Good times, food times

I have two lengthy posts to edit tomorrow, but in the meantime, here's a fun photo from dinner last night. PaPa came out to visit for a few days, so I've put him to work, and he took us out to eat!

 

Only a few more days of January. We can make it...

 Hey! Have you blown away? My mother says they've been experiencing our leftover wind. Sorry about that. It was a little crazy here for a few days. Sadly, Bosley is too fat to blow away... darn.

We are all hanging in there. I had funny things to say that I thought of in bed last night when I was supposed to be sleeping, but I forgot them. We're back in the swing of classes now that school is happening regularly. I'm done with an entire month of chemo appointments. Trying to stay healthy. Going to test out my immune system by spending some time with preschoolers this week. Enjoying that we've had actual sunshine for a few days! Amazing how just that will elevate my mood, even if it's still cold. 

Thing Three finished up his pep band requirements for the season. He seems to be enjoying phys ed this semester and is still lamenting having physical science. I don't think any of our kids have liked that class.

Thing Two also hasn't blown away as he plods around his college campus, so it must be all that hair holding him down. Or maybe he just faces the wind sideways and it slices right past him. 

Thing One, awaiting more art commissions, has been cheerfully taking me to chemo and giggling through the doodles and sketches that happen there. I love watching the glee and the passion. It makes my heart happy.

Dada's been really busy with work this week, but not traveling and we're all thankful for that. They've moved back to the office three days a week so there's been finagling of who is getting or taking Thing Two to class and all of that. For the most part it is working out. If someone would get his driver's license, things would smooth out even more, but there's this saying about leading a horse to water but not being able to make it drink... yep, that fits. 

Overall, we are doing okay. I'll knock wood and say a little prayer that it stays that way! Stay warm and enjoy that sunshine!

Chipping away

Hi! For those of you keeping track or for those of you who are new around here, I am chipping away at the second part of my chemo regimen. My port was a bugger again and I needed cath-flo injected into it. Sometimes with a port, your body will create like a skin or a sheath over it since it's a foreign body. Generally the port still works to input infusions, but the blood draw part doesn't work for some reason. Since you have to have the blood cell count to know if your numbers are high enough to have the chemo, that part has to be done first. So after multiple position changes and flushes, the nurse drew blood from my left arm and eventually the cath-flo stuff busted up whatever clot or sheath was in the way and we could get both in- and output. This is the second time it's happened with this port. I don't remember it ever happening with my previous one. I don't know if it's affected by being on my left side this time, if it's all the crazy chemicals swimming around in my body, or something else entirely. The nurse who drew my blood was amazing- I've had her before- and I seriously didn't even feel it. That's a rare, precious gift! 

My doc was pleased with my blood count numbers and gave me the green light to proceed, so I got my second Taxol infusion out of the way. Ten more to go! Thus far the side effects have indeed been less derailing than the AC chemo regimen which is over with, thankfully. She said I am still experiencing residual AC chemo effects, which explains why I'm still a bit on the slightly queasy side- not bad enough to take anything for, but I can. Usually mints or gum are enough to solve it. The key is to keep drinking, move when I can, and rest when I need to.

In joyous news, which may or may not make sense depending on how you feel about your own job, I GOT TO GO BACK TO WORK! I spent a day this week with a kindergarten class and had to laugh at how much energy these small, cooped up people need to burn off. They haven't had outdoor recess for a good while and it doesn't look promising for next week, either. There were lots of breaks throughout the day for small "dance parties" and time to get wiggles out. A fold down trampoline was also a lifesaver, so to whoever invented those small ones: huge kudos and thanks! Most of them took complete advantage of their three minute turns. I find it hilarious that right now as I'm typing, Van Halen's "Jump" is playing on Pandora!

Anyway, we are all back to school and work and all the things like scraping yuck off our cars and trying to pry open frozen-shut doors. We took advantage of the freezing outside temps to defrost our freezer, leaving all our frozen food on the deck, where it got snowed on. We've brought in firewood to make things cozy and help reduce the strain on our furnace. It's really a shame that we can't ship the snow to the wildfires... 

I've been laughing and lamenting (because those are two sides of the same coin, I think) with my girlfriends about the hormonal changes we are all experiencing. My doc asked about how I was sleeping and I related how I'm too hot, then too cold, then too hot, repeat. She says a complete hysterectomy is in my future, not immediately, but this year sometime. Talk about feeling like Mrs. Potato Head. I'm losing parts like nobody's business! Dada laughs about my departments not communicating; clearly no way to physically feed a child yet the lady parts never received the memo. It's been six years; let's get it together, body! Sheesh. So there's that to look forward to, along with the accompanying hormone therapy. Most likely it'll be Tamoxifen again until the surgery and then Arimidex afterwards. My doc called it my "big girl meds" and cracked herself up. Yay, I've graduated to big girl meds and I'm not even fifty. Way to overachieve! 😄

She was pleased that Dada accompanied me this time and said he was among the elite of husbands. She reiterated how much my success depends on his support and we both talked him up a little. I think he liked it. Totally true, though. I married up.

She said that as the AC chemo works its way out, my energy should increase and I am seeing some of that already. She said by next month I should be feeling much better. I asked if the Taxol is cumulative as in "how crummy am I going to feel by the end of March" and she said that the only thing cumulative about it is the neuropathy, which so far, thank God, I'm not experiencing. She says that's because I'm young, but said she used ice baths for her feet and hands and a cold cap when she did her own chemo regimen (she had the same cancer I had the first time around, after I had it) so of course Dada was all in for me to be using ice. I told him I already had my compression socks on which I'd read helped and that I'm not sticking my feet in ice water for an hour when it is snowing outside and I'm already cold! I did hold a bag of ice for most of the hour of the Taxol drip, complaining a fair bit. He has pictures on his phone which I didn't get yet. Don't have to worry about the cold cap as I don't have any hair to rescue! Good thing, too, as I was wearing Grandmama's owl hat that Thing Three repeatedly stole when he was tiny... can't find that picture so I can ask "who wore it better?" I'll keep an eye out. He will win. 

I also showed her the dots on my head and hands that look like some of the moles I'd already had and asked if they were chemo related. She said, "you tan really well, don't you?" I answered yes and she told us that it's just pigment changes, chemo related indeed, and that her Black patients notice it as very evident on the palms of their hands. I'm pretty sure she said it will fade when treatment finishes, but as it isn't itchy or sore, it's not bothering me. Thing One made cracks about them being age spots cuz I'm old, heh!

It is to get even colder next week so be careful and safe out there, everyone. So much awful happening all around, so mind the reminder from the mother of the incredible Mr. Rogers: "look for the helpers. There will always be hard things happening, but there will always be helpers." Especially in this time of awful house fires both locally and in California, look around and see how you can help. Could be an excellently meaningful Valentine's gift to someone who already has everything. Yes, I know that is NEXT month, but those of us whose love language is NOT gifts need time to prepare ourselves. 

Take care, everybody!

 

In which I blather on

I trust everyone has recovered from their New Year Shenaniganery. Welcome to 2025! 

Congratulations. You made it!

I sniggered last evening at our small group when I observed all the new, fresh haircuts. Hey, me too! Oh, wait...

Resolutions, anyone? I need to get back into some sort of exercise groove. Today is the third day of the New Year and I have a two day streak going of yoga, so I best get on the stick and do today's. I've already been sidetracked multiple times and it's not even 11 AM. Such is life.

Seriously, though. Drink more water and less alcohol. One is good for you and the other not so much. Eat colorful foods. Thing Three, that does NOT mean Airheads Extremes! Get out into the sunshine even when it's cold. How many of us have vitamin D deficiency? Hinrew, I'm obviously not talking to you, so shaddap. 😉 If the news is making you crazy, I give you permission to skim headlines to stay somewhat on top of things but not do deep dives into all the dirty details. Likewise with social media. Unless you're watching puppies. The only danger there is how MUCH time can be lost watching puppies... unless it makes you want a puppy, in which case I'll gently remind you that nobody wants to potty train a puppy in the winter. Wait until June.

Make new friends! People are lonely. Get together with ones you already have instead of just talking about how you need to. I'm super proud of Dada who had some guys over to play poker- for the first time in FOREVER- seriously, first time in this house and we've been here 11 years! 

Grow some cute tiny plants because playing in the dirt is good for you. There's even apps that will tell you what your plant is and what it needs to make it thrive. I might actually organize my seeds and my stuff and make a garden plan this year. Last year was a disaster... I can hear Thing One singing, "we don't taaaaaalk about it," and the end result was covering the "garden" in fallen leaves with some pizza boxes spread out underneath to help kill off everything underneath in hopes that we can start fresh and thistle-free. I know I'm part Scottish and that's their national flower, but my goodness, they don't all need to be in our backyard!

If you have vacation days, make a plan to use them. Don't just let them fade away into nothingness. My Dad used to take a "Sanity Day" once a month if there wasn't already a holiday or break day in there. It helped get him through 40 years of public education. You are allowed to take breaks! Especially if you are sick. People, Covid is still a thing along with the flu and all the other ick. If you are not feeling well and are financially able to do so, stay home and don't infect everyone else, PLEASE. Wash your hands, wear your masks, (which work or nurses and health care workers would be sick every day of their professions), and cough and sneeze into your elbow. 

Sorry. Can you tell I miss being around preschoolers? At least I don't have to admonish any of you to please keep your fingers out of your noses.

My point is, you are worth taking care of. Cherish your small joys and pay attention to your body. Catch small things before they can turn into big things- schedule those well checks and preventative procedures. Trust me. 

Any goal setters out there? I am really not one and never have been, but I'm at least thinking about them this year. I suppose that's why I don't do too many resolutions... they're in the same vein. I often remark, "ooh, I'd LOVE to look like that but I have zero desire to do the work involved," and I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in that camp. However, it occurs to me that goals can also be small. I will never look like Angelina Jolie, (sorry Dada), but I also can do small things to sculpt my arms, to keep strength in my legs, to improve lung function. Guys, maybe you'll never look like The Rock, and that's okay, but you can tone what you have as well. We'll all feel better for it, especially if it's done with friends. Those accountability buddies are wonderful and someone else might be longing to be asked because THEY want to look and feel better but don't want to be the one asking. Be brave!

Last thing, since I've been so preachy, and then I'll hush. One thing we got good at with masks was smiling with our eyes. Let's get back to that whether we mask or not. As connected as we are via technology, nothing lights our hearts up like a genuine smile. Let's have an excellent year of being kind to each other!

Apologies and thanks

 Sorry for the radio silence. Life has been a little crazy lately. In the last 42 days Thing One turned 20, Thing Three turned 13, Dada had a birthday and Father's Day, school ended for the summer, Thing One ended the karate job and began two other part time jobs, most of us drove to Georgia and back to visit friends and then Dada and I flew to Scotland and back- him for work, me for fun- and then we drove across Ohio to a wedding and got home yesterday. It's kind of hard to blog when you don't know which way is up. Now my phone is completely overloaded with photos that I'll be sifting through as I figure out how to best tell a month of stories, unpack, do laundry, and catch back up as I wrestle some computer time from the boys who would be happy to be on it at all times. We're not dead, I promise. We're just recovering! I hope all the Dads out there had a great day and know how appreciated they are. Thanks for working hard for us and making us laugh, for loving on us and teaching us, for doing all the Stuff You Do to help the rest of us be running at our best. Have a wonderful week!

For poetry fans

 

Damon had a poetry assignment for english class to write five poems, any style. After far more griping that one would possibly expect and perhaps more parental involvement that was strictly necessary, he ended up with the following. and got an "A". not that i'm keeping track. my favorite is the last one. apologies for the fuzziness of the photo.

Whatever works

 Yesterday we had the chimney and fireplace cleaned and inspected. Thing 2 was already awake and moving, and decided their vacuum was too noisy to try to concentrate around. He decided that the pantry, our sound vacuum, would be the perfect place to do his work: 

He did announce later that the freezer in there was louder and more distracting than he’d anticipated, but overall he was pretty pleased with his decision. 

It was worth keeping quiet about so that I could smirk when Dada discovered him and asked me, “did you know he was in there?!”

A snapshot of self-sequestering

While chomping on a hot dog and working on metric system conversions, Thing Three is singing, “I farted, it tickled, my butt cheeks jiggled, so I did it again...” 

Sorry, Mom. This is my reality. 

Also, yes, that is a recorder beside the laptop. The school sent them home. Welcome to the eleventh circle of hell.

“What are you doing? Don’t take my picture. Why is my door open? It isn’t noon.”

Yes, my day is clear. For now until the foreseeable future. Just like many others who are trying to stay home and out of trouble...

My dishes are done! For a hot minute, anyway. So is my load of whites- washed, dried, folded, and put away!

Thing Two was banished from the device to the Legos so his eyeballs could have a break. This is one thing he never complains about being sent to. Getting him to leave the Lego table to go back to work is a different story.

And Dada with his bottles, computers, and microscope has taken over the Grandparent Suite, requiring the removal of some furniture and the installation of some other pieces. Desperate times, right?

The dogs, who are outside while it's not raining, are a bit bemused by all of us being home all the time, but I think they're secretly enjoying it. 

I'll leave you with this beloved little nugget:

Wash your hands and say your prayers, 

cuz Jesus and germs are everywhere. 

Stay safe, everyone! As my Uncle Gary often says, 

"good decisions, wise choices."

Venting in the November breeze

I. Can't. Get. Warm.

It is the first week of November and we are already experiencing wind chill that says, "feels like 19." We skipped Indian summer completely and I reluctantly sadly despairingly boxed up my sun dresses, tank tops, floaty summery skirts; I begrudgingly unpacked my sweaters, long sleeves, and pants. Not that I don't like tights and sweaters, I'd just prefer to not have to wear multiple layers every single day for the next six months. Leggings under pants is ridiculous, but here we are. Some of you woke up to snow. I don't want to talk about it.

I have my largest pot on the stove with bone broth simmering away for up to the next 12 hours. Between the dark and the cold, I can hear the pounds sneaking on from the steady stream of comfort food that I'll be consuming. Our spring break is the very first week of March (yes, I'm serious), so there is zero chance of anyone spotting me in anything revealing until... oh, around May when Ohio gets her act together and recognizes that spring started two months previous. Why not indulge? The calories will keep me warm. Warm-er. Ish. Surely?

That is, if I don't end up on the news and living in a new venue before then. One where I'd be wearing orange. Or, perhaps, stripes. 

I don't know about you people, but let me set the record straight; boys do not have less drama than girls- they merely have different drama. 

For example, our resident middle school student made it to his fourteenth birthday last week by the grace of God. The vast majority of our meals together, he needs reminded, "get your knees down under the table. You are smashing your stomach and feeling full before you're actually full. Get your food in you. Quit playing around. Eat. Eat your food. Close the book." Repeat ad nauseam. By "vast majority" I mean 95% or higher of our meals. Often with food he likes!  

And will someone please invent a water shut-off valve that can be remotely activated by a parent's phone so that there issues a hard burst signifying a "you-have-two-minutes-left-so-rinse-and-get-out-lest-you-stay-sudsy" warning? Said child was given 10 minutes in the bathroom yesterday and took 45. Granted, some of this issue is caused by the bliss of having A) hot, running water, B) more than one bathroom, C) parents who are busy doing other things than standing around timing how long one is taking in the bathroom. However, short of taking the hinges off the bathroom door (which, while I have seriously considered, I object to the almighty draft I'd have to deal with when having my own shower) how does one pry another person out of the shower when one is on the opposite side of the bathroom door?!

People, I need a beating breakthrough. I'd rather not end up on the news. Eighth grade means this child in particular should be spectacular by now at getting himself ready for school. He lays out school clothes the night before. He makes his lunch the night before. He sets out what he wants for breakfast (unless it's refrigerated, obviously) the night before. Why then, are we having the same battles every day? 

Some would say, "just let him do it all on his own. He's gotta figure it out." Then he will miss the bus, and who does that inconvenience? Me. I'd have to take him to school. Especially when Dada is out of town for work. And his younger sibling, who is not old enough to be left home to get himself on his own bus yet, so he'd have to hurry to get ready to come with me. And the dogs, who have been built into our morning routine. Let's just empty the entire toolbox into the works, shall we? The heck with the wrench. 

Out of curiosity, I checked google maps. It would be around a 45 minute walk from our home to his school, and I know at least some of it doesn't have sidewalks. That would make him that much later if he missed the bus. The whole point of getting on the bus is so I don't have to drive him, adding more gasoline burned and more emissions and so forth. If I had any desire to take him to school, that would be built into our routine already.

How do we raise someone whom other someones (college roommates, apartment mates, future spouses) won't want to maim because of their inconsideration/selfishness/obliviousness? The child has zero money because, as our children, we don't believe they should be paid to help around the house. They live here, they should help, period. So we can't fine him the price of the water bill to open his eyes to the cost of sitting under the hot water for ridiculous amounts of time. How do we waken the (I hope) innate self-awareness of, "hey, I'm being kind of a jerk hogging the hot water, I should get clean and get out"? It is clear that what we/I am doing now does not work and is unsustainable. 

I don't want to leave you with the idea that he is a problem child and the other two are angelic by comparison; they most certainly are not. We have three great kids, each with their own issues. Would I trade them in on a yo-yo, as Nana used to say? Do not tempt me, Frodo. 

Icy snippet

I took these with my phone yesterday on my way home from taking the Care Bear to work, hoping I could get them onto here quickly - or at least more quickly than it'll take to upload the multitudes I took on the real camera. Aunt Chris, especially, make sure you click on them to see them bigger. The busted icicles that had fallen from the trees looked like so much broken glass, and it was probably just as dazzling in the sunlight. I was very thankful for my sunglasses!

Those of you not in areas experiencing ice and power outages and ridiculous wind, good for you. Shush. ;)

How do we get there from here?

Liam: Where do you work?

Dada: Plaza two.

Liam: Where is the room where you sleep?

Dada: Upstairs with Mama.

Liam: Noooo. At work.

Dada: I don't sleep at work.

Liam: Yes, you do! I saw it! You don't know...

Mama: "You know nothing, Jon Snow..."

Liam: You don't know anything about ice cream!

Dada: Now THEM'S fightin' words!