Nasty Notes

I wrote a nasty note to my doctor:

I'm a little nervous that you withhold my thyroid lab tests from me for two weeks. If it's serious, I should be in tomorrow. If it isn't, I should not be stressed out for two weeks. I know it is time for my yearly exam. I don't need to be threatened with an "abnormal" lab result. I had planned to make an appointment. I need to know what the problem is now, not in two weeks. That's just me. Thanks, Jeanette

Suddenly instead of my appointment being on August 9, at 3 PM, they could see me that morning at 10:30.

Then when we pick the prescription up, it is for only 30 days so I write another nasty note:

Smiths sold me 30 pills. You said to have my thyroid checked in six weeks. How does that work? In less than 30 days, I will need to try to get a hold of you to order more pills. It's both a waste of time and money - we waited at Smiths for over 1/2 hour. Jeanette

That worked out so well, I decided to write a nasty note to my neighbor:

When you get a minute, come to our back yard and see how much your tree is over the property line - don't forget to check the top. You talked about trimming it so it doesn't infringe on our garden, lawn, deck, and peach tree - not to mention it falling on me when I'm sunbathing on my deck (I know, I'm old and funny). Appreciate the consideration. Jeanette

Last December, I wrote an email to our neighbors telling them how their tree blocked out a whole mountain range for us; and how we are too old to rake the leaves and pick up the million prickly balls that fall onto our yard each fall.

Dave: 

I recently read a book about a woman – a wife, a doctor actually – who was sitting out on her deck when a tree fell on her and killed her. It didn’t kill her immediately; she suffered for three or four days before she died.  The wind wasn’t even blowing; the air was calm; there was no storm.

It put the fear in my heart. I can’t sleep at nights, many nights, worrying the giant tree you planted so close to our property will fall on our house and crush it. Especially when the East Winds blow. Or when it storms. Or even when it’s calm.

It blocks out an entire mountain range from our deck. We used to plant a garden in the back yard, even had grow-boxes; now everything is so shaded nothing will grow (except weeds).  Plus, this time of year, a good share of the leaves fall in our yard – and those hard seed balls all over the yard. Ugh. Now we are in our 80’s we cannot rake or pick up (or do much, truth be told – you’ll see when you get old).

A little consideration so we can sleep at night? I think it’s a danger. It grew so fast, it couldn’t have much of a root system.

Even before reading the book, I worried about it; the book just prompted me to let you know we feel threatened and are not happy about how it dominates our back yard.

Nevertheless, you are very GOOD NEIGHBORS. Jeanette

Subject: Re: City of Good Neighbors

Hi Jeanette,

Thank you for your letter.  While we love the shade our Sycamore tree provides and it has given us many family memories (one example: Lauren's wedding reception occurred under it's boughs), it has grown larger than I'd like.  Therefore I understand your concern.  I spent $400 and had a crew thin out quite a few branches in August in an effort to lessen the tree mass being pushed during a wind storm.  We'd like to address your tree falling concern.  I'm not sure how we will do that at the moment.  Give us some time to consult with tree experts and consider various options.  We'll get back to you with what we'd like to do.

Thanks for being very good neighbors as well!  David & Jane

On 12/26/2016 2:43 PM, drffp@aol.com wrote:

Hi Jeanette,

As I mentioned yesterday--you did a great narration job on the Christmas program!  A few days ago I received the risk analysis from Arborcare/Arborscape, Inc., who sent Chris Kolb their ISA Certified Arborist out to analyze our Sycamore tree.  I was relieved to find the tree in excellent health.  I have attached their letter and hope their analysis will bring some piece of mind regarding the issue you raised.  I also spoke to two landscape architects that are familiar with the Sycamore tree and they gave the same opinion as the Arborcare expert.  We plan to have some additional pruning done in February or March and I'll have the Murdock boys pick up leaves in the fall as we did in November.

Again--I hope this report brings some peace of mind.

Best wishes always!  David & Jane

Dear David,

So I'm not going to be crushed while reading my book on the deck?

Did you bribe Arborcare?

Just kidding.

You are a very kind and concerned neighbor to go to these lengths in consideration of our concerns.

You love the tree - it has good memories for you.

We hate the tree - it blocks a whole mountain range for us and shades our yard and drops big leaves and prickly seeds.

That's life.

We don't always get what we want. And that's OK. That's community. Give and take.

And you've gone the extra mile. We appreciate the pruning so it doesn't invade our space. Jeanette

Almost August and no pruning. (In the meantime, he's built a fancy cabin in the mountains.) The tree has grows bigger and bigger and comes over the fence line a good 30 feet or more and that’s why I wrote another Nasty Note.

 Poor little peach tree. 

  

 While I was out taking pictures, Ed passed by on his trike ride.
Actually, my trike. His trike has been in the shop since July 10.

Who’s next? It may be YOU.

A Man Works from Sun to Sun; A Woman's Work is Never Done

"Norm is doing great after his stem cell injections,” DeRay tells me after he has talked to Karen on the phone. “He mows the neighbors’ lawns, trims, and the all the usual with no pain." 

I pondered this all afternoon. Does he think I don't do enough? That I'm babying myself too much?

At bedtime, I present my case: “Since I have had stem cell injections in my knees, I have routinely cleaned the house, doing all the vacuuming, dusting, moping, bathrooms. I’m on my feet for three hours just cleaning the kitchen; then I fix Ed’s lunch before I can sit down which takes another ½ hour. I prepare most of the meals, do the dishes, all the laundry. I have cut the Swiss chard and frozen it; picked raspberries and frozen them with Amy. I have pulled weeds and trimmed trees."

Truly, I have had no break from normal chores even though explicit instructions read: Weeks 1 and 2: Light activity.  No running or weight lifting. YOU MUST NOT OVER DO IT! USE CAUTION WITH ACTIVITY NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU FEEL.  Weeks 3 and 4: IF IT HURTS DON’T DO IT! Keep all work outs to less than 50% of normal pre-injection distance/weights/reps. Weeks 5 and 6: Avoid jarring and high impact activities. Weeks 7 and 8: Continue core and strengthening exercises. The Stem cells are now at their peak of healing potential, Help them heal you by not overdoing it. Rest! Rest! Rest! It is extremely important that you relax, take it easy, and lay low for a few weeks. The stem cells will begin their regeneration process and the best results will come as you give your body time to rest and relax!

It seems that what a woman does, doesn’t count; it is expected and goes unnoticed. What a man does is extraordinary.

Boo-hoo-hoo.

More on Stem Cell Therapy from Dr. Sears:

DERAY,

A medical revolution is happening as we speak...

And the great state of Texas is leading the charge.

It started because people like you finally got fed up with the chokehold the FDA has on medicine.

Let me explain…

The FDA is controlled by bureaucrats who were hired from Big Pharma and the medical establishment.

They refuse to approve life-saving therapies without years of tightly controlled clinical trials. In the meantime, real people are suffering. And even dying.

But Texas is on track to become the first state to explicitly back stem cell therapies.

And it's about time states took this power away from the FDA.

Texas just passed a bill allowing clinics and companies to offer therapies even if they haven't been approved by the FDA.

It's called the "right to try" law and more than 30 states are considering following suit.

The Texas bill will allow people to choose miraculous stem cell therapy.

One legislator pleaded with his colleagues to pass the law so his paralyzed wife could have a chance to walk again.

Of course, the medical establishment is up in arms. They don't want you to have access to stem cell therapy. They call it experimental and unproven and unsafe.

The FDA claims stem cells are drugs. And they want to regulate them like a drug...

And if the FDA can't control stem cells, they can't profit from them!

Stem cells are your body's master cells.

They can be transformed into virtually every cell type. They allow your body to regenerate damaged tissue in any organ from your brain to your heart to your liver.

They can even make your face and skin look 15 years younger.

Decades ago scientists thought stem cells had to be harvested from embryos. But now we know that your body has its own supply of these regenerating cells. They are stored in your body's adipose or fat tissue.

Studies show these stem cells can:

regenerate brain circuits and reverse severe stroke damage

reverse degenerative disc disease in the spine

activate your immune system

relieve arthritis and knee osteoarthritis

repair tendons, torn muscles, injured ligaments and damaged joint cartilage

stimulate new collagen in the skin

increase skin thickness and reduce wrinkles

But here's the problem. You lose stem cells as you age.

This makes your body's recovery process longer and harder. Injuries don't heal as fast. Illnesses linger. Chronic problems develop.

Stem cell therapy can turn that around. It restores your body's natural healing ability.

Stem cell therapy promises to transform modern medicine. It could put Big Pharma and most doctors out of business. No wonder they're up in arms.

I already use stem cell therapy in my own practice. If you're interested in learning more about these therapies, please call 561-784-7852. My staff at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine will be happy to answer all your questions. You can also visit www.searsinstitute.com.

Al Sears, MD, CNS

False Advertising

I check the Internet on this 24^th of July holiday

Clearfield Aquatic Center

Lap Swimming: 7-8 AM; 9-11 AM

“Great, Ed, we can go swimming.

Let’s try to get there right at 9 before everyone else gets up.”

We cut our trike ride short;

We gobble down our breakfast.

We rush into what we hope is an empty pool.

E-gads! The Swim Team from Hell.

A thousand arms a flailing;

Water splashing a mile high.

What?

They should have told us.

“Two lanes for you, four lanes for the swim team,”

the lifeguard says.

In the very last lane, there are only two people.

As it turns out, a mother and a daughter.

The daughter looks 70; so the mother is probably 90.

We get in. We didn’t come all this way for nothing.

“We’ll be out in half an hour,” the daughter says politely.

“We’ll swim with you. We have no choice.”

They talk it over and decide the two of them will swim on one side,

while we swim on the other.

Sounds good.

I motion Ed to move over.

When they get out, the daughter comes over to me

and smilingly says,

“Thank you for sharing the lane with us.

It all worked out.”

“Thank You,” I counter,

“you were very kind to share your lane with us.”

“Have a Happy 24^th of July!” she avows.

How could we not?

Touching.

From Duck Creek to Snowbird

From camping to condo.

From showering once every three days with a gallon of water;

to showering three times a day.

High altitude. 

Cool.

Amy and I went down I-15 to stop in Cedar City

to take some pictures to Shirley that DeRay had put

on a disc for her.

DeRay, Brent, and Ed took the Highway 89 route

which is more level with the trailer.

 The Brian Head Fire from I-15 

 July 3, 2017 - man-caused fire started June 17, 2017, at 12:20 PM

 The Float awaiting clients for the parade.

 Yula said they asked her to ride on it

but she wanted to celebrate with her 

Down Syndrome daughter, Naomi,

who was born on the 4th of July.

Navajo Lake, over the dike. 

 Brent hikes Lost Hunter's Trail

 He was so excited.

He found the tree he carved to mark the trail

how many years ago?
Obviously, the "Hugh" was written
before "Duck Creek" and the arrow.

 Overlooking Zion  

  

 The scourge of the mountain.

Brent went out and bought a dust mask.

 The Art Class

 Brent's first painting.

Brent's First Picture.

                                    

 We loved the camp site Karen and Norm picked out for us.

A picture from inside the trailer. 

 Amy's rendition.

 How does she do it?

 Norm, Karen, Ed, Jeanette

 Norm gathers all the wood.

 Seeing the Ogdens had a lantern, Brent and Amy moved over to paint by lantern light.

 Obsessed.

 Aunt Marilyn

Clare and Karen mending the pop-up. 

 Norm likes Louis L'amour

 Aunt Marilyn & Ed 

Clare and Marilyn 

  Karen teaches crocheting at the prison each week.

Marilyn's high school friend, Ilene and friend Jack,

who come to visit every year. 

 Amy and Brent on Lost Hunter's Trail

  

  A favorite childhood friend.
How we loved to play with horny toads as children.
We would bring them to Orderville from the herd.
We even started a colony in Kaysville that survived for several years.

Flying Squirrel on the screen of the trailer. 

 Inspecting the Taco Meat baking in the sun. 

 

  

 The Sego Lily

  

 

  

 The hike to Mirror Lake.

Always one of my favorites.

Brent and Amy did it for us.

  

  

  

  

 Mirror Lake

 

  

  

 

 Cascade Falls.

The Last Day.

No hiking for us;

Brent does it.

Sunset at Panguitch 

When the sewer line broke

and there was only one toilet for the entire camp

Amy and I took off.

They did bring in Porta-Potties the next morning.

Pounding on the trailer door to tell me the sewer line broke,

he consoled, "You're OK. You've got a trailer."

"Yes," I countered, "but we've been here all week and our holding tanks are full."

Filtered by smoke from the Brian Head fire.

 We were a little perturbed at DeRay for suggesting we go through Panguitch

until we ran head-on into this sunset

and then we were grateful.

  

 

Saturday we went to the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.

Oh Monday, when DeRay fell in the garden again,

I rushed home and Brent came up to spend the rest of the week with Amy. 

 Artists.

Amy 

 Brent

 Did he improve or what?

 

  

  

 

  

We've got pictures of paintings, squirrels, chipmunks, voles, moles, marmots, 
horny toads, deer, trees, rocks, lakes, trails, sunsets, clouds, flowers, fires,
cabins, campgrounds, the campfire, the trailer, the van, the trikes, logs;

but not one picture of DeRay,

the patriarch of the Reunion.

Home again Home again Jiggity Jig