My best friend's announcement...

[Cloud USA Announcement] Mrs. Annie Eloise Thornton...and the obituary that I wrote for what we Southerners call "my mama's home-going celebration." She came out of remission right after Thanksgiving. I was blessed to be with her in her final moments last week. I miss the sound of her voice already ( Read more... )

For many years, I've wondered what planet I dropped in from ( Read more... )

Hi! *resting my arm and setting pitcher aside* How ya? Happy 2011, all. 'Tis I, back from the Great Void. And I've missed being here, so very much ( Read more... )

Guess what, my friends? August 14 is coming up fast -- the one-year anniversary of Mama's stem cell transplant. Which means that in roughly three weeks, Miss Ellie will be officially released from all post-transplant care. Just a formality, really, seeing as at her last checkup with her oncologist a few weeks ago, all reports confirmed that the ( Read more... )

TO MY BROTHER GEORGE

Many the wonders I this day have seen:
The sun, when first he kissed away the tears
That filled the eyes of Morn;-the laurelled peers
Who from the feathery gold of evening lean;-
The ocean with its vastness, its blue green,
Its ships, its rocks, its caves, its hopes, its fears,
Its voice mysterious, which whoso hears
Must think ( Read more... )

A few days after my computer was reamed out, refurbished, and running again--and my dead monitor trashed and replaced--Mama and I went to her oncologist and got the news. Partial remission (with cancer protein markers at 1 to 4) is a thing of the past. She is finally in full remission, at zero. The chance we took with the transplant paid off big. ( Read more... )

But before we get to that...

Mama updatery: We're Transplant + 82 days and counting. Our chemo-darkened skin is returning to its natural shade. Our esophagial sores are all gone. Our nausea and fatigue are retreating and our strength and balance are good; we no longer need a wheelchair when arriving for appointments. All the dead skin ( Read more... )

Let's see...

Two chapters of critiquemate Jeff's new YA novel for butchering review, and two samples from critiquemate Jennie's murder mystery (she needs to know our opinions on which Point of View feels better for the story, First or Third person), for this evening's fiction focus meeting ( Read more... )

After three weeks, the nerve-wracking first phase is over and the difficult second phase begins--six months of immune system rebuilding. I say let us celebrate with some Galactic Pics for This Week.

Morning, Glory!
You mean it's NOT the inside of a pop-up book?
Dirty snow cone.
A star is formed (or a windshield is smeared).

All of these pictures ( Read more... )

Two days ago, I moisturized and massaged Mama's scalp, combed her hair and put it in a ponytail.

Yesterday, when I walked into her hospital room, it was ALL gone ( Read more... )