Update on Musings of Meggie

We moved into our Illinois home in the freezing winter of January, 1976. Nobody seemed to be about and I was terribly lonely. Art was gone from 5:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Tiffany was just a few months old.


A few months later, Peggy and her husband, Jim moved in a couple of doors down from us. We had a little village phone book that listed our phone numbers. I don't remember who phoned who that afternoon, but Peggy and I introduced ourselves and talked until it got so dark I could barely see. I was so happy to talk to someone, I never stood up to turn on the lights. We shared everything about ourselves.

Through the years that followed, Peggy helped me learn to drive. I nearly killed us doing a left turn on a red light. She still drove with me after that. When Jon broke his arm, Peggy drove us to the ER along with our total of five children. She and her husband included us in all their holidays and they felt like family. She even had her children follow the Hawaii custom of calling us Uncle Art and Auntie Kay. Mine did the same.

Peggy has been fighting chronic lymphatic leukemia for the past year. She had cancer in her spine as a young child which left her with a cute little sway to her walk. There were challenges along the way, but she never let anything get her down. Her husband is a rock! His love has been total and he is loving, protective, strong.

A few years ago she battled skin cancer, and now this.


I hadn't heard from her in a while so I wrote to ask how she was doing.

She wrote back:

"I have been pretty busy with Dr. appointments and tests. Not done yet though.
I was having trouble breathing, so I went to the Dr and found out that my lymphs were so big that they were pressing on my windpipe.

I have to start chemo soon but first I have to see what's going on in my lungs (next Tuesday in Chicago). When I start chemo, it will be one week a month for 6 months.

I've been wanting to post something, anything but am very tired."

I asked her about the treatments she'd be having and if I could update everybody on her progress. She wrote back.

"I am having most of the treatments done in Chicago. I'll go three days during the week, one week a month for six months. I have to get a shot in the stomach the last day so I'm going to do that down here. We just trust the doctors and the hospital up in Chicago so much and not so much down here.

We'll see how it goes.

I would be very thankful if you would put an update on your blog.
Hopefully I'll be back very soon
I miss you all, so much!"

Do please say hello to her on her blog, Musings of Meggie. I know she'd love to hear from you although she's not able to write to everybody right now. She could also use a prayer or two. Peggy has always been so upbeat, but after losing her mom recently, I know it's taking more energy to get that bounce back. I've been blessed with some angels in my life. She is one of them.

Memed by Meggie!

OK... you can come out from under the bed now, Peg...

Peggy of Musings of Meggie just tagged me with a meme. I can't take the stress of passing on awards or memes but I'll play along just because Peggy is part of my blogging family and you know how hard it is to say no to your family. :-)

"This meme is a simple one. Collect the book that you have most handy, turn to page 161, find the 5th complete sentence, and cite the sentence on your blog. Next (of course) is to pass it on to 5 others."

Here it is, drum roll:

Book (right on my desk next to me where Art left it for me to research): Lonely Planet Japan


5th sentence: "An Asian restaurant that's been on the block for years is Erawan, where spicy curries and green papaya salad are served in a setting reminiscent of an outdoor Thai cafe on some southern shore...except here, you get a glittering urban view from this top-floor dining venue."

I guess now everybody will know that we're (Art actually) is planning another trip to Japan. We're going to Japan again because it's the only place my mom is willing to go to. This isn't a problem at all because there's a WHOLE lot of Japan that we have not seen. My mom hasn't been to these places either so it'll be another adventure in spring. She says that at 80, her traveling days are over. We've told her that at 80 she needs to see as many of the amazing places there are in our world as she can.

If there's anybody else who'd like to pick up this meme, please, please do! It would make me and Peggy happy.