This is the inner sanctum where this afternoon I waited for the doctor to come and tell me what I already knew: that my body has had an allergic reaction to something I ate or something in my environment. I still think it was Neilson's Slowpokes, which were delicious but not worth the swelling and itching and redness and blisters. He did ask me if I'm stressed about anything, and although I know you can be stressed and not realize it, I don't think I am. When Mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer— now that was stress.

We stopped at Bruce and Shirley's on the way home from Karen's the other night, and he was looking pretty good. It is prostate cancer that he has and it has spread into his hipbones. "I'm hooped," he said, but surely that isn't the case. The only treatment they are giving him is a shot every three months that is supposed to kill the cancer cells. So it's not good news, but it's not the worst news either. It hasn't spread to his vital organs and is a very slow-growing cancer; lots of people either beat it or can live with it for a long time. Fingers crossed.

Doggie update: Enough donations (thank you, you know who you are) have come in for the little dog's eye surgery, medications and even spaying, if all the pledges are honoured. Once he gets through that, he'll need a home. I'll pass on any more news that Karen gives me.

And now, it's time to come up with something for supper. Antihistamines make me lazy. I mean, lazier than usual. I don't feel like standing at the kitchen counter. So I won't, or not for long. I made a cabbage dish the other day and am going to turn the leftovers into soup and make some biscuits to go with it. That'll have to do, or someone else can make free in the kitchen, it's all the same to me.

No word from Joan yet about how Ben is doing. I left a message on Gary's cellphone just now so maybe she'll call me when she gets a chance.