Where do the days go?

It's hard to believe that Reid is already up to day +83 post transplant.  Except for a little bump in the road a week or so ago he's been slowly regaining some stamina and strength.  He does a little more each day, but has to stop often to rest.  He's looking forward to day +100 when some of the restrictions (especially the dietary ones) will be relaxed a little. The doctor seems pleased with his progress.

On April 1st (day +100) he will have a CT scan and a PET scan.  Everything has gone well so far and we're very hopeful that the scans will show no cancer.  We appreciate all your prayers.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to get some things done around here.  I had the slab work done and most of the floor work completed before Reid went into the hospital on December 15th.  However, I put off the plumbing work until I was able to be here full time.  Last week they came for the better part of three days to dig under the house and repair a broken pipe.  The pipe was under the utility room, so at least it was only laundry water that was leaking under the house.  That's why I felt I could wait.  If it had been any other waste water I would have had to make arrangements to have it done while Reid was in the hospital.

Here's a picture of the plumber under the house.  Needless to say, they send a small plumber down there.  This is definitely not a job for a 200 pound plumber!  He was gracious enough to pose for a picture.

He offered to take a picture of the pipe under the house.  Good thing since I certainly wasn't going under there.

After he fixed it they did another pressure test to make sure there were no more leaks.  Then they filled it all in and fixed the concrete sidewalk.

Here's where they piled all the dirt in the driveway.

They got it all back under there and cleaned up the mess.  Things are as good as new now.

Remind me to move before I ever need this kind of work done again.

I still have paint touch ups to do and a few boxes to unpack from when they did the slab work, but I'm slowly making progress.  We've even settled on a date for Christmas.  Yes, we've never had Christmas.  I still have Christmas packages piled in the den.  So, we're going to get together and have our Christmas on the day before Easter.  I'm even going to put up a small Christmas tree.  I haven't decided what we'll have to eat.  Maybe a turkey?  It will all depend on my energy level.

A couple of weeks ago a very special package arrived.  It was a bittersweet moment for me.

Earlier I wrote about my friend Karen dying.  In the last E-mail I received from Karen she told me that she was no longer able to get to the computer.  She used her cell phone to send an E-mail telling me that she wanted me to have her 1954 African American Vogue Ginny.  I cried when I read the E-mail because I knew it meant her life on earth was winding down.  I hadn't expected to lose her so quickly.

Just knowing she was thinking of me at that moment meant so much to me. If her son had decided not to send the doll I would have understood and lived with the wonderful memories of our friendship. That would have been enough.  However, he contacted me and sent the package shortly thereafter.

The 1954 AA Ginny is special because the Vogue Doll Company only made the AA Ginny  in 1953 and 1954.  Karen stumbled upon this doll at The World's Longest Yard Sale around 7 years ago.  We were both so excited when she found her on a table full of the usual yard sale junk.  She was in good condition, but missing her wig.  Karen paid something like $15-$20 for her.  Finding her like that was pretty amazing and a real stroke of luck.

I will treasure her always and the special friendship Karen and I shared.

Karen replaced the wig with a curly caracul one.  She was dressed in the Vogue pink 1952 Carol dress.  I was thrilled because I already had the dress in the orange version.  Isn't she sweet?  I love this special doll!

Thank you Karen.

Goodbye for now Karen...

In recent months my good friend Karen has been waging a battle against colon cancer.  Sadly, she lost that battle last Friday.

Karen and I "met" on eBay in the 1990's when I bought a doll dress from her.  She lived in Atlanta and I lived in Texas, but the distance didn't seem to matter.  We had much in common.

I think I was the one that told her about the Yahoo Ginny Doll Group.  We had both grown up playing with the Vogue Ginny Doll back in the 1950's and became active members of this group for a while.  In fact, when the group decided to do a "12 Star Plan" and have different members sign up to make an outfit each month Karen talked me into taking September.  I do not enjoy sewing, but her enthusiasm was catching and I made the commitment.  Karen signed up for January and made an adorable ice skating outfit.  I will always treasure that outfit and the other things she sewed for my dolls.

I sent this picture to her when I knew her life was winding down.  I dressed a group of my dolls in the outfits she had made for me.  It made me somehow feel closer to her.  The doll on the left is wearing the outfit I originally bought from her on eBay.  It's made out of an old embroidered quilt top.  Karen loved old quilts.

In fact, eventually Karen's interest in quilts intensified and her interest in dolls waned a little.  She still loved her dolls, but she loved quilting more.

We had more in common than dolls and our friendship continued to grow over the years.  When my life took a tail spin Karen understood.  She accepted the fact that my life had changed and was always there to lend support.  Then in recent months Karen's life took a tail spin.  Anyone that has ever dealt with the "Big C" knows what I mean.  Cancer is a series of emotional ups and downs.  One minute things seem to be going great and the next minute everything can come crashing down.  You're always hoping and praying things will end on a high note, but there's no guarantee. That's the world of cancer.  I like to think that the experience I've had with my family helped me support Karen through her recent trials.  Only when you've dealt with cancer first hand do you really have an idea of what someone else is going through.

This past year Karen had a book published.

Right around the time the book was published she was diagnosed.  What should have been a really happy time for her was clouded with the cancer diagnosis.  If you're interested in quilting her book is available on Amazon.  She was a very talented person.

I wish this post could have had another ending.  I miss you Karen!

IT'S TIME

It's hard to believe, but my friend Annette has been gone six years today. I first met Annette in 1991 when I began walking at the mall early in the morning. She was also a new walker and we quickly became friends. We joined in with a group of other mall walkers that met daily in the food court for coffee and conversation after walking.

Another one of the walkers we met was Jean. Annette and I lived in the same town and Jean lived close by in the next town. Jean mostly walked outside, but about once or twice a week she'd come to the mall. I would occasionally walk outside in the afternoon at a local park with Jean. Soon Annette, Jean, and I started meeting for coffee or frozen yogurt about one afternoon a week. We'd have a good time solving all the world's problems and exchanging stories about our husbands and kids.

Sadly, in a really bizarre coincidence my two friends were both diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (also known as ALS) within a few weeks of each other. Both had started exhibiting problems with walking and muscle weakness. I think most people probably go their entire lives and never know anyone with this horrible disease. It is relatively rare and there is no treatment or cure. In fact, they still don't even know what causes it. A diagnosis of ALS is a death sentence.

ALS is a cruel disease. Muscles become weaker and walking becomes extremely difficult. Eventually a wheel chair becomes a necessity. Swallowing becomes difficult and after a while eating is almost impossible. Drooling is a problem too. Many lose the ability to speak. You wouldn't wish this disease on your worst enemy.

The last time Annette, Jean, and I met for coffee we went to a new Starbucks that had just opened. At that time Annette was using a walker and Jean had a leg brace. I believe that might have been one of the last times Jean drove. I helped them both into the store and then went up and ordered their drinks and brought them to the table. I was the waitress that day since my friends could no longer easily get up.

To this day I have trouble going into that particular Starbucks. I've done it a few times over the years, but I've had trouble every time. I order my drink and then leave as quickly as possible before I make a fool of myself by bursting into tears.

I think it's time I focused on the good times we had together. All the times we shared stories and laughed. I need to focus on all the good years my friends had and not the time after their ALS diagnosis. After all, there were many, many good years.

This week I'm going to pay a visit to that Starbucks. I'm going to remember my friends and smile. It's time.

Annette

Jean

MEMORY LANE...

Last Friday I met a friend for lunch down in Rice Village in Houston. Rice Village is located near Rice University and is one of Houston's older shopping areas with many stores and restaurants. In a way it reminds me of going downtown to shop or eat when I was a child growing up in the 50's and 60's in New Jersey.

Coletta was visiting from California and we decided to meet for lunch at La Madeline's. We had a leisurely lunch and then browsed through a few stores. One of the stores we visited was the 5 and 10 cent store. Of course, nothing is 5 or 10 cents anymore, but that's OK. It's still a nice trip down memory lane.

Variety Fair 5 & 10 has been there since 1948. They still carry many of the same things that I remember from childhood. A lot of the little toys and trinkets I hadn't seen for many years.

I don't remember rubber chickens (that must be a newer item) and had to talk Coletta out of buying one.

But she was a good sport and graciously agreed to pose for pictures in the store.

I think the cash register has been there since 1948 too.



And then she kindly took a picture of me, so I could prove I was there

Now if there had only been a soda fountain next door where I could have bought a chocolate Coke the day would have been perfect. You haven't really lived until you've had a chocolate Coke. Forget cherry Cokes, vanilla Cokes, or lemon Cokes. Chocolate is the way to go.