treatment

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.

I went to church, I had to sing.

Our Choir typically joins me for these services.

We have 4 new people in the Choir. Trish, has been in the choir one other time when her girls were real little. I was director of the Cherub choir back then, so I am familiar with her girls, Laurel and Ellie. Both are child stars and have a number of shows and commercials to their credits. Ironically, both are shy. Almost painfully so. Trish is a typical stage mother. Good lady. very outgoing personality, a wonderful heart, but a bit of a tigress where her girls are concerned.

So now I am singing with 2 teenage girls ( 13 years old) in my section. We also have one 12 year old and her mom in the Alto section. Now Laurel in my section, while shy, has a pretty little voice. Terry, her friend, not so much. Sweet girl, but not as much with the singing.

Their joining the choir was sort of a political thing. The mothers were upset that the 8 year old grandson of one person was singing with us when he wasn't in Sunday school. This to me seems harmless and he's a very talented young man.

I don't understand why this was such an issue. Why couldn't they just approach the choir director ( who is very approachable) and ask if the kids could join? But no..... these women had to go to the priest and complain about Sam and ask why their kids weren't allowed to join.

I don't understand people sometimes. If you want to join, ask. Don't issue a complaint about someone else as a reason for not being able to join. No one said no, because no one asked the question. then to bring this to the priest? Please these people are older than me by at least 10 years. Now they walk around preening as if they have fought that battle and won.

I joined this choir at 13 years old. My Uncle was the choir director, my father sang when he wasn't working his church job and my stepmom and aunts were in the choir. I was the youngest in the choir by 15 years. I don't begrudge these kids at all. I was on that same path at that same age. They can handle it. It's the mothers that I worry about.

So we all sang our song "Into the woods my master came" for Ash Wednesday. Very appropriate and a neat tune. The girls are still learning our process in the choir loft, when we sit and stand, when we go down for communion. That sort of thing.

We went down for Ashes and It occurred to me that this might not be the wisest thing to put on my skin.

But then I noticed when I got home, two interesting things. One, the ashes didn't do anything crazy to my skin, and two, the treatments are working.

What I like best about this new treatment is that, while it's stronger than I am accustomed to, I need to use less of it and less frequently and for a shorter duration. So I am getting less of the meds with a maximum benefit compared to the old treatments. I also have the unique phenomenon of no matter what phase I start treatment, my skin has to go to zero anyway in order to build it back up. Not so with this stuff. My hands and arms and feet are the only areas that are truly affected at this point and they are improving without dragging the rest of my body with it. So these are some really positive results. I have been on this treatment since Sunday and honestly - the difference is huge. I was sleeping better by Tuesday. Waking up on time by Wednesday and today I see a visible difference.

I long for a cure, but until then - this is working wonderfully.