Trying to sleep on a gaping wound in your back does not make for a peaceful night's rest. Neither does having nightmares about the even larger wound that will come after the surgery. All night long, I kept trying to pick up the stitches that kept popping off of the new incision and trying to stick them back in place. In the end, my entire back was a raw, oozing wound.

Would you say that I am worried about this? SIGH.

However, waking up to a living bird is worth a night of tossing and turning and all the burning, stinging, itching, oozing holes you could possibly have on your back. Fancy is still alive! Dr. M is plumb astonished!

Now, I am trying to be so utterly realistic and remember in just a few short hours, when I awake once more, that could no longer be the case. She is still dangerously underweight and her poop tells the tale of a distressed liver and intestinal system if nothing else. Yet, I hardly think of those things because I have had three more days with her and at least have more time to cherish her company and process having to say goodbye. I know, I have already set that goodbye another 5-10 years in the future. I know, I am foolish.

This evening, I hope, I have finished the brochure for Pastor's church. I started it two years ago, at my suggestion, I think. If you have not already figured this out, Pastor is quite busy. Nothing ever came of my draft. But now they are out of supplies and need to do a new print run. Shake off the dust and start again, eh?

Well, weeks have passed and it has not been completed. [Note: Pastor schlepping me to my doctor appointments might have something to do with that.] Yet, it is now due at the printer in order to have more copies in time for the church's next outreach endeavor. Cousin D kindly ripped my draft to shreds so that I could start catching the 1,001 errors I had. [Note: Wednesday has two letter "d's" in it.] B took another look-through for me. Many eyes are way better than one when it comes to writing and design work.

Cousin D rightly pointed out the brief bio on Athanasius was sorely lacking in cohesion and coherence. Being the lazy person I am, I had let that slide since it was used in their prior brochure. However, his comments smote my conscience, so I buzzed Pastor on his phone enough times to get him to take time out of his conference/family vacation to talk over the other changes and that small matter. He pointed me to source material on Athanasius, and I re-worked the bio. The final draft is in his hands (email account) now!

The design work was simple, partly because they are not a snazzy congregation, but primarily because I am a hack at the craft. That which I have done, thus far, at several jobs as a communications manager has come about because I worked for nonprofits that could not afford to hire a true designer. Some of my work has actually been really good. Other has been merely passable. I have absolutely no hubris about the matter. Still, I truly enjoy when I can help someone out with my skills, be they as they are.

It makes me feel much less useless, from my perennial perch on the corner of the couch.