Daybook No. 88

Outside my window/health stuff::

Lots of wet, wet snow. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and Dad drove me. It took us almost an hour to go 12 miles. Sigh. But we made it on time and in tact, so that was good. (Dad gets a wee bit overprotective about me and snow. I love him for it.) Anyway, my PFTs are up two points, so that’s a good thing. We’re happy about that. Most of the visit was spent talking about the switch from my current insurance to the new insurance and how I may be without insurance for a period during this transition, which makes us slightly nervous, because MEDS. Like, Meds I need to Keep The Lungs Happy. Sigh. But we’ll work it out. I can get the meds….somewhere. I think. I hope!  There’s getting them and then there’s paying for them. Two separate things. But we’re working on it. Yes. We are.

Wearing::

Jeans, SmartWool socks (I LOVE these things), and a turquoise/teal sweater with a cute little bow details. I try to look cute but also utilitarian for clinic, because you have to take off clothes for the X-ray, and if they want anything else, you want to be fairly comfortable but presentable. (Sometimes I’ve had bronchs when I’ve been all prettied up for work, and those always suck, because you’re in nice clothes that then get all wrinkly because you have to take them off and put them in a bad. Sigh.)

Reading::

Re-reading Lara Casey’s Make it Happen, and just about done with Pope Benedict XVI’s Prayer .

Creativity::

Still working on the cowl and bookmarks. Yay! 🙂 And adding new sections to the BOOK.

Around the house::
The tree is finally down! I vacuumed the section of the rug that was under it but good, let me tell you. I have to do some more loads of dishes, because you know, I cooked last night, and that means more dishes than my dishwasher can handle.

Meals for the week::

Um, right now, I’ve got nothing. I had chicken piccata with roasted fennel last night, and that was good. Tonight might just be quick two bean chili. I need to make my list and go shopping tonight or tomorrow.

In the CD player::

The Original Broadway Cast of Parade. The best show I have ever done, period.

Final scene of Parade (I’m in the blue pinafore in the center).

Bible reading::

I’m reading the letters of St. Peter this week and probably next week, and then it’s a study of Esther.

Daybook No. 83

Happy birthday, Jane Austen!

Outside my window::

Well, it’s raining, but that’s OK. It’s been in the 50s the past few days–I actually had the windows open in here yesterday. Amazing!

Wearing::

Jeans, t-shirt. Nothing interesting, sorry. 🙂

In the CD player::

Messiah. Because it’s that time of year!

Reading::

I started The Miniaturist last night, and it’s been REALLY hard to put down so far. I’m a quarter of the way through and I’m loving it. I also have Some Luck, which was an early Christmas gift, and of course all my Advent books. And since it’s Jane Day, I may open one of hers, like Persuasion, which is a bit shorter than the others, and I love it. (Well, I love them all. How to choose, people?!)

Around the house::

Normal weekly cleaning today–dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, etc. Working on cleaning the master bathroom as well.

From the kitchen::

Today I’m having dinner with my parents, but lunch will be a salad, I think. I need to check out my meal plan ideas for the rest of the week.

Health/Fitness::

Lost a pound at clinic yesterday, WIN. Everyone generally pleased, go back at the end of January. I’ve also been noticing that I’m getting a wee bit stronger, so that’s a good thing. Still going to the gym 3-4 times a week. I’ve been having some muscle cramps in my legs which is inhibiting the working out, but we think it’s a problem due to low magnesium levels in my blood (this is a pretty common post-transplant problem), so we’re upping my mag doses to see if that helps. It should.

Church::

I made life promises on Sunday. 🙂 It was a pretty great day. I’ll write more about that in a separate post.

Plans for the week::

Not a whole lot, actually! No CCD because we’re on break, so it’s a nice, wide-open week. 🙂

Praying for::

• Elizabeth’s son Patrick, who’s having surgery today
• Courtney, and her family.
• A woman in my Lay Dominican chapter who may have a recurrence of her brain tumor.
• Elizabeth

Adorable Photo of the Week::

Prince George. Look at those cheeks!

Pondering::

Seven Quick Takes No. 61

I.

This week felt like it flew by.It’s that time of year again, when it just gets closer to Christmas and there’s so much to DO and not enough time to do it! Totally the theory of relativity, right? As a kid, you remember these days going so slowly. And now? Gone so quickly. It’s amazing.

II.

This is partially because there’s a lot going on–tomorrow I’m going to a Penguins/Jackets game with my parents (in which I will be happy with the outcome, because one team I love will win!). On Sunday, it’s the last CCD class before the break, which basically means a video on St. Nicholas and bingo games; then we have a catechist meeting; then there’s a Third Order meeting which concludes with life promises (EEEEK), and then dinner with Mary and lessons and carols at my parish. WHEW. And Monday I have a doctor appointment with all that attends that, and an audition that night.

III.

So, life promises. Yes. Basically, this means I’m a Lay Dominican forever and ever (amen), I promise to live by the rule of St. Dominic for the rest of my life, and be a good Lay Dominican. 🙂 The rule requires that I say morning and evening prayer of the liturgy of the hours, attend Mass as often as possible during the week, go to confession once a month, say a daily rosary, and perform individual religious study. None of these are bound by pain of sin. If I miss vespers one day or something, it’s not a thing I need to confess. But these are the “pillars”, so to speak, of my life, forever, after Sunday. I’ve been in formation for five+ years now, and I’m so glad to be making this final step.

IV.

My Christmas shopping, however, is 98% finished. I still have to get something for two more people, who are hard to shop for. Sigh. I’m hoping to come up with magic inspiration over the next week.

V.

My 2015 calendar is starting to fill up–January has good things (a Symphony concert!) and some unfun/fun things–a colonoscopy (Oh YAY!). Yes, my friends, I need to have one, and the hospital, of course, is freaking because I have a PORT, and we’re going to USE IT, and OH MY GOSH!

Really, guys, it’s not that hard. They don’t even have to access me–mom can do it. All they have to do is push the lovely happy meds into the tube. I do not understand the freak out. It’s an adult hospital I’m going to, but they treat cancer patients, so a port isn’t some exotic medical things they’ve never seen. Sigh. I guess it’ll be a “teachable moment” for them. AS long as they don’t break the port, I don’t care. Just give me the fun meds and do what you have to do, doc.

VI.

in 2015, revision on THE BOOK will begin in earnest. Yes. I have left the draft alone for a few months, I’ve gotten some feedback from my beta readers, and in January it will be time to start massaging it into shape again, and bring out the long knife of editing. Oh yes, my friends. The knife is coming out!

VII.

Next week has two of my favorite days! JANE DAY, her birthday, on Dec. 16, in which we shall all drink tea, watch the Wet Shirt video, and read her books, and Dec. 17, which is Beethoven Day (it’s the day Beethoven was Baptized.) Such great genius!  They were born five years apart (Beethoven in 1700, Jane in 1775), and died ten years apart (Jane in July 1817, Beethoven in March 1827). So on Beethoven Day we will listen to much Beethoven and rejoice in his genius. (Yes, he’s my favorite composer, why do you ask?)

(Side note: people: stop using this to mean “pounds.” I See it all the time: “The fish was 8#!” REALLY?!?!?!)

Seven Quick Takes No. 60

I.

So we have to start with the big thing: I’m going to Edel!

I am so excited to meet Jen and Hallie and all the other lovely ladies, and I’m also excited to see the City of Charleston. I’ve never been to South Carolina, and my mom has always wanted to go to Charleston. So, we’re going!

II.

The best part about the gathering? Well, OK, the other best part?

My 10th transplant anniversary is that Saturday.

Really, people, how much better can it be to celebrate a DECADE of life post-transplant than with amazing ladies, great food, maybe a spa treat (there’s one in the hotel!)

This is the sort of thing I never imagined before transplant–getting to travel all over the country and have these amazing experiences.

III.

The plan right now is to get to Charleston on Thursday and stay until the following Wednesday, so we can see all we want to see and really enjoy the city, as opposed to “we have a weekend we must CRAM IT ALL IN NOW.” We shall take our time.

Dad is excited because they will be shrimp and grits and there’s a Starbucks in the hotel lobby. He’s pretty set for life, right there.

IV.

When I told my transplant doc that we were going to Charleston, he immediately said, “You must eat at Hominy Grill.” He’s not the only one who has said this, but he sure waxed poetic about it. If you have other suggestions for places to eat, pop them in the com box. 🙂

V.

I was basically a prisoner in the house Monday and Tuesday, because of cold and snow. NOTHING like Buffalo, but it was cold, for sure–unseasonably so. I cannot imagine living in Buffalo. How do you even begin to clear five plus feet of snow?!

VI.

I’m excited to see Mockingjay soon–either this weekend or next week. And also, of course, The Theory of Everything, which opens here next week! Yay good movies! I also need to see Big Hero 6.

VII.

What are your plans for Turkey Day? Ours involve getting Bob Evans’ “Farmhouse Feast” and eating it at home. We’re not huge Thanksgiving Let’s Go All Out People (we sort of were, back in the day). Now we just like it nice and quiet, with maybe a movie or two that day or the day after. We’re low-key peeps. And we do not do Black Friday shopping–unless it’s Black Friday at Barnes and Noble. Because, why not.

Daybook 76

Outside my window::

Totally clouded over. It was really pretty but really humid yesterday, and I think it’s raining outside now. Not that I mind rain and clouds, because they’re good knitting/reading/tea days.

Wearing::

Jeans and an Oakland Zoo (Pitt) t-shirt. I’m being lazy right now.

Reading::

Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time comes out today. I was very lucky to snatch up an ARC (advanced reading copy) at an event a few weeks ago, and I have to tell you, this book is amazing. Read it. I want to write more about this book but not until more peeps have read it, so….get on it. 🙂

Taking up Swann’s Way again as well. During Tech Week/Performance weeks I load up my bag with books I’ve been meaning to read, and this is on the top of the pile. I re-read The Joy Luck Club earlier this week and found I really didn’t like the book as much as the movie! Also re-reading Outlander, and I’m on An Echo In The Bone.

Creativity:

A lot on this front. Dolly opens on Friday–gulp gulp double gulp. NaNoWriMo 2014 is live, so I’ve been drafting out my novel for that–thus far it involves opera and Italians (a good combination, of course!). And I’ve also been knitting. I can purl fine when I do an entire row of purl, but when I start with a knit stitch border it all goes to hell. Ideas? I really want to start a basket weave scarf but I can’t if I can’t manage to knit and purl in the same row!

Cooking::

Well I have lots of plans but this week is a mess with the cooking…so busy. Trying valiantly and possibly failing to get it under control!

Family::

my sister is in town! She moved to Texas over the summer and this is her first trip back since then. Her birthday is on Friday so we celebrated early on Sunday at a local restaurant. Yesterday we had lunch and coffee together before I had to run to a doctor’s appointment. It’s been great to see her!

Theater::

Well, Dolly, really, all the time. We’re in dress rehearsals now. I’m hoping on of the lovely ladies in the cast can do something with my ridiculous hair….I am so hair impaired it’s not even funny.

Health::

I went to the dermatologist yesterday. Part of post-transplant life is making sure that you take care of your skin with sun protection, because we are super photosensitive (meaning we can burn a lot faster than other people due to the meds), and getting regular skin checks. I go about every six months. Nothing out of the ordinary at this appointment so that’s a good thing. We have a much higher risk of cancer compared to the general population, and skin cancer in particular, so it’s very important to stay on top of these things. Fortunately I’ve never been much of a sun bunny.

Around the house::

Today is a house day, meaning I’m going to clean and tackle some projects here (filing, bill paying, etc.) that I need to do. This gets super important during tech week because otherwise the house can become a monster of utterly terrifying proportions due to neglect. 😛

From the iPhone:

During a local shopping district’s chalk art festival–isn’t this great?

Daybook No. 73–in which there is much excitement!

OK, I’m just going to lead off with the excitement.  🙂

I am going to meet Diana Gabaldon.

If you don’t know who that is, you haven’t read Outlander. Or watched Outlander (on Starz!)

Jamie and Claire, the main characters of Outlander

You really need to fix both those things, by the way.

Anyway, I’ve been hooked since a friend of mine sent me Outlander as a Christmas gift one year. I watch the show religiously, and re-watch it….I love Outlander Kitchen!

And now I’m going to meet the author. She’s coming to Westerville, and I have my ticket for a meet and greet before her talk at the local high school. It’s a library fundraiser. Tickets sold out in thirty six minutes this morning, and it’s only because one of my theater friends works for the library, and knows how much I love Outlander, and who reminded me that tickets went on sale this morning, that I have one.

So I am going to meet her.

I am tres excited, people. Really freaking excited.

November 15!!!!!

If you want to come to the talk at Westerville Central, here’s the details. I imagine the tickets will go very quickly!

 

Now, on to our regularly scheduled Daybook!

  Oh, and take my poll. Thanks. It’s important. I’ll tell you why later this week.

Outside my window::

A little cloudy, blue skies, breezy, very fall.

Wearing::

My workout clothes, since I just came from working out. 🙂

Reading::

Dragonfly in Amber (the second Outlander series book) , The Artist’s Way, Summa of the Summa, and Unlimited by Jillian Michaels, which is quite good.

Fitness::

This week is the last week of Pulm Rehab, and then I’m entirely on my own!That’s sort of scary, but I think it’s totally doable, since I really like (almost love, shockingly) my gym. So the plan is MTW work out, Th rest day, Fri-Sat workout, Sunday rest day, with strengthening things happening in a rotation: arms, legs, core, etc., one per workout day. I also want to work in some restorative yoga classes.

And today I finally ran for a solid minute! Not 56 or 58 seconds! yay!

Living the Liturgy::

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

 

From the kitchen::

Dinner tonight w/ Mom and Dad But the rest of this week contains: Moroccan fish; chicken fajitas; pan fried pork chops; chopped salad; salmon tikka; pea and mint soup, and Spanish skirt steak.

Yum and yummmmm!

 

Around the house::

The usual cleaning and tidying and all that. I actually got into a pretty good housekeeping groove last week so I want to keep it going–dishes in the dishwasher, nothing in the sink, no dishes on the table after meals. It was nice!

 

Creativity::

Working my way through The Artist’s Way, and pondering NaNoWriMo 2014!

Seven Quick Takes No. 56

 

 

I.

There is no such thing as a dull week at Emily’s house. Really, there’s not. There were good things this week and not good things.

II.

Good things: A new show! PCT needs more people in the chorus for Hello, Dolly! (their fall production) so I volunteered and my first rehearsal is tonight. I’m really excited about this. It’s a show I’m not that familiar with, so I’ll have to spend a lot of time with the music at first, so I make sure I have it down. Normally when I do a show I’ve been doing prep even before the audition, getting familiar with the music and such, but I didn’t do that here, because I wasn’t planning on doing Dolly. But hey, unexpected things can be good!

III.

They can also be…not good. On Wednesday I was hit with vomiting, nausea, intense abdominal pain, all of which led to a trip to the Resort’s ER. I was kept overnight for observation and to get the pain and nausea under control, which happened. (Thankfully!) I had great nurses on the floor and all in all it was fairly uneventful once by body started behaving again. My liver enzymes were slightly elevated, so I’ve started another drug to fix that–whether or not it’s a long-term thing, I don’t know. But no big deal.

IV.

Since I was in the hospital on Wednesday, no yarn along. I need to get back to my washcloth, which I have now started three times. But I think the third time is, indeed, the charm. I hope so, anyway, because I do not want to rip it out again!

V.

CD I’m listening to is Joyce DiDonato’s Stella di Napoli–bel canto opera arias. Mmm. Good stuff indeed. You really can’t go wrong with Joyce.

VI.

Today’s First Friday so I’m heading to Mass and then setting up my CCD classroom for the year. CCD starts on Sunday. I am excited and nervous, but mostly excited, because I love teaching, and I love little kids. It’s a good combination. I’ve also missed my co-catechist a lot and can’t wait to be back teaching with her every week.

VII.

One thing I’ve started this week is the practice of Morning Pages. Elizabeth F. talks about this a lot, and I’ve tried to write three pages every morning. It’s part of the Artist Way exercises, so if you’ve read that book, you’re familiar with them. They’re usually “wild brain” exercises, like you do in writing classes–you write whatever comes to mind, even if it’s “I hate this, I’m tired, I need coffee” for a certain amount of pages or minutes. (My teacher used to do 10 minutes in class sometimes.) I have a notebook for these, and I don’t re-read what I write, or worry about my handwriting. So far it’s been a decent exercise, but man, it can be hard to write three handwritten pages before I do anything else in the morning. My brain is screaming at me to get stuff done–not realizing that in the writing, stuff is getting done.

Seven Quick Takes No. 55

 

I.

Long time no Quick Takes! Wow! I know you’re all thrilled to see this back, right? 🙂

II.

“John the Baptist in the Prison”, Juan Fernandez de Navarette

So today’s Feast in the Church Calendar is the Beheading of John the Baptist. Happy, huh? Usually the Church celebrates the day a person died, as opposed to the day a person’s born, but John the Baptist gets both. (His birthday is June 24, by the way). Only John the Baptist, Mary (September 8) and Jesus (of course) get their birthdays observed in the official calendar, as well as the day they died (or in Mary’s case, was Assumed). So while this isn’t the most, er, festive feast, it’s a point of theological coolness.

III.

 So that Yarn Along post I did yesterday? Yeah, I started working on the piece some more while I caught up on Once Upon A Time, made big mistakes, and had to rip the whole thing out and start again. Sigh. It’s very much two steps forward, three steps back in my knitting. I was purling all wrong. So back to the book today to make sure I’m doing it correctly this time.

IV.

In rehab–still working on running. I’m at 58 seconds of running without stopping, which is good–gotta break that minute mark next week. I’ve also lost another pound which makes me exceedingly happy.

V.

Reading: Kristin Lavransdatter Vol. I “The Wreath”; The Happiness Project (again); Summa of the Summa. I also have The Artist’s Way and the workbook, which I’m excited to start next week!

VI.

Speaking of writing–the beta readers still have the book, but I’m working on making an outline and making sure the order is what I want. I might toy with some new sections over the weekend.

VII.

You want to know how it’s fall in Ohio? (Or almost) The reappearance of all the Scarlet and Grey shirts everyone seems to have, in various incarnations. They have appeared all of a sudden, because OSU plays Navy tomorrow. So, it’s fall, for all intents and purposes, in the OH.

Notes from the OR

The last post was a bit fast, even by my standards, and sort of disjointed, since I was on meds. 🙂 And I’m still on meds, but I thought I’d share some thoughts, anyway, because I’m a good blogger like that!

• I do not understand why people bring 8, 10, 12 people to surgery with their child, especially when only two adults are allowed back with said child. The other people will be very bored and take up all the chairs in the waiting room for people who are actually having surgery. Why do people do this? It’s not like this is a day at Sea World. It’s not that entertaining.
• Why are hospital pants designed for people who haven’t hit puberty? I was glad I couldn’t wear them, because if you have hips, they will not ever fit you. It’s amazingly inadequate. 
• What else is amazingly inadequate–the lines on the forms for “prior surgeries” and “current medications.” Four lines for each? Really? No. I need a lot more than four teeny lines. 
• I had great nurses and a great anesthesiologist this time. I was super blessed, especially with the anesthesiologist. If I don’t get good vibes from that person, I am nervous going into surgery, but this one was divine. She was very methodical, laughed at my jokes, and  explained everything perfectly. She was also great at authorizing pain and nausea meds after surgery, which was really important, since I came to while I was vomiting up bits of blood and bile (LOVELY), and I felt like my head was being slammed into concrete. So go doctor!
• The nurses was great at answering questions and administering meds. 
• This time, I had a “scented” mask in the OR. I’ve never had one before, but since it’s a kids’ hospital, might as well take advantage, right? I chose bubble gum, and it was indeed bubble gum-y. The oxygen that comes through the mask is thick and warm, so I think that’s why I don’t like it, but I was out pretty quickly after my doctor began pushing the happy meds. (She called them the “sleepy meds”, and sounded just like Jen Arnold, the doctor on The Little Couple, which I loved, because it meant I could understand her pretty easily, since we watch a lot of that show.)
• Around 3ish I really came to and had some oral pain/nausea meds, and was released around 4:45. I had cereal for dinner and then read a bit on the couch, took more pain meds at 730, and went to bed really early. Pain meds tend to wake me up when they’ve “expired” (hit the four hour mark, meaning I can have more), so I was up a bit during the night to take meds, read a little on my iPad, and then float back to sleep. 
• Last night the nausea was back, so I took some of those meds that I have here (I’m back home) and thus I slept until about 11 AM today, but that’s OK. The only thing I really had to do was wash my hair, which I did, and I also finished The Way of Perfection and started The Kitchen House, which I’m really enjoying. I also have The Joy Luck Club, Swann’s Way, Pride and Predjuice, and Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul in my pile over here. 
• Since it’s Outlander night (YAY!), I’ll be up until that’s over but then I’ll be getting myself to bed. 
• My throat is super sore, from the tube and the draining of stuff from my sinuses (and I can’t blow my nose until tomorrow, ugh!), so tea/coffee are my friend, as is ice cream. 
• You don’t realize how much you NEED to blow your nose until you…can’t. Man I’m going to be happy tomorrow!

Daybook No. 70

Outside my window::

Wearing::

jeans, a grey henley top, gold hoop earrings, boat shoes.

Reading::

The Way of Perfection, The Joy Luck Club, Insurgent, Outlander (yes, AGAIN).

In the CD player::

The Juno soundtrack.

Health stuff:

Health stuff is at the fore this week. I’m having surgery on Thursday, so yesterday I went to transplant clinic to get checked out and have pre-surgical bloodwork, etc. done. I am happy to report that my PFTs went up two points, which means they’ve gone up FOUR points in the last two visits, so YES! Everyone is very pleased there.

Today was cardiology clinic, and they cleared me for surgery as well. Yay!

Tomorrow I have pulm rehab, as usual, and then surgery on Thursday.

The only snafu I’ve encountered so far is with my thyroid–there’s a benign mass on it, but it’s gotten a bit bigger. So my doctors are sending me over to OSU’s Endocrinology to see if they have any suggestions/ideas/thoughts on this bugger. We’re not too worried about it.

Fitness::

As I mentioned, rehab tomorrow. I’ve lost three pounds in the last three weeks. Yay! Pondering a new yoga class schedule and if I should add ballet to the mix as well.

Creativity:

There will be a yarn along tomorrow–the last of the garter stitch washcloths before I cast on for the stockinette stitch ones. And more on knitting, in general.

Writing: adding a few things here and there to the FIRST DRAFT, as I remember them.

The rest of the week:

Tomorrow night, dinner at the Best Italian Place in Town, and Thursday, surgery. Which means the rest of the week will be pretty down low. 🙂