kitten rory

Owwwwww.

Good old TMJ decided to flare up this weekend. This was my Thursday night:



Lunch on Friday, almost all I could manage...



I was feeling better by Friday night, but the pain came back today. I've started wearing my old mouth guard again. It helps.

The azaleas are really popping now! I took Addy out in the garden for a photo.

kitten rory

More cheerful daffodils!

I picked a bunch and put them in a vase. There were so many this year!



The azaleas are finally blooming, and there are a few stray tulips opening up.

I just had to do a doll photo with the flowers. I picked Felicity and Elizabeth because I haven't used them in a while.



Yellow is not my favorite color, but the daffodils have cheered me up so much. I've been feeling a bit down for a while. Chemo side effects still get to me every now and then. For the last two nights, I've had leg pain that kept me awake. After dinner tonight, I had a sudden feeling of fatigue that I haven't had in months. And unrelated to chemo, I had a TMJ flare up tonight. All I need now is for my port scar to start hurting, and then I'll have a fun weekend (sarcasm)! My jaw and legs are feeling better now, so at least I'll be able to get some sleep.
easter

Easter greetings, 2021!

Outdoor church! It was a beautiful morning.



Dinner was at Katie's house. Sam brought his girlfriend, Devan. It was nice to finally meet her!

Great food and company!









Katie, Sam, and Devan:



Just one more doll photo- Briony and Luciana share Easter treats!



A good day, but I'm worn out. I also think I'm getting a cold.

kitten rory

Easter crafts.

I made wreaths, centerpieces, and place card holders.





I made this wreath for Katie. She loved it!





And of course I decorated the cocoa stand. After Easter, it gets put away and the coffee shop comes back out!



It's going to be so nice to dress up and actually be at church for Easter services. We'll be outside, because COVID-19 is still out there, and masks and social distancing are still needed. But at least it's at the church! Online services are still available for the unvaccinated or just nervous.
kitten rory

A day of firsts.

First haircut in eight months, first church service actually in church in a year, first family dinner out at a restaurant in a year.

My church had in person Good Friday services today. There were only a few people in the congregation (including my family), but there were more people online. Easter Sunday will be in the churchyard. It's supposed to be a nice day- sunny and warm, though I'll have to wear a sweater in the morning.

After church, my parents and sister and I went out to dinner. It was great to actually eat in the restaurant! We went to a good Mexican place.

My hair is ready for Easter! My hairdtesser cut off about three inches. It looks so much better now.



Katie's hair is starting to grow back. It's taking longer than mine did, but she did have more chemo. She gave me back my wig, because she never bothered to wear it. I only wore it twice!
kitten rory

A 70s/80s icon is gone.

Fashion designer Jessica McClintock died last month at age 90. Her Gunne Sax label had dreamy dresses for prom or a casual prairie style. I grew up wearing Gunne Sax dresses that my mom either sewed for me from official patterns, or bought whenever there was a good sale. Of course any formal dress had to be Gunne Sax! Here is the Seventeen Magazine ad for my junior prom dress:



I got it at Broadway Southwest in the Westminster Mall in Colorado. The store, the mall, and the dress (which I foolishly gave away) are all long gone.

I don't have a photo of my senior Homecoming dress, found at Joslin's (now Dillard's). It was a sweet black and white cocktail dress.

I still have my senior prom dress! It was an exclusive for Ups N Downs (another store I miss).



It originally had three layers of the green. I carefully removed the bottom layer when I wanted to update the dress for a college formal. The extra fabric is in a box somewhere.

Looking through Instagram and Pintrest pages this week made me feel very nostalgic! I always loved McClintock's clothes. I had so much trouble deciding which dress to get for the junior prom, but for the senior I knew right away I wanted the green one!
kitten rory

Keep calm and do your nails...

My thumb joint and wrist are acting up again, so I'm wearing a brace for a while. At least my nails look good.



Before my wrist gave out, I finished another cross stitched bag. This one is for my purse, for small cosmetics.



Easter Sunday is next week, and the service will actually be at church! It will be outdoors, weather permiting. I've missed going to church.
kitten rory

Radiation therapy- done!

Katie had her last treatment today. We had a mini celebration with take out Thai, and I made a pig pickin' pie for dessert:



She's so happy to be done. She's been so tired! But she had a good weekend with friends, a wine tasting and hiking at Calendon State Park. I hope I get to do that soon, too. Sam and his girlfriend are coming by this weekend on their way to New York, so that also makes her happy!

Today got off to a rough start, because Dad had to go to the ER because of back pain. He couldn't get an appointment and his doctor's office recommended that he go to the hospital. Big waste of time. They just did blood tests, etc., no X-rays or anything, and gave him more painkillers. He's actually feeling better now at home, but would really like to know what's wrong. Ugh, American health care.

Also, there was a mass shooting today in Boulder, at a King Soopers supermarket not far from the University of Colorado campus. No official numbers of dead or injured yet, but some witnesses have said at least six. I've been in that area many times for band and choir events. It's crowded and that store is very busy. I'll be surprised if the death toll stays at six. I hope it stays low, but I wouldn't be surprised if it goes higher.

ETA- Ten dead, including a police officer. Dammit.

ETA 2- This shooting happened less than a week after the mass shooting in Atlanta that left eight dead- six of them Asian women. Hate crimes against the Asian-American community have gone up since the beginning of the pandemic.
sick black knight

Black Knight is back!

A new mini series- Curse of the Ebony Blade. I enjoyed the first issue, except for the way he's treated by the Avengers. That is totally out of character, especially from Captain America. Despite his issues, he was a valued member of the team and good friends with many members (Hawkeye and Hercules come to mind). Thor in particular is an asshole. I'm not sure where this series is heading, other than some new looks into the history of the Black Knights and the Blade. But I'm interested enough to keep going through the five issues.

Issue one's climax has Dane getting his head lopped off by the bad guy, who is trying to steal the Blade. He gets better...



Same, Dane. Same.

Entertaining. Very brief glimpses of Dane's past and why he is the way he is (outside of the Blade's influence). It looks like we're going to get a whole lot more.