3rd Week of Chemotherapy

Caitlin knit me this fancy little shawl.. It has an interesting name but I can't remember what it is!
Fancy Knitting email.
I posted twice today, so go back if you want to see some pictures of Ball, why it is called Double Cut and a history of subscription Balls.
I had my third week of chemotherapy, so I have no treatment next week. My blood levels were a little lower than last week, but they assured me that every thing should bounce back after having a week off.
I'm taking tomorrow off work to do the shopping and start Thanksgiving preparations. Allie, her boyfriend, John, and her friend, Alison will be coming in late tomorrow night. Caitlin and Lisa will be flying in on Thursday morning, and N0ra and Jason and kids will come for evening dinner. We'll have a busy day cooking, but that's the fun of Thanksgiving

The Double Cut Ball with pictures

Anna, one the hostess, with her dress that Elizabeth created
Elizabeth with the Martster in her self-designed dress
Scottish formal is apparently acceptable

Folks were asking about "Double Cut"and subcription Balls, so here are all your answers!

Double Cut: Refers to one couple cutting in on another and switching partners.

Dancing: The Ward Marston Band will play an array of toe-tapping music from the era of the classic dance bands. These familiar tunes will lead your feet in the right direction – be it a lively two-step, an airy waltz, or a barreling polka. Fear not if you feel that your dancing feet need a brush-up. The music will make it easy. Local dance workshops (see below) will help you polish your steps.

Attire: Ladies are asked to wear a floor length evening gown. Long white gloves are encouraged. Gentlemen are asked to wear a black suit with a white dress shirt and a black or white tie. “White Tie” and “Black Tie” dress are optional. White gloves are encouraged.

Dance Classes: To help you brush up your dance steps, we will host two ballroom dance classes in West Philadelphia the weekend prior to the ball. The first class will be on Saturday, November 14th, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and the second class will be on Sunday, November 15th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Both classes will take place at the Community Education Center (CEC), located at 3500 Lancaster Avenue, and will cost $5 per person. Please email tomplank@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Subscription: We are pleased to arrange a festive evening for our friends which harks back to the subscription balls of years past (see below). The Double Cut Ball is intended to be a “break-even” occasion, not a benefit event, and the subscription charge merely enables us to meet the expenses of the evening.

A note on subscription balls, from Household Companion: The Home Book Of Etiquette
by Alice A. Johnson, Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill, and Dr. Henry Hartshorne, 1909:

Subscription Dances

In most of the large cities several series of dances are arranged by certain leaders in the social world to which people are invited to subscribe. Each subscriber is usually entitled to a number of invitations for distribution, though in some instances the price of the subscription is small, and only permits one person to take advantage of each.

The subscription balls take place in some public ball-room, as a rule. In New York, for instance, at Delmonico’s.

Several ladies are selected to form the reception committee, and they stand in one of the outer rooms, bowing to the guests as they enter. On such occasions, no one shakes hands; the ladies curtsy, and the gentlemen bow.

No unmarried lady should go to one of these balls, or to any large party, without a chaperon, and invitations should be sent to an elder member of her family, in order that she need not look outside for proper attendance.

In the West and South it is customary for gentlemen to take unmarried ladies to evening entertainments, but in the East, and in the best city society generally, such a thing would be considered the greatest breach of decorum. At a small dance in a private house a young lady may dispense with the services of a chaperon, if desired, but she should be escorted to and from the house by a servant or relative.

A good floor is essential to the enjoyment of dancing; when the carpet is taken up, care should be used that no roughness of surface is presented. Some ladies have their dancing-floors carefully polished with beeswax and a brush. A crumb-cloth or linen diaper, thoroughly well stretched over a carpet, is the next best thing to a polished floor.

The question of music is important. If it is a large ball, four musicians is the least number that should be engaged piano, cornet or flute, violin, and violoncello. In small assemblies the violin and piano are sufficient, or, on occasion, the piano alone. In such a case a chance pianist should not be depended upon, but a professional one be engaged.

The orchestra should occupy what is considered the top of the room. In cases where it is not convenient to adhere to this rule, the end farthest from the door is usually chosen. The position of the orchestra needs to be considered by the dancers, so that, in quadrilles, their movements may be regulated thereby.

The Grandma truckster
At the Double Cut Ball
Yesterday was a busy day. I had some things to attend to at Baby Preview. I hired some help to put away the porch furniture, move the woodpile closer to the house and help Marty cover the boat. I finally potted my kale for the front porch. I still have geraniums and snapdragons and the pointsettias are holding their own. I feel better with things battened down for the winter.
After a nap, Marty and I went to Double Cut Ball in Philadelphia. My singer friends, Elizabeth and Anna, organized it last year and it was so successful that they did it again this year. It was fun seeing all the beautiful 20 and 30 somethings in their fancy ball gowns and tuxedos, but it was a late night. Pictures to follow.
This afternoon, I worked on Thanksgiving recipes and a few other little projects. And, (drum roll) I finally took a picture of my car.

I found my camera!

I cleaned the floor and flat surfaces of my office. I checked the trash, organized the bills and decided to go buy a new camera. Then I went through the bag in which I carry my little computer, that I had already checked 3 times, and there it was in the outside pocket! So I wouldn't have had to clean my office after all! But I am glad I did.
By the time I got home it was too dark to take pictures, so I'll get on that tomorrow morning.
I was very tired today. I took one of my graduates and her 2 year old to the Jump Factory. We had a great time. I am off to bed shortly. I have a busy day tomorrow, celebrating another graduation with more jumping.

I had my second chemotherapy with Topotecan late this afternoon. All my blood work was fine, even the anemia was better (10). The only monkey wrench in gears was that the nurse didn't hook up the first bag of fluids. When the alarm went off to change bags, she came over and said,"That's funny it is still half full." and reset it. I was looking over the set-up and it looked like the tubing was just hanging there, connected to nothing. I rang the bell, and told them that it appeared the tubing wasn't connected. They exclaimed and made jokes and hooked it up. My only revenge was that it was at the end of the day and they had to wait for me before they could go home.
I made some progress in my office today, but still no camera.
I am feeling bereft.

For the time being, I have given up on finding my camera until I can clean up my office.
The surprise:
When I arrived home from visiting my mum and opened the garage door, I saw the back end of a red car that I had never seen before. Apparently Marty thought my almost 15 year old Saturn was looking too sad and he bought me a PT Cruiser. It is bright, shiny red with wood panels, very retro and kinda cute. I was not a big fan of PT Cruisers, but this one is really nice: 2005 with only 60.000 miles, heated leather seats and a sun roof. So I've been tooling around in my new red car. It is nice for hauling mothers and babies around because it has all the right latches and hooks for the new car seats. I've been waiting to blog a picture, but the missing camera has delayed things.
I worked 40 hours this week for the first time in a long time. I got caught up with all my current clients. One even came out out the woodwork that I thought was lost forever. Turned out she went to Mexico for a two months and just got back. Working was good, although I spent a lot of time sleeping this weekend.
I just got back from shape note singing. I thought I would be too tired, but the singing really perked me up. It seems if I find something interesting to do, it distracts me from feeling tired.
Although as everyone likes to remind me: We all get tired.
I'm planning to work full time for the next few weeks to see how that goes.

I still haven't found my camera, but I haven't looked very hard.
I went to chemotherapy yesterday for my first dose of Topotecan, Aztec God of strong medicine. No real side effects. The steroids didn't perk me up like the last time, but it kept me going to go back to work afterwards. I felt fine today, just a little tired. I saw clients and did paper work.
I even wrapped a few Christmas gifts tonight! I don't want it to all pile up at the end.
I have a surprise when I find my camera.

Everything is cool.

I have been visiting my mom since Monday 11/2 and didn't realize how long it had been since I had blogged until I started to get emails from people concerned about my status. I forgot my camera and that makes blogging less interesting. The weekend before I left for my mom's, Marty and I spent the weekend in Philadelphia with his nephew Everett and wife Amanda. They had a very fun Halloween Party and a surprise wedding shower for Marty's niece ,Cory the following day. they graciously invited us to stay over between the the two parties.

My mom has been keeping us busy. She is a ball of fire with the new pacemaker in. We did take naps everyday.
This morning we went to the Wesley Grange buckwheat pancake breakfast.I have heard about this event for years and have never had the opportunity to go. My Grandma and Grandpa Riddle started it in the '30s and used my Grandmas' recipe. They were delicious.

We went to see 'Where the wild things are" yesterday. Thursday we had lunch with my aunts and uncles and a few cousins and had a great visit. Wednesday I did some shopping with my SIL DeAnn. Of course we watched the World Series.

I'll be staying home for most of the rest of the year.