What an unusual couple months. Seems like everything needed updated and took time and thought – I needed a new form of contact lenses, the under-sink water purifier is on its last legs so a new one is coming from Amazon on Tuesday, the oven turns itself off whenever it wants to and needs replaced. Pat wants a gas cooktop, so why not add that in? The garden was wild and overgrown when we returned home from Ireland. In London – saw Angela Lansbury on stage in Blythe Spirit, which was superb and quite funny. And thrilling.

The tooth guard that I wear at night needed fixed. We lost my car keys on the trip, recovered a misplaced camera (whew), lost a hiking hat, and tripod. My husband has the MTHFR genetic mutation. Ditto one of his son's. Now the other two are getting tested tested. At the end of the trip my right foot plantar fasciitis flared and I needed to stretch, take care, etc. hobbled a bit.

Soon after that I was on my way to pick up Pat from his office to go to one of his buddy’s daughter’s weddings and the garage door wouldn’t open. After unsuccessfully phoning neighbors, I walked outside to see whose car was in their driveway. Finally borrowed a car. Yikes, and the next day had the garage door fixed.

Our credit card was violated so CitiCard phoned to tell us about it and then sent out a new one. Need a new clothes washer cause I can no longer stand the smell of the front loading high efficiency model. And I can only wash 4 towels at a time, so I may be saving energy, but it takes me about 12 one-and-one-half-hour loads per week or more which will take 4 loads in the new LG top loading washer. So that was supposed to be here Wednesday, but Lowe’s now promises delivery on Tuesday morning. Things that we’ve put up with for a while are all getting repaired. Perhaps this is what happens after 12 years in the same house and 13.5 years of marriage.

Since I was gone 4 out of 5 weekends in May, plus 2 weeks, I had so much catching up to do. Bills, accounting, friends, laundry, etc,, etc.

Just made a fabulous dessert for a dinner party last night – meringues topped with homemade lemon curd and berry coulis. Amazing. Had 6 friends over for dinner and ate on our lower patio and it was wonderful. The space is so relaxing that everyone stayed until 11 pm which is virtually unheard of in Salt Lake.

Overall we are well and happy. Pat and I hiked about 2 hours last Sunday and he did fine. He says that moving doesn’t hurt much but that sitting does. He’s barely limping and not complaining so that makes me think he’s well on the road to racquetball and Pickle ball.

On our tour of Ireland, even the Blarney castle was interesting with its poison garden. Alas, the Blarney stone may have eaten Pat’s hat. We stayed in very good hotels, ate fresh right-from-the-garden food and grass-fed beef. Dublin is a favorite city of mine now. A grand statue and tribute area to Oscar Wilde. We visited the authors museum, and the National Gallery houses a small but impressive collection of Velasquez, Monet, Impressionists, a Caravaggio, and others. Including Brecht and Picasso. Didn’t tour the Guinness brewery, but ate the scrumptious chocolate they make with ale. Pat says that he now understands the luck of the Irish – it’s bad luck. They sure took centuries of hits from the British and other conquerors.

Harrods devotes a whole enormous room to chocolates and confections. I was amazed and thrilled. Problem was I couldn’t eat it all. The Victoria and Albert was tres interesting and we spent a morning at the Tower and really enjoyed the tour by the Beefeater. This may sound mundane to you, but I’d never seen it before and was awed. History began crawling though my veins as Hilary Mandell’s books echoed in my brain.

I didn’t take classes at the Fashion Institute this summer because I’d miss too many classes. Now I’m glad I didn’t as I have time to oversee and manage the mild kitchen remodel and other assorted handyman chores.

It’s finally hot here, the flowers are gorgeous, and I’m up for long reads and puzzles on the lower patio.

Budapest, Ancestry, MTHFR

I apologize that I’ve been slow in responding. Pat had “open” knee surgery about 10 days ago and I am the “go-to” person. His operation was more than arthroscopic surgery and less than a knee replacement. The doc put a metal plate on the bottom of his femur and a plastic plate under his kneecap. Fingers crossed he can play racquetball again. Or at least pickle ball at the rec center. My final project is due on Wednesday in Advanced Sewing at Salt Lake Community College – our assignment is to make a fully lined “Little Black Dress.” I’m studying Fashion Design as a senior citizen for only $10.00 per semester. And loving it all.

As to the MTHFR, there isn’t a book  on it yet, so I have a proposal into my agent. Pat goes back to work full time on Monday, so I’ll have time to find an “expert” coauthor. Fingers crossed I get a book contract. I stopped writing books about 3 years ago. I’d written over 12 and didn’t want to spend the rest of my life sitting in front of a screen. After a year or so of watercolor painting and being bored and housebound, I started sewing again and in my efforts to find someone who knew pattern drafting, found the Fashion Institute. I love being with the young students and learning new stuff.

I want to do the 23andme testing, too. Here’s what it offers: “Find out what percent of your DNA comes from populations around the world, ranging from East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and more. Break European ancestry down into distinct regions such as the British Isles, Scandinavia, Italy and Ashkenazi Jewish. People with mixed ancestry, African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans will also get a detailed breakdown.” 23andme also sends raw genetic data that can be uploaded to produce understandable info, “containing sections on eye health, detox, tongue tie/cleft palate, methylation, allergy/mold, IgE, IgA, IgG, clotting disorders, thyroid, celiacs/gluten intolerance, mitochondrial function and sulfonotransferase genes.”

As to ancestry.com, I haven’t done anything with it. But did use the computers once at the LDS Visitor’s Center. The local predominant religious culture here set up ancestry.com so they could identify deceased relatives and “baptize the dead.” One of my friend’s “calling” is to teach genealogy to her ward at Sunday church services. Every week.

I had a long conversation with Aunt Justine before we visited Budapest. I’m jealous you visited Fero and spoke with the Town priest. Fero didn’t fit into our itinerary as we were traveling with friends. I loved Budapest. Loved the food (and all the cakes!!!) and loved our tour guide who had Grandma Rusnock’s accent and just hearing it again brought tears to my eyes. She resembled grandma and when she spoke Hungarian, I just melted.

We are on our way to Ireland at the end of May for a 9-day tour, then 2 days in London. (Pat should be walking normally by then.) Please send location of the Murphy estate.. This time, we are taking a tour, so, ratz, I may not be able to get there.   But perhaps I can.

I am delighted you’re teaching. It sounds like fun and the topics are interesting. I don’t know much about it, although once heard Herb Cohen give a fabulous talk on negotiating. There’s a chapter in my book, The Win/Win Way on game theory, but I didn’t write that chapter. My coauthor did, as he wanted to add more “meat” to the book. The chapter was basically about Prisoner’s Dilemma.