July - September 2006

July-September 2006:>   For the links below, click 'Back' to return here.
      We spent the summer kicked back under the air conditioner. It is too hot for anything else, and the gas prices almost prohibit travel to a cooler place, even if Sue could be talked into going. She is in early Alzheimer's and asks a few times a day,"What day is this"?, and doesn't really want to do anything except watch TV, eat, read and sleep. Joe is less and less able to get around and finds it hard to get out of the recliner. We visited Bob, Nita and the Grandkids a few times and made trips to Jackson about once a week for doctor visits. A cousin recently called and made a profound observation - "Getting old ain't for sissies". Unfortunately, the only alternative is to die young! Old age must be the worst disease known. It is genetic, strikes everyone, is debilitating, 100% fatal and there is no cure or vaccine!
       We did have a break or two from the boredom. In July, one of Joe's cousins, Pat Reeves, set up a Reeves Cousins Reunion, for his cousins who are still living, and Joe saw some relatives for the first time in years.   Joe took the motorhome to Jackson for repairs and returned it to it's spot in the back yard. In August, we had planned to attend the Parkes Reunion (Sue's mother's family). We spent that Saturday routinely, without even thinking of the reunion, until her brother came by and observed, "I guess you didn't go to the reunion"? Minds are terrible things to lose! We did remember to attend the Freeny School Reunion. It appeared to be a great success and Sue got to see a lot of her old schoolmates. Also in August, John Madden's video game company wanted to kick off his new game, "Madden '07" at a town with the Madden name, and apparently, the only place in the USA with that name was Madden, MS which is just 10 miles up the road. For the town of Madden (pop. 74), it was quite a blast, but not without a bit of controversy. See Madden Day. On the 27th, Joe had his 72nd birthday. It was mostly a non-event, but the Lindsleys came by the night before and went with us to the Caldwells, where Donna had a cake, with candles (not 72) and also had cooked 2 kinds of pie. Naturally, we had some of everything.
      In September, it seems to be getting slightly cooler. It's mostly in the 80s rather than the 90s, but still too hot to be outside. Also, the West Nile virus is coming to our state, so we can't afford to get outside where the mosquitos are.

Joe & Nancy Sue, Off the Road, for now.