SATURDAY, May 18, 2019

You give to us every day. Screw the squinty eye!

Anne, I'm certain that you will conduct yourself with grace while focusing on keeping the day celebratory for your niece. I hope your sister will do so also.

Rainy and cold today, so most yard work not going to take place. Maybe I can get some flowers into pots if I get really ambitious. Right now I'm retucked into bed with my chai latte and kitty purring on my lap. He's making it hard for me to get a second cup :)

DH is working until 3pm. This evening we will either go see our goddaughters ballet performance, OR, I just got a notice that Celtic Woman has not sold out, and is doing educator rush tonight, one night only. So tempting. We could probably fit goddaughters Sunday matinee in tomorrow...

I'm so glad you liked Brene, Ann! (and Shel, I think to not have heard of her, you might have actually been under a rock. Or on one given your mountain trekking!) I'm not one of those people who slobbers over famous people or the latest self-help guru/Oprah honestly, but she's got some really interesting things to say that come from a research perspective. My therapist has had me read a few of her books and I've liked them. Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection were really powerful. And I agree, her Ted talk is even better than her Netflix special.

As for your sister, maybe you can acknowledge the rift and say you'd really like to sit down with her, talk about what happened, and mend fences, but today let's just celebrate Niece.

Liz, your SIL's immunotherapy news sounds encouraging. They are doing some amazing things with immunotherapy and what luck that her kind is matching up well with what they have to offer.

Ferg continues to be Ferg. Tires easily and moves around a lot to new spots to lay down. The vet ran a blood test Thursday and while his kidneys look good, his liver enzymes are up a bit and he isn't sure why *** 30 pills?). He said they could do a liver ultrasound or wait and retest in 2-3 weeks and I just thought, he's had a lot of doctoring lately which the last time stressed him out and at some point it's too much. I decided to wait for a second blood test. I don't want any dramatic treatments or extraordinary measures for him. I want him to be comfortable and happy for as many days as make sense for a nearly 12 year old golden. So if all remains stable we're going to go to Michigan at the end of the month and have a great, quiet summer there.

In the meantime, I must fess up that I'm not making good food choices. Ugh. I'm a stress eater.

You and me on the stress eating!!!

Clearly, I have been living under a boulder. I have NO CLUE who this Brene person is.

Check out the Ted talk Ann linked to. She's a no-nonsense researcher who lectures and writes on shame, vulnerability, perfectionism, etc.

Back home after commencement to change into barbeque-colored clothing.

Everything went great. I was vulnerable -- walked up, hugged her and said, "I love you. I've missed you!" She said, "I love you!" back.

:)

That warms my heart

Hi all

Staccato message due to limited typing. But I will be better soon enough. Bad eating on trip - mostly car snack food. Did have good dinner in chi chi Marin County nouveau Mexican restaurant, Then could not find our way out of parking lot and had to program i phone to get us to motel across the street!

Hand procedures more extensive than I planned but I am good with it. I have needed this but couldn't because DH couldn't drive for awhile. Right now hands look like boxing gloves but will change them later today which will give me more motion. Little pain. Glad to be home.

Electric car planning went pretty well. Learned some.More later on this. DH is so hilarious with his electronics fixation.

Liz so glad things are looking a little better for SIL. Safe travels.

Ann good on you for approaching sister.

Cecily hugs to you and Fergie. Later. Diane S