New Next Steps

We spent a long, enjoyable weekend running around doing things without specific deadlines and without specific agendas; more than anything else, we were reliving some of the the "good old days" when we found time to run away more than a couple of times a year. Right now, I feel well enough that I hope we can continue to do this more often; we had a blast. First, on Saturday, we visited the Wyandot County Humane Society in Upper Sandusky, OH, a no-kill shelter that generally has as many as 30 equine rescue animals available for adoption. We've decided that Jeb's companion will need to come from there; it's a private shelter operating on grants and donations, and we admire their perseverance in hard times and good times.

Saturday afternoon we visited my friend S in Findlay and puttered around her yarn shop until she closed, when we all headed off to a local apple orchard to see what was available. We were able to get fresh-picked Cortlands and Galas; fall orchard tours and visits are a delight always, and we love to find new ones to explore. We've decided that after retirement we'll just throw the occasional picnic into the car and take off for a quick daytrip whenever we wish - nobody to answer to regarding time; no questions asked, just go.

Sunday we picked up some small pieces of furniture from my friend/sister C2; she's moving and we decided to buy some pieces so she wouldn't have to work around them. We raced home, picked up the car, and headed to Delaware, OH for the All-Horse Parade, part of the Delaware County Fair activities, courtesy our friends J and E who provided brats and trimmings and seats along the parade route for some 30 or so people. It was a blast, even if we didn't get home until 7:00 p.m. I felt tired but at least survived the whole weekend without major relapse.

I'm off the steroids now and the throat swelling and other problems have been alleviated, and I restarted Afinitor tonight. My doctors are watching enzyme levels and other cues like hawks; I'll be starting monthly Zometa injections again soon as the blood calcium level is one of the most critical indicators of overall stamina and health at this point.

Oh well, best just to wait and see what happens. I am grateful for the lovely weekend we spent together, and we are anxiously counting down the days until retirement on October 29. I am ready to have Saint H home, rested and working on projects that he wants to pursue. I'm sure a lovely time will be had by all.

Cretins and Salivations!

No idea where that line comes from but thought it appropriate for the day. We're in Cleveland resting up from all-day tests yesterday. I've hooked into the the hotel's network so I could update folks freely (and for free, hooray); will contact Geek Squad when we get home as I'm tired of being off-line.

I've spent time since the Friday before Labor Day getting the swelling down in my throat with steroids. As a consequence I've been off Afinitor since then; taking steroids in combination with these targeted therapies reduces the drug's effectiveness by something like 65%. At the price of Afinitor, I want a drug that works! I can swallow pills, food, and drink now, and am ready to go back on the drug therapy.

Yesterday's results were a complete success. No surprises on the labwork, all looked normal; the pelvic and abdominal scans were stable. The chest scans showed stability in the new lesions that had popped up in the last scan, even with just 4 weeks of treatment with Afinitor, and the big bad lesion in my right lung had reduced by 30-40% so it's less of an obstacle while we address the remaining disease progression. Top that off with Dr. LA's pronouncement of "beautiful" results from my MRI, indicating no activity in the brain lesions, and it was a great, great day.

I hope everyone else is dealing with the same level of success and good news - can't tell you how good it is to be alive and FEELING alive. My dearest Saint H has completed all the paperwork for retirement effective October 31 2010, after 24 years of service to the university. Then he's mine, mine, mine! I'm so excited I could burst!

Song Virus

My friend and sister C2, who sings in a folk trio, uses this term to describe the tune that implants itself into your head and your routine. Generally it's something obnoxious or inappropriate, and you just can't rid yourself of it until it's supplanted by something equally obnoxious or inappropriate ...

For the past several days I've been attacked by Disney's "It's a Small World", thanks to my friend A who sent me a jovial message on Monday. Over the weekend she visited with friends and family in her hometown and was chatting with her niece and nephew's maternal aunt. I don't know how the conversation turned to this, but the aunt is a nurse at Cleveland Clinic. It turns out she knows me and St. H rather well - she's none other than my sweet nurse Vicki whom we met on the last clinical trial. Yes, it is a small world. I just wish that song would go away!

Yesterday was scanning day at Cleveland Clinic, my first since starting Votrient in April. I'm officially off Votrient, as it did nothing to slow down my lung lesion and, indeed, I've developed seven tiny lesions in other areas of the lungs -- both lungs, unfortunately. Dr. G is working on options and schedules - looks like we'll check into radiation therapy on the right lung lesion, primarily palliative as I'm starting to have quite a bit of pain from it pressing against the shoulder blade but possibly as a debulking measure if they think it's possible. And sometime soon I'll be starting on Afinitor, the oral mTor-inhibitor. Nothing like pushing forward regardless ... I'll post more as soon as I know more.

Keen-Eyed Man

I'm such a good, compliant patient! Much against my inclination I decided to go back on the full dose of Votrient after my stomach had stopped rebelling. I really wanted to cut back the dosage, but Dr. G overruled me. After I got over sniping about "Dr. God" I finally figured out that he was simply trying to remove the reaction to the sulfa drug from the equation, and his wishes actually made more sense than mine. And I'm happy to report that over a week has passed on the full dose and I have had no apparent side effects. If things go well I'll stay on it at least until the first set of scans next month. If, however, I develop the side effects again I'm sure he'll have no objection to cutting the dosage back somewhat.

I had some trouble sleeping earlier this week. One night I stayed awake until 5:00 a.m.; before I went off to bed I managed to drop my laptop edge-wise on my left big toe, leaving a big gash and a fabulous bruise. That was partway healed when, another morning, I had gotten up and settled on the couch to work on some documents. I stood up, my right foot buckled under me, and I fell, twisting my ankle. Thank goodness (in some ways) that I've much experience with that ankle - I've probably sprained it six times since I entered college, twice really badly, and I've broken it. I could tell that it wasn't broken, and I had all the goods to alleviate my situation - I just wrapped it and elevated it, put cold compresses on it, and clumped around in my airboot (from the break in 2001). It's still sore after 5 days but I can walk almost normally. I suspect that my balance has suffered over the years, or else I've become sensitive about falling after repeated episodes; I find that I'm just not as steady on my feet as I used to be. I guess I can live with it as long as the damage isn't too severe.

Last week my brother P got a big surprise - he found a downed weather balloon in a field across from the house. He called the number listed and received a visit from some very excited University of Illinois students who came to retrieve it. You may enjoy the pictures taken by the balloon's camera on its short flight. The boys refer to the "keen-eyed man in IN" who found the balloon. I think it's more the case that P, like Saint H, is so familiar with his environment that he notices things; he doesn't necessarily have to "see" things to register a difference in his mind. Since he refused a reward the boys brought him a "Chief Illini" statue as a thank-you; I'll look forward to seeing it when we go visit next month.

Mr. Yuk Is My Friend

Well, it's been an interesting lapse. I developed a salivary gland infection at the end of April (my second in a month) but fortunately was able to get in for an appointment with one of the ENT guys quickly. I'm choking down 500 mg of a sulfa drug twice daily along with Compazine to alleviate the nausea.

At this point I have virtually no appetite; I haven't really been interested in food for about a week. I don't believe it's the Votrient; I'd much rather blame the sulfa drug in hopes that it will stop eventually! You may wonder, "Why sulfa?" Well, as time went on and I developed more and more serious infections from surgery and the like, I was being pumped full of antibiotics. Unfortunately I got hit with side effects pretty hard. I have a list of about 10 allergens now, but at the moment none are sulfa-based. So I guess that's my "drug class of choice" for the time being! And, much as I hate to admit it, it does seem to be working and I'd rather not be sporting an infection.

We've had killer weather too, alternating between hot and dry, and cold and windy and rainy. It's the type of system train that guarantees uncomfortable nights and difficulty breathing. I'm back to sitting up on the couch and snoozing, rather than trying to breathe all night lying on my back. I know it could be worse; we could be flooded. Saint H led a hike in Myers Woods last Saturday. It was damp and chilly but doable.

Saturday night we trekked to Columbus and huddled in a tent venue with 175 other people for the spotlight concert of the Columbus Folk Music Society's annual Central Ohio Folk Festival. My musical hero, James Keelaghan performed for all his chilly friends and warmed the evening greatly. Keelaghan is from Winnipeg, his voice is pure, his poetry unmatched; all in all his music has over the years given me great hope and solace.

We lost a good friend and member of the Renal Cell Networking Group; Gale was diagnosed in 1995 and was always quick to prefer surgery over drug therapy. She was a great-hearted lady; Saint H knew her from their shared times in the 1980s with the Ohio Wildlife Center, and she loved all animals, particularly dogs and horses. Gale and I shared the same birthday, too.

Our local friend who has battled brain tumors for 25 years is nearing her end; she's at home under hospice care. I'm nearly finished with a baby sweater for the granddaughter she'll never see. I always feel that I'm doing something worthwhile when I'm knitting for little ones.

Nothing In My Brain

"I want to show you some beautiful pictures." Those were the first words we heard from Dr. LA in Cleveland yesterday; she suited actions to words and pulled up before-and-after MRI shots from the gamma knife procedure.

As of yesterday's MRI results, there is no swelling remaining in the brain, and all of the targeted lesions were eradicated. There are no new growths present. The procedure was completely successful. It was fascinating to see the images side-by-side. The largest lesion left a hole, literally, in my brain. Thank goodness we have more brain matter than we need ... Dr. LA is thrilled with the results, as are we.

We met also with nurse Shari, who reviewed my labs. Nothing abnormal showed up; my hemoglobin counts continue to hover just below normal, and we'll continue to monitor that as well as some of the other "normally abnormal" counts that I've accumulated over the years. We'll also continue to monitor my liver activity, as anecdotal reports have several Votrient users suddenly developing liver dysfunction. I'll be seeing Dr. LA every three months, and probably will see Dr. G about every 8 weeks, so we'll still be burning up the roads between here and Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

On the homefront: last night Cola suddenly howled, sprang into the air, and raced around the living room, disappearing down the basement steps before I could stop her. She stayed huddled in the basement all night and most of the day today. This was a mystery until I found the yellow jacket in my bathroom. My guess is that she (the Mighty Huntress) found the dratted thing, attacked it as she would any other insect, and was stung. I swatted it with a towel 3 times (each time it started stinging the towel), and finally crushed it with a bottle. I remember stepping on one of those as a kid; it took pliers to pry it away from my toe after I was stung. Poor little kitty!!

Spring Forward

Nothing like having all the signs of spring cram themselves into a couple of days: We have lost nearly all the snow from the fencerows with temperatures in the high 60s for two days. Yesterday the spring peepers burst forth from the frozen mud in the pond, and a red-winged blackbird parked himself on the garden fence and started calling for a mate. Tonight we barely heard woodcocks "peenting" and tumbling over the pasture through the din of the frog chorus. Let's bring on the barn swallows! I'm ready for baseball!

We have "sprung forward" with a decision, so to speak. Saint H and I go to Cleveland on March 24th for a new baseline scan, and I will start on Votrient. This was not an easy decision by any means, and I'll be outlining all the factors we took into account for making the choice over the next few entries. In the meantime, I'm content that we've made the best choice we can, and am ready for the next step.

Brother P is visiting. I'm having a great time cooking for company - so far moussaka and chili have made the list, with corned beef and trimmings planned for Sunday. Steroid therapy ends on the 18th, and with it perhaps my appetite, but it sure has been fun while it lasted. Sister C, I promise to send him back before he explodes!

Surgery in Street Clothes

Yesterday I sent out messages to my "sporadic updates" lists to let everyone know how the procedure had come out, and late afternoon I spoke with my dear sister J. I told her that, on the whole, everyone had complied with my request not to call; I had decided to take several days apart to make certain that I had no headaches, that I didn't overtax myself, that I could adjust to new medication schedules, and get my head wrapped around the whole process, before I settled into visits and talks. She commented, "This all seems to science-fiction! When we were kids, could you have imagined anything like this happening?" And I had to acknowledge, no, I couldn't.

The film Fantastic Voyage comes to mind somehow, with little miniaturized scientists jetting through my head, zapping tissue amidst all types of improbable barriers and dangers. That just doesn't square somehow with being comfortably placed on a table in street clothes, and having someone pop one of my favorite CDs by the Gipsy Kings into the stereo system.

We have friends here who have 25 years of experience dealing with her brain tumors and subsequent medications, surgeries, radiations, and life changes. She's maintained a loving relationship with her friends and her family; she's upbeat, and accepts the limitations that have come with her condition gracefully and inspirationally. Science fiction can't begin to describe how things have changed over the years with treatment options. Even more, science fiction doesn't approach the amazing abilities of the human body and mind to cope.

I'm back to knitting, working my way through small projects. It's a fabulous relief to be able to comprehend my "alternate universe" of stick and string without panic.

Wheel of Fortune

Last week's scheduled evaluation led to a pass to the next round of the clinical trial, so I made the next block of hotel reservations, and prepared to return to Cleveland this Monday past for the first treatment of Round 8. My friend and sister M volunteered to drive so we could catch up after a couple of weeks without time together. Last Friday I settled down on the couch with Marmaduke and my knitting to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, and realized to my horror that I couldn't comprehend a simple pattern and translate it into knitting stitches.

Then I tried to make some written notes on a photocopy so I could reduce my planned project packet to a more manageable size and leave a book behind. I couldn't write in a straight line and I couldn't control my handwriting. By this time I was thoroughly spooked, and sent an email to Dr. G to notify him of my concerns. As I was heading up anyway, we scheduled an additional appointment for an MRI of the brain, something that we hadn't done for some time.

Late Monday afternoon we completed the scan and returned to Dr. G's office for the results.

I am now off the clinical trial, as we discovered several lesions on the brain with attendant swelling that was causing my cognitive problems. I was immediately admitted to the Cleveland Clinic Hospital to start steroid therapy to reduce the edema in the brain, and for consultations with neurology and radiation oncology specialists on Tuesday. M's husband the valiant Mr. C battled a raging snowstorm to bring Saint H and sister C2 to Cleveland. We traded family members, and Saint H and C2 settled in at the hotel for the consultation results.

Tuesday I spoke with neurosurgeon Dr. LA and radiation oncologist Dr. Sam C, and we charted our next move: I'm scheduled tomorrow, Thursday, for a gamma knife procedure, an all-day funfest starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending who knows when?

I'm comforted to know that Cleveland Clinic has been doing this since 1997, and Dr. LA has done some 300 procedures and works closely with RCC patients. I'm surprised and somewhat startled that this is done on an outpatient basis - I stayed in the hospital on Dr. G's orders to avoid having to go home and return in a snowstorm and to get started on therapy as quickly as possible. I was discharged, moved into the hotel, and have enjoyed the time intervening with my dearest boy and my dearest friends.

I miss my cats, I miss my house, I miss sleeping in my own bed. I expect I won't get home until Friday due to the observation period required after the procedure.

I don't know what comes next. I consider myself lucky - we were able to take quick action and I'm in excellent hands. I know several folks who have gone through the procedure and done just fine, and I'm expecting to do just fine myself. I'm not looking forward to the expected headaches and the imposed immobility for however long the procedure takes.

I know the chances of survival with good results from this procedure are impressive; as I told Dr. LA, "I like your odds for me better than mine."

So I hope soon to be able to tell you what this turn of the wheel involves. Spare a good thought for me.

Thank goodness that's over

January, that is; such a dreary, fractious, whining month this year! It was 31 days of mostly unremitting grey skies, mostly disgusting weather, mostly unpleasant news - all together a forgettable period. Within a 10-day period friend and sister C2 had a heart attack (she's recovering nicely), friend A's mother died unexpectedly, and a former coworker was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. The whole miserable month ended on Sunday, appropriately enough, with a major car problem as we were getting ready to head to Cleveland - but at least it didn't happen while we were on the road, and my beloved Outback was quickly repaired and ready to go again. February is bound to be better.

I'll be heading into town shortly to pick up kitty and people meds, kitty and people food, and a few other things in preparation for the winter storm that's heading our way. I'm not panicked and the larder isn't bare, but there's no reason not to have stuff on hand. Saint H is due to lead a winter tree identification hike on Saturday for the local park district, but we'll have to see if the weather cooperates. Hmmm, seems to me we did this last year too and squeaked the hike in before things got ridiculous. Maybe our luck will hold, or maybe we should think about a different scheduling pattern? Who knows.

I'm compiling all our tax paperwork for the accountant. Last year we put over 10,000 miles on the car for medical mileage, and the stack of medical receipts this year is about 8" high. Egads!

A Tale of Two Kitties

Life is returning to normal here, following emergency surgery for Marmaduke last Saturday. Duke, for those who don't know, can be summarized as a smart, cute, part Maine coon who lost an eye at six months to an infection and then moved in with us. He's a charming cat who thinks he's a dog, mostly; and last week when his empty eye socket swelled alarmingly we headed for emergency vet services at Animal Care Unlimited in Columbus. We've known Dr. Don Burton for years so it was an obvious solution to the holiday closing of our own vet's office. We left him in good hands for his surgery and went home to await the results.

We stopped for brunch in town and were heading back home in mid-Saturday traffic. We were slowing down for a stoplight when the passenger's window of a pickup truck right in front of us opened. An arm shot out, and a black-and-white kitten was thrown onto the pavement beside the truck.

We followed the truck as it turned to enter a local shopping center; the car beside us stopped and the driver hopped out to pick up the kitten. I dialed 9-1-1 and apologized but reported my emergency, including the idiot's license number, and left my contact information with the officer. We backtracked to make certain there was no carnage on the highway, then went home.

I was so angry I thought I would throw up. Why do people treat cats so terribly? I have always loved and found comfort in cats; in many ways they're my children. I contribute to some very good charitable organizations for humans, regardless, but I spoil my kids, darnit.

I haven't watched the papers to see whether an arrest was made, and I haven't been contacted. But I hope the 3 idiots in the truck were stunned that anyone would care about some poor little bundle, enough to try to get them punished for their actions.

In the meantime Duke's had his drainage tube from surgery removed, he's still playing it for a little sympathy, but he's over the worst of it. I trust he knows he's loved.

One Week Down

Yesterday C2 and I made a marathon run to Cleveland and back for tests and appointments. I've been able to report no new symptoms, no surprising problems, no increase in old symptoms, other than a bad adhesive tape reaction over my port.

The one thing that came back from blood tests that we'll have to watch is hemoglobin levels; I've dropped from 10 last week to 9.5 this week. I'll be reading up more on side effects from the mystery drug, and will give a precis here.

I saw Dr. G for a fleeting moment - he was out last week and the first day back was overbooked (his usual approach is that of a whirlwind, anyway, so big surprise). He signed the FMLA paperwork for Saint H so that days off can be garnered as needed; we sat down last night to make sure we could decipher the handwriting. Certainly Dr. G passes the "if it's illegible he must be a doctor" test!

Most of the time with nurses Shari, Vicki and Lisa was spent laughing. If Vicki had any doubts that I'm crazy, I'm sure those have been dispelled. Shari has known for a looooooong time!

My laptop is giving me fits; I'm doing what I can when I can, and hope that a new AC adapter will take care of the problem. Grrr.

Resolving a Morel Dilemma

Saturday evening I was prepping stuff for dinner when Saint H announced, "I think I'll go mow." We'd had 3" of rain in the past couple of days but it had held off most of Saturday, with sun and wind drying things out, and the grass was taking over. So I went on working, keeping an ear cocked for mowing progress, so I could make a stab at getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour.

No mowing - so I figured he'd had to sharpen a blade, or was cleaning the mower, or had gotten distracted by something else that needed doing (that happens to both of us pretty frequently!) He strolled into the house finally: "I didn't get any mowing done. I went down to check on a sparrow trap, and started clearing up some of the junk that's piled in the corner of the woods. I found these ..." and held out a baseball cap full of morel mushrooms.

Needless to say, the lack of mowing was forgiven immediately! Cooked in a hot cast iron skillet with butter and pepper, they made a great addition to supper. The problem was, there wasn't much left over to share for another meal. I was ready to cede them to him; after all, he did the work to gather them and he cooked them to perfection. But he solved the problem by bringing in another mess tonight. They're cooked and waiting for supper tomorrow! Yum!

Digging Out

Tuesday afternoon Saint H came home sick, staggering with fever, headache and upset stomach. I knew he'd be home for the next day and was grateful that he'd beat the storm predicted for that night and the next day.

Wednesday we got 10" of snow. I called a landscaping contractor to plow us out, as he's done the past two years. Jon got stuck in our lane, not a good sign, but he was able to get us plowed out.

Yesterday I went off to town; the wind shifted while I was gone and I had some trouble getting back to the house. Saint H's doctor called in a prescription for him so I started back to town and got stuck in the lane myself. Saint H came out and we both shoveled, managed to get the car unstuck and backed up the lane to the house for the night.

I called Jon to come back today after the wind shifted - no sense in plowing until then. He's on his way; as soon as he's done we're heading into town to pick up the prescription and a few other things, so we can hunker down for the next storm that's due Monday. I don't know if Saint H will be well enough to go back to work by then or not.

Things were so hectic that I almost forgot about Wednesday's anniversaries - I moved to Ohio 23 years ago, and had my liver resection in five years ago. The move to Ohio was fortuitous on several fronts - I've developed strong friendships and built family relations here; I met Saint H; and I found myself near two wonderful cancer facilities. It was a life-saving move all around.

I guess the snow's a minor inconvenience, all told.

Freeze - Thaw - Repeat

My logon problems appear to have been resolved for the moment (updates downloaded for numerous programs; who knows what happened and who knows when it will strike again). In the meantime we've cycled through some of the coldest weather I've encountered here. One day last week we had the dubious distinction of being the coldest spot in the state according to the National Weather Service, with a -22F air temp and a -37F wind chill. This weekend we soared up past freezing for the first time in nearly 2 weeks and we actually saw the sun! I forget how much I miss the sunshine here, until we enter the next grey winter cycle (Ohio on average gets 30% available sunshine in winter. Ugh) And now, once again, we've settled into temps below freezing for the rest of this week at least.

Cold weather is a conundrum for me. My favorite seasons are autumn and winter. Since my diagnosis and particularly since my liver resection in 2004, however, I have trouble maintaining a reasonable body temperature. If it's just cold, I feel that I can cope with it pretty well by adding layers. If it's both cold and damp, my joints stiffen and swell, I CANNOT get warm, and I feel useless and depressed. Top that off with grey skies and high winds, and I feel like crawling back into bed for six months or so. At least we're nearly through January now.

Saint H has been diagnosed with essential tremor. He's going in for a sleep study to see if his insomnia and fatigue can be resolved, and perhaps (if so) that will reduce the effects of the essential tremor. Right now it's not too bad but we'll have to watch things carefully. I've been panicked by this and he's been very calm. Blessed man.

Usual and Customary

Today's New York Times featured an article I've been waiting to see for a long time. Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General of the State of New York, has ordered UnitedHealth Systems to review its database of "usual and customary fees" covered for non-network charges on health insurance costs. The normal procedure, as we all know, is that in-network physicians and institutions have agreed to accept a certain fee for procedures, tests, and office visits; patients are encouraged to go to in-network resources so that the agreed-upon fees will apply, thus saving the insurance company a great deal of money. If a patient chooses a non-network provider, then the patient is responsible for the difference between what the provider charges and the "usual and customary fee". Cuomo alleges that the UnitedHealth database is consistently low-balling the costs, so that the penalty for using a non-network provider is a great financial burden to the patient. The UnitedHealth database is used by nearly all insurance companies as the basis for these costs. It's an interesting concept and I certainly understand the motivation behind it; the "in-network" relationship works well both for the insurance company and the health service provider.

But what happens when the patient has no choice in the matter? All of the local anaesthesiologists are non-network providers, for example. I paid $800 for the anaesthesiologist attending my nephrectomy - what choice would I have had, between undergoing emergency surgery at another hospital, or not having anaesthesia for the operation? Likewise, my lifeflighted trip from the local hospital to OSU was hardly something I had a choice in; I made it to ICU with literally minutes to spare before dying. Was I to have waited for some other helicopter with medical staff to show up? And who determines a "reasonable" cost for emergency transport under those circumstances - what comparable costs can you call for? That $5300 bill was worth it too, so far as I'm concerned, but it's hard for most people to come up with such a sum on short notice. I still keep a reserve in savings for that reason. Anyway, I'll be interested to see what happens with Cuomo's orders.

For the sixth straight week, Saint H will be spending at least one night in Columbus due to weather. Right now it's snowing (4" on the ground); we're supposed to get another 4" tomorrow followed by blizzard conditions. I may not see him until Friday at this rate. Oh well, I have lots of movies to watch ...

Holidays Gone By

My ISP connection has been acting up; sorry for not posting recently. The error reports blame Windows; I am daunted by the prospect of tackling the fix. Maybe it's time to buy a Mac.

Anyway, a good time (and a quiet time) was had by all in a small gathering at friend and sister C2's house. We ate fairly sparingly, all things considered, and exchanged many silly presents. For our next holiday outing, we will attend a friend's wedding on New Year's Day (television on mute available for Bowl games after the ceremony).

I can't think of anything better to ask for.

Little Things Make Me Happy

Tuesday morning I took the best shower I've had since we moved into this house. The master bath has a 5' shower enclosure, and the shower head was at least 7' off the ground - I could reach it, theoretically, by standing on my tiptoes, but who wants to do that in a shower? The spray was inadequate and messy, flinging all over the walls of the enclosure; all together an inefficient and unsatisfactory shower setup.

Saturday I finally located a shower head extender so that I could drop the shower head by about 15", with pivot points at the pipe and head so that it would be completely adjustable. When Saint H took off the old shower head to install the extender, we found out why it was so awful: The installers had broken the internal diffuser and, rather than replacing the stupid little plastic piece or bringing out a new shower head, the broken one went up. So I ordered my favorite low-pressure shower head, by Oxygenics (I'd been threatening to do so for a long time) - one for the master bath, one for the mudroom shower.

Monday night all the pieces came together, and I was thrilled with the results. I realized after the shower that I'd come to hate taking them under the old regime. Now - just keep me out of it! (No, it doesn't take much to please me)

Sunday was our 18th wedding anniversary. I've now lived with Saint H longer than I lived with my parents. I wouldn't have missed it for all the world -

Moonlight Serenade

Early this morning I woke with sinus congestion and a slight sense of unease. I headed to the kitchen for water and stopped in my tracks when a chorus of howling set off, seemingly under the kitchen window. Coyotes! Coyotes just outside the house, a blood-curdling reminder of the natural world. Saint H raced to the front door, turned on the outside lights, and stepped out onto the porch to see what was going on. The howling stopped immediately. We've no idea how close they were; I'll check for footprints later since we have a dusting of snow on the ground. Cola, poor child, had never heard them before; she looked even more than usual to be "all eyes and fur" as she ran to the basement.

With friend C's departure on Sunday, the house seems abnormally quiet - not that she was a disruptive presence, mind you. We've had guests off and on for the last 6 weeks and it seems odd not to have someone staying in the upstairs guestroom. I will gradually get used to having the house to myself again, probably just in time for someone else to arrive. Oh well, that's why we wanted extra bedrooms, and I'm glad that we have people who want to visit us.

Quiet Times

Friend C and I have been spending lots of time doing little or nothing, besides sitting-talking-eating-knitting. We've been to one bookstore so far and will head to the glories of HalfPrice Books next week.

Tuesday we cruised through two local grocery stores so that she could pick up some of what she can't get in Australia unless she goes to USA Foods in Melbourne. I ship care packages to her, especially for Certo and SureJel during canning season or powdered drink mixes in summer. When she visited last I'm afraid I got her hooked on pumpkin butter from Cooper's; I'm sure I don't ship often enough.

There are yarn shops to go to as well next week. We've got to squeeze all this in somehow. Funny how quickly the time is flying by, just doing little or nothing!