TAKE TWO - 27 December 2025




Family reunion for Hervé, Paul, Emma and Christine in S.C.

Meike, Tim, Timo and Mats at home in Berlin, Germany

"Sister" Jan with her tree in Oswestry, UK

Week Summary - With the exception of lingering fatigue and falling hair, Gloria appeared to be her old self this week. But that would be somewhat of a false impression. The lower portion of her alimentary canal is still pretty touchy, but her appetite for different foods has returned to a significant degree. This meant that while I was concerned she would have little appetite for the ham dinner I made for Christmas Eve, those concerns did not materialize. She declared it an exceptional meal.

While Gloria has always has always enjoyed wrapping presents, the enjoyment generally runs out before the presents do. There was probably a smaller number than some years and daughter Mariya and daughter-in-law Miriam pitched in, but Gloria seemed to wade through the wrapping routine with few problems.

While granddaughter DQ - Diana Quinn - was too small to perambulate last year, she certainly made up for it this year. There was a concern she would give the gate blocking the stairs a real test, but to everyone’s surprise and relief, she ignored it.

There was also worry relating to tree decorations, but for the most part, Mariya and Miriam were successful in teaching DQ to only "boop" any attractive item on the tree. This highly technical term refers to DQ halting her relatively high velocity approach to said object, then projecting a pinky, followed by ever-so-gently touching the item. I am under the impression that a verbal "boop" sound was to accompany the final step, but at this point in her speech development, this vocalization appears to be absent.

Nadja, Matze, Leo and Luna in Berlin, Germany

Sister Gaila's hubby Humberto and relatives in La Paz, Bolivia

Courtney with her boyfriend Sean in Chester, Britain

Wisconsin sleigh ride in snowy Christmas wonderland

But others words are coming! I am "officially" Boppa and Gloria is GG in DQ-Speak. Quite a few things are pointed to and associated with the sound of "kitty" - Mariya and Miriam have two cats and we have one. While doggie is similar, there is a discernible difference. The gals have also been working on some Spanish and sign language. DQ reliably uses the sign language motion of putting her hands together to signify she wants more.

Looking at all of the cool images that arrived during Christmas, we thought it would be fun to make a small collection and seven of those are shown above.

But three we felt required special mention. The first involves an experience every parent has. Our version involved Gloria, Miriam, Mariya, DQ and I heading to the fireplace to see what Santa brought. But what caught DQ's eye was not a gift, but a child-sized rocker given to the Freelands by Gloria's grandfather Nels Mostrom when she was small. With a little work, images of Mariya and Big G were also found sitting in the chair.

Gloria, Mariya and DQ in the Mostrom Rocker

Another that caught our eye has a whole bunch of people, but we only know one. Still, rather than focusing on Claire, we used the whole because for some reason, it just made us smile!

Claire, our friends' daughter, in a Paris culinary school

Claire is the granddaughter of one of the women - then girls - on the cover of our book about the sister city connection between Morganville, Kansas and Fèves, France.

The last is a Christmas-card photo of the "lads" in the Fron choir. While Gloria and I were unable to join them on their Malta concert trip, we saw them in action in Wales in the spring, in many rehearsals, and in their efforts to welcome Pavarotti's widow back to Llangollen, where the world-famous tenor considered his career to have begun.

The "lads" of the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir

Taken together, it was a very good Christmas Eve and Christmas. But by the time Christmas Day was over, Gloria was, to use the British term, shattered! However, many non-chemotherapy adults experience something similar at this time of year! Notable examples include Mariya and Miriam!


Details

Sunday, 21st
-GBF experimented with making a salmon bowl, liked result
-ate some of mom’s baked dish
-6 p.m. to 9 p.m. drove about looking at Christmas lights
-no hydrocodone today
-observation: Cancer Center of Kansas is like factory
-wanted her hair cut off as fall-out drives her crazy

Monday, 22nd
-whole day w/o a nap!
-no hydrocodone today
-wrapped Christmas presents
-more salmon bowl - lovin' it!
-I worked on extra lights at work
-called CCK about questions - stinging pee

Tuesday, 23rd
-9:30 a.m. arose
-11:30 a.m. to Stonecreek for labs
-stops: Commerce Bank, Goodwill, Hobby Lobby for frame, Culver's for lunch, Dillon's and Hy-Vee for salt
-pick up presents from Mariya to take home
-nap
-wrap presents
-in evening watched "Hope Gap" movie - a bit depressing, but good
-more hair loss, but majority remains
-no hydrocodone for remainder of week

Wednesday, 24th
-Arose about 9 a.m.
-I went to Walmart, and work to get ham from fridge
-gals arrived at 3:15 p.m. for ham meal
-DQ very active, I am now officially Boppa, Gloria GG for some time now
-meal exceptionally good, despite just being usual
-Gloria ate well
-DQ liked singing Santas, singing Elvis, playing in Minnie's water
-DQ never tested child's gate on stairs
-three gals left for home about 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, 25th - Christmas
-arose 8:15 a.m.
-three gals arrive at 10:15 a.m.
-first Christmas at fireplace and then upstairs
-DQ loved small Freeland rocker, so brought upstairs
-unwrap presents
-DQ on the "go" all the time
-ham leftovers at noon
-three gals leave about 3 p.m.
-5:30 p.m. to gals’ place for tamales
-Anabell arrived about 6:30 p.m with gifts
-home at 7:00 p.m.
-GBF completely worn out, but most of day was 100%

Saturday, 27th
-arose about 8:30 a.m.
-Tilapia for supper
-watched a "Morse"
-stayed home, worked on column
-hair getting thin in back
-hair falling about bugs her
-pork and sauerkraut sounded good
-worked on column
-a day of little note



Katie and Matt spelunking in Japan

Friday, 26th
-arose about 9:30 a.m.
-hauled stored items from basement;
GBF to go through
-she found packet for 1964 car wreck
-she found uncle Bob’s Merchant-
Marine book
-pot pies for supper
-often on diarrhea edge,
minor inconvenience
-low-key day
-watched a “Morse”

Deb and Paul in the UK