The Foster Family's Day Off

My sainted (please take special notice of the lower case) Sister Helen is puttering around the house to make sure not one need is overlooked. Sadie is in the back yard peeing on whatever. Sherry is still in the hospital fighting that infection (Jeb is laying low), but any crisis there has past now. She admitted just a while ago she is holding forth with her friends, watching television, reading novels and napping off and on. Helen and I agree, that is one expensive day spa. More power to her, but we could do without the dog bite and IVs and all that next time. Just go to the dang spa. Save the rest of us the aggravation.

Cold and windy here today, wind chill about 30 degrees, enough to keep me put up. So I have pretty much snoozed, watched "The Ice Highway" with brother-in-law Don and waited for Helen to fix (that's how we said in the South in the 1950s) my mother's unique hash, which really wasn't hash at all. But it did taste good, fed a Fifties family of seven and left some great meanings of what a warm winter night should be. This has is only potatoes, canned roast beef, about a stick of butter and enough water to make a stew. Ummmm, ummmm good. Oh, our daughter Alex will get her first dip into Foster hash tonight. I can't wait for the verdict. Speaking of Alex, she has been doing a good job helping out lately and also won both of her horse show events today. In the cold and wind. Wow! The good news I did not, as I have a hundred times before, have to go watch that and stand in that cold wind (the blessings flow on us). She just came home and told me about them. Yeah, boy, makes a day off even better.

I got a plethora of new medicines, but don't even want to think about them. Instead, I've pretty much just contemplated my naval, though it is well hidden under the covers. I have spent most of the day just staring at the bed room ceiling and nodding in and out. Not because I had too, but because that's what I wanted to do. Been wonderful. I do get just a little bit guilty about not moving around much, so I go to the bathroom when the urge really urges. At my age, it can urge pretty good. So I figure five times to go to the BR is better than five pull-ups and five pull-ups is pretty damn good for a fellow who that last week might have been his last week and nobody argued much against it.

I have done a little celebrating. Since the Warden is incarcerated, I have opened the back door to our bed room and snuck (sneaked, I don't know) a bowl of two of tobacco. British tobacco by Golly, the kind old Sherlock smoked. Yes sir, I am the man in the this house as long as my wife is gone for two or three days and the room can air out. All part of a day off, huh?

And that's been about it. Avoiding cold, letting my sister wait on me, Sherry getting over her wound in leaps and bounds, though I doubt, no, I know, she has not done the first leap or bound. Boy, what a delicious day, especially when you toss in the occasional cup of Pomegranate tea. Ummm, ummm, good, again, but in a sort of English mid-19th century sort of way.

About ten o'clock I will grow tired of the ceiling, will call Sherry to wish her good night and Sadie into the bed and roll over to sink as deep as possible into covers, happy as hell the Lord has allowed me this day off. I look forward to many more. After C-diff, cancer doesn't seem such a bad ass anymore.

Comments

[Mary]

Hi David - Sounds like a "good" day. Enjoy the rest and pampering from your sister and wait patiently till your "southern belle" return home. As Knights if she is resting in the hospital and is okay that can beat any day spa there is. She is just getting a different kind of pampering. Keep us posted.

[Wanda in North Carolina]

Hey, I am glad to hear you had a day of rest and a puff on your pipe. Glad your wife is getter better too. It has been cold and windy and just "plum" nasty here in NC too. My mother used to fix something similar to what your sister prepared. Good stuff! Snuggle deep into the covers and dream of spring, that's what Steve and I will do.