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Good Sunday: We’re Back

Yes, I let this go and I apologize.  Especially since this isn’t a complicated post to write.

What good stuff happened to you this week?

92 Responses

  1. Two things – both of which need backstory.
    In December, my great niece celebrated her 10th birthday. In January she was diagnosed with advanced kidney disease. They looked for a donor, and in the meantime did other treatment options. Things progressed so much that she was going to dialysis 5 times a week. But two Tuesdays ago, the stars aligned and she got her new kidney. So far, things are great – and no more dialysis!

    And remember back before Covid when we were doing a different creation every day in February? I had been making a crochet square each day – probably for two of those Februarys. Then those squares were just sitting there. I finally decided that before I started a new project I should take care of that old one. So here it is
    https://www.instagram.com/p/DcqWCOvFkCJ/?img_index=1
    100 different colors. I used the bits and bobs left over from the yarn to do a small colorful border. And this past week, I wove in all the ends. I’m calling this one done, and I’m quite happy about it.

    2. I’m so glad your great niece received a new kidney! I hope she thrives now! 🤞🤞🤞

    5. I’m so happy for your great niece! I pray that she fully recovers and has an amazing life!

      The crochet blanket looks beautiful! You did a fabulous job!

    6. Nancy, thanks for sharing. That is absolutely lovely. I just watched Dolly sing her “Coat of Many Colors” in Ireland, on Substack, and that quilt could have been her coat.

    12. I’m so happy for your great niece !!!!! Perhaps, if the crocheted blanket isn’t already spoken for and Charlie can be persuaded to share, it would a nice gift for your great niece, to commemorate the start of life with her new kidney. I think the multitude of beautiful colors would be a great way to mark the beginning of a healthier stage of life.
      Nothing but good times………..

  2. Another cat found our family! We now have a tabby teenager cat who is rejoicing in the name of Fergus Cupcake Womper. He’s healthy, I was able to get him neutered, and he’s now basking in a sunny spot with his new siblings. Cheese and cake for everyone!

  3. Nancy H, I’m so glad your great niece received a new kidney! I hope she thrives now! 🤞🤞🤞

  4. This weekend I’m at my inlaws’ summer home on Lake Michigan. The lake has been unusually calm. The weather’s been lovely. I’ve taken some videos and shared them with family and friends.

  5. I’m leaving Stratford today, after three days at the Shakespeare Festival with my friend who flies in from San Francisco every year. Best was The Midsummer Night’s Dream which was so precisely directed that it had us laughing from top to bottom (bad pun there). Just loved it. We also saw The Importance of Being Ernest and the King James Bible Play which were both good.

    Back in October with my husband to see The Hobbit and Guys and Dolls which has been the hit of the season.

    1. Guys and Dolls is my favourite musical. I saw it three or four times when the National Theatre put it on in the 1980s. Love the film too.

      1. It’s mine too! And two years ago, we saw it in London, and it was the first time my husband has seen it and was such an incredible production that he has now become a musicals fan. Meaning that he likes one musical and it’s Guys and Dolls. But I will take it.

      2. It is my favorite, too. I’ve seen it twice on stage and own a copy of the movie. The choreography in the movie just knocks my socks off and I never get tired of “A person could develop a cold.”

      3. Guys and Dolls was the destination of a class trip in an sf novel that was the sf club choice some years back. I remarked that it seemed an odd choice, but was told by other members that now it’s actually a standard choice for class trips to introduce HS students to the experience of a musical performed live on stage.

    2. My husband and I were there 2 weeks ago. Saw The Tempest and Something Rotten. Very different but throughly enjoyed both.

  6. It’s a little thing, but my favorite family owned donut shop tucked an extra into my order of 3 donuts. The first time this happened I went back the next week to tell them I got an extra, so I could pay up, and they told me it’s something they do sometimes. I’m not such a regular that they should remember me, nor do I place large orders, so it makes me feel I am successfully being a nice enough person that they want to reward me.

    My SIL is having medical issues, so I offered to send cookies. At the last minute I tucked a light shawl in the box. Both made her feel loved and happy, which was the point.

    Hmmm cookies and donuts, I see a theme here.

    1. That donut shop is a treasure, and so are you. It’s great that they make someone’s day like that.

  7. My brother decided to retire next month, and has invited me to his celebration meal – so I’m planning a trip down south in a month to see friends & family. We’ve finally had some rain, after two and a half months with no more than a rare, brief sprinkle. So I’m finally sorting my backlog of nearly 14,000 photographs – feels great. And it made me reconnect with a friend, who appreciated the photos of her garden I finally sent her five years late.

    1. Wishing you happy memories with your photograph project JaneB. I spent one winter (long cold hard winter) sorting out all my photographs and negatives. I bought hardback scrap-books rather than photo albums so I could write next to the photo who, where, when. I got rid of so much and only kept happy memories 4 albums worth. I have no family left but did not want my friends to find such a mess of photos and have no clue. When my Gran died (and my Dad died 18 months later) we had all these loose photos and no idea who these people were to us. I had a camara since I was 13 years old so it was a lot of sorting (had a bit of a boyfriend bonfire too). Even now with my camara on my phone (the actual camara got stolen many years ago) I still go and get good memories printed out and put them in an album. Sometimes on a glum day it is good to look back and remember and smile.
      I know your photos are different from mine – mine were mostly just people (and so many where someone was eyes closed) but no point in keeping the duplicates and it was fun working out which was the best to keep. Enjoy the process.
      When my Mum died there were just carrier bags of loose photos to sort through in no order at all. Nightmare.

      1. That sounds like an excellent solution, Christine. I’ve also got some personal albums, mostly from film-camera days, but I am planning to update them. And I’ve also got all the family photographs to sort out – several shelves of them. As you say, if they’re not sorted, they’re no good to anyone else. And I think people don’t realize that not sorting out the thousands of phone pictures they take, and preferably printing their favourites, means they’re all likely to be lost to tech evolution and overwhelm.

  8. It has been kind of a tough week (nothing awful awful, just life stuff) but the writing has been going really well, and I’m hoping to finish the Cranky Crone book for Llewellyn within the next few days. It’s not due until mid-December.

    I’m leaving in a few minutes to go pick up my bestie (she can’t drive anymore because of vision issues) and we’re going to tackle my massively overgrown garden. It will be nice to have help, even if it means an hour drive on each end.

    1. I can’t wait to read the Cranky Crone book! Feel like it will just fit my approach to life, right now.

    2. Okay, I’m exhausted and my back hurts, but I am really happy that my garden is a little more under control now. I no longer want to weep when I walk out there. We both did a ton of weeding, and I put three beds to sleep for the year. Also harvested some potatoes (3 different kinds, although not many of each), tomatoes, cucumbers, onions (both of which bizarrely did much better than usual in a summer when most things were terrible, including the tomatoes which are only just starting to turn red), and a few late strawberries. Plus basil, so my friend could make Caprese salad for her dinner. She also got to take home a jar of the basil I made recently, and do her laundry in my machines, so she was happy too. Happy Sunday all around.

  9. My best thing this week was the four-day weekend. But also to the good:

    We attended the last of our summer concerts at the Brevard Music Center a couple weeks ago and will definitely do a series again next year. The experience is not unlike the Hollywood Bowl, only faster to get to, easier to park, about half the price, with a roof over the outdoor concert hall because this is a rain forest, and less marijuana smoke.

    Plus – this is potentially big – we have been to two ballroom dance things locally and have another scheduled for tomorrow. Dancing was our sport and our primary social outlet for sixteen years, and we have missed it.

    Finally, we’re going to see ‘The Odd Couple’ at the Flat Rock Playhouse today.

  10. My mom had a heart valve replaced on Wednesday and the surgery went well. We drove over for the surgery and have been staying with my parents to make sure that she’s recovering nicely. They kept her an extra night (2 total) to make sure she didn’t have an adrenal crisis because she has Addison’s disease. Next step is to get her a watchman, which is a device planted in the heart to combat afib. This will let us take her off the blood thinners which had caused an internal bleed earlier this month, which had her in the hospital for 10 days. So the happy thing was that the surgery went well and she’s getting the care she needs.

    1. My mom has a Watchman for afib! They sent her home same day and the big problem was keeping her from doing anything strenuous for a couple of days, because she felt fine. Getting her off the blood thinners has been so much better for her. She has a bunch of other health problems (broke her hip a couple of months ago= osteoporosis finally becoming a problem at 85), but is doing great. (My dad, though…)

    3. Great news about your mom! Here’s to more good news on that front in the days and weeks to come!

      1. What’s the chances?! Not a lot of people with Addisons. Hope your parent has theirs under control. My mom has had 3 adrenal crises in the past 12 months due to forgetting her pills and/or internal bleeding.

  11. Our weather is finally getting cooler. Instead of about-100, it has been about-90 for a few days and will be about-80 tomorrow. (Then back up to 90 next weekend, but I’m not thinking about that now)

    My writing had been going well. My local writer group is doing a NorCal-nowrimo, writing every day, though with individual goals, and I’m almost to mine of 20k words and nearly to the end of this set of 2 novellas I started quite a while ago.

    I started depression meds about 2 weeks ago and I’m past the first burst of dizziness and brain fog and am starting to level out, and they really are taking the depth away. Some other meds I’ve tried also took the happiness and creativity away, but this one seems fine.

  12. I am so glad not to have to take a blood thinner anymore! It’s been just over a year since the 2 stents, and 2 strokes, which caused double vision. That is a milestone. I have a surgery scheduled to correct my vision September 15, and it’s not a 100% sure thing, but I really hope it works. Prayers for the surgeon that day would be appreciated. Not being able to drive myself places has been a real pain. And reading, painting, sewing, crocheting, cooking, and other things I enjoy have been difficult. I read, but I just gave up on the other things.

    Welcome back, “real Jenny”!!! I’m glad you are getting better and recovering your creativity and vitality.

  13. This week had a milestone day. Tuesday was our 25th anniversary with my husband, and he also put in the paperwork to officially retire. We marked the occasion by buying matching rings – thin silver bands with a hammered finish. Sappy, but I love the smooth polished gold from my wedding band mixed with the not perfect, but still going silver anniversary band.

    I enjoyed vacation from work, and caught up on sleep, fun, and laziness.
    With his retirement date coming in October, my husband has been nesting. He’s making lots of plans to keep himself busy around the house, which includes more meal prep, I’m looking forward to that.

    1. From what I read, it’s a very good sign that he’s making plans on what to do after retirement. I had no trouble with that myself (although I would have shifted priorities on what to do first if I had it to do over). But I was a little worried, both from cautions in what I read in pre-retirement advice beforehand and from the example of one poor soul from work, who was so bored that he came back for a while as a contractor, and then when the funding for that ran out, even hired on as a gate guard.

  14. Without any fanfare my granddaughter and her fiancé got married earlier this month. That was the way they wanted it. Of course they had a reception anyway. Her aunt and uncle, my ex DIL’s sister, threw a party for them at their house yesterday. It was one of the best wedding receptions I’ve attended. No loud music where you could actually talk to your table guests, no silly dancing or any of the frills of weddings. Just close family and a few friends. People I haven’t seen in so long, (most likely since Covid) children just a few years ago now all grown up. I found myself looking at them and remembering when they were happy enough with a bouncy house now casually greeting each other like the adults they’ve become. It was a great way to end the summer.

  15. My brother went into hospital, and we were afraid they would have to remove his DBS, but they managed to remove the infection instead, and he’s home again. Yay!

    Also, I’ve been travelling then got a cold, but my writing mojo returned conveniently on Saturday morning, so I got some good words down. And I went to a writing group on Saturday evening with some amazing people who inspired me even more.

  16. The best news is that if all goes well, I will be visiting my daughter in London for 2 1/2 weeks and then in Sweden for a few days to visit a friend of my husband’s. The uncertainty is because my mom had a heart attack Friday, resulting in a really bad fall in her bathroom and dislocated her arm and wasn’t found until Saturday morning. We are still waiting to learn how bad the heart damage is. But unless things are catastrophic, I have three siblings who can deal with her and I can handle my responsibilities for things like her bills from overseas.

    Mom insists she did not fall. She got tired and laid down in the bathroom. It’s hard to believe that lying down created a dislocated shoulder and all the bruises, blood and swelling she sustained.

    Other updates on the saga in my life include that the long-term houseguest is out, the smell of her scent is much dissipated, and we are enjoying the privacy of our home again. Unfortunately, she was apparently on her best behavior with us (which is saying something since it wasn’t good) and on the worst behavior with her son and our foster daughter now they are all in one house. When Fosterdaughter and her son asked if they could stay a few days in our house for respite, we pointed out that that would be a win for houseguest and she would just behave even worse. We have discussed strong processes for boundaries setting with her. She managed to get them into couple Counseling in one month.

    Meanwhile, the young woman we have been working with protective services to keep out of her mother‘s control is still firmly believing that she wants to live with her mom and therefore mom still gets supervised visitation. We have learned that daughter is “self limiting“ and refuses to try to sit up or use a wheelchair and therefore needs 24 hour care. Her health providers believe she’s perfectly capable of becoming mobile if she will try. In a recent court hearing the lawyer her mother got her announced that her aunt had agreed to be guardian, which is not true. Aunt said she would consider it when she had full medical details and had met with this young woman. Young woman is refusing to meet with her aunt because it would be “too tiring“ but was apparently planning to get on a plane to go live with her. We believe that this was part of some “escape” plan hatched by mother. The court gave temporary guardianship to an attorney with mental health expertise and they’re gonna be back in court in a month. It’s not clear to me what is supposed to happen in the meantime.

    The detective is still trying to figure out if he can bring criminal charges against mom.

    I could not make this up even if I was as creative as most of the authors who write on this blog or Jenny or Bob.

    In smaller pleasures, we have been eating squash blossom quesadillas and scrambled eggs and squash blossoms and squash blossom soup all summer, the garden is full of color with many different kinds of flowers, the new gadgets seem to be partially keeping the deer away, and we have someone to water it while we are gone. Also, the house is full of flowers I cut from the garden. Next year, maybe we won’t visit our daughter until the figs have come and gone and the garden is past its prime.

    Also DH has decided to wean himself from his business so he can take on other projects. He envisions this as being a sort of senior consultant to them and with other projects still full time . He is actually probably more like 80% now but I am not pointing this out. He used to say he would never retire and I am very grateful he is moderating his travel and early morning calls and being realistic about what he can do at 65. We are both very lucky to have this option for slow slide from full time to part time to no work doing work we care deeply about.

    1. OMG> The saga continues. I hope you are well rid of houseguest and that the daughter wakes up and begins to take charge of her life.

      1. We are definitely well rid of houseguest. I’m just not sure that Foster daughter should be with her, but that’s her call.
        I promise DH and I are pretty calm, sensible people, and do not go looking for this kind of stuff.
        I mean, we do help people for me to which really is part of how all has happened. Except my mom of course.

  17. DH and I took a week day trip to pick up my new mini pond – a handmade concrete bowl – for the garden. Now that he’s retired, we can take day trips any time we want. I bought some funky jeans and a soft shirt for fall at a couple of local consignment stores. I had a delicious Mediterranean lentil soup at a local cafe which I’m trying to replicate in my kitchen. It’s still summer here but I’m feeling the urge for soup.

    My garden is doing well – still getting bush beans and the tomatoes are ripening. Plus lots of basil and other herbs to add to soups and pasta.

    I had a follow up appointment for my cataract surgery. My left eye will likely develop glaucoma in the next couple of years but for the moment, I’m enjoying glasses-free vision. The procedure to remove the Basel cell cancer spot on my chin went well and is mostly healed. I have a scar but hopefully it will fade overtime. Better than the little divot left after the biopsy!

  18. Two good things this week, one immediate and one more long-term.

    First, the Lunchbox peppers in the garden are finally turning colors (meaning they’re fully ripe) after the plants taunted me forever by setting millions of green fruit that just never turned colors, and they are just so amazing. Like the most perfect red/yellow/orange pepper you’ve ever had, but still crunchy (not soft like they often get at that stage). Bite-sized, with hardly any seeds, so they seldom make it all the way into the house before they’ve been consumed.

    Second, for the long term, all the arrangements have been finalized for me to participate in a small research study on “gait, mobility and range of motion” in patients with my rare bone disease. It’s actually a repeat of a study done ten years ago (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32047911/), so they can see the progression of the disease. It’s a tiny group of patients, but a lot of the variables that would affect its reliability have been removed, because all the same people are doing the work (x-ray tech/reader, physical therapist, gait specialist), and it’s even literally all the same equipment! Patients have known forever that it’s a progressive disorder, but there’s never been long-term data showing it (which is used as an excuse to deny us the only effective treatment, which is expensive), so even a small study showing definite progression is groundbreaking and useful for patients fighting for access to treatment. The study has been in the works for a couple of years, so I’m really happy to see it finally coming together!

    1. You’ve really been a superstar over the years in the way you have documented and advocated for coverage for your illness. I hope that this long term study will help you in the battle for research funding.

      1. Thank you! I really enjoy participating in research, and recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to do it! Especially small studies. They’re often run (with supervision) by med students, and it’s really great interacting with them, introducing them to a rare disorder, seeing their enthusiasm for learning.

  19. My biggest treat this week was hearing that my amazing sister Kitty schlepped our friend Harriet’s birthday present out to the boonies where Carl and Harriet now live. Since Harriet has spent every year since the move declaring that they live in a “clutter free” zone, it has been difficult finding something that she will exempt from the no gifts rule. And this year, with the tariffs added on, a lot of places have been carrying stuff I would not otherwise buy. But this birthday was the big 80, so I really wanted to find something special. I finally bought her a large, soft rainbow hued scarf to wrap around her neck and shoulders when the cold winds blow. It isn’t the wool and silk blend I would have bought in previous years, but the colors are bright and soft at the same time and it is soft to the touch.

  22. Our big happy is adopting a kitten yesterday. She is the sweetest little thing and has a loud purr. The fosterers called her Penny for Pennywise. We might call her Penny for Penny Pretty in Buckaroo Banzai or maybe Patsy or Dusty (in the past we have named cats after musicians). It’s hard to decide!

      1. I am not on instagram and I’m not sure how else to share a photo. She is a little gray tabby with big kitten ears although I imagine she will grow into them.

  24. The days are getting shorter and the nights and mornings cooler.

    Nothing noteworthy happened last week and looking forward to nothing noteworthy happening this week.

    It’s a nice two week break before the meetings, appointments and other obligations start up again.

  25. I was in Sydney all week visiting schools for Book Week. It’s exhausting, but fun. Especially when I get to make stories with the kindergarten kids, who show no mercy when it comes to their protagonists.

    1. That sounds lovely – Book Week costumes are delightfully insane.

      We’re thinking of heading to Sydney the week after next – haven’t been there since COVID and I’m looking forward to it!

      1. Yuri, the book week costumes are hilarious, and I love seeing them. Especially when the teachers get into the act as well. Hope you have a great time in Sydney.

  26. My mobility is deteriorating so I haven’t been doing very much outside of my home, and because the Festivals have been on have been avoiding going out much anyway. Felt a bit like my own personal lockdown. However, I am so grateful that I had my flat renovated as it is just a beautiful space to spend time in now.
    Good news is I chivvied the NHS with phone calls and am now getting moved onto the list for the National Treatment Centre in Fife again (it is where I had my left hip done two years ago). Should be operated on by Christmas. It doesn’t ease the pain of now but, hopefully, the end is in sight.
    The best thing about the last couple of weeks have been reading posts on Argh. You are all the best and keep me going, especially Jenny and her writing.

    2. I am so sorry about the deterioration. It was pretty painful before as I recall. Hang in there and we will all hope for an early surgery.

About the Author

Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in a cottage in Pennsylvania, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.

Find out more about Jenny’s published works by visiting JennyCrusie.com

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