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Well, it has been a very emotion-filled week for me, lots of highs and lows . . . what life always brings . . . reminding me of simply ‘being ALIVE’!  Visiting my mother and father in their golden years was very special; time is precious and flies so quickly by. . . every moment is precious. My father’s health is very up and down, with his body being very fragile. . . the mind just as sharp as a pin, but the body just going with age.

Then something happened: I asked my parents to heat up their hot tub so I could just sit in it and enjoy the beautiful Arizona weather and sunshine. Then my mother decided to get in and join me. The next day my father decided to take the plunge and join both my mother and me. My dad started to put his aching bones next to the water jets for an aquatic massage. . . the results of this simple act were, well, simply amazing!

My father was able to sleep through the night without pain; he was able to walk without pain the next morning; and he was even able to do 2 1/2 minutes on his glider-exerciser!  My parents said that they hadn’t been in that hot tub for THREE YEARS! And in one 15 minute period, my father felt renewed! What a joy to find treatment for one’s aches and pains, literally in their own backyard!
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My parents, Italo (Bud) and Retha (Santi) Corieri
at Pane e’ Vino Ristorante, Scottsdale, AZ

During my visit I was able to sit and quilt with my mother (often frustrated with the quilting directions provided in the instructions!). And we were able to dine at 3 incredible Italian eateries in the Valley of the Sun.
Although my trip felt short, I knew that I needed to get back home early to my sweetie, W.D., and to just get back into the state of mind for teaching next week again.

The next morning after my return flight, Saturday morning, my wonderful 24 year old Thoroughbred fell extremely ill with colic, and at his age, it was not curable. We put him (Ace) to sleep last night and buried him today.

IT WAS ONE OF THE LOWEST POINTS lately in my life. I grieved and could not pull myself out of it. I’m still hurting, and I know that I will for some time. I just can’t even talk or write about it, it hurts that bad.