The Ribbon of Road Ahead

  This beautiful Sunday morning was perfect for a bicycle ride.  Charlie and I donned our Evil Knievel bike kits from our Pedaling for Parkinsons/Davis Phinney Foundation team. There is just something about these kits that make us feel like we could defeat the world.  We headed through the park to reach the long, dreaded…

Around a table at a bar, sitting with strangers, I completely passed myself off as a pediatrician.  Luckily the music was too loud for anyone to hear what I told them about my fictitious practice, and no one asked for my card.  PHEW Why I did that I don’t know.  It seemed fun at the…

    In 2012 my husband Charlie and youngest son Luke then age 13, traveled to France, then Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago.  We were joined by a close friend and family members  (in order of appearance) Jeremy, Allen, Brandon, Yvette, Josh, Cece and Delora.  I came across this piece tonight as I…

Love yourself enough to love others in a way that they feel free, and better for having known you.” Heather Kennedy Loving oneself first is the hardest. It was hard enough to love myself when I had a slim athletic body I could control. When I had a meaningful career helping children learn to communicate…

The plans for today changed almost literally by the minute. To “dip” or not to “dip” was the question. “Dipping” the front bike tire in the Mississippi River is a tradition to completing the RAGBRAI. Did we want to ride the last day’s full distance into the headwinds partially retracing yesterday’s route? Did we want…

I cannot see directly ahead when I ride behind Charlie on the tandem bike. His broad back blocks the view. I certainly can see what is beside us.  The other day we took a long ride on the backroads and I kept a mental count of what we saw. This is what I wrote when…

Yip…. one becomes very open and honest with fellow PWP!! We understand one another!! ~Rose Meynell Bishop, Johannesburg S.A. When I meet a Person with Parkinson’s (PWP) there is an instant feeling of connection. Before long I have shared my diagnosis date, my outward symptoms, medications and how they are working and she has shared…

I remember the first national speech pathology convention I attended. It was sponsored by the American Speech and Hearing Association. I was late arriving at the awards luncheon and found an open seat at a table near the front of the conference room. When I was settled and had a chance to look around I…

There she was, Keiko, walking towards us as we came out of the grocery store just off the food court at the Nagasaki train station. “Oh you, I wondered if you would come after you asked when we were leaving.” “I had to say a proper good bye.” Charlie and I searched the tables at the…