Spring kerfuffle-ing

I am at my oncology office today, and getting ready for my chemo dose.

Also on my mind is thinking about what needs to be done.

It is Greta’s birthday this week and The Birthday Person in our house gets to plan the menu. Greta, bless her heart, has asked for spaghetti with marinara sauce with no meat and no chunks, and Oreo cheesecake for dessert. Even post-chemo I can handle boiling water and sauce-from-a-jar, so her menu plan works for me. I have two sources for Oreo cheesecake: The Cheesecake Factory and my friend and her InstaPot. Given it’s May, this order will be sent to The Cheesecake Factory and I will spare my friend the eleventh hour request.

Maren’s birthday meal was Shepherd’s Pie — sentimental for me since it is a recipe passed down from her maternal great-grandmother. This year it was lovingly made by Brad’s mom (with help from his dad on the mashed potatoes) when they were here. Her birthday dessert — also made by Grandma — was Ghiradelli brownies with chocolate icing. (It is noteworthy that she has a favorite brownie brand. If you’ve never had Ghiradelli brownies, you need to try them. They are best when eaten straight from the oven!)

My radiation treatments are scheduled to begin as soon as the insurance wheel turns. It is taking longer than usual for approval which Dr. Smart’s office says is normal for radiation therapy, but it is frustrating on several levels. Since radiation is an every-business-day-for-ten-days thing, it’s a big logistical impact on my day. I am doing a lot of energy and scheduling shuffling and buffering, especially as we are trying to get this in before the end of the school year. And of course I’m ultimately just eager to let the treatment begin!

When my kids entered school age I remember being railroaded by the month of May. It’s got as many events as December but I didn’t anticipate the busy-ness the way I do with December. Now that I set my expectations for the May chaos, I can embrace it. Just like with birthdays, the kerfuffle to plan, execute, and show up for the special things is always worth it.