The Willow Bends But Does Not Crack

 The Willow tree bends in the wind but does not easily crack. This describes Michelle this week. Her emotions ran high at times, but she never did crack. The high stress of what seems like constant doctor appointments is driving her crazy. This week there was a lab appointment I rescheduled, just because. We also met with a neurologist, which is always stressful. We ended the week at the oncologist for a checkup and more labs. Michelle has a chemo port, which is a small, implanted device that is attached to a vein in her upper chest area. For the first time ever, it hurt when they attempted a blood draw from it. They did a port study on her port this week because it was not working properly. This meant taking x-ray pictures of the device and making sure it is still intact and the placement hasn’t shifted. She has had it placed in October 2022. The port study showed that the port was fractured and is not operable. It will take surgery to fix. The wind blew, my sweet willow bent, no cracks yet.

Highlight of the week Michelle was out in her garden picking weeds again. She was out in 100-degree heat almost every day this week, one knee up and one down. She is trying to keep up with the never-ending weeds. She enjoys the results but does not like the heat. She is staying hydrated and only spends 20-30 minutes each time.

Random Fact of the Week Weeping Willows Are Pain Relievers. A compound found in willow bark is similar to aspirin and consequently is a traditional pain reliever. Male deer will seek out weeping willows when growing new antlers to help alleviate the itch as they antlers develop.

Did you know?  Michelle holds a national record for .22 lever action rifle. She shot 91 out of 120 targets in small bore lever action rifle ankle match in 2018. Michelle says “Thank you” when I kiss her.

Throwback Love Story Back in 2008 Michelle and I had a very interesting day I thought I would share. I was enjoying my coffee sitting in my recliner when I heard a loud crashing sound.  It startled me as the house was quieter than the 6AM prayer at the local Monastery.  I ran to where the sound originated, my room, and saw Michelle's sleepy and startled eyes.  "I'll check it out," I said confidently as I ran to the restroom. This is when I noticed that the shower curtain rod had fallen.  Somehow the spring inside lost its tension and no longer was able to stay up.  So much for my morning shower I thought.  I guess I would have to stay stinky until I got that replaced.  I comforted Michelle and reassured her I would stop by Target later and pick up a new curtain rod.

Stephan, 18 at the time, was up before noon and this is when I remember it was his first day at a new job. I warmly greeted him and softly welcomed him to the morning life of the working.  Stephan soon bartered with me and Michelle eventually getting his way by us allowing him to drive the GrandAm to work, rather than the previous suggested walking of 2 miles. 

Soon Stephan saw his way off to work and Michelle and I were once again alone in a quiet and peaceful living room.  Both of us face down in our laptops, deep into our work as we so often find ourselves at this point in the morning.

Suddenly we hear a muffled explosion then a split second later the electricity turns off.  Wow, I thought, that is some curtain rod!!  Michelle looked over at me and lit only by the screen of her computer she said, "What the heck was that?"  Seldom did I sense fear from Michelle. I too was not only startled but was somewhat scared. 

I thought, I can handle this one.  " I felt my chest raise as I told Michelle, “Let me go check it out” I immediately jumped up from my leather perch, after lowering the ottoman of course.  I looked out the front windows to see if neighbors had lost electricity too.  Unable to determine this, I went into the garage.  This is when I noticed Stephan in a furry with piles of rock on the hood of the GrandAm.  "I had no brakes" Stephan cried out, "I had it in neutral and could not stop the car!"  Seeing that he had a choice of hitting my motorcycle or the garage I immediately thought, wow, I could have gotten a new Harley out of this. Instead, I have a hole in my garage wall.  We were very thankful he was not injured, and it was our garage and not someone’s car, house, business, or a tree.

Stephan's aim was perfect.  He squarely hit the conduit pipe that holds the main electrical wire that goes to the house.  The impact was so great that the conduit buckled and pulled the cable from the pole at the street. Luckily it wasn’t too difficult to restore the electricity.  This was a day Michelle, and I will not forget, and one that still makes us smile.

Deep Thoughts Michelle and I watched a few episodes of Quantum Leap this week. Watching the star of the show travel to the past "putting right what once went wrong" made me wonder what if it were possible to do a Quantum Leap to the future? Could a radical change be made to what hasn't happened yet? Make right what hasn't gone wrong yet.

Willow tree TV “The Rookie” (HULU), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix), “Quantum Leap” (Peacock)

Weeping Tree TV “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount +)

“The Unit” (HULU), “The Cube” (YouTube TV)

“Severance” (Apple TV) Michelle and I are re-watching this. We missed a lot the first time around.

“Joe Pickett” (Paramount +)

“America’s Got Talent” (YouTube TV)

“Babylon Willow Diner”

The Menu

Leaves

Dark Chocolate Bars

Assorted Fruit Slices

Mint Cookies

Cinnamon Bears

The Trunk

Chicken Sliders

Parmesan Pasta Bolognese

Pulled Pork

Fried Fish

Chalupas

Grilled Chicken Breast

Italian Chicken

The Bark

Peas

Tots

French Fries

Potatoes

Willow Treats

Ice Cream

Cookie Dough Blizzard

Mint Cookies

Hydro

Lemonade

Water

Fruit Juice

 

Love you

Brian

www.WeUsedToWeepPaasingAWillowAsAKid.edu

Tough as Spider Silk

 Michelle had been as tough as spider silk this week. Because of the nationwide shortage of the chemotherapy drugs, the oncologist substituted Michelle’s regiment with a similar more accessible drug and adjusted the dosages appropriately. Michelle was in the office for 6 hours on day one. There were pump issues and more medicine with this regiment. There was nobody left in the infusion seats when we left that day, so it was very late. Day two went well and the infusion only lasted 2 hours which is typical for day two. Michelle started feeling nauseous around dinner time. I gave her some anti-nausea medicine with hopes it would disappear. Unfortunately, the nausea did not subside, and she went to bed feeling nauseous. I gave her some stronger meds and some a THC gummy hoping this would settle her tummy. She woke up several times to use the restroom that evening. Each time she said her nausea had gone away. This was a relief; I was afraid the nausea would persist. On her 3rd and final infusion day, they gave her additional anti-nausea meds through her port as well as additional fluids. The oncologist ordered a bag of IV fluids to close out the week, so she spent 4 of the 5 days at the doctor’s office this week. “I’m feeling great” she said when we took the elevator up to get the IV fluids. She is one tough cookie. I read her this week’s deep thoughts below and she cried. Happy yet fearful tears.

Highlight of the week This week’s highlight was a trip to Hobby Lobby followed by dinner at Chuy’s. We walked around Hobby Lobby for about 30 minutes looking for the right craft piece for a Christmas project we are doing for one of our grandchildren. When we got done shopping, we decided we worked up a hunger for some TexMex. We have not eaten at Chuy’s in well over a year, so it hit the spot!

Random Fact of the Week Spider silk is a wonder material that, weight for weight, is stronger than steel, tougher than Kevlar and can be more elastic than rubber. It's also flexible and antimicrobial. Scientists have used silk to make bulletproof armor, violin strings, medical bandages, optical fiber cables and even extravagant clothing.

Did you know?  Michelle worked as an admin for a Lutheran church after she retired. She was bored and wanted to pay her car off with money she earned.

Throwback Love Story I am going back to the Panama City trip in 2010 for this one.  We went to the rental car desk to return the keys and waited behind some lady telling the rental car employee about her cats, her dogs, where she lives, alligators and who knows what else. 30 minutes later and it is finally my turn. The rental agreement was wrong, so this had to be fixed. We head off to the Southwest ticket counter with a case of wine, 2 suitcases and a cooler with some freshly caught Red Snapper. We bought some bubble wrap for the wine and put that in our luggage. I thought I could have just used the bubble wrap and tape the box shut, but the airlines did not like that idea. We found room in our suitcases. We decided to carry the fish on. We were issued our tickets and off to our next obstacle, security.  TSA spent more time checking our IDs than it takes you to finish one of Brian Luck's stories. I felt a light tap on my shoulder and heard, "Sir, please step over to our secure area here, you have been randomly selected to be screened". Knowing we were cutting it close, I screamed out to Michelle “go catch the flight, I will meet you there shortly.” Michelle smiled and softly said, "as soon as I get done with this body search". She always gets searched when she wears her summer dresses. "Sir, is this your cooler?" I hear another man say. I was frisked and after a quick inspection I figured I would lose my fish for sure, this time to a bigger Dolphin that was in the Gulf (True but different story, no time to explain right now).

Michelle finishes well before me and has already boarded the plane by the time I get to the gate. "Hurry sir, they are about to shut the doors" was the last thing I heard before feeling the relief of boarding the plane. Not too unusual in today's times, the plane was completely full. I saw Michelle as I boarded and she mouthed, "no available seats next to each other, sorry". I asked the steward if there was any room in the overhead bins, he checked for me. We found some room, so I hiked up the suitcase and was unsuccessful in my attempts to make it fit. The steward suggested removing the contents of a bulging pocket on the outside of the suitcase. Liking the idea, I unzipped the pocket of the suitcase while it rested half in and half out of the bin. I grabbed the miscellaneous clothes from the pocket and out came bright red lacy panties, which fell on the poor soul sitting below the bin I was working on. Being the last person on the plane and the only passenger still standing, all eyes were on me when this happened. The steward stared blankly at me then said, "Wow, we know what's under your jeans don't we!" The entire plane roared in laughter. Ready to sit down immediately, I looked for an open seat, but I didn't see any.  I finally found a middle seat between 2 large men hogging the arm rests. Wishing it was tomorrow, yesterday or any time but now, I was happy that Michelle was comfortable and smiling, that is all that mattered to me.

Deep Thoughts We continue our journey and I learn how important it is to stop questioning why this is all happening. We are living for today with hope for tomorrow. Michelle always wins at rummy. Right now, she was dealt a crummy hand of rummy, only Michelle knows how to play out a poor hand well and win.

Spidey Daytime TV “The Rookie” (HULU), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix)

Web Primetime TV “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount +) Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA's spear in the war on terror; the Lioness Program enlists Cruz to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism.

“The Unit” (HULU), “The Cube” (YouTube TV)

“Joe Pickett” (Paramount +) We started season 2 over. Michelle forgot what happened in the first 2 episodes and we forgot to get back to watching the show.

“America’s Got Talent” (YouTube TV)

“Spiderweb Obsidian”

The Menu

Crystal Starters

Dark Chocolate Bars

Assorted Fruit Slices

The Grounding

Salmon Teriyaki

Dirty Rice

Filet Mignon

Fried Shrimp

Sloppy Joes

Chicken Fajitas

BBQ Chicken

 The Side Balance

Carrots

Peas

Tots

Potatoes

Final Healing

Ice Cream

Cookie Dough Blizzard

Mint Cookies

Dranks

Lemonade

Water

Fruit Juice

 

Love you

Brian

www.SpidersDecorateTheirWebs-ForReal.edu

Busier than a Nurse Bee

 Michelle has been busier than a nurse bee on a baby bee’s birthday. Michelle started her week with another physical therapy appointment. Upon leaving her therapist suggested plenty of water and ibuprofen for the pain. Michelle smiled and said, “He worked me today”.

Michelle’s left foot decided to get an ingrown toenail. She had a small round red area showing a little infection but not as bad as last time. Different foot and less of an infection. This time after a quick numbing needle, the family foot doctor cut back the ingrown toenail and relieved the agony of defeat. He was so excited to see Michelle and raved about how good she looked and how great her new hair style was.

Michelle had an MRI of the Thoracic and Cervical Spine with and without contrast. The IV was not too painful and the contrast did not hurt this time going in. Finding the correct imaging facility was clutch. Michelle also met with her oncologist. She wants to get a PET scan after the next chemo treatment. We were also told that the chemotherapy medicine she has been getting called carboplatin is currently experiencing a shortage nationwide. I read that there have been manufacturing problems in certain plants. Sometimes even one drug manufacturer having a problem can disrupt the entire market for that drug. Michelle’s therapy will be replaced with a similar drug called oxaliplatin. Hopefully there will be no side effects with the new drug.

Michelle also saw the neurologist this week. She was happy to see Michelle and commented on her progress. She thinks that Michelle is stronger than she has ever seen her since being diagnosed with cancer. There was some growth in one area of the cervical spine, but no changes were seen in the Thoracic images. We will see the neurologist again in 6weeks, this time to examine the MRIs of the brain and Lumbar.

Highlight of the week This week it was a walk down to Luck Lake. The drought has caused the ground to crack, and it is very uneven. Michelle is not very agile on her feet anymore, so assistance was needed. If she starts to fall, I am there for her. Coming back to the house was tougher than getting down to the lake. We went to check on Diesel the duck. He had lost his color, so it was hard to tell if it was him or Salina on the lake.  When the breeding season is over, the colorful plumage of male ducks’ changes into plain plumage like that of the females, as it is more advantageous for them to be inconspicuous, even if just for a short period until fall. I noticed on Monday that unfortunately, he has been alone most of the week, which means we have lost Salina to the beasts of the night.

Random Fact of the Week Young female adult honey bees normally function as nurse bees. Their primary job is the feeding of young brood. Special glands in the head and mouth are well developed to produce the nutritious food needed by growing bee larvae. As the worker ages a bit, her wax glands and alarm pheromone glands starts to mature. This is preparing her for her role as a comb builder, a guard bee, forager and even a scout bee. Nurse bees have a stinger and can sting but they do not normally need to – it is not their job. Bee stings are reserved for hive defense and that is the job of older workers.

Did you know? Michelle’s first car was a ford pinto. She couldn't keep it because it was totaled. She rolled it and walked away with only a bum knee.

Throwback Love Story As I have mentioned before, I like camping. We have made several trips up and down IH35 through Oklahoma to Minnesota. An area that intrigued me as we drove through it was called The Arbuckle Mountains in south-central Oklahoma. It was hilly but definitely not mountainous. As you drive through you see signs for The Arbuckle Wilderness Park and Turner Falls Park. I decided it we needed to go back. I thought I discussed it with Michelle but looking back on it now, it probably went a lot like “we should take a trip to the Arbuckle Mountains” her reply was probably, “ok”. This was enough for me to plan and execute the perfect mountain vacation for this Colorado woman.

We had purchased a popup camper and had it for about a year and I thought this would be a great time to put it to use. It was the summer of 2004. Chris and Stephan stayed home so it was just Michelle, Alanmichael and me who enjoyed the trip. The wilderness was great. We did not get to see any wild animals, but we really enjoyed the campgrounds, surrounding water and swimming areas, trails and random waterfalls here and there. Alanmichael brought me back to my childhood, making friends at every campsite near and far. We hiked to what I thought was Turner Falls, which was not impressive at all. I later learned Turner falls was in a completely different region that we were in, and this unimpressive waterfall was just that, a random waterfall. We never did see Turner Falls that trip.

I remember the temperatures reaching triple digits and finding Michelle under the awning of the camper crocheting. It was about 4pm and Alanmichael and I just got back from exploring the area. I asked Michelle, why are you out here? It is ONE THOUSAND degrees. She smiled and said, “well it’s TWO THOUSAND degrees in YOUR canvas camper”. We didn’t need an air conditioner in Minnesota, so I never gave much thought to owning a canvas camper and trying to keep it cool in the heat of the deep south. Luckily the AC was able to keep up at night, so we stayed comfortable. I look back now and think how naïve I was, not only did my bride hate camping, but she was also miserably hot and crocheting in triple digit heat was not her idea of fun. We made it back to Austin without melting and even better yet still married. The canvas ass camper (my words, not hers) was sold 2 months later.

Deep Thoughts The word determined is defined as to cause (something) to occur in a particular way; be the decisive factor in. It can also mean to ascertain or establish exactly, typically because of calculation. As Michelle and I continue our journey, we are determined to meet each day head on. I learned that she could do anything, but she can't do everything, at least not at the same time. We are making the best of what we have today and living each to the fullest. Timing is everything.

Honeycomb Daytime TV “The Rookie” (HULU), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix), “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (Paramount +)

Capped Honey Primetime “Quarterback” (Netflix), “The Unit – Thoughts of the field” (Hulu), “The Cube” (YouTube TV), “America’s Got Talent” (YouTube TV)

“Bees Never Sleep Salon”

The Menu

Dancing Bee Delights

Dilly Bar

Mint Girl scout cookies

Fancy Marshmallows

Ice Cream Sundae

The Nectar

Fried Cod

Fajita Chicken stir fry

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Italian Sausage

Parmesan Cheese Chicken and Pasta

Jambalaya

Shrimp

Royal Jelly

Carrots

Peas

Mixed veggies

Fries

Tots

Sugar Water

Lemonade

Water

Love you,

Brian

www.1beeMakes-half-teaspoon-HoneyInItsEntireLife.com

The Ocean Liner

 Michelle continues to navigate this disease like an Ocean liner. Some days it is full speed ahead, all systems are go. Other days are slow and steady, calm seas make for smooth sailing. I won’t talk about the days when there are twists or turns to be made. Have you seen an ocean liner turn? This week we had a visit with a physician assistant at the oncologist. He was very helpful in answering questions about recent fatigue and weakness. He was supportive and helpful in reading blood test results.

Michelle also needed to navigate her Ocean liner at the new physical therapist. She did not want to go. Whoever wants to exercise anyway? I got into troubled waters trying to motivate her, doing the opposite and discouraging her – good job Brian. She really seemed to like the new therapist. He has her doing a lot of stretching, which we liked hearing because she was not that doing before. The plan is to see him twice a week for the next month and see how her strength progresses. 

Highlight of the week Michelle enjoyed sometime in the cold tub this week. The therapist suggested buying some water shoes for safety. Funny I didn’t think of that, duh! She is excited to try some new exercises she was given by her therapist next time. She will probably get in the cold tub again when she gets the urge to pick more weeds in her garden.

Random Fact of the Week The measurement that ships (and planes) use for navigation is the nautical mile. One nautical mile per hour is called a “knot”. The origin of the word “knot” comes from the olden days when the speed on the ships would be measured by throwing into the sea a log attached to a rope with evenly spaced knots. As the ship moved relative to the log, the number of knots during a certain period of time would be counted to measure the speed of the vessel. The device used to measure boat speed to this day is still called the “log” even though it has nothing to do with an actual log these days.

Did you know? Michelle ate eggs almost every morning with me for 20 years. You would think she liked them. It wasn’t until she got cancer that I realized she didn’t like eggs; she only ate them because I wanted them. She has not eaten eggs once since Oct 2022. Even I am amazed at that fact.

Throwback Love Story We Decided in 2006 that we needed a piano. We were expecting our first grandchild and knew that every grandparent has a piano, right? We found a local business that was closing its doors for good. They had a brand-new Mahogany Kawai that seemed like a good enough deal. We had it delivered to the house and we both started taking lessons. I took lessons as a kid and so did Michelle but neither of us retained much of it. We enjoyed playing for about a year or so. Michelle still plays around Christmas. We love listening to our grandchildren bang away at the keyboard. It will send their parents to the crazy farm before it even starts to get to us. I am hoping Michelle tickles the ivory some when December rolls around this year. 

Deep Thoughts Humility is a wonderful thing, it has been forced onto me many times throughout my life but most recently in the rudest of fashions as I dealt with life changing events. Life is so unpredictable, fast, and really, really short. I've learned to accept the ups, downs, and uncertainty in my current life. I am grateful for what I have, and do not focus on what I don't have. The joy and happiness that I hold from my memories in the past and the new memories I create each day, allows me to realize how great of a life I have lived and how great it is right now. I am so grateful for the smallest of things these days. Living life to the fullest in a new perspective.

Knots Landing TV “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix) Idealistic lawyer Mickey Haller runs his practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car, taking on cases big and small to help your friends across Los Angeles.

“Half Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself” (Netflix) Caught between two warring clans, the son of a notorious witch responsible for a deadly massacre gets feedback and tries to find his place in the world, and his powers.

“The Rookie” (HULU)

Nautical Primetime “Secret Chef” (HULU), "Quarterback" (Netflix), “Hijack” (Apple TV), “America’s Got Talent” (YouTube TV)

“The Windjammer”

The Menu

Barometer Delights

Vanilla Ice Cream Chocolate Sauce Sundae

Cookie Dough Blizzard

Dilly Bar

HEB Mint Fudge Cookies

The Bacchanal

Fried Fish

Soy Sauce Chicken

Philly Cheese Steak

Pepperoni Pizza

Taco Salad

Beef Ranch Skillet

Chicken Nugget Sliders

Anchor Delights

Red Potatoes

Mixed Vegetables

French Fries

Peas

Corn

Rice

Sea Hydration

Lemonade

Water

Love, Brian

http://www.VeggiesNotOnShips?-LEEKS.edu