It Is A Little Late

It’s true, it is a little late. I usually try to write this on Saturday afternoon around 4:00 or so. It’s now 10:44 so we’ll see what kind of sense I make.

¶. I’ve just returned from a lovely garden party at a good friend’s home. Tonight the table was set in the driveway and it was the loveliest driveway ever. This group of friends I taught with in my last years of teaching and we have stayed together ever since. I was the first to retire. The second has died. The rest of us have still gotten together periodically. The party tonight was to introduce the partner of the son of the no-longer-present-amongst-the-living friend. I think it is very special when this friend’s children think enough of her friends to request a get together when they are in the vicinity. It’s obvious that these grown children recognize what our friendship with their mother meant to her and to us. Hence the late hour. ¶. Following a very busy and stormy weekend the bulk of the city’s time has been spent with clean-up. The NWS in Sioux Falls issued 80 severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings for Sunday and Monday. The sirens were fired up a 2:30 AM Monday. Sophia and I headed to the basement. Major damage in this neighborhood were some tree branches broken.

¶ Following that the week has flown by with the usual things. Wednesday saw the last choir rehearsal of the “season.” We sing two more Sundays but get to skip rehearsal this coming week. ¶ Thursday was the big medical day with labs at 10:00, then meet with the doctor at 11:30, infusion at 12:00, followed by a visit with the radiation oncologist at 2:30. I haven’t had the latest MRI yet so that appointment was about possibilities of what might be going on. We will learn more after the MRI. The oncologist put me on an increased steroid for a couple of weeks to see if that would help my headaches and fat ankles. Ankles are normal and headaches have been mitigated. However, the steroids cause some sleep difficulties. I sleep for about two hours and then toss and turn until the morning. I am so stubborn that I refuse to get up and do something useful. I just stay in bed and become more angry that I can’t sleep. ¶ Today a friend and I went to Brookings to their fine greenhouse and purchased a few items to help the local economy. We left at ten and returned shortly after one so it was a quick trip. Now there are some more lovely things to plant.

¶. The first of the iris showed forth its bloom near the end of the week. The perennial geraniums have begun to bloom Most everything is growing well. At the greenhouse I asked one of the clerks if people were planting late this year. She said they were, and those who planted early are replanting. This is due to the chilly spring we experienced this year. ¶ So it’s been a busy week. I’ve felt well but have not had my usual amount of exercise to it’s difficult to do most things physically. ¶ Thank you for reading, for being you and all the encouraging words, and prayers, and thoughts.