Point Made

 It appears there is a tradition in the radiology department at Ascension Hospital that patients, upon completing their course of treatment, ring a bell. ( We know not for whom this bell tolls.) Ring the Bell with My Sweetheart Jeanne. Jeanne drove me to all but two of the appointments. Pam Frautchi took me to the other two. Today, after being zapped thirty-two times, I rang the bell. This begins a roughly one-month recovery period where the effects of the radiation abate and, I'm assured, a return to normalcy occurs. In my case, I anticipate more energy and greater awareness. Books, Books, & More Books I am simultaneously celebrating the end of the third year of volunteering for the All Saints Hunger Book Sale. Next week, we will wrap up the preparation for the sale and open our doors on August 3 for the public. I ran into this humourous but quite accurate cartoon on a T-Shirt that shows most of the volunteer's sentiments at this point. If you think the printed and bound p...

 My radiation treatments will be finished by July 28th. Aside from the anticipated fatigue and numerous bathroom visits, the side effects have been minimal. I will have a break for a month. When we resume treatment in September, it will be immunization therapy. By then, we will have a progress report from Radiation Therapy, as I will be getting an MRI today. On The Easel Bird On A Flower Pastel 9x 12 Question : One of the most asked questions this week in Milwaukee is why are the Blue Angels flying around the lakeshore. Answer : Like most Eastside residents and visitors, they are looking for a parking spot. Movie Choice : I said I wouldn't, but now I'm going to anyway. We are not going to double feature watch Barbinheimer. We will watch them on separate days. But watch them we will. However, my no-Tom Cruise vow is intact. Tony Bennet I 'm very sad that Tony Bennet has passed away. As a singer and artist, he was an outstanding performer. My good friend Anne Wilde gave me a ...

  On The Easel: Lady On A Train Pastel 12 & 16 Ref: E. Hopper Buck Moon Pastel 9 x 12 Ref: Photo by M. Desisti Update On My Health: As the radiation treatment continues, my ability to stay focused and endurance fade. My energy level is significantly lower than before the treatments. While I seem to paint and sketch, I am losing some inspiration to write. It's scary, but I've been assured it's only temporary. The caution here is no one wants to commit to how long it will be before I recover. I'm seeing my Primary to find out why this vicious cough and chest pain persists. It is a gift, I believe, from our friends to the north when they supplied the smoke and debris from their wildfires.  Lake Park Concert: Jeanne and I ventured out last Monday evening to the opening of the Lake Park Concert series. The Steely Dan Tribute band, Black Cow, performed. It was a beautiful evening and an appreciative crowd.  I remarked that thought their guitarist was exceptional, only to ...

Report from The One Hundred and Twenty Days of Possible Good Weather In Wisconsin  Gradually but consistently, the dew point temperatures are getting higher. That means that the percentage of humidity is increasing into the uncomfortable environs of what is referred to as the muggys. When the dew point is n the sixties, we feel sticky, and the damp air seems to suck the energy out of us, to say nothing of the perspiration. On the Easel I did This self-selected arrangement of leaves and a flower for practice. I'm happy working with pastels, but I have much to learn. Mountain View Pastel 9 x 12 Here, I practiced different application, blending, and color selection techniques. The first sign of stress with my new love. Jeanne and her family are diehard, dedicated Milwaukee Brewer fans. I, for many years, hoped for the Chicago Cubs. ( Note: I said I hoped.) I picked up the habit many years ago while traveling the state of Wisconsin; I followed the lovable losers on WGN radio.  I ...

 ...she will pay for Brunch. I'm just saying. (She did.) Radiation Treatments: I'm not glowing in the dark yet. As I write this, I've had seven radiation treatments. Besides being on a first-name basis with Earl, the guy that follows me in the treatment lineup, there is little to report. Aside from getting my shoes off, lining me up on the table, and cautioning me not to move, it's a short process. The scheduled time for this procedure is fifteen minutes. Baseball Report: Because the Brewer game with the Pirates was not accessible to us, we ended up watching the Wisconsin Women's Softball High School Div 3 championship game featuring Brodhead and Mayville.  The game featured two teams with different approaches. Brodhead had a pitcher, McKenna Young. She pitched the entire game (7.5 innings, One inning longer than the regulation 7). Mckenna recorded 16 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 2 hits in that span. Mayville counted on their defense. Their pitcher, Allie Schwartz, poste...

 Let's take a look and see how my favorite teams did this year. PGA Golf: Sold to the Arabs in an effort to sports wash their human rights violations. NFL: Green Bay Packers. Aaron is gone, and all we've got is Love. How they will do is up in the air, but the divisional title and the playoffs are unimaginable. MLB: Chicago Cubs . Spectacular moments are interrupted by spurts of disaster. Milwaukee Brewers Second place in the weakest division of the national league. Since I started to become a fanboy, they have yet to play well. Their bats and pitching are sporadic. Premier League: Leeds United . They fired American Coach Jess Marsch and were relegated down to the championship league. NWSL: Angel City . I see a coaching change coming here. MLS: Seattle Sounders , Not good, and the future is not bright. UW Basketball: New coach. We'll see. UWGB : Where is Dick Bennet when you need him.  Call me if you have an opponent that your favorite team can't overcome. I buy and wea...

 WARNING! This post contains a photo of my neighbor bathing nude. This may be inappropriate for some viewers. Discretion is advised. Doctor's Report; As I've previously posted, I have bladder cancer. After numerous doctor visits and seemingly no end to imaging, I can report what we will do about it. First, I will go through radiation treatments. Starting next Wednesday, I will receive a daily dose of increasing power to be administered Monday through Friday until August 3. Because the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the pelvis, It's unlikely to get rid of all of the cancer. After a break and more imaging, I will receive three treatments of an immunotherapy drug. This is not Chemotherapy in the sense that we are not searching for whole-body effects but targeting cancer in the bladder. Right now, no cancer is seen in any area of my body except in the bladder. We are likely to see the cancer in remission at this point. Although I may have to continue immunotherapy to k...