It’s Amaryllis Time, Again

 

Some of the 2020 crop.

I remembered posting a picture of the amaryllis in my front garden sometime towards the end of last summer so I went back to look at past blogs.  I was kind of surprised to find out that this particular pilgrimage began just one year ago yesterday when I received my first infusion of chemotherapy. 

I remember that the oncologist broke the news to me of my cancerous condition and told me that without treatment I would no longer be present on this earth in 3 to 5 months. I chose the treatment option and here I am 1 year later hardly the worse for wear.  It is not only the drugs that have made this possible but all of your prayers, good wishes, and moral support that has helped me along. With all of that I look forward to each new day and what it will bring into my life.

Given to me by my Parish several years 
ago. It's been on my deck since I 
received it.

Now those amaryllis in the front garden will remind me each year of a life-saving event. Though they appear to have died in the spring when their leaves turn all brown and beg to be trimmed back, every mid-August they send up their long stems and bloom profusely.  An old, dear friend would refer to them as madonna lilies. That’s an interesting title since we are celebrating the major feast of Saint Mary the Virgin today. It’s lovely to have that reminder each year.

My week of chemotherapy has gone well.  Wednesday the nurse was nervous about using my port because it appeared inflamed again. She contacted the doctor who, after a few delayed communications, agreed with her and ordered an IV instead. So I had to have that inserted daily for the rest of the week.  The port is more comfortable because one can use both arms. The IV disables one arm for the duration. Putting on headphones must be a true comedy act accomplishing it with one hand and arm. An antibiotic has been added to my menu in order to clear up the infection, if there is one.  If it’s not that then further study will be needed to find out what is triggering the allergic reaction. Given the side effects many have whilst enduring chemotherapy this is really, really minor.

The park visitation score is up to 57 out of 80.  I do have to admit that I am experiencing parts of the city I did not even know we had! Navigation in the car is invaluable when one is in totally foreign territory and hasn’t a clue as to pinpointing the location.

Reading the historical markers in several of the parks has been very interesting.  I’m very happy the County Historical Foundation has put these up.  Today I learned about a journey some Native Americans made from the Niobrara finally ending up in the Flandreau vicinity.  One very aged lady had walked 90 miles in a few days and could finally go no further.  She froze to death during a blizzard in what is now the Hayward Area of Sioux Falls.  

From this vantage point Sophia
manages the goings on in 
the front garden.

I also learned that the part of the city known as West Sioux Falls was the creation of the first president of the University of Sioux Falls who bought the land in hopes of selling lots to home builders. He then used the profits to help out the ailing institution which was strapped for funds. A few of the first buildings including Beulah Baptist Church are still standing 100+ years later.

Last Sunday evening as the trash bin was being hauled to curbside in preparation for Monday’s collection there was a very loud crash. It turned out that one part of the two-trunk tree at the back of a neighbor’s property decided to not stand up anymore.  In its progress toward earth it took out a part of the neighbor’s fence and ended up with its topmost branches on the deck of the group home next to their back garden. Excitement in the neighborhood that was not gunshots for a change. Ufda!

That’s about all that’s gone on around here for this week.  Again, I am grateful for all you do for me.  Thank you.

Is It Really August?

The first week of August is drawing to a close. This week we had two nights when the temp sank to the lower 50s. It’s almost unbelievable for that to happen in the heat of summer. It was however pleasant. The air-conditioning didn’t even come on for three and half days. Having the windows open is very pleasant.

View from upper Sherman Park

The time passed swiftly. My park visitations increased so that I am now up to 51 out of 80 visited.  Some parks I’ve visited before but it was years ago so I’m making a point of visiting those again. One of the stops today was at Sherman Park. The number of years that have passed since being there is beyond remembrance. It’s on the top of a hill and really is two parks, upper and lower. There are prehistoric Native American burial mounds there at the top along with some other places of historical interest.

Another visitation was to Emerson Park. It’s located on the site of the former Emerson School. I can remember being in that building for something. I vaguely remember the Alternative School was housed there for a time but it was after my assignment to that school. When I taught at Alternative it was in city center. That is gone now as well as Emerson. The historical sign marking the place where the school once was noted that it was renowned for its active PTA. The men would put on a pheasant feed each year. The mother’s chorus was famous for its performances throughout the city.  My fear is that “active PTAs” are no longer. Sadly, for too many, parental involvement in the education of their children is a thing of the past. The exception might be this past spring when many parents had to become the teachers. There were a lot of humorous stories and jokes made about those situations. Maybe the onslaught of COVID-19 will see the revival of the PTA! I know it has caused a new admiration for the challenges teachers overcome each day.

I’ve discovered a new Farmers’ Market. It’s just a small one located in front of a grocery/restaurant on the south side of

town.  There are just two vendors. The produce is beautiful. The corn I purchased last Wednesday was so good I went back for more today. It will be on the menu this evening, I promise.

Love this color!

I fondly recall my dearly departed friend and attorney who commented at one point that “city planning is an oxymoron!” There is evidence of this all over the city. Southeastern Drive from 26th to 69th has been a disaster for a couple of years.  I can understand delaying its repair because of the huge project on 26th street which includes raising the street some thirteen feet.  All last year the curb and gutter was replaced in several places.  Millions of dollars of equipment was virtually parked there while no one seemingly worked on the street. Finally the street was resurfaced from 26th to 49th, and 57th to 69th. Does that missing portion need resurfacing? Yes. Why was that omitted from the project? It’s a mystery. But to make things more interesting now three huge pieces of the brand new road have been cut out. These are at least a quarter of a block long and one lane in width. Is anyone working on them? Not that I’ve seen. There you have it.

This past Friday I had my MRI and CT scans and my visit with the doctor.  The scans reported good news. The lung lesions are virtually invisible. The liver lesions have become smaller by about .3cm in dimension. The chemotherapy which I receive can be continued indefinitely. Some therapies have a limit as to number of doses. This one does not. The MRI showed nothing. By that I mean that there is no cancer in the brain.  It does not mean my head is empty, although there are days when that appears to be the case.

Beautiful petunia

“There are times, especially during this pandemic, when we wonder about our lives and just what our purpose might be when we must spend days and weeks in our homes and yards.  This meditation from Henri Nouwen’s works might resonate with you as it did with me.

“I suspect that we too often have lost contact with the source of our own existence and have become strangers in our own house. We tend to run around trying to solve the problems of our world while anxiously avoiding confrontation with that reality wherein our problems find their deepest roots: our own selves. In many ways we are like the busy executive who walks up to a precious flower and says: “What for God’s sake are you doing here? Can’t you get busy somehow?” and then finds the flower’s response incomprehensible: “I am sorry, but I am just here to be beautiful.”

How can we also come to this wisdom of the flower that being is more important than doing? How can we come to a creative contact with the grounding of our own life?”

I hope your week went as well as mine. Thank you for being.

"Excuse me! Was there some question about who is in charge?"

Summer Advances

The front garden was a riot of color one morning.

This first day of August after reading the news reports I gave thanks that my school district career is over. When I read about all the unknowns plaguing parents and school districts and teachers concerning the current pandemic one could throw up one’s hands and say “it’s not my problem.” I’d like to be able to do that but my concern is for the students and teachers who will be dangerously exposed to the virus once in-person instruction begins. My concern is for the households to which those children and teachers will return and the people they live withwho face possible exposure. Myconcern is also for the relatives with whom those students and teachers and parents will visit and who will also be exposed. The numbers right now are bad enough. The potential for millions of cases of those infected is right around the corner.

This past week brought news of a student who tested positive on the first day of school. A sports training camp at Northern S.U. in Aberdeen had several participants that were exposed and tested positive. A Bible Camp in the Black Hills had several participants that tested positive.

Ivy geranium post beetle visitation!

Then we have a sports star who thinks the whole virus thing is a hoax. We have a doctor who promotes a drug which does not work amongst other crazy ideas she emits from her mouth. Plain nuts!

A friend of mine from college days was speaking of his grandchildren and what wouldhappen to them when school begins. They will begin school at home, along with their father who will also work from home. Their mother teaches in another district which is opening its doors. He pointed out and caused me to think about the fact that a teacher who is exposed and needs to quarantine will effectively exhaust her/his sick leave by going into quarantine.  This could happen at the beginning of the year. Who is going to cover the sick leave for the remainder of the year or will the teacher be docked? There is a perpetual shortage of substitute teachers here. If the district has no subs for a particular day, what will happen? It really is everyone’s problem.

And then we have a governor who refuses to require masks. At least the district will require students and staff to wear masks The glimmer of hope is in those persons locally who see the danger and make wise decisions.

I hope things go well but I’m certainly happy not to be going back to school.

This is my languid pose.

This week off from chemo has gone well.  I’ve felt good. My port site has healed. It is still somewhat red but doesn’t feel weird anymore. Next week I can stay away from medical facilities untilFriday when I have lab work, a CT scan and an MRI. The doctor will reveal all that afternoon. Then the schedule for the next week will be presented.

It’s wonderful when a friend comes by to visit. When said friend is an excellent cook and brings tidbits along to share it’s even better. The days fill up with a variety of tasks, interesting things to read, and short trips out provide variety.  Not a lot of progress on the park visitation project this week (up to 39/80).  Getting  busy  on that project is on the agenda next week.

All the plantings have gone crazy this past month. The heat and the constant watering this householder has provided have caused great growth.  The beautiful ivy geraniums seen in a previous post have been attacked by the Japanese beetle and are no longer beautiful.  They are in need of an extreme trimming. Maybe they will make a comeback. 

I hope and pray you have a wonderful week. Thank you for reading, sharing, praying and being you.

The deck corner on August 1.

The Discovery of Time

One of the beautiful displays at McKennan Park.

As the pandemic continues around the world and in this country with ferocity we find ourselves, at least many of us, with time on our hands. That, indeed, is a new thing for some. I would say for myself that these days of semi-seclusion are a new thing for me to discovery.  While teaching and effectively having three jobs I would say I was run pretty ragged in retrospect. Things let up a little when I retired from teaching but much of that gained time was spent on the church in various capacities.  Retiring from the parish brought a little more freedom. At least, as I recall telling someone, things weren’t quite as frantic. Now when I really should be careful about going out at all it seems that there is quite of bit of time spent at home.

My friend brought me wheat grass! Yum!

What does one do with that time?  Admittedly at the end of the day I ask myself what did you accomplish and the answer is not a lot. Have cupboards or closets been cleaned? Not from the way the appear when the door or drawer is opened. Has a lot of time been spent reading and learning? Time has been spent reading but probably not a lot of learning has taken place. Has the exercising been done? Most days yes! 

One thing I’ve discovered is that this more relaxed pace gives me a peace of mind for which I longed. The time to savor, to explore, to try new things, to make things in the kitchen to be shared are all gifts. I don’t seem to find it necessary to check off all of things done at the end of the day, but there is certain satisfaction in realizing that things were accomplished at a much more leisurely pace than in days of yore.

The ability to start and finish something gives one a feeling of satisfaction. I find myself looking for things that I can do that can be completed. Clean drawers and closets would be such a satisfaction but that can always wait. This week after visiting a couple of my favorite parks I was curious to find out how many parks we actually have. The number is eighty. Wouldn’t that be fun to visit all the parks? So my new goal is set.

Parks are a safe place to visit. One doesn’t have to worry about social distancing, transfer of virus and all the rest. So the project was begun. I will have to admit that I didn’t know where the majority of the parks are. The city website has a handy list of all of them and clicking on the links brings up a map with the park pin-pointed. So far 36 parks have been visited. 

One interesting thing discovered today as I visited three parks in what might be called the high rent district, where the homes are all single dwelling and large enough in many cases to serve as hotels, is that they look much nicer than those in much less affluent districts. Some have tennis courts which are not found in other areas of the city. I had no idea that tennis was a sport restricted to the more well-off areas. The parks in certain neighborhoods just simply look better and are more appealing. Interesting? A subtle form of discrimination? My own imagination? It is something to ponder.

In between park visitations I did make my journeys to the Prairie Center each day.  Monday I had labs and a doctor’s visit which brought good news that my blood work is good. Most days everything including TUG the robot had everything in order. One day I was actually in and out in 45 minutes which is pretty speedy for an half-hour infusion. So all continues to go well for which I am really thankful. The only problem is some inflammation of the skin in the port access area.  We don’t know if it’s an allergic reaction to the cleaning solution used each day or if it could be the little piece of foam around the needle. Each “chemo week” seems to cause a slightly different reaction. A mystery that is yet to be solved.

Thanks for reading. Thank you for your prayers. Thanks for the emails and phone calls.  Thanks for being you.

From The New Yorker, Confirms my belief!

In the midst of July.

This was another week of feeling really good. Only fifteen minutes spent in the cancer center for a blood draw. That revealed that my sodium level was back in the normal range. It is just possible that we’ve hit upon the right balance of medication. 

The planter in the center of the front garden.

Next week will be another week of chemotherapy. I can’t complain. When a friend asked me today if I needed a ride. I thanked him and said that I drove myself. The reply was “you must be made of teflon!”  God has been good to me in allowing me to get through the process with very few side effects.

I have to admire Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She is undergoing chemotherapy for yet another cancer and still keeps up her normal work load. She is a truly remarkable woman. Considering what she has been through and the criticism she often receives from those who disagree with her and the way she holds her head high in spite of all that, there are many others in the top level of government who could learn from her. They whimper and cry and lash out at the least criticism inventing all kinds of excuses for the poor job they have done. 

I wrote last week about my irritation at those who refuse to wear masks. One of my friends posted this week that seat belt laws are in place and enforced almost everywhere. How are those laws different than the requirement to wear masks? Seat belts are proven to save lives. In the automobile accidents reported in the daily paper when deaths are reported therefrom it usually says “was not wearing a seatbelt.” Will we never learn? 

The ivy geranium gone bonkers!

The cry continues to go up “don’t infringe upon my rights.” Sorry folks but none of you are allowed in the store naked. You have to wear clothes. Evidently your rights are continually being infringed upon. “No shirt, no shoes, no service” doesn’t seem to cause great numbers of people to holler about their rights. Yet people become enraged to the point of physical violence over the reminder to wear a mask. Really!

One of the vows Episcopalians take at their baptism is to “seek and serve Christ is all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself.” Today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 12:14-21) gives us an example of Jesus going on to seek and serve in spite of those working against him. “When the Pharisees were outside they began to plot against Jesus to find a way to destroy him. Jesus was aware of this, and so he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him and he cured them all…”

The reading from Micah (Micah 2:1-5) could be speaking of some of today’s persons in authority: “Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches; In the morning light they accomplish it when it lies within their power…”

One of my favorite places to go for meditation is a series of daily reflections on the readings by the faculty and staff of Creighton University. In 2018 Joe Zabroroski, the Director of Purchasing wrote: “Today’s readings and the psalms scream for justice. Both the Old Testament reading and the psalms portray the wicked as overbearing in their drive for possessions and power. This is not much different than today. Human nature is human nature.

So the question to myself is, what am I doing personally to fight injustice when I see it? This has changed over time for me. An occasional stop at a homeless shelter, joining a rally, serving on a parish committee or dropping a few dollars for a cause is no longer enough.

Not that these aren’t honorable endeavors. I had to change and put myself face to face with another human being who was suffering. I was confronted by this reality when I read about the Papal Almsgiver; Father Konrad Krajewski. When Pope Francis met him he told Fr. Konrad 'You can sell your desk. You don’t need it. You need to get out of the Vatican. Don’t wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor.'

So a recalibration in my thought process took place. Involvement was needed to answer the scream for justice. Jesus’s example in the Gospel was to not make himself known ‘until he brings justice to victory.’ Amen Alleluia.”

Once again the preacher has no pulpit!

Thanks for reading, for prayers and thoughts and visits. Have a good week.

Oh! Is this the book you wanted to read?

Saint Benedict’s Day

Sempervivum in bloom

Today is a great day. Today is a great day especially for Benedictines throughout the world.  It is the Solemnity of St. Benedict. We all have heard of Benedictine Monasteries. There are many throughout the world. This whole Benedictine movement began with a young man who, as a student in Rome, became disillusioned in the life people were living there. In order to escape this life he went to the hills outside his native village and became the roommate of a hermit he found living in a cave.  Whether the hermit wanted a roommate or not, he got one. The hermit just wanted to live a quiet life. His desire was shattered by those who came to seek Benedict’s advice and wanted to be near him so he could teach them.

The solution presented itself to Benedict in the form of monasteries. That’s an interesting word. The root is monos, meaning one or being interpreted, alone. Yet these places were established so that persons could live together. People began living together following a Rule that Benedict authored. This monastic movement moved throughout Europe and then throughout the world. 

Hosta in bloom

I bring up Benedict today not only because it is his solemnity, but because these monasteries following in his path were by and large the salvation of the world. Civilization was essentially preserved by the presence of the abbeys and priories that preserved learning through the Dark Ages, the Black Death and any other calamities happening in the world.  Libraries containing the learning of the ages, crafts, farming, medicine all continued in the monasteries no matter the confusion and frustration in the surrounding world. They were self contained worlds in themselves, worlds of prayer, peace and love of God and humankind.

Yesterday’s meditation from the works of Henri Nouwen spoke to me of today’s world. It is titled “It’s all How Your Look at It.”

“The great conversion in our life is to recognize and believe that the many unexpected events are not just disturbing interruptions in our projects, but the way in which God molds our hearts and prepares us for his return. Our great temptations are boredom and bitterness. When our good plans are interrupted by poor weather, our well-organized careers by illness or bad luck, our peace of mind by inner turmoil, our hope for peace by a new war, our desire for a stable government by a constant changing of the guards, and our desire for immortality by real death, we are tempted to give in to a paralyzing boredom or to strike back in destructive bitterness. But when we believe that patience can make our expectations grow, then fate can be converted into a vocation, wounds into a call for deeper understanding, and sadness into a birthplace of joy.”

Lovely daylily

We spend our time hoping and praying for an end to the pandemic. One wonders for what purpose.  According to those in power it needs to end so the economy will improve, i.e. so we can make more money or insure a reëlection. Our nation has become so focused on our individual wants and needs that we have a difficult time finding any sympathy for the wants and needs of others. 

This is shown by the current push to reopen the schools.  Why? Children need to be educated. That is true. But is the sacrifice (and it will be a sacrifice) of thousands of lives of those who become sick, both students and teachers worth the education or is it really that children are currently a hindrance to parents who need to go back to work so the economy can improve? Our society doesn’t seem to care how many students get wounded or killed by guns. One might think that the sacrifice of children for monetary gain isn’t any different.

This is shown by the numbers of people who refuse to wear masks when out in public. Individual rights is the battle cry of those who refuse. The lives of those who are exposed to the air these people exhale along with the corona virus in some cases is of no import when it comes to individual rights. The wearing of a mask in public is one of the only things proved to slow the spread of the virus. Yet so many refuse to listen.

Elegant color in a daylily

Society needs to look at the monasteries for an example. These men and women voluntarily choose to give up their possessions and live together for the rest of their lives.  It is for the common good that they work and study and pray. These people from all races, all manner of education, every kind of talent live together because of love. They seek nothing for themselves only for the community. They are manifestations of the love of God reflected in how they respect each other. Would that the nation and world would learn to love again.

The foregoing is a result of a preacher having no pulpit from which to preach! My blood work on Monday was good.  Sodium level rose a little. The rest of the week was free of medical personal.  I’ve been feeling fine and really am thankful for that, especially when I see the agony that some go through. I have another week coming up free of chemotherapy. 

I’ve been taking some time to walk through a few of the city’s parks. Our parks department does a beautiful job of planting and growing lovely things. Another reflection of the current “me first” attitude is the necessity of signs in the gardens reminding people that they are not to dig up and abscond with plants. 

I went to the Farmers’ Market for the first time this season.  It was a very busy place. It was a joy to see one of the vendors from whom I have purchased for many years. 

Total relaxation.

Good friends came over for an afternoon of social distancing on the deck.  It was so good to see them. There were lots of new blooms in the garden to bring joy to the heart.

All in all it was a blessed week.  Thanks for reading, for thoughts, and for prayers. I hope your week was a good one as well.

TUG

TUG

At the hospital and cancer treatment center the system uses robots to deliver medications from the pharmacy to the nurses station. One realizes from witnessing the operation of the robots that a lot of human time is saved by utilizing these amazing machines. They zip up and down the hallways, ride the elevators, avoid collisions with people and they are actually quite cute.

One of my friends had christened the robots Rosie.  The next day I noticed TUG proudly displayed on the robots anterior so the name became TUG. The nurses actually call them TUG. It’s obviously part of the brand name, but it works as a proper noun.

They are more efficient than people for delivery. They don’t stop and chat with others on the way. They have one job and that is get the goods to where they are supposed to go. It’s fun to watch what happens when they encounter an object in their path.  They stop in good time, wait a bit (to see if said object will move, I assume) and if necessary navigate around it.

At the end of May

July 3

Friday, my nurse told tales of an errant TUG that had a propensity for visiting patient rooms and going down a little hallway that contains the scale for weighing in and a couple of restrooms.  That TUG got retired.

The week was spent going to and from the Prairie Center for chemotherapy. 

The five day everyday regimen of chemo is my current thing.  The infusion is only 30 minutes but there is prep time (vitals), accessing my port, waiting for TUG to bring the medicine, the flush at the conclusion, de-accessing the port, answering the questions, etc.  One day this week I was in and out in 55 minutes. I think that may be a record. It’s not bad time spent.  I finally finished Ken Follett’s three volume historical fiction work! I’ll have to find another opus to tuck in my bag for the next round.

Going for chemo is a chance to get out of the house! The going and coming can be interesting if one want to take a drive and check out some of the parks. One can actually get out and walk around a park with minimal danger because there is a lot of space! It’s sad to see the swimming pools closed with the beautifully warm and sunny days we’ve had the last few weeks.

At the end of May

July 3

It’s amazing to see what that warmth, water, and occasionally some fertilizer does for the plants. I looked at the pictures from the time the pots were first planted and then those that were taken yesterday.  June did a nice piece of work on those growing things.  June also provided an opportunity for the weeds to grow in any available space, no matter how small! The rabbits continue to feast on the hostas. There was a baby bunny in the front garden one day this week.  I gave him a lecture on finding another place to feast.  I don’t think it has had any effect.

Pets and fireworks at this time of year pose a problem. I’ve had some cats who get extremely upset at the noise. Sophia seems to be fine with it. She’s not exactly pleased, one can tell, but at least she’s not frightened.

Probably the best way to deal with fireworks according to Sophia.

Fireworks are illegal within the city limits. That does not seems to stop some from discharging them anyway.  In my imagination I think they are the very same people who refuse to wear a mask and thereby put other people and themselves at risk of infection when they go out in public. It comes down to respect for others or me and my rights only.

It’s been another good week for which I am grateful.  Thanks for reading and thoughts and prayers. As always, I am grateful.