Smiling with fakes...

I saw a very funny greeting card the other day. It had a sexy woman on the front with the words, " If anyone asks you if those are real...
And inside it said, " don't let anyone touch your teeth!"

Well, that would describe me, now. My lovely smile is totally fake. It may look real, and the sentiment is real, it is just that the teeth are all temporaries. Seven of them.

Yeah, I went to the dentist, and he did a root canal, 6 crowns, pulled three teeth -- gosh, have lost track of all that he did, but the bottom line is there was no pain ,no bleeding, and his words to me were that I had been a great patient, sailed right through it.

He should only know I was practically hyperventilating in the car driving to the appointment.

I wear these temporary teeth for two months while my mouth heals and then I get the permanent bridges ,the crowns , and then he starts to do some repair work on the bottom.

He said to me," Don't worry, you will have a beautiful smile when we are done." And, I said, " What was wrong with the smile I had?"

Company Comes

Last Wednesday, on the spur of the moment almost, my son Tod ( todgoldberg.com) and daughter Linda ( visualchronicles.com) came here for lunch and a visit.

Ah, it was wonderful.  I used to live on the same street as Tod, back in the desert, was used to seeing him all the time, so moving here to another city, miles away from him has been a difficult adjustment. I miss him all the time -- so I was so excited to see him, and equally excited to see Linda with a new haircut and her signature great smile, which is all her own teeth, I might add.

The two of them said I should be able to go without a wig soon, so I pulled it off to show them my thin hair, wispy hair, ugly hair. " Dye it brown," they both urged, pulling family photos off the book shelf, photos of me in varying stages of brown hair.

Right now it is a semi strawberry blond and the kids thought that was too pale, go get my hair returned to it's pre chemo state - be brown again.

I have an appointment for next week. Not that I'll l feel confident enough to go without the wig, but it is a step in the right direction for when  I am alone in here and look in the mirror -- best I should find a familiar face , or head of hair, looking back.

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is going to be girl's  day.  Both of my daughters, plus grand daughter Emily, are coming here.

I feel like flying flags!

We are going to do a belated birthday lunch for Karen, an early birthday lunch for Linda, and just a fun time overall. Our plans are to put my walker in the car and head to the harbor, have lunch, eyeball boats and people and roam in and out of some of the shops.

I've got the gifts wrapped and got a little gift for Emily, too, which she is not expecting. When I was her age, 12, I began my fascination with Eleanor Roosevelt. I've read every biography on her, books by others about her and once when I was visiting my beau in DC we went to a one woman show put on by Jean Stapelton - a salute to Eleanor Roosevelt. We had sat transfixed in our seats, enjoying every moment, totally forgetting that 911 had just happened days prior. The president had urged residents to go out and back to  normal life. I'd see the ad for the play, so called and was able to get us tickets. It had become a special night for us.

I just happened to see a book on Eleanor Roosevelt, geared toward the younger reader, so scooped it up for Emily.

I hope she will like it and feel inspired by the life Eleanor tried to lead.

Now...

It's time for me to call my Mommy, visit with her for a moment. I need to tell her that cousin David sent me a photo of her taken at Spirit Lake back in the 40's -- she looks like a pin up girl.

Hope your weekend is going as well as mine.

And, before I forget, for all of you who are coming here from my son Lee Goldberg's site ( leegoldberg.com), welcome! Happy to have you here giving me a read, too.

Jan

Comments

[Tracey Priestley Schaaf]

Keep it up baby...you're the best. I want to be you when I grow up...know that sounds silly but you are a true inspiration to me and many of my friends whom you have neve met.
It will all be good . Just hang in there.
Love to you and a big hug,
Tracey

[david Zarkin]

I'm glad you enjoyed the Auntie Dora photo. I just wrote a short article on the early days of radio here. I think wig looks great, but don't know if it is comfortable. I have a $4 wig from the grocery store for Halloween that I could lend you.

[cynthia]

I remember learning about Eleanor Roosevelt in elementary school and telling my grandmother at a party that they both had the same name, and "you look like her too" -everybody laughed and I didn't know why.
Books from grandmas are special. I hope you tell her why Eleanor Roosevelt was special to you. Why was she?
My obsession was with Helen Keller.
I'm glad you're having fun times, plan some more!