A Change of Heart

Every once in awhile

A rare, beautiful and unexpected thing happens.

“I’ll unload the dishwasher, Mom,

even if it’s Sunday.

Don’t you do it. I’ll do it.”

WHAT?

We have begged, pleaded, coaxed

him for years to unload the dishwasher on Sunday.

Somebody has to do it.

Do you want to be alone in Heaven

while I’m in hell for working on Sunday?

  It’s getting the ox out of the mire.

We eat on Sundays.

It’s the least you can do.
If everyone does a little,
no one has to do too much.

No amount of reasoning, threatening or humor changed his mind.

“I don’t work on Sundays.”

“We keep the Sabbath day holy.”

And then out of the blue

yesterday as he climbed the stairs after church,

he announced:

“I’ll unload the dishwasher,

even if it’s Sunday.”

And he did.

Damned if you do; Damned if you don't

I didn’t know until I went

off the cancer medication for three weeks

how bone-weary I was.

I have more stamina now

with general feelings of well-being.

I’m still old

but there’s a spark that

had been extinguished.

Dr. Henry took me off the medication

for three weeks to

see if it was contributing

to my joint pain

(one of the side-effects).

It’s hard to tell because joint pain

intensity ebbs and flows.

“How about if I don’t go back on any medication?

I read that 60% of breast cancer never recurs

even without treatment.

If you are one of the 40%,

you just have the lump removed again.”

“Trouble is,

the cancer generally comes back

somewhere else.

Somewhere less treatable.”

So she’s changing the medication –

with different side-effects

that I will have to deal with.

Three blessed weeks.

Girls Afternoon Out

Robintino's for lunch.

Without even asking,

the waiter brought a dish of ice cream

with a burning candle

and six spoons.

Of course, I told him we were

celebrating my 100th birthday

(and he believed me).

  Off to Centerpoint for Ragtime.

Surprisingly long and surprisingly good.

Excellent, in fact.

Verda, Carol, Verla, Amy, Jeanette 

Melissa in back. 

 The party convenes in the foyer.

 Same to you sista.

 Opening gifts - cherished gifts.

We didn't have seats together but

while we were opening gifts,

some stranger came over

and said without extra cost

she could move us to the main section

where we could all sit together.

Have you ever heard of such a thing?

Too soon over.

'Til the 83rd!

Abundant Autumn

How do blind people get ready for winter?

The rich vibrant colors of autumn seep into our souls,

preparing us for the cold colorless days ahead.

Intensity

Brilliance 

 Beauty

 Splendor

 Opulence

Glory 

 Cheer

Warmth

Wonder

 Miraculous

 Comfort

 Magnificence

Exquisiteness 

Marvel

(Oops)

Perhaps blind people use their heightened sense

of smell and touch, hearing, and taste

to ready their souls for the winter.

I guess I shouldn’t worry. 

Photos from a trike ride

around the neighborhood

and a walk through the hollow.

The Near Catastrophe

For my birthday,

DeRay bought me a

gym bag on wheels.

Chic red, off-white, black
and green stripped.

As I toss it in the car

after our swim on Wednesday,

my hair gel and face cream

roll out under the car.

Drats.

I hadn’t zipped up the side pocket.

“Oh, no, Ed my hair brush is missing.”

When my gym bag was stolen,

Amy bought me a new little brush

with a mirror on it.

“I’ve got to go back. This is an emergency,” I explain.

As I get to the street, I see two items

just as the UPS driver leaps into his truck

and starts to roll forward.

 I jump in front of the delivery truck

waving my arms frantically.

He stops.

Whew!

I saved that $5.99 brush just in the nick of time.

I smile and wave as I pick it up

as well as the top to my hair spray bottle.

He smiles and waves back.

I sure learned my lesson.

I now check that zipper before I roll.

clankedy – clankedy - clankedy
(the wheels are very noisy on tile and asphalt)

The Autumn Adventure at Snowbird 2018

Every year we have this view out of our North Efficiency Unit 1127.

And this view from our 408 Unit on the front.

And every year I send my brother, DeLoy, 

pictures of the red aspen leaves,

and every year, he says I have defective film

or he sees only yellow leaves.

He's a forest service guy and he knows his trees.

The leaves turn red because of the iron in the soil.

The difference this year,

is that it didn't snow at the beginning,

the middle or the end.

It was crisp, mild shirt-sleeve weather

the entire week.

We went swimming every day;

We watched movies every day;

We went to the potluck,

which Ed said was the highlight of the week.

And we went forest bathing.

These are Amy's pictures:

 She drove down to work each day.