Friday Morning

Rachel with Louis before watching the Portland Timbers Wed. night. She has a new sweet Timbers scarf. Timbers won but tried to loose at the end... oh Timbers...

Pre dinner crackers and cheese. Laura (and louis) are looking through the picture album that we are making for Laura. We ask people to bring a page or two of pics and memories they have of Laura. If anyone out there in computer land wants to give, send or email a page, I am happy to put it in Laura's "memory" album.

Sunset from our deck a couple days ago

It's Friday so I have a lovely long weekend ahead of me.  Salmon is in the smoker, dogs have been out, coffee is poured, plants are being watered and best of all Ani is coming home today! I will go out Salmon fishing with Gordon after Ani gets home.  You'll be proud of me, I am going to see a counselor on Monday to talk about cancer, hospice and such. My new boss told me that he would approve me taking Mondays and Fridays off, but he would feel better about approving the time off if I would see a counselor. I think I will like working for/with him.

Laura continues to change every couple days. While she is not in any pain, she is starting to say,"I don't like this." She doesn't like how tired she is; how she can't follow a conversation; how she needs help with everything...  She is always saying I'm sorry to me or thank you so much for being nice to me.  She feels badly that she can't do much by herself.

Last weekend we moved our bedroom back upstairs. The hospice nurse OKed the move as long as someone was holding her hand/arm while going up and down the stairs. She is still asking to "go home" but understands where we are sleeping. We are both sleeping so much better since she can find the bathroom and then get back into bed in the middle of the night. We have gates at both ends of the stairs and so far she has navigated the stairs just fine with all our help. I have emptied all the drawers and cabinets in the bathroom. On Wed. Connie B. was taking care of Laura and Connie found her chewing on an ear plug and then told Connie it was arnica...

Laura really likes it when I lie down with her so I have been taking an hour nap when I get home from work at 3 this week. For a hyper guy like me, it feels wonderful to just lie down and rub her back. My cousin, Tim, suggested I start this blog up again to help people know what is going on. Now, though it is more for me. It feels good writing and posting pictures. I will try to get pics of Laura's care giver and see if her hospice nurse is ok with me taking a pic of her too... Since Ani will be home, I plan to be out of the mighty Columbia searching for salmon. Have a good day and be as good to yourself as you are to your loved ones. OXOXO