Wigs and Things

''Hello! May I please have an ounce of marshmallow root, and an ounce of stinging nettle?''. ''Sure, but...you have to tell me first!''. ''Okay...tell you what ?''. '' You know ; Did your period ever come back? I've been dying to find out!''. Now to answer the burning question of both you and the local herbalist's, the answer is yes, my period did come back. And yes, I am such a 'townie' that even the herbalist is keeping track of my sporadic cycles with intense (and surprising) enthusiasm. I went in there right after Christmas, so less than a month ago. I was a regular for years, both there and the other herbal shop the next town ever. Even though I am not religious, I like to blend medicinal teas reminiscent of biblical times, the ''Red Tent'' days and all of that. My love affair with herbs began when I was 24 years old, as I walked past an herbal shop on my way to and from

''I know it's not your fault, you are just a cog in this dysfunctional healthcare machine'', I said to the receptionist with tears in my eyes as I handed over most of what was left of my savings. ''Well, you could always wait and have your biopsy another day, when you have more money'', she said, as she begrudgingly accepted my fresh one hundred bills, straight from the bank. Eight of them. ''I have a suspicious lump, a history of invasive and aggressive cancer, and a high risk of recurrence. I can't wait.'' And so there I was, at the breast surgeon's office. I go there every three months for an ultrasound to monitor my lumps. I have several since my free tram surgery in August 2017. ''Usually I am fine with having you come back in three months, but with this one, even though I think it's scar tissue, I don't feel good enough about it to send you out of here without scheduling a biopsy'', the n

' 'For I dipped into the future, far as human eye could see, saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that could be .'' - Tennyson. As one often does with the ushering in of a new year, I have found myself more thoughtful than usual. Reflecting. Pondering. Tennyson's words echoing in my mind; ''... all the wonder that could be .'' Today is the first sunny day we have had for weeks here on the East Coast, and while I have thoroughly enjoyed the cold, foggy damp of late, even I will admit that sunshine is a welcomed change. It reminds me that you never realize how much you enjoy something until you have gone without it. This sentiment, of course, is also applicable to people. When we last left off, I mentioned I thought I may have found Rupert. I couldn't help but laugh to myself recently when I scored a free National Geographic magazine at the local library for him from his birth year-1975-which even a featured article about his mothe