And, I'm trying to be better about blogging -

at least more often than every six weeks!

I also have a few pictures, this time!

We're experiencing a REALLY *H.O.T.* summer.

We still haven't set up a big pool in our yard and the girls are making do (happily, too!) with the sprinkler and the baby wading pools.

I've told Rissy she can plant anything anywhere she wants.  Who knows?  Maybe chives and some flowers will spring up, someday!!!  She's planning on buying seeds on her next trip with us to the store.j  It's something to keep her occupied and who knows what she will learn!

Jesse moved the trampoline to an area of the yard that has quite a few hours of shade.  It isn't "cool," but at least the 104° sun isn't bearing down on them, directly.

I'm decluttering the house, again.  That job needs to be done more and more often.  Really now - where does "stuff" come from, anyway?

One of my biggest jobs is putting our photos in order. 

I gave Jesse a book of pictures for Father's Day.  There are Bible Scriptures in between pages of pictures - verses that go with the pictures.  I have placed photos in bags dated 2004, 2005, etc. in the hopes of organizing them.   I was able to put his childhood pictures and our marriage (up through December 2003) in his book, but, I  have so many left.  I have two big boxes from Wal-Mart of 2009 & 2010.  I haven't ever gone through the 2011 pictures or had them printed, but I should hurry and do that.  Before much longer, it will be 2012!!!!

I've made the decision to finish putting ALL of my photos in order (and label them) and then (GASP!) throw away the rest.  I have pictures of friends from high school and earlier that I NEVER look at, and I bravely pulled  only a few from the scrap book and threw the book and remaining pictures away.  I HAVE to let go of the tendency to keep everything "just in case."

My friend Tara has inspired me to be more orderly and less cluttered.  I've always admired her clean and tidy pictures of the inside of her house!!!  Even, recently, with her moving from a house to an apartment!  She is always looking for ways to improve herself with diet, parenting, etc. and has no idea how much of a decluttering inspiration she has been to me!  Hats off to ya, Tara! 

Anyway, I've been keeping myself busy with catching up in lots of areas and using lots and LOTS of lists.  Does anyone else enjoy lists?  They seem overwhelming when they are made at the beginning of the week, but  oh the glorious feeling of seeing a "scratched off list" at the end of the week.  I have yet to complete everything on my list, but have gotten the amount of things left to do (which I transfer to "next week's list") down to only one or two things.

I don't have money to redecorate, but I've done free things - like take the tablecloths off of the  dining room and the kitchen tables.  It gives the whole room a different look and costs nothing.

Outside - still the barren flowerbeds and junk on the patio.  I never really go to the backyard and tend to neglect it. 

This year, a pair of blue jays have made a nest in one of our backyard trees.  I took a picture of the next this morning, with the idea of sharing here, and then I waited 3 hours for little bird heads to appear, but there were none.  The nest contains 4 babies and I have no idea where the bird parents have gone and why the babies aren't squawking!

This is the day to run errands.  Not too many, and, I'm glad.  As Luci always says, "It's stinkin' hot outside," and it is again today.

I made canned buttermilk biscuits for breakfast.  I hardly ever make biscuits for breakfast, so it was an enjoyable change.

We've ordered Netflix - the cheapest version ($8/month).  It is limited in the choices, but has the documentaries I want to use for the girls next school year.  I am not buying science books, but, using Netflix.

Biscuits and a children's movie for breakfast - it's summer!  How cool is that?!! 

Speaking of biscuits, tonight's dinner is simple "Hay and Straw."  Italian restaurants serve it.  Fettucine with al fredo sauce and small green peas and ham (I leave the mushrooms out of my recipe).  It's really simple and fast and I always forget about it.  I should make a recipe card for "quick meal ideas" and use it when my brain fails me!

I really need to go.  I have to enter Jesse's checks in the books and take a bath.  I think he's taking us out to lunch!

Yay!  One less meal I have to worry about!

Be blessed  ~

I'm okay (for real!) ~   

just very busy and

still not completely over the fatigue from radiation therapy.

My friend, Lori K, called me, this week, and as I ran down the list of what has gone on for the past 2 months, I was better able to see what has occupied so much of my time! 

MY LIST (NOT in chronological order):

*   My cousin (in California) died of cancer very soon after Hospice was brought in 
*   We had an impromptu (nice) overnight visit from Jesse's half brother (and family) from Amarillo
*   The girls and I have had a number of doctor visits - mainly healthy visits and one case of hives (2 girls)
*   My NEW oven quit working.  Repairman coming tomorrow, a second attempt to fix it.  (we DO have coverage)
*   Our fish suddenly started having multitudes of babies, adorable, BUT what to do with them all???!!! 
*   Had to put out fires with social security, Netflix, our cable TV supplier, my medical insurance coverage, prescription denials, and, I'm sure, much more 
*  Shopped for several birthday gifts, still have graduation gifts to purchase - then, the wrapping of gifts . . .
*   Finishing up the last homeschool material (science, health, social studies) 
*   Am planning and purchasing next years books
*   I've fallen a couple of times (black outs, still bothering me), so nothing like baths or climbing w/o Jesse home
*   Mammogram & breast ultra sound - the physician pronounced me a miracle
*   Visit to surgeon who discharged me (she STILL calls me her miracle patient) 
*   HOWEVER, have been having headaches (combined with blacking out) and yesterday's visit to the oncologist has resulted in her ordering a brain MRI, along with my routine summer MRI's of my back.  She wants to be SURE and thinks black outs and headaches might be from dehydration and the fact that my neck spasm is still present (from the doctor who did the epidurals in my neck last October) 
*   Because I've felt better (STRONGER), we've started going to the library, spending time at favorite places like our Christian book store, Barnes & Noble, etc. (even went to the mall with Jesse!)
*   Started attending Sunday morning church services again (2 weeks ago).  Feels good to be back in fellowship!
*   My step mother died.  My bio-father died years ago and this was his wife.  Her son (my step-brother) was nice to call me with the news, & said he found a few of my dad's things, so he's been mailing them to me
*   Jesse sold his extra truck - had a few things to do to get it ready to sell - yay! 
*   We dodged, and were spared from, several news making tornadoes.  The biggest one was bearing down on us and shifted about 2 miles away from our neighborhood.  VERY scary!!!  A couple of times, we packed and spent some time sitting in our "centrally located hallway," listening to sirens and the news reports of the location and severity of the tornadoes.  

I've also done mending, cleaned my closet to make more room, moved some furniture and nick nacks around the house, cleaned out my books to give away, cleaned and organized our two HUGE pantries, and rearranged my desk area.  All of the reorganizing was done in hopes of making the areas more efficient.

Today, the girls are culling out the old & used homeschool books and we're going grocery shopping in a little bit.  Not a bunch of money this trip (thank you, Lord). 

As you can see, that's quite a bit of activity and I've only had half (or less) of my usual spunk and energy.

The biggest medical news is that I've had a rare (but marginally possible) reaction to the bone medicine IV I've been receiving each month, since fall 2009.  My bottom, left molar has loosened, rocks back & forth, and causes great pain when chewing (even on the other side, because my teeth don't meet correctly on the left), and then, UNDER that tooth (on the inside), my bone has started to cut through the skin.     The amount of bone, that is protruding, has gotten bigger and the oncologist confirmed, yesterday, that is was a reaction to the Zometa IVs. 

Now, get a load of these statistics!!!!  ~

Out of the 300,000 users of Zometa, only 1,000 cases of bone protrusions (osteonecrosis) have been reported WORLDWIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!       And (like always) I'm one of those rare few. 

I have to find a dentist that knows about this condition and the medicine that caused the problem (we have NO dental insurance). 

The IV's will be stopped, maybe for a year.  After that, we can schedule them 3 or 4 times a year; OR, start another kind of medication.  I need something to protect my bones from recurring cancer.  Meanwhile, they say stopping the medication, possibly some antibiotics, and, as a last resort, hypobaric treatments are the round of procedures in the future.  It's always something, isn't it?!  

Again, if I'm going to be in that "rare percentage" of rare complications, at least God has also placed me in the "rare percentage" of good stuff that happens (my cancer healing)  - and I AM grateful for that. 

This post has become TOO long, and I need to get dressed, so we can go to the store before it's 100 degrees!

May God bless you ALL  ~