Welcome to my Campfire a Birthday Girls Recap

Happy Saturday. I'm sitting around the campfire by myself this morning in contemplation. Today is my birthday and i'm thinking about a lot of things. Where did the past year go? What changes have occurred? Where I want to go and be. The campfire is good for that. Staring into the flame. Tossing on some "magic fire".  Here take a peek.

So, the past year. Exactly one year ago I was in the hospital in acute respiratory failure. My beloved and I had just returned from upstate NY where we'd visited the Lucille Ball museum. We'd had a wonderful time but the morning of our return, I woke up and snarled at poor Pete for making noise. Everything went down hill from there. I'm not going to go into detail, but the five days in the hospital were not fun. The things that made my days pass? Writing and Editing. My final day in the hospital I had the staff rolling their eyes. They said I could go home if I was able to keep my oxygen stats in the 90s. In my a private room, because the sickness Para-Influenza,  was contagious. I set myself up with the lights dimmed, jazz playing from Pandora and a standing desk. By the end of the day I was outta there.

But I wasn't the only one having a bad time. My granddaughter at the same time was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and in a different hospital. She was only six years old. Don't worry. She's doing very well. What did we both looked forward to? Camping.

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That weekend following our discharge we took our 5th Wheel up to Honesdale KOA, one of our regular places to drop the landing gear, and we had a quiet, but great time. You see, even with the trouble, when you have family and friends somehow it's easier. 

We continued to take trips. Our next adventure was with friends at the Pocono KOA with friends, then onto Maryland. We had several more weekends in Pennsylvania with grands, then spent a long weekend in Cape May NJ. While my DH attended the Fireman's Convention, Hali and I rented a golf cart and drove around the campground. We squeezed in a final trip to Vermont with friends then poor 2HOOTs, my fiver, had to be tucked away for the winter. ​

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Ahh, winter. It was a long one.  Just as we were looking forward to our first weekend at Otter Lake in Pa, you know what happened. Dum da dum dum dum-Covid-19. Everyone's life changed. By March 18th I was furloughed and isolated. Remember the hospital stay? Well my lungs still hadn't recovered completely. I go every six months or so for a follow up CT scan, so house arrest it was. Ugh. I have to say though, I am blessed. Pete continued to work. I live in a lovely place. And I had my dog. Things got a little hairy, literally. I can't remember when my hair has been so long. ​My friend Ginny dropped off a face mask and it has OWLS on it.

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April Rock House Grill released and I cried when I opened the box and saw my first copies. We were supposed to celebrate at Camp Taylor with my sister. Nope. No celebration. Then, the book signing with a group of NJ authors had to be cancelled as well as an 'Author Talk' at my public library. ​

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I continued to keep busy. A Peek Through the Window blog, joined Welcome to the Campfire. I wrote, I edited. Reviewing books became a part of my days. Rainbow Sprinkles became a reality and is part of a series that has a little bit for everyone. I'm hoping when it releases in July you all can take it to the beach safely. 

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So, another year has passed. I got the call to return to work this week. I'll tell you I was a bit nervous. I had a nightmare that night. But it's okay. It's different. I have different hours and work between two different offices.
Circumstances change us. We learn and adapt.
In the early 1980's I worked in the prison system during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Medicine changed, our lives changed, many of us lost someone. But we survived, and life resumed. A new normal. We'll laugh again. Cry again. Eat out in restaurants again. And dang it, get our hair cut again. Which brought this song to mind  www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_IYAvaa8cU
We'll never be the same. But we'll be okay. 

​And here we are. May 30th. My birthday. I won't tell you what year, but here's are hints. ​








​This girl and I were both born​
Alaska and Hawaii became states
Walt Disney released Sleeping Beauty but the Top Grossing Movie was Ben Hur
The 30th was celebrated as Memorial Day
Rod Serling's Twilight Zone 
Michael and Mary were the most popular names
                                   
The Best Selling Books were
1. Exodus by Leon Uris
2. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
3. Hawaii by James Michener
4. Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
5. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
6. The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene L. Burdick
7. Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell
8. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
9. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
10. Poor No More by Robert Ruark

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Until next time...
​Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 
​3 John 1:2