Making Lots of Memories, Living Before Dying

So in the Central Valley of California we are really dealing with major drought conditions.  A town I used to live in, Visalia, is down to watering one time a week and anyone who doesn't follow this will be fined. I think all the measures being taken are not enough. It appears we will run out of water.   So will this become a ghost valley like how we describe a ghost town?  My friend Martha had a real scare.  She lives in the country outside of Visalia.  They thought their well was dry, but they found out the pump needed repairing.  They are down to 30 feet of water in their well.  That sounds scary to me too.  They are hoping it lasts another year until they are scheduled for their well to be dug much deeper.  60 minutes had a very good report about the effects of the drought on the Central Valley this last Sunday (It was a repeat)s.  See the episode on using up the underground water by clicking on Link below. 

 Link

Last Sunday my son Jeff, his wife Stephanie and their youngest daughter Meghan came to visit. We had some of the family here to join us.  But since Kevin's birthday party was the day before, some had already scheduled the following day with other activities.  We barbecued chicken and with what each chipped in to fill out the meal, we had a huge meal. Stephanie shared with us her experiences of catering for groups of students making movies. This has been so successful, her name is being bandied about for future catering jobs. Of course, the whole family has been very aware of her excellent cooking talents. So it wasn't a surprise to us that this would happen. We are all very pleased her talents are being recognized.  They sold their home and are currently in a rental which they describe as bigger than their last home. They are looking to get a home at the beach.            Jeff started working at a start up company as a CPA which has huge potential.  So,  Jeff said though a lot has happened, it has been very positive. They will have an open house at their new home to celebrate their oldest daughter's graduation (Cassadie) from the University of  Oregon at the end of the month. 

It was a good day. I was telling Jeff how exhausted I felt these days for no obvious reason and he told me he had been feeling this way and was recently diagnosed with diabetes.   I had seen my oncologist that week and told him I was fine. At that moment I was and I couldn't remember what I was planning to bring up. (Write it down next time!)  It was about the exhaustion.  Stephanie and I didn't get in the pictures, but here are the others. 

Jeff Jerdin and Shelley Schmitt, Brother and Sister

Meghan Jerdin, Crystal Kline, Alyssa Estes, Kayla and Devin Kline, my Grandchildren

This week was my husband Paul's birthday. If he were still here, he would have been 74 years old. I really miss him as does the rest of the family. It is definitely not the same without him. 

My Red Hat dinner was the day of Paul's birthday. It was at a Thai restaurant I have not been to. It is called the Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant. The perfect place to eat since Paul and I were married in Thailand while on vacation.  The food was good, as was the company. But I was feeling nauseous and just all around, not well and left early.  

This week was also Shelley's birthday, Paul's oldest daughter, my step-daughter. We went to dinner at Mama Roomba's a fabulous Caribbean restaurant on First Friday, a monthly event in downtown Bakersfield, with the local art galleries open in the evening along with street crafts and musicians all around the area.   This area continues to improve and has been a draw to people as they hear about this event. It makes for a pleasant evening out. To get into most restaurants downtown at the time of this event, make a reservation because they are fill up fast, usually with those who made reservations.

Shelley and I standing at the entrance to Wall Street, an Alley with
Guthrie's Alley Cat in the Background

Shelley and I Standing in Front of Colorful Street Art

And then last night Shelley and I had a wonderful evening at one of the garden nurseries, Robby's Nursery. That place is so lovely. I could spend hours there!  It is gorgeous!  So this event had a chef who made several dishes using fresh herbs talking as he was cooking.  A couple of great hints we picked up is spray the fruit, meat or vegetable lightly with a no-stick spray before putting it on the grill.  It won't shoot back flames and you make sure the food is covered and less likely to stick.  The other great hint is similar.  Grill the veggies dry, then cover with the marinade to not burn the food on the grill.  Amazing that herbs you don't think of putting in drinks (like lemonade) add a nice touch, like oregano. There were also two women who were sisters who made the appetizers. They ended up sitting with us. Very nice people. They used to own Skateland, but recently sold it. The food was outstanding and wine was also served. It was also a wine tasting event. This was $25 per person and required reservations.   Shelley found out about it on Facebook.  Best deal for the money!  We were lucky with the weather which was in the mid-eighties. How fortunate for us!  It is heading to over a hundred degrees this week.

Shelley and I wearing Shades Before the Sun Went Down

Shelley and I with Two New Friends

I am in the Art group on Google+.  I admired the work of a photographer, Mike Dunbar. It really is artistic, especially his still life photos. I can't help but speak up about how impressed I am. He finally recommended a book by Joe McNally, The Moment It Clicks. So I ordered it on line through Amazon.  It took a while to get here. So one day he sent a message about how were Joe and I getting along. I was so confused and asked "Who's Joe?"  He replied Joe McNally!"  Then I remembered and said I'd send him a message when he came. So when it did come and I informed him, he responded, "I hope you'll be happy together."  Ha, ha!  That would look like a love interest!  Maybe, but in photography!

I saw one of my doctors this week. She is an Endocrinologist.  I forgot to tell my Oncologist about being totally exhausted. I told him I was fine.  I was fine right at that moment. So I tell her and she has ordered some blood work. I haven't been tested for diabetes since 2008. My friend Janet said low blood pressure could cause this. I take a water pill which has a side effect of keeping the body from spilling calcium when you pee. I have not had high blood pressure. So I sent a note about that to her.   I eventually got a follow up note from another physician that yes, low blood pressure can cause exhaustion, so I'm scheduled to discuss this with another physician in two weeks.

The other doctor I saw was the pain doctor for a follow-up visit after the cortisone injections in my back.  Since I have always tended to push myself in moving, doing things and taking care of business, these injections I believed helped me a lot.  I really don't want to slow down and I am hoping I can continue to be like this.  He told me that all people with back pain would benefit in knowing two things that would make a big difference in recovering and moving on or being more handicapped.  They are, don't bend and don't lift heavy items.  I know, I know, I cannot totally abide by this.  I don't have people readily available to do these tasks that require these movements.  I do set several things aside and wait until I see them if I can.

I worked further on my drawing of an Iris.  I think I may be done with it.

Iris in Graphite

Here is my picture of an Oriental Poppy I did in watercolor.

Oriental Poppy in Watercolor

I'm working on a rose, however, I was not getting the idea of the petals.  I spoke with my teacher on the phone today and she emailed me pictures to use as guides.  Fascinating.  One page of them has each petal in a different color which makes it easier to distinguish between each petal so much better. I will post it next week.  We need to have the drawn version done this week.  We will be painting from what we drew.

Here is a clear list on how to help someone who is grieving.  I think you will find it helpful. 

http://thegrieftoolbox.com/artwork/how-do-you-help-someone-grief

So this woman is going through her battle with cancer too and she wants to educate others on what people say that does not help. It is short and worth watching.  These were issues for me too.

https://www.facebook.com/holley.kitchen/videos/10153490757561869/

And here is my great-grandson Conner who looks much cleaner as he learns how to use a spoon when eating.

Conner Working on Eating with a Spoon

A very full week.  I have a few things going on this next week, including an overnight camping trip that my granddaughter Kayla.  Her friend Brianna will be joining us.  I think that will be particularly great!  I am making memories here.  I love it and I hope those who are involved with me in enjoying these gatherings get a kick out of it.  Have a wonderful week and I will see you next Sunday.

Rachel

Dealing with Computer Problems and Finally Posting Pictures

I’m taking a break before talking about the loss of my husband Paul.  I’m still thinking about it and how I will share it with you, so….

Coming home from the east coast was uneventful. Since I found when going east that carryon luggage is hit or miss to get on the plane, especially if you are one of the last two groups to board, I checked it all through. That certainly made it easier.

I was in four states while I was there- New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  I think that would have been very difficult to do in California!

On Tuesday I attempted to turn on the second computer to start working on my blog and it was a blank screen. I can't have this!  I have to have a computer that works.  So I decided I would get a Mac. I feel I've been having terrible luck with Windows.  On Wednesday I spent almost all day figuring out how it works.  I am impressed that it is all wireless except for the plug in the wall!  Really quite amazing!

I was trying to see if I could download all I have on an "old" iPod to my new Mac. Apple has no program to do that. Though one of the sales associates gave me the information to a third-party vendor which has a program to do that. I downloaded the program but I still can't get it to work. This is not my strength, but I have a friend who might be able to make it work. I'll call her. 

My grand-daughter Kayla contacted me asking me about my trip.  I asked if she would be interested in going out for pie as a belated birthday and to hear how her first year of high school is going.  She turned 14 last week. She said yes, so we did that.  I don’t think she likes pie because she just moved it around on the plate.  She wanted to get her eyebrows threaded. I asked her about it (it's a way of pulling out the hair by the roots).  So we made it to this business just before closing and I got my brows done too.  It was $10 for each of us.  Both of us looked a lot better afterwards. 

I had my chemotherapy on Thursday. One routine I do before going is putting a small amount of Lidocaine on the spot the IV goes. I have dealt with other needles, but I really have a problem with this one. So I put the stuff on a pad ready to go on. I go to take a shower and realize I never put it on me. Also, I wouldn't take a shower after doing this.  I looked around for where I could have placed it. The only thing I could think was that I threw it away with the paper. So I just started over after my shower. 

While I was at Chemo, Robin the social worker dropped by. My emotional state is so calm compared to where I was about seven years ago. I was an emotional basket case with my husband dying and my cancer becoming stage IV and metastasizing to my neck. I had chemo then that made me feel lousy. Anyway, I have not seen her for a long time. It was interesting reflecting how far I've come in coping by processing (working through what it all meant for me) all that happened, what I was told and choices I made as a result of what was happening. It turned out that when I usually go in now (Fridays) is not the day she works. Robin and I used to work at Kern Hospice years ago. 

My granddaughter Heather brought her pickup truck to take the parts of the bookcase that was delivered from Target.com back to a Target store. Good ratings from people who bought it but one piece had the holes drilled in the wrong locations and we couldn’t go any further.  I had many phone calls with the mail order  part of the business  There were no concerns dumping it in two shopping carts partly put together and given back to them at a local Target store.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through that again, but it sure was a nice style.  I checked several stores and found what I wanted at Office Depot. They were very inexpensive so I bought two and I'm paying $40 each to be assembled on Wednesday afternoon in my bedroom.  I thought it was odd that if I moved it from that room it would void the warranty.  What do they mean?

I saw Dr. Wong about my wrist. The pain in my elbow has been related to what happened. He told me to stop wearing the brace unless I was lifting something heavy or in a crowd where I might get knocked down. He also said that any movements that are hard for me should become an exercise. I start Occupational Therapy on Monday and will see Dr. Wong in six weeks. I'm doing so much better!

Yesterday I got together with my friend Janet after spending the day organizing my home. I have to tell you that I feel better as I get this work done and then I really enjoy going out.  Then Janet and I go to our standby Mexicali's; It is catchup for the week for both of us. 

Today I'm doing just a little around the house. I'm meeting friends for a movie and probably Chinese Food. We most likely will go to The Great Castle- an excellent restaurant.  The friends I'm meeting are Barbara, Jacquie and Debbie. We don't get together too often so it is very special when we do get together. 

We saw the art work of the melting clock so Ben sent me one.  Here is where I put it.

Here's the latest picture of Conner

Found this interesting article on Facebook.  It is worth reading. 

http://www.oktodie.com/blog/the-story-of-your-life-carries-great-power-by-monica-williams-murphy-md/

So as you noticed last week, I had no photographs.  They were lost somehow and even my writing had been lost but I had emailed it to my brother to help me with a technical problem. Thank goodness I did that otherwise there would not have been a blog. So I have included the pictures of last weeks blog. 

I'm with my brother Ben Gaman above and my friend Lynn Repasky below it

                                   9/11 Memorial -Pictures  of name with flower (placed on their birthdays)
                              and a reflecting pool with waterfall on the footprint of each tower- Very serene.

View from my room at the Wyndham Garden on the 16th Floor.
It is in Chinatown, in lower Manhattan between Little Italy and Wall Street.
Great Hotel!

9/11 Museum.- Staircase to Vesey Street that people used to escape, known now as Survivor's Staircase and wall of             watercolor depictions of the color of the sky on 9/11. The wall holds remains of people lost in the attack.

At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) -The Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh
and sculpture of The Goat by Pablo Picasso

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art -The Temple of Dendur from Egypt
and a pencil drawing, Three Women, 1946  by Francisco Dosamontes. 

The New Britain Museum of American Art - Syl Sijan the security guard and me.  Looks very real!   I almost asked him if it was okay to take pictures here. How do they do that?!  They urge you to take selfies with Sy.l   And,Twilight Terrors by Rowena A. Merritt done in 1979

Picture of Ben, me,  our cousin Helen and her husband Alan Paret -Helen is one of 5 children
 of our aunt and uncle Shirley and Eli Snitzer. Aunt Shirley was my mother's younger sister.

This is a plaque honoring my uncle Eli Snitzer a physicist who was a pioneer in the field of laser glass research.   He was also involved in the development of fiber optics and won multiple awards.   This is in a park across the street from what had been American Optical in Southbridge Massachusetts.   He was well known in his field.
My uncle died May 21, 2012

This is a woodblock print my Aunt Shirley (Shirley Snitzer) did of 9/11. I understand it got an award. 

   It shows firemen in front of the Twin Towers. She was an accomplished artist. 

I did work on my drawing while there, but not much.  I didn't fill in the goat yet
and below that is a drawing of a chicken, though it didn't come through well.  I actually
drew the chicken upside down.  That really works!

                          

This was a picture of Conner last week.

So that's it for the week.  I'll see you next week.  Thanks for reading!            Rachel. 

Tests and More Tests

I had several tests this week since I realized I could drive.  I had held off because I needed a driver before this.  I'm so glad to have them done. Of course I had my annual mammogram, a bone density exam and a MUGA scan (checks pressure of blood flowing through the heart).  When I went to my chemo session, they said the results of the MUGA scan were good and I could continue with chemo.  You might think of me as being negative because I'm not thinking the test will go well. But, my experience has been more negative in the past and I would like to be happily surprised rather than devastated by the results. I'm still waiting on the bone density test, but my doctor dealing with this and I have discussed the next step. I suppose that the results of this test could change the plan.  Our last discussion was going in two times a year for an RN to give me an injection  This is for building up bone density. We'll see.

My friend Martha invited me to a meeting she was going to in Bakersfield called Helping One Woman. They do this at a restaurant, pay a set price for the meal and put in at least $10 that is given to one woman in the group who is going through some sort of struggle. They had picked the one last month by a drawing. She then in turn drew the name put in by a woman in that meeting. I'm going to go to Visalia meeting next month and spend the night at Martha's home in the country.  They all seemed like very nice people.  I ended up talking to Martha and another woman on my other side Patricia who came from Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I somehow was telling her about Iguazu Falls and she has been there having lived in Buenos Aires.  Paul and I had a wonderful vacation there about ten years ago. 

My friend Annemarie did a colorful painting of the sun.  I am putting it up on my back patio, but I need the right hardware. On Friday, my friend Valerie put in the last two remotes of my fans which controls the speed of the fan and the brightness of the light of the fan. Now a visitor who spends the night will be able to control these from the bed. I love it in my room, so I know many who use it will appreciate it.  Next repair is replacement of the kitchen faucet and put up Annemarie's sun picture.  Annemarie's picture is done in acrylics.  I love her work!  Below is the picture. Next time you'll see it on my patio.

Now that I am feeling better,  I signed up for several of the classes from The Art Sampler Series. I would have liked the first one using pen and ink, but I had medical appointments. None of the instructors felt that a cast was going to interfere. Of course, it is not on my dominant arm.  Thank goodness!

House cleaning put off until today. Heather did a good job not only cleaning, but moving things around at my request. I spoke to Meaghan my granddaughter-in-law who does house cleaning and set up a regular schedule. I've really had a hard time sliding on it.

So below is a recent picture of Conner with his older brother Gavin, age four.  He is well and really growing!

That's it for this week.  See you next Sunday.      Rachel

Great Gathering of Friends

This has been some week!  I continue to rest as much as I can and I have much less pain. The problem is, the more I move around, the more my lower back hurts. Oh well. My back is a chronic pain and I do know if I take it easy I do much better. As my physical therapist said, "take a break every 10 to 15 minutes".  That is easy to forget when at that moment I feel okay. 

My class with Carol Bradshaw went well.  She was complementary expressing amazement that I did what I did with one hand.   I was amazed too! Now we are on to drawing a parrot and have two weeks to do the drawing.

My friend Valerie and I went to Fresh Choice Noodle House for lunch (great as usual). Then we went to Home Depot to get a new faucet for my kitchen and after-market remote controls for three of my fans. She said she would attempt to do  the work this weekend if nothing came up. 

My friend Janet took me to see Dr. Wong for a scheduled appointment.  I had the pin removed. It was becoming uncomfortable which Dr. Wong said was good because the pin was moving and ready to come out.  He removed some of the dead skin, took an xray which showed calcification which is a good thing.  It was recast with a little more of my fingers showing which allows me to manipulate things better. He gave me a prescription for the pain pills.  Janet and I went to Mexicali's for their margarita and dinner.  Below are the pictures of my arm and wrist. 

So I didn't make an arrangement for someone to get my medications because I thought I would go get them. On Thursday, I stalled for two hours and then forced myself to go. It was okay, much better than I thought it would be. I don't think I'm ready to drive out of town.  But, it was a major step.

My granddaughter Kayla and her friend Mariah came by to visit after visiting a friend close by and to get o it of the heat.  Kayla is bored and wants to go on a trip. I told her I was out of commission this year. She said "how about camping?", I said "that too".  Maybe next year and I hope we can go to Martha's home.

Meaghan posted three wedding pictures done by the wedding photographer and the most recent picture of Conner. Very nice pictures. Meaghan and her mother adopted the four little children from a family member. They range from two to five. The middle ones are twins. Meaghan has had a lot of experience with little ones.

This weekend was great meeting with friends I used to work with. There were ten of us and I do believe it was a nice break for all of us. Since we still had time,  Annemarie and I headed to Main Street to go to this gourmet kitchen store. It is now closed on Sundays as are most of the other stores. We usually shop when we go, but no shopping this trip.  My friend Annemarie continues to fix up her little home. She has a good eye. This has turned out to be very cute.  Our group is looking to get together in November. I look forward to that.


While I was gone my friend Valerie got in one remote control on one of my fans. She needs to check on some things before finishing replacement of the faucet in the kitchen. So that is coming along.

My friend Janet picked me up at the train station. We went for our margaritas and and snack. That was a wonderful homecoming.

That's it for the week.  See you next week!          Rachel

Getting Locked Out

The previous week I had the splint changed out for a cast. I felt my arm sliding up and down and felt my wrist wasn't getting support which caused a lot of pain. Went in on Monday and a new cast was made that went about an inch higher.  I still had the same problem. Then one more time, two days later, the wrapping and cast were made a little tighter and it is about three inches above my elbow. I thought it was two weeks from the first cast, but it was only one!  This is going to be a long period!  I'm trying to keep my mind off of it. Kind of hard to do because I can feel it and it is uncomfortable.

My daughter Ronda helped me take a shower while she was here. I learned from that and set myself up like she had.  It worked. I used the IV pole with an exercise rubber band to hold up my cast in a plastic bag. I have a shower chair and made sure everything was within hands reach. It worked!  What a relief!  So cleanliness is not going to be a problem.

My daughter Ronda was set to leave Monday night at seven pm. That morning I get an email that the flight was completely changed to Tuesday morning at 5:50  a.m.. I was feeling overwhelmed with this hour and discussed her taking a taxi. She called one that agreed to pick her up at 4:00 am.  Ronda called later in the day after leaving and said there was something wrong with the plane in Denver and they had everyone get off while they found another plane. She didn't get home until 7:00 pm, but I was relieved it did work out.

In the mean time I set up my schedule and bought my tickets to see my brother Ben and my friend Lynn Repasky.  If my trip has any of the problems my daughter had, I will never use United Airlines again.  I am doing it from Bakersfield because I'm not sure I can handle a complicated trip.

Art class was good as usual. I did not work on my barn at all. Perhaps later. Now we are working on a waterfall.

I ended up getting a sore throat and fever which went on from a head cold to a chest cold. I'm usually not around so many people, especially children that I had forgotten all the bugs going around.  I seem to usually miss this, but close contact breeds the bugs. 

My family and friends have helped a lot.  They have taken me to appointments, straightening things, cut veggies, etc.  it makes a big difference.

I have a little less pain. It's difficult  to focus on much else when I'm in pain. It needs to come down more, then I'll be able to focus on other stuff.  I'm hopeful that this is happening.

So it was a slow week which was appreciated. I didn't feel well enough to have much excitement.  But yesterday my front door refused to lock and I called a locksmith to fix it. When he came, I asked if he would rekeyi the lock into the garage which he did. Today I walked into the garage to get the bleach and found myself locked out if the house. I told my brother about this last time and he sent me something to hide my key.  I looked for an hour without luck and walked to my neighbors homes in my pajamas to see if someone would take me to Barbara's home since I didn't have her phone number. It was the fifth house that answered my knock. This is the first time I met Diane who said "how can I help you"?  She was very willing to drive me to Barbara's home. Unfortunately she wasn't home. Diane said I could use her computer. So I was able to get to Yahoo mail and my contacts were there. I called Sherry who luckily was in town. She was laughing over what happened, but came 15 minutes later to let me in and she found the key in its hiding place.  Diane and I agreed that we would exchange keys to have someone close by to help.

So that's it for the week. I'll see you next Sunday.      Rachel.

Sore Arm and a Wedding

Meaghan and Billy had to change plans for their wedding. They brought it back to Bakersfield since Conner had been ill.  It was held in the yard of a lovely home using the maids quarters to get the food set up and for Meaghan, our bride to get ready. The weather was very cooperative. Meagan's grandmother Sherran Toy was the minister and did a fabulous job. The grounds were gorgeous. I kept feeling I had been here before, but that there were more trees when I'd been there before.  Yep, this was where Karen and Tom Peltier used to live. My husband and I along with four other couples used to get together monthly at each other's homes for dinner and red wine. I have fond memories of that.  Meaghan was a beautiful bride, Billy so handsome!  The food was excellent. The decorations were very nice. It was just a lovely wedding and will now be wonderful memories.

Flower Girls Alyssa, MeLeigha and Constance (Coco) Meaghan, Sherran, Billy and Ian

Meaghan and Billy with Sherran

Meaghan and Billy

Conner and Meaghan's sister

Flower Girls, Bible Bearer and Minister/Grandmother

Ian (Meaghan's Brother) and Meaghan

Ronda and Billy

Rachel and Billy

Rachel and Billy

Billy and Gavin Payne

Beautiful Table

They each poured sand in here showing how they will work together

Last weekend my phone kept ringing with the same number.  I finally answered and this man was saying they were picking up malware on my computer stopping all my Windows programs. They said I had to take care of it immediately and that there were 12 computers using my internet. I couldn't understand how this could be but finally got frightened enough to agree to fix it. Yes I fell for all this and can't believe I could be sooooo naive.  I am on pain pills. Maybe that was part of it.  So I stupidly agreed to pay $600 for a lifetime of caring for my computer and gave them remote access. This was for all my items with computer access. First computer supposedly done. Go to second computer and the monitor goes black. I can't figure what is going on and I said I needed to get my son-in-law over here because I really was not understanding and he could talk to them. Then I started feeling pushed when I couldn't reach Michael and told them I'd call them the next day and I hung up. My cousin Steve calls and I tell him I'm too upset to talk because of what I think is computer fraud and I fell for it. Now I'm crying. He said call credit card company and call him back. My crying got worse with all this. I felt vulnerable and really stupid. The bank lady said take a deep breath, then we'll talk. She transferred me to the fraud dept.  I said I disputed the charges and told them what I did. They reversed this bill, canceled my credit card and told me what to expect. This was all a relief but not the end of the problem.  I took the computer to The Geek Squad (as my cousin Steve recommended) and they found several viruses on both computers and cleaned it all up. Then I changed my passwords. My daughter threatened this internet place when they called today. Hopefully they won't call back.  Ronda hooked my computers back up. It did turn out that one of my monitors did go out which I'll deal with next.

My friend Valerie came to take me to my art class this and then to The Geek Squad.  I had not worked on any art, though, one day I attempted to start. We worked on doing a fence.  I really can't do much work because my cast is in the way. I did get my friend Barbara Long to come over and glue non-skid rubber to the back of one mat and on the back of a 12 inch ruler.  I got my pine cone back framed.  It is amazing how much better everything looks framed.  While there Toni Lott framed two other pictures. What a great job and reasonably priced!  Val and I went across the street to Mama Roomba for lunch (I just love this place!).

My friend Janet took me for a follow-up visit with the surgeon Dr. Wong. My appointment was at 4 pm. Got there about 3:45. We did't get called back until after 6 pm.  Questions I asked were can I go visit my brother in Connecticut in September (yes). When can I drive (when I'm not on narcotics).  Can I get physical therapy to work on balance (sounds like a good Idea).  Found out a fellow doctor friend of theirs lost his wife to breast cancer and they took a day off for the funeral and a child set off the fire alarm that day forcing everyone out of the building for about a half hour. I missed my Red Hat ice cream social at Dewars.

I got a cast above the elbow. Though Janet and I thought it looked horrible (there was a green drainage),  Dr. Wong assured us it was okay. No smell. It was very sore and I was glad to get back into a cast to support it. We went to Mexicali's by 7:30 for dinner and a weak margarita.  I think we both felt our heads would fall in the food.  When Janet got me home, I crawled in bed and was out like a light. 

Independence Day celebration was at my home. I was expecting fireworks display at Bakersfield College, but one of my friends Evelyn Elliott told me it was canceled. They are doing construction, so that was the reason. Billy picked up a box of fireworks. Dainette (Meaghan's mom) Meaghan, Billy with five children (including Conner), 5 years and younger, Shelley with Kevin, Jennifer with Kayla and Devin, Ronda and me made up the group.  Shelley and Ronda took care of the food, Billy barbecued. There was a nice breeze which made the heat more tolerable.  It all turned out very well and when everyone left, I fell asleep instantly.  I just seem to max out, and that's it.

Jennifer, Shelley and Coco

Alyssa, Meleigha and Gavin

Meaghan

Billy

Cousins Devin and Kevin

Shelley, Jennifer with Coco and Kayla

Conner at 12 weeks

Dainette

Ronda and Conner

Rachel, Coco, Meaghan with Conner

So I was watching this wonderful documentary that I recorded on PBS.  This young man had this job as a documentarian. He traveled over the world. He one day couldn't get up from sitting on the sand and others had to help him get up. So this is his documentary about finding out he has MS and how he takes as much control of his life despite the continued decline from the disease.  Very touching. It is universal.  It was shown on POV (stands for point of view on June 24, 2014. The title is "When I Walk".  Look for it.

Here is a wonderful article about why you should ask a physicist to speak at you funeral. I spoke with my physicist friend Michael Feit. He has agreed to do this.  I think I have brought this up earlier, but if you haven't seen it, check it out.




Ask a Physicist to Speak at Your Funeral


I have really had an achy week. Last night was particularly rough and I'm not doing the work!  Ronda has helped me a lot while she has been here. I've been very short and snippy with her and I apologize for this. She says "Oh, mom, don't worry about it. I'm not taking it personally. I know you don't feel good". I'm appreciative she understands. I am so appreciative of family and friends who have tolerated me and been so helpful.  I really think this would be a "no go" without the support I have gotten. What's difference it makes.

I have a friend who made an interesting comment saying she liked her boring life and would find this overwhelming.  Actually I agree with her. It might make it an interesting story, but the stress of it is really too much. I would have scheduled the wedding for a much later date and I think I would have rescheduled Independence Day to October first. I was glad that the wedding was not at my home and I was glad I was not the photographer.  Billy said they realized right away that they had to change plans. I'm so appreciative I didn't have to bring it up though I understand that I also have to get much better at saying "no".

Tomorrow, Monday,  Ronda returns home (Illinois). Billy, Meaghan and Conner will join us for breakfast at Cindy's.  This was a good visit despite the pain and I was glad it all happened. Now is time to put the emphasis on healing as my teacher Carol Bradshaw states. 

The Bakersfield Art Association is offering a variety of one day classes for $35 each in a variety of media. Check out what they are offering below and if you live in Kern County in California consider. This includes the supplies. You need to pre-register because they need to make sure they have enough supplies. Having taken classes since September and meeting many of these very talented artists, I believe you would enjoy this. It is a way to try your hand in a particular art medium without committing a lot of resources to find out if it is for you. Then, if it is, you'll have an idea of what it involves. I will be signing up for as many I can. Perhaps I'll see you there!


ART SAMPLER SERIES at the BAA Art Center
With Bates, Bradshaw,  Lott, Mathie, Neil, and Oliver

Many people who think about taking art classes aren’t sure what they want to take.  This is your chance to find out with this special series of classes….take one or all of them!  Do you want to draw/paint/ watercolor/oil/acrylic/oil pastel or something completely different like mosaics?

Come and play around and just have fun with the possibilities!

All classes are held at the BAA Art Center, at 1817 Eye Street. Cost of the classes is: $35.00 each, and include all materials needed for the class.  Pre-registration is required because of the materials.  Please contact the class instructor.

Pen and Ink: “Playing with Pen and Ink” with Jim Bates, This class  will explore different methods of using permanent ink pens in drawing and inking in your art work.  Examples will be cross hatching, stippling, scribbling, small/large lines etc.  We will ink the same subject using only one of the methods per drawing.  Class is Thursday, July 31st from 1-4 pm. For additional information or to register contact:  Jim Bates at 6612-871-7640 or jab888’s@gmail.com

Drawing: “What You Can Do with a Pencil!!”  with Carol Bradshaw  Experiment with all of the different marks you can make with a pencil and find out what the different kinds of drawings you can do!  Drawing can be done with pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, pastel , etc. Class is Thursday, July 24th from 1-4 pm.  For additional information or to register contact:    Carol Bradshaw at 760-376-6604 or bradshawartist@earthlink.net

Watercolor: “Splash and Play”  with Norma Neil In this class students will learn basic wash techniques and play with techniques that add sparkle, texture, mood and personality to the painting. Students will end with an 11x14 watercolor suitable for framing.
Class is Thursday, August 7th from 1-4 pm, For additional information or to register contact:    Norma Neil at 661-283-1376 or nneil2@att.net

Oil Pastel: “Drawing and Painting with Oil Pastel”  This inexpensive and versatile medium can be used for drawing or painting. It works like soft pastel, without the dust, but can be blended with other mediums such as oil, acrylic and watercolor paints Oil pastel is a fun medium that can be used for expressively for drawing or for completing rich finished paintings.  Class is Thursday, August 14th from 1-4 pm. For additional information or to register contact:  Phyllis Oliver at: Phone 661-348-4717 or pegoliver@ix.netcom.com

Acrylic: “ Acrylics are Easy!: with Toni Lott, This class is just pure fun playing around with acrylics.  It is a very forgiving medium- you can paint over your mistakes! You will be surprised at what you can do! Class is Thursday, August 21st, from 1-4 pm.  For additional information or to register contact:  Toni Lott at 661-205-3488 or tlframer@gmail.com

Mosaics: “Mosaic Brief”  with Leslie Mathie,  Come and try out mosaics and all of the fun that can be achieved with them.  This is a chance to do a” hands on” project.  Class is Saturday, August 9th from 9-12 pm. For additional information or to register contact:  Leslie Mathie at 510-914-6897 or leslie@mathiemosaic.net




Thank you for reading and I'll see you next week.        Rachel