A Slight Slide....

"Is it really 7 o'clock?"

Not writing so much lately, but there has been a tiny set-back. Wednesday's appointment with Dr. Martin included a blood draw - Tashie has become anaemic yet again, and the question is, why? and the course of action is, transfusions. So today, Thursday, we got up at 6:30 this morning to get to Bend for an 8:30 appointment for her to get transfused with lots of healthy red blood cells. You all know that Tash' 6:30 AM is, to most of us, comparable to our 1:00 AM. But she was a cheerful trooper, as you can see in this photo. We were at the hospital until after four. She had been given Benadryl to reduce the chance of an allergic reaction, and it made her groggy and really really sleepy.
We are home now, and she is dozing on the sofa after having watched Nature's "India's Wandering Lions"with the kitties. The boys were glued to the screen as they watched their ancestral tribes in action.
So we're glad to be snug at home, and tomorrow, once the Benadryl wears off, Tashie will be feeling lots more energetic.

Many Departures

Portrait by Karen

The labs results came in, and the news was good - and consistent with those labs, Tashie is seeming stronger and more energetic today. Karen was with us for the morning, and took this lovely photo of Tashie after I left.
We tried out the football-field-sized TV with the news, which was all about today's primaries, especially New York. Nicholas hooked up the DVD, so hopefully it will be easy to move from movies to TV and back again.
Bob-O was extremely busy with emails and phone calls regarding his projects, and after a morning bike ride, took off for Santa Monica...or as he says, Saint Harmonica. It felt suddenly very quiet without his energies vibrating through the ethers. I left shortly after his departure, and fortunately Nicholas stayed until early evening for his drive to Seattle. Sudden quiet for Tashie!
Laurie was with Tashie for the afternoon, and Sister Bear with her for the evening. They managed to get the DVD to work, and watched The Mouse That Roared with Peter Sellers (1959). Fun flick.

Another Fine Day

Our morning started with an appointment in Sisters with Dr. Bachtold...except he was sick, so Tashie had the blood draw, and then a little visit with Gwen, who will report to Dr. J. The swelling on her arm is reduced, and the angry redness is entirely resolved. Progress! After the jaunt into Sisters, Tashie was ready to sit in front of the fire, and just relax. She ( and we) listened to American Bohemia on CDs, which talks about many of the families she knew (or knew of) in Concord. And those stories dovetail with The Peabody Sisters, which we are reading when we have a quiet moment.
(Actually, my morning started with a 5:45 am trip to Bend, to see if perchance Clarke could get a last minute ticket on the Breeze. Online tickets were sold out, but it turned out that there was plenty of room.)
Bob-O is now on his afternoon bike ride, Terry has left, to return on Thursday, and Nicholas is gassing up his car for his trip home to Seattle tomorrow. He is also exchanging a too-big TV for a smaller one. Bob-O suggested a larger screen so that Tashie could better see it - a no-brainer! She was a bit resistant to the idea, but was reassured by his descriptions of artistic coverings that might camouflage it when not in use. Except that the first one we picked up was a bit of a muchness.
I'll add some photos later...

Rest & Relaxation

Captions please!

Readings from The Book of English Poets

It has become routine now that Tashie has a "social hour" with Terry at 4am - hot milk and crumpets, a little visit, and then back to bed for more sleep. Something in Tashie's circadian clock gets her wide awake before dawn.
Today was a quiet day - Tashie has a lot of rest to catch up on, and she made major strides today with long naps and doze times. Later in the afternoon, Terry read some of The English Poets to her, interwoven with Tashie's recitation of Yeats and some of The Poet in the Desert..
We had another splendid dinner cooked by Jessie and Rachel, and Tashie had a good appetite.

Head & Neck Massage

And then came the massage time: Terry took care of the scalp and neck, followed by Bob-O who massaged the feet and ankles. She was blissed out!

 A good day...

Feet by Bob-O

PS:

A few words of contentment after a call from Bruce, What's App'ing us from Tblisi. We all complain a lot about the technology that seems sometimes to ruin our lives, but this capability is a gift from the world of technology. They chatted as if they were next door to each other, and then Tashie passed the phone to Terry and me - for a message from Bruce. He chastised & admonished us for not insisting that Tashie lifts her weights and walks her loops and do her squats on a daily basis. I promise we'll do better tomorrow. I have added it to the daily alerts as well. Sleep tight!

Joys of Village Practice

Country Dr B with the healing touch

Mid-morning snack of buttered crumpet

Tash's wonderful Dr Bachtold made a home visit this morning so that she wouldn't have the hassle of coming in to Sisters. She is cheered just by seeing him, and is reassured by feeling his caring competence. He checked her forearm, and agreed that it was very much improved, but recommended continuing the warm packs to reduce the inflammation. Checked the ankle, and applied a new lidocaine patch. 

Tashie is definitely getting better bit by bit - stronger and more steady.

We spent some time trying different furniture placements in the living room, with consideration given to the easiest manipulation of the walker around obstacles like chairs, tables, etc. A good project to mull.


I've been reading The Peabody Sisters to Tashie, and she is enjoying hearing the familiar names of her Concord history, starting with Emerson & Thoreau. 

Bob-O & Jessie

We had another delicious dinner prepared by Terry & Rachel amazing butternut squash soup, asparagus, and cucumber brown rice salad, followed by bumbleberry rhubarb pie à la mode. And now we are watching Sordid Lives....

Better & Better

Jessie & Bob-O chatting after dinner over Rachel's amazing Pot de Crème

I was in Portland for 24 hours, and by the time I returned, there was a marked improvement in several realms. Less pain in her forearm, and the ankle is essentially pain free thanks to the lidocaine patch. It is quite miraculous. When I arrived, Tashie was sitting in her new favourite chair looking lovely and chatting with Jessie.

Terry's yummy green Thai curry

We moved right to an amazing dinner, as it was after 7:30 by the time we get here. Dinner table conversations lasted until close to midnight, so no entertainment tonight.

Note: Bruce has safely arrived in Tblisi, and is coaching the first PlayWrite Georgia workshop. www.playwriteinc.com