Hi, y'all. Company is fun but exhausting. Sorry I've been a neglectful DARian.
On my front, I have embarrassment. I kind of messed up on the time of my appointment and missed it. So it will be Dec 22 before I can go in.
Cousin of the Next Generation had bad news. He has non-hodgkin's lymphona. They've sent the biopsy off to the Mayo Clinic to try and determine just what kind it is. They are hopeful that they have caught it where it started. (his abdomen) He's the only one in his direct line of the clan. My uncle James, the oldest, died of cancer when I was nine, but of the other seven children between 61 and 75, they are all going strong. Out of 20 grandchildren, the only serious illness or injury is my sister's bad diabetis and blindness. Our grandparents lived to ripe old ages in good health till near the end. It's crossed my mind before that this is remarkable. I can't help but wonder why Mitchell, so young and of the youngest generation, should be the one struck.
The first time we spent much time together was when I spent several months in Alabama in '88. He was staying at his Grandparent's for a few weeks in the summer and came out to the farm often and spent a few nights. I had a jean vest and habitually walked with my hands in my pockets. (have always done the latter, I won't own pants without pockets) He tagged along wherever I went, with his hands in his pockets, and got his grandmother to cut the sleeves off a t-shirt and cut it open down the front to make a vest out of it. My Aunt B, his grandmother, laughed about his immulating my dress and mannerisms.
He was 5 or 6 and was getting some grief over not being able to tie his shoes yet. I told I still couldn't in first grade, and still can't tie a knot that stays. I have to tie them in double-knots or they only last a few minutes. At the time, I was almost always in my tan cowboy boots. After I told him that, he looked down at my boots, grinned, and said, "so that's why you wear your boots all the time?" Okay, so his proud cousin thought it was a clever connection and statement for his age. <g>
Sure wish I was in NC. |
