A heavy heart

Veronica sitting on Daddy's lap

Terry and I received sad news yesterday.  When I picked up the phone and saw that it was from Canada I braced myself.  Our next door neighbors, John and Diane, are from Toronto.  When they left last spring Terry hurried out to make sure she saw Diane before they left.  Last summer, out of the blue, Diane was diagnosed with brain cancer.  We kept in touch with them off and on.  The last 2 times John called he did not mention how Diane was doing and the last time I called, their daughter Beth said Mom was not doing well but they were taking good care of her.  Well, when I picked up the phone and saw it was Canada my heart went down to my feet.  John said he had bad news, Diane had passed away.  It seems like we have gotten way too many of those kinds of calls or e-mails and every time it feels like someone, with a steel toed shoe, kicks me in the gut.  We did not spend a lot of time with Diane and John but we did occasionally have dinner together and twice they invited us to their club where they played croquet.  They both were very good players so Diane would play with me and John would play with Terry.  Also, their club was at least a notch above ours in terms of Sunday brunch!  I don't, but it would be easy to wish oneself young again so you would not experience so many deaths among friends. For sure I can relate to Grandma Saunders when she said that all of her friends would go to a different unit where she lives and then they would die!
On a more positive note Terry continues to slowly get better.  My foot is not great but it is better and my back continues to tell me that things are interesting.
Terry and I hosted our first seasonal party yesterday and there was a great turn out.  There were about 35 people and enough food for twice that many.  People really enjoy getting together and catching up on who is doing what etc.  Terry set things up as I played tennis and arrived about 30 minutes late.  Once a month the tennis pros put on a round robin event where you get to play with several players.  After wards there are snacks and drinks.  I really enjoy it as I get to play with players that I would not play with much. The first guy I played with has been caring for his wife who has dementia.  As I walked onto the court I asked him how she was doing.  He said that he had to go out of town several months ago so he had her stay in a facility for people who are suffering from dementia.  She liked it so much and was so happy he now has her there.  He said she gets better care, is happier and for sure it is easier for him.  As I waited for the match to start my mind wandered to the area of old age and I realized for the thousandth time that it is wonderful to grow into old age but it is not always easy.
When I got up this morning and walked out to get the paper my body told me, loud and clear, that I should not have played 90 minutes of tennis in the morning and then 90 minutes in the afternoon yesterday.  I think in February when they have the round robin I will not play in the morning.  Some of my team members played from 7:30-9:00, then did a lesson from 9:00-10:30 and then played in the afternoon. NOT ME.
Oh, I did win 2 of 3 matches yesterday and they were against guys who are supposed to be better than I.
FP is gone and I am out of words.