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I looked out the front door to see a carton that was delivered…not an Amazon order. Inside was like Christmas.

Filled with gifts of soothing…teas, lotions, sweets, socks. A lovely thoughtful gift from a dear old friend whom I met during my MFA graduate exhibition reinstalled locally in 1999. Thank you Cyd. So very much!

Now I am sipping some Sambuco. It is soothing and perfect for a cold dreary afternoon.

Yesterday it took most of the morning to paste messages and addresses on my postcards. I have more to ship out tomorrow…none, of course, to my own state of North Carolina. We are still too red or worried here to make public statements.

I do not think it is possible for the Republican Party who supports this insanity to realize the unforgivable damage that has been done to those of us without enough years left to see corrections in the course they have put us on. We will only live through the untold damages happening each day. Some of those I talk to feel entirely hopeless and full of a despair that makes it hard to get out of bed. I truly hate what the greedy reliance on ignorance has caused so many who have spent their lives thinking it would never happen.

To hide in my house and remember the better times is what I have left. It is all that makes me smile and I am grateful for the life I have had and the amazingly brave, intelligent people that were part of it. I join the sanity of the world finding it necessary to turn their backs on America. We are no longer worth the respect and admiration of anyone other than those preferring to stay ignorant of how much they are manipulated into this new world order. I can find peace in my own surroundings.

And soon there will be a finished sunroom. Just the tile flooring and painting to go.

I am off to pop a frozen pizza into the oven and sip what is left of my Sambuco.

More postcards are heading out tomorrow…to states other than my own. I thank them for making me feel it has been a worthwhile effort.

Til later….

Today my surgeon in Asheville gave me an A+ on my surgery and all lymph nodes testing negative for cancer. He said I am not only “cured” but can have my single malt scotch. He said it will do me good. I think he is as happy as I am. What a terrific surgeon! He also said as long as I am not on heavy pain killers (I haven’t been for over 10 days) then I can drive! So tomorrow morning I am going up to listen to the old boys mumble and have some coffee with them.

The two sister angels who take me to Asheville treat me to a celebratory lunch at a favorite place in West Asheville. A terrific brunch of carrot pancakes with a cardamom butter and sweet soaked bacon! I could only eat half and it was delicious! I bought two pimento scones to bring home. There is so much more imagination and flavors of the food conjured up and served in Asheville than here in town.

And I have been trying to get some more stitching done on my small slow stitch panel. It has kept me calm and focused this past few days.

So that is the news from here. Today after I returned home the nurse came by to take my “vitals” and am looking very good there, Also the physical therapist came by to work on my stamina and balance. Again, all good. Both return on Thursday.

Yesterday a neighbor did my grocery shopping for me. The renovation man came to give me a price on turning the porch into a sun room and fix all small issues I might think important in the house. It is going to be lovely to have the wind blocked from that room….as well as the sun that glares through. I will post pictures of his progress when he starts early next week.

I am debating having at least 500 new postcards printed to send to the incredibly frightened and stupid republican party who claim to have a care about what they have done to our country. Like most of you around the world, our skin crawls with knowing their intentions of doing away with our democracy.

I will post more images later….

Now need to finish my scotch and have some soup before heading to bed.

A long day!

til later….

 

Neighbors have brought flowers and special treats.

I have to keep them up high where Sadie can’t get to them. She eats the green bits and makes herself sick. These are such a wishful thought of Spring’ One neighbor called from the grocery store determined to get some treat for me. I said I had not had ice cream in a long time and we settled on vanilla. I think the next bowl of it that I have will be covered with some golden syrup and chopped nuts. Vanilla is a rather bland flavor.

I have been listening to the Detective Lynley audio books written  by Elizabeth George. The English writers of her time use such interesting words. None of us talk like her characters. Someone was actually “obdurate” the other day. And even though I made a good guess as to what that meant, I looked it up anyway. I think we have dumbed down so much in this country that we are speaking in sound bites.

Anyway, listening to her characters talk made me want to get back to poetry. I now have a new one for the next meeting.

While sitting quietly and being read to, I stitch on this. It takes a bit of time to thread the needle, but then I can go until I run out or want to change colors.

This particular one has contact printed kozo paper as its base, small etching prints, scraps of silks from Beautiful Silks in Australia, some shiny copper cloth, more contact prints on cloth and scraps of old clothes. When I finish, the entire surface will be covered with stitch.

A nurse and physical therapists come over to keep an eye on me. Poke, prod, put me through my paces and promise to be back.

Tomorrow a contractor comes to price out turning my screen porch into a sunroom. Much more usable than the wind tunnel with glaring sun that it is now.

I am off to see the surgeon next week and the two sister angels will be taking me there.

Now for a dish of ice cream and a nap. I seem to get quite tired in the afternoon. Probably because I vacuumed, cleaned the litter box, and finished putting the laundry away.

It is going to take more time to get back to 8,000 steps a day…but almost closing in on 2,000.

Til later….