So Far, So Good

Leading the news is the Health Desk today: Initial during-surgery, sentinel lymph-node analysis shows no spread of C-cells--more lab results due in the days ahead for final word on that. The incision sites are healing well, the mind and body are more synchronized today than yesterday. There are signs of normalcy. The good thoughts, vibes and prayers sent my way flood my atmosphere and eclipse material concerns.

Outdoor birds, squirrels, occasional deer and her indoor plants are enjoying Pat's routines and commitments to their well-being along with the many people in the larger world who benefit, myself included, from her quiet help, and personal engagement.

Pat's and my plant collections are expanding.

My window this morning. We were getting inches and inches of rain. Two of the Tillandsia are having babies. One is subdividing and the remainder are much bigger than two years ago. The Pothos cuttings from the big one upstairs are taking hold.

Marge's plants are still blooming. They like the kitchen sink moisture. The orchid came from last year's Longwood Garden's Orchid Extravaganza.

From Tucson it was great to receive some photos of Carol and Janie outdoors keeping up with their chores.

Carol.

Janie.

Their good buddies.

And, I found the Christmas drone video that I was missing. John, Keoni and Aidan made the little thing work very well...



Marge was back from Charleston for a very brief time and got her haircut before heading south again. She had been at Cape May to stay a few days with friend who had lost her husband. In Missouri, we lost Uncle Bud, on Dad's side, earlier this month, too. There was a memorial service that Jeanenne attended and took a picture of one of the pictures in a display.

Dad's family; eight siblings together...

Back row, left to right: Dad, Uncle Bud, Uncle Nonny, Uncle Rog.
Front row: Aunt Dottie, Aunt Catherine, Aunt Jackie, and Aunt Betty. All but Jackie now deceased.

Wendy reported that on a recent walk around the perimeter of the farm, she saw Toby far afield in the woods pouncing on something. He was too engaged to come walk with her and the dogs. I love this picture she sent on a recent morning of freezing temps and blasting winds.

Toby in the barn window next to the milking stand.
Wendy said she'd given him a can of cat food for a special treat. He's sitting on the heating pad and one of the blankets that was formerly in service for his porch "igloo" shelter. I wonder what he thinks of the canned stuff compared to the caught stuff. I'll have to ask him.

Sunday's full moon was beautiful but, as you can see, the clouds were moving in so the total eclipse was not seen in this part of Pennsylvania...

Snow Woman Sighting!

From the Weather Desk: Big Snow arrived in Missouri recently and some of Jeanenne's second and third generations built a Snow Woman...

The Snow Woman Team.

Good Morning, Snow Woman!

Yay! for all you young, future women and, not least, young Oliver--you are part of making a new day as you enjoy the fun of building a Snow Woman with your sisters and cousins.

***

A Santa toy that was under the tree at Wendy and John's on Christmas Day was a drone. Yes, a drone! As soon as breakfast was over three of the family went outside for Drone Practice that started like this...



I wish I could post a later video they made (it failed to send to my phone, I later discovered) of the drone's live "eye-in-the-sky" video sent to their iPhones. John gets to look at his home's roofing without a ladder now and, of course, all are enjoying amusements of lesser natures.

Sonja shared some early Christmas morning smiles..

Elijah.

Dimetrios and Kingston.

Aidan's school district allowed only the days between the holidays for a break. We got to have Keoni here longer but he headed back to Georgia on the 6th. This time, without extraordinary travel glitches. Next, there are all those grad school audition travels, and Rome again, too.

Keoni's department had some ensembles they were playing live on FaceBook. He sent these pictures of his ensemble (he had a viola solo portion in one piece), and of all assembled afterward...

A dish looked sort of pretty one evening...

Whole Meal Purple Potato Salad. Recipe? Don't ask...Whatever happens to be in the fridge that tastes good with potatoes. Is "fridge" in the dictionary?

From the Health Desk:

Early morning at the pre-op testing site.

It would be so nice to send a drone instead of me to the outpatient department of the hospital where I am scheduled next Tuesday. Alas, there are no "selfie drones"... yet.

As of sometime a couple of days ago, the many alignments that make this lumpectomy and radiation procedure possible have settled into some sort of coherence.

From the Mental Health Desk: Beginnings, middles, ends. Yep, now I noticed there is an end game. But, I don't have to know when or how. I'm here peddling away like everybody else.

I want to saddle up Subaru and loop through America again.

From Keoni, of his dad and the drone. Alas, Blogger software cropped the drone.

It was easy to guess when it was New Year’s Eve since squad cars began pulling the daring speeders over early on State Route 309 as I made my way to still another appointment. It’s one of those times again. Holidays and medical appointments.

Rats!

This time, I'll get to compare how St. Luke's Medical System handles breast cancer as opposed to how Temple University handles lung cancer. So far, it is jaw-droppingly different. While Temple is a world leader in robotic lung surgery and my lobectomy outcome two years ago there was satisfactory, the pre- and post-op care was MIA unless you want to call the life-sized, stuffed, hot pink lungs the nursing staff signed, post-op care. Those made it into Quakertown's garbage collection. What can I say; I was mad that a part of one lung was missing and didn't know until a couple weeks later that there was no cancer.

But, removing a small, biopsied, cancerous lump from my breast in St. Luke's well-oiled, pre-op, so far, is exactly opposite. I've been given an inch-thick breast cancer manual to read; all necessary outpatient surgery appointments are made by a coordinator; three different social work sources have phoned, two to check if I am faring alright emotionally and detailing the service available to me, one to make sure I had transportation; another call came that all instructions, lab orders, and directions were being FedEx-ed to my address; and I was mailed a hot pink journal to write down my thoughts and questions. (I put it in the Goodwill donation bag.)

Maybe, it is all the awareness around breast cancer that has taken place over the past few decades that explains this world-class patient treatment. And maybe it is St. Luke's system. Or both.

At first, I was kind of numb. Again! I'm thinking to myself. That's three Decembers out of the last four that a big deal diagnosis ker-flopped smack in my path. It was hard to concentrate for awhile. Yes, there are emotional stages. Not because it's breast cancer so much it seems for me, but because it comes so soon after feeling (more than thinking) I'm out of the woods. That leads to those end-of-life thoughts and I start to wonder if I've got my will up to date enough.

Then, Keoni, Aidan, and Seth played such a beautiful concert at the church a week ago Saturday. Not just because it's my grandsons and Seth playing, though I'm still enchanted every time they make music, but it seems so personal played in a smaller setting, as though something greater that can't be explained is taking place. Sometimes, a moment like that is so full there is nothing possible to make it any better.

That's when the darkness began to lift. I could tell because it was so easy to become weepy. Then, a couple conversations with friends, and after that I could see again the world is spinning on its axis just fine, something really is in the back of beyond. Yes, geese are moving through the sky honking to each other, fat squirrels and birds dine on the manna scattered for them every day, and the year is new again.

What good friends there are! Some have already stepped up, and more let me know they are at the ready, including my dear family. All, all of them.

Nothing can possibly make it any better.