Still as a Millpond

Michelle started her 10-day radiation treatment on Monday. Everyone knows how much she loves getting out of the house every day. The treatment is only taking 10-15 minutes but to her it feels like an hour. She must lay still as a millpond. She wears a weighted vest that restricts her breathing movements while being radiated. Perfectly comfortable for Michelle, right? A meeting with the radiation oncologist reminded us that radiation therapy usually does not have an immediate effect, and it could take days, weeks, or months to see any change in the cancer. We saw this with her brain and spinal radiation. Michelle started taking Prilosec to fend off the side effect of esophagitis, although this too may take two weeks to show up.

Most days were smooth sailing for someone going through radiation. Her breathing is getting better. She seems less steady on her feet. I think this is because she is doing less physical therapy. She has not wanted to strain herself too much, this would cause more breathing issues.

Highlight of the week This week it was fun watching Michelle do some crafting with our granddaughters. Trying to keep a 6-yr-old and a 9-yr-old entertained anywhere from four to six hours a day can be a bit of a challenge. We spent $80 at Walmart trying to fish up some creative crafting ideas. I loved watching Michelle interact with her grandchildren. You can see a garden of love that flows in a grandmother’s heart when she plays and teaches them her craft. The dogs tried helping at one point, that almost didn’t end well. Crisis was diverted.

Random Fact of the Week In many places, the common proper name Mill Pond has remained even though the mill has long since gone. It may be fed by a man-made stream, known by several terms including leat and mill stream. The channel or stream leading from the mill pond is the mill race, which together with weirs, dams, channels, and the terrain establishing the mill pond, delivers water to the mill wheel to convert potential and/or kinetic energy of the water to mechanical energy by rotating the mill wheel. The production of mechanical power is the purpose of this civil engineering hydraulic system.

Did you know? Michelle and I almost broke up because I didn't want commitment.

Throwback Love Story The year was 2012. I remember wanting to find something fun to do in Austin. Michelle and I kept hearing about a fashion show. The event was being held at the up-and-coming Domain, not downtown, so we decided to go. It was a lot of fun. There were almost 60 designers showing their new collections on the runway and in pop-up shops. We saw a very stylish looking outfit showcased on the runway that I thought would look stunning on Michelle. We milled around most of the day and did a lot of window shopping. We spent probably $80 at a high-end café for the 2 of us, way more than I’d spend on lunch any day. After our lunch, we went on the hunt for the runway outfit we saw. Michelle tried on a few runway items, but they were overpriced and were not a good fit for her body type. We searched for about 3 more hours and came up empty on the one item I thought would be perfect for her. Irritated, hot, and tired, we decided to give up and go home. Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. She hates trying on clothes and really hates anything that showcases her. Walking down a dark sidewalk entering a tunnel to the parking garage, there was a picture window to our right and in it was the outfit we were looking for all day! Of course, I had Michelle try it on. She looked so beautiful in it. The $400 price tag, not so much. We would never spend that much money on a piece of clothing. I remember taking some pictures but not buying it. As much as we both wanted it, we couldn’t swallow the $400 over inflated price.

Michelle turned 51 on June 22^nd, 2013. Her present was wrapped waiting for her to open after her shower. I hadn’t made her cry since proposing to her 12 years earlier. I couldn’t believe it, she made an audible, but soft crying sound. She wrapped her arms around me and thanked me. I thought she would be mad at me for spending the money. I’ve never been more wrong. She looked more beautiful than she did that day at the fashion show. I have attached a picture of Michelle wearing this outfit, yesterday!

Flowing Upstream Michelle has enjoyed a new series on Netflix called “Another Life” (Netflix) Astronaut Niko Breckinridge is focused on searching the world for alien intelligence. She leads a crew that is on a mission to explore the genesis of an alien artifact that has been found on Earth.

Michelle is also enjoying the series “Lore” (Prime) Writer Aaron Mahnke launched his podcast "Lore" in 2015 and it has gained critical acclaim in the time since, including earning Best in the country - 2015 honors from iTunes.

Flowing Downstream Michelle and I are enjoying "The Unit" (HULU) it Based on the book Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit; and follows a covert team of Special Forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the home front. Part of the show's focus is the effect that the group's missions have on the guys' wives and girlfriends.

We are holding "Camp Grampy" this week, so it is not just song and dance night at the Luck house, it also means movie nights! The kids and grandparents are enjoying “Ghostwriter” (Apple TV) is a perfect kid series. When a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world, four kids must team up to solve an exciting mystery surrounding the ghost's unfinished business.

“Field and Stream Diner”

The Menu

Snacks

Vanilla Pudding

Pear & Cottage Cheese parfait (I guess cottage cheese is not a well liked thing?)

Hershey’s Dark Chocolate (We've cut back some on this)

Entrees

Hawaiian Chicken

Beef Ranch Skillet

Fried Shrimp

Spaghetti

Frankenstein Stroganoff

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Chicken Stir-Fry

Sides

Frozen Veggie Mix

Cauliflower Rice

Sweet corn

Are you reading this? Probably not.

Green beans

Baked Beans

Jasmine Rice

French Fries

Drinks

Lemonade

La Croix (Berry and Razz-Cranberry)

Chalk

Love you,

Brian 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_pond