Sarah’s family is preparing for a beach visit. Preparing is often the greater part of time spent on an upcoming event. Eileen made pancakes this morning. Although yesterday was not painful it seems to have drained me physically.

I was imagining a cumbersome piece of rubber that would go round my torso but of course it was all cyber in creation. It took about an hour.

Mark called yesterday. He was just holding back from “bothering us.” I promised to call him more often.

It has really helped having Sarah around. She drove yesterday.

The group has left and it’s strangely quiet. I was not looking forward to their leaving but now I feel deflated.

I had a run in with Alice this morning. She was screaming in the kitchen and had been screaming all morning. I yelled at her a bit irrationally and she screamed even more. I talked to Sarah about it later and she said that it was hard to be rational when a little kid is screaming. I did not feel better about it. Later when they were leaving, Alice turned to me in her silky toddler voice and said “I’ll miss you granpa.”

Sheesh

This afternoon we are on our way to Grand Rapids for my first treatment. I’m expecting them to coat my torso with a rubberized surface and let it sit for about an hour and a half. This will prepare me for five subsequent radiation treatments to eradicate my five cancer spots. I am hopeful I am going to beat this.

I am wondering why Mark and Leigh keeping such a distance from me. I am hoping to see them in the next couple of weeks. I have been enjoying the weather.

I am enjoying having Sarah, Matthew, Lucy, and Alice around.

Sarah, Lucy, Alice, and Eileen are making a quick trip to the Farmers Market.

Interesting article in the New York Times this morning by Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, “Inside the War between Trump and his generals.” I read the New York Times report on it before I bookmarked it.

My daughter Elizabeth has been calling the Grand Rapids clinic where they will do the radiology. She is is trying to get us in for our first appointment at which they will make a mold for my body for the treatment. Lo and be hold, Eileen got through and they have scheduled me for this Wednesday.

I was telling Eileen how I was sort of dreading the whole ordeal but of course am very glad to speed it up. But these are the people who had me pee on myself at the last treatment. I was very unimpressed with that even though the only harm was done to my dignity.

I will call the therapy center tomorrow and cancel Wednesday’s sessions.

My daughter doesn’t have a working phone for her significant other to carry when she stays at the house. It only works on the internet.

State Legislatures Are Torching Democracy – I heard this disturbing report from the New Yorker in the middle of the night

An Ordinary Morning by Joy Harjo

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. Libby my speech therapist is encouraging me to blog. I’m afraid this makes me reluctant to do so. (Hi Libby!) Eileen thinks this is my dead father’s influence. God knows he could be stubborn about stuff like that.

Sarah and her group are preparing to visit Elizabeth for the day. I’m relieved that I don’t have to go.

I am feeling better. I’m not doing my daily exercises but I am walking after each meal. I have not slipped into a retirement routine yet. My New York Times has started coming everyday. This is a pleasure for me. I’m looking forward to spending the day with Eileen.

I am definitely not functioning well. I accidently sent Cynthia’s gift card to her brother’s address. I am reading a bit more. I am reading the daily New York Times from start to finish. I started a new Le Guin Novel, Five Ways to Forgiveness.

I think Mark gave me a two box Library of America set by Ursula K. Le Guin. There is a wonderful quote from another of my favorite writers on it: “Genre cannot contain Ursula Le Guin: she is a genre in herself.” Zadie Smith

I’m almost done with Lipore’s The Secret History of Wonder Woman. I think I’m a bit disappointed in the extreme detail Lipore goes into about the people who invented Wonder Woman because she was more of a by product of their life styles and it takes Lipore forever to get to the actual comix.

I am reading my son-in-law Jeremy’s copy. I will see him soon, so I better finish this soon.