geeta's mom did the honors and flower confetti fell from the flag as it unraveled.  Then she made a short speech.  It was her birthday too!

There was no kitchen staff for lunch or dinner so they ordered take-out for us.  Abha had a Dominos pizza with seriously red hot chili peppers!  She didn't like the peppers so we gobbled them up & put them in our Dosas; yum!

Thought for the Day

We can't do great things in this life . . . 

We can only do small things with great love. 

-- Mother Theresa

Back in India

So we got back to NuTech at about 8:30 am on Saturday morning, exhausted since neither one of us slept for more than an hour.  Ahba didn't show up as she thought we were arriving Sat night, not morning.

Robbin unpacked 2 bags after we napped.  It's a culture shock, food wise, from Germany!  Luckily, Robbin bought 2 loaves of gluten-free bread from the bakery in Germany.  The best go bread we've ever had.

Everyone was very welcoming and inquisitive about Germany.  I think most of them thought it was a vacation. I tried to explain "detox."

On Sunday, Ahba came after church and unpacked 2 bags and organized things with me.  It was great to see her!

Today, Monday, I went to PT & OT.  I felt weak so I only lifted 4 kgs with my legs and didn't walk without the walker.  Hard enough to walk with it right now.  In OT, I cried, which they don't like.  I couldn't get my point across (same old story.)

I got a new PICC line today.  The DR said it would be good in America, but I never saw ends like this before-2 of them.  He gave me an injection to numb the forth-coming pain and the vein disappeared! So he spent time trying to make it pop out.  Tick Tock.  Then it was done and he numbed me some more and gave me 2 stitches! Ugh.  Not like Morristown Memorial in NJ!

New meds from Dr. Bieber and new directions on some old meds.

Hugs to all and thanks for all the support!
xo

Pictures from Germany

From left, Theresa (helper), Andrea (possibly a nurse, if not, she's very skilled), Dr. Bieber  (so wonderful), Dr. Milz (her husband, equally wonderful) and me.

Ester, who we met at the hotel. Actually, RC met her and then when he saw her sitting alone at dinner, invited her to our table.  We ate several meals with her and she was delightful! Mom is German and Dad was from India.  She teaches deaf children and was there for 2 weeks donating her time to adults.  She is quite beautiful as you can see!

Stephanie, one our our waitresses.  She was extremely helpful.

Day 13 - Goodbye Germany

Germany was great even though the treatment was hard.  Hotel was five stars for food, comfort, cleanliness & friendliness! Even the patrons were friendly.

Dr. Bieber and her husband, Dr. Milz are truely gems.  They run such a nice praxis (practice).  And their patients were friendly too!  I was with a family during the last week.  The woman was I'll and her husband & twin sister came and had treatments too.  They were from Holland and Brussels, respectively.  They all spoke French, German & English.

I met the Milz's son Michel.  Here's our conversation:

MM hi, how are you?

DPC hi, I'm well.  How are you?

MM I'm well.

DPC How old are you?

MM I'm 11.

DPC you're tall for eleven!

MM My father is tall.  How old are you?

DPC I'm 55.

What a hoot!!  Told his mom, we laughed at his wonderful innocence. 

Dr Bieber explained my tests results which showed 1) antibiotic residue 2) epoxy resins & 3) pesticides ON MY DNA sitting on specific genes!!  She said pesticides take a long time to get rid of.  And it turns out I'm sensitive to pesticides; Ugh, we used to have the outside of our house sprayed for cluster flies.

My cell death is high due to my muscle wasting.

There is a lot more and I will mail to my scientific / MD friends.  This was done in a UK lab & they don't accept samples from the US; too much volume.

We were picked up by a driver at 4:10 for the airport for a 7:55 pm flight.  The highway was clear until the end and then it stopped.  Ugh.  Time passed: 6:00, 6:30, 6:50 we were close. Our driver then called for a wheelchair that she had previously arranged to tell them we were just minutes away. They said someone would meet us; great.  No one was there; she called again- a few minutes, we were told. 7:05, 7:10 another call; any minute. 7:15, she called us- where exactly were we?  Finally around 7:20, both the man with the wheelchair AND the woman on the phone came.  Now, it's a race; again.  Luggage unloaded, me unloaded and we're off!

A special Luftunza line for the handicapped, great.  She took our passports and tapped her keyboard to print our luggage tags and there are no labels in the machine. Tick Tock, Tick Tock..., New labels are installed and they don't print!  Tick Tock.  She goes to the computer next to her and it doesn't print either.  Tick Tock.  She runs like the wind down the row to another computer and comes back with our luggage tags. 7:35 or 7:40!

Now security, special line again for me.  The security officer gave us trouble bringing food on the flight even though I had Dr. Bieber write a note in German that I needed it due to food allergies!  He had to demonstrate his power.  Tick Tock.  Finally approved.  Now quickly through passport control - done.  Now a race to the gate who know we are coming.

Now, normally handicapped people are let on first with moms and babies, but we missed that boat 45 mins ago!  So they were late boarding so we waited until the last passenger boarded; comical, huh?

We got on the plane; do you know they have a narrow wheelchair for the aisles?  

Flight was less than 7 hrs

xo

To the time keepers

I listen to the radio all the time.  I also like news and the spoken word.  I have an internet radio I travel with.  I used listen to and travel with a short wave (I have 4 of them), but I can't pick up stations any more.  Religious groups buy up popular frequencies (those that broadcast well) and they basically rant and rave.  And countries that broadcast in English are closing down there national shortwave stations.  I used to listen to Swiss Radio International, Deutsche Wella and Radio Japan, but they don't broadcast. So I switched to the internet where I can find most of the stations I used to listen to.

My internet radio has a clock in the display and it gets time from the internet so it is usually spot on.  Today it was an hour ahead.  Here's where it gets good.

I'm the timekeeper in the family.  My internal clock starts dinging when we're almost late.  I get antsy and pushy.  I don't like to be late.  Deb isn't too worried about being late for stuff.  She's going as fast as she can and won't wake up early to be someplace where they aren't too worried about being on time.  As opposed to me where I would like to be 5 or 10 minutes early where ever I go.  I suspect 2 opposites will tend to create tension and two of the same will ether be perpetually early or late with no tension.

To the early birds, set your clock an hour ahead and don't tell the other.  Today I looked at the internet radio clock and it was 8:22.  She had to be at Dr Bieber's at 9.  We were dressed and down to the restaurant in less than 20 minutes and that is with hair combed and teeth brushed.  Deb was going to just have yogurt when she looked at the clock on the church out our window and saw it was 7:50.  She didn't get mad at me, but had time for French toast and bacon. 

So what could have been a tense and rushed time for me, even though I don't even go there anymore, was a leisurely breakfast.  I highly recommend the "setting your clock ahead an hour" ploy, if you are the early bird in an opposites pair.  Sadly, I'll probably only get the one chance at the ploy and may be asked to check my clock for the rest of my life.  It was a nice surprise that we weren't late and didn't have to rush.

As long as I'm with Deb and have my internet radio, I'm at home.  These last months have gone by pretty fast and if either of them (more importantly Deb, of course) were missing, I would have felt like I was away and very much wanted to return home.  After a while, even here in Germany after only 10 days, it feels like home and we get into a routine.  India was the same way, except with the sisters and Abha, it is like being part of a family of 20 and I'm the only male.  I guess this is how a priest feels at a convent.

Day 11 - 2 more days to go!

I'll tell you, this detoxification stuff is not for sissies!

I don't feel well, very weak and tired.  Tomorrow, Thursday, Dr. Bieber will begin to reduce my ampules of PC so I can travel Friday evening without any accidents. Can you imagine?!?

Thought for Today

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."    ---- Charlie Chaplin

Day 9 - Goodbye Gallstones

Don't worry, this post won't be graphic.  I promise!

Today was my 4th colonic, 3rd with the coffee enema mixture, and gallstones came out!  I didn't know that was even possible.

Dr. Bieber said my gall bladder is being resuscitated.  

Resuscitate Away!

Nothing new to report.

Thought for Today

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night."  

                    --- Steve Martin

A Vacation in Germany

Here I sit in Germany. This is the opposite of India. It is clean, not rushed, very quiet and English isn't universal. We're in a hotel where what we want comes before anything else, whereas in NuTech Mediworld, it is about our fitting into their regimen. Of course I'm sitting on a veranda enjoying nature and Deb has pipes in her adding and removing the cure and what ails her, respectively. I certainly have the better end of this deal.

You might remember me poking fun at the Indian soap companies for touting “German Technology” in their dish soap. I will bet a Rupee that a bunch of marketing people sat in a room brainstorming and said, what is the cleanest place in the world and let's make them think of there when they use our soap. One said Germany and those from India who had visited voted yes, as it is in fact so much cleaner that it must have made a big impression on them.

Here they have storm drains to carry away rain. In New Delhi, they don't. Perhaps it is too flat in New Delhi to expect pipes in the ground to do more than fill up. Where we are in Germany it is on a big hill, not quite a mountain. The storm drains just have to catch the water and gravity does the rest. Every house has complete rain gutters that carry the rain into the storm sewers. In New Delhi, the roofs are flat and when they fill up, someone goes up and bails them out, or unblocks a pipe that drains the water right onto the sidewalk.

Both places have flies. In Germany because we're in cow country. In New Delhi because the rain hasn't washed the refuge away. Neither place believes in screening their windows, so flies are used to being both indoors and outdoors.

Both places have people who love to sweep. Here they sweep and dispose. There they sweep onto their neighbor's side who sometime later sweeps it back. Of course here the air is dust free and there the air is so full of dust, sand, dirt, etc, etc that before you get to the end of your sidewalk, the beginning is coated, that is if you did have a sidewalk, which they don't. Here you can finish your sweeping and look back at a job well done.

We're far enough out in rural Germany, that English isn't necessarily practiced day to day. It seems like everybody tries, but those further out of practice are less confident with their hold on it. I can't tell who has no English in their past, but almost everybody tries if confronted with me trying to ask a question. A lot of our fellow diners don't seem to have much English so smiles and good mornings and evenings and friendly head nods are as far as we get or give. I'm not critical in the least because my German is limited to having an idea what we're eating and not much more than the type of meat and the fact vegetables are being served. I'm friendly with one fellow who lived in Boston for a while.

This seems like a vacation from India and India is an adventure away from the US. When first saw the German doctor, she said we might like to stop here on the way back to the US. Well, after I had just paid to change our Air India tickets back to JFK, I really wasn't willing to give them up to go to Munich and then to the US. If I'm right, next trip will be a “jaunt” to Germany for a week or two and then a month or so in India and then back to Germany and then back to the US. Why? All the medical people in these two places absolutely, positively, without a doubt believe they can help Deb. And of all the doctors she's been to, these two (Indian and German) are speaking of complimentary therapies. Each is interested in what the other is doing.

Day 8 - A room with a view

Me at last night's BBQ.  We arrived early, a rare event for me these days!

One side of our hotel.

A lazy Sunday in Bad Groenenbach. 

Woke up late but they served us breakfast and we ate French Toast; a real treat with maple syrup and bacon.  Yummy in my tummy.

Hung out on our balcony until lunch.  Then we napped for 2 hrs after lunch, nice!

Some people left today & some arrived.  They all smile and greet us.

From our balcony.

View from our balcony; nice home.

Thought for today

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” 

― Elbert Hubbard

The open windows are in the dining room.

Day 7 -Saturday - Best hair cut in a while

Today, I woke rested at 8:00. We went to breakfast expecting French Toast for me but I was served eggs, bummer.  

The hotel owner drove us to the beauty parlor, he was nice.  Once there, my hair stylist came out to get me; her name is Sabine.  She washed and cut it. Then I asked for it to be shorter. I had some trouble telling her I wanted it sticking up, standing up and eventually she got it.

After my haircut we had lunch & at 1:30 a massage. BUT she began doing PT exercises.  So I was disappointed but figured it was better for me.  After an hour I asked her, Andrea, if she also did massages and if she had time; she said yes to both.  She massaged my arms & legs, neither of us could figure a way to get me on my belly.

I took a nap from 3:00 to 5:00; nice!

Sabine making final touches.

She was really nice!

Thought for Today

"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others." 
---- Plato

Day 6 - thank God its Friday

Had a rough day on Thursday so no blog entry.  KB worked me up to my final dose of 10 amps (250 mg) yesterday and I had my second water colonic plus a coffee enema; coffee plus minerals, liquid PC & phenyl butyrate.  Major diarrhea followed in the evening.  The toxins leave through the stool.  I'm now wearing a diaper just in case.

Me in the infusion chair.  It goes back & I usually nap.

Same treatment on Friday.  They bring me lunch from the hotel.  A woman named Theresa helps me.  Robbin has been staying at the hotel to get some well deserved freedom. 

Tonight, no issues like last night.  Phew!

Harry helping me out of the van. Giant arms!

The hotel had a barbecue buffet outside for us.  It was really nice!  Some pictures below.  They served grilled lamb, pork, sausage, shrimp & turkey.  And about 10 different salads.

Tomorrow I'm getting a haircut at 11:00. And a doctor ordered massage!  I haven't been getting any PT here and I'm mostly in a wheelchair so she thought it might help.

Stupid autofocus - Deb's chair is in perfect focus but the cooks aren't.  Guess the photographer needs lessons.  Nice, arm, eh?

Some of the people we eat with every day

Day 4 - I'm where I'm meant to be

Today, Wednesday, was my third treatment and her office was packed with patients getting the same IV treatments; we were all napping.

KB spent time with me at the end of my treatment.  We chatted and she answered my questions.  Robbin told her how emotional I was the previous night.  I couldn't stop crying.  She explained that I'll be up & down.  She doubts I have Lyme bacteria any more but only toxins and heavy metals recirculating in my body.  I've often wondered whether it was still active Lyme causing havoc in my body.  

On the way back to the hotel, Harry took us for a brief sightseeing tour showing us the highest mountains in Germany (from a distance).

Back at the hotel we ate lunch.  They are very accommodating to us!  The menu is set, but we always get exceptions; after all, I am a princess. :-)

We eat in a dinning room over looking a very serene view.  The roofs of all buildings are either brown or tera cotta; must be a rule so it all matches. We see a church with a tower holding a clock.  This evening there were no clouds.

Our waitress, Stephanie, aims to please. She saw that Robbin cuts my meat and beginning the next day the chef cut it for me!  She asked if we wanted gluten free bread & the next day it was served.  Everyone has assigned seats and a large white envelope has our name written in calligraphy.  It holds our napkin which we reuse for a day or two, unless really dirty.

After lunch I took a 2 hour nap! 

Thought for Today

"Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know"
     ----- Pema Chödrön