Month: February 2018

We are still in Macomb Illinois. Macomb is a city and the county seat of McDonogh County, Illinois.   It has a classic 19^th century Courthouse on The Square, and a Carnegie Library that has been expanded using the

 

original architecture design. Situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg  the city is about 75 miles southwest of Peoria and 77 miles south of the Quad Cities. It is also about equidistant west from Peoria and Springfield. A special census held in 2014 placed the city’s population at 21,516. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University “Leathernecks” the mascot bulldog and purple and gold decorate the town. There are also at least seven senior accommodations, some like Everly House (where we are staying) are Independent Senior Living, and others like Wesley Village Independent Living through assisted living and nursing/rehabilitation.

One of the things we have now remembered, living in SNOW isn’t the most fun. We left eastern Pennsylvania some 40 years ago and have not really even visited SNOW since that time.

We were in Macomb maybe a day or two and 3 inches of snow arrived followed by COLD…Most days not getting above freezing. We are now in a warm spell, high of 40! Snow can be really beautiful but damn, it’s COLD and WET.

 

 

 

 

 

Janeen’s Dad spent thirteen days at a Rehab facility where he was to get some rehab after a fall. This was NOT a good spot and after almost 2 weeks, Janeen got him admitted to the Hospital. Now in a different assisted place he is starting rehab again hoping to improve his overall condition. None of this is easy for a man who is going to be 101 on March 5^th. Getting old is NOT for the faint of heart that’s for sure.

During the day, while Janeen is assisting her dad, David gets to explore the city of Macomb – and have coffee at the one ‘coffee shop’ in town.

Upside, they have good coffee and free Wi-Fi and is connected to a wine shop right next door!

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend is the Western Illinois University Jazz festival – while the title seems great it is really a showcase for high school and college groups no names of note participate (damn). Not likely we will make it there as the Lees of Virginia, Terri, Katie Beth, and Jason will be arriving for a Presidents Day weekend visit to see Grandpa Harold and it will be nice to have them here for a few days.

 

So, looking forward, still trying to figure out a time in March to get to Los Angeles and now booked for a weekend at Thomas Jefferson’s place, Monticello in June. It seems the friend who is getting married in September is a Jefferson relative and they have a “decedents” weekend and he has invited us to join him. His wedding, which I thought was going to be in Las Vegas in September, is actually going to be in Santa Barbara so we will be there in September.  After ta visit to LA in March our hope is to begin touring along the east coast – hitting all those places we have read about over the years but have never visited – Savannah, Charleston, and other spots in the “south” and head North ultimately visiting in Bethlehem PA, NYC, Boston and getting up to Canada to Prince Edward Island. December will find us flying to Paris for Christmas and New Years with the Lees’ of Virginia to share the holidays with Ryan and Chris (again).

Still not sure if we will continue to rent our home in Alhambra or have it available should we want to stop all of this travel. So stay tuned as we move along this journey.

 

 

Blog for January 2018

Thus begins the USA return adventure. The Wandering Lees basked in the family love in Springfield, Virginia and went about establishing the bi-coastal identity. No more searching out a laundry mat, a reservation for a bed, or a Metro pass.

Our Mercedes Blu was reunited with us at Mercedes of Arlington, shiny clean and ready for her first US checkup. We are not enthralled with the voice of the GyPSy, but she works. However, the touch pad application did not. So, MercyBlu had to go in for a check up after Eduardo diagnosed her needs. She gets a free bath each visit.

Janeen found her color fix for her hair, and a new coat of “wet” (Katie’s description) for her nails. David found a podiatrist to treat his plantar faciitis (now has a bedtime boot) Janeen signed up with Curves of Falls Church, David began classes at Gold’s Gym . We reconnected with Linda & Bob of Falls Church and Peggy & Mario of Maryland

The Virginia Lees decided to begin adoption negotiations for the white Prius that was fostered with them while D& J went to Europe. GPa & GMa are now card-carrying daycare pickup agents at Cody Daycare near Pentagon (Katie likes the reading light option in MercyBlu near her car seat).

 

 

We were intending to leave for Macomb, Illinois on February 7, but a January 26 call from Macomb Hospital put us on the road Saturday 27. Harold, Janeen’s dad, is recovering in assisted living from infection from an infected tooth and weakness caused by his COPE cough. We are staying at Dad’s home, Everly House, and visiting him daily to help him meet his goal of being mobile enough to return home. This included bundling him into MercyBlu on Tuesday 30^th and transporting him to the oral surgeon appointment to get the offending tooth removed, then transporting him back to his bed at the assisted living facility, Heartland. His next-door neighbor, Bill, at Everly House has been recuperating since November at Heartland, and serendipitously, they are roommates at Heartland. We have set aside February to help Dad meet his goal, if possible, of returning to Everly for his 101 birthday on March 5.

Beyond that we are wide open with the only thing on our calendar a wedding in Las Vegas in September. There are some thoughts about flying to the West Coast and visiting friends, drinking some of our wine in storage there and making various doctor appointments but as yet that is still in the planning stages waiting for Harold’s recovery to be confirmed.

More as things happen – or not.