JAYSPEAK

MEMORIES REMAIN IN THE HEART

Some additional thoughts about downsizing. I have gotten some interesting comments about getting rid of things. But, moving will usually motivate people to get started. I just am a drastic case. I started with a lot, and I now have room physically for a little. Also, I don’t have anyone who wants my stuff but me. And I will always have my memories.

Selling only goes so far. One lady sold a purse. I have not even tried to sell clothes – sweaters, purses, shoes or other items. No, that is not true. I am trying to sell expensive NEW golf shoes (Steve and I were preparing to play a lot of golf) but no one wants them. I am now trying to sell his golf clubs but so far, no one wants them, either.

I am hoping that the Holidays will bring more buyers as people look for gifts for loved ones. I am now ready to let go of my nicer things – steak knives…

Mama Dorough’s Silverware. It is vintage silverplate.

Today, I posted 5 nice things. I have more to come. Somehow, getting rid of objects is easier for me than getting rid of old photographs of my parents and relatives and old photograph albums of everyone that I have EVER known. Haha. Somehow, it seems like it is proof that all of us actually existed. But, when I think about it, that doesn’t seem very healthy – mentally. So, I am still thinking about that one. My friend Susan posted a meme on Facebook this week that has me thinking.

Maybe that thought will help me throw out more old stuff – like old magazines, old newspaper articles, and such.

I now have four boxes of stuff – old birthday cards, old drawings by my kids when they were young, thousands of articles about Daddy, and such. I was always going to write a book about him. (sigh). I remember all of it. So, when I look at pictures or read an article, I realize that I am the only one who cares! And, and that thought, along with most of it, makes me cry. And crying makes my eyes puffy or gives me a headache. Haha.

Can I get the boxes down to three? Plus I have other boxes with saved stuff – all of Steve’s valuable N-Scale trains. Where am I going to put 8 boxes of stuff??? So, I am going to Paris with a damaged Steinway, 4 (hopefully 3) boxes of memories, photographs, and assorted stuff, two shelves of books!!!!!!!, a desk with computer/and printer, a work cart, 8 boxes of trains, a Panasonic Digital movie camera (that Steve used for depositions), Wayne Gretzky’s hockey stick, pots & pans, a lot of dish-ware & silverware, and a cat. Really, it is time to get a grip! (sigh.) Witness the photograph below – hanging on the wall. Wish me luck.

Best, Jay

NEW LIFE

This is one of those days when I have so many ideas for posts in my head that I don’t know where to start. The downsizing is taking on a life of its own and really a lot of fun. At first, I was just throwing things in the trash. I did that until I stopped because it wasn’t trash. Someone needed to have it. I know, I know. There are no Salvation Army and Good Will bins around here. There are places to “drop things off”, but you need a car to do that. OR, you need to be able to walk to the bin with a load of things.

SO, I started taking things down to the basement and leaving them by the building’s trash cans. In that way, someone unknown – in this big building with a lot of apartments – was getting something nice and unexpected. That made me feel good. Something I loved and still wanted was getting “new life” with someone else. And, the argument I gave myself, and am still giving myself, is “do you want to PAY to take this (whatever it is/was) to Paris?’ That argument would get me out the door and to the elevator to “-1”. Once I got back on the elevator and got back to my apartment, I would be fine.

This morning, I took down some office supplies (heavy-duty stapler and staples, hole -puncher, and other small things), a briefcase, a quilt and two pillows from Sarasota days, and some books I wanted. Haha. Whether I want it or not still enters the picture, but less and less as I count my pennies and know the size of the apartment and amount of storage in Paris. That helps me to “let go”.

PLUS, I have sold things on Facebook’s Market Place. That was scary at first, until I got the hang of it. Now, I am better at negotiating and dealing with the French. You would think that the people buying would be English-speaking. Most are French and so I am conversing in French. So far, so good. And, nice people have been buying my things. So far, I have made over 1,000 euros. That has helped me get to Paris, pay some bills, and given me a tad of a cushion during October and November (I got the left knee the gel shots – not covered by insurance).

I have all this silver from years of using on holidays when my children were young. Now, it takes up space and is very tarnished. My kids are long gone and don’t want silver goblets or silver-plated trays, bowls, gravy bowls, compotes, etc. So, I checked to see what was sterling, if anything. I am keeping that – tarnished as it is, and giving away the rest. I am not going to polish it and maybe some of the people in this building will be thrilled to have it. Imagine! Leaving tarnished silver-plated serving dishes by the trash bins. Someone ALWAYS takes it because I have checked. For some reason, that makes me happy.

When I first started posting items on Marketplace, I overpriced them until I realized that my things were special ONLY to me and not worth much of anything. That realization changed my pricing. I began to let things go “on the cheap” because I would not want to pay to take them to Paris, nor did I want to take the item downstairs to the trash room (even though that is my backup plan). I am NOT paying a mover to move things to a Paris studio without storage.

Often, I look items up on the internet to help with pricing. I was planning to sell a Delft vase that I bought at the Delft Factory in Holland for Mama Dorough in 1957. I gave it to her, and when she died, I got it back in her estate sale. When I discovered that it is the classic bird vase and is worth approximately $750, I decided to keep it. Haha. – unless I change my mind. This is the one for sale on the internet. The second one is mine from my purchase in 1957.

I also have a vase that is worth money (approximately, $200) because it is antique hand-painted flowers made in Italy. I am keeping that – unless I change my mind.

I am using my good Lenox china and Old Master silver. I feed Missy cat food on a Lenox gold rim saucer. Haha. Why not?

Finally, a word about Artworks and the Steinway piano (a future post of its own.) The piano goes!!!! No comment. As for the Artworks, Steve and I brought too much from the U.S. It cost a LOT. I know. My fault. AND, most of it was/is mine, paintings that I have had for many years.

I am finally letting a lot of it go, selling framed paintings and framed photographs. I am taking a few of my favorites to Paris. One French young man drove from Cannes with his Designer girlfriend to buy five of my favorites for his rentals and his home. His hobby – sailing. I was planning to take three of them to Paris, but the man wanted them and was excited to get them. I let them go. These paintings will have a “new life”. Hopefully, I will have a “new life”. AND, best of all, a lot of people will see and enjoy them. That made me excited, too, as I watched him take them to his car. Below are the paintings he chose, all painted by friends from my past, except for the sail boats – that was Steve’s love.

Ok, some appropriate memes and a cartoon or two.

Best, Jay

PARIS WEEK – the Movie

PARIS WEEK

Paris Week! Yes, I went to Paris on the train for six nights and seven days (two travel days). On Monday, October 21, 2019, I got on the TGV High Speed Train to Paris at Gare Nice Ville. My tickets were First Class because I wanted all the bells and whistles that First Class provided. I am not an experienced traveller AT ALL, much less in Europe. So, I was very nervous about all of it. Actually, I felt something akin to terror!! Haha! And, somehow, I got six days of clothes in a tiny overnight bag. Needless to say, I had nothing except black jeans and black t-shirts (plus black jacket, dark scarf, tiny purse, and Asics on my feet.) WOW! Amazing. I felt I looked terrible, but I didn’t care. I also had my cane for safety.

At some point, I relaxed. People were wonderful, helping me right and left. So, now, rather than give you a day by day itinerary, I will cut to the chase. I wanted a change and to see if I could live in Paris. I had been thinking about moving but I did not know much of anything about Paris. Visiting there and living there are very different. I knew that I needed to get better at living my life (since Steve’s death 3 years ago). Would Paris work? A friend helped me afford the trip. So, I went.

I did not push myself. I wandered through most days and ate two meals out every day – Table for One. I stayed in the 14th Arrondissement in a comfortable AirBnb Studio for One. I walked most places. Otherwise, I called Uber. Or I took a taxi. I did not want to get on a bus or do the steps at the Metro. I went to the grocery store, the Jardin de Luxembourg, to a pharmacie, to a small market, to meet friends (new friends), to the Shakespeare Book Store. It was all on the left bank. I like it best for me. Lots of reasons why – for another day.

I had two appointments (for apartments to rent) set up, but one rented before I got there and the other did not work for me. But, long story short – while I was there, my priorities shifted. I came alive. I had energy. I felt excited. I made lists. The “old me” returned. I remember how I felt when I passed the California Bar Exam and moved back to LA. I felt young and alive and excited about the future. No matter that I was 62, I felt 32! I cried a LOT while I was there, but I was SOOOO happy that I felt alive again. I KNEW it was for me.

But, how? How would I get there? My left knee hurt. My back hurt. I had problems with my Dossier for landlords. I got tired easily. I knew some people but who could I get to help me? And why would they help me? I was just an old woman who needed help.

Guess what !!!!!! They did. Everyone I met helped me. People went out of their way to help me. The taxi driver when I arrived at the train station, helped me open the large front door with a special code to the building. People were wonderful. And, the best news of all, my friend from Nice – Margaret Keith, from Selma, Alabama – who mainly lives in Paris (48 years) and owns property in Paris and Nice, said I can rent one of her apartments in the Sixth Arrondissement – a small studio in a great area. Actually, she was planning to move into it herself, but she said I can rent it for a year to help me “get in town” and find a place that works for me. HELLO!!!! I am truly blessed. I will be moving February 1, 2020, if all goes as planned, because there are tenants in it until January 20, students at the Sorbonne!

All of this still makes me cry a lot. I am happy, sad, and exhausted from all of the emotion involved. Now, I have three months to downsize, make changes, and plan for the next chapter. First thing I did when I returned last Sunday, was to see a knee doctor and get the gel shots for the left knee. I need the shots to help me get to Paris.

Yes, there are a lot of problems involved. Yes, I will need new doctors, dentist, pharmacie, supermarkets, stores. Yes, the weather is cold and rainy. Yes, there are a lot of tourists. Yes, there is a lot of traffic. Yes, there are pickpockets. Yes, it is necessary to watch out!! Ok. I am up to the task! I feel ALIVE!!! I am no longer depressed and “waiting to die”. Plus, I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck!! I lived in LA for 48 years!!!

There are pictures and lots more to this story, but that is enough for now. I made a movie, but I don’t think my readers watch them. Maybe I will post it in a separate Post – just the movie. But, this post lets you know that my Paris Week was a smash hit in all of its simplicity. My mantra is “simplify”. And, that is what I am doing – like it or not. And that is what I will do – simplify. Yes, I am simplifying. That is what one does when one is 82 and moving to Paris, France. Who knows what the future holds? But, that is the Plan, anyway. Stay tuned. …….

Best, Jay

DOWNSIZING -26 YEARS IN THE MAKING!

Since 1993 ((age 56), I have been continually downsizing. Lots of years spent accumulating. Now, it is the other way around. I have a lot of people ask me how I am doing it because they know the big houses I have had and lots of furniture and “stuff”. Plus, I saved everything “in case I would need it one day”. Well, that day never came. And, it is not over yet. And I want to tell you, it feels great.

I moved over 30 times in my life, taking a lot of “stuff” from house to house and accumulating more “stuff” along the way. For years, I did “fixers”, making enough money to support myself and my children. And, I thought of it as “props” to make each house pretty. But, moving stuff around is expensive. And, having closets and garages full of stuff takes up space that I needed for current activities. And, beautiful clothes did not get worn – and got wrinkled in a crowded closet.

I made the turn-around in 1993 when I moved from Muskingum Avenue in Pacific Palisades to a 2-bedroom small apartment on Oakhurst Drive in Beverly Hills. I remember feeling a sense of panic. I had to decide what was important to me. EVERYTHING. Well, there was not room for everything. So, I moved what I could into the apartment, stuffed clothes into small closets and started making trips to the trash. That was easier than driving to Santa Monica to the Salvation Army. Plus, once I made the turn-around from the trash cans to go back into the apartment, I did not have to see it anymore. And, I never went back to take things out of the trash – not that I did not want to a lot of times.

The next move was from Beverly Hills to Murica Aisle in Irvine, CA. I rented a condo to use while I was going to Whittier Law School. That was an even smaller space. So, I used the garage to store stuff and kept the car in a parking space. Dumb. When the weather started getting bad, I wanted to keep the car in the garage but there was not room. Haha. Even dumber. So, I started giving things away. I gave a lot of things to Craig and Jean. Blake took a few. He did not want my stuff. Trascey was already divorcing herself from the family at that point. So, she wanted nothing. I was in that condo until I moved back to LA to practice law and at some point, the car moved into the garage. Still LOTS of things in the condo. I was there for 4 ½ years.

When I decided to move back to LA, I moved into a tiny 2-bedroom apartment on Barrington Avenue in Brentwood. There was one small storage bin in the carport for me to use. So, I rented a large storage space in Westwood on Sepulveda, near Sports Club LA. The rent was high – $75 a month – to store some furniture that I HAD to keep and skiis and lots of boxes of “important” stuff. That is when Steve moved in with me into that tiny apartment in Brentwood. Haha. He had a few boxes of things (he did not have problems walking away from things – long story there). That is when we bought a condo in Westwood and Sarasota, Florida, and got married. We were there 4 years.

When the bottom fell out of the real estate market in 2009, we moved into a smaller apartment in Westwood and walked away from both condos. In 2013, we moved into a cheaper apartment in Encino,CA. Each time, Steve and I moved the stuff, most of it was mine. And, my Steinway piano (that I had since I was 12) was making each of these moves.

That is when Steve and I decided to move to the South of France. The moving expenses were high. So, Steve sold most of our furniture on Craig’s List. We took loads to the Salvation Army on Ventura, and STILL sent a lot of art, china, silver, pots & pans to France. PLUS, the Steinway piano. (sigh). Most of it mine. We moved into a 3-bedroom apartment on Cimiez and LOVED it. Somehow, all of our stuff fit. We were very happy there and felt we had made the right choice even though it was very expensive. Then, in a flash, he got sick and died (he had heart problems in the States – neither one of us considered them to be show-stoppers).

I had to move down – down the hill, down in size, down in income, down, down, down. Reality check after reality check. So, I started getting rid of things. I realized that I had stuff that nobody would ever want. Even if they wanted it, they would not pay to have it sent back to the U.S. And, I could die at a moment’s notice, like Steve, and in that case, my landlord would just want all of my stuff out so that he could rent the apartment again.

By this time, in 2017, I wanted everything that I had. I had given away the rest because I did not want to go through the agony for selling stuff to “foreigners” who spoke another language I could not understand. Haha. I WAS THE FOREIGNER WHO SPOKE ANOTHER LANGUAGE! Plus, I wanted all of it.

Well, I had and continue to have to find a way to let go of things I wanted/want. That is where I find myself right now. I am throwing away, giving away, and selling things I want but seldom use because of a variety of reasons – different lifestyle, different choices, different desires. And, now I want to move to expensive Paris. I want to live there before I die. It is important to me for several major reasons. So, I had better get going. I have no time to waste. And, I will never use a lot of this stuff. The boys don’t want any of it. And Trascey doesn’t want anything to do with any of us. Sad. Yes, I know, but true. And my landlord will just want it gone so he can re-rent the apartment.

Yesterday, I sold Steve’s favorite frying pan. He always used that to make delicious meat balls. I thought of it as a wonderful frying pan to make people happy. It made Steve and me happy. Now, it would make another woman happy. I hope. She made me happy. The woman who picked it up was lovely and told me I was very pretty. Imagine! That made my day!!! I don’t feel so pretty these days.

Tomorrow morning, I get on a high-speed train and go to Paris for a week (AirBnb), thanks to my lifelong friend, Jenny Hager. I need to be sure moving to Paris is what I want to do. And, I cannot afford a big apartment on my retirement income. So, lots of decisions ahead of me. I cannot take it all. What matters to me at this age? I don’t know yet. I know this, I LOVE using what I have without wanting more. I am still working on that one. Haha. I think a lot of things weighs you down. I feel lighter and younger. That works for me !

I will take pictures and try to keep you somewhat posted. Lots to think about. I am excited! Stay tuned…….

Best, JAY

RED LETTER DAYS

I keep taking a step at a time and scaring myself each time. Haha! This week has been a “doozy” (Family expression), saying to myself, “Well, when Isis attacks Paris after the Battle of Normandy, I hope I am not shopping at Chanel that day!” I keep thinking that cooler heads will prevail. NOT. A “friend” said to me two years ago, “Give him a chance.” NO. On an international news interview, one Trump supporter said, “Oh, that’s just Trump being Trump. His sense of humor.” This is a non-commentary cartoon, in answer,

AND, it’s Halloween! Where is my cellphone ?

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest – while Saddleback Ridge burns down, I am burying the lead- as Steve would say.

The Mini Cooper (2005/2015 – 2019)

On October 9, 2015, my Steve and I, along with our new “best friends” who helped us do everything, Slav and Andrea, went car shopping. Steve and Slav are car experts. So, is Andrea, sort of. I went along for the ride. The backstory is this:

In LA, Steve drove a BMW Z4, and I had a 2007 BMW convertible. We sold both of them to help finance our move to France on October 1, 2015. Shortly after our arrival, Slav found a 2005 Mini Cooper on a used car lot near Nice, and Steve wanted to get it. 75,000 (46,000+ miles) kilometers on it. We LOVED it and bought it, driving it home that day.

During the 11 months before Steve died, we took a lot of road trips, planning one exploratory weekend after another. When he died in August 2016 , our next trip was to be in October 2016 to Portofino, Italy. These are pictures taken during a trip to Villefrance sur Mer and St. Tropez.

Since that time, I have not put a lot of miles on the Mini. It currently has 78,000 kilometers (48,000 miles). And, on Thursday, I turned over the keys for Slav to sell because I no longer have a Drivers License. My California license expired on my birthday this year (March 30, 2019) and I need to get my French license. I tried to take the Code de la Route Test before my second knee replacement operation but had difficulty with paperwork. Since that time, I have made the decision to move to PARIS. I don’t need or want a car in Paris. So, ……. on October 10, 2019, I said goodbye to the Mini.

Will I ever have a license again? Maybe. I don’t know. The buses and trains in France are excellent, so we will see how it goes.

Needless to say, October 9, 2015 ,and October 10, 2019, are RED LETTER DAYS! Milestones in MY lifetime. But, this meme says it all for me as I face tomorrow, today.

BEST, JAY

THROUGH MY EYES …..

Those who know me know that I am not afraid of change. And, of late, I have been craving change of location – namely Paris. So as I begin the process of tackling all the matters that must be handled prior to a move, I found this post on Facebook. It makes sense to me – biased as I am!!! Especially since I have no one to oppose me but the cat!!! So, today, because I am dizzy from all of the conversations that are filling my head throughout the day and night, I will give you something to ponder (other than what I think about something). Haha. Women will probably agree with a lot of the things that the writer suggests (Another biased woman? … even though Coughlin is a man.) Men, on the other hand, will continue to make their choices about the best ways a woman can use her time and body. Just sayin……. “I love you [anyway], Chipper!”

This article was originally published on “Today Health & Wellness”. By Agnes Pawlowski

“If you’re a woman with a bit of life experience, you already know you’re the boss. You’re more likely to drive health care decisions in your family, control household spending, care for millennials and elders, start a business and initiate a divorce. You have the longevity advantage over men.

In other words, you rule.

But does the world know it? Older women can sometimes feel like they’re invisible to workplaces and businesses, but they’re actually the trailblazers others should be watching, says Joseph F. Coughlin, director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the new book, “The Longevity Economy: Unlocking the World’s Fastest-Growing, Most Misunderstood Market.” As people get older, the future is female, he argues, with women better prepared for life after middle age than their male peers. “One of the greatest under-appreciated sources of innovation and new business may in fact be women over 50 with new ideas, lots of life ahead of them and with the verve to get it done,” Coughlin told TODAY.

He explained why older women will rule the world, why the future is female:

Coughlin: Women do more. They have more education than at any time in history. They’re likely to live longer. A woman is the researcher of the house. Women are far more likely to go online not just to do research for themselves, but be the go-to researcher for millennials, who identify their middle-aged mothers as their best friend.

She is the caregiver-in-chief. Women are caring for more parents than they had ever planned — their parents as well as their in-laws. Getting to 100 is so common now that we see birthday cards in the drugstore for centenarians. There may be three or four generations under the care of one matriarch.

A woman is the chief consumer officer of the house. She’s the one who knows what groceries are bought, what bills are being paid, how that house actually works. The majority of car purchases are directly influenced or done by women. If they’re luxury cars, the numbers go up even more. Home improvement is directed by the woman. Probably most striking is that 80-90 cents on the dollar of every healthcare decision is made by a woman.

Because of all these factors, she is likely to be the person who is closest to understanding what the new jobs and the opportunities of living longer, better are going to be.

Older women are driving relationships:

Coughlin: The number one divorce rate in the country is among the 50-plus, mostly initiated by the woman. When we talk to men about what they think retirement is going to be, it’s almost celebratory: If they’ve saved their money, they see it as a time to play golf, take that trip, buy that new car. And they often talk about spending time with their wives.

I can’t tell you how many women have told me, ‘I don’t know who this man is on my couch but I wish he would just go and get a job. I have routines, I have things to do and he’s always there and he’s always asking me what to do next.’

I think men, particularly those of us over 50, need to up our game. We really have to take a lesson from women that life is more than work; that we need to develop new interests and keep that romance going.

The relationship began decades earlier based upon what you brought to the table and what you created together. Suddenly in older age, men get so caught into a routine — partly because of our employment and lifestyle — that they forget that they need to continue to be exciting and delighting.

Older women are changing the workplace: Coughlin: The new women’s movement is entrepreneurship. When you’re young, you’re willing to join a large corporation and put up with the bureaucracy.

You do not have the patience to put up with that later on. [Right on!!] By the time you’re 40, 50 or 60, chances are you’ve raised a family, managed a home, you’ve got an education, and you have already done your corporate gig. [Note – That is when I went to Law School]

What we’re starting to see is that older women may be hitting a wall in many major corporations, and that is the corporations’ loss. They are becoming engines of innovation in their own right by starting consulting companies, new stores and online sites. Coughlin: Save money. Try to amass as many resources as possible. [Move to Paris!!!]

Take a cue from your mother’s generation and recognize social connections are as important as your financial wellbeing. Maintain that network of support — not just of people who can do something for you, but something that gives you meaning to life and engagement over the long term. Ask yourself: What are the little things that make you smile every day? Do you have access to them? Can you afford them? [Oops.] More importantly, can you identify them? Things that will give you quality of life over 100 years, not just the ability to live 100 years.” [Welllll, the ability helps – and the genes….]

By Agnes Pawlowski (originally published on “Today Health & Wellness”)

OK, I will admit, I want to live to be 111, like Mama Dorough. I am STILL trying to afford myself and move to Paris. (sigh) Stay tuned…….

Best, Jay

FAVORITE PHOTOSHOOT PHOTOS

Last Thursday, I did a SeaTrek and took a lot of photographs. I posted some of them on last week’s Jayspeak, but I did not always select my favorites. So, in this post, I am selecting my favorites – just for fun! I have no criteria for which ones I include. Just my own love for photography these days. Feel free to tell me which ones you like in the “comment” section. Thanks.

BEST, JAY

THREE-MONTH SEATREK PHOTOSHOOT

On Thursday of last week, September 26, 2019, I celebrated my 3-month anniversary since my second knee surgery and walked 3.5 miles, going along a route that I walked before both of my knee surgeries (the first terrible surgery was exactly one year ago – September 27, 2018 – Ugh! I did not know if I would be able to do it because that is where the new tram is going in. Plus, it has some up-and-downhill walking. But, I decided to try. I took a lot of pictures so here goes….. A pictorial post of my route – down Rue de Lepante, past the butcher shop, the wine store, the newsstand store, the souvenirs in the window, the square (also called “round-about”), a pumpkin in a health food restaurant/store, the Police Station, a local park for the kids…..

through the Contemporary Art Museum across Place Garibaldi…. (all of these things have names, but you get the idea….) to the Tram construction cut-through….

Down the hill to the Port, past the antique market to the Sea, ready for breakfast.

THEN, across the street, up the hill, past the WWI monument, to my favorite walkway past the Nice Sign by the Sea and past the Hotel Swisse onto the Promenade

And, through the Arches into the Flower/Vegetable Market…..

Past the fruits and vegetables and the gorgeous flowers and artworks…..

By the Hall of Justice and the Fountain….

Then, the long walk home. I decided to skip cheating on the tram. I got a coffee along the way and made it without problem. 3.5 miles. I have a lot more pictures (because I had both hands free for the camera), but this is enough for one sitting. Needless to say, I was very happy to have done my favorite walk. I stopped to sit a lot, but that’s ok. And, I have gotten lots of rest this weekend. So, this weekend is a 2-post Jayspeak. But, I wanted to do both. I don’t look so hot, so no selfies, but that was not the goal. Anyway, stay tuned……

Best, Jay

SEPTEMBER SELECTIONS – 2019

Well, so much is going on the the USA, in England, and in France, I don’t know where to start! Plus, I “overdid” this week and have exhausted my poor body by walking 3.5 miles (not kilometers) on Thursday and 2.9 miles yesterday. I did it, but I am here to tell you that I must have the left knee done before too much more time has passed. It needs help and is talking to me. UGH!!!! So, this is a rest day, AND, there is a huge Yellow Vest demonstration in town, so I am home for the day.

As Steve would say, “But, enough about me. What do you think of me?” Get it? This is a joke! I am not seriously asking you what you think of me.

Back to the task at hand — The weather is GLORIOUS in Nice. I love these September days when the weather is just right!! Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. (Reminds me of a favorite fairy tale which reminds me of a cartoon I saved this week…..

So, today, I will relax by posting one of my favorite threads on Jayspeak – my NON-Commentary Cartoons and Selected Memes, e.g. “Signs of the Times”. My thanks to the original posters on Facebook. As you know, I save the ones I like! (WARNING!!!!! The Cartoons and Memes you see may be offensive!)

And, now for a few MEMES!!

And, a few dedicated to Missy and others pets……

And, One “Food for Thought” that gives me comfort!

Best, Jay

…..and my Favorite Event Planner in Nice, Andrea Emond.

P.S. On Tuesday, I celebrate my 4-year Anniversary of my time in Nice, France, on October 1, 2015. I met Andrea online six years ago, and she and her husband Slav help Steve and me adjust to a new life. We have remained friends.

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