It’s been 9 months since I got to sit at Midge’s keyboard, but tonight she’s turned it over to me. After all, I don’t know how many chances I have left to write, being over 80 years old now.

The other day I overheard her tell someone she might start giving me medicine for my painful hip joints. I sure need it. Watching me get to my feet after a nap is proof-positive. Or, should I say proof-negative.

There is an upside to this, though. My new sedentary lifestyle allows me extra time to study Midge, and I’ve been able to tell a great deal by the pace of her footsteps. In the past if she moved quickly, it always meant she was about to leave the house. Lately, though, speedy steps are her norm, even when she isn’t going anyplace.

For some reason she always seems to be in a rush. When we go out on our walks, my pause-to-sniff time has become newly limited. She tugs on my leash and says, “C’mon, Jackie. Keep moving.” Our regular walking route is getting shorter and shorter, too.

A week ago I overheard her telling a visitor she just got a new book contract. I’m not 100% sure what that means, but maybe it’s the reason for all the hurry-up. Although her #1 pleasure is writing and she’s very excited about another book, it could be she doesn’t have the time she needs to get it all done now, with the blog and the book competing for the same hours each day.

So I gave her a little advice, something she could do throughout the summer to remedy the problem. She could go back into her archive of older blogs and re-post some of them rather than writing a new one each night. And she went for the idea.

I hope none of you readers will mind. And I especially hope no one will think negatively toward me for having made the suggestion. Of course you know I have a vested interest in the idea, longing for the leisurely walks of my past when I could take my time with the scents of the neighborhood. But I also recommended the archives thing because I want Midge to do a good job on her new book.

I’ve read all 1422 of her blogs and look forward to seeing which ones she will re-use this summer, hoping she’ll let me in on the action. After all, I’ve written some pretty spectacular posts in past years.

I do know she’ll break from the archive plan if anything unusual happens to my Aunt Mary, and she’ll write new blogs accordingly. She also plans to continue posting Aunt Mary’s prayer requests at the end of each blog for those of you who are praying. And by the way, we’re all incredibly thankful you are.

And now I’m going to ease my weary old body onto my plump doggie bed for a good long sleep.

“God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Praising and Praying with Mary

Pray that the antibiotic ointment will clear the tube infection, which seems to be in surface stitches. Pray for patience with the negative sides of chemo.

Praise for only mild nausea and for friends who send words of encouragement at exactly the right moments.