Roxy's visit to the vet yesterday proved that she does have Lyme disease (which requires daily antibiotics for a month), does not have cataracts, is about 7 or 8 years old, has intestinal parasites, is underweight (about 34 pounds when she should be at least 40), needs vitamins, but is otherwise in decent health. She's still not eating, although she did take a few bits of her dog food once it was softened up with some warm chicken broth, which the vet recommended. To get her to take her vitamin and her antibiotics, I had to wrap them in turkey. While I was giving that to her, Hercules smelled food and came over to investigate. He got a little too close for Roxy's comfort and she snapped at him. Now, whenever he sees her, he bolts for the safety of the darkest recesses under one of the beds. She also needs to have her undercoat thoroughly combed out, to help with her shedding and also to make her more comfortable in the warm weather. When we tried to comb her today, she would have none of it and kept walking away. She did sit still for these photos.

Caitlin came out to dinner with us this evening, which should not be a momentous event, except that she hasn't been out for a meal with us since last summer when she became a vegetarian. We went to our favorite Chinese place, which has a large number of vegetarian selections. She's been in a good mood the last couple of days, which is notable. When you live with a child who has chronic illnesses (in her case, depression, anxiety, ADHD, migraines, and possibly a bipolar disorder) you learn to treasure every moment in which your child is not suffering from one or more symptoms of their disease. The times that would pass unnoticed with any other child are valued and you hold onto them during the bleak times when it seems that no light will ever penetrate their darkness again.

Today was one of those golden days. She woke up and started repainting an old rocking chair that's been sitting on the front porch for years, the dark green paint peeling and flaking away (I tried to convince myself it was of the shabby chic ilk, but it had passed beyond shabby some time ago). She ran out of paint partway through and we made a trip to Home Depot to buy more paint and sandpaper. The chair is drying now, restored to a gleaming finish. This was a day I will bank for future use when things are not quite so sunny.