Happy Beltane!

All is well as we welcome spring. Chester, Barbara and I did an improvised May Pole dance yesterday, all on wheels. Chester danced in his wheelchair, I scooted around on a massage stool and Barbara wove through us with a rickety shopping cart. She documented the whole thing and hopefully we'll have more for you from her once she gets home in New York.

Chester is feeling much better after the change in his medication. His dizziness is almost totally gone, so his walking and transferring are both much stronger. He now walks with confidence and grace, most of the time. Our work now will be spending more and more time out of the wheelchair- walking and standing more in the apartment and out in the community. As we do so, we will be guided by Prudence, who has been a good ally this past year.

Medi-Cal finally is active, so we are now through the entire process of getting Chester on Social Security Disability and Medi-Cal. Today when we went for blood tests we were able to give them the Medi-Cal card, which felt like a major victory! Now we can turn our attention to submitting receipts for medical expenses dated back as far as November and hope that many of them are reimbursed. With all of his medical expenses totalling in the several-hundred-thousand-dollar range, it is nice to know that from this point forward many of his medical expenses will be paid for by our dear government agencies. Of course, his disability income is laughably low, and Chester will continue to rely on the support of his community for subsistence and sushi.

May all of your May Day seeds flourish this spring. What ever it is you are sprouting, rooting, or pruning, may it be fed by the rich soil of friendship and the generous waters of love.