Rachel's Adventures: Mother's Day - Partly Sad for Those We Miss and Good for Those There

91 year old Flossie Lewis shares what it is like to be old. I like her take on it! This is from PBS NewsHour.

https://www.facebook.com/pbs/posts/10153688224572169

I saw my primary Doctor because of what sounded like a squeaky heart beat. My doctor assured me it was not from my heart but from my ear. It is my pulse echoing in my ear. It is not life threatening

I also got my antidepressant increased. I have felt for quite a while that I have had real lows, especially at night. My doctor said I didn't seem like a depressed person. I said it is a problem when I'm alone and usually at night. I think this will help me.

I have to have another Colonoscopy. Ugh! The preparation is the worst. I'm not totally together when I have this procedure, so that is not an issue. I will call tomorrow to get a date.

At my chemo this week a new pharmacist who mixes what I take, Troy, introduced himself. He then asked if I had questions and I asked if Herceptin, the chemotherapy I take wrecks nails. He said, if there was an issue, less than 1% complained about that. He said hair and nails are pure protein and he suspected I didn't get enough protein. He suggested I take a multivitamin for getting trace minerals and vitamins. And, he said eggs are an easy protein to get. He told me that with a life threatened (like cancer for me) cholesterol was not a problem. He also said my weight was good. I said I was overweight and he said, "Not bad. You need to keep a little weight on you to help you if you run into trouble." So I did pick up vitamins. I do keep eggs around, but I'll make a point of having one a day.

My neighbor Bryan shared information with me on this organization that delivers 10 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables on a schedule you select. It is $30 each box and I got it this week. The organization is nonprofit and called Hopeful Harvest (hopefulharvest.com) . There was a head of lettuce, green beans, green bell peppers, avocados, lemons, apples and oranges this time. I think I'll make stuffed peppers. Money goes to families in crisis with children in the hospital. It is more than I can eat, but I gave most of it to my daughter Shelley and a little to my granddaughter Heather.

My friend Barbara is sending emails on her tour of England, Ireland and Scotland and Wales. Her ancestors came from there. Initially I was going to go with her, but the exhaustion I was feeling was so limiting that I thought I would rarely get out of the bus or if we stayed more than one night in a room, I might sleep my time there. So that seemed like such a waste. Perhaps my energy will pick up later, but I'm glad that I have traveled a lot, especially with Paul, so I don't feel too bad about missing this. I look forward to more details and pictures from her.

My friend Janet's birthday was this week. We went to Uricchio's to celebrate. It was a great time. The rain started up again and I thought I was hearing thunder, but it was so loud from all the talking with the restaurant completely filled, it was hard to tell. Our waitress took a picture of us.

Picture of Janet and me. At my art class with Carol, she reviewed my pictures (which was mostly positive) and then we worked on how many pictures we can get out of one picture. Since the next subject is elephants, I brought in the one picture, then made 6 black and white copied. Then I picked out areas I thought could be a picture to stand on its own. I glued each one I cut putting it in the middle of a paper. So if I do this, I could call it "Elephant Study". We had done something like this in the beginning which I did with sea shells. No class this week. I'll see her the following week. I'll have pictures next week.

We had some wild weather. While it was very noisy at my home, at Janet's home 10 miles away, it was bone dry. We had mudslides in mountain passes, over flowing creeks, and with a burst of rain coming down in a very short time, there was flooding in some areas. I'm a little higher which means it isn't too likely to flood where I am. This ground cannot handle so much rain in so short a time. This is a very dry area and we are subject to flash flooding when it gets like this.

I finished this book called We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying by Bruce H. Kramer and Cathy Wurzer. Bruce had ALS and Cathy interviewed him on NPR in Minnesota. He had been writing a blog, then spoke with Cathy several times and after his death, it was made into a book. Bruce shared how this dis ease (how he likes to see it) took him down and each time he had to see his state as the new normal. He felt looking back at how active he had been was very hard since it never was to be again. Love was the one constancy that made the changes bearable and he actually gives credit to ALS in opening him to a much deeper understanding of love and knowing what was important. Good book for anyone going through a life threatening illness and all who want to know about this final step. You will grow.

Today is Mother's Day. Jennifer and Shelley with their children came. My granddaughter Kayla (Jennifer's daughter) came in the morning to help get the place in order, buy the food and prepare it with me. Jennifer's daughter Crystal brought her daughter Nylah. We made asparagus quiche, a Mexican breakfast casserole and fruit salad. We had orange juice, chai tea, coffee and Mimosas. It was a lovely time together as always. No rain and the temperature is a comfortable 71 to 75 degrees. Our weather has been all over the map. So now it is comfortable to go outside and smell the blossoms. Very heady!