Dear Family and Friends,
It is Monday afternoon, and I’m going to start. One of the most recent of side effects is a fuzzy sensation around the eyes and head that hangs around. That used to be the sign for nap time, but now I just have to push through it. So, bear with me. I hope I can tell if I’m not making sense. I spent this a.m. working on health care bills and insurance reports. I shouldn’t be surprised to be fuzzy. After a short nap a friend came by, and brought dinner, and then we took a short walk. I am getting close to the end of chemo- May 18 and the following week. The side effects that seem to build up with time are low red and white blood counts which, with the hair loss, will just have to take time to recover. All of my other lab. report #’s are good- very good, and the soreness from the surgery is finally gone. My weight is also up, and altho it fluctuates, I am now up to about 118. I seem to plateau at a weight, and stay there for a while, so this is a new up from 112. Fatigue is the major effect I deal with, now. Things so vary, but generally I still have a good Fri. afternoon and evening. All things being relative, I can have an energetic afternoon, and still need to go to bed by 9:00. It’s really helpful to split the day into morning, afternoon and evening. Those of you who remember my nightowl tendencies will know how things have changed. Anyway, it is exciting and scary to be heading into the new phase.

I realize at Mass, how little I sing anymore. I used to sing all the way to work- to wake me up, and most of the way home, to stay alert. Music has been a consistent part of life, and a real joy and challenge for me. I was just realizing how everyone I know has shared a little of the music background. As a starter, my Mom was a force behind beginning the music program at Sacred Heart, our tiny high school/gradeschool in our parish in Falls City, NE. They didn’t have a band, but had a vocal music program K-12. We learned part singing as early as 2nd grade, and participated in music competitions in our conference. We also could take private piano lessons, which my sisters and I, and lots of kids did. In high school a group of us always sang the funerals, in Latin, of course, and there were various choirs at many levels. Sr. Mary DeLourdes, one of our music teachers, was a lifelong friends of mine, to the point where people in our same religious community called her my grandmother. I am veering along here, but when I was looking thru my letters, SMD was one of the most faithful
letter writers. I will keep going on a music theme, because this is a good way to remember and connect.

Our biggest home improvement, a wine refrig. in our garage. We don’t have a “wine cellar” collection, but Clark does a great job of having some good bottles. This was to have been Clark’s Xmas present, but I didn’t get it done this year. We were keeping the wine in an old garage refrig that we just used as an insulated cabinet. We used to have some bushes that helped keep the garage cooler until I had the bushes cut way back. So the story goes on and on, but a friend who had just built himself an unbelievable refrigerated wine cellar, needed to get rid of his former one, soooooooooo after rearranging the garage, and making a few other changes,
our friend and Clark got the deed done, and we’re thrilled.

As spring arrives I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful change of seasons. I think I had better close, so I can get this out. Thank you again for all of the prayers, energy and notes. I do so enjoy hearing from everyone.

Love
Annie/Noel