Just Another Day

Another day comes to a close.  What a day!  Busy day!  A good rainy start with a clearing finale, just in time for the final day in the Tuesday night golf league I play in with Shannon.  Since you brought it up, WE WON THIS YEAR!  Last year, we came in second to our archrivals and two of the nicest and skilled golfers in our league, besides Shannon and myself.  This time they came in second, by the hair on my chinny chin chin.  Shannon and I have done this a few years now and I enjoy getting out and visiting with him to catch up on school news, science news (he too is a science teacher), his family news (Megan, whom I taught with, Marie, Maisy, and Lincoln), and any other antics he has been up to.  It has been fun watching his game get better over the few years we have been playing together.  That must be why we won this year, cause my game is pretty much the same…pot luck!

As this day winds down, I took out a loaf of bread my cousin Krissy made from the same recipe that my mom used when I was growing up.  As soon as she handed it to me last night, the smell of my childhood surrounded me and took me back to watching my mom mixing and kneading and shaping and loving every loaf of bread she made.  The smell of rising dough meandering through the house followed by getting a warm piece right out of the oven takes me back to when I used to be in heaven with a loaf of Wonder Bread.  Homemade whole wheat bread was an acquired taste for me, but acquired rapidly.  So tonight I warmed it, buttered it with an insane amount of real butter, and ate it as the butter bled through to the underside.  Sorry Wonder Bread.  Thanks Krissy, good timing.

I’ll stick with the family theme.  As Miki and I have transitioned from hospital visits and the initial unknowns to slogging through a cancer treatment regiment, the constant of family and friends have been our anchor.  Shoot, some of our friends are like family.  But there is nothing like blood family.  You gotta lov’em and sometimes you lov’em a little less or a little more than others, but you always lov’em.  Both sides of the family have been our Three Bears to our Goldilocks… just seeming to know how much we’ve needed from them and when.  As the “itch” arises for any given family member, it gets itched.  Our friends have been so respectful of the varying levels of Miki’s needs as this journey continues.  From her taste buds to being available to “Miki-sit,” there is no end to what our friends have offered up in support from their corners.  Hugs to all of you, THANKS, and don’t go anywhere!  It ain’t over til it’s over. 

For me and my family, Miki, Tuck, and Tooga, we continue to define and redefine ourselves as each day ticks by.  For Tuck and Tooga, they know that “momma” isn’t giving them their “normal” treat routine since “dad” has taken over that role.  They still haven’t figured out that it is beneficial to get out of the way of a wheelchair as it runs into them and that Miki’s extra two legs (the crutches) don’t match her original ones, as she navigates their beds on the way to the bathroom.  Thank goodness their brains are larger than walnuts and even though they don’t care if she wears a Wonder Woman outfit or not, they know their momma and will lay their heads on her knees to melt her heart into an extra treat or two.  That hasn’t worked for me for some time now!

As our family talks each day, the dogs on a limited basis since their brains aren’t that much larger than walnuts, the “elephant in the room” that occasionally is recognized, is the question of living.  Medical people will allude to it with the question of do we have a will yet, power of attorney, and the like.  Our friends and family have surely visited the question in their own minds, if not out loud to someone else.  Miki and I do acknowledge it every now and again and I can tell you that no one wants to stay in this world more than my Wonder Woman.  I feel that I have been fortunate in that I haven’t felt the need to dwell on it for whatever reason, it just does not appear on my plate right now.  There have been a few occasions when it has tried to serve itself up, but the thought never seemed to last.  I kind of relate it to the discovery of her cancer before it was identified.  I wasn’t going to get all excited about something we knew nothing about.  I take my cues from her and right now, she likes it here just fine.  The “what-ifs” are kept at bay, since nothing good comes from a “what-if.”  We only have what is here, right now.

Now for something completely different...

Us Through Dr. Suess’ Eyes

We have family solid as wood

We would not, should not, trade them. Good!

For each is special far or near

They rank right up there with good beer.

We love them each, we hope that’s clear.

To our friends we thank you too

Love you, love you, love we do.

From food suppliers to weed pickers

Miki-sitters to I.V. stickers.

From ups and downs, left and right

Hang in there with us, future’s bright.

Food runs for Miki, chemo across town

1 round, 2 rounds, 3 rounds down.

Taste buds call’in, what this time

A refried bean smoothie topped with lime?

She’s special in so many ways

She’s bald, she poops, cribbage she plays.

Her cells don’t play as well with others

Soon they’ll learn if she has her druthers.

I love my Miki, I love her bunches

She’ll soon be back to doing crunches.

Walking the dogs and spoil’in them rotten

Putting the dishes back from where they’d be gotten.

I picture you whole, I picture you well

I picture you healthy, every little cell.

I love your head, I love your commode too

I love sitting with you, I just love you.

My Zen from Home:  5 things I look forward to…the sound of rain…opening the shower curtain and feeling cool air wash over me before drying…more good days than bad…Tuck and Tooga playing in the backyard…seeing Miki everyday.