See my new plate?

Isn't it pretty?  I found it at TJ Maxx yesterday on clearance for $3.00.  This plate and the cherries I got the other day at Target are inspiring a red and white china hutch decor.

Here are the cherries - in a container I also found at TJ Maxx for $3.99.  It has a little chip at the top, so I turned it so that the chip was on the side - you can't even see it!

I commented that this middle section was looking a little empty and my friend Heather suggested I hang a picture there.  I am shopping the house to see what I can find.

Here are some more of my treasures:  an old Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book that fits the color scheme, my vintage typewriter, a pitcher I got years ago on clearance for $4.00 and my pretty mama bird with her baby - a gift from my friend Crickett.

Here's the whole thing... for now.  I don't think I'm done tweaking yet.  On the dining room table, you can also see the pretty Farberware wooden napkin holder I also found at TJ Max for um.. I think it was $3.99. 

Anyhow... that's my project for the day - hope you like it!  (I'll share a picture of my fabulous new "retro" melamine butter dish later!)

Katherine

My daughter Katherine has had the gift of making people laugh since she was a little girl.  Funny just seems to fall out of her mouth.  My friend Michele used to ask me every morning when I went to work "What did Katherine say today?"

Turning 18 and becoming an adult has not made her less funny.  She continues to amuse me on an almost daily basis.

The other day, we visited a local bakery.  Katherine loves their elephant ears and wanted me to get some. The only ones they had were chocolate dipped.  The shopkeeper explained that in order to get plain ones, you needed to order them 24 hours in advance.

Later, at home, Katherine expressed her disappointment as only Katherine can.

"I just don't understand why their default setting is chocolate."

I think she needs to step away from the computer for a bit.  And I need to call Michele.

Harvest Time

I love harvest time... the anticipation of bringing in the homegrown treats you've worked so hard to grow all through the Spring.  Hoping the weather holds while you bring in the fruits of your labor, and dreaming of all of the wonderful things you'll make with your bounty.

Soon, that glorious produce will fill this bowl:

I can hardly wait!  

Hmm.  

The Last Chemo

On Tuesday, I had my last chemo treatment.  Today, I dragged myself out of bed at 10:38 and managed to be showered and dressed by 12:45.  To say that I am having a rough time is putting it mildly.  This last session (pardon my French) has kicked my ass.  My throat burns like someone stuck a lit torch down it.  My stomach has been very unhappy, as has the rest of my digestive system.  Enough said about that.  And I am so tired that the least bit of exertion has me wanting a nap.  Or a good cry.  Sometimes both.  But I am finished.  Thank the Lord.  I couldn't sleep Tuesday night; my stomach was too upset to let me relax until well after 1:00 am.  David talked with me for a long time, although I know he wanted to sleep.  I had lots of thoughts I wanted to share, and I will when I have the energy.  For now, though, some rest and recovery time. 

On Aging

There are several birthdays coming up among our family members and friends, including some milestone ones. A good friend of mine is turning forty this month and I will be fifty in June.

David and I attended his uncle's funeral on Sunday.  And my neighbor (one I haven't seen in a while) just told me her daughter passed away in December at the age of 52.

All of that has made me think about growing older and it's alternative.

Turning thirty was weird. It was a number that just didn't feel like who I was.  And forty?  Ha!  Forty implied a wisdom and maturity that I did not possess.  I felt like an impostor.  Like someone was going to check my Grownup Card any minute and find out it was a forgery.  Both numbers also brought a kind of horrified fascination - "I'm HOW old?"

Fifty, however, ushers in a whole new kind of feeling.  Joyousness.  Delight.  Gratitude.  It's a fullness.  A sense of ... not completion, but satisfaction in a job relatively well done thus far.  Sure, I have made mistakes.  Big, hairy, ugly ones.  I have not been the person I would like to have been.  And at times I have enjoyed the sins I have committed, yes I have.  But... I'm still here, hopefully becoming a better person every day, and enjoying the treasures I have stored up along the way.

I have raised a child to adulthood; one who seems to be to be pretty normal, given that she has inherited my sense of humor and love of sarcasm and chocolate.   One who doesn't hate me or blame me for any psychological damage I may have inadvertently caused her through my ignorance or ineptitude.  In fact, I rather think she likes me.  I like her too.

I have friends.  Ones that I can discuss anything with; ones that I say "I love you" to, and they say it back.  Frequently.  And we mean it.  And we unashamedly hug and kiss each other pretty much every time we meet and get great joy from it.  I can literally feel the love radiating from these women.  I hope they feel it too.  They know my moods, put up with my quirks (like my hatred of the telephone and my crankiness)  and still want to spend time with me.  If I ask them "Do I look fat in this?" they will tell me the truth, because they honestly do not want to see me going somewhere looking fat.  Over the past year, they have forced me to open up and talk when I thought I wanted to keep things to myself.  And it has been good for me. It has reminded me that it's okay to lean on other people sometimes.  It feels good.  To the leaner and the lean-ee.  (I know... that's not a word.)

I have a husband.  An amazing, wonderful husband of nearly thirteen years.  How could I possibly be unhappy about getting older when each day I grow older is another day that I get to spend with him?

Life is an amazing gift from God, and birthdays are an annual celebration of that gift. Come June, I intend to rip the paper off that gift with abandon and fling it in the air, thanking God for one more year. Go do some celebrating of your own.  Life is short.  Enjoy.



 

Last one?

Yesterday's chemo may have been my last one!  Next week when I see Dr. N, we'll schedule another PET scan and see what we find.  We'd talked about doing two more sessions just to be on the safe side, but we're going to defer any decision making about that until after we see the results of the scan.

I had a chance to talk to Dr. N yesterday.  He is hesitant to do the other two chemo sessions because I'm having so much pain with the neuropathy caused by the Vincristine.  I told him I do NOT want my pain to be a factor in doing or not doing the chemo.  If he feels another two sessions would be beneficial, I want to do them.  He agreed to wait and look at the PET scan results before making any decision.  I love that he is concerned about my pain, but I have my eye on the prize - a longer remission.  I will do whatever it takes to make that happen.  I can push through the pain.  Rashan said I was a warrior.  Maybe I am.

I asked him if the neuropathy would go away after chemo.  He said "probably".  Ahh....  as always, there are no definites when dealing with cancer.  Just "probablys" and "hopefullys".  I'm learning to deal better with this.    I have always been someone who wants to be in control of everything.  I was never comfortable without a definite plan.  I'm the one who wants to know where we are going, when we will get there, what we'll do while we are there and when we will be leaving.  God is using cancer to cure me of this.  To learn to let go of my need to be in control and to lean on Him.  He is the only definite in my life.  He is in control and He wants what is best for me - always.

Speaking of Rashan -  my friend and trainer (back in the day when I was in the gym four days a week - BC - before cancer)  - he stopped by to see me on Sunday.  I apologized for not being in the gym and he told me he understood.  He said he'd be there for me when I was able to get back.  I told him he'd better be - we had an important job to do - get me strong and ready for my relapse and stem cell transplant.  I need to be as healthy and fit as possible when it's time.  Whenever that is.  And then, post-transplant, we'll have to do it all again.  I need to start getting my head back in the game as soon as possible.  Rashan asked me if I was keeping God in my life and I told him that I am.  It would be impossible to get through this without Him.  We shared a good hard hug - there are few things more healing than a hug from a friend.  Thanks, Rashan!

Wow... this is turning into a novel, but bear with me - I think I'm almost done.

I'm dragging today after chemo.  I had to take some of my anti-nausea medicine last night - fortunately it worked.   I'm really tired today and my throat is burning - a new symptom, but I think it's from the chemo.  I will look it up later, but I think the Cytoxan can do that.

David told me to go ahead and send Fred to daycare today - we both need that.  He needs to work off some energy, and I need to have some quiet time where I do NOT have to throw the ball or play blankie or type one-handed with 15 lbs of very warm dog on my lap, or run downstairs every 15 minutes when he blatantly lies to me and says he needs to go out when what he really wants is a carrot.  I love him, but he is a typical two year old, and this mom badly needed a break today.

I'm planning to have coffee tonight with my sisters of the heart, so I'm trying to conserve energy today.  I'm GOING to have coffee even if I have to lay on their laps while I drink it.  And you know what - they'd let me 'cause that's how much they love me.  And I love them right back.  Bunches.

Focused prayer requests:

• energy and relief from pain and nausea
• a good clean PET scan
• that I would stop looking at the kitchen timer to see who is calling when the phone rings :::shaking head::::  forget about that one - I don't think it's likely that will change.

Have a seat!

Yep, have a seat - 'cause I'm going to be sitting too!  I think this last chemo hit harder than the ones before it, or just built on the damage that the others had done.  I find myself really tired, weak and worn out.  I'm sitting down to do pretty much everything now... folding laundry, cooking.  I was sitting on the floor at the library the other day picking out books - there were some good ones down there on the bottom shelves!

My exercise regimen consists of me dragging myself from one room to the next, doing whatever chores I can perform while sitting down (or standing for brief periods of time - like to make the bed) and then resting before I tackle the next chore.  I'm not really able to walk Fred any more; I just don't have the energy.  David and Katherine have been good about doing that, and his dog daycare has been a Godsend - a wonderful place to help him blow off some of that excess energy.  He is learning that if he wants me to play ball now, he has to come and put the ball into my hand so I can throw it.  I think he's a little frustrated that he can't just throw it in my direction any more, but he's being understanding.

I'm not sleeping well lately - I'm having pretty severe pains in my legs at night, and they wake me up about once an hour or so.  The ankle that I broke 10 years ago is hurting now too - throbbing worse than when I broke it.  I think it's the Vincristine attacking the weak and already damaged areas.  I would love to get another epidural, but insurance has denied the last one so we are fighting them on that.  I'm not going to be getting another one until/unless we can get them paid for.  I'm taking the pain meds that the orthopedic surgeon prescribed, and they're helping a little.  I just don't want to keep taking them for the long term.

Thank goodness for Lowe's Foods - I can do my grocery shopping online and have David pick it up on his way home - it's already bagged and waiting for him.  I found a coupon code online and didn't have to pay the fee for the service - a nice savings.

Only three more chemo sessions to go - my next one is tomorrow and Wednesday.  I'll have another PET scan after that, and if all is well, then two more chemo sessions and I am finished!!!

Focused prayer requests:

• clear PET scan
• remission
• relief from pain
• successful appeal of insurance claim for epidural