Election Day

Means no school! So Lexi was with me all day. We left the house some time after 9 am, and went first to the Milburn Fire Department so I could vote. We were not in the area where the trucks are kept, so she couldn't see them, but she did watch as I voted and learned a little (maybe) about the process. One of the poll watchers gave her a sticker that said "I voted." We talked a little about it on our way to Mayfield. She said her PawPaw votes and has given her his sticker before.

Small towns definitely have their advantages. As we were getting out of the car, a man who had just voted told me that there was no waiting. I had figured that; I've never had to wait here. Even in a town the size of Mayfield, there were usually several people ahead of me, but nothing like the lines in Collingswood NJ. Of course in Collingswood I was always voting after work along with all the other 9-to-5ers. Anyway, the man who had just voted asked if I lived nearby, and I told him by the water tower. He asked if I had lived there when the Wilsons did also. I told him I live in the house they had lived in. They are his son and daughter-in-law.

When we got to Mayfield, the first place we went was WalMart to get the new lens put in my glasses. Now I can see with both eyes!

Then we went to the library. After finding two books, Lexi made friends with a boy (probably 7 or 8) and they played chess. They both claimed to know how to play. I think they had checkers in mind, because I heard "king me" quite often. They really seemed to be enjoying the game.

After checking out six books (3 children's and 3 adult) we went to Taco John's for some crispy tacos and a bottle of orange juice for Lexi, which we took to the Ice House to eat. It was close to 12:30 when we got there. We wound up spending about three hours there.

Lexi took the camera and took some pictures. She took one of Dana, the Art Guild director, busy answering the phone, and one of Jo knitting between registering people who brought in artwork for the next exhibit.










And no group of Art Guild pictures would be complete without a picture of Claude (Claudia de Monet), the resident mascot. She was a just-grown-up cat when I move to Mayfield twelve years ago. For the past several years, the Ice House has closed from Christmas until the end of January, partly to save on the heating bill, but also because when it was open then, there was almost no traffic in. Claude has spent that time in various members' homes. Last year he was really spoiled. The people even made a little booklet of his stay with them, including pictures.

Lexi was also delighted to find this picture on the wall in the office. She did it in water colors, painting with her fingers, last Monday and asked me to take it with me on Tuesday when I went to the Ice House to knit. I was glad to see it there, as well, because I realized after I had taken it in that she expected to see it hung.


There is no exhibit this week. I think tomorrow is the deadline for entries for the annual juried exhibit. Then the jurying will be on Thursday, and the show will be hung on Friday and Saturday. It will open with a reception and presentation of prizes on Sunday.






Lexi also likes to take pictures of herself. You can really see where the front teeth are missing in this one.








Harvest

That's a pile of black walnuts Lexi is standing on. Alyssa and I picked them up on Saturday. While we were picking them up, we heard more falling, but there are probably fewer than 200 left on the tree. Anyone who wants some is welcome to them - you just have to come and get them.





This is Alyssa and Lexi's cat Ginger. Do you think she's comfortable? She was lying at the end of the sofa while I was knitting one afternoon. Behind her, on the hearth, you can see part of my collection of sheep.






Medical

My monthly oncologist visit was Monday. My blood is a little too thin, so my Coumadin dosage has been adjusted, and I will have my blood tested again in two weeks to see if it needs further adjusting.

The doctor didn't say anything more about the possibility of a bone marrow transplant, and I forgot to tell her that I think Little Rock is my preference. She did say that if my kappa or lambda (I forget which) light chain (I think that's the right term) is up again, she will probably change my medication. It was normal in September, but up in October. For now though, I'm still on Thalidomide and Dexamethasone. Today was the first of the four days I'm taking the Dexamethasone this month, so in a couple of days, my vision will be messed up even with the new lens. The eye doctor said that is probably because the Dexamethasone, a steroid, increases my blood sugar. It might be nice to have a different medication without some of those side effects.