Wow, I just realized I hadn't written anything on this blog for almost 3 months! Where does the time go...? So here's an update, complete with photos of the latest news.
First - since my last update - Elliott has recovered from his melanoma surgery, with an uncertain prognosis. The best the oncologists can do is cite statistical data that predicts he has a 10% - 50% chance of survival to 5 years. As El says, he's too curmudgeonly for any malignancy to reside for very long in his body. So we think he has some time left to enjoy.
Speaking of which! El's 65th birthday celebration was yesterday, and we had a great party here, complete with flamingoes on the lawn and about 25 people -- both relatives and friends -- who helped us celebrate.
El got calls from several family members and friends in California, and he had a wonderful day. Both of us were exhausted at the end of course -- it was over 100 degrees and the humidity was high, so everyone was properly sapped.
Lusso apparently stepped in a rabbit hole recently, and ended up in surgery where they re-attached his kneecap and inserted pins to keep it in place. Now he can't go for his regular walks for 8 weeks while he heals. So to give him his daily dose of sniffing, I bought a used stroller and walk through Chelsea with Lusso sitting where a baby normally would. I truly look like the crazy dog-lady with my dog all tucked into his little bed on wheels. Elliott says next I'll start making baby bonnets for him.
We're looking forward to taking a two-week trip to California from July 15th - August 2nd. We've got an interesting (and full) itinerary that includes several days in Palm Springs, several days in the Pasadena / Altadena area, several days up the coast in Cambria, and then a couple of days at Big Bear Lake where I'll be meeting up with some of my high school friends for a casual reunion.
Sane people might wonder why we're going to Palm Springs in July? Well, we've decided we want to spend time out in California during the cold, cold winters -- and what better place to do that than in the California desert. We've hooked up with Kathy Schowe, a
realtor there who is lining up prospective houses to buy for a vacation home. Prices there are really quite good right now, so we're hoping to find one before this coming winter.
While in Pasadena, El plans to visit the Caltech faculty lunch tables, and I plan to do some window shopping in Old Town. We're both going to visit the
latest exhibit at Art Center's Williamson Gallery, courtesy Stephen Nowlin, and we'll have dinner with the Nowlins on their patio. We'll also be joining the Andrews-Munoz clan for El's mom's 89th birthday at Villa Gardens, and on Saturday the 24th, we'll host many of our old friends for a pizza party at Sylvie and Nick's house.
In Cambria, we plan to see
John and Laylon, and immerse ourselves in the art and culinary culture of the central coast. We'll stay in the same place we did while on our honeymoon 18 years ago -- San Simeon Pines Lodge. Can't wait!
