13 Thursday: Do Not Open Till Friday
1. Writing is a lot like surfing. You have to catch the wave of creativity and ride it. If you don’t wait for the wave, you’ll be just paddling without much momentum.
2. Waves come and go. If you miss one you can wait for another. But they’re not predictable like a bus schedule, so you have to stay alert.
3. Speaking of being alert, and how I wasn’t. Today is Thursday but I thought it was Wednesday, hence the late 13 Thursday post and title.
4. Whenever I drive at night at Christmastime and turn to see a particularly brightly lit up house, I wonder how many people drive off the road this time of year doing the same thing.
5. I probably scared some people shopping for groceries at The Harvest Moon Food Store yesterday when I came in and loudly announced what I had just heard on the radio: that the radiation from one Cat Scan is 50 to 700% higher than an X-ray and causes cancer.
6. Duh. I knew that more than 25 years ago, which is why I declined to have my son Josh get one that was prescribed after a head injury from a car accident. I was treated like a negligent parent for saying no.
7. I recently interviewed an inspiring young man in our community who is living with cancer and treating it holistically, after traditional treatments didn’t work. He described how many people have cancer cells in their body but that doesn’t automatically mean it will spread or be fatal. “I keep myself positive with constant mindfulness about how and what I’m doing. Worry and negativity have a domino effect that is counterproductive to good health.”
8. You can never have too much butter around at Christmastime.
9. The ghost of Christmas Carol: A convergence of weather (4 inches of snow) and the refrigerator turning on prompted my crystal wine glasses to spontaneously ring. The song lasted for 2 days. You’ve got to hear it to believe it HERE.
10. Ring for yourself HERE.
11. Why is it that I always want to knock the trees down instead of avoiding them while playing games like THIS?
12. Best bumper sticker seen while on the road this week: Back Off. I’m not that kind of car.
13. In four years of doing 13 on Thursday this is the second time I forgot what day it was. HERE is the last time I fell asleep at that switch, which starts: I’ve always been fascinated by the group mind that humans share, which causes us to agree about certain things like what day of the week it is, or to stay in our own lane on the right side of the road while driving down a highway. What would happen if we completely dropped out and forgot these collective agreements?
I hope I’m not to late to play with others HERE.
December 17th, 2009 8:39 pm
I love this list!! In particular, this struck my eye: 4. Whenever I drive at night at Christmastime and turn to see a particularly bright lit up house, I wonder how many people drive off the road this time of year doing the same thing.
That made me giggle.
The other one that caught my eye was this: 5. I probably scared some people shopping for groceries at The Harvest Moon Food Store yesterday when I came in and loudly announced what I had just heard on the radio: that the radiation from one Cat Scan is 50 to 700% higher than an X-ray and causes cancer.
My husband had liver failure about 3 years ago and is on medical treatment for it. We are hopeful he won’t have to have a transplant, and right now is responsive to the drugs. But he’s had to have several CAT scans between then and now. It scares me, but him dying scares me more. It’s what saved his life, because it was how they were able to identify what he has. He’s got a rare liver disease, at least in the U.S.; in 30 years of medicine my doctor has never seen a case. The gastroenterologist we see is from India and has seen it more there, and he saved his life. So they’re not all bad. I think it’s like chemo: sometimes the cure is worse than the disease, but used properly, it can save lives.
Medicine is tricky. I hope we continue to live in a world where we have authority over our own bodies, and that of our children, so you can make the decisions you need to and I can too – even if they’re diametrically opposed to one another.
I hope your son is hale and well, and wish you and your family all the best.
~hugs~
December 17th, 2009 8:58 pm
I find I have to be paddling all the time before a wave shows up. Almost makes me think I made the wave. Almost.
December 17th, 2009 9:49 pm
8, 12 🙂
4. I wonder. My fav was a creche but with all the holy figures wrapped in xmas lights. odd, very odd.
7. there’s a time and place. Sloan in Bitter Pill talks about the risks to the fragile elderly and insists that home care and non-invasive medicine is the best course for them. http://www.amazon.ca/Bitter-Pill-John-Sloan/dp/1553654552
December 18th, 2009 12:13 am
We have that in common; I have thought it was Wed. all day too, and I don’t know why.
December 18th, 2009 5:28 am
you can never be too late 🙂
loved this
December 18th, 2009 5:55 am
i have been unable to keep up with days of the week because they all seem the same. an upper respiratory infection means all appts. are canceled, lots of isolation, looking outside from the window instead of BEING outside, soup and more soup, and taking meds around the clock. now hubby has it. we are both READY for a change in focus!
the crystal chiming was hilarious!
December 18th, 2009 8:07 am
I love the wine glass chimes!! I don’t think I would be scared, I would be honored and think it was an angel visiting. xo
PS The whole cat scan thing is scary, but it does help aid in some situations. Medicine is like that!
December 18th, 2009 10:39 am
Loved the ringing wine glasses. Get ready for today’s storm (Friday)if that might have been the cause.
I seem to mix up days of the week as well. Call it being retired, which I love…
December 18th, 2009 10:44 am
I think I have been in the trough most of my life when it comes to creative writing…either paddling or treading water! Your glass chimes were an omen…a good omen…that you have much holiday spirit in your house!
December 18th, 2009 1:12 pm
You know – it’s funny. Last night I was driving home from Andy’s office’s Christmas dinner gathering and saw this beautiful tree all lit up and perched on top of an office building. I craned my neck back to wonder in its glittering glory as I passed it by and almost drove into a guardrail! I couldn’t help but think that if I had wrecked my car and my life in that accident people would have forever assumed it was due to cocktails at a party rather than because of the distraction of a pretty holiday decoration.
December 18th, 2009 9:02 pm
Nos. 5-7 have me gasping. But why? Of course. I swear we pay the medical world to kill us as slowly as possible. I enjoyed your post.
December 19th, 2009 10:57 am
The ringing glasses were very cool. That made me raise my eyebrows for sure! I’d have been spooked too if I had been home alone.
December 19th, 2009 9:53 pm
hmmm…maybe I shouldn’t get that CT scan on the 23rd!
December 19th, 2009 11:10 pm
Hi Janet. I guess you have to decide how important it is. I would tell the doctor you’re concerned about the radiation (considering the recent reports) and see if he/she feels fine about letting it go, or not.