Cherish the luxuries

It’s a cool, windy evening (16ºC; just my kind of weather, but rather chilly for Gilly) and all is well. I notice a blue heron pump its huge wings across a cloudy sky at dusk. I am sitting in a room with 3 walls of glass from floor to ceiling (we call it the glass room); the most beautiful view in my world. Gilly walks in and turns on the light over my workspace; his pet peeve is catching me working in the dark. I tell him that it’s cool in the room because I have windows open on either side, but if he wants to keep me company we can shut them both. He says, “It’s O.K. I’m going to start a fire in the fireplace.” I’m glad he has that option. It gives him a project to work on (the wood’s a bit damp and is kept downstairs, so he goes up and down for a while to get kindling and logs; it’s good exercise, and for a motivating purpose).

As usual, the peninsula has cleared out, so the point is 'shawsh still' as Grandma Ida would say. Only Auntie Ruthie (next door) remains. Just the two of us are here in the house (with Liylah, of course). We have to flush the chorine out of the water tomorrow, because the well was repaired today and the system is currently being cleansed of bacteria. We’ll go home tomorrow late afternoon to have dinner with Elly and Leon, who have come all the way from Philly to see us.

Gilly was up and showered this morning by 9:30, so yesterday’s worries were all for naught. He walked his ‘now usual’ quota, and is none the worse for wear. His appetite improved as well (he even ate Grandma Shirley’s Goofy pancakes for breakfast; she sure misses her grandchildren when they’re not here), but still complains that everything tastes and smells the same. He enjoys his smoothies best of all, which is really terrific, since they are fortified with protein and milk; he needs both. The eyesight still plagues him.

All in all, Gilly spent his day today in significantly better shape than yesterday. This evening I plan to curl up on the couch by the fire with Gilly, Liylah and my second ‘pleasure’ book of the summer. Although that nagging feeling that something is terribly wrong weighs heavily on me, I continue to cherish the luxuries I am fortunate to have and enjoy; family, Birch Point, friends, mutual love and precious life itself.