Spring?

Some years ago, I recall Jenn as a teenager going to Vermont to visit relatives, and I had the opportunity to talk to her while we had some 10 - 15 inches of snow, while Vermont was enjoying lovely weather. That was on an April 9th. Now it appears that we might have a repeat of that extrordinary phenomenon. After I spent so much energy yesterday getting plants and putting them out and taking inside plants out because I thought it was now "safe" for them to be put out -- the weather forecast includes the possibility of snow for Monday night! Too strange. Yup, that means I'm hauling the plants inside now. Jenn moved the heavest one for me, thankfully. I'm hoping it'll just be inside for a day or so. We'll see.

Target had a sale today, and I got a couple of those plastic-bench-storage thingy's to consilidate my outside crap so that it tidies the area up, and it gives me a place to keep my cushions that is NOT in my dining room. I'm gradually making a nice spot to take the sun and breathe fresh air and read / think / stare into space. The most surprising thing about the storage benches is this: the outside box advertized "5 MINUTES TO ASSEMBLE, NO TOOLS REQUIRED." Skeptical me said to myself, "Yeah, sure. That's an invitation to frustration for sure." Well, the first one we put together in about 7 or 8 minutes and that's because we had to read the directions. Assembly was not immediately intuitive. You really had to read the directions. The second one went together in about 3-4 minutes. These things are an amazing bit of excellent product engineering.

Jenn saw Romeo today, and she remarked that she didn't think he looked well. I hate it because he's been to the vet twice now, and I don't quite know what else to do for him. He's eating, drinking, pooping. He's taken to laying RIGHT beside me and he snores something fearce these days. I think he's just getting old for a kitty that nearly starved to death as a kitten and probably didn't get all his essential vitamins and minerals at a crucial age. I'm thinking of taking him to the vet again to just see if some blood work might be able to screen him for any more subtle problems. Now, you're probably thinking, "Does she ever stop obsessing about her damn cat?" Well, let me tell you, if you're acquainted with cats, then you know how rare a real lap cat is. Cats tend to be independent creatures and in perhaps 30 years of having a cat (one never really OWNS a cat) Romeo is the only cat that has been a snuggler, lover, lap cat and general all-around cuddly cat. In his younger days his life expectancy was nearly foreshortened due to his desperate need to have a playmate at 2AM, and his persistence at refusing to let his best playmate sleep if he felt spunky. But for years now he is just a happy, snuggly fellow that just makes me smile by being around. I know he won't live forever, but I'm hoping he will live well and be able to keep me company for another few years. So, love me, love my cats. Like me, you'll hear me drone on about my cats. They are my fur friends. They lay in bed with me everyday through chemo, they play and make me smile in the low moments, and they keep me company when I'm bald, breastless and grumpy. Enough said.

I think most of the fluid is about gone now out of my right chest. I think. It's not shrunk up as much as the left side, which is surprising to me as the right side is where the tumor was and I kind of thought she took more tissue from the right side -- or conversely my right side might just have been much more robust than my left side. I don't know. At any rate, MAYBE I'm about as flat as I'm going to get on the right side. Not sure.

I've had a link to http://lukeandjack.blogspot.com for quite some time. These two little fellows were born a LOT too early, but today at the 9am service they were christened. It was so joyous to see them and all their loving family around them, and to see them chunky and strong. For too, too many weeks it was scary for their family. They will continue to need support for a long time to come as twins do who arrive so soon, but they are remarkable little miracles that are made of strong stuff. That service was packed, wall-to-wall with friends, acquaintences and family that surrounded these little fellows with love in a really wonderful way. God bless these little fellows.

I've been using a LOT of eucalyptus oil lately. I find it very nice in my bedroom when I'm resting. I take an old-fashioned bottle cap, turn it up-side-down and then put several drops of the eucalyptus oil in it until all the moisture evaporates. It's a small pleasure, but a simple one that I really like lately.

Today when we came by my house to assemble and drop off the storage benches, there must have been 15 kids playing in the back drive behind the townhomes. It was amazing to see so many children running and playing in a space that for the 6 years I've been here, hasn't really had any before. It really reinforces my drive to get a privacy fence up. I'm going to call a fence company tomorrow. For sure.

BROKE the diet today for sure. Don't feel a damn bit guilty either. I enjoyed every bite! The one thing that I wish wasn't coming back after chemo is hunger. As the chemicals leave my body the eternal and ever present hunger returns. I had hoped that it wouldn't. For a while, I could be satisfied with a banana for lunch. I never understood how anyone could do that. Then all of a sudden, I could do it. But now, I'm returning to the always hungery person I've always been. I'm eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than ever before though. Things that I didn't like before, I enjoy now. Things that I used to enjoy before, I still find unappetizing. Who knows how long that will last.

Yesterday it was 78 and I actually turned the air conditioner on briefly. Tomorrow it may snow. Hmmmmmm.