Dear Conch-Lers who were at the COA convention:

Some of you met Ingrid Thomas, from England, who was attempting to network
with various of us for the purpose of a television series in the UK. She
went on the deep sea fishing trip and collapsed on the way out to the
fishing grounds, was hurried back and taken to the hospital. Here's her
report on her present condition.


> Thanks for your message.  I'm only just out of hospital here in UK,
feeling
> I've aged to about 105, but finally on the mend I believe.  The diagnosis
> was kidney/urinary tract infection, and since that fateful day on Tuesday
> 16th, it has been a strange and uncomfortable nightmare (and I'm not one
of
> the faint-hearted souls in the world, believe me).
>
> A lot of kindness was shown to me in Sarasota after (and before!) I got
ill,
> most particularly of all from COA member Linda Powers, who took me in to
>her home in
> Englewood, and tended to me, a mere acquaintance of a few days' standing,
> and gave me the kind of care that one would normally only expect from
>close
> family.  She I will never forget, and one day I intend to repay her great
> kindnesses.   Others too were wonderful, especially  Don and Eloise Bosch,
>Marilyn Boyd, and Alistair Moncur.  Amongst many messages of thanks
> and gratitude, I shall be in touch with Cathy to see what I should do
>about
> reimbursing Captain Judd for loss of revenue on that aborted fishing trip.
> For which I shall never cease to feel apologetic to the other people whose
> outing was abandoned, and who missed out on a great treat, on my account.
> My toes curl with embarrassment and misery whenever I think about it.
>
> In answer to your question, sadly no, I didn't fully accomplish my mission
> in the States:  I needed badly to talk to several people who I wasn't able
> to, most particularly Dr Leal at Sanibel Island.   Nothing I can do about
> that now.  Sometimes 'force majeur' dictates that one cannot succeed in
>all
> one's desires, and this was one of those occasions.  But I will say that
>for
> the first four 'healthy' days of the convention, I had a ball, met a load
>of
> terrific people, and got quite a lot of useful information gathered in.
>
> And I think you organised a fantastic convention, for which many thanks.
>
> All the best for now
> Ingrid
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                     Visit my website at http://www.shelltrips.com
                                  Peggy Williams
                                   Shell Elegant
                                    PO Box 575
                                Tallevast FL 34270
                                   (941) 355-2291
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