Sunday, August 17, 2014

Even though we didn't get home until early this morning, I wake at seven.  As I lay in bed thinking about my day, Kaileigh wakes up and we talk for a while before I need to get up and get ready for church.

Kaileigh is heading back to her apartment this morning, but she gives me a ride over to Brett's house to pick up her car.  Brett is away for a few weeks, so she has been letting our friend Anna and I use her car.

Childcare is all set, so I go to the service and sit with friends Rita and Domenic.  We are all Sunday school teachers during the school year, so it feels very special to be able to sit together and enjoy this time together.

During the Joys and Sorrows part of the service, where we are invited to share milestones in our lives, I think about getting up to say thank you to the congregation for the peace flags they have made for me.  I am not quite sure what to say, so I stay in my pew and offer up a silent thank you.  There are so many things to be thankful for in our congregation, so many kind words and deeds that are done.  I try to thank people personally, Anne for all her lovely cards and kind gifts she sends or gives me each week, Lynda,  Merritt, Jim and Peter, who stop me and offer words of support.  People I didn't know before I started writing about my experiences, who introduce themselves to me and share.  It is such a beautiful gift to my soul.

Today is food shuttle day.  This is done once a month before our Monday Food Pantry happens in the atrium of the church.  The congregation pitches in and helps shuttle items from the basement of the church to a room off of the atrium for storage until tomorrow afternoon, when the items will be distributed.  The shuttle is a way for people who might not be able to make it to the distribution to lend a hand.  I go down to get a few cases of food, and people are surprised to see me.  I carry little kids around on a regular basis, I can easily handle a few cases of food.

I intend to go back for more items, but get into conversations with friends and the job gets completed without my help.  I don't think anyone minds.

I get home just before Sandy, comes to unhook me from my chemo.  For the past two days I have had itchy hands, which I assume are connected to my treatment.  Sandy says she has heard some people complain of this as a side effect, and recommends benydryl if it persists.  It seems to be going away, but I am hoping it doesn't continue to happen with further treatments.  I have found relief by rubbing my hands,or squeezing things.  A steering wheel works very well for this. If it spreads to my feet, it will drive me insane for sure.  Thank goodness it has not reached that point.

Allie stops by to pick me up so we can go driving, she is doing well, she just needs more practice.

On the way home from driving, I stop by Stock to buy some gifts for my sister and law and my niece for their birthdays.  It is a cool, funky cooking store on Hope Street, and I am sure I can find some nice gifts there.  Of course with any gift giving occasion, Frog and Toad is a necessary stop as well, and I find little add ons for the gifts.   I am going to go over to their house this afternoon to celebrate their birthdays together, something we usually do as a big affair, but my niece is turning sixteen and didn't want to do anything big. Renee, my sister in law is doing this for me, after I said that I would be coming over anyway.   My mother in law, Ed and Ayla will join us also.  We have a lovely dinner, something we don't do together often enough.   Steve is missed at our gathering, but he is on his way home and will be back soon.


Monday, August 18, 2014

It is a quiet day, a nice way to start the week after a busy weekend.  Some older friends come to join us for part of the day, and take a candy walk with us.  We stop by the tree on the boulevard to see if the baby mourning doves have hatched, and are delighted to see that they have.  There are two babies and their momma snuggled in their nest in a magnolia tree.

Kaileigh and Josh stop by for dinner.  They are in the city to drop off a kayak to Ayla and Chauncey to store and use.  They don't have a good place to keep it at their new place, and Ayla does, so it works out well for everyone.  And we are delighted to have them stop over for dinner.