Chocolate Fix

I'm sitting here finishing off a pack of M&M New Dark Chocolate Peanut Candies. They are sooooooo good. And taste good to me, again. The first chemo treatments I was receiving, Adriamycin/Cytoxan, had the effect of putting me off chocolate entirely. It didn't appeal to me at all, and for those who know me, that's saying a lot. I usually love chocolate. There wasn't any other food I know of that I didn't want to eat besides chocolate. I thought it might have been just me, but I spoke to a woman in the chemo treatment room the other day who said she didn't like chocolate any more since she started chemo treatments, the same type I was getting. It was really interesting that we both had the same reaction. Well, apparently Taxol doesn't have the same side effect, because these M&M's are no more.

This afternoon I helped Sharon with her new dining room china cabinet. Poor Sharon has a torn rotator cuff that she badly inflamed on Monday using a heavy carpet cleaner and has been in agony all week. Not only that, but her shoulder was dislocated. Anyway, I was glad for the opportunity to pay her back a little for helping me wash my windows and recover our dining room chairs. Her dining room furniture was delivered today, a china cabinet and side server, and I cleaned the glass and mirrors and polished the wood so that it was ready to be filled with her china. Sharon had orders to sit down and watch, but before long, she was at the kitchen sink washing dishes. We selected a pretty china set (from one of several) and various antique and special entertaining pieces and filled the whole china cabinet. With the interior lights on and everything sparkling, it was a beautiful sight. Tuesday her new dining room table and 6 chairs will be delivered, completing the room.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to go yard sailing again. Cathy and I are going for sure, and if Sharon can crawl, I'll bet she'll go too. Cathy suggested hanging an IV morphine drip in the van - a reasonable idea. Power women!

PHOTO: Yet another adorable face from the Maryland State Fair. Cows have the most beautiful eyes!

Taking Buttercup to Chemo

Today was another trip into St. Joseph's for my Taxol/Herceptin treatment #3. It went very well, although we hit a couple of minor snags. First of all, Jim's birthday is coming up within the next couple of weeks (9/9) and he said that he would like to get a portable GPS system for his truck. I thought that was a good idea. Although Jim has a good sense of direction, they are very useful to have. He spent a couple of days researching what's currently available, and finally settled on the Garmin Nuvi 660. It arrived at the front door yesterday, less than 24 hours after the order was placed, and today was a good opportunity to give it a test drive. We programmed in the hospital at Towson, and the first thing she (Buttercup) did was to head us in the opposite direction of the way we have always gone. That was weird. She wanted to head to Rt. 32 toward Sykesville, and we wanted to head out 140, I-795, I-695. And she is stubborn! She kept at it, telling us to turn back, and sounding very annoyed (i.e. pissed off) she'd say "RE-calculating" every time we ignored her directions to take an exit so we could head back the other way. She never did get the gist of using the highway. She finally caught up with the program when we arrived in Towson and we were near Osler Drive, the road the hospital is on. For the first trial run, we'd give her a grade of "D". It was really funny that her voice had that edge to it. The other featuures that were good though, were that when she said to make a turn in so many feet, she said the name of the road she wanted you to turn onto. I'm sure once she and Jim get to know one another, they will have a wonderful relationship. Having been with Jim for these past 26 years, however, I wish her well. He can also be stubborn!

We left the hopsital around 2:30, and were headed on home, just about to get onto I-695, when it dawned on me that I hadn't received the Aranesp shot I was told I would be getting. That is a red cell/hemoglobin booster shot that I had once about a month ago. It was the one the had me running like the Energizer Bunny for about 24 hours. Anyway, Cathy, my nurse, had said I would be receiving the shot today, and half way through my treatment she was leaving, and turned all her patients over to the other nurses, telling them at what stage everyone was and what needed to happen. She didn't say anything about my shot, which I realized in the car on the way home. Since we had only gone about 3-4 miles, Jim said we should turn around and go back, which we did. Buttercup had a fit, of course, since we had told her to go home. She became so obnoxious with her constant "RE-calculating" that we finally turned her off. We got back, went back into the parking garage, and I hopped out and went back upstairs. The nurses were surprised to see me and asked what I had forgotten. I explained about the shot, and Monica said nothing had been said to her, but she would pull my chart and see what happened. She came back a couple of minutes later and said, yes indeed, I was scheduled for the Aranesp, but Cathy had given it to me via the IV and recorded it on my chart. Oh. I didn't see her do it, but I probably had my eyes closed at the time. Anyway, what's the saying? Better safe than sorry? I was very grateful to Jim for his patience.

We made a stop at Trader Joe's on the way home. Buttercup didn't have this one in her maps. She tried to get us to go to a different one than the one in Towson, but when we programmed in Barnes and Noble, same shopping center, she found that. Jim says he will be getting a new CD in 2008 that is updated, and that should solve some of these errors. She's using 2006 maps. So it's really not her fault, she tried. While we were there, we had a late lunch/early dinner at a chicken restaurant that was a winner. Good food at a reasonable price. I think it was called Chicken Out.

Once we got home, the Benadryl and a full stomach had made me pretty sleepy and I crashed for a couple of hours nap. All in all a very good day. And I'm one quarter through the Taxol/Herceptin treatments. Hooray!

PHOTO: Another face from the Maryland State Fair. I thought it was so cute to see the sheep in their jammies.

Cleaning Out the Basement

I stayed home today and actually made a lot of progress in organizing my space in the basement. While I was organizing, I made some executive decisions and got rid of a lot of things that I've been hanging on to, but don't really like, won't use again, or don't need. I periodically organize things downstairs, but it always happens that the next time things are brought down, they aren't put in the proper place, and before long I'm back where I started from. It's a real luxury to have so much space to use - out of sight, out of mind. In San Diego we didn't have a basement, and boy did we miss that. This one is large and dry, so I store all kinds of things - kitchen equipment, an extra food pantry and freezer, extra bedding, gardening things, seasonal decorations, miscellaneous decor, books, photos, clothing. And that's just my side. Jim has a huge workshop on the other half of the basement with all his power tools and hand tools. The first thing he did after we moved in was to put in lots of overhead fluorescent lighting so that it's a bright work space. The second thing he did was to buy and assemble lots of gorilla racks with shelves that we have all through the basement. I have to say, he did a great job, and we have plenty of places to put things - if only they landed on the right shelves.

PHOTO: This one just makes me laugh.

Furniture Shopping

Another fun day. Sharon was in the market for dining room furniture, and she and Cathy and I went to a few stores, where Sharon was able to find a beautiful table, chairs, china cabinet and server that she fell in love with - and all within her price range. She has recently redecorated her living room, and once that was done, she wanted to continue updating her dining room. The pieces she picked out are very lovely, with lovely glass and carvings in dark cherry wood that will really be perfect in her home. They will all be in place by the end of the week, and I can't wait to see the final effect. Sharon has exquisite taste and her home is always like the pages of a decorating magazine.

On the way home we stopped at a farmer's roadside table and picked up a few vegetables. He had a couple of unusual things - various heirloom tomatoes, round zucchini squash, some hot peppers. I picked up a zucchini to try, and Cathy bought some of the unusual tomatoes. While we were there, he came over with handfuls of apple mint and chocolate mint for us to take. The aroma in the car was heavenly. Cathy says you can root them in water and then plant them in pots. It sounds great to me, so they're sitting in a glass vase in my window even as we speak.

I've been beading this evening, but I'm losing confidence in what I'm doing. It gets easier the more I do it, but I'm just not sure anyone is going to want to buy the jewelry I'm making. I'm concerned that I will end up with all these unbought necklaces. We plan to get some tables at some craft fairs this fall, but I'm starting to get worried - what if they don't sell? I guess it's hello eBay.

PHOTO: At the Maryland State Fair, the newborn calf, Susan, only a couple of minutes old. Mom is taking very good care of her already.

Monday, Monday ...

A busy day today - starting with Curves, on to shop for a few minutes at Michael's, to the library to volunteer, then home to start dinner, then off to Sharon's for yoga. All of us were feeling tired tonight. Jim bailed on us since he wasn't feeling too well. He'd already had a workout at the gym anyway. So I left him in charge of continuing the dinner and went on my own. He did a great job and dinner was good.

Tonight we had a doe, a buck, and a fawn at the feeder. The doe was having dinner, and the fawn sniffed the grain, but did a head shake and pranced away after she sniffed the grain. It didn't appeal to her, I guess. Reminds me of what the cats do when they don't like something I cook. They shake their legs like they are trying to shake off the smell of it and walk away indignantly. I try to not take offense, but honestly, I feel like giving them the lecture about starving cats in India who would love to have what they have. Sheesh!

PHOTO: Another shot from the fair. This is a Welsh pony.

Maryland State Fair

Jim and I left early this morning to visit the fair, arriving before 10. We had been given a free entry pass, and because it was still early, got great parking at only $2.00. The weather wasn't nearly as hot as it was yesterday, and didn't get too humid until the afternoon. We had a really good time. First we visted the ponies and horses, then went into the Cow Barn in time to witness the birth of a new calf. We had great seats in the stands without an obstructed view, watched for about a half hour, and suddenly the new little heiffer had arrived. It was great to see, and both mom and baby appeared to be in fine shape. We audience voted on about a half dozen names that people had suggested, and the winning name was Susan, after the Black-Eyed Susan, Maryland's State Flower. Sweet!

Next we went on to check out all the various cow breeds, pigs, and sheep. All the animals are so clean and well cared for, and seem quite contented. We got to see some mechanical milking taking place. It's incredible how much milk one cow produces in one milking. We watched a little of the judging of various animals, some sheep shearing, then went off to see the entries in the pastries, jams and jellies, vegetables, flowers, quilts, and the other hand crafted entries. I looked at some of the photography, and I'm giving some thought to entering some of my own next year. What a great thing it would be to get some sort of a ribbon for one of my photos. It's worth a shot, anyway!

We had a bite to eat, of course. I had a delicious peach sundae. Jim had a sausage and pepper sandwich. We finally ended up at the pig races and the diving pig. What a riot. I loved the names they gave to the little porkers. The little diver really didn't want to dive in, but after several minutes, she launched herself. And the squealing! I don't blame her for complaining. We finally left about 1:00 or so, and I was glad for the chance to sit. That's a lot of walking around, but I wouldn't have missed it.

PHOTO: A shot of the pig races. There were 4 racing, but one isn't in the frame. Cute!

Eargeshplittin' Loudenboomers

Boy, was it miserably hot and humid today. It was at least 94° and the humidity was very high. When I got out of the car, my glasses would fog over and I couldn't see, and it didn't go away immediately. It should be a little bit cooler tomorrow, which will be good. Jim and I are planning to go to the Maryland State Fair, and we'll leave early to avoid the main heat of the day. I'm looking forward to it. We enjoy seeing the animals and the various entries - food, flowers, quilts, other handcrafts, etc. No rides for me.

We had quite a severe thunder storm early this evening. Lots of thunder and lightening. The patio plants are all blown over and there are broken limbs and leaves all over the patio. Luckily Jim was able to track down Pong and get him inside just before the rain came, but it was blowing pretty hard when he found him. And then the silly cat howled at the back door to go back outside during the worst of it!

Still feeling very good. Had another great day with my friends. I haven't enjoyed Saturdays so much since I was a kid!

PHOTO: Last October. A horse grazing on Cold Saturday Farm, across the street from where we live.

Energy High

You know, the Taxol/Herceptin treatments have so far had no side effects on me, unless you can count that I have more energy than normal. I don't understand it. Last night I went to bed at midnight, read for a while, and after turning out the light and being not even close to sleeping, I came back downstairs until 4 or 4:30, went back up and finally fell asleep around 5:30. I was awake at 9, and I've been on the go ever since. Had a great day with Sharon, with another with Sharon and Cathy planned for tomorrow. The only negative thing about today was that after some wonderful cool weather, our August heat and humidity is back in full force. It's supposed to be the same thing tomorrow. I'm so glad we all have air conditioning in our houses and cars. Makes life bearable and good.

I need to get busy on my beading. I'm now fully stocked with the supplies I need, I have patterns, inspirations, and organization, and now I need to produce some more things. Sharon and I are discussing doing a couple of craft fairs at the local high schools and we need to have enough jewelry to sell. I have about a dozen pieces now, but I should have at least 30 or more for a craft show. How exciting - I've never been in a craft fair before. Sharon has - she used to sell crafts some years ago, quite successfully.

I'm still on a high from yesterday's good news. I think I can safely buy green bananas again. Life is good!

PHOTO: A memorial to the victims of the terrible Irish potato famine, on the banks of the Liffey River, Dublin Ireland. Taken from the window of our tour bus. A very moving and sobering monument to those who lost their lives, and to Ireland, who lost so much of her population as people fled to other parts of the world seeking a better life.

Real Progress

We had a very good day today at St. Joseph's. All the planets must have been lined up. We arrived at 1:00 for my appointment, nearly a half hour early and I was nearly immediately brought in, blood tested, and hooked up. Blood tests were good. It went more quickly today since they set the drip faster than last week, knowing I didn't have reactions last time. I was out the door by 4:30 and on the way upstairs to my surgeon's office. Taken in right away there as well, and I was set up for an exam and an ultrasound. My original tumor size was 1.2 cm, and today's ultrasound indicated the tumor is now 0.15 cm, nearly a 10 fold shrinkage with just half of my chemo treatments. After today I still have 10 treatments to go.

My doctor is very happy with the results. His new plan of action is to do a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy, along with a breast reduction of both breasts. I will still receive 33 radiation treatments, and continue with the Herceptin as planned for a total of a year, once every three weeks after the last weekly Taxol/Herception combination. The surgery will happen 5 or 6 weeks after the last chemo treatment, putting it around December 6th or 13th.

All this is contingent on another PET scan, mammogram, and breast MRI that I will have before my next appointment with him in October. Given what we've seen so far, I expect there will be little or no evidence of cancer left, an amazing and welcome outcome.

PHOTO: Time to celebrate!

Cat's Eye

Have you ever seen the underlid of a cat's eye? It's really scary when it's exposed. Well, Ball had that happen tonight, and I was sure he had a bad infection or something. Now it's a couple of hours later and it looks completely normal, but earlier when he was squinting and the eye was leaking, I was sure we were in for a trip to the vet's tomorrow. I do have some cat eye drops and put 2 drops in it, and maybe just that moisture and medication was enough to fix it. I think Ming Poo swatted him earlier, and he may have had a reaction to getting clobbered. Jim was convinced Pong had a tick on his back leg, but that turned out to be a burr. What's up with all of these cat maladies? At least Pong didn't howl as much today.

Worked on some more beading tonight. I'm really pleased with the look of the one I'm doing now. It's cobalt blue and hunter green and irridescent purple. Very rich colors, and I think it will be pretty when it's finished. I'm getting into designing a little more. Starting to trust my own instincts.

Tomorrow we go in for my next chemo treatment. Unfortunately, my appointment time isn't until 1:30, with an appointment afterward with my surgeon at 5:00 that will probably go for an hour, so we'll be eating out tomorrow night. I made beef stew for dinner tonight that turned out pretty well, although I had to rescue it from impending disaster. The meat had started to burn while I was upstairs, but I was able to cut off the scorched part and salvage the rest of it. Started the veggies in another pot and added the cooked meat and made new gravy. The new stew was good, but what a mess it made of the pan. Thankfully, it was an enameled cast iron, so with a lot of elbow grease (Jim's!) it came out sparkling again. What a guy!

PHOTO: A hat shop in Annapolis, MD. I loved the colors and variety.

Creative Day

A day of rain! Hooray! The only ones who didn't enjoy it were the deer, who ended up with soggy grain in their dish. We watched as 2 bucks and a doe chomped away this afternoon. No fawns today, although we've seen 2 fawns several times recently. Both bucks had beautiful racks, although still in velvet. It never ceases to amaze me that I can look out my window and see deer looking back at me. They are so beautiful.

Pong has been driving us nuts lately with his meowing to go outside. He really tries my patience. His cry is like a Siamese cat or a baby crying, and EXTREMELY loud. He's very demanding. Insists on going outside, regardless of the weather or the time. I often end up picking him up and putting him in the basement to get a little peace and quiet. Sometimes it distracts him to go into the basement where he can explore but before long he's howling again. Then Jim takes pity on him and lets him back upstairs, and off we go again from the beginning. Grrrrrrr......

I spent much of today working in my Studio making jewelry - beaded necklaces and matching earrings. Today I completed 3 sets. I'm getting better at it, although I often make mistakes in the length of the strands so that the braiding isn't even and I need to braid it again, but I'm learning. I also spent time organizing and color coordinating "kits" of beads into sandwich bags so that I can just pick up a bag and get started. I learned this tip from Sharon. It makes a lot of sense. So now I have about 10 sets ready to go. A big part of the whole process is in choosing color combinations and bead combinations that compliment one another. I'm also putting pendants on some of the necklaces, which really sets them off. It will also justify asking higher price. Now the big question is - who am I going to sell them to??

PHOTO: Yarn spindles at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

Busy Monday

Yawn ... this has been a long day. Curves, Book Club, Library, Bead Store, Yoga. But it's all been great. I'm still feeling just fine with plenty of energy - no side effects from chemo. But I'm tired tonight, and that's okay. I'll turn in soon.

We also ended up with a great rainstorm that seems to have delivered a lot of much needed rain. Liberty Reservoir is really down lately. Parts of it are actually dried up. Not only was it cloudy and rainy today, but it was deliciously cool, in the low 60's. After having a heat wave in the 90's recently, it's great to have some cool weather. I'm not sure Jim's acclimated though. He was feeling cold tonight and broke out his bathrobe to wrap up in.

Time to go see how Harry Potter's making out ...

PHOTO: I was struck by this poster on a wall in Venice. Also struck that it was in English.

Rainy Sunday

Today was a very welcome rainy day. We really need the rain. Here at our house the rain was off and on. I don't think very much fell, but we'll take whatever we can get.

The social event for today was a trip to Abbingdon for a Tastefully Simple party. Our friend Karen moved into a new town home there earlier this year, and this was our first opportunity to see it. Karen really knows how to showcase her home. It's very lovely, and her personal touches reflect her good taste and personality. It was also the first opportunity I had to see her Papillon puppy, Chelsey, an adorable little ball of energy. She's really cute and very sweet. The party itself was fun - I've never been to one before. We were able to sample quite a variety of dips, sauces, and sweets that come as packaged products to which you add a couple of ingredients. It was all very tasty, some of it pretty spicy. The Beer Bread was a clear winner, especially the crunchy crust.

Karen is another of us who is doing some wire crocheted beaded jewelry. Her designs are gorgeous. I need to get busy on mine!

PHOTO: A photo shot down the corridor in the Vatican Museum. This area was cordoned off to visitors.

Saturday Night Date

After another great day, Jim and I had dinner at Mia Carolina's, the upscale Italian restaurant that I went to with our Red Hat group this past Wednesday. We had a really nice meal with a glass of wine and good conversation. When we were in Venice last year, we went off together away from our tour group and explored Old Venice at night. We ended up having a memorable dinner in a tucked away sidewalk restaurant that was very romantic. Jim had a delicious spaghetti with clam sauce that he said was the best he'd ever had, and the dish he had tonight at Mia Carolina's rivaled that one. Mine was a Bolognase Fettucini that was superb. We were both stuffed and brought home half our dinners to be enjoyed tomorrow. It was a really nice evening.

I am very pleased to note that the chemo I received on Thursday has not left me fatigued as the previous treatments did. I haven't noticed any side effects at all this time. I seem to have a lot of energy. That's really good, since I will be getting treatments every Thursday. It may end up being cumulative, but I'm happy that so far I'm doing great.

PHOTO Carnival masks in a storefront in Venice, Italy.

Friday Play Date

I did not have a good night last night. Too much going on in my head, I guess. Went to bed about 11:30, read for an hour or more, then put out the light and tried to sleep. It wasn't that I was ready to go to sleep, I was afraid Jim wasn't able to sleep with my reading - he complains that I make noise when I turn the pages. And I swear, I try to be so quiet about it! I was wide awake, and around 2:00 I decided I might as well get up and do something. I came downstairs and went on the computer until 4:00. I went back to bed and fell asleep finally, and woke up at 9:00. I thought I'd be falling asleep on my feet today, but I was going strong all day and I'm still perking.

I'm surprised because I had chemo yesterday, and I thought it would wipe me out. I wonder if this is the way the future treatments will affect me. I'm not complaining, I like the energy, I just don't understand what's going on.

Today was a great day. Cathy and Sharon and I went Friday yard sailing. Had a great time and finally stopped for lunch about 2:00 at a favorite Chinese restaurant. By then we were all starving. They serve a delicious lunch with soup, egg roll, entree, rice, tea, sherbet and fortune cookies for $7.99. I couldn't begin to eat everything, and brought home more than half the entree and rice and Jim ate it for dinner tonight. It was a full plate of food!

Had a very successful day of yard sailing, buying up a trunkful of really nice things to take to the consignment shop to sell. Once washed up, everything sparkled. This is turning out to be a nice little side business! Now when I buy something for myself at the consignment shop, I just take it off the money they owe me! How cool is that?

PHOTO: I always had the camera in my hand when the cats were kittens. They continually provided us with entertainment. In this one Paddle is as usual getting squashed in the middle between Ping and Pong. Ping and Pong were from the same litter. Paddle was born a month later with a different mom cat.

Taxol/Herceptin #1

My new chemo treatment, Taxol and Herceptin, went just fine today, although it was a long time! We left here at 10:10 and returned at 4:00, no stops. Jim passed a lot of the time on his latest book - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It's about the Big Bang and the cosmos and the formation of the solar system and earth and everything that followed. He's really enjoying it. At one point he brought me a tuna sandwich from the cafeteria that was very yummy.

My treatment was fun (?) if you can imagine a chemo treatment being fun! There was a nice group of congenial people, we chatted, and I was able to give advice and reassurance to three newcomers, since I'm a veteran now, so to speak. I was glad to share my limited experience with them and I think perhaps it helped. I think these people (1 man, 3 women, and me) will be the Thursday Group, since we will all be coming back the same days. (Some will be there every three weeks, I'll be there once a week.) I also recognize other faces I've seen on previous Thursday treatment days.

I also ran into Dr. Schultz's breast cancer consultant, Kim, when we walked into the waiting room. "Well, look what the cat dragged in!" I turned around and there she was. I haven't seen her in quite a while and it was great to catch up with her. Such a positive person, I enjoy her immensely. She's one of Dr. Schultz's cancer survivor patients from 2 years ago. I take heart in her gorgeous head of thick hair after being bald like me. Really puts you at ease and gives very useful information. I hope we will stay friends after all the cancer stuff is behind me.

I was a little concerned about how my MUGA scan went. The heart activity did decrease from the baseline of 66 somethings to 55 somethings. If it were 50 or lower I might not have been able to have treatment, but of course it wasn't. I asked if the MUGA would increase again after chemo and was told it might. The usual procedure is to have the scans before treatment begins, at 3 months, and again at the end of treatment at 6 months. My doctor is planning to add an additional MUGA half way through the second treatment to see if there are any changes and keep an eye on it. That's good. In rare cases there can be cardiac arrest from the damage chemo does, but it is a rarity. I'm going to be one of the normal cases, you just watch me!

The only negative effect I had was a slight feeling of "spaciness" like I was getting a little faint. I think that was just after they increased the speed of the drip a little. I had received a lecture from my nurse not to suffer in silence if I experienced various feelings, lower back pain, etc. because they would adjust the chemo accordingly, and it is important to tell them. She said patients are afraid if they say there's something wrong, they won't get the treatment, but she assured me that was not the case. Anyway, I thought I should tell her about the foggy feeling, and what did I get for my honesty? They laughed and said I was always spacey, what's new about that? Hmph! So much for my forthrightedness. But they did push the back of the recliner down and put the leg rest up and took my blood pressure (120/80) and pulse (64) and decided I was fine, but asked me several times if I felt better. Such sweeties!

The other positive thing that went on is that I had brought Sharon's crocheted necklaces, bracelets, and earrings with me, along with my own beaded creations, and we sold lots of pieces, plus Sharon got 2 special orders. Not only did the nurses buy some, but the chemo patients also begged to see the jewelry as well. "We can't do anything else here, we might as well shop!" Between us, we sold $222.00 worth of jewelry. And our prices are really low for what they got. One woman bought $125 worth herself - Christmas shopping for her daughters.

And now I have to tell you one more thing - Ming Poo was watching TV tonight! She was sitting on the floor in front of the TV while a Mozart ballet was being broadcast, and she was positively mesmerized by it. Later she was on the chair with Jim facing the TV and watching til she fell asleep. When he switched off the TV, she twitched her ears. I think she was enjoying the Mozart! What a kitty!

PHOTO: A summer pinecone.

Spiffy with Hattitude Lunch

Today was our monthly Red Hat luncheon. It was held at Mia Carolina's in Glyndon. I've never been to this restaurant before, and was very impressed with the restaurant and the food. The service was very good as well. One of the best things is that we were in a room seated around 4 sides of a large square table. When there are about 20 people having lunch together, it's really not fun to be at one long table. It doesn't allow for conversation with more than a few people, so the square seating was perfect. The hostesses had 4 nice door prizes to give out. All in all it was a very nice event.

The surprise for us, in honor of our chapter's 4th "birthday," was a wonderful magician. His appearance alone was delightful - he was rotund, with a white beard, 19th century garb, and a tall stovepipe hat. I was sitting no more than 4 feet from him, yet I couldn't catch him in his sleight of hand. He peformed some really clever magic tricks with cards, ropes, coins, and torn paper that were very good. It almost makes you believe you are actually seeing magic performed. He engaged differfent members of the group to assist him with his tricks, which made it even more fun. Some ladies serenaded him with their kazoos while others clapped. It was all great fun. As soon as I saw him I thought he would make a perfect Santa Claus, and sure enough, he does perform as Santa around Christmas. He's the perfect shape and size.

Tomorrow I will go in for my next chemo treatment, Taxol with Herceptin. It will be slow the first time until they see how I react to it, so I will probably be there for 4 hours. Sigh ...

PHOTO: Lamb judging at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

Musings

Well, old Pong came home last night - at 3:00 am. Jim was awake, heard something, thought Pong was jumping on the door handle, went downstairs to investigate and there he was. Came in the house with a big tail, so he may have been spooked by some hobgoblin. Things improved tonight - he was home by 10:00. Not good, but better.

I've been doing some more beading. This time I strung beads on beading string, and it was painful. All those little seed beads ... took forever. There just has to be an easier way. The final result was "professional" according to Jim. I made some earrings to go with it. I like what I made, I think, although I don't think I'd wear it myself. Maybe. Then I made some earrings, and I'm designing a necklace to go with them. A little backwards, but that's ok. I'm trying to use up beads I have left over with newer ones. Don't want to waste them, as they add up, even though I buy them at Michael's. I bought an assortment of beads but all in the same color family so that I can mix them. The bead board (a design board) that I bought for 50 cents at a yard sale has come in very handy. They sell for $10 at Michael's. It's good for measuring and planning out the design.

My surgical doctor emailed me and suggested that we get together to discuss the surgical procedure I will be having, since it's been a while since he has seen me. He will be doing the surgery along with a plastic surgeon, one who is an "excellent microvascular reconstructive surgeon." Sigh. I haven't made the call to set up an appointment yet. I guess I'm stalling. I really don't want to get into the nitty gritty of exactly what will be done, at least not yet. But of course I need to do that. The surgery won't be until around Thanksgiving, so there's no rush, but I should know what's coming up. I have been looking at photos on the internet of post-mastectomy results, and frankly I'm not too impressed with the after pictures. I'm sure clothing will hide a multitude of misshapes, but everyone is so disfigured. All the scarring, the asymmetry, the mismatched shapes, it's pretty disheartening. I do have some concerns about ending up with one breast much higher than the other as I've seen in someone who had a mastectomy with a reduction on the opposite side - the surgery I will probably have.

Well, I'll just have to take whatever I get. I know it's not like I'm a young woman with my life ahead of me, but I would like the procedure to go well without having to have additional corrective surgeries. I don't think I will want to undergo more surgeries for cosmetic reasons.

PHOTO: Waimea Falls, O'ahu, Hawaii. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Waiting for Pong

It's Monday, and I'm trying to get back into the normal exercise routine, but I'm a little sore. Went to Curves this morning, but I could tell I'd missed some workouts last week. Then this afternoon Jim and I went to our yoga class. It was a good class but again I was feeling a little stiff and sore. The stretching is really good, but I'm still unable to do some of the poses in the correct manner. I'm hoping as time goes on I'll get stronger and be more flexible. The best part is at the end when we lie down on a blanket roll and relax and stretch out the back. That's very comfortable after all the workouts. Sharon's dog Angel loves that we are all down on her level and wants someone to play with her. She's very good, and a real cutie, a shi tzu who turned 7 years old on 7/7/07. Is that lucky, or what?

I worked on making some jewelry tonight. Tried out a bracelet like one I saw on display that can be made in a class at Michael's. I think it turned out nicely. It's made with round stone beads and smaller irregular shaped stones, separated with brass spacers. I think I'll make some earrings to match. Looks very fall fashioned.

Pong is out clubbing tonight. He was already out when we left for yoga at 4:30, and it's nearly 10:00 now. He absolutely loves being outside, and only comes home when he gets hungry. He's not allowed out past 7:00 once we get him in the house, but that didn't happen tonight and he's taking full advantage of it. He's actually stayed out all night on 2 occasions, but usually he comes around by midnight. We've found him sleeping on the patio chair cushions in the morning. Jim is worried about him being eaten by wildlife, but I think he's become pretty savy about the woods. Regardless, we do what we can to corral him in the early evening.

PHOTO: Love to eat them mousies, mousies what I love to eat. Bite they tiny heads off, nibble on they tiny feet. Pong the hunter.

Time at the Mall

This was not a very productive day. Other than lots of reading and going to the mall, that was about it for us. Did some shopping and had a nice meal at Ruby Tuesday's. I bought a new pair of glasses. I like them a lot, because of the comfort and style. Versace frames, don't you know. The price of a pair of glasses amazes me. First of all, the cheapest frames I saw were $169.00. Mine ended up $229, by no means in the top tier. Now that's just the frames I'm talking about. The lenses were another $360. But, we were lucky enough to have walked in when they were having a 50% off the price of lenses sale, which brought them down to $180. I didn't need an eye exam, which would have been another charge, I'm sure. Anyway, it's a lot of money, but I've been wanting to get another pair for quite a while now, and I'm glad I did. I don't spend much money on personal shopping for myself, so it all works out. And amazingly enough, the glasses were made and ready for me before we left the mall. It's a good thing.

PHOTO: A picture of a necklace and earring set I designed and made this weekend. Necklace is 20 inches long with a brass toggle clasp. The rectangular pieces are natural shell. The aqua beads are glass and the gold-colored beads are textured brass. I think it turned out pretty well. Click to enlarge.

MUGA Yuck

This morning we went into Owings Mills for my MUGA scan appointment. Just before we arrived there, we spotted a Dunkin Donuts and went in to get coffees, since we didn't have time to make it at home. Took a couple of small sips, and was called in for my appointment. Things started off on the wrong foot when I was told I couldn't take the coffee in with me. Oh well. Next I was told the port wasn't an option for the blood draw, since it might get clogged. The plan was to use a BIG bore needle to draw some blood, which would be labeled with a radioactive isotope, then another BIG bore needle would put the labeled blood back into me. Big needles are needed so that the blood cells wouldn't be damaged. Ok, makes sense, but ouch! those needles hurt like hell. Once I had been reinfused with my labeled blood, I was sitting there waiting, reading a magazine, when I felt something wet dripping down my hand. Looked down at my hand, and the gauze was saturated with blood, and was dripping out from underneath and down my fingers. Ohhh, noooo.... The technician had left the room and gone somewhere else, so I went to the doorway and hollered "I've got a problem in here!"

The guy literally ran down the hall and was a little disconcerted with the dripping hand. Told me to put my hand on the blood drawing table, and began to undo the sopping gauze. Put on another clean gauze, taped it, and went about cleaning the blood from the floor. Now you have to know me to recognize that I don't do well with blood. Mine or anybody else's. I'm a known fainter, having done it a number of times over the years. I was fretting over the consequences of the labeled blood bleeding out - what would that mean as far as my test was concerned? would they have to start over again? how do they know how much I've lost? all kinds of questions swirling around in my little pea brain in the course of about 5 seconds, and before I knew it the room started doing weird things and I knew I was on the way out. The guy looked at me and asked me if I was ok, and I told him I was going to faint. He said I should lie down on the scan table, below the camera that takes the pictures, and that suited me fine. He helped me over there and I laid down. I had to keep my arms over my head and keep tight pressure on the gauze this time to avoid a repeat of the previous fiasco. The technician had assured me that the labeled blood had already been pumped through, and the leakage didn't matter. Hmmmmm....

Well, he started the scan, and after 20 minutes or so, all was finished and he said everything turned out fine - clarity, I mean. The results are read by a radiologist sometime early in the week. He said goodbye and said I'd be seeing him again since I'd be having another MUGA at the end of my chemo. Wonderful.

I was glad that was all over, but all morning I felt a little queasy. We went for breakfast, but I only ate a little of mine. With all the procedures I still need to undergo, it doesn't bode well that I ended up feeling sick over a blood draw. Woe is me!

Miscellaneous

We had a whole deer family out back at the feeder tonight. A buck, 2 does, and 2 fawns. At one point the buck and a doe both had their noses in the food dish. It's really fun to see them so close to our house, somewhere between 50 and 75 feet. They look in the windows at us and keep their eyes on us. Apparently they don't regard us as a threat, especially since we're inside. However, there are times when I'm cooking something on the grill outside, going in and out, and they just stand there and munch away. We've noticed that there are some deer who are more skittish than others, but there are others who are very comfortable being close.

Our company left this morning around 8:30, but instead of 6 hours it took them 9 hours to get home. Yikes! Traffic and buses of tourists at the lunch stop they made. Not too much rain, however, which was a good thing. They were at least pleased that when they got home to Massachusetts the heat wave had ended and the temperature was 57°. Lucky dogs!

Tomorrow I won't be yard sailing with friends. I have to go in for a MUGA scan to check my heart activity. I was trying to remember what that test was like when I had it in April. All those tests kind of run together in my mind. It's a nuclear medicine test where I'm lying quietly on a table. I think it did take a while to go through. Anyway, the test is scheduled early, so it shouldn't break up the day too much.

I decided to rest today, so I missed going to Curves. Only went once this week. That's not a good sign. I'm hoping that Monday will start a regular week again.

PHOTO: A sampling of Ireland. A mosaic of various photos from our trip in 2004. Click on photo to enlarge.

Thursday Events

Had a great luncheon at Chili's with friends from the Merritt Pool. Donna and I joined them, and there were 10 of us at a table. It was great to see everyone again, since it's been quite a while since I've been to the pool. I have my membership on medical hold until it's safe for me to go back. Donna fit right in with all of us. At the end of the meal, a community dessert of chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce with 10 spoons was ordered and passed around. As a matter of fact, it made the rounds at least 3 times before it was gone. I passed, as chocolate doesn't appeal to me any more since I started on chemo, but everyone else enjoyed it. How fun!

Twice we had some very welcome rain, once in the afternoon, and then again while we we having dinner. Because of the heat, it was a real thunderstorm, the result being that our internet connection was zapped. I talked to Cathy to ask her if their Verizon connection was also out, and found out that that she had experienced an electric shock from a lightening strike outside the window of her office. She was using her computer and talking on a cordless phone, and before she could end her call and get off the computer, she was shocked from her hand up to her shoulder. When I spoke with her a couple of hours later, she had an ice pack on her arm and it was still tingling, as if her arm had fallen asleep. After the strike, she threw the phone, but remarkably the connection was still there. Amazing! It's really a blessing that she wasn't more badly hurt by the lightning.

I'm posting this on Friday morning, since the internet connection was still out last night. But we're up and running this morning, so all is back to normal.

PHOTO: The ceiling of the Map Room in the Vatican Museum. An amazing and beautiful work of art.

Melting Away in Annapolis

Yawn ... a long day today, visiting with our company and taking them on a trip to Annapolis. Or, I should say Gravel Gertie, their GPS, took us there. We've been to Annapolis 3 or 4 other times, and we enjoy going, but today was ridiculously hot - over 100°, and not the kind of weather where you can walk leisurely through town and take in the sights. Being outside was just too miserable, so other than walking down the street by the dockside and poking around in a couple of shops, all we wanted to do was to go inside an air conditioned restaurant and have lunch and a cold drink. It would have been nice to take a boat ride or a water taxi, but not today.

We barbecued ribs for dinner. After pre-cooking them in the oven, they were put on the grill with barbecue sauce. They turned out well, although there is some dispute over whether the ribs should be turned to produce a crispy outside as opposed to being smeared with sauce and unturned. Since the men were doing the outside cooking, they opted for the latter to avoid a messy grill. Next time we make them, I think I'll try for crispy. With ribs, I don't think you can concern yourself with neatness. Anyway, it was a great meal.

PHOTO: The key to our grandfather clock.

Lobster and Steamed Clams for Dinner!

We had relatives come to visit for a few days - Jim's brother and sister-in-law, Alan and Donna from Massachusetts. They will be here until Friday morning. We had initially planned to visit them this summer, and there was to be an old fashioned family clam bake. Those plans were put on hold because of my chemo treatments, so we asked if they could come to Maryland to visit us instead. They agreed, and arrived today, along with a surprise for us. Since we couldn't go to Massachusetts for a clam bake, they would bring it to us. They brought lobsters! and clams! Along with a cooler full of veggies. We supplied potato salad and fresh corn on the cob, and it turned out to be a fantastic dinner. The lobster was delicious, sweet and buttery, the clams were fresh and equally delicious - to the men. Donna and I don't eat them, but the guys went after them like there was no tomorrow, eating the clams dipped in butter and drinking clam broth. The corn couldn't have been better. It was picked fresh today from a local farm and was tender and sweet. The red skin potato salad was store bought, but it was very good. Donna had brought the ingredients and intended to make the potato salad, but since we had already bought some, it just made things that much easier.

We all pitched in with preparing dinner and getting things ready to eat, and it was a very social event, lots of fun. After dinner everybody cleaned things up, and we sat around for several hours, catching up on the family and friends goings on. Such a nice evening. No plans yet for tomorrow, we'll just see what develops. I plan to make for dinner tomorrow what we had originally planned for today - barbecued ribs and baked beans. One thing's for sure - we aren't going to be short on good food and drink!

PHOTO: This colorful scene is the view from our front yard in autumn. I love the changing colors here in Maryland. Full spectrum of color. So beautiful.

A Day in the Life ...

We finally had a little rain last night, but not nearly enough. I'm getting concerned about this drought. Our neighbor across the street has devised a series of drain pipes to direct any rain water into a rain barrel. A great idea, of course not a new one, but it requires some ingenuity to have them all collect in one area. That's the water his wife is supposed to use to water her tomato plants. His concern is that his well may run dry. I don't know if that is a possibility or not, but it's a wise precaution to take. Our whole development, 12 houses, is on well water. We each have our own wells.

Had my appointment with my oncologist today, and all is well with me. I've passed the half way mark and he says I'm doing good. My second phase starts the Thursday of next week. On Saturday of this week I go in for a muga scan to check my heart activity and see if the chemo has had any negative effect on my heart. I'm going to make a prediction and say no.

I feel well and have been exercising with no problem. Went to Curves this morning and had a yoga lesson late this afternoon. I'm getting psyched about the yoga. This is the third lesson (every Monday) and each time it has gotten a little easier to do the poses and I feel nice and stretched out. One thing I notice is that taking yoga now is better than when I tried it a couple of years ago. My right knee is no longer a problem and I have strength in my knee that was missing for a long time. I had arthroscopic surgery to repair some torn cartilage and prior to having it taken care of, I had a lot of limitations. It's so much better now. I still have a ways to go to be able to sustain some of the poses and support myself, but it's definitely getting easier. Hooray!

PHOTO: This untidy teddy is Ming Poo's teddy bear. She just loves this toy. She carries her teddy around the house, up and down stairs, tosses him up in the air, and gives him "what for" with her back feet. It's really funny to watch her. As you can see, he has holes, he's missing an ear, and he's losing some stuffing, but she still loves him. Awwwww.....

Our Sunday

Jim made us breakfast this morning, one of his specialties. It's called a Spanish Omelet, although it was made with fluffy scrambled eggs and cheese instead of an omelet. First he cuts up onion and green pepper and sautes them together. When they are not quite soft, he adds bottled chili sauce to the onion/peppers. Meanwhile he scrambles the eggs with some cheese. The sauce goes over the eggs when they're done. Yum! It was delicious.

I spent the day working in my Studio, finding better places to store things. After looking at my bank of 3 wall cupboards that house lots of crafting things, I decided the yarn stash had to go. It was taking up one whole cupboard, and with all the new crafting materials for beading, polymer clay, and other jewelry making, I don't have a need for all that yarn - right now. So I packed it in a huge plastic tub, and it's off to the basement. That of course gave me tons of room for the current crafting obsessions. I'm very pleased with the way everything is organized and arranged. Now I can put my hands on whatever I need and I have my work table back to work on.

What slows me down is that I have the attention span of a gnat and find myself getting sidetracked over and over again with things to read, things to sort, things to play with, and in general things to waste time. Well, it took me a long time, but all is finished and I'm once again inspired and ready to rumble.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. Curves, oncologist appointment, and yoga. Also, need to get the house tidy for company, since I didn't do it today. Not much to do, but I do need to ready the guest room.

PHOTO: This is one of the fawns we have seen recently in our yard. (I cropped the photo to enlarge the picture.) Isn't she adorable? They are getting big already! The moms don't want to nurse them any more.

Another Girlie Girl Saturday

What a great day! Several friends and I went to a Bead Expo in Clarksville. One of our good friends who is an artist came with us today. As it turns out, she will be teaching the watercolor class I am signing up for in the fall at the local community college. She's a wealth of knowledge in all things artistic, so it was great to be able to ask her advice on several topics. I'm really looking forward to her watercolor class. One night a month we go to her home for a crafting lesson, where she teaches 12 of us women. Ok, back to the Bead Expo - it was a wonderful display from a large group of vendors. It took quite a while before we even walked from the lobby through the doors, because in the lobby there was so much to see. Once inside, there were wonderful beads, wire, findings, tools, kits - everything a hobbyist or professional could possibly need. They are also teaching classes on several types of beading. As we thought, the prices for the wares were pretty high. If someone is making expensive jewelry, there is everything needed in the best quality of materials, but for those of us who are selling a necklace for $20.00, we can't invest a lot. We each found a few things we wanted at a good price.

After a couple of hours, we had enough and went in search of yard sales and lunch. Then on to our consignment shop. Our typical pattern for a Saturday. We're so predictable. We go to the same restaurant and get the same waitress every week. She takes great care of us, even offering complimentary drink refills-to-go when we leave. We always order one of their delicious salads and iced tea. But there's a reason we do the same thing. We have so much fun doing it, and lunch is a great intermission. Why reinvent the wheel?

I'll be staying home tomorrow. I actually have a lot to do to get ready for company arriving on Tuesday, and not a lot of time on Monday, so I'll be good. Also, Jim has offered to help me, so that will be nice. A little domestic togetherness.

PHOTO: The dome of the Statehouse in Annapolis, Maryland.

Heirloom Rose Imposter

So, I was sitting outside on the garden bench this morning, minding my own business and eating a dish of Cheerios, when I was dive bombed by what I immediately thought was a HUGE bumblebee. It went right past my face as I ducked out of the way. Turns out the bumblebee was a hummingbird who mistook me for a rose bush. I was wearing a rose-covered cotton robe, and he thought I was his breakfast nectar. He hovered in front of my face, looking me in the eye for about 10 seconds, decided I was a fake and zoomed off to the Crepe Myrtle bush. That has happened to me before when I was wearing a shirt or blouse that had flowers on it, but not recently. He was cute, but it freaked me out for a second until I realized he was no threat.

Went to Curves this morning, then hit a couple of yard sales with Sharon and met Cathy at one. We all had, as usual, a good time together. The lure of going on Friday instead of Saturday was twofold - one listed for today had our current favorite toys - jewelry making supplies, and secondly, tomorrow we are going to a beading expo. That should be fun. We've never been before, and there will be 5 of us going together, meeting a 6th one there. I have no idea what a beading expo will be like, but there will be vendors selling their wares and an opportunity to see what's available and how it can be used. I have a feeling many of the things will be expensive - certainly not the yard sale prices we are becoming used to - but I'm looking forward to having a great time with my friends. Regardless of whether we buy anything or not.

PHOTO: A photo of two boats taken on our tour of Ireland. I thought the composition was interesting. Brings me back to that wonderful week's trip.

More Hobbies

This was another crafting afternoon at Cathy's. We had such a good time. It's been quite a while since we've gotten together for one of these events. We've all separated into our own "thing" now, and that's fine. Sharon is beading, Cathy is making yarn necklaces, and I'm still working on domino art, among other things. I did collect various pieces to use in putting together more Chemo Warriors. We came up with all kinds of silly scenarios for various Chemo Warriors I can create. My favorite was the Mammogram Chemo Warrior. We found one oval, flattened boob-like metal cone, with a matching unflattened one. They made a perfect pair. Great embellishments. You'd have to be a woman who has been through the squashing of mammography to truly appreciate the humor in it. Or not...

Jim's been reading voraciously lately. Most recently he finished The City of Falling Angels, and now he's reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by the same author. He's even been reading the classics - Henry James. Prior to these he's been reading James Michener's books. He's always been a reader, but his usual choice was non-fiction about health, or lots of magazines. He has a great deal of patience. I'm very impressed with his ability to stick with a book and plow through it. I flit through half a dozen books at a time like a hummingbird, poking my nose into each of them and usually discarding them after reading 25 or 30 pages. Lots of my books that I've abandoned on the bookshelves have bookmarks in them where I left off, but I know I'll probably never return to them, and eventually take back the bookmark. I'm always looking for the book that really grips you and you can't bear to put it down. Haven't found one of those lately. But I always hold out hope.

PHOTO: A friendly donkey who lives nearby. I love the eyes.

Terribly Sad Event in Minneapolis

Boy, what a hot one today. At one point our thermometer read 95.6°. Yikes! Feels good inside the house though with our air conditioning.

Went to Curves to do my workout today and arrived at 1:10. I forgot that they close between the hours of 1 and 4:00. I was told their hours, but never thought about it. So I went shopping - for food. I decided to go later, and almost didn't, because my nausea returned again late this afternoon. Also had heartburn, so I took a Zantac and an anti-nausea pill. By a little after 6 pm I went to my Curves workout, and I'm so glad I did. More a mental thing than a physical thing today. Just wanted to be able to tell myself that I did it.

We're stting here looking at the Breaking News about the collapse of the freeway bridge in Minneapolis into the Mississippi River. It's hard to imagine the horror of such a disaster. As they update the story more details are coming out. I can't believe what a terrible accident it is. I feel terrible for the people involved in this catastrophe. So far there are no reports of any deaths. It's hard to look at the pictures, though, and imagine that there were none. It does remind us of the pictures of the Oakland/San Fransicso bridge that collapsed as a result of the earthquate in 1989.

PHOTO: This is a photo of our backyard waterfall in autumn. I love the changes of color in autumn, and it was one of the things I missed when we lived in San Diego. Maryland has very distinct four seasons, and each of them is beautiful.