I left The Va Hospital five months ago on January 9, 2023.  I am Cancer Free according to my Medical Teams. My weight is 160 & I have been fluctuating between 166 to present weight. Feel pretty good as long as I can keep my “ stinking thinking “  in its place. Thank you my dear Wife Barbara. She is at ground zero where all of my acting out occurs. The continued frustration is cause by the changes that are part of the healing-cancer side effects. She has been everything to me, and on the occasion where I go goofy and say stupid stuff that can be hurtful.  I try my best to get my feet out of my mouth and we sit and discuss my frustrations and I apologize. 

 The most frustrating is the continued lack of taste. After these many months I still find it really hard to eat normal food. Anything in liquid I can consume, gulp, gulp, gulp….done.

Foods that require chewing are best if I can remember to take small bites chew, chew, chew and some liquid to wash it down. This above process is best if I can disengage my mind from the process to that of company at dinner where the distraction of conversation is like a smoke screen for slowly consuming food that has no, or very little taste. 

 I have given all my trousers,shorts,and XL Shirts away. I’m am 32 in my waste six. Medium pants are Ok, not Large or XL. I like buying clothes. What I don’t spend on food I can buy other things with.

Life is at a full boil. Things are being managed by my Team DD very well and business is good. Thank you all for the love and the  loyalty. More great things are happening in many aspects of my life. Summer is here. The Golden Barrel Cactus that I call ( thanks to my buddy DP ) Mr. Prickly was purchased my me in 1977 at Cactus Gardens Nursery in Riverside, CA. It was the size of a Silver Dollar as a child. Decades of nurturing, transplanting into a bigger pot ( VERY DANGEROUS and there is alway some bloodletting ), moving it inside in Fall and out side in Summer………………..just yesterday has come to an end. Yesterday 4 men, a truck from Home Depot, a winch and lots of good Karma took it to its new home. The  Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Over the years of maturing and getting bigger, its become a beast to move in my bedroom, its wintering spot. Then move it out to the sunny Deck in Summer again. The most recent move proved to me that it is critical  ( at my age and not as strong …Or stupid ) to find a new home for Mr. Prickly.  A magnificent Stand On Wheels was recently custom made by my bud DP. Once on the level it is easily handled by one person because of the four wheels on the cart. So why not move it outside, by yourself like I always have. The four inch drop from the house level to the deck level should be easy, right ?!! It shifted a bit while I was lowering it onto the deck and caught me in the hand and the back. From years of getting BIT I know to attend to those wounded  areas Immediately to avoid months of pain. I did. Went to my work out, in showering afterwards I noticed the cactus punctured area on my right shoulder that got hit in my bending over to lift it. It felt like the cactus needed was in me. I was late for my appointment with my  acupuncturist appointment  ( to restore my taste buds, which has not worked ) so I went to the Chiropractic Office & The Doc  he was able to get it our of me . It was a quarter of and inch long. Been talking to many people over the last few years, saying, “ would you like an impressive cactus ? “ Had a few say, sure I’d love to have it.  There are private collectors. I researching this & found, if you could find one this size 60 inches in diameter it would be over $1,000.00 to buy one in AZ. I was therefore very happy and relieved that my decades of work was appreciated by The Arb. It’s now on display. When you at The Arb go into the Greenhouse with all the Orchids and other exotic plants and say Hi to Mr.Prickly. It’s in a grand place where all can appreciate the wonders of nature.

Also Pictured is my Grandsons Asher, Ari, and Michael. At Ari’s 5th birthday party last Saturday. Youngsters made me feel young. There abounding energy is where the fountain of youth springs fourth. Happy to report that all 9 grandkids are doing very well. Family is so much 🤩 fun.

Get this. My Troop Commander in Vietnam  ( 1969-1970 ) JP has given back to the men who kept him alive. Ever since 1990 when we became reacquainted he has donated Millions to helping The Soldiers of Alpha Troop  ( and the entire Blackhorse Regiment )achieve the dignity that we were deserved. He was instrumental in getting us to The White House where President Obama presented The Presidential Citation for Valor on 09-11-09. Our unit on the Cambodian Boarder saved a Company of  the 1st Cav Infantry from annihilation . For the last five years he has wanted to, set the record straight. His idea of making  ( PUCTAB, Presidential Unit Citation, The Anonymous Battle  ) this into a Movie has been going on a long time with again beaucoup of his own bucks ( the American way ) being invested.    

. The Screen Writer submitted script this week and I read the 147 pages. JP wanted to have some other eyes on the text after his three three weeks of grooming had been accomplished. I found only one minor suggested revision. I expect the Production to be the next step.

While reading the script, tearing  the lid off the file cabinet in my mind of my RVN experiences, its always  thought provoking. Reading the script I had to pause several times to assure myself that this  War was  about 50 years ago. With memories of war I have done a pretty good job of giving them to The Elephant in the room and keeping them in its hidden place. The Script was truthful and factual. Production will be the next logical step.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it very well. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters to what lies within us.”

On this day, I will walk a little slower and will listen closely to the messages within me. ✌️❤️ J💎