Day #37 of 40

It's the Tree Hugger's 75th birthday. I didn't go with him today. It's also the last day of school. Our grandson's schoolbus will be at the door around 12:30. Yesterday we didn't get out of the hospital until 12:30, even though Phil's daily appointment with the machine is supposed to be at 9:40. Sometimes we breeze out of there by 10:30, but sometimes the machine gets backed up and everyone's appointments get delayed by an hour or more.  No matter. Thanks to a wonderful volunteer named John, a cancer survivor and story-teller, the patients in the little waiting room have become a community. John brings cookies and conversation. He offers St. Peregrine medals to anyone who wants one. Most people take him up on it. 

There's laughter and tears in that room. We are all in love with a winsome 12-year-old with a rare sarcoma. I didn't know that word until four weeks ago, and wish, pray God, I never had reason to look it up on the Internet. We are told she has a one-in-five chance. We all want so much for her to be the that one.  She's about half way through 54 days of treatment, both radiation and chemo.

Yesterday the rain kept us from our outdoor walk, so we walked indoors. The corridors at Johns Hopkins are lined with artwork, such as this charming piece of needlework.