An egg in the tub

Monday is chemo, Tuesday I feel pretty good, and then I take my after treatment shot.  Now I don't feel so great.  Wednesday, I have to stay on top of the anti-nausea meds and rest.  Thursday, I am too tired to drive or get up and go to work.  Friday I am still tired.  I feel better, but driving is not a safe idea.  Saturday I am weary, but not as sleepy tired.  I have a little more motivation and energy.  OK, that was this treatment, what will the next one be like. 


Today I thought hard and long.  I lost 5 pounds this past week and I did my best to eat, and eat healthy food and high calorie food that I could choke down.  But that is a big part of the tired and exhaustion is loosing that much weight that quickly.  


So here is the plan today.  Go to Winn Dixie and buy frozen veggies.  Those fancy things that have cheese or cream sauce or a souffle or something a little exciting.  I notice that when I am having trouble eating fresh food is not good because I eat so little of it tat it goes bad.  So frozen fruits and veggies might be an answer.  I haven't figured out the fruit thing.  I don't care for canned fruit.  but maybe with cottage cheese.  I used to love peaches and cottage cheese and broccoli and cottage cheese.  Well, I am going to look to see what I can come up with.  I am used to buying plain frozen veggies and then fancy them up for my own taste.


At 5:00 am or so this morning I was awake.  Very awake.  Laying in the bed, Bob snuggling up close with one eye on me to see if I was getting up to feed him or to just lay in bed a while longer, spoiling him.  It was about 5:30 when I heard Dani screaming.  I ran out of the house in my jammies, bare foot, but with my heavy flashlight.  It was light enough to see that it was the biggest damn opossum you have ever seen in your life.  It was black with a tail the size of a lab tail.  He was dragging Dani by the head towards his hole.  I started beating the opossum on the head with the flashlight.  Then I thought, don't make his jaws dig in any deeper to Dani.  So I hauled off and smacked that chicken thief upside the head.....hard!  It dropped Dani and waddled away.  I carried my poor sweet dear hen into the house and made her a nest in tub.  She calmed right down.  I made her Irish steel cut slow cook oatmeal and cut grapes in it.  She ate heartily.  Much more so then I would have if I had been dragged across the ground staring at the world's biggest damn opossum's tonsils.  Then she ruffled her feathers just so, settled down and laid an egg.  After her big accomplishment of the morning, with no consideration of her life and death battle from the night before, proceeded to search for the perfect spot to roost in the house.  The new book case was a great spot, right behind the vacuum.  So I picked her up and took her outside, put more big rocks into the holes, dug dirt and filled it in, and left her and her two sisters clucking and scratching.  chickens are just so darn amazing.  


Last night Richard took me to Liam's for dinner.  He had the pork roast medium well, I had the Chilean Sea Bass.  We had a lovely dinner over a glass of wine and then we headed over to TOSAC for the Christmas play.  hmmmm, it was not the best production I have ever seen.  Actually the best part was when a 4 year old boy sneezed a gallon of slime out of his nose and onto everything.  Dripping from his sleeve, on his pants, the floor, etc.  It was disgusting, and I have to say that might have been my favorite part.  I think I have seen enough Christmas plays for this year.  But Richard and I laughed and laughed and had a wonderful time.  We drove through the Flowers Bakery Headquarters Christmas light display.  It was lovely.


And now it is Sunday.   I have no feeling in my feet, and very iffy in my hands.  Nothing new, and I have learned to be better about wearing my shoes, and not sticking my hand into the toaster oven.  I think I will make some Buttery nut fingers for the Garden club plus a mushroom quiche.  I am folding clothes right now and listening to Carl Osgood sing the Christmas song on TV.  I love this time of year and Carl playing the piano and signing for me.  


And next week is Christmas.  I am so excited.  I have thought about writing a script to give out to everyone about the family present.  I thought it would be fun, and that way I can be very happy and share how important this gift is to me to give to my family.  I love them, and this is the Christmas present I would give them if I were to be here in 20 years.  But I probably won't be, so instead I am sharing this gift now.  I hope they enjoy it.  


I just need to wrap a few more presents and finish yarning a thing or two.  I can do this.  Everything else is done.  Just last minute details about the meals.  The weather outside is seasonal, inside it is toasty warm, the Christmas music is playing, the lights are twinkling on the tree.  Stockings are hung everywhere.  From my first one that my Ganny made me when I was born.  The "T" is missing out of my name, but Santa's beard hangs over the opening where my parents loving filled this stocking for 20 years for me.  Always a tangerine, little things that I needed.  Some of my favorite food treats, like olives.  Simple every day items loving given to fill needs for the full year.  Little presents and surprises pulled out of a simple red felt stocking, now lovingly hung on my upright piano along with stockings used or given throughout the rest of my life.  And over the kitchen table, stockings hung for the animals, filled with cat nip and jerky, balls, stuffed animals and special little treats.


It is Christmas.  I need to get back to my baking.