Friday, May 8, 2020

This week’s highlight - I got to visit with Marta and Kerry, friends from Washington who were passing through and stopped for a visit.  They are long time RVers that I met when Mike and I stayed at Marin RV, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Greenbrae, CA. Kerry was working at the Maritime Museum in SF and Mike and I were babysitting Charlotte a few days a week for a few about 6 months. Marta and I became quick friends and would go on long hiking adventures to places like the Marin Headlands, and other beautiful spots. I will never forget our trip to Maritime Museum’s warehouse where we were given a guided tour of artifacts that were in storage or being repaired for the museum, followed by a great dinner and beers. That was the point where we hit it off as couples but then Mike and I left there shortly after. After Kerry retired, they went back to Washington to be near their family.

Marta and I have stayed in touch through the years, thanks to Facebook, and I feel fortunate that they took the time for a visit with me.  We last saw each other in 2014 and just missed connecting last spring when Tom and I were in Washington.  We had a nice, distanced visit, some lunch, and a walk along the river. Unfortunately, Marta’s health is not so great as she suffers from Fibromyalgia in her legs and was recently  diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia. She seemed like the same old Marta to me, but after a couple of hours she struggled to remember things and Kerry helped her out a lot and filled in the blanks. She is fortunate to have a good man by her side who is willing to do whatever he can to care for her and to keep her happy. After her diagnosis, they were considering an end to their travels but it is something that she loves and it keeps her brain active, so they will continue for as long as they can.