not going lytely this time around

Not that I've been given a choice about which colonoscopy preparation solution I would like to toss down my gullet today.

Maybe things have changed since I last had this exploration for polyps and the solution will actually be tasty.

Somehow, I doubt it.

I think it's more a matter of different doctors having their own preferences.

Dr. Craig prescribed the SuPrep solution, so that's what the pharmacists in Charleston has sent for me.

This is to be taken twice, not once.

The first time will be at 5 PM, though I somehow doubt it will seem like a 'happy hour' cocktail.

One of the 8-ounce bottles will go into the mixing container, to be added to 8 ounces of water, then drunk.

Another two 16-ounce volumes of water are to be drunk within an hour.

Then, tomorrow, I get to repeat all that at 5 AM. 

Oh, joy.

I've already been peeing more than usual, as I haven't had anything solid to eat since dinner yesterday.

That was a delicious 'big salad' (as 'Elaine' of "Seinfeld" would order), with lots of tuna, using the Publix Makoto Honey Ginger package.

Truly was marvelous! 

Ten years ago, I drank the Go Lytely stuff and then rode the shuttle from the Savannah VA Center to the Ralph Johnson VA Hospital in Charleston, where I had the colonoscopy as well as the surgery for the carpal tunnel in my left hand.

Christina was up in Summerville, South Carolina, visiting her boyfriend, so she came to the hospital to pick me up and bring me home to Savannah.

Amazingly, she will be coming to my rescue again on Monday!

She'll be dropping off her girls for their annual camp at the Fresh Air Home at Tybee Beach, so she won't need to make a special trip to town.

i thank You, God.

And what shall I do to pass the time today in between trips to void my bladder and my intestinal tract?

Well, Comcast has given me a $1 movie rental, and I chose "Merrily We Roll Along", a musical from last year - hooray!

It's based on the eponymous Stephen Sondheim musical from 1981.

I've already watched it once and am quite pleased with Daniel Radcliffe's work.

No wonder he won a Tony for that role in 2023 when the musical was revived on Broadway - good for him!

I already had an item to help the time pass, though: a baseball game!

This will pit the Savannah Bananas against the Savannah Party Animals.

The venue is Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon... LOL!

Why does that make me giggle?

Well, it will be one of those right place, right time moments for me.

My first husband, Keith Schiller, called that town his home and I got to visit it, for the first and only time, when we returned to the States from Galeta Island in Panama.

Wouldn't it be funny if he was there watching the game, too?

Hahahaha!

campamento de verano con concierto y circo

"Que pasa, chica? Algo con la musica?"

Si, mi amiga! Hoy y el viernes fui al Starcastle para dos de las actuaciones de los niños. Muy bueno!

"Okay, this is getting too complex for my rusty high-school Spanish. Let's switch to our native tongue, shall we? I'm guessing this has to do with the Savannah Children's Theatre?"

Yes, that's right! I thought I'd see what the 3A and 3B summer campers learned this past week. I'm very impressed!! I hadn't realized they had shows until I checked the website. Both of these were productions I'd not seen before, so that's why I wanted to go.

"3A? 3B?"

The 3B group was about thirty 2nd to 8th-graders. They performed a Broadway Junior Revue called "Raise Your Voice" and went to the Friday night showing of that. They did songs from shows I've never heard of before, as well as some favorites. There were two boys - Langston Patterson and Oliver Bossak - who did "Agony" from "Into The Woods" and they were having such fun with it!!!

"Most excellent! I know how much that one makes you smile!" 

Another one that had me singing along and smiling was "Matchmaker" from "Fiddler On The Roof"! Two of the little girls danced with their brooms while the third tried to explain how matchmaking worked. It was very funny when they realized they might get an old fat man instead of a young handsome dude!

"Hahahaha! I'm sure that was quite humorous!"

Oh, yes! The three girls were Jameson Mock, Briley Rose-Robinson, and Gracelyn Estridge, not that I know which had each role. They certainly interacted well with each other!

"And these kids only had a week of practice? Incredible!"

I totally agree! And this afternoon I went to the final performance for "Circus Camp". Those kids were in 5th to 12th grade. They did everything from working on the silk ropes to hanging on the lyra to twirling hula hoops and telling jokes!

"Lyra? You mean the hanging rings?"

Yes, that's right, and some of them were very good. I especially liked the older kids as they climbed and flipped on the silks to "Put On A Happy Face". Then, later, they used the lyra and performed to that Lana Del Ray song, "Summertime Sadness". That was just incredible and almost brought tears to my eyes. I think that was partly because it made me think of the physicist. He really likes that song.

"Yes, I remember. Who were the performers for those?" 

Hayden Linstroth, Charlie Smith, Anna Woods, and B. Cela. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in some recent plays, too. I'm glad they took this camp to broaden their areas of expertise.

"That's true. You never know what skills may be called for on stage."

Plus, some of the shows make use of those tools.

"So, what was it about jokes?" 

Ah, yes! That was during the song "Surfin' U.S.A." by the Beach Boys! All 21 of the campers were onstage, using hula hoops in unusual ways and just generally hamming it up! It was clear they really enjoyed themselves for this last performance of this show.

"What?! Did it only have one performance?"

No, it was also at 5 PM on Friday, but I didn't know in time. So, after this 2 PM matinee, they would be striking the set and turning in costumes. "Raise Your Voice" had the evening show yesterday, and will have another today, plus a Sunday matinee. I know both shows I attended were nearly full, too, so I'm glad to see that! I'm so glad to see SavChTh thriving in its 22nd year! And for the next two weekends, they'll have a musical I've never heard of!! I am quite excited about that!

"I know you are! I'm glad you were able to have some theatre fun this weekend. I'm sure that was a nice distraction from your medical procedure on Monday. Try to stay calm and here's hoping for the best with that!"

Thanks, dear. Now, I'm off to see "Toy Story 5" again. More fun for me!

parsley, sage, rosemary, and...

To paraphrase the Simon & Garfunkel song, let me proffer this stanza.

"Lemon, orange, frankincense, and Thieves,

 Some are singular, some are a blend,

Take them on their own or mix and you'll see

they will treat you just like a friend."

 

Cheri Hester, as a representative of Young Living's line of essential oils, held a seminar this evening, over at Asbury Memorial, s she has done for at least six years now.

"Find Your Fabulous" is what she titled it, and each of us were handed a little vial of "Feeling Fabulous" - a particular blend of oils - as a gift to carry home with us.

Which oils are in "Feeling Fabulous"?

I'll have to ask her.

In addition to being misted by that blend when we checked in, we were also given drops of the blend called "Abundance" to rub on our hands.

I was not a fan of that one, as it smelled a bit acrid.

Later, we were given a drop of "Joy", another blend, for our hands.

I rubbed it on my arms instead.

All I can say for sure is the combination aggravated my sinuses.

I think I would have preferred just 'Lemon' or even the "Citrus Blend".

There were about a dozen of us there in Holliday Hall, will some being regular customers of Rev. Billy's wife.

A few were there like me: to find out what the buzz was all about.

For those into homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, and the like, these different oils and their uses in diffusers and foodstuffs is already familiar.

I don't use scents in my home, so I was definitely sensitive to them.

Still, I'm glad I was there.

Cheri had studded her presentation with the word "chemicals", as if all were malevolent, and I started in to educate her, and the others, that the proper word she wanted was "toxins".

As I told all there, our bodies contain millions of chemicals working together to keep us alive, the air is full of chemicals that allow us to breathe, our food is full of chemicals that provide all the nutrition we need to survive.

Even all of these essential oils are full of chemicals!

I added that I had told 25 years worth of future nurses in my classes that they should laugh at anyone trying to sell them something 'chemical-free'.

Why?

Because that meant the salesman was pushing them to buy a vacuum!

Only a vacuum is devoid of all matter, meaning it doesn't contain any atoms and molecules, making it truly free of any and all chemicals.

By the end of the first hour, she had it straight, especially with Lynn and Holly helping to remind her.

Success!

Right place, right time.

As for the products, I may recommend some to Christina and Carolyn.

The "Stress Away", with its lime, vanilla, lavender, balsam, cedarwood, and ocotea (related to cinnamon) oils, might be beneficial for taking the edge off for my first niece and her ADHD girls, if used in a room diffuser.

As for Carolyn, with all the pulmonary and sinus infections she has, the Thieves blend may be of help. 

I might even purchase some of the Thieves cleaning products, as they are all antibacterial... and smell pretty good!

That's a blend of lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, clove, and cinnamon oils, all of which I like individually.

The church has had the Thieves liquid hand soap in the ladies bathroom for several years, so I'm accustomed to it, too.

I didn't buy anything tonight, but I'm glad I was there to learn about her products... and to stand up for science!

I had nice conversations with Lynn and Holly afterward, too.

Lynn is married to a scientist, and Holly used to teach math and science.

I'll have to keep an eye out for them at future events! 

(smile!)

bday gifts from the SavVA

This doesn't look like it contains almost $2000 worth of goods, does it?

Just an inconspicuous plastic delivery bag, right?

I'm just glad that I was home yesterday when it arrived.

If I'd left home before it was dropped off - with no one even knocking on my door - I would have been concerned.

The contents were the Eliquis, Lisinopril, and Levothyroxine for the next three months.

Thank you, the Savannah VA and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, for taking care of me.

Then, today, another package arrived, this time delivered by the post office, by my regular mailman.

He came at his regular time, even rattling my mailbox to let me know he left something for me.

He's such a sweetie!

I had not realized what was coming until I saw the box, though.

My new eyeglasses!!!

I picked the Blue Marble for the frames and just love it!

Thanks, Dr. Urban at the Sav VA, for setting me up!

research that's paying me to participate!

Let me take a moment to thank facebook for offering me this opportunity.

Let me also thank my friends for having participated in other studies advertised on that social media, so I could trust it to not be a scam.

That said, I don't know anyone who has been part of these two studies, but I went ahead and chose to enroll in them.

How was I even eligible for them?

I have an upcoming colonoscopy and both need to compare their study results to those from the physical examination of my colon lining.

I chose the two studies because they are using different materials from the body to try to find cancer markers.

The first one I enrolled in is actually called the FIND CRC STUDY.

That's literally "find colorectal cancer study", being done by Natera. 

I was drawn to it back in May, when I originally had the colonoscopy scheduled.

Then I decided I didn't want the medical procedure to interfere with my bday68 plans, so I backed off.

Two weeks ago, I approached this study again and was accepted - yeah!

Today, they sent a phlebotomist to my house to withdraw 9 vials of blood.

That's all: Danielle was in and out in less than 20 minutes.

I'll receive $125 for letting her take that blood donation.

Plus, I'll get another $150 for the questionnaire and providing them with my colonoscopy results.

The study will continue for two more years, with them getting more blood each year and providing me a stipend for that service.

That's very beneficial income for a retiree!

The second study is from a company that has already obtained FDA approval for their CRC home kit.

Colosense is all about using the actual fecal matter to determine whether cancer is present.

After Marni called me and verified that I was a viable candidate, I was sent the kit and very detailed instructions on the collection of a suitable stool.

Not only will they examine that fecal matter, but they will also investigate the DNA material which I collected from it in a special tube.

So, if they've already been approved by the FDA, then why this study?

Like true scientists, they are interested in improving their data base.

Hence, the ad on fb for more volunteers in the name of science.

I sent my kit back to them yesterday.

After they receive the results from my medical procedure on Monday, for comparison to their study, I'll get $200.

Yes, please!

I must say, this has been the best part of getting a colonoscopy: feeling like I'm part of a team effort to keep others from dying like Mother Pat.

I'll be curious how the results from these two studies compare to each other and to the result of the colonoscopy.

SCIENCE!!! 

(smile)

new owner at msg, new rules

It had been such a scorcher today, with summer trying to come in hot.

After all, yesterday was the official first day of that season.

So, when Marcia sent around the text about meeting up for Music Bingo, I was all for it!

Gathering for fun and singing with friends, in air conditioning I didn't have to pay for?

Yes, please!

I was one of the first ones there, joined soon by Amanda and Merritt.

Marcia came in next, with her granddaughter, Batsheva, in tow.

The girl had a new short 'do for summer, though the reason for the cut had been too many snarls in her hair.

Her mom said cutting the hair was the only recourse.

The bob looked very cute though!

 

Sandy didn't arrive until my Nachos were already on the table.

Just look at that mass of chips and cheese and chili!!!

Russ came in just before 7, with his bag of Bingo paraphernalia in tow.

Hooray!!!

Then Chris, the manager, came over to break the news to us.

There weren't enough players there tonight.

The Music Bingo session was canceled.

Say what???

The new owner has some such nonsense about needing to have at least 8 players for the game to be held.

Ah, but there were  of us and two players at the bar... that's 8!

It didn't make a difference.

We even said we'd play for no prizes, just the joy of listening and singing along with the music being played!

Nope, that wasn't going to happen, captain. 

Well, drats.

I certainly wouldn't have ordered those $15 nachos if I'd known that.

They all felt the same way... but at least we had each other's company.

sunshine and some last words...

One of my favorite things about these vacations at Chez Kosmach is having breakfast on the back porch.

I especially enjoy that experience when the sun is shining brightly!

The view offers something different and interesting all around, from the tree with the thirteen birdhouses to the bouncy toy animals to the clusters of trees of different types near the blue-dyed canal.

Then there are the sounds!

Birdsong of several types!

Chimes on the back porch merging songs with the front chimes!

Even the sounds of cars passing on the street seem more charming.

I remembered that I needed to write in Dawn's guest book.

What should I do for her this time?

 

How about a different scribble flower and a poem?

She would not be expecting that!

Yes, that would serve as a mighty fine start!

"Rain, rain, would not go away,

refusing to let Stella and Coco play.

But Saturday's sun

allowed them to run and have fun,

until the night storm at the end of the day."

 

Yes, that really sums up the vacation rather nicely!

Now, they should be home any minute from Chicago.

Time to take Stella by the front door to welcome them!!!

(smile!)