A gloomy day outside, OK inside.

Dear Friends and Family,

1105 pm. Determined to do this earlier but the evening got away, we cooked some rice after going to the store for it and yellow squash and yuk, an onion! Nan spent the day alone as I was out at 8:30 and got home at 6:45. She divided her time between being up stairs resting and downstairs in her recliner checking out the overcast weather and cuddling under her heated blanket (courtesy of Nikki). I left the house at 70 this morning but it does not last all day.

Crescent Health called today to tell Nan that her latest blood work showed lipids are too high and blood sugar is also too high. They said they will be adjusting it in the batch that comes in the morning. This could explain something about the way she has been feeling, pretty good but not quite right with some episodes of throwing up but no continual nausea. She had rice this evening and apple pieces, cranberry juice and lots of water. Some times her tummy hurts and sometimes the nephrostomy tube place hurts. She takes pain meds round the clock and then has extra meds for breakout pain but days go by without her using the second pain meds. She is moving about easily and we have placed a rolling chair in the kitchen so she can work and not have to stand for long periods of time.

Tomorrow I will be gone from 9:30 through about 5:30 seeing things in Oakland and then down Highway 5 to Newman before finally getting to come home to be with her more. It has been a huge week work wise and I have so many lose ends right now. Steve has been working very hard as well traveling here and there to see properties. We are thankful for the increased work load but it makes it hard to devote the time I would like to Nan and just being with her. She never complains but I would not enjoy being here all day every day with no one to talk to. Of course she does get to talk to friends and family and that helps a lot. Nan has been helping me with appointments this week and has done a nice job of scheduling. Even though today had a lot of miles it went very well. The GPS took me right to the door in Lodi, then to Placerville, both properties were out in the country and yet it found every little needed turn. I saw a house in Stockton that was constructed in 1872 or so. Quite the place and there are some rose bushes there with trunks over a foot through.

Well my meds are staring me in the face, its time to take them and go to bed. I'm not sure how the lipids got so high so fast, they check the blood every week and up till now it has been very good, perhaps its because she is eating more solid food now, not sure but every day seems to bring some new issue or factor to consider. How Nan is so solid through all of this I don't know but I sure admire her for her courage and stability. She is a very brave woman and very kind as well. Oh how she loves to hear from her kids and Keanna. Really makes her day and she loves to hear the adventures Dana has been up to and to find out how Sharons house is doing, whether the rats are winning or Sharon is winning. Imagine, rats eating through PVC pipe, perhaps Texas rats are a bit more aggressive or something.

Here are a couple more photos from the party. Hope you enjoy seeing familiar faces. 1) George, Jeannie, Jo, Pastor Jim and Barbie. 2) Bob, Carrol and Mrs Volney. 3) Nan, Starr and Sydney. 4) Lloyd, Gerry and Steve.

Seeing all that wonderful food makes me hungry all over again. Everything was so good and Barbies cake was not only homemade but very good.

Nan and I thank you for your continued interest and concern about her recovery. Seems every day has highs and lows but for the past two weeks we have more highs than lows, Nice change really.

Please pray that God would see fit to cause the leaking to stop. It still leaks some and we discover this as we change the dressings morning and evening. Next week we meet the new oncologist on tuesday and then have new nephrostomies installed on wednesday and then home that evening. Nan managed to find a 3 star hotel for $69 for the night so we don't have to drive in and back twice through some pretty interesting traffic.

Sending our love,

tim and nan