The boys at Amelia

The Comeback Kid

If you had shown me this picture last year and told me that this is how Jimmy would look on March 28, 2009, I would not have believed it. In some ways he looks better than he did 10 years ago: 25 pounds lighter, his post-transplant complexion smooth and clear, and his new-growth hair is gorgeous. He has been asked on more than one occasion if his hair is real and if he colors it. (It is and he doesn't.)

Lacy's Kountry Store

We all have them: those favorite places we can't pass without stopping. As I've mentioned before, Chick-Fil-A's Icedream cones can pull Jimmy in like a magnet, and, as do many other people, we schedule trips to and from Highlands around lunches at Henry's restaurant in Clayton, Georgia. Henry's has the crispiest fried chicken around, and if you hit them just right on a summer Sunday, ice cream made with fresh peaches, served straight out of the churn.

We've stopped at Lacy's in Moniac, Georgia, three times in the last week: on our way to Amelia last Saturday, on our way home Monday, and again this afternoon as we headed back to the beach. (We figure we can enjoy a rainy weekend over here just as well as we can at home.)

It's in the middle of nowhere and you pass it if you blink, but there's usually a fleet of old pickup trucks out front, which bodes well.

The pretty little clerk greets everyone who walks in with a cheerful, "He-ey!" and leaves her post at the cash register to go to the back of the store to make your order. We always get the same thing: turkey sandwiches made with white bread so fresh it sticks to the roof of your mouth, and sour cream potato chips, and we split a Turtle chocolate-pecan bar. Heavenly.

Surf's up

Thinking we'd escape the pollen this weekend and that a little sunshine and salt air would soothe Jimmy's poor abused bronchial tubes, we went to the beach.
Unfortunately, we found the weather much chillier than we'd expected, with the wind blowing like a banshee. Just going out on the balcony made you feel like The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore being buffeted around in a hurricane.

Whereas the surf usually looks like this:

yesterday it looked more like THIS:

(I couldn't resist posting these photos of a couple of my Ebay seascapes that hang in our bedroom at the condo. Combing the Internet for old paintings is a great passion of mine, kind of like some people enjoy going to garage sales or looking for treasures on the beach. You have to sift through lots and lots of trash to find the gold nuggets.)

Spring is here

I wandered around the yard and the house late this afternoon, taking pictures of flowers. It felt like the right thing to do on the first day of spring. I'd intended to pick out one or two photos, but it was hard to choose, so I'm posting them all.

"Beulah, peel me a grape"

For years, some of Jimmy's friends have accused him of being the most spoiled person in America, and they may be right. His sweet lovable nature makes you want to look after him, especially when he doesn't feel well, but I told him tonight that since he's better, he needs more exercise. He needs to get up and turn the air on, fix his own iced tea, answer the telephone. Peel his own grapes.

Saturday update

Jimmy's better. He hasn't had fever for several days, has not needed oxygen, and his coughing has abated some. He has one more day left on steroids and takes the antibiotics until Tuesday. He feels washed out and the least exertion exhausts him. This recovery process is taking much longer than we had anticipated, but I guess that's to be expected when your resistance is so low.

He says he's going stir crazy, and if he's up to it, maybe I'll take him for a ride this afternoon. He'll have to stay in the car though: the pollen is thick enough to make you choke.

Blah humbug.

Jimmy felt so miserable he hardly got out of bed all weekend, and even a trip to the bathroom left him trembling and gasping for breath. His ribs ache from coughing. Hospitalization was mentioned when we talked to Dr. Anderson this morning, but with Jimmy's weak immune system, we'd rather avoid germy environments if at all possible.

This afternoon was spent at the outpatient clinic where Jimmy got more intravenous antibiotics and steroids, and he's back at home now, taking a nap: safe, quiet, and comfortable. A home health service should be here soon with oxygen so he can breathe more easily.

And, no, this is most probably NOT related to the cancer, other than the cancer treatment's having left his body with such weakened defenses against things like this. He's going to be fine.

Over the hill? Into the sunset?

Whatever the cliche, when you accumulate a lot of birthdays, it can be a little depressing. Of course you're happy that you're still HAVING birthdays, but it's difficult to reconcile that large number with the twenty-year-old you feel you still are. I had one of those high number birthdays today, and as much as I was dreading it, it wasn't so bad. People I love helped ease the pain.

Jimmy and I had planned on being in Marsh Harbour for the great event, but his pneumonia put an end to that. I think this is the fifth time we've had to cancel our plans to go there in the last six months.

Jackie and Mary and Max and Elizabeth (Jimmy couldn't go) took me to the Cajun place downtown because they know how much I love crawfish, and got me a gargantuan plateful. (The scrapbook is in the background, but more to come on that in a minute.)

Jackie and Mary gave me the most wonderful scrapbook that Mary made, and I'll always treasure it. Mary has been spending hours and hours at our house going through old pictures and memorabilia, but I thought she was making something for Jackie.

My other babies, Max and Elizabeth, gave me one of their wedding pictures in a beautiful frame, and I love it.

It's hard to believe these handsome men are my two sweet little boys: they're already older than I'm supposed to be. Life can be so strange.

Steamed

A vaporizer does wonders for Jimmy's chest congestion,

but all the sediment left on the bottom makes you think twice about drinking tap water.

Jimmy's plans to go to his office for an hour or two today were derailed when he woke up with a 100 degree temp, so he'll have to stay in a little longer. That, coupled with a roaring case of cabin fever, has not sweetened his mood.

Red sweater day

Jimmy's complaining about all the pictures of him being posted, so the quest is on for new subject matter. It's going to be tough though: he and Andy are SO cute.