Back by popular demand - so "Hello"!!

Hi folks,

I'm getting some help to be in touch with you, because it's hard for me to use the computer right now. Sitting up that long, thinking, all of these things are difficult for me right now. But here we are. I'm having a good day.

A "good day" consists of being a little more comfortable because they're getting the pain meds under control, and a "good day" consists of not being nauseated, and a "good day" means getting up a little bit, getting up in bed, moving around a bit... so I'm not just laying around here being disoriented, like I was for a while.

I went through a period of time where I was very disoriented. People would tell me they have visited, and I had done such and such, said such and such... and during that time I was ridiculously out of it.

So that has changed, and I'm able to carry on a more or less coherent conversation... not necessarily a deep one, but relatively coherent.

I have really appreciated the friends who have visited. They bring me interesting things and if nothing else it becomes a topic of conversation. I may or may not watch or read something someone brings. Everything goes by in short, brief moments, and paragraphs... paragraphs of conversations... paragraphs of activity....

And if I get too much stimulation -- even wonderful stimulation, such as visiting with people I love -- I get tired.

So it's something that I think is hard for people to understand. My thoughts are very interruptable. I sometimes just drift.

My family has been here a lot lately. They're not in the house at the moment, but at this time period, yesterday and today, several of my siblings have been here. I have three sisters, and two have been here to visit (a sister from Colorado, and a sister from California), and my brother from Seattle.

My sister from California was featured on a blog entry fairly recently when she came and stayed with me for a while, Gwenda.

And my sister Raedene from Colorado, some of you have heard about, since she has been really good in terms of actual medical support because of her healing work. But now, there's a switchover. Raedene is not giving medical support, she's giving loving sisterly supportive help.

There's a tremendous lot of love among us siblings, I'm so fortunate.

I have two sons here right now... Arlo lives here of course. I'm living with Arlo. And his brother Day from California is here with us, too. It's possible Day will be actually moving to Eugene for a while, so then I'll have him here a lot. He'll be able to relieve Arlo when Arlo goes to work.

Arlo has a full time job and so he needs to be able to get back to work whenever possible, just for his own continuity. His workplace is being very cooperative, we're very happy about that. But for his own work continuity he wants to be there a considerable amount.

So it's good there's another brother of his here -- son to me -- Day.

Just a week ago another son, my son from Virginia, Rock, who I lived with for a while, where my bus is right now -- came here to visit. My son Rock brought two of my lovely granddaughters, Zoe and Nike.

So Rock, who is a United Pilot, flies the big ones...

Rock also likes to fly little-little planes. He brought videos of practically a stunt plane, practically a toy, he's bigger than the airplane, he can barely get in the cockpit. He's one of the very few pilots who can fly a plane like that. So he has a YouTube presence in terms of flying that little mini-plane.

Rock showed that and all kinds of other exciting YouTube and video stuff, including things he has not done, like "wing suit" flying. So if you're interested in tiny little things that can barely cover your body that can fly you around, that's the entertainment that Rock brought. That was quite fun.

It's addicting watching those things.

I need to wrap up here. Let's see, how do I do that.

Friends and family and hospice workers have come in with interesting things. I can play with clay, I can play with watercolor, I have not expressed myself artistically that way much in my life but I'm doing a little of that now.

So that's how things are just being here...

...just being here...

I think that's it.

Love, Kate

P.S. This is David Oaks typing what Kate said this morning, hopefully accurately. You are encouraged to post replies to this blog, and Kate's friends and relatives will try to read those to Kate, if she has any trouble getting on the web herself. To reply to this or other blog entries, I believe you have to 'log in' first, and it's very easy to pick a user-name and memorable password.

Kate mainly wants you all to know that she cares about you all and loves you.