Saturday December 15 2007

Bill and Phyllis a few years ago.

Yeah....I know you're wondering where the blog has been for three days, but it seemed like I was just staying busy enough that I never got around to actually sitting down and writing. Everything is fine here.

Even these wintry days have been very sunny and bright but cold. Down around minus 25 at night and about 15 in the days. The stars at night have been amazing. There's been a crescent moon and Mars is hanging over the eastern hills in the evening like a red lantern. The 18th it will be closest to the earth, only 55 million miles. I also saw some of the Geminid meteors one night , but didn't watch for long. Venus? (or is it Jupiter) is huge before sunrise and I can't remember when I've seen that look so big, like a small moon.

Well Saturday seemed like another busy phone day. I heard from my cousin Bonnie over at Montera Bay CA right on the ocean and that was fun. They have lived there for 30 years, and want to move now near the redwoods north of San Francisco near the wine country. They will be about 15 miles from the ocean there near the Russian River. My sister Gloria also called and several other friends. I cleaned up my studio, put away the walker that's been sitting in here since I came home from the hospital so that is a statement, and put out new paint on the palette. I got a few strokes of paint on the current painting.

Bill and Phyllis came over in later afternoon with a plate of cookies and fudge and we had coffee and a nice visit with them. Then they were off to take goodie plates to other neighbors. They are such nice people. Phyllis took the box of frozen Georgia apples and is going to can them. She found that they could still eat some of them. Even though they were a little grainy she said they were still good. I'm so glad they could be put to good use. James said he would contact UPS and I hope he gets reimbursed for them.

I fixed us some dinner and spent until bedtime reading through parts of the very large file that Judi has given me. She always sends me a copy of whatever she has been up to, historic interviews, wonderful illustrated maps of their trips and other kinds of articles she has written. We agreed that (since she has her own copies of everything) I would burn all of this file and it not go anywhere else. I have about a quarter of it still to get through. I sure have enjoyed exploring through it all again, especially her maps and the great stories of local interest.

Friday December 14 2007

Evening

Joe went to town this morning for his protime and got a few fresh things at the store. He stayed in for lunch. The dogs stayed outside the whole time watching for him to come back. I did a little housekeeping. Have still been gleaning through all the old files and papers for interesting info to write "The Book". So had another big yard bag full of papers to burn today. I got an idea for a poem from that, which I started and might share it later if it turns out any good at all. Debbie burned another big bag when she was here and I wondered what she was thinking as all those remnants of the past went up in smoke.

Debbie called and they have been carrying out all their Christmas traditions. She makes a large gift basket for all the employees of Curtis' company. I think tonight (?) she said they are going for a dinner cruise with all the employees on Lake Mead - I had to remember that its a lot warmer down there than here. Tayler spent the day skiing at Lee Canyon on a school outing. You can do that there - ski on Mt. Charleston and boat on the lake all in one day. Tomorrow they are going on an ATV ride with their group.

Sandra also called and we had our usual good visit, and had several other nice phone calls. I'm always cheered up to hear from people or get the beautiful cards. I called Kay this morning, and she said their family open house was very successful last weekend. I was so glad to hear that. Their whole family does a big variety of something artistic or creative and they do well with people coming to shop for Christmas gifts. They set up George's big shop with tables for all their creations and serve refreshments big time. I'm sorry I missed it. She has several "gigs" with her band for the holidays.

Yesterday Doc called and offered to plow the road, and said they were thinking of me. I told him Joe had asked Frosty to plow every Sunday so I could get out Monday mornings but would sure keep them in mind for a backup, which we very well might need some day. The wind is going to be the devil in that plan. But we have sure been lucky lately with almost no wind blowing.

I'm feeling pretty good today. Wish it didn't take most of the week to get better after the chemo, but I've heard that probably will just be that way.

#@%)&% ......I'm so unhappy to report that a box of 4 varieties of wonderful apples from Georgia orchards sent by James and Kathy were frozen solid. UPS left them out in the brown box by our mailbox instead of bringing them in to the house and I'm not sure how long they may have been there before Joe brought them in this afternoon. We don't go out there every day. It was 20 below here last night. Joe tried to eat one and said they were frozen, and I said what in the world am I going to do with a whole box of frozen apples?? What happens to apples that are frozen that way? I don't know if James can do something about it through UPS, but by tomorrow I think I should see if one of my neighbors (anyone out there??) would want to try to make applesauce or pie filling out of them. Remember when Debbie was here we packed all the canning jars off to the second hand store - figured I wouldn't do any more canning as I hadn't used them for some years now. And I'm not sure I'm up to it.

Wednesday and Thursday December 12 and 13 2007

The Gift Tree from Charm

Cones from Gloria and Wine Cork Reindeer from Kay

Wednesday was a really pretty sunny day, which was spent/wasted mostly sleeping. Had a spell of being nauseous, the first. And continued with the pain in shoulder and side. By evening was doing better.

A beautiful tabletop spruce tree arrangement arrived today from Charm. It is so fragrant and cheerful. Joe asked if I wanted our big artificial tree brought in but asked if he was going to decorate it and take it down later and he said no. So I declined having him bring it in. Anyway Debbie is sending a small fiber optic decorated tree along with Beverly and that is what we will have up when Beverly, Brent and Clayton are here for Christmas. They will be here in about a week from Saturday.

The field is very lonely and quiet with no horses there to watch. Usually for both of us the first thing we do in the morning is look out and check to see that the horses are doing o.k. So look instead for a few deer and the hawks that are hunting mice there. I didn't say that when we went to Jackson Monday a small herd of deer was out by the gate when I left and came back. They will probably be around until the snow gets too deep for them to find anything to eat there, then they will move to a better place.

Today - Thursday - is very cold, and was clear in the night but about sunrise began to set in to snow. By noon the hills are out of sight in the clouds and mist. We're doing fine, just no news to speak of. I'll get a shower and work some more on my painting. I assembled the new swivel sweeper and have the battery charging, then will try out my new toy.

Gina and Bob did come with their trailer this morning and get the last load of hay. They came in for a cup of tea and a nice visit. That was a very enjoyable distraction. Too bad I was still in my pjs! Sounds like they have a very busy day planned.

Tuesday December 11 2007

Mule Deer

Spent today mostly resting, had the headache like last week, but so far no shoulder pain. Remember I had that pretty bad last week. Yesterday Carole explained to me what the pain likely was. There are no pain receptors in the area of the tumor/pancreas, around the (removed) gall bladder and bile duct and liver so it presents itself somewhere else, called referred pain, and the place it goes is the right shoulder. It may have meant that the chemo was working on killing the cancer which is its job. How amazing our body is.

Yesterday the swivel sweeper that Debbie ordered for me arrived. You would be surprised how small and lightweight the box is, although it looks like a good quality product. I haven't put it together yet. It will let me brush up the floor a little bit without using the vacuum. Joe has been using the heavy vacuum. He is doing so good helping out. I'm very proud of him.

Joe sold Bob and Gina the rest of our haystack. They are hauling it away, or maybe even finished it while I was gone yesterday. I didn't really look today. This is good.

Debbie called and we had a nice visit. Also Sheral and I talked for a while this afternoon. They sound like they are all ready for Christmas. I haven't done a thing. But Gloria sent me some pine cone decorations she made for us, and I set them on the table in the living room. Also the poinsettia, and it is very festive. Thank you for the gift of the plant, Charm. You are always so thoughtful. I am also still enjoying the memory of our day together yesterday.

Today was brilliantly bright and sunny, got to about 15 degrees. Tomorrow and the rest of the week sounds like it will be snowing off and on, with frigid temperatures and very low wind chills.

Carol from Oncology called this morning and they will not put the port in my chest until one of my January appointments so my day next week will still be Monday. She said everyone tries to get their surgery over with before Christmas (or maybe actually the end of the year), so the operating rooms are scheduled full right now. Deanne and I talked this morning and we will meet and leave early from Rookies for our appointments in Jackson next Monday.

Well, in the night Tuesday I did get the shoulder pain again.

The Saga of Precious Continues

FROM MY SISTER GLORIA IN GREEN VALLEY -

Remember Precious saved them from the snake in the bookcase.

The saga of Precious, The Fierce and Powerful Protector continues:

Last night, while Bob and I were in our respective spots in the living room, again watching a movie, our wonderful cat came to our rescue again. She was crouched for several minutes in the hallway, in front of the closet door. Coaxing her away wasn't going to work. Calling her to come and jump up into our laps wasn't going to work. Finally, the brave and most intelligent human in the house got the message from the genius cat that lives here had figured out there was something in the closet. You might be asking at this point, what could it be? Another snake? Don't think the brave and most intelligent human in the house wasn't asking the same question. Carefully tiptoeing, because animals, reptiles, and insects can't sense humans when they tiptoe really, really quite (ha!) - I opened the door, oh so cautiously. Because, animals, reptiles, and insects won't know you're opening the door if you do it really, really cautiously and quietly. As soon as I began to open the door Precious the Wonder(ful) Cat was on her feet and at the ready! She crept around the edge of the door and crept into the closet and protected my life with hers by keeping her distance from the stink bug that was posing there with it's rear end in the air by the edge of the door. She did keep it under surveillance while I trapped it under a glass and threw it out the door, into the cold, dark, rainy night. Hopefully, never to cross our threshold again with it's stink. Bob, all the while, again, was reclined in his chair watching the show. And, so, another chapter unfolds in the continuing story about the amazing wonder cat - Precious the Fierce!

Monday December 10 2007

Bondurant, McKinley's Cabin

Just wanted to put something on the blog to let you know that today went pretty well. Minus 10 degrees this morning. Met Charm about 8:30 at Boulder and we took my car. The roads were snowy then slick out our way, then the highway was pretty much clear until we got to the Rim where it got pretty slick and continued that way to Alpine Junction. We went in the Auto 4WD. Was kind of foggy, small snowflakes. snow on the pines, the whole trip looking like a Christmas card. Absolutely beautiful, especially along the river again. There wasn't as much ice in the river this week as last.

Got to the hospital about 10:30. It was much quieter this week than last. Saw Dr. Meno again. Went through the same procedure, put in IV, take blood draw, which results were pretty good, biliruben down low, except for showing the tumor markers pretty high, drip in the chemo. Carol gave me another big wad of information about what is going on, and probably why I experienced the pain after last week - It may be a good thing it turns out. Charm took notes for me this time.

"My" nurses are very wonderful people, I just can't find the words to say how I feel, I love them all and Dr. Meno too. Charm thought he is a doll! They are going to call me tomorrow to maybe change the appt. to Tuesday and have the port put in my chest they are talking about doing. There was a young man with a staph infection in his foot, I think the whole thing started with some bad splinters that went in and then surgery for that and later got infected. He is taking 24 hour antibiotics that are in a fanny pack, through the "pic line in his arm"..... the other option they might do on me.....I like the idea of the port better, because you have to flush the pic line with saline every day and most people have help with that. And I tend to procrastinate things I don't want to really do. Anyway he was very kind and helpful to show me exactly how the pic line in his arm looked and how it was to use it.

So after we got out of there we went over to the National Wildlife Museum to return the book I had bought which was a duplicate of one I already had. We ate lunch in their Sagebrush Grill, soup and salads. We could see the elk on the National Elk Refuge through the big picture windows, many 100's, maybe 1000's. A big bunch of bulls with antlers looking like a thicket of bare shrubs were separate from the big herds and laying together in a bunch closer to the highway, so we got a good look at them. There were wagons and teams taking people out on the tours to see the elk up close - wagons instead of sleds because there is almost no snow there yet. The mountains fading away into the distance through the fog and mist above the refuge were so beautiful.

We made two other stops, and Charm found some poinsettias at Smith's and got one for us too. They are all glorious - she got pink, white and red and I chose the red one. The temp was below freezing so you really have to protect them between the car and the house. Then we repeated the trip home, stopped at the drug store to fill my prescriptions, and Charm filled the car with gas while I was waiting at the drug store.

As we came into the Green River Valley and got the first and continuing looks at the Wind Rivers, we could see they had gotten a new dumping of snow and were absolutely glorious in the setting sun with the storm clouds lifting. Got home just about the same time tonight as last week. It was about 0 when I got here. Joe had reheated the pork roast for dinner. It was a long day and I'm about ready to lay down for the night.

Sunday December 9 2007

Its a Coyote

Just a note - another uneventful day. We had a beautiful light snow falling all day, the kind that you think about at Christmas time. We had the most beautiful coyote standing outside the front yard this morning, perhaps two of them were out there. Probably looking for an easy meal of kitty. They are awesome animals when they are healthy looking and in their prime. It is VERY cold tonight and will be early in the morning when Charm and I take off to go to Jackson.

I just want to say again how much I appreciate everyone's notes, cards, support and offers of help. I'm very aware of all the special friendships I am blessed with during this time. Its hard to go through the days without feeling such an outpouring of love. It is very meaningful to me. Just thought I'd tell you again and that I'm sorry I haven't been ambitious enough to answer each one.

We've been watching the NFR every night. I painted a little today, but didn't get far. It won't take long now to finish the painting. Still having those ups and downs with my insides, but a little better by tonight. Made us a pork roast dinner. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.