Way too much

Chapter One--Chemo and dental work

You may have thought they didn't have anything to do with one another. That would be wrong. I got to the dentist--and yes, Roz, I've known him forever--I went to his wedding in 1980 on my niece's 6th birthday--on Wednesday afternoon. The escaped crown was handed over and work began. Nine thousand short of Novocaine later, my dentist asked what my oncologist thought about my having dental work--uh, we never talked about it. So he called the oncologist's office and talked to the nurse practitioner. No major work till they had a chance to look at my blood count. So, he cleaned out the stump tooth, cemented the old crown on, took impressions, made an appointment for the 11th, assuming the blood counts were OK, gave me two grams of antibiotic, and sent me off for a blood test with a prescription for more antibiotic. Got the blood work done, got the prescription filled, and still got to knitting circle before it was over. Got home exhausted and hungry. Had left-over Chinese and packed for the trip to my sister's house.

Chapter Two--Visit with Gretchen

We've had a really dry winter--the pundits are talking drought again. I make plans to visit my sister just because--because when I went down there for Thanksgiving, there was a monsoon, because that's where I got the news that the cancer was back, because it was Thanksgiving and busy. So, after weeks of fair weather, the day I set off the whole state started being drenched. I didn't run into that much rain on the way down--not as much as the last time, but it did rain really good the whole time I was there. We went to Gretchen's choir practice Thursday night--that was fun. They are going to sing Brahms' How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place on Easter, so I got to practice that with them. I haven't sung that since before I got married. It was easier in my twenties.

Gretchen had to work on Friday. She had several suggestions of things for me to do. I just hung out at the house, reading, napping, and listening to the rain. That evening, we went to a chamber music concert that was mostly really good. Saturday, we drove around Santa Barbara in the rain and did the marketing. Gretchen had said she had to cook all day Saturday for their ski trip next weekend. She's incredibly efficient, because she got it all done by early afternoon and had time to make us an angel food cake (to DIE for) and roast a chicken and take me on a walk. I took a long soak in the tub when we got back, then we had a delightful dinner with Gretchen, Jim, and my favorite (and only) nephew, Kyle. I think I fell asleep by 9 and got a good 10 hours of sleep.

We got up brightish and early this morning, had breakfast--orange juice from their tree, a Gretchen made scone for me, and coffee--and lots of pills, also for me.

Here I am with my BIG sister, ready for church, in front of the orange trees--notice all the oranges. They will have juice for quite a long time. Also notice the hair on the writer--it's all mine. It is still way short but nicely curly in the back. Ant then, notice the clearing sky. It knew i was getting ready to leave. I sang with her choir--half soprano then I switched to alto when it got too high--the joys of being a guest! After church, I hit the road. Got gas in Paso Robles and lunch in King City and got home just at 5 PM. I had a lovely time. Didn't really do anything, but had a nice time just being with Gretchen and Jim.

Now I'm tired. Still have a few things to catch up with, but I think it will be dinner, 60 Minutes, and bed for me. I have a week full of appointments.

xxooxx