Sunday, July 21, 2013

Summer Report

 Watching the Durham Bulls from the Press Box.


Mostly this summer had been good, but it's been weird.

Summer, in my book, is almost always weird.

Right now the weirdness lies in the following things:

1. My mom is undergoing aggressive chemo as of yesterday. She has leukemia. Formerly, she had Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia, but now she's got the acute kind. The good news is, her doctors think that she's got a good chance of beating it. The bad news is, well, she's got cancer. If you're the praying type, please pray for her!

2. Jack has been at camp for two weeks, and will be there for one more. I never know how I'll feel about things until they happen. Before Jack left, I wondered: Would I miss him? Would it be a relief not having him glare at me all the time? Would the house feel emptier without him? The answers: Yes, yes, and yes.

I'm happy to report that he's have a great time at camp. It's an academic camp being held on the campus of Wake Forest University, and Jack's course is Mock Trial. He says the kids are nice, the class (which meets Monday through Saturday, 9-4) is interesting, and the food is good. I'm pretty sure he'd be happy to stay there the rest of the summer, but we need him home, so home he comes next week.

3. One of my best friends, the oft-mentioned-on-this-blog Danielle, is moving. It's throwing me off-balance to think of her gone. Fortunately, she's only going to Charlotte, a two-hour trip, so it's not like we'll never see her again, but still. And to add insult to injury, she's taking one of Jack's best friends, her son Aidan, with her. So it's rocking our world a little bit.

4. I haven't been quilting very much, or blogging very much, if you've noticed, or doing some of the stuff that keeps me grounded. Mostly it's because I've got a lot of writing projects going on right now, including the revision of a novel and the documentary project I've been contributing to, Bull City Summer. Now, I love to write, but the Bull City Summer project is pushing me out of my comfort zone. In a good way, I think, but they keep making me go interview people. It's scary!

5. Just the general weirdness of summer, with its lack of routine, and funky weather (we've had tons of rain--I wish I could send some to my friends out West). Overall, Will's been doing well, but I think if school started next week, he wouldn't complain too much. Overall, I've been doing well, and I would complain if school started next week because I'm enjoying my slow mornings. But I'll be happy about the return of routine when it comes.

The good things: I feel good! No bad gut! I've tried some new recipes that have worked really well. I haven't had a bout of the summer blues (yet). I'm walking a lot. I've been hanging out with my dear friend Amy at the pool and having wonderful, long talks. We don't get to hang out a ton during the rest of the year, so our poolside chats are a real treat for me.

How's your summer been? I think I'll go read your blog and find out!

9 comments:

Gumbo Lily said...

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I'm the praying kind, so I will remember her.

I'm wondering if you will get to eat any pie this summer with Jack at camp for so long? I'd miss that part of Jack for sure!

I am SO happy to hear that your gut-thing is well. That must be such a relief. What kind of recipes are you cooking/making?

I haven't been blogging as much either. Lots of summertime work to do and a sick FIL.

Enjoy those poolside chats. That sounds nice.

~Jody

Leslie said...

Summer just swooped in and took over. It is good to get an update from you, and I am really sorry to hear about your moms illness. She is in my prayers. I'm curious about your recipes, too.
Hugs from Tx,
Leslie

Jo said...

Oh, the scourge of cancer. Is your mum nearby? That is so tough for her and you and your family. I am so sorry.
We have just finished our winter school holidays, and I am exhausted. Even the thought of making school lunches is not going to stop me smiling from ear to ear as I send them out the door tomorrow morning, before I collapse with multiple cups of tea for about four hours...

Nancy McCarroll said...

Yes, I will pray for your mom.

Sorry your summer has been off a bit. Just makes one appreciate the better times.

Eat well, stay well.

On A Shoestring said...

Thinking of you and your Mum. Blogging's taken a back seat for me too, with a rare UK heatwave time's needing to be spent enjoying it rather than sitting at the computer. School summer holiday just about to start on Thursday so then the fun really begins!

Melissa E said...

Sorry to hear about your mom. I will be praying! glad to hear that Jack is enjoying camp! I know the feeling of having your best friend move...I have 3 women that I would call lifelong best friends and 2 moved to CA (I curse that state for taking my friends!!) and the other just moved to Texas two weeks ago and they all used to live here in this area. It took a while getting used to them being gone, but at least it gives me an excuse to travel! Hope the transition for you goes ok!

Heather said...

I'll be praying for your mom. I'm so sorry she's going through this.

Tracy said...

We're in the middle of winter - not the coldest part of it yet but winter nonetheless. We're all kind of longing for the lazy weeks of summer holidays. They're not long enough around here - only about six weeks for the kids (less for me) but we've all become quite fond of hibernating on school holidays.

debbie bailey said...

I'll remember your mama in my prayers, and you, too. Our school starts two weeks from today, and I'm not nearly ready for that routine again. I hate the sameness of the rigid schedule. Good thing is that I only have to live with it for three more years! Yay! Then I won't have any more children in school...well, maybe college, but that's a different kind of schedule that's fine.