Ups and Downs

On August 25, Bronte had surgery to remove his left eye because of tumors. He had gone blind in the left eye. Several days later, Bronte was acting his normal self - full of energy and enthusiasm.

Bronte began to have problems with his left rear leg on September 9. An X-ray was taken of the leg on September 11, and later that day he began a program of weekly injections and a daily dosage of an NSAID to help heal a tear in his "knee" and alleviate the discomfort of arthritis.

We learned on September 10 that Tomie's new book, THE BIRDS OF BETHLEHEM, received a starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Jarrett Krosoczka's interview with Tomie for Sirius XM aired on September 12. We sat in Tomie's driveway in his car to listen to Jarrett's wonderful "Book Report" program.

By September 13, Bronte's eighth birthday, Bronte was feeling playful.

Also on September 13, Tomie learned that his peers had selected him for The Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society of Illustrators.

societyillustrators.org/Awards-and-Competitions/Original-Art/Lifetime-Achievement-Awards.aspx

After I, Tomie's Blog Blogger, helped Bronte off of Tomie's bed on September 14, and Bronte ran into a piece of furniture, it became obvious that something was terribly wrong with Bronte's "good" remaining eye. Later that day, his right eye was removed because of tumors, and Bronte was blind.

I had planned on taking Tomie to dinner at Burdick's restaurant in Walpole, NH, on September 15. "Surprise guests" were to meet us at the restaurant. However, since Bronte was at the hospital on Friday night, September 14, I was able to arrange for two of the guests to meet us at the restaurant on Friday night: Cyndy Szekeres Prozzo and Marianna McGuffin. Cyndy is a wonderful writer and  illustrator of children's books that Tomie first met at Pratt Institute, and Marianna is a friend that Tomie met at the Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont - both meetings happened decades ago.

September 15 - Happy 78th Birthday, Tomie!

Bronte was able to come home on Saturday morning, September 15. He is making incremental improvements each day. He is taking pain medication and wearing an Elizabethan collar.

Since Sherry and Steve Litwack of Concord, MA, couldn't change their plans for Friday night, they came to Tomie's house on Saturday night to sit with Tomie and Bronte and quietly celebrate Tomie's birthday.