Mid-April Ruminations & Cogitations

After a brief cold snap, we’re going to be heading into a string of beautiful spring days here in east Tennessee. In typical April fashion, I’ve been alternating the thermostats between heat and air conditioning. Trees in our area are rapidly taking on a multitude of green hues. Dogwood and redbud blooms are winding down, and late-season daffodils and tulips are heralding the season.

While we were sitting on the front porch this past Sunday, a male hummingbird paused in front of our faces, wondering if we had put out the sugar water yet. We put a feeder up in short order, and hummingbirds are already visiting it. We also have a pair of birds making a nest in the bird bottle that hangs on the front porch. I haven’t caught them in the act yet, so their identification remains unknown.

We had some landscaping work completed about a week ago. I don’t know when I’ll be able to actually blog about it and share photos. It turned out great. We had a hardscape border installed around the mailbox area and some trees/bushes replaced in the front yard. We also had a handyman friend come over to fix a few warped doors that would no longer close and also re-caulk tile and wood trim. The next jobs that will be lined up will be window washing, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing. I also need to run out in the next week or so and get some annual flowers and herbs. Spring is a busy time!

While the earth continues to rotate on its axis and life continues on without us, we are caught in the ugly time warp of cancer. Mr. Jim’s first round of chemotherapy thoroughly knocked him down for 11 days out of 14. The second round was this past Monday, and it is taking him down once again. It is brutal stuff. We’ve been making multiple trips to the Cancer Institute for either chemo infusions, chemo pump disconnections, and supplemental IVs of fluids and nausea medicine. The chemo drugs and pills for nausea and pain conspire to make him extra tired. He sleeps and rests a lot. He doesn’t have much enthusiasm for food. After wrangling with Medicare in their repeated attempts to ration prescribed medicine (that’s government health care for you!), we now have some pills to help stimulate appetite.

Many of you have inquired about Mr. Jim’s health. Please don’t be offended if I fail to respond personally. I simply do not have time or energy to write back to everyone. If you get any note back from me, please consider yourself lucky! I am fulfilling many roles right now. Also, I don’t want to get into all of the blow-by-blow details of his illness for privacy reasons. The chemo regimen is tough and will continue indefinitely. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. That pretty much sums it up. The best way to get the latest information is to read my blog posts. And if you would like to send Mr. Jim a card or note to cheer on his courageous efforts, I will gladly provide you with our mailing address!

My self-imposed blogging slowdown continues. I have attempted to keep up with blogging friends on a hit-and-miss basis, and I usually don’t comment. Please continue to grant me some understanding and latitude. Thank you for all the good wishes sent our way on a regular basis and sweet comments that you leave on my posts. You touch our hearts and we greatly appreciate your prayers for us!