I am thankful for carpet cleaning machines.

There is nothing like family sharing to create lasting holiday memories. I spent the week in the mountains with my whole extended family. There were 18 of us in two houses, with 8 kids ranging in age from 9 months to 13 years old. There was food: a honeybaked ham, a smoked turkey, all the usual Thanksgiving stuff and stuffing. There were hikes to waterfalls and up rocky places. There were outdoor fires and roasted marshmallows. There were chess games and Uno games and naps. Oh, and let us not forget the ultimate in family sharing: a stomach bug. Over the course of six days, it felled 8 of us at the house, and another one bit the dust last night.

It began with my own WonderBoy, whose illness came up suddenly and just as quickly disappeared after he made an impressive projectile display on the carpet of the rental house. He was proud, and bounded up the stairs to report to his cousins with a big grin and restored energy. Mr. Incredible went and rented a carpet cleaner, which came in handy. After WonderBoy, the next to fall was the oldest nephew (more carpet, but also, memorably, on top of a mountain). He was followed by my mom, my youngest sister, third youngest niece, second youngest sister, oldest niece, and last night back at home, SuperGirl, who is skipping school and resting. She is sorry to have missed getting her share of attention from all the relatives, but happy to have her very own Gatorade. It is a quick and dirty virus, and no one seems to have suffered for more than about 24 hours, so I am hopeful the end is in sight.

My mom has her first appointment with the surgeon tomorrow. It will be good to have the beginnings of a plan. Tom Petty said it best: the waiting is the hardest part.

Reasons for Not Writing

There are many, but here are the big ones:

My sister is here from overseas with her husband and two very small kids. Wonderfully chaotic.

My mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer. How can this be? It has been 8 months since my own diagnosis. I am wondering if it helps her having watched and helped me through my diagnosis and surgeries, or if it means it is all too real. Suddenly we have a family history of some significance, and my other three sisters have much to worry about. Not to mention the five granddaughters. I am letting myself off the hook from writing for a little while, both the NaNo novel, and the blog, at least until after I know what the plan is with my mom. I hope to be able to travel to be of some help to her.

I feel responsible somehow.

RevGalBlogPals Friday Five

Those of us who are in the United States have just been through quite a topsy-turvy election. During the campaign we heard a fair amount about red states and blue states, when in fact most of us live in some shade of purple. And so... a lighter look at those confounding colors:

1. Favorite red food - a ripe summer tomato with real mozzarella cheese, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette...yum

2. Tell us about the bluest body of water you've ever seen in person - the water in the Virgin Islands on my honeymoon

3. It's movie rental time: Blue Planet, The Color Purple, or Crimson Tide? - tough one, depending on the mood. I'll go with Crimson Tide most of the time for sheer escapism.

4. What has you seeing red these days? - not having uninterrupted time to work on my NaNo novel, and not using the time I have well.

5. What or who picks you up when you're feeling blue? - my family laughing together, a good book, vacations near water

Happy Friday!

This and That

Random thoughts:

I hate selling things to people. I was never good at the retail jobs I had in high school. It's not in my personality to push something on someone else. So now we have all this Cub Scout popcorn to sell every year. Hate it. It's overpriced and the microwave bags never pop all the way. Okay, the chocolate-covered stuff is pretty good, but I hate selling it. Hate approaching church members, or sending WonderBoy to do it, since there is some weird pressure there to buy from the preacher's kid. But who else will buy it? Church members are all the people we ever see. Last year we bought over $70 worth of it ourselves to get WonderBoy to the $200 level. Then he chose the prize from the lowest level. Have I mentioned that I hate selling things?

There is a new Christopher Guest movie coming out this month: "For Your Consideration". If you haven't seen "A Mighty Wind" or "Waiting for Guffman" or "Best in Show", run out to the video store right now. Can't wait. I laughed out loud tonight when I saw the preview, and I don't even know what it's about. It doesn't matter. You put those actors together and it will be funny.

I think I am about a B-cup after yesterday's saline fill. The shape is coming along, which is helping the muscle pain seem worth it. I can't think too long about what exactly is going on in there, with the muscle stretching, or I get the willies. I have to kind of shut off part of my brain, sort of like when I was diagnosed. Thinking about cancer was overwhelming, and if I did it for too long, I could drive myself wild-eyed and crazy. It's not exactly denial, but a form of coping. Coping with reconstruction beats coping with a new cancer diagnosis all to pieces, so I'll try to stop complaining. For now.

I'm not feeling inspired to write, either the blog or the NaNoWriMo novel. I like what I have so far, but the last few days I have felt sort of flat. (Well, not in the traditional sense, because of the aforementioned B-cups, but you know what I mean.) I'm hoping tomorrow dawns brighter: in election returns, in weather, in muscle comfort, and in writing.

Retreating

I'm off to the mountains to lead a women's retreat. It should be beautiful this time of year, and the material is familiar and something I need reminding of myself. I won't be online over the weekend. I'm hopeful I'll have some time to write, though, and that the Spirit and the Writing Muse are kind. And that Mr. Incredible gets some rest while watching the kids AND writing a sermon.
Peace.....

Trading Candy

WonderBoy and SuperGirl are in the living room, engaged in the time-tested and sanctified ritual of Trading Halloween Candy. Mary Janes are traded for Swedish Fish. Salt-Water Taffy for Bubblicious. Everyone wants the Reese's Cups, including me. I have a very vivid memory of sitting on the rug just inside the front door of the house we grew up in, with my sisters, doing the same thing. We didn't make it but about three steps inside the door before we dumped the loot out and started negotiating. I can't remember all of what I loved back then, but I remember what I didn't like: candy corn and anything sour (hmmm....sounds like SuperGirl.) Actually I am sure that what I wanted back then was still Reese's Cups. When my niece was here this summer on her way home from her first sleepaway camp (at the same camp my sisters and I all went to growing up), I couldn't get her to tell me much of anything about her 3 weeks there. I'm not sure she had a good time. But she was amazed when I said that every night after dinner at camp I bought a Reese's Cup and a Sprite, every year I was there. She had bought the exact same thing, every night, and her eyes lit up to think that someone else understood, maybe just a little, what things were like for her. Our candy choices are one of the things that make us who we are. Thank God there are so many different kinds of candy in the loot bag. I may not understand the licorices of the world, but I am glad they are around to trade with. And thank God there are others who like what we like, and know a little about who we are, even if it means there are fewer Reese's to go around.

NaNoWriMo Day One

Words written: 2274
Chocolate pieces consumed: 3
Loads of laundry done: 1.5

I guess I better stop, since the school bus will be here soon, and my schedule is full for the afternoon and evening. Day One, so far so good!