Ya just can't get any sleep around here (my play on comedian Rodney Dangerfield's "respect.") Haha. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and have to get up at 6 to take a Prezzie, and THAT'S AFTER AN AMBIEN! No wonder I have bags under my eyes.

I heard this maxim in high school, when we were studying Benjamin Franklin's maxims.

"Late to bed,
Early to rise,
Dulls the brain,
And bags the eyes."

Haha.

Though I woke up early this a.m., I'm not down or depressed. I'm just keyed up and wide awake. Oh well. I'll write.

Last night, though, I was down and a little depressed. After the fireworks in bed. Haha. (Can't believe I said that, but when you have a brain tumor, as Norma says, you'll say anything.)

Right before I dozed off, I had what's called a "sundowner effect." I know the term from my father's doctors. I was his caregiver for three years before he died, and he would get down at bedtime. Doc said it can happen to anyone, and it happens when the day's activities are over, and you're all alone and thinking.

Last night, as I hugged sweet little three-year-old Claudia before bedtime (pronounced "Claw – dee- uh," the Spanish way; she lives in San Juan), I noticed she had a slight sniffle, and I got REAL WORRIED. Doc says the surgery is canceled Thurs. morning if I have a sniffle or a cough. ALL WEEK, CLAUDIA AND I HAVE PUT ON MAKEUP TOGETHER EVERY MORNING and DRANK OUT OF THE SAME WATER BOTTLES! My mind ran away with me, and all of a sudden, I was sniffling and telling Milton I might be getting her cold, and he was reassuring me that, that wasn't going to happen, and my two new tubes of lipstick grew into gigantic proportions, and I could see her cold germs all over the tops of them…writers DO have imaginations. That's why we can write stories! And Milton kept reassuring me that was not going to happen. The surgery doesn't need to be postponed, not because we've got around 25 family members coming for dinner tonight and will be here through the surgery, but because I've been on Prezzie for nearly a week, and also anti-seizures, so my system is loaded, and the plans have to take place.

But then finally Milton's arms and the Ambien kicked in, and I dozed off. But here I am wide awake.

The pic is of my three oldest grands last Christmas. Milton and I ate at TV chef's Emeril's restaurant in Orlando and bought the kiddies Emeril chef hats and aprons. We made cookies at Christmas time with them decked out in their delightful garb, and then we made gingerbreadhouses and had a contest. What fun!

God is so good to me. I hope…no, I BELIEVE I WILL HAVE MANY MORE CHRISTMASES with my kddies making gingerbread houses and SINGING with them. I love to sing and especially with them.

Florence, my 83 year old second cousin called me last night. She lives in our city, and she's the one who gave me the name of my neurosurgery group. Six years ago, at age 77, she had sinusitis, and they discovered she had a benign brain tumor, and they removed it, and she's doing great. She had to take radiation afterward, even though it was benign. Challengingly, not long after her tumor removal, she came down with breast cancer, successfully fought it, and is plugging away, doing fine. She's a travel agent and travels all over the world. It was an encouraging word to me. We have German blood in us, and I believe it's the strong German stock in us that helps us be determined. Her mother, Great Aunt Eva, lived to be 108, and was a delightful person. Our family has great longevity. For a kick, visit Great Aunt Eva's website. She went to Israel, I believe on her LAST trip (there were several) at 99, and even rode a camel! Wow!

Thanks, Florence, for an encouraging word last night. The next time I go to Israel, I think I’m going to ride a camel, too. I turned down the offer last time. They stink.

P.S. I'm not responsible for typos. Laugh.