Little Black Cloud Overhead

Picture this...it was a nice, windy, and sunny 38 degrees this afternoon. I drove through to get a few more scripts for Brian at Hy-Vee, and my gas light came on. I had a 5 cent off receipt, so I decided to use it at the gas station (even though it almost isn't worth it). I pulled up to the very north pump and got out. As the tank was filling, I thought I should wash off my back window. I walked around the back of the van and grabbed the window washer. As I raised it up and made a few swaths, I got sprayed in the face with water. I quickly wiped my face off and thought...sheesh, I just got sprayed by that dirty water. My thought was that it was windy enough that it must have blown some of the water off. I stood to the side of the van to wash from the side, and wham! I got hit again, this time in the hair and all over my coat. I thought...duh! It must be raining or something. I looked around and all the other cars in the parking lot were dry. There was a guy pumping gas right beside me, and he seemed to notice. I looked at him curiously, and he was kind of looking at me like...did you just get rained on...and wham! I got it again. We both laughed and I said...did you just see that? He said...you are getting rained on or something! I looked up over the top of the van, half expecting someone to jump up from the otherside with a Nerf soaker or something, and wham! I got drenched. By then, the guy was pulling his hood over his head and I was ducking below the van. I was thinking, oh my gosh, I am getting rained on and no one else is! I DO live in the twilight zone. I couldn't even figure out what was happening because everytime I got the chance to look up, I got hit with a shower. The gas was finished, and I peeked around the side just as it started to spray again. The top corner of the overhang had a waterfall running off of it, and every time a gust of wind came up, it blew the water on me. I headed inside and handed my wet receipt to the guy...my coat was wet enough to seem like I came in out of the rain and my hair was matted down. The clerk looked at me kind of funny, and I just said...don't ask.

I got out of the house today to go to the Chocolate Festival at the Presbyterian Church. The treats were very yummy, and it was nice to get out. Erin drug me out tonight for a drink and an appetizer at Applebee's. We had a nice visit, and our waiter came up and said that our ticket had been taken care of by someone who asked him not to tell us who it was. We looked all around and saw a few people we knew, but have no idea who paid the bill. It was a very nice surprise. I just shook my head and thought of how in the midst of all this pain and misery, we keep getting little blessings along the way. Don't let anyone ever tell you the world is evil. Goodness is all around us.

One of the home health nurses popped in tonight with some chicken enchiladas she had promised Brian. I had already started making homemade pizza, so we'll have them tomorrow for lunch. Brian's parents are both here. Tye is enjoying his "On the Farm Papa", and is conning his way into going home with them next week for a few days. We will have a family party for the girls' birthdays tomorrow night.

Oh...and for Brian! He's doing well. The morphine cream is making a huge difference. The bedsore looks somewhat better and is pinking up. Brian's leg seems to be improving some. The odor is not as noticeable, and there is barely any drainage. It is still very painful to pack, but he's a real trooper. He got a haircut and a shave on Friday, and is looking a lot like himself.

I was thinking when the weekend was starting that it might be odd, not having football on after so many weeks (even though I love football). The Daytona 500 is on next weekend, so I knew that would start the next round of weekend t.v. events. But guy t.v. doesn't work like that! This weekend was the Bud Shootout, and it was time to start the NASCAR routine already!

We ask for your continued prayers for Brian, Kathy, Ethan, and so many others. We ask for special prayers tonight for Frank, a fellow melanoma warrior, diagnosed 8 months ago, who entered hospice last week in hopes of having some quality time with his wife and 11 year-old twin daughters. The pain of this disease cuts deep.

Many blessings to you all,

Jenni