Heatherfolia Gorgeousitus (Princess Flower) Finally In Bloom

Good Saturday morning, everyone! I do feel a little better. I didn't have a stellar sleep but I slept ... probably about 6 hours. Not so bad. And now I start weening off my Dexamethasone, which might make the difference. As my sister-in-law, Cheryl, so aptly identified it, it makes me feel "tired but wired". I think I'm also experiencing a cumulative effect of the chemotherapy.

Yesterday was a pretty slow day. Not much happened. Watched some tv ... okay ... a LOT of tv. That's about all my concentration level allowed. Darrel came by for a visit with his boys (Porter and Otto, the border collies). Don, Kevin's Dad, popped by with some Peach Crisp and Cherries and a short visit.

Friends, Patty and Ron stopped by in the evening. Their son, Matty, will be going to University with Luke in Louisville, Kentucky this year, attending on a lacrosse scholarship as well. He was recruited last year but chose to play AAA hockey for a year first. Luke's friend, Arden, is going back for his second year, too, and with an additional recruit this year from Saskatoon, Myles, that will make 4 boys from Saskatoon playing Div I lacrosse for the Bellarmine Knights in Kentucky. Cool! There is a lot of paperwork and arrangements to be made so we were sorting some of that out together. Plus we had some fun trying on hats! I have the penultimute collection thanks to my friends and family. Patty also brought by her famous chicken lemon rice soup to get me through some of my icky days (it sure worked when I was in the hospital) AND she brought me the recipe, too. I'd been requesting it. It's stellar soup. Mucho thanks, Patty!

Arden and Luke were here briefly before heading out for a social evening. Arden recently came back from a week in Mexico and he brought us a little collection of various tequilas. They will be waiting for the little celebration that happens next April when the boys come back from Louisville and when I'm finished (I hope) with this ordeal. By then, I expect to be MOST ready for tequila shots with the boys! Thanks, Arden! CAN'T WAIT! Of course, next summer, I also have to have a little tequila party with all Luke's girlfriends as well. I haven't seen so much of them this summer and I sure miss them. I miss seeing more of all my kids' friends and I treasure the times they do stop by.

This morning, I had a phone call from my buddy, Elaine. How nice to hear from her and hear about her flowers, birds, many grandkids and farm life.

I hope to go for a walk today with Mom. It looks so nice out. I've already been out surveying flowers in my scandalously short pajamas (tee hee ... Nora
s influence? Perhaps!) and a hat ... being careful to not bend over too far to take photos (because of that "sensible undies thing". Don't come flocking to my yard for a glimpse. Trust me ... it's not really worth it!

And, oh yeah, this is the "Princess Flower" that we've been waiting ... and waiting ... and waiting to bloom. We'd never seen or heard of one before when he found this in the greenhouse but had to have it, given the name (of course!). We've been so curious to see what it might look like and couldn't imagine purple flowers coming out of those velvety redish buds pictured above. But look! A magnificent purple flower, fit for a princess!! What do you think, Meghan? Will this do for you and me? On an additional note ... Kevin supplied the title line for this blog post. It wasn't me.