Dear Kids,

I’m still sick, so this will be another short letter.  I don’t know if this is my last sickness, or if I’ll be getting better, but I hope I’m going to recover because there are still a bunch of things I want to do.

Tonight is book club, and we’re talking about Sled Dog School.  Since my voice is still gone, I’ll have to get someone else to read the questions.  I have treats to throw out, and I don’t need a voice for that.  

Two weeks from today is Emma’s farewell, which we’re combining with Super Sunday.  Tom’s church is at 10:30 am.  I’m sure he’ll be sending out a notice.  Call Kim for a food assignment, if you want to.  It will be a great event, and I’m sure Emma will be a wonderful missionary.  

I had to have a tooth extracted last Tuesday, and I thought it was going to be terrible, like all my extractions have been, but Dr. Condie barely started working on it when he suddenly had it in his hand.  It looked like the perfect icon of a tooth, and it even looked like it should have a smile on it.  I’m getting fewer and fewer teeth in my mouth, but I probably won’t need them that much longer, anyway.

When your families come to visit, could you make sure they stay quiet?  No running or shouting.  Just tell them Grandma Christy is very sick and she can’t handle noise.  I think they’ll catch on. 

Maybe my letters will start getting longer, but there isn’t much to say when every day is the same.

Lots of love, Mom

 Dear Kids,

My whole life right now is about being sick.  I’m into my fourth week of coughing, and I don’t have any energy at all.  On Thursday, I saw my oncologist, Dr. Lewis, and he blamed my coughing on Dr. Cannon, the radiation doctor.  Evidently the radiation squooshed up the tumors in my lungs and has made them interfere with my breathing.  Dr. Lewis thought a course of prednisone would really help me, but it’s the third day, and nothing’s getting any better.  I’m starting chemo again tomorrow, and hopefully that will shrink my tumors and stop the coughing.  I can only hope, and I really appreciate your prayers.

Meanwhile, Book Club will be a week from tonight, and I almost have my questions ready for Sled Dog School.   Whether I’m coughing or not, we’ll have a good time.  I put in my first question last week, so here’s the second: “How did the dog Bandit get his name?”  There, everybody can get at least two right answers.  When I planned this book for January, I figured we’d have a couple of feet of snow on the ground like we did last year.  We’ve had about an inch out of two storms.  Pretty soon the news will start pestering us about the drought.  We can never get it just right. 

The last Sunday of the month, January 28, will be a combination of Super Sunday and Emma’s farewell.  I’ll put more details in my letter next week.  I just love these gigantic family events and I hope I won’t still be coughing by then.

Sonia plays tricks on us every morning when it’s time for her to go out.  Mostly she crouches under the middle of our bed, where you can’t reach her from any side.  Dad tries to coax her with smooth talk and kitty treats, but I get the broom and sweep under, from one end to the other.  She hates that.  But by evening she forgives me, when it’s time to sleep on my legs.  My legs must be warmer than Dad’s, because she always prefers me.

It took us four days to get our little Christmas tree undecorated and down, but it’s finally tucked away in the corner of the storage room, and we’re really into the new year.  I haven’t made any resolutions.  The year goes by too fast for that.  I’m living my life one day at a time.

Lots of love to everyone, Mom