Max's Sock

Max’s sock in Austin, 10:00 am

Max & I took Shiloh to the vet today for his final kitten booster shots & his worming medicine. He’s a full POUND heavier than he was 3 weeks ago, and he’s adorable. Photos later (when my battery charges)

While sitting in the waiting room I pulled out Max’s sock and started working on it. He said he liked it, and his eyes lit up when I told him it was for him. A very nice moment. He’s very excited to see how I put the heel in the sock later.

Max’s sock in Chicago, 7:00 pm

The stress of Gerry’s illness coupled with my traveling is definitely being felt by the kids, and Max tends to hold more in than Hannah does. It gives the illusion that he’s so very easy going – and he is – but he can only take so much before it all becomes too much. So I’m making him a sock – two of them if I get them finished – and give myself something to work on during flights.

I’m loving the yarn – it’s a really lovely superwash merino from Spinning Yarns Online, and I’m trying it out. I don’t knit a lot of socks – but this is very relaxing and quite fun. And Max really DIGS the color, too.

Before Our Eyes
There’s a transit ad here in the Twin Cities where a man grows old while sitting in his car. Gerry’s still at the ‘missing hair’ stage of the recovery, and thus looks older than he will in a few weeks.
Watching this ad now, I feel as though it captures what Gerry’s been through for the past few months. If I’m affected by it, I can only imagine how much the kids are struck by the physical changes in Gerry. Perhaps I notice them more because I’ve been traveling?

Oprah today was about cancer – and, perhaps for a reason – the two folks they interviewed were both very healthy-looking.

There were no great changes physically in their appearance, no major diminishment in their mobility (the man who has pancreatic cancer was doing pushups, the woman with cancer was flying from a trapeze) How surreal that must seem – to be so ill, but look so much the same.

I’m hoping that by Thanksgiving or Christmas we’ll feel as though we’re watching the ad in reverse.

Tomorrow we go to Gerry’s oncologist for the first time since we left for the Mayo. Tests will be run, I’m sure, but I’ll be watching the doctor & nurse to see how they react to Gerry after not having seen him for almost 3 months. A very rich and full 3 months. That’s my own personal test.

I like the fact that in May, when Gerry had a bad dehydration episode, his oncologist actually became less doctor-like and more human-esque. It’s odd – but comforting – to see that usual reserve slip in a doctor.

If the visit goes well, we may even stop by on the way home and see Rendition – that should cheer us up…

In happier news, Laurie Perry – Crazy Aunt Purl – will be coming to Minnesota!! I’m SO excited to see her, I can hardly stand it! Yo, yo! And I can’t wait for her to meet the family (if there’s time!)