For a while, before Freddie could even practice guitar, we were both playing piano, but the excitement of life intervened and that is now on hold. And Freddie is starting to practice the guitar, playing slowly and carefully. Juan del Gastor and Luis Peña both call regularly from Spain to encourage Freddie’s practicing!
The first part of our year was Freddie in the hospital.
He was released during February and then we started therapy, first at home and later at the Dominican rehab unit. The last of that ended in September. Now Freddie has a new private speech therapist who comes to the house and is wonderful. He is still making progress, which is good. He just started some new physical therapy with Pilates this December.
While in the hospital Freddie had many loving visitors, cards, e-mails and phone calls. Our friend and masseuse Debra worked on Freddie almost every day. It was so nice to feel the support of our friends and family.
February 1 we had visitors (arranged pre-stroke) from Spain who did a show at the Kuumbwa Jazz center in Santa Cruz and dedicated it to Freddie and me. Freddie got a pass from the rehab center and I was trained with the wheel chair. So I transported Freddie to the show and we sat in the front row. Afterwards I took him home to visit with everyone and later drove him back to the rehab. A few days later I was able to bring him to the workshop they gave at our studio. At this time Freddie couldn’t walk and couldn’t talk much, but still he communicated and it definitely lifted his spirits. Luis and Javier visited him in the hospital. Our visitors: Antonio Moya, Mari Peña, Javier Heredia, Luis Peña, Cihtli Ocampo, Ethan Margolis, Nina Menéndez. They were wonderful and easy houseguests and I felt taken care of!
After Freddie came home, Luis Peña, Lakshmi, Cihtli and Ethan came back from Sevilla in June and gave workshops and shows and stayed with us. Then Juan del Gastor and his wife Lucy came from Sevilla for a short stay with us and gave workshops here. Juan worked patiently and encouragingly with Freddie on the guitar, giving him special exercises to practice.
Late summer, David Serva Jones, who lives in Spain and is an old friend of Freddie’s, came to visit. David, Freddie and Pablo (who also came to visit with David and Carl Nagin) used to be like the “3 Flamenco Muscateers” when they were in their late teens/early 20’s. It was great hearing more outrageous stories of their past and it made Freddie laugh and feel good. David gave Freddie a guitar lesson, which Freddie loved.
Also this summer my old friend Joey (we met when we were 14) and her husband Marty visited. It is wonderful to have such long-term friendships.
On June 22, 2006 our granddaughter Josephine Alvah Gabriel was born to my daughter-in-law Donna’s niece, who had moved in with my son Elun and Donna during her pregnancy. Elun and Donna witnessed the birth and have legally adopted Josephine. I went to visit in August, just after Juan and Lucy’s visit, and am totally delighted to be a grandmother. Photos on website.
So we get older and the generations continue. Freddie and David and Pablo all have gray hair now. So do I. And we have grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Our dear Flamenco friend and dentist Chuck Akin died of cancer in November. He and his wife Julie had been together since they were 22. I met them after I got “hooked” by Flamenco, when Freddie was living at our house on Amesti in the 70’s. Freddie has known them even longer. Chuck’s memorial brought together many wonderful old friends and grown children for a sad occasion. Our old friend Agustin and his wife Christina came to visit us when they were down for Chuck’s memorial.
September
Freddie is doing better, but a stroke is damaging. He still can’t play much guitar. His speech is slowly improving, but the loss is frustrating for him. There are still many words he cannot say, although his mind is clear and he knows what he is trying to say. But, we swim every day. He does at least 20 laps, using fins, claws and a floating noodle to assist him. It is great exercise and his body is responding. He can now do 1 lap unassisted. When he first started, as he began to swim, his surprised comment was “I can’t swim!”. Now he can a little. And with the flotation devices he does beautifully. One day he swam 39 laps! He has also started to work out a little on a Bowflex.
We are having beautiful weather this summer so we spend hours every day by the pool. In some ways, the heat reminds me of Israel, and when I am lying in the sun I often think of my mother! I haven’t had this type of relaxation for a long time! In some ways it feels as if I am on vacation.
Of course then there is the reality of Freddie’s therapy appointments and his inability to speak well or play the guitar. He just started on oxygen at night and we think this is helping. I tried to find a hyperbaric chamber, as I heard that this type of therapy can help stroke patients. But I haven’t been able to locate one close enough to go to.
More December
Freddie’s stepdaughter, Jessamy, who grew up at our house on Amesti Road when Freddie was with her mother Jenny, had a baby boy in November, Julian Cruz, our newest grandchild. Freddie’s son Manolo and wife Alta and family just moved into a new house in Henderson Nevada. Manolo and Alta surprised us with a visit in November, calling to say “look outside your window”. And they were there! Cihtli came several days later to visit and teach another Flamenco workshop and we all had a wonderful time. Freddie’s daughter Maggie and her husband Jason and family will be finally moving back from Texas to California in 2007, as Jason made officer in the military. They are ecstatic. They miss California terribly and we have not seen them since they moved to Texas.
Freddie’s sister Dorothy and brother-in-law John have visited since the stroke. Also Freddie’s baby brother Timmie and his wife Joanie have visited. They are all wonderful and helpful guests and we had a lot of fun with them. Manolo visited just after the stroke too and lifted Freddie’s spirits a lot.
Thanksgiving brought Margalit and Shlomo from Israel. My good friend Margalit is the daughter of my mother’s best friend Dina in Israel. Dina died 8 years to the day after my mother Virgina. We haven’t seen Margalit and Shlomo since 1999 but we are just as close as always. Margalit’s daughter Batya and her husband Uzi are living in San Francisco and just had a baby boy Ori this November.
September 1 my baby sister celebrated her 60th birthday with a surprise party given by her husband Ken. He brought all her family.
In November Freddie saw a visiting Tibetan doctor from India and started taking special Tibetan herbs in December. They seem to have made a difference already.
I am still doing Yoga twice a week. I am also doing Pilates and I swam a lot this summer. I still see psychotherapy clients and do Shamanic work, and am still facilitating my Shamanic journey circle. We teach 2 Flamenco dance classes a week and I give privates too. After his stroke, Freddie learned some computer skills and can scan into Photoshop, save into PrintCD and then print CD labels on the printer.
Freddie’s mother Bea has been here a lot. She is 87. And my father Jack, also 87, and his wife Peggy have been here too. My Dad also calls frequently. Peggy just published an incredible book of photos of their many travels. My cousin Rosanne and her husband Charles and my 2nd cousin-nieces have visited a lot too. We are so fortunate to have such a loving and attentive family.
Freddie was well enough to cook a wonderful paella on my 62nd birthday.
WWe still enjoy the beauty of our Paraíso, still sitting on Mama’s bench by Mama’s tree. We have built a gorgeous retaining wall/terrace outside the dance studio by the new deck. We are about to begin planting it.
What a full year. We have learned a lot about surviving adversity and making it part of our journey. We have learned about true friendship and about self-care. I have not been able to write much since Freddie came home from the hospital. I think I was traumatized too! This is the first writing I’ve done. And I apologize for not answering so many people who wrote asking how we were doing. Here is the answer, abbreviated but here.
May you all enjoy your holidays and your lives.
Love,
Marianna and Freddie Mejia
(Stroke writings & photos on our website www.flamencoromantico.com and photos of Josephine are on http://krechkin.com/gallery/Josephine)