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  • Rainbows and Fireworks

    If you had ever told me I would slack off from blogging each day, I’d have never believed you!  But, here I sit – a slacker!!!

    And, I will explain UP front, I am having trouble with my keyboard and the letter “r” sticking.  So apologies for any “R-less” words!

            

    I have some new pictures that will tell a little more about what has been taking up all of my time.

                                                 

    In the last post, I wrote about a nest of birds in our backyard tree.  This time I have baby bird pictures of an open mouth and a parent bird, who watched everything I did under that tree!

                  

    I also found a strange bird (to me) and maybe one of you can identify the bird for me.  Kind of a brown and spotted thing.

             

    Independence Day came and went.

                     

    Jesse cooked the meat out.  Thee were hotdogs and burgers, and chicken legs, as well.  Stephanie made baked beans.  We had corn on the cob.  Dessert was a delicious watermelon (a gift) and a Tres Leche cake that Jesse picked up at the Mexican Bakery.  He knows I love them and it was meant as a surprise for me.  It was!!!  It’s very moist and has fresh fruit on top.  This one was chocolate, but didn’t have much of a chocolate flavor.  Usually, the cake is vanilla.

    It was a beautifully clear night!

        

    Jesse over-bought fireworks.  There were so many that even the children were tired and wanted to go inside, and light the rest of the stuff the next night!!!

    We had sparklers, whirlygigs, colored smoke (some scented) bombs, cones or fountains, and some accidental things that shot up over the roof.  Jesse had specifically asked for nothing airborne, but we had some, anyway.   We threw all the burnt up things in a small pool of water and I continued to wet our (AND the neighbor’s) yard, fence, and roof with the garden hose.

     

    In fact, Granddaughter JanaLyn fell asleep in her chair!  She and Stephanie spent the night and the next day with us.

     

    In my continued decluttering and redoing my house, I bought some new curtains for the windows.  It all started with a new bedspread we found as a bed in a bag set at Wal-Mart.  We had to change our curtains and valance (old one was black) and I found some inexpensive satin brown drapes for cheap (also Wal-Mart).  I bought new bedroom lamps for our nightstands.  These are 3-way lights and I”ll finally have a decent lamp for when I read in bed! 

                   

    We never finished the formal living room drapes.  I bought REALLY cheap taupe sheers (Wal-Mart, again!) to go in between the ivory sheers.  The pictures didn’t turn out well, but trust me, the $5/panel sheers made a huge difference in the room’s look.

                      

    I’ve had the white tablecloth on the dining room table for months, and I took it off and put a white floral arrangement on the dark wood, for an instant “new look” in the dining room.

           

    THEN, the den.  The problem room and the problem windows.  The windows are especially bad this summer because of the intense heat and the south exposure windows.  The heat bakes the den and makes it really hot, despite the a/c running constantly.   I found some black out drapes in a satiny dark brown, and they transformed the room’s look, as well as blocked out the hot sun.  It seems so dark in thee, now, but they are good for blocking heat and cold, AND the bright light.  That means no more reflection in the TV when we sit in the den during daylight hours.
     

    I took my kitty (Chiper) to the vet on Tuesday.  He has had some tummy issues and I’m not sure he is going to pull out of this.  The feline leukemia makes for bad digestion, anyway, and it’s an immune deficiency disease which makes recovery harder.  He’s lived much longer than anyone expected, but I’d appreciate anyone’s prayers for his recovery.  He’s a sweet cat and has become my little buddy.  He follows me everywhere and sleeps with me at night.  He had been hiding over the weekend (what animals do when they are really sick or going to die) and found his way under my desk.  I put a blanket on the floor and he rarely leaves, except to drink water and use the litter box.   I’m prepared to loose him, but would rather not.  You know how that goes!

         

    The girls and I went to the library yesterday.  They each pick out books and then I choose 4 or 5 from them to read.  I keep my choices in my room in my book case and they take the books and return them after they are finish. 

                                    

    This tine I wanted some about the Underground Railroad and found two.  The other books are just a variety of different types of subjects.

    I need to go.  This afternoon I’m having my twice a year MRIs and CAT scans done.  I’ll be there from 12:30pm to almost 6pm.  Most of the time will be spent in the MRI “tube” where I can’t even move an inch.  Literally!  I never open my eyes in there.  That way, I can pretend I’m a hundred different places, other than an “enclosed tube” for several hours, not even moving my fingers!  They are doing the CAT on my organs and the MRI is of my spine, from head to tailbone.  AND, this time, a brain scan.  I’ve been having headaches and blackouts, and the brain scan is to rule out a tumor in my head.

    What a horrible place to stop writing.  I’m sorry, but I HAVE to go get ready.

    I can’t even proof this. 

    Here’s a picture of a perky rainbow that showed up out of nowhere, one afternoon!  That is a little more cheerful!!!!

          

    Be Blessed  ~

    P.S.  That was a rather rude and crude way of ending my post.  I’ll make up for it next time!

       

  • Stinkin’ Hot

    It’s me!  It’s me!

    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  ~

  • Time to Post Again

    It’s been such a long time since I last wrote anything, here!

    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  ~
     

  • Radiation Reaction & Prayers

    I haven’t posted anything since . . .

    I don’t know when!

    To say I had a reaction to the radiation treatments would be an understatement!

    I’ve been sick as a dog (however sick a dog gets).

    Fortunately, I had my last treatment on Tuesday of last week.

    I’ve been bedridden, in severe pain, dehydrated, had several IV’s for the dehydration symptoms, on a B.R.A.T. diet, have blacked out and fallen (so many times, I can’t count), and have missed Easter & Mother’s Day celebrations. 

    I’ve put my family through all kinds of worry. 

    Jesse had to get up with me throughout the night (when my stomach was upset) to walk me to the  bathroom.  The first time I fell was when I went to lift up the toilet lid and fell forward, wedging myself between the toilet and the wall.  That time, I took the skin off of one knee and bent back my nails on one hand until they were bleeding.     He was scared to death to let me walk without assistance, after that. 

    So, like me, HE was up each night a dozen times. 

    Then he went to work the next morning. 

    Then he came home early to take me to another afternoon radiation appointment.

    He’s been cook, laundry man, grocery shopper, parent, bread winner, bill payer, chauffeur, and part time home school teacher.

    WHAT A GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

              *****************************************

    Like the last time they gave me radiation, I was told I was having an unusually strong reaction to such a small dose of radiation. 

    My stomach is slowly getting back to normal.  I have less pain when eating and can eat a greater variety of food, and the intestinal spasms are almost completely gone.  I’m so sick of grape or orange Gatorade – yet grateful for it, at the same time! 

    To any of you who (God forbid) should have to go through radiation treatments in the future, I’d tell you to make sure you have plenty of back up help – just in case.

    “Mild fatigue” and “possible diarrhea” was the only thing they mentioned in the beginning. 

    I braved my way through all of the treatments (with much encouragement from Jesse) and have had wonderful family and church support.

    I’m NOW experiencing fatigue (I sleep day and night) but would still like to ask for prayers, as I continue to heal from the damage the treatments caused.

    The good news (in this otherwise “downer” post) is that I just noticed, last night, I have absolutely *NO* lower back or hip pain!  Seriously – not even a little bit.  Before the treatments, I always hurt and I felt (at times) like my back was fractured.  The pain used to be *THAT* horrible. 

    So, yes, these horrendous treatments were worth the price. 

              *************************************************

    I’m up today – fighting the desire to lay around on my bed napping and reading.  I think I’ve read 9 or 10 books since the radiation treatments started!  I have no where to go until tomorrow afternoon (my monthly bone medicine IV) and I’m liking the idea of staying home a WHOLE LOT!!!!!! 

    Please, any of you who are led, pray for my continued healing, recovery, and renewed strength.

    Thank you, and

    Be Blessed  ~

  • What a Weekend!

    I began to feel my stomach rumbling on Thursday night. 

    I mentioned the queasy feeling to the radiology tech when I went for my radiation treatment, Friday afternoon.  They said diarrhea COULD happen because they are shooting radium in the “gut” area.   

    By Friday night, I was rolling in pain.  NOTHING relieved the stabbing intestinal pains.  A sip  of water and one little bite of cracker were racing through my intestines AND IT HURT. 

    I slept very little. 

    On Saturday, I went back to bed when Jesse cooked some sausage for breakfast and I experienced “morning sickness” due to the smell.  

    I stayed in bed all Saturday, and made the executive decision to put  away the lamb for our traditional Easter dinner.  We always talk about the lamb, Passover bread, etc. and read the story from Exodus, as well as New Testament Scriptures.   It will have to wait until I’m feeling better.  The girls were so disappointed. 

    I couldn’t see me reading the Bible to ANYONE. 
    I couldn’t see me cooking for ANYONE. 
    And,
    I couldn’t see me being able to breathe the scent of ANY lamb or other greasy meat.

    Jesse thought I was experiencing a reaction to the radiation.  

    I prayed it was a stomach bug.  I wouldn’t normally pray to have a stomach bug, but, since I have only half of my treatments under my belt, I sure didn’t want this to be a reaction to the radiation!  At least if it was a stomach bug, I KNEW it would be GONE in a couple of days. 

    Today I feel quite a bit better than I did a few days ago, and I will talk to the radiation people when I go to my treatment, today.

    But, I’m still very weak, not quite right in my stomach, and not able to eat much.  I’ve stayed with the B.R.A.T. diet over the weekend.  Even those items hurt! 

    Please pray for me to recover from these symptoms.  And please pray that I’m not experiencing radiation complications.  I have another 7 treatments to take    and I don’t know if I can physically continue without prayer.

    Think of me and pray as the Lord leads, as you go about your day!

    Thank you!

    and ~

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Just Walk it Off


    I’m going to include some pictures from my birthday in this blog.

            

    I’ve gone to radiation each day this week. 

    I saw the doctor on Tuesday.  According to him, I got EVERYTHING wrong the first time I met with him.  I was feeling really dumb.    

    Jesse caught what was wrong – I didn’t.

    As much as I love my oncologist, I haven’t had such happy feelings about the radiology doctors.  This new one included!  He’s nice and all, just not in touch with the reality of my life.

    I’m still recovering from my February hysterectomy.   That’s the severe fatigue I experienced this past weekend.  Slept like the dead!  Really, REALLY sound asleep.

    If you ask any doctor, they’ll tell you, “If you are a “sleepy” tired, your body is telling you it needs rest.

       

    The new radiology doctor has a different twist on resting during these radiation treatments.

    He said the radiation fatigue is worse if you give into resting.  In other words, you become more and more tired the more you rest.  He said I should “fight the tiredness” and go for a mile walk, instead of resting when I’m tired.  Then he proceeded to list all of the exercising possibilities. 

    Unfortunately, he didn’t read my chart first, because most of his suggestions were on the “you shouldn’t do” list for me and my back problems.

                      

    I must have looked glazed over as his suggestions droned on and on.  I understood I shouldn’t sit around watching TV and doze in my recliner all day, but NO REST and “Just Walk It Off????” 

    Then he named water aerobics and how I could do *that* every day. 

    My husband and 3 girls were there with me in the exam room.  The doctor knows my daily routine with the children and the activities I do (a nap isn’t usually part of my day).  At least, I’ve TOLD him my daily routine and activities at the first appointment.  I guess it didn’t enter his mind  about the practicality of me going to a place each day to swim w/o the children.

    I kind of shook my head as I focused on him again and said, “I am wondering about what pool I’d go to and what to do with my 3 children while I’m swimming.” 

    At that point he acknowledged that my 3 children were there with their HOME SCHOOL books!

      

    If I started a sentence with, “So, basically you are saying . . . “  He would say “No,” and tell me the opposite.

    Jesse and I remained polite.  We smiled as he talked.  And, we quietly bid him good bye and walked to the parking lot.

    We said nothing to each other as Jesse drove home.

    Finally I broke the silence and said, “So, did I REALLY hear everything wrong, the first time I met him?”

    Jesse snickered and said, “It’s not you.  You didn’t get all of the information wrong.” 

    That’s when he told me to drop the subject and forget the conversation with the doctor.  He said the doctor had contradicted himself a couple of times, as we sat there listening to his instructions, today.

    I guess he’s a doctor who needs to be right, at the expense of me having a brain or the capability of understanding instructions and what’s going on during my treatments. 

    We laughed as we thought of the lunacy of me beginning to drift into an afternoon nap and then  bolting upright off the sofa or bed, fighting sleep, and shouting, “Who wants to go for a walk with me?”

     

    Sure enough, I came home Tuesday, read, and dozed a bit before dinner.  Jesse was getting ready to ask Rissy to make something for dinner with the ground beef I was thawing, when I came to the kitchen (still VERY sleepy) and banged pots and pans around. 

    Jesse said, “Babe?  You okay?”

    Still VERY groggy I said, “Yeah.  C’mon Jesse, I have to walk around the block!”

    Yeah!  Right! We had a good laugh and he said, “I bet if we asked the oncologist, she’d tell you to forget what the radiology oncologist said and rest if you need to!”

    I know I’m slow sometimes, but I can’t believe I could get EVERY SINGLE instruction wrong!  I’m not *that* bad!

      

    The days are slip, sliding away into spring! 

    Tuesday was warm and sunny.

    Wednesday was cooler.

    Today, Thursday, it’s gray, chilly, and there is a dampness in the air.

    They are expecting severe storms by the weekend.

    HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Oklahoma and spring!

         

    My patio is beautiful.  My roses are in full  bloom.  The coral roses stand straight and tall in the middle of the cascading red roses, whose branches bend to kiss the ground.

    Be Blessed  ~


  • Outside Your Front Door

    I’m going to slip in some pictures of Annamarie’s birthday dinner, March 29th.

        
                                   (Due to a TOTAL lack of energy, I had to be creative!
                                           I decorated the table with her gifts!)

    I hope all who are reading this have a good week ahead – getting chores done, but, also, taking the time to enjoy the little things God has created.

        
                               (Rissy taught granddaughter JanaLyn how to use her camera!)

    My youngest sister (Nancy) and I talked, last night, about that very thing – taking time to enjoy things around us.  Yesterday morning, we lost our dear cousin to breast cancer.  She was diagnosed a year or more before I found out about my own breast cancer.  She was so cheerful and always thinking of others, right till the end.  Just one of those people who puts off energy and makes things happen – mainly keeping the family together and in touch with each other’s lives.

    We knew she had had Hospice services set up, but no one expected her last day to come so quickly.  And, that’s what Nancy and I talked about, last night.  It’s something I think about everyday.  Just because I have breast cancer doesn’t mean I will die from it.  I might die from another disease, or I might die due to an accident. 

    We just don’t know.

          

    As Nancy and I talked, I brought up all the things you can enjoy when you step outside your front door.  The many different colors of green in the leaves; the colors of flowers and butterflies, the intricacy of a spider spinning a web – and all of that can be in 1 square foot of space, right outside your front door!

    There’s a whole world, out there, that God created, and He made it to be beautiful and to be enjoyed.

          

    The last letter I wrote to my cousin included this Bible verse:

    Isaiah 40:12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance.

    A “span” is a method of measurement, used in Biblical times.  A man’s flat hand with spread fingers was a span.  “Heaven” is our solar system and all the unknown galaxies.

                         
                                               (Annamarie collects statues of cats.)

    Now think about it,

    GOD HOLDS *ALL* IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND!  I can’t imagine His huge-ness!!!!  The whole planetary system in the palm of his one hand?!       Wow!

    Yet, everything has a color, a smell, a texture . . .

    I don’t want to forget to notice the handiwork of God.  I want to *notice* and *appreciate* the beauty around me, even a square foot outside my front door!

        
                                      (That night, Luci and JanaLyn were inseparable!)

    I’m not a good gardener.  In fact, I’m a HORRIBLE gardener. 

    But, despite all of my neglected flower beds, the one outside my front door has a beautiful bush that looks like pine, but has soft, pliable needles.  It has various shades of green, as the new spring growth pops out of the ends of the branches.  There are tiny little berries on it, that change colors throughout the seasons. 

    Then, there are the dead leaves under that bush – all slightly different from the other and all in different shades of grays and browns.

    And there is fresh air outside my front door, too!

         

    I would encourage everyone reading this to step outside and take a look at all of things you walk by each day and, probably, don’t take time to notice.  And, YES . . . .   I have dust on my front door and porch lamp!  It just adds “texture” to what I see (not to mention a chore I can think about doing “someday”) !!!!  LOL  !!!!   

    We should love one another, but I also think we should love (and take notice of) all the beauty in the world that God created.  I’m always in a rush to get to the next chore or the next appointment and I need to slow down.

    The greatest gift is that I don’t have to search far and wide for God’s beauty and handiwork.

         

    I just have to step outside my front door!   

    Be Blessed  ~

     

  • Quick Hello!

    I’m finding it harder and harder to squeeze time in for writing on Xanga.

    I’m not quitting, though!

    Someday, I’ll get pictures uploaded and share.

    Annamarie has had a birthday and I’ve had my own!

        

    I’m starting today with 14 rounds of radiation on my lower vertebrae and sacrum.  The cancer isn’t huge and my tumor markers are lower than 3 months ago, but my lower back is extremely painful, ESPECIALLY the sacrum.

    When I heard there was a “little cancer” there, I wanted to immediately kill it.  A snap judgment on my part.

    However, when the radiology oncologist told me 90% of people have a reduction in pain and 50% have a result of NO pain (at all), after undergoing radiation in the sacrum, I was convinced to have the radiation done.

    The appointment will last 2 minutes each day, and I won’t even need to change into a gown. 

    That’s a lot of driving for 14 days to the OTHER side of town in my gas guzzling Suburban. 

    But, if it makes the pain less . . .

         

    I would appreciate everyone’s prayers. 

    They expect the only side effect to be fatigue.

    I’m expecting a favorable response to treatments! 

    Gotta run . . .

    Be Blessed  ~

  • A Place for Everything


    Yes,

    A place for everything

     

                                                                              

    and,

    everything in its place!

      

                                                                                 
     

    Be Blessed  ~

  • Not Again!

    I spent early Wednesday afternoon in the dentist’s chair, having my teeth “glued back in,” for the umpteenth time!    And, we all know how much I love the dentist (not)!

    Fortunately, there was no charge. 

    And  I say “fortunately”

    because my husband would have been furious if they’d extracted any amount of money from us! 

    I came home and heated up some noodles with ground beef and a creamy sauce, 

    bit into the noodles . . . yummmmmmm 

    AND MY TEETH FELL OUT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

    Can you believe that? 

    God has certainly done a work in me these past 8 weeks!

    I remember falling apart when the teeth fell out Father’s Day of 2009, while I was going through chemo therapy.

    My feeling was, “Oh God PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, not this too!” 

    They stayed put from June of 2009 until a few days after my surgery February 9th.

    Then two weeks after that, and 2 weeks after that, and 2 weeks . . . .

    I’ve become very nonchalant about the whole thing.

    I haven’t stayed  hidden in my home because one of my front(ish) teeth is missing and the one next to it ground down to a dagger like spike. 

    I’m going to church (and wherever else I fancy) and just being careful to not smile really big!

    I’m past being embarrassed.  I just tell people I’m not in a bad mood cause I’m  not grinning, I’ve just lost my fake teeth again!  Everyone has been kind to reassure me that you can’t really see there is anything missing.

    Of course they can’t.  I’m barely opening my mouth to talk! 

    The dentist office actually told me to glue them back in with nail glue    but to be careful I didn’t get the glue on my gums or lips and glue them together.     (rolling my eyes!!!)

    Now they are talking about making a “real” bridge and the cost of encompassing three teeth is about $3000.  

    Despite my good relationship with my dentist, who puts up with all of my fears, Jesse has convinced me to shop around for bridge prices.  One lady at church works for a dentist and Pastor C.J. said they saved him a bundle when he had major dental work done. 

    The front tooth will be ground to a spike to hold one side and the tooth that is already ground down (the 3rd tooth) will be used to anchor the other side.  Thing is:  the third tooth is a baby tooth.  I’m thinking going one tooth over (the 4th one) would be a more common sense tooth to use as an anchor, since it isn’t a baby tooth with a shorter root.

    Of course, I’m thinking “4th tooth” might add another thousand for a grand total of $4000.  Gack!  

    But what do I know?   

    I’m not a dentist   –

    I’m just the one with the money!  

    Does anyone out there have dental office experience and any advice for me? 

    I’m open to ALL suggestions (and donations!)  – just kidding! 

    Be Blessed  ~