Nov 16

Really, there's nothing new.

My mom still has cancer and, more importantly, liver failure. She has started taking fluids by IV every Friday - potassium and magnesium and whatever fluid they give you when you're dehydrated - saline? She has started swelling, which is one of the symptoms of acute liver failure. But it's not every day or all the time yet.

We are flummoxed that the holidays are so close.

The Energy Savers people are here, replacing our furnace. I don't like having workmen in the house and they've opened up a hole in the hall floor which makes getting to our only bathroom quite the Olympic feat for me. They have taken off the hall door and there's banging, which rattles me. I really don't need my nerves to be shot today. I need to stay on top of my game. Also. One of them is smoking weed outside the house. Refer back to "I need to stay on top of my game."

Sam is two weeks away from his first audition. He plays the clarinet and is trying out for All-City Honor Band. He's the only clarinet from his school to audition. So, he's at school a lot lately, for practice. Tuesday mornings and lots of days after school, plus private lessons on Saturday. Being good at this has been good for him. He has a lot more confidence now than he used to. (Yes. I realize I dangle participles all over the place. Thanks for noticing.)

Mama would like me to start attending church regularly. I assume my brother would like me to, as well, since he's gotten all churchy and evangelical. I like the formal service fine, except for the dressing up - well, maybe I like that part, too. I like the music. The sanctuary is big and beautiful and the acoustics are awesome. This week, they are going to do Copland (which I love) and something else I love, but don't remember what. The boys like to attend the earlier modern service. I dislike it quite a lot. I don't know any of the words and the music sucks. The youth program is ok. The new youth minister and his wife are hellfire-and-brimstone kinda people, so I'm not sure why they have this job at this very-middle-of-the-road, leaning-towards-liberal Methodist Church. We like to keep our feet warm and our services short. People have football and lunch to get to. We don't have all damn day and we think God is probably good with that. I can continue taking the kids to the youth things & children's choir (Jamie), but I don't know about the morning service. I like having my mornings quiet, which might be a moot point with kids in the house.