A stitch in Time! It IS time!

I am in the mood to sew.  My sewing isn't in a co-operative place.  It's a difficult reconciliation! After a lovely weekend retreat with some of my favorite sewing companions, I should have come home invigorated and ready to become productive.  Instead, I unloaded my equipment and it has sadly been occupying a lonely corner since I returned.  With the holidays approaching, projects could put me in the spirit.  I need to stay home a minute for that to happen.

I think I'll clean out the garage this afternoon.  No...that's not a change in plan.  We have an appointment this morning to review and possibly replan our future, so why not clear some space in the parking area.  I have shelves for oft used items that have no home inside the house.  Gift wrap and ribbon stores nicely on those shelves. Big buckets of yarn were moved to the less accessible shelves in the playhouse a couple of months ago to allow for space to store sewing machine cases. It's time to pull them out of the cases, move the cases to the garage and allow Dinah, Sister Spirit and Little Brother to hum!  Yes!  I like that plan!

Reflection

We have about a dozen young friends graduating from high school and a few more celebrating completion of a college curriculum for a degree! This is the weekend my high school class will celebrate the anniversary of our own walk across the stage for a diploma. The first event of this reunion began at noon, with lunch in a legendary restaurant,and additional events throughout the three day weekend.  We made plans many months ago to attend.  It was not meant to be.

Ol' Abner has been going through the process to fight his cancer. Yes, it is hard to say,but he has cancer.  An aggressive treatment plan was outlined and preparation began.  Two specialists would treat concurrently with radiation daily and chemotherapy weekly. First we had to consult a surgeon to have a port installed for delivery of the chemotherapy and provide a better access for drawing blood.  The radiation oncologist mapped out the location for targeting radiation, but found some suspicious fluid around his lung.  That fluid had to be removed before we could proceed.That fluid contained cancer cells, meaning we must change to a more aggressive chemo plan. He is officially considered in Stage Four, and options are shrinking as well as his life expectancy.  

This news was given to us the morning we had planned to leave for my reunion.  Additional planning called for reorganizing our weekend, actually we are reorganizing our life! We will indulge in a quiet few days of reflection.

Old...it's reality!

Aging is a tough process.  I was convinced I would do it so much better than my ancestors.  A few months ago, I realized that goal has passed me.  I often stand and walk like an old lady.  I appreciate the easy-open medicine bottles, provided for homes with no small children. Ol' Abner reminds me from time to time that I AM old, not as old as he is, but accurately classified as a "senior citizen"!  

Even our dog has accelerated the aging process, despite adjustments in her diet to control weight and keep her mind active.  She required a "knee replacement" in January.  While it is well healed, she walks like an "old lady" now.  She no longer runs, but walks quickly with a prissy little prance.  When she wants to join us on the dog friendly sofas, we must lift her up.  These days, I am grateful for the ten pounds she shed last year.

If only I could adhere to a daily "green bean" filler in my diet, and if only they made "Bright Mind" food for old humans.  

Time for a New Plan

I've been complaining continually since the beginning of the year, probably not a good idea.  I griped about the rainy weather, then the wind that dried out the ground and blew in the pollen.  I griped about being stuck on the 26th floor at Houston Methodist Outpatient Center when the weather was delightful outside. After a low score on his Pulmonary Function Test, the transplant center called us back to Houston repeatedly for further testing...I fussed.  Ol' Abner suffered a nosebleed that would not end, in a Holiday Inn, and I griped about having to explain to the housekeeping supervisor that no murder had occurred in that room. After I griped about having to spend so much time in Houston, I complained about a week of finding a Ear Nose and Throat specialist, and arriving for additional tests closer to home.  These have been my horrible thoughts lately, and I must say I should be ashamed of myself.  Don't ever say it cannot get worse.  It just did!

Strangely enough, Ol' Abner and I are at peace now.  We have answers, not good ones, but the questions are now more of what to do about it instead of "what is it?".  We will see an oncologist later today and map out a plan to cure the cancer that has been found growing in his native lung. As for me, I plan to stop complaining!

Just Fix It...please!

The first month of the new year isn't over and we have suffered all the trauma we wanted for the year.  Little Brown Dog had to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus and ACL repair (well that's what we would call it if she had a human knee), actually a ruptured cruxiate! Ol' Abner had a serious reaction to Cedar pollen and we found ourselves in the ER on a rainy Tuesday afternoon that extended into an evening thunderstorm. At the time, Dog was still in her cone and could not be left home alone.  She rode with us in the back seat.  When the storm was at it's worst, the ER staff suggested she could come in to the treatment room with Ol' Abner.   That had a calming effect on both of them. Meanwhile I had begun to experience the telltale scratchy throat.  It didn't help that I was soaked to the skin in my journey to the parking to bring dog inside. My umbrella was under the driver's seat, but I was more concerned with getting the leash attached and maneuvering her through the automatic doors with her cone clad head and shaky legs.  By the time we returned safely home, I was miserable.  The hour plus drive down Interstate 35 in pouring rain didn't improve my attitude.  Luckily Ol' Abner and Dog slept most of the way home.  I shed my wet clothes and took a warm shower, then fell into bed. I was not rewarded with immediate peaceful sleep.  I began to cough and couldn't stop...Ol' Abner slept, Dog fretted. It was a long night. By morning, he was much better, I was much worse. That's what marriage is all about, right, alternate misery?  He has spent the last three days bringing me soup and running household errands.  I have barely left my bed except to recline on the sofa.  Today, I feel human again.  I did cook a pot roast sometime in the fog and we had that to eat at intervals for a couple of days, and now he's off to restock the pantry.  At some point I was so determined to be well that I took a long hot shower, then scrubbed down both bathrooms.  A four hour nap afterward, still left me feeling as if I had been hammered about the head and shoulders.  I do NOT tolerate this form of abuse (even if it is imaginary retribution for belittling Ol' Abner's drama).  The stitches have been removed from dog's leg and she no longer must wear the cantankerous cone.  With all our ailments on the mend, the telephone has taken a powder and refuses to connect.  Will this month never end?

New Year...New Routine

The holidays are over and life goes on.  The Christmas stuff has been stashed, and it's a brand new year.  Our holiday season was different this year beginning with a Thanksgiving of escapism.  We ran away to the Carribbean for a cruise because I didn't want to cook.  We returned in time for me to spend a day in the courthouse trying to avoid serving on a jury.  I succeeded and came home to finish my marathon of stitching.  I did take a wicked little detour by my favorite sewing center on the way downtown to pick up some supplies and stayed long enough for a demonstration of a sewing companion for Dinah and Little Brother.  Ol' Abner was apparently in search of the solution to my Christmas wish and sent me back the next week to add the Spirit to my collection.  My spring agenda involves a whole round of classes to use this new tool.  A few days later we awoke to discover our sweet little dog unable to bear weight on her right hind leg.  We feared she had blown her cruxiate ligament and increased her dose of anti-inflammatory medication.  Just before we went to Houston a few years ago, she had a similar injury to her left leg.  It healed with care and medication.  We hoped for the same result this time. The Germans arrived, my quilts were completed and we planned for a trip to Ft Worth for the week of Christmas.  When we took Belle to the veterinary clinic for boarding, we asked that she be checked by the doctor during her stay.  The news was not good.  Doc told us it was in fact ruptured, but this time it would only get worse without intervention and the further concern was the weakness still in the opposite leg might render her unable to walk at all.  On Tuesday, we took her to the veterinary specialist and left her for surgery and an overnight stay. We picked her up the following day and have become nurses and rehab specialists since.  Of course she is wearing the infamous cone to prevent her mouth from contacting any part of her body and we must keep her from running and jumping.  As she grows stronger, it is hard to keep her calm.  She loves to run and jump and her tail wags vigorously when she is happy.  Today she has been very happy.  One of us must remain at home with her at all times since she refuses to go into her crate while wearing the cone. This may be a long couple of weeks.  As I mentioned earlier, cooking has not been my most practiced skill this year.  I have cooked thee meals daily since her return home.  I should be taking advantage of the time to sew, but she likes to lay near my feet under my sewing table when I'm there.  The cone becomes a "bulldozer" and she cannot maneuver into her cubby at my feet any better than she can get into her crate.  As I said, it will be a long couple of weeks.