Thursday, June 4, 2026

     Lately when I see old friends I haven’t seen for awhile, I blurt out, Oh I am so glad you are still alive. How do I know who has died and who is still alive.  Me too I say, I am still alive, just in case they are not sure. There is no town crier letting us know who has died and who is born.

     I tell my roommate that I am a really smart person. And then I hesitate and remember that for almost two years I waited in the hallway at the Pacific Cancer Center for my oncology appointments. I didn’t know there was a comfortable waiting room. When asked why no one told me about the waiting room, the medical assistant says we thought you wanted to sit in the hallway.

     Inspired by Oliver Sacks book A LEG TO STAND ON, I get out of my recliner and drive downtown to get the needed haircut. He writes about the role of our mind maps controlling what we do and how we live. I don’t know how his writing connected with my need to stop looking like Paul McCartney. Now I look like Kathy.

     Instead of watching the election returns we start watching a new series THE MINDFUL MURDERS on Netflix, a German comedy series. We settle in watching the dubbed English and soon realize it is a fabulous show.

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

     The Larken House garden is charming and is a state park.  In the morning, we sit on two benches facing each other and talk. No more twisting on an uncomfortable bench to continue the conversation. We stay two hours. The garden is quiet, protected by high stone walls. Walking through the narrow exit gate the loud traffic noises surprise me.

     We don’t stay up to watch the California returns. This morning, I check the news for any updates. Hard to tell what it all means.

     A friend and her little excited dog visit in the late afternoon. We sit on the deck so the dog can explore the yard.  My roommate sits in the dirt working on her garden. The day is cooling off, actually it was never a warm day.

     We watch the last episode of AFTER THE FLOOD, and then THE WANDA SYKES LEGACY SHOW. Both satisfying shows. I am intrigued with Oliver Sacks writing in A LEG TO STAND ON. He explores what it feels like to lose the connection to parts of the body. This sense of wholeness, connectedness, comes from the brain. I am not sure how to describe this experience but I have felt it in my treatments.

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

     I drive my friend to the gas station.  She lost her car gas cap while getting gas. I drive through rush hour traffic and park. She walks around the area looking for the cap.

     I sit in the car watching people and cars rushing by. Her smashed cap is found on the road. The gas station attendant gives her a cap from his pile of lost caps.

     A middle age bearded man walks up the street with a large parrot on his shoulder. The streets are filled with cars and groups of people, summer visitors. I am exhausted when I return home.

     My East Coast daughter sends me the Oliver Sacks memoir, A LEG TO STAND ON. Now it is my turn to read the book. He is such a good writer as he describes his experiences with a broken leg and being a medical patient. I am reminded of my experiences. We start watching season two of THE FOUR SEASONS show. Today is election day and tonight we will watch the results.