by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

A Peaceful Summer at Home, Haha!

Photo by Fred Kearney from Unsplash.

Lawn Guy

Where are you, lawn guy?

The yard is a hayfield…

Please answer our calls.

You’re billing the month of June?

You only mowed once…Get real!

Roofers

Water on the floor…

Handyman-installed roof vent

invited rain in.

How much? !!! Can’t come for four weeks?

It’s hurricane season, man!

Do-It-Yourself

Did a bomb go off?

Cleaning up bushels of glass…

Shower door exploded!

Installing heavy new doors.

We’re getting too old for this!

Electricians

Dinner stopped cooking…

no power in the kitchen.

Extension cord rigged.

Mr. Sparky’s coming next week!

Anticipating huge bill!

Optometrist

Fully immunized,

Robert has his eye exam!

Glasses won’t help now.

Cataracts need surgery.

Research protocols, choose surgeon.

Doctors & Dentists, Oh My!

The older we get,

the more doctors and dentists

become a part of out lives.

We’re thankful they’re here for us,

but sometimes, enough’s enough!

Computer Technicians

Computer is slow…

Should I consult Apple Tech?

Yes, but not today.

One day I’ll feel energized

and deal with my computer.

House Guests

Family calling…

Pandemic is winding down.

When can they visit?

Not right now, but soon, we hope.

It seems like years and years!

The Two of Us

Looking at the ring

that sparkles on my finger,

I see the future.

With love and hope in our hearts,

we’ll get through this together!

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

Progress Report

This poem was written about why I decided to take a break! It may be a while before everything settles down and I am fully back on WordPress. When I get the computer up to speed, I look forward to reading and responding to more posts.

  • The new lawn guy is great!
  • Robert installed new shower doors a couple of weeks ago. I am still finding an occasional piece of broken glass.
  • The electrician was here most of today, and the lanai kitchen, where most of our food is cooked, is fully operational.
  • Robert has an appointment with a cataract surgeon at the end of the month. We don’t have a date for surgery yet.
  • The roofers will be here next week. I hope we don’t get another tropical storm before they finish the repair!
  • We have invited family groups to visit in the fall and early winter when Florida weather is nicest.

66 Comments

  1. [nodding my head vigorously in agreement] yes life often gets in the way … good luck with all those tradie/surgeon bills! Hope you had a stash for such crises …

    And you will be so glad to see the family once your home is fully functioning again … take care precious 🙂

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  8. I had to repair a bedroom storm shutter. It was hard to find a good shutter company to come out for weeks after the last hurricane. Master Bedroom was in gloomy darkness. Happily, we found a good company. They repaired the shutter yesterday. I hate to think what will happen if South Eastern Florida gets a direct hit. What happened on the west coast, Cheryl?

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    1. Oh, David, so sorry for your hurricane damage! I am glad you finally got the repairs done. SW Florida was pretty much unscathed by the hurricane, although there were power outages in the Tampa area.

      We had an exhaust hood installed when we moved here a year and a half ago, and the roof vent was not properly sealed. We had no leaks until the tropical storm winds blew from the North. So far, so good since then. Soon the vent will be properly installed. 🙂 Hope the rest of the hurricane season is uneventful! Take care. ❤

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  9. Good morning Cheryl,

    Good to see you are enjoying your summer and I am enjoying our monsoon!!

    I was hoping to come back to WP after a short break but it looks like it is going to be a little bigger 😇

    I am enjoying my new meditation routine and we are going to have our SRF annual World Convocation in August – Online only this year too. I am hoping to start afresh after that!

    Stay safe. Stay joyous

    Love and hugs

    Ashok “I am one person and can’t do every thing. But just because I can’t do everything doesn’t mean I will refuse to do that which I can” – Helen Keller

    >

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    1. Thank you, Ashok, for your kind response. Our rainy season here in SW FL is from June – September, very enjoyable unless we get a hurricane. Thank you for taking time from your break to write.

      I hope your online convocation is a great success and brings you much joy and peace. My daughter has been involved in developing several online programs at her church…safer, but more challenging to conduct.

      The Hellen Keller quote is a great reminder! Thanks for sending it! ❤ Stay safe.

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  12. Cheryl, I love how you keep your sense of humor about all of these things. The broken shower door is SO annoying. My MIL had a similar problem a few years ago – in her case, her laundry machine is near the shower, and the glass got into the machine! It was horrible!

    Much love to you – I look forward to your return very much.

    ❤
    David

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    1. David, your kind words are very much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your MIL’s awful experience. I had never heard of this type of spontaneous explosion before it happened here. I am glad no one was in the shower at the time!

      Love to you and your family! ❤ ❤ ❤

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    1. Thank you, Ingrid. I hope travel becomes easier for you. I know that the situation in the UK and Europe is complicated right now. I do look forward to seeing my children again. It’s been about a year and a half now, and Robert hasn’t seen his twin grandsons for a couple of years. ❤ Take care.

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  14. You know, life seems to want to test us every now and then, and the old saying – when it rains it pours makes sense. It’s good to hear from you, Cheryl! Btw, I had cataract surgery and it was a non-painful and smooth operation. ❤️

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    1. Thank you, Eugenia, for your encouraging words. ❤ It is very good to know your cataract surgery went smoothly. Robert initially suffered a lot of anxiety, but after doing research and finding a doctor, he seems eager to have the surgery and see well again. 🙂

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      1. I’m sure Robert will be fine. Finding the right doctor matters the most. I had laser surgery because my right eye had issues in addition to cataracts. I was in and out and home in a just a few hours. I followed the doctor’s instructions and was very pleased with my results. Take care and stay safe! 😉

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  18. Welcome back Cheryl 💖 even if under much trying conditions. I am sorry that much is out of normal there. And amazed at your spirit and sense of humor to be able to translate it all into a poetic message. I find so much to learn from you, honestly!
    Hope things get better soon soon and we see a happy poem from you 🌄
    And hope the insurance covers up much of the med bills, treatment is such costly nowadays, and yet so important too.
    You know, I had an injury induced cataract of left eye at an uncharacteristically young age, and when they removed my eye bandage after couple of weeks, everything seemed to have such deep vibrant colors, it seemed so ethereally beautiful. Maybe I was happy to see clearly again, but I think it took away something from the pain I suffered at that time. I hope Robert has a easy, stress less and happy surgery and recovery. And certainly the sparkle of that ring would be something he would look forward to see with that ethereal clarity.
    I hope your roof and electricity gets repaired as soon as possible, and I pray all falls into place soon Cheryl 💖

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    1. Thank you, Deb, for your kind words and for sharing your own cataract story. ❤ I am just relieved that Robert finally found a surgeon and is going forward. The world is a very colorful and beautiful place, and sight is a valuable gift. I am so happy you were able to recover your sight in your eye, and I look forward to the day when Robert sees well again. I am also looking forward to seeing our family members, maybe in the fall and winter when the weather is nice here. 🙂

      We are making progress on our list of projects. Of course, Robert's eye surgery is the thing that concerns me most. Thank you for your good wishes. Have a great day! ❤

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  19. I can relate to this and often wonder how I dealt with all this stuff before I retired. Health care and wellness seem to become more a part of our lives as we get older. My annual eye exam is coming up next month. I wonder if my cataracts are bad enough for surgery yet. There’s always something that needs work, but I need to remember to take time to enjoy life.

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    1. JoAnna, I wish you luck with your eye exam. ❤ Robert and I have been watching videos on cataract surgery and about the many different procedures and types of lenses. You might want to watch a few videos before your appointment. Doctors are now performing cataract surgery earlier than they used to, as soon as vision is affected.

      I too have cataracts, but surgery is probably several years away. Robert has his first appointment with the surgeon on Friday. Today, I had a mammogram and a bone density test. That finishes up the routine office visits for me for a while, and I can focus on Robert's cataract surgery.

      Wishing you joy! 🙂 🙂

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      1. Thanks for the joy and the tip! 🙂 I get glare when I try to drive at night. My abundance of floaters doesn’t help. But somehow, my brain works around them. I hope your results are good and all is well with you. 🙂

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  26. Cheryl, I love your wonderful summer-poem!
    I have learned that life is a sack of surprises. You never know what to expect next.
    Yes, we are all stressed out in some way at times. Maybe we’re worried too.
    But then there are wonderful experiences that give us joy and make us happy. 😍
    I wish you a wonderful summer and I wish only the best for Robert !!
    Rosie

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    1. Thank you, Hamish, for your kind words. Most of the things on our list have been resolved. My computer is working better, but I still need to install a more powerful hard drive. We are still working on Robert’s health issues. His cataract surgery had to be postponed because of dental work, which is ongoing. We are trying to be patient! I hope you are doing well! ❤

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