Good afternoon.  Hope you all enjoyed the last weekend of the summer.  This summer passed by so quickly.  In years gone by summers were spent at the lake.  My sister and I would get up around 10:00 AM; she was in her trailer, and I was in the condo we rented for the summer.  The best time at the lake was when my grandson joined us.  He loved the lake and we would take long bike rides, hang out at the beach, build sand castles and ride the jet ski with Papa. He loved riding his bike to my sister’s place.  A server would come by later in the morning to take our order for lunch. The afternoons were spent on the beach reading or taking a nap.  Around 5:00 PM we would head back to our accommodations. We would shower and get dressed to go out for dinner at the restaurant in the village.  

This summer was spent at home reading and writing.  I completed translating two family histories.  One was 52 pages long, and the other was 56 pages long.  As I have mentioned, these family histories are both interesting and sad.  I could not imagine surviving what these families endured in the former Soviet Union.  I finished reading several books, “Fire and Bones” by Kathy Reichs and “Passions in Death” by J.D. Robb.  I am looking forward to reading “The Grey Wolf” by Louise Penny which will be released on October 29, 2024. 

My daughter Natasha gave me a short lesson in AI and helped me create the above picture.  I asked AI to help me produce a picture that would depict pain.  I think the above picture does a good job of that.My husband and friends have been coaxing me to write a book.  I just never felt the creative juices required to first write the book and then get it published.  Last week I had an epiphany and realized that I already had a completed story right in front of me.  I will be working on the book come winter.  By then I hope to have most of the histories and letters translated.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my family doctor.  His nurse called me last week and asked it I had heard from my hepatologist, Dr. Wong.  I said no, and she seemed concerned about my answer.  We will see what my family doctor has to tell me.  I can only hope and pray that it is not bad news.  The reason for the ultrasounds at 6-month intervals is to keep track of any lesions that might pop up.

Lichen Planus is an autoimmune problem.  It never goes away completely.  It itches horribly and is very disfiguring.  It has appeared on both my legs, both arms and in my mouth.  There is a special mouth wash I can use and it works quite quickly.  The steriod creme does not work as quickly.