Wow-lucky me- Sunday was another good day! Got to go to church, see all my friends…..nothing quite like going to a place where not only does everybody know your name, but they are all like really nice big brothers and sisters and moms and dads. Some of them are like quirky neighbors, and others are just like best friends. Truth is, I really have only known them all for less than two years, and only know them from church*, but I know their interest and care is sincere. Again….lucky me.
Then on Sunday afternoon, I still felt great so I went to the Levis Commons Art Fair and got to do one of my favorite things….buy “Artist Jewlery”. I found a sweet little set of a silver necklace and earrings created by a Michigan woman and her dad…..I tried to take a picture of them to place here, but I’m no professional photographer…the necklace says “give thanks”. It truly represents how I mostly feel, even if you think I sound kind of “whiny” from time to time.
Today……well, today was a whopper of a day! I was up in the middle of the night with an anxious and sleepless child (school anxieties) so I can’t believe how much I accomplished with the help of my friends. Especially MarvelousMarilyn (MM). Let me tell you about MM. She has volunteered herself as my monday morning helper around the house, which mostly means “maid work in the kitchen”. But MM has really been a great inspiration for me, has kept my spirits up when I have been dragging, vigorously wiped down my kitchen counters (still kind of difficult for me to do), helped clean out a neglected refrigerator, vacuumed, vacuumed, vacuumed Yellow Lab Dog Hair, folded laundry, talked to boys, etc. etc. etc. Today MM helped me clean up the “student center” in the house which is where all the kids school work, legos, and miscellaneous crap lands, and where their beloved computers reside. Well, this area has been a DISASTER for….months, and I have been feeling bad about that. Not a good enough housekeeper to even get the kids school work from LAST SCHOOL YEAR saved or filed away or thrown out or whatever you are supposed to do with the volumes of paper two kids bring home from elementary school. Well, today MM helped me in A BIG WAY get it pretty much whipped into shape, and looking good. Still a bit to do yet, but I feel like I can get the rest of it now. Even if I had done nothing else today, it would have been a great day because of this accomplishment. Thanks Marilyn, you are a marvelous friend and like a mom I wish I had.
THEN, after lunch, I took the boys to their new daily afterschool childcare, to get to know the family, the toys, the other kids, etc. while I had a couple of appointments. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it works out for all involved. Like..all of my fingers crossed and toes crossed, too, because right now, I don’t have a back-up plan for afterschool child care, and even though I’m not back at work yet, I will be soon (I hope) and will desparately need the assistance then. So far, the boys have said it was “OK” which is a good sign.
SUPER LUCKY ME, had an appointment at The Victory Center** with Tom. I’ll tell you, we are so lucky here in NW Ohio to have TVC and receive the benefits of the adjuvant therapies offered. You know things are good when you begin to feel better just walking into a therapist’s room. Tom practices Reiki and Sound Therapy and it is the best I feel all week when I am in his care. It is so difficult to explain, but for me, it provides such a deep sense of peace and relaxation which permits your mind and body to just experience the flow of energy on a completely pure level. You must be willling to release conscious thought to truly receive the benefits. Again, I can only say what it gives me, but it is a colorful, relaxing, yet at the same time energetic experience. And no two sessions are exactly alike. And I always feel just great when I am done. Thanks Tom, I love the work you do.
AND AS IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH, MY NEXT APPOINTMENT WAS WITH THE DENTIST! Now you might think I am being kind of sarcastic here, but nooooo, I actually like going to the dentist. First of all, at MY dentist’s office, everyone is really nice and the hygenists never scold you for not flossing well enough. Secondly, they have really nice chairs. Thirdly, Dr. Urbanik is friendly, sincere, and has really small hands. Or at least I think he does. I never actually look at his hands when I can see them, but I am always impressed that when he has his hands in my mouth he doesn’t make me gag. The last time I was there was just days before my cancer trip began, so I filled them in on my busy Spring and Summer. Did you know that one of the potential side effects of chemotherapy is open sores in the mucous membranes of your mouth? Again, lucky for me, I havn’t had that problem. Dr. U was impressed, said nice things about my mouth. While there I mentioned that I might be participating in a clinical trial at U of M, the Bisphosphinate Study and might need his office to send dental records. He surprised me by mentioning we need to talk about that further, and perhaps even complete a more in depth examination. He briefly explained how the mandible (and to a lesser extent the maxilla) process bone, and how the drug in this trial will move through bone, especially the jaw bones which then brings up a concern for the future integrity of those bones. Hmmmnnnn. Great that my Dentist actually knows about the study I am talking about, now I have another thing to research a bit further. In my spare time. I really am grateful to have a smart tooth guy like Dr. U.
OF COURSE MY DAY WASN’T OVER YET, after I picked up the kids at the new place, went home, made dinner for them, and then directed the boys to write their names on the school supplies that BFF Heather took the time to buy for us. That means about a million things needed names written on them. Well, we only had time after dinner to put names on half a million things and jump into the superminivan and dash off to Open House at the boys school. Charlie had asked me to wear one of the newly borrowed wigs to the school so I didn’t embarrass him, so halfway out the driveway I remembered, drove back in, grabbed the hair and off we went! (BTW Heather, I’m giving you another BIG HUG for that incredibly thoughtful act……to save me the hassle of pulling together all the school stuff!!)
OPEN HOUSE WENT WELL, boys behaved, even the incredibly anxious child, they were nice to their teachers, nice to each other, found their desks, put away their stuff, nobody got mad, nobody whined, nobody yelled. Not even me. So, it was a resounding success! And school starts in ohhhh about 32 and a half hours. But who’s counting?
THE REWARD FOR A GOOD VISIT TO SCHOOL was a stop to see Bill’s chickens before we went home. The kids had fun feeding them yummy weeds, and chicken delicacies, beetles and worms. I got to help pick tomatoes and drink a beer. The weather was perfect. The sky was beautiful.
Arrived home late, Lou went out for Chinese food, so thankfully I didn’t have to make dinner. We all ate together like a family should…again with no whining and no yelling.
An incredibly productive positive day. Lucky lucky me! Can’t wait for tomorrow!
*Maumee Valley United Univeralist Church website is: http://mvuuc.org/ check out the calendar…if it sounds like something you are interested in, please come. Anyone of any faith is welcome!
**I know I have mentioned this before, but it is worth mentioning again…if you know anyone diagnosed with cancer in NW Ohio, you must refer them to The Victory Center. All services are free for cancer patients. This organization is worthy of your support…..your passing their information along and/or passing a check their way. Check them out: http://www.thevictorycenter.org/