Pathology Report

Now I know that my cancer was contained in its original site.  That's very good news.

I also know, however, that it's no longer considered simply Stage 1, but Stage 1b.  This further definition indicates the depth of penetration in the muscle tissue where it was growing.  1b means that it penetrated more than halfway through the muscle tissue--about 2/3 of the way, to be more precise.  Sigh.  This complicates things.

This means that radiation will need to be considered as a possible followup treatment.  I will know more after a post-op appointment on June 4.

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I've gone two days without pain medication, and am feeling stronger today than yesterday.

We're so very much enjoying the meals people are providing and the visits from friends.

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I'm not sure why I've missed Mom more the past week than before.  Just having passed Mother's Day is probably part of it.  Being in a hospital brings back memories of her final days.  Also,  maybe I'm still acting more like a little girl than I knew I could.  Everyone wants Mommy when they're sick.

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I'm not the only one thinking of Mom these days.  When Tristan talked to me on the phone while I was in the hospital, I told him where I was, and he responded by informing me that "Great Grandma died in the hospital."

I acknowledged that and then told him that sometimes people go to the hospital to get well and I thought I would get well and come home soon.

Shane was a bit apologetic for Tristan's "cheery" note, but I thought it was a great chance to clear up what must have been a little troubling to a three-year-old.  They were here to see me the next day, which I hope added another layer of reassurance.

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Our community is abuzz with the news that Joe and Marilyn K. are expecting twins.  This is the second of daughter-in-law Dorcas' siblings to have twins since Shane and Dorcas got married.  Unless things have changed, Dorcas is quite content to have her babies one at a time, but this is definitely an exciting development.  Joe and Marilyn are living and working in Kenya right now.  One set of grandparents lives here and the other lives in the Middle East.

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Clare's brother Colton is here, having driven all the way from Washington state.  He's on his way to Oklahoma to visit a lady friend.

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I've been hearing from Susanna about the story of Papa Pilgrim, and doing some reading online about the saga.  One of this strange man's children has spent time recently in the home of their daughter and our son in Asia.  Some of Papa Pilgrim's 15 children's lives are a story of redemption, but the father's life ended tragically, apparently without repentance.  Here is a Wikipedia link referring to the man and here is an Amazon link to a book written by a journalist about the man.

The story has many twists and turns, but is definitely a cautionary tale about what happens when a person becomes a law unto himself, and becomes drunk with his own power.  Doing this under the guise of being a Christian is particularly troubling.

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This past weekend was the day the annual cottonwood fuzz shower peaked at our place.  All day, the white tufts went streaming by toward the north.  On the patio, they  mingled with the buds shed by the honeylocust tree, creating a furry carpet on the concrete.  Rain showers have "puddled" the fuzz, and now it looks really trashy and in need of sweeping.  If we did that, however, the shaggy back yard grass would look even more out of place.

Frequent rains and no time off on dry days have kept Hiromi from staying caught up with the mowing.  It's a jungle out there.  Rain again now and overnight do not bode well for getting caught up tomorrow.

The rains have been welcome though.  Other places have had flooding, but not here.

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We've seen a roadrunner in the back yard several different days during the past week.  These birds are very striking for their size and profile.

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The Pilgrim Grade School has moved to the "Elreka" building.  The rooms for the high school are not ready yet.

At Center, the classroom walls have come down and a kitchen area will be constructed in the SW corner of the overflow area.

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We've caught the resident male cardinal acting quite chivalrous several times recently.  He carefully selects something from the bird feeder tray and feeds his mate what he's selected.

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The Western Kingbird serves as a trusty alarm, beginning his loud song shortly after 5:00 AM.

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This morning I observed a brown thrasher doing a strange little vertical hop every time he plunged his beak into the ground around the bird feeder.  I don't know if he was giving himself additional oomph for the dirt stab he was attempting or whether it caused insects or worms to stir or surface or what . . .

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We had a hard frost a little over a week ago.  That is, the car windshields had a thick layer of frost.  I can't see that we had damage in the garden, even though our tomatoes had no protection.  There must have been warmth stored in the ground.  LaVerne says the wheat should have been OK too since it was quite cool the day before.  Damage is apparently more likely when the weather turns sharply colder after having been warm.