So it has been a while and I thought I would give a quick update as to doings at the Shack.

Kira is still with us. She is a tough little girl. Has good and bad days, very tired. But we are thankful for all the time we are being given with her. She continues to want to be with us and share family time.

Contractor Pete has measured for a permanent ramp from our bedroom onto the deck - keeping all our doors but making it independent for Bruce to get out onto the deck himself. I would not be able to lift that portable ramp much longer. And the upside is, I now have contacts for the winter snow removal, power washing the house and deck, painting and sealing the deck, a Contractor who wants to do some handy work on his days off. Feeling much better about things around here.

Bruce continues to enjoy his PT. I drop him at the front door. He makes his way into the lobby, picks up a newspaper, takes the elevator to the 2nd floor, checks in and makes his way to the gym, alone and in his WC. This is when I realize how much potential for recovery he truly has if only I had more time to work on it with him.

I have notified my SNF of my official retirement on August 1. I have been thinking about this since February. Our winter was horrid, especially with losing the snow removal team. I realize that I am not 30 anymore. In reviewing things here, I will not change scheduling everything around getting Bruce out of the house and involved in the day-to-day goings on. Yes, it would be easier to just leave him at home and get things done. But this is where Bruce thrives. We always did everything 50-50. And I truly want to be with him and share our life. Erma does a wonderful job for us, but the big cleaning, the clean out, yard work. All of it suffers. I am really looking forward to washing windows - LOL.

Plus I want to be able to get away, do an overnight. Maybe get up to Mary Beth's. I remember the early years when we were out every day; museums, art galleries, libraries, parks. I want to be able to do that again and Bruce is so much better right now. The prep for those outings is so much easier. And I could load the scooter, cover the truck bed and have it on the trips as needed, without the loading and unloading.

It was funny reading Nancy's blog - she is starting a new job, so looking forward to it and there I was retiring. So often we are all reading the same book, but on different chapters - LOL. Debbie