What will the new year of 2021 bring us? Certainly, it can’t get worse than 2020, so we have to think truthfully in a positive way. Too many of us have lost family members and friends to the Corona virus, to medical complications, to natural causes in unnatural situations (shutdowns of ALFs, nursing homes, independent living areas) where loved ones could no longer be in physical contact with us. Socialization was on the skids and was being fought by those who felt nothing was really wrong so why not “do what I want!”? It was a sad state of affairs and it seemed like our great United States of America was on a slippery slope to degradation! My mind kept turning to my Lord and Father – Are You challenging us the world over to wake up and really look at ourselves and how we are treating our fellow humans, our planet, our resources? All You have ever asked of us is to love You and our neighbors – and we have done a piss-poor job of that! So, my dear classmates, we move forward positively the best we can, wear the mask, social distance, get the vaccination; we will survive this! – Molly Sperandio
Sylvia Blackburn Felcyn here in retirement life care village located in an Atlanta suburb 10 minutes from our daughter Lindsay. Life here has been often spent quarantined. Had spent time in ICU for kidney stone emergency in October. Now am fine. My husband Keith just had his 90th birthday in December. Thankful 2020 is over and we will have a new administration. Hope all is well with you,
Ann Spengler Larkin: It was so good to see the end of 2020! Christmas was very different. My son lives in Troy about 3 miles from me. He came to my house for dinner and we felt safe as neither of us had been with any others. My granddaughter lives in Ohio where she is doing a Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and my grandson is living and working in the Harrisburg area and has had at least one business trip to Frederick. Neither was able to come home during the holidays. My wish for all of our classmates is for a healthy, peaceful 2021.
Antoinette Zawatzky Peirson: You said it all with the words of lockdown masks & social distancing here at Roland Park Place. I am glad I am here. Soon we will receive the virus shot. It has been boring & limiting, with room service food delivery but the administration keeps us updated with current news. The temporal scanner has been refined to the point that we are expected to check in once a week near the front desk. We plant our feet on the X mark on the floor, smile, & are told that our temperature is normal. This is tied in with an earlier photo which shows our face & name. How is that for the latest technology? I keep in touch with Eda Scheir Rubin who is fine & busy.
Miriam Spalding Keyser: We are doing well. Lots of restrictions have been added, but our community is doing well. We leave to shop and go to the library. There have been a few cases in the independent living area and one death, but we expect to get the shot before long. At some point we are due to get the shots; the long-term care people have had them for over a week. We have done a zillion puzzles it seems and been reading all the time. We can eat in the dining rooms but must sign up on Sunday morning and be given a code indicating where we are eating, the date and time and with whom we are eating – limit 4 at a table. There are long waits to get on the telephone to register. Many people just get food bags delivered to the door for three days. We try to eat with others and so we call until we get through to register for table seating at different venues. I still swim twice a week at 7:30 am and walk the grounds in good weather.
Hattie Snyder Bingham: The best news I received in 2020 was that the urologist here made an incorrect diagnosis and my doctor at George Washington University Hospital, who performed the original surgery, declared no obstruction, no scar tissue and no infection. A radioactive test was done and both kidneys are functioning well. This was such a relief after thinking for 9 months that I had to have risky surgery. What I had when admitted twice into the hospital here were extremely bad kidney infections. I had never been so sick and scared when taken to the CCU because all my vitals went crazy. due to a blood infection. We think the newly constructed villa at Willow Valley will be ready to move into around the end of August. I am not looking forward to all that moving involves, selling the house, etc. but look forward to moving to such an outstanding environment that Willlow Valley Communities offers. Willow Valley Communities is near Lancaster, PA. Have a blessed New Year.
Barbara Yinger: Just wanted to say our daughter, Laura died the end of June from a massive heart attack. We miss her terribly. She was actively involved in her work and family, no history of heart issues, only 61 years old, a parent’s sadness for sure. We drove out to Indiana for her memorial in spite of the pandemic and 2 weeks before my scheduled knee surgery. Thank goodness my pre-surgery Covid test was negative and I can walk just fine. Bob and I have continued to stay away from the Covid and look forward to the vaccine soon. Living in this retirement community has proven to have it’s advantages keeping us safe. I talk with Barbara Kaufman Harrison and Sue Bond Almy frequently. Incidentally, Sue no longer does email due to painful wrists so would like to talk by phone.
Alice Riddle Metry: Alice reports she and Fred are dealing with medical conditions that limit Fred from driving because of a stroke and use of the computer for Alice because of macular degeneration affecting her eyesight. They have not been back to Florida – their go-to state for warmth – since Covid hit but enjoy seeing their family members all year long.
Louise Reed: Still alive and kicking. Skin cancer surgeries, asthma and arthritic joint changes cause her to have to wear braces on an arm and ankle and have kept her busy with doctors’ appointments and the need for a full-time aide. She still has one son and family fairly close for visits while the other is in MD. She had to give up her car so is mostly home-bound.
Nancy Tressel Brown: Medical issues abound, but the fight is on. Nancy was on dialysis for kidney disease and was able to beat that to the surprise of her doctor. She is recovering, working on getting her strength back. Her husband, Roger, had a bout with the Covid virus, was hospitalized, but now doing well.
Sue Bond Almy: Independent living in a retirement facility saw lockdowns and no visitations, but following guidelines has kept Sue and her husband well. They will receive their first dose of the vaccine 1/31 and the second on 2/23. The family was able to celebrate Thanksgiving together at her daughter’s home but Christmas was celebrated in the garage, complete with decorations, with Anne’s three sons, wives and two great grands. It was different but done out of concern for the elders’ health being uppermost in the thoughts of the kids. She will miss having her daughter close by as that family splits their time between MD and FL.
Sylvia Felcyn: We are in a retirement life care village in an Atlanta suburb 10 minutes from our daughter Lindsay. Life here has been often spent quarantined. I spent time in ICU for kidney stone emergency in October; now am fine. My husband Keith just had his 90th birthday in December. We are thankful 2020 is over and we will have a new administration.
Molly Smith Sperandio: In six months of 2020, I sadly had to deal with the loss of two of my four sisters, my last brother-in-law, a nephew and grandnephew. I’m lucky to have my daughter and family living with me, and am content to read, play games on my cell phone and watch TV. All my volunteer activities which kept me scheduled and socialized were gone, but I managed to work all three elections which were true and honest! Our church reopened following CDC guidelines, but I’m finding more people are getting used to “meeting on Zoom” or watching on Facebook or YouTube. In-church attendance is down about 80%. I look forward to starting AARP Tax consulting in February as soon as the powers that be figure out how we will be doing it with social distancing. I am also entering a two-year clinical trial for a vaccine being produced by Tampa General Hospital and USF Medical Center. We carry on with the Lord’s blessings!
