I just realized

I just realized I haven't posted for almost a week.

I have excuses.

It's almost Christmas and I've been buying/wrapping/bagging gifts for a while--not that long really....

And I've had one of those early winter colds that gets better and then worse and then better again and then comes back. I blame Bern for giving it to me. So, I've been out of sorts.

Then I seem to have developed a rash that exactly conforms to the mask of my C-Path machine. I've had this machine for several years and all of a sudden I'm breaking out down the sides of my nose. Bern has begun to disinfect it as she did the toys at the day care she ran and it's some better. I can't see my dermatologist until January 2 but, of all things, Benedryl cream seems to be helping the itching that has woke me up at 4:30 a.m. for several nights.

Plus, I've been writing for Bern every day. For Christmas, she gives me something she has made or painted or constructed and I write her stories and poems and such. This year the writing has been difficult. I blame my depression over having He Who Will Not Be Named as my president and all the damage he is doing, left and right. (Just a phrase--the damage is all from the Right!)

But I finally finished a poem about 'Home' and a poem about our granddaughters and a story about Bela in the Kennel over Christmas and a sonnet. I used to write Bern sonnet after sonnet, but haven't for years since free verse is so much easier. But I wrote a sonnet for her today in about an hour and a half. 14 lines, iambic pentameter, a/b/a/b, c/d/c/d, e/f/e/f, g/g about my love for her.

So, I should be back.

But there's this--17 month old Eleanor had two seizures today--she had one months ago in school. Today there was one in pre-school and one in the ambulance. She's in the hospital for tests. Tim and Mimi, I'm sure, are beside themselves. They were supposed to come here on the 23rd and fly from Bradley in Hartford to Florida to see Tim's family late Christmas day. All that is in the air now.

If you pray or meditate or think sweet thoughts, send them out to Eleanor and Mimi and Tim. And to Bern and I if you have any left.

Lordy, Lordy--children and grand-children, how you worry....