Feeling Blessed: Giving Thanks

My last blog was more than a month ago. I just didn't know how to write about the happenings. Ok, I"ll try...

We were very excited because Helen and William were coming for thanksgiving week. They started very early on the Saturday before and of course drove all day. Traffic was heavy as expected and they were even "parked" for a while on the interstate at one point. We kept teasing William 'when he was getting his driver license' so Helen doesn't have to do the all the driving herself.

Sunday morning Sarah came with her boys and the cousins were happy.

Monday and Tuesday were school days for everybody. William of course is virtual. Helen too had to teach a lot via internet during the week and I had quite a time to get class times straight in my head because of the time difference.

Sarah had to work on Monday but very early which means she is also done early. She wanted to take her boys to the Illuminate Light Show at the Meadow Event Park and wanted to know who else would like to go. William and I did and she picked us up. She has experience that waiting lines may get long closer to Christmas. She had made arrangements for tickets and all went very smoothly. The boys were excited about the "singing and dancing" Christmas trees, Santas and penguins etc. It was a mild evening and we even had the windows down during the very slow drive.

The best laid plans... One of the reasons why I didn't know how to blog is this. James is for quite some time under the care of a dermatologist. At the latest check-up she decided that he needed to see a specialist about something and the only appointment he could get was on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Luckily it was at 9:30 am and we thought we would be back in no time. Little did we know.

I was not sure whether James wanted me to write about it but there is the issue of raising awareness. For many years now James does all his hiking with a hat on his head but the errors of his youth have caught up with him. Of course to be fair none of us knew about the damage the lovely sun can do. Good that he is now under the care of a dermatologist and she sees him next day when it is something so alarming as this was. No time was wasted but it seems to have been very fast growing. Squamous cell carcinoma. Mohs surgery is a procedure done in stages, including lab work, while the patient waits which allows the removal of all cancerous cells for the highest cure rate. It took all Tuesday. In the evening he got a call that he needed to come back the next day at 8 am for more.

We are in awe about Dr. Rausch and her team. Wednesday the surgery was supposed to be closed for the Thanksgiving celebration. She came in anyway with 3 from her team to take care of James. He was the only patient and they worked all day into the evening. Late he got a call that he needed to come in on Monday again because there was still one more area which needed to be taken out. What a wonderful caring dedicated team this is. It had to be said.

Of course we wanted William and Helen to have a good time here. Sarah had invited William to spend the night from Wednesday to Thursday which was wonderful. He spent all day with his cousins. Auntie even cut his hair. Helen wanted to watch and get pointers on how to do it.

Sarah wanted the Thanksgiving feast in her house. So much easier with the children. Everything was planned ... who brings/makes what etc. William and Caleb each receive monthly children's cooking recipes and there was the suggestion of three different veggie side dishes. Helen went early to help the older boys and her sister with preparations.

James just didn't feel good enough to celebrate. He had been so pumped full with numbing medicine those two days and had been told to not do anything to raise his blood pressure or carry more than 5 pounds. Everybody was disappointed including us. I am sure though they had a lovely time together. Helen came home in the evening but William was invited to stay another night.

Sarah had to work Friday but Wade was off. We had of course agreed to pick William up early but Wade chose to meet either Helen or me at the Meadow Farm / Crump Park for a little hike. The weather was unbelievably nice. Helen met them there at 10:30 am and shared photos with me.

James felt so much better by now and we had suggested to Wade that they all might have lunch with us. I had texted the photo of Papa and his bandages to Sarah the evening before and they had prepared the boys about the situation. It ended up being a lovely relaxing time.

I had even made an apple pie after Sarah's recipe. It had been something Helen had been hoping for on this trip. When I got the granny smith apples I even remembered to buy vanilla ice cream. Yeah!

The boys watching the cutting of the pie.

Stella, who loves to steal food, knows she will not be successful today.

After lunch the boys played nicely. Rolling down was fun.

VIDEO

Watch the Master (0:18)

And Helen showed them how to somersault backwards. Yes, Auntie can do that!

Well, and then it was time to say good-bye. William and Helen were driving home the next day. The cousins always have such a great time together.

Their drive home was very good. Great weather, not as much traffic as expected. Helen made good time. It's always great to get news about good arrival after the 600 mile drive.

Quiet times again. Of course on Monday James' third day of his ordeal. He has a big part of scalp missing on top of his head now but the doctor is confident that she got it all. If we understand it right there had been 51 samples to study in the lab for them during the surgeries.

On a lighter note, we have great joy with our "old" established camellia.