A Joyful Noise to the Lord
For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.Proverbs 9:11
Our Morning Stroll – updated
Since I first shared our daily stroll, many things have changed. Most noticeably is the fact that the sun isn’t up when we leave the Guest House. It’s actually dark with only street & security lights providing illumination. But the hustle & bustle at that time of the morning hasn’t changed. Vehicle traffic, students on the move, morning joggers, medical staff heading to work. Because our time is the same every morning, we now recognize people & vehicles we pass…
My Day In Song
One of my strange habits is to associate whatever is going on in my daily life to a song that is appropriate. Sometimes it drives Suzanne to the edge as I burst out into song while making breakfast, weeding the garden, or heading off to church. My very eclectic repertoire consists of mostly country, oldies from the ’40s to ’60s, and some other pretty obscure genres like Irish and comedy. I’ll get into the song and say to Suzanne ‘Singalong’…
Pre-Flight Checklist
Today was Suzanne’s last Doctor’s appointment before finishing treatments and coming back in two weeks for a checkup. Going through all the details of what to do when we get home, what to look for, and how to react was just like a pre-flight checklist. Phone numbers – check Pain meds – check Skin cream – check Antibiotics – check Mouth rinse – check Weight concerns – check Blood pressure – check Appointment dates – check Final Goodbyes – check…
Double Header
Ok, we are in the ‘top of the seventh’ and Suzanne had a ‘doubleheader’ today. Yes, you are correct; it’s a sports analogy day! Suzanne is ‘in the home stretch’ this week with two radiation treatments today, her regular early morning, and then one early afternoon. This does not change the effectiveness of the treatments but does eliminate the need to be here in Chicago early next Monday morning. That means she will be ‘down to the wire’ for her…
On the Otherside
I love music and the emotions that it stirs within me. It may seem strange but there are many songs I love that bring me to tears. Some of the songs because they remind me of days gone by that your heart wants to relive like ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ Other songs bring out memories of great sorrow for me, like the death of a loved one. On the first Sunday back to church after Cindy’s death, the first…
Just another Saturday
Home for the weekend and today is just another Saturday. Like any other couple, have morning coffee, eat breakfast, do some laundry, work in a lunch break, run some errands, supper, and relax for the evening. For Suzanne, today started off pretty good, at least better than the last few have been. After Thursdays ‘throat lancing’ event, she was in a lot more pain and struggled more to talk & swallow than on previous days. She was just plain miserable….
Mario Kart – Chicago
If you have never driven on I-57 north of I-80, or the expressways of Chicago, you haven’t missed much. We have had to drive these roads way more than we want to in the past couple of months. I can almost tell where I am in relation to the Chicago metropolitan area by what Suzanne is doing in the passenger seat. From home to Kankakee, she tends to be engaged with me in conversation as she enjoys the scenery. From…
Day 69
Today was Thursday, the day when we have no other appointments but Suzanne’s radiation treatment. Back at the Guest House, we received a phone call from one of her Radiation doctors about a test yesterday, I’ll explain. Early in the week, we met with her doctors who were concerned about an area in the back of her throat that in opposition to the other treated areas, seemed to be growing slowly. With that concern, he ordered a more in-depth Cat…
Change of Address
For the past five weeks, many of you have sent cards and letters to Suzanne here in Chicago. Those cards brighten her day every time we open the door and find them strung across the floor. She can’t get her coat off quickly enough as she sits in ‘her chair’ and opens each one. Smiling, laughing, or crying, each card touches her heart as she feels the love and care you all have for her. Since we don’t want to…