12/21/2009

Monday - Williamsburg Wreath, Three Beautiful Things: Skype, Jim's Bread and Kindness of Neighbors.












Williamsburg Wreath
4 more days until Christmas



Three Beautiful Things


1. Talking with my sister on SKYPE.

When I opened Skype yesterday morning my computer phone was ringing. I was so startled it took me a minute to find the answer button. My brother-in-law Johnny and sister Kathy calling from Georgia - they had just hooked up their SKYPE and were trying it out.
Yes, Kathy and I talk on the phone. But seeing her was a special gift. Since we were together in July she has been on a journey - through surgery for breast cancer and is now in the last rounds of her chemo therapy. She looked wonderful and we all laughed together as she doffed her wig and then modeled all her hat-options. Later she and Jim talked about Chemo and she shared tips with him from her experience. Her tips and advice have been extremely helpful to us as patient and care-giver since Jim's Chemo started. You need a guide through this new world. Kathy is a good guide. She is living the journey and has read, talked with people and asked the questions to teach herself the ropes. SYMS, the cut-price clothing store has the motto - "there is nothing like an educated consumer" - the same holds true for patients.

2. TA DA !!!!! Jim's First Loaf of Bread.
The house was filled with that familiar smell of bread baking.
And it tastes as good as it looks!!!







Jim was pretty pleased - and he already has another loaf in the oven this morning. This one is for our neighbor, Chris.

3. Christmas Kindness to our Rescue
With our snow blower out of commission the only way to free Karen's and our car was to shovel it out. For the first time in 54 years Jim was willing to stay in the house and sit it out rather than take a chance on getting sick. Karen took up the shovel and started in. When she went out she found that Chris has already started on it. Our driveway is side by side with our neighbor's. When he shoveled his, Chris cleared ours so that we could get our cars out. Yep, today's first loaf goes to Chris.