THURSDAY STUFF

I go in to collect Odd's breakfast cereal bowl and he says "Say, I bit down on something hard, and I found this!" and he hands me three of his teeth. An upper back bridge, to be more specific, and consisting of three teeth.  Has it broken off? Has it fallen off? Only a dentist can tell. But, of course, only someone besides Peg or Odd can remember the name of Daddy's dentist, and that someone, Bonnie, is not at work today and by the time I leave to go into Peg website design mode in Northampton, 1 hr away, she hasn't yet picked up messages so it isn't until 4:30 this afternoon that I reach her and she tells me it's a Dr. Wise, in Lee, and filed in the left hand bottom drawer under W", not "D". So I speak to Dr. Wise's receptionist, who also doubles as his secretary, and assistant, she says, and maybe hygenist and wife for all I know, but she has me examining the bridge with a magnifying glass and asking 101 questions until finally I say "Could I just bring this INTO you, maybe it would be easier."

So Odd and I have an appointment on Monday at 10 AM with Dr. Wise. Outside Bob will have to drive Odd in his 4 x 4 because my borrowed Saab is too low, Daddy can get in but needs lifting up and out and I'm not strong enough, we had to get David Jenkins over from Middlefield last time, when I brought Odd out of the nursing home last October. I'll follow in the Saab, then go on to do stuff in Lenox I need to do and Bob will bring Odd home and hopefully get him back into the house and into his chair in the den in front of CNN on "mute". And all will be well. Not counting an astronomical dental bill because you know it's not going to be a straightforward glue-job. If it costs more than a tenner am thinking Daddy's going to have to start learning to eat without those three teeth.
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STAFF ON CALL:

Terri: 9 - 3 PM
Dominick:  10 - 4 PM
Hospice Nurse: 2:30 PM

Dominick brought his camera but after deciding the light wasn't good enough, has packed up all the vintage Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates to take home to Lee to shoot them there, traveling over October Mountain road in the process which has never been a particularly smooth ride but after this terrible winter, no exaggeration, is like crossing the Grand Canyon every three feet. I'm waiting for The Phone Call With The Bad News.

Terri helped Peg with her Blue Book Project, which I will describe another time because I don't want to jeopardize my momentary good mood.

Hospice nurse to check on Odd after his episode a few nights ago and to give me a new Lock Box for Emergency Kit (drugs) to replace the one I dropped and damaged the other week. If I thanked God every night, I would thank him for giving us Hospice.
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HIGHLIGHTS:

- Free pasta supper night at the church hall. Except I didn't eat anything because A) I can't eat dinner at 5:30 and B)  I had another dinner invite for later. But where I ran into the contractor who did the kitchen ceiling here with the bad paint job, all showered and spruced up in his Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hillfiger, who patted me on the shoulder and told me I was becoming "a real local".

- Dinner up the road at the Dreamaway [check it out: Dreamaway Lodge ] with David Jenkins who I've known since I was 20 and thank Christ for him and for Tory. They remind me there is life outside this house.(Plus he pays for dinner).
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Have nevertheless come home (10:05 PM) feeling tearful. Not sure why. We talked about creativity. Writing. Sculpture. Design. Dreams unfullfilled. Good burger though.

Peg and Odd at butcherblock with the remains of the waffles and bacon supper I made them before I left and watching Charlton Heston in The Agony and the Ecstacy, loud enough so you can hear it in the driveway. 

No sign of the lunatic collie. Am hoping it's somewhere out in the pen but no inclination to go look.

UPDATE: Peg now has head down on kitchen counter and Odd is holding her outstretched hand.