Loose Leaf Notes

Alex and I, once members of the same women’s circle, have been talking about playing scrabble together for the past 15 years. Learning that she was battling cancer was a likely factor that urged me to make the 45 minute drive out to her house and turn our intention into a reality.
She lives with her husband in a picturesque rural setting with a horse in the yard and a porch gazebo overlooking a couple of rolling acres. The first thing I noticed when I saw her was that she looked great. Her hair was the same as I remembered it, a wild and curly mane that reminds me of her love of horses.
After a long hug and a little catching up, the subject turned to scrabble, and she proceeded to tell me about a recent game in which she and her husband both scored over 500 points each!
“I think I’m out of my league,” was all I could say.
In the sunny kitchen alcove where we played, I sipped lemon tea while she dipped corn chips in guacamole and the cat stretched out beside the scrabble board.
“I like to take pictures of finished scrabble boards,” I told her. She understood, and after our game, not only did I take pictures of the scrabble board, but she showed me her art studio where got shots of the ink stamp station, the jewelry making station, the sewing station, and her painted and colored pencil art on the walls. Unfortunately, I later discovered that my camera had no film in it, and my digital camera wasn’t working right.
While we were in the studio, she gifted me with a beautiful turquoise and aventurine necklace that she made. I felt uncomfortable accepting such a generous gift.
“Let’s make a trade,” I offered. “I have some of my books in my car.” And so, before we said our goodbyes, I handed her my two books.
“This one is poetry…and…you might not choose to read this one,” I said as I handed her “The Jim and Dan Stories.” She knew it was about my brother’s deaths. “Be careful and use your intuition about what you want to take in right now,” I told her.
Alex read both books “cover to cover!” She emailed me 2 days later to tell me. I was surprised that she even would read a book about family loss considering what she is facing herself. But Alex is not your average person.
She wrote, “I was impressed at your careful note taking during times of stress. You made the story unfold, instead of telling it all from the endpoint, which feels more human and less preachy.”
She plans to suggest “The Jim and Dan Stories” be read and discussed at her book group. “Can I tell them you would come to the discussion?” she asked.
“Of course, I’d love to!” I answered. And then we set up another scrabble game at my place for sometime in November…after she gets back from her next (immunotherapy) treatment.
Photo: I did manage to retrieve one photo from the digital camera of the scene before we started our game. Alex’s cat was the referee.
Note to Readers: I’m closing up shop for the moment and heading to Boston to see my dad who had a car accident on the 17th and is now preparing for neck vertebrae surgery. I’m excited that I’ll be seeing him soon, maybe even before the operation. He can’t talk because he is hooked up to a ventilator, but he is writing on paper. He recently wrote “I love you all,” and complimented one of the doctors for being a “good looking Irishman!” Stay tuned. Posts will likely be erratic.