For Crying Out Loud

Let me see. . . I have used tried and true; good news, bad news; for crying out loud . . . what shall I use next? How about from bad to worse? No, that doesn’t quite hit it . . . I got it! Add insult to injury! Yes, that will be the title.

Well, the good news is that Gramma is not anemic. Well a little low on her hemoglobin, but nothing serious. Her only treatment is to take a multivite a day. (In the meantime, I've been on supplemental iron for a whole year now with no sign of going off it soon.) The bad news is that the date for her surgery has passed, her doctor went on vacation, Grampa came back from the nursing home and Gramma still has to wait until about Thanksgiving for her surgery. But you know Gramma. She is making the best of it. She is thoroughly enjoying having U. Gene home. When I called her this evening to see how she was doing, she was making strawberry short cake. So Gramma. Remind me to be more like her.

Posted by Maman at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

how many ants I have eaten . . .

This morning I went out to the raspberry bushes and picked about a cup of berries for my morning cereal. Since I am eating bran flakes with bran buds on top, beleive me, I need all the help I can get in the flavor department and berries of any sort are a delicious topper. I could see, even without my glasses that there were quite a few ants, so I washed the berries, something I am generally opposed to. So you can see, there really were a lot of ants. Fine, I washed them and picked them over very carefully. As I put the bowl on the dining room table, Daddy picked off one more ant -- the last one, I thought and hoped. I sat down and read the paper while I ate my bran on bran with berries, feeling quite satisfied and pleased. When I cleared my bowl, I saw one more ant walking around the rim of my bowl. Well, I guess I didn't get them all. I only wonder how many more I didn't get and just where they went. Or maybe it is better to not dwell too long on the topic.

Posted by Maman at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

This is one of those good news, bag news entries. Except that I can't remember quite what the good news is . . .

Well, here is the story. Gramma was going to have her surgery on Thursday. Uncle Gene arrived last Sunday so that he could be here and helpful to Gramma while she recovered. Tuesday they went to Metro General Hospital for preadmission testing. Then they went out to lunch to make it special for Grampa. From there they took him to the nursing home where he was to stay for one month while Gramma recovered. Anyway, they made a day of it. When they got home, there was a message saying that Gramma is anemic and needs another test. So, Wednesday morning they trudge back to Metro for this other test. Remember that every movement is painful for Gramma at this point. I think they did it, but them U. Gene and Gramma go on to her doctor. Her doctor informs her that she is too anemic to have the surgery, that they had been trying to get a hold of her since the previous morning and that the next time the doctor can fit her surgery into his schedule is sometime in November. (!)

I feel so bad for her. Last weekend she was saying that she couldn't wait for her surgery, that Thursday seemed so far away. Now she has to wait two more months.

They went back to the nursing home and brought Grampa home on Thursday. He must be really confused by now, or else he just accepts whatever happens. He may have already forgotten that he was there. Anyway, as I said, I'm not sure what the good news is, except maybe that U. Gene is there for a month.

Posted by Maman at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Handsome kids, no? That it Jamie's boyfriend next to Mensch. (Yeah, that's Jamie Dean on the end.) I think his name is Joe.

One or more errors occurred when sending update or TrackBack pings. Check the Activity Log for the error.
What does this mean? I have gotten this several times, even though whatever I was posting posted just fine.

Posted by Maman at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Or, "Can Mommy really put a photo on her weblog, or was it just dumb luck?"

Looks like the answer is "It was just a fluke." I really don't know why it works sometimes and not others.

Posted by Maman at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I mean frustrating at the bone marrow level. That feeling that things have not gone the way you planned, wanted, hoped for . . . and it is totally beyond your control. That's where I am at the moment.

Ever since Mara and Mark left last year, I have consoled myself with the knowledge that they would come for a visit. I recently got a spread of dates from Mara and blocked them out in my Palm to make sure that I didn't add any obligations during those days. I have been hoarding vacation days so I could take a few while they were here and still have enough to visit them in Haifa in January.

Then, quite unexpectedly, Mark's father suffered a heart attack. This event brought about the equally unexpected but delightful result that Mark and Mara returned to the States. Mark's father seemed to be doing well, so Mark and Mara came to visit us. It was a wonderful to see them, but not what I had hoped for their visit. I saw so little of them, and through no fault of their own.

Well, I suppose that I can just accept the bounty of having seen them at all and plan for my January visit. It was really great to see them, even if for so short a time.

A bientot!

Posted by Maman at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)