On the move again

Oh, I have been a bad girl. Last post - Jan. '09; today's date - March 9, '10. But I haven't been lazy. Last January we were still adjusting to the realization we would not be able to keep our rescue dog, Fred - a handsome, gentle and loving chocolate lab. Between allergies and getting ready to move back north, Fred needed to find a new home. Just at that time, an old friend was looking for, guess what? a chocolate lab.

That settled, we searched the Internet for a campground on the New Hampshire coast, and found a great one in Exeter, NH - Exeter Elms, in the woods alongside the Exeter River off NH 108.

And then the trouble began. Unknowingly, I was harboring an antibiotic-resistant strain of e-coli, picked up, I believe, from doing physical therapy after a knee operation in a warm water pool at a rehab place. I was uncomfortable about the therapy as women were in the pool at the same time with babies in diapers. A week or so later, I got the worst case of diarrhea, ending up in the hospital. Antibiotics stopped it, but it kept reoccuring all summer - which made me very weak, mean, ornery, tired and bitchy.

Finally, we figured it was time to leave this wandering life and get someplace where I could handle my weakened condition. So it was that we settled in Exeter in a lovely apartment on the main boutiquey shopping street within walking distance of everything essential.

It's a great town with friendly, helpful people. I began writing for the Boston Examiner on senior subjects, travel, and pet photography. A penny a click, so it's not going to put food on the table, but it keeps me busy and the investigative end of it is fun

I went to the senior center to play bridge weekly, but gave up because half the people couldn't see and the other half couldn't hear. Makes for pretty sloppy play.

One day, Cor said, 'You know, I just don't feel like this is home.' When I said, 'I know what you mean. Where do you think home is?' He said, 'Burlington.' I agreed, and that is why we are downsizing for the umpteenth time and readying ourselves for the move north as soon as a space becomes available in Cathedral Square.

Perhaps then, I'll get settled and be able to continue my discourse on How To Grow Poor Gracefully. We're doing the first part of that sentence; it's the adverb that's in doubt.

Sorry this is such a dull post....it's been a dull year. But when we get back to Church Street, Mallett's Bay and all our old sailing buddies, watch out!