Happy Days

The past week has been busy, productive, and positive. I've been playing at the flower shop a bit more. I'm trying to learn our new computer system that was added in June. Believe it or not, up until this week, I couldn't add an order, or post a payment. Talk about useless!!!!! I'm getting a little better at it, but it's taking some time. The daily closeout has me bumfuzzled. I have to start at 4:00 in order to be finished by 5:00, and that doesn't include the time it takes to answer the phone, or say hello to walk-in customers. I never believed that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I'm starting to see the wisdom in that saying. I do think I might have finally figured out how to add pictures to this blog! If so, I'll go back and fill in a few gaps in the last posts!!!!!

Saturday we had two orders going to the hospital. They were both going to the same floor, and one of them was for a lady I have always admired. I volunteered to take them myself so that I could say hello to this wonderful lady. I walked into the hospital with a dozen red roses, that I have to admit were spectacular, and EVERYONE who saw the flowers stopped and commented on how beautiful they were. Needless to say, by the time I got to the nurses station, I was smiling from ear to ear. The recipient was called to the desk (she is a nurse), and the look on her face was complete disbelief. She was speechless for a minute. As I was waiting for the elevator, I overheard her say, "He never sends me flowers!" She couldn't take her eyes off of them. All of her co-workers were admiring them, and congratulating her on her anniversary. On the way down in the elevator, I got to thinking about the many messages flowers can convey, and what a powerful, but mostly overlooked gift they are. I kept thinking about that nurses' reaction and by the time I got to the car I was actually tearing up. I got the second arrangement out, and went back upstairs for a quick visit with my friend. (She's doing fine, by the way, and will be discharged soon). As I left her room, I saw the nurse still looking at her roses. She stopped me and said that in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for work that morning she had only briefly acknowledged that it was their anniversary. She and her husband were both working 12 hour shifts that day, and she had not given it a second thought. They have been married for 22 years. I told her that she had made my day too. Getting to see her reaction, and the thoughts she shared with me were priceless. I think flower delivery people must have the best jobs in the world. In what other profession can you witness every human emotion? From birth to marriage to death, and everything in between. I get to be a part of it all. I am so blessed.

Don spent most of the afternoon campaigning. He likes to say that he gets up every morning 300 votes behind, and goes to bed at night 300 votes up. He is having fun with this campaign. He gets to talk all the time, which is one of the things he does best!

We had some friends over last night for a little visit, then we all went to dinner. Mexican food and Mojitos! It doesn't get any better than that. When we got home I found a Bob Dylan special on PBS. The perfect end to a perfect day.

I'm taking it easy today. Plan on trying a new recipe for crawfish stew. I know it does kind of sound gross, but I try to do "cajun" on Sundays. It's the SouthEast Texas girl coming out in me.

I got good news from Anahuac this week. My cousin Wayne had a biopsy at MD Anderson, and it turns out that he does not have cancer! Elizabeth, his wife, has just finished 33 rounds of radiation for breast cancer, so she has been giving me encouragement and info through this next stage.

Donna from Dr. Saez's office called Friday morning, and I am now off of chemo until at least the end of April, first of May. I have been having a treatment every 3 weeks since my last pet scan. The doctors don't want any Avastin floating around in me during surgery and healing, so I really am chemo free now for the first time since July. Surgery is scheduled for April 9, here at the hospital. We are saying special prayers for the surgeon, Dr. Cuenca. I know I'll be in good hands.

Prayers are going up for D.L., Loy Jean and their families, Hillary Johnson and her family, and many others.