Late Bloomer Boomer

Life is short; seize the day

2012-01-31T13:22:00.003-05:00

Never have these words meant more to me than in the past two weeks.

Sadly three people to whom I was connected in different ways have passed away during that time. I wrote about one of them, a former colleague who passed away at 91, here.

The other two, neither of whom I met in person, were in their 70s. My heart goes out to a friend who lost her mom and another friend who lost her soul mate.

May all three rest in peace.

~

I haven't posted lately; nothing like breaking a New Year's resolution.

But I think the reason I haven't been able to come up with anything to write is because the almost-daily medical appointments have stopped. My online cancer journal came to a halt.

But today that changed..I went for a bone density scan. That's gotta be the easiest medical test ever. And none of that pesky fasting beforehand!

It was a new machine and it was really fast. The woman administering the test said it used to take a half hour. This lasted five minutes.

I'll get the results in a few days from my primary care physician and then schedule an overdue physical with him. Last year with all that chemo and radiation (now just a memory) just didn't seem like the right time to have a physical.

So...I wanted to see if I could still write a blog post. It looks like I can.

Eddie was truly a legend

2012-01-25T20:01:00.006-05:00

Our community lost a special person Saturday. Photojournalist Edward J. Cotter Jr. could be cantankerous and feisty, but those who knew him knew he had a heart of gold.
He would do anything for anyone.

Ralph and I got back a short while ago from his wake. There were wall-to-wall people there. He had touched so many lives in his 91 years.

I was thinking about Eddie Sunday. I wanted to write something about my former colleague. And it wasn't difficult. When I sat down at the computer, this column just came pouring out.

Ruby Tuesday ~

2012-01-23T14:30:00.002-05:00

I realize Christmas was a month ago but since I really wanted to get back into the Ruby Tuesday fun I found a photo from Dec. 24 to use today.

It's called "Allegra and her antlers." She told me it was OK if I used it here. ;-)

See lots more photos with a little or a lot of red in them at Ruby Tuesday 2.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Sunday morning shadows

2012-01-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

Living up to my moniker (Late Bloomer Boomer) I am late in finding and posting shadows for this week. I just took these shots outside the front door this morning. The sun is shining brightly after yesterday's snowstorm.

See lots more shadow shots from around the world at Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

Brrr....but it is January, after all

2012-01-16T08:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to complain that it's 6 degrees here this morning.

Nope. Not me. 

That's because I always complain about the heat and humidity in the summer, and I don't want to be a two-season complainer.  

Soon it will be time to layer up for the day.

 At least the sun is shining. And the furnace works fine. And we have lots of blankets and throws.
And our Linus kitty is always available to pet, which helps to warm up my semi-frozen fingers and hands.  =^.^=

In other news, my Christmas cactus started to bloom! Let's hope Linus doesn't eat the blossoms.  

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ guest photographer

2012-01-14T10:48:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday my friend Linda (The Distracted Wanderer) took me on another road trip. She apparently likes to drive and I apparently like to passenge...if that were a word! It was an incredibly mild day for January.

I wrote about part of the trip here. After we visited a bakery/cupcakery in East Haven, Ct. (yummy!) we headed to Sherwood Island State Park on Long Island Sound in Westport, Ct.

It is home to Connecticut's memorial to victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Names listed on the memorial are those of Connecticut residents or those who had close family who live in Connecticut.

Linda snapped a photo of me when I wasn't looking, and sent it along for me to use in this week's Shadow Shot Sunday.

I'm happy to be back sharing shadows..I missed a few weeks simply because I was disorganized! My spouse, Ralph, rarely misses a week.

Join the fun at Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

Thanks again, Linda, for the cool photo.

Thoughts on being deported

2012-01-12T17:09:00.002-05:00

For me and all the other cancer patients others who have had a chemo port implanted in their bodies, deportation is indeed a good thing.

And today was my day to be deported (get it? de-ported?).

Bad joke. But it's my blog and I can write what I want.

When the minor surgery was over and they brought me back to the room I scarfed down a huge breakfast. That's the reward for the fasting that's required.

Ralph ate his breakfast while he was waiting for me. Hope he enjoyed the morning television shows he had to endure while sitting there. ;-)

The procedure was a breeze. I was moderately sedated, they said. I remember nothing. I think the stuff they gave me made me have some crazy dreams this afternoon, but that's about it.

While I was taking a nap the Vera Bradley bag I ordered using money I received for my birthday arrived! That made me happy. It was half price! Even better.

I should take a photo of it but I don't feel like it at the moment. Being lazy, I guess.

This evening daughter Allegra is driving me to the support group. We only are going to meet once a month now, as opposed to every two weeks, so I'm looking forward to seeing the ladies there again. And of course I want to tell them that I was deported.

~

I was about to publish but then didn't want to post sans photo, so I looked up Power Port and found a photo. I'm pretty sure this is what was in there. I never actually saw it.

{Thanks for reading my online cancer journal.}

So much for resolutions

2012-01-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

It's only 11 days into the new year and I seem to have broken most of the ones I made. Must remember not to make any next year!

But today is a new day and I'm trying to keep one, which is to write a daily blog post.

I can't really write much of a post about the Cupcake Trip that Duchess Linda and I took Saturday to Sugar Bakery & Sweet Shop in East Haven, Ct. , winner of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars in 2010.
As you can see from the link (please read her post) she already wrote a comprehensive one!

We enjoyed these sweet samples of frosting ~ and then came the hard part: which cupcakes to buy?

It took quite a while to choose from more than 20 varieties.

This trip broke another resolution, come to think of it! Consuming cupcakes (even though I only had half of one) is no way to lose weight. I bought four different chocolatey ones; the children each had one, I brought one to my chocoholic mom and Ralph and I split the remaining one. Yummy!

They even sell T-shirts. One says "Keep Calm and Eat A Cupcake." Don't know how to stay calm after consuming all that sugar, but I'm willing to give it a try. The map of the U.S. shows just how far some folks have traveled to get their cupcakes.

And I didn't realize it at the time but I managed to get Linda's red Dodge Caliber in the photo.

When we left with our purchases you could say we were "happy."

So after the bakery visiting we got back on the highway and The Distracted Wanderer asked me how far away I thought the 9/11 memorial in Westport was from where we were.

I guesstimated 30 miles. But when you say "30 miles" to Duchess Linda, it's like saying "3 miles" to anyone else!
She doesn't mind driving, and I don't mind passenging. We headed down I-95 South from East Haven to Westport and Sherwood Island State Park.

The island is actually a peninsula that goes into Long Island Sound. There we photographed the living memorial that lists names of Connecticut residents or those with close family in the state who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Since it was a mild, sunny day for January there were quite a lot of people there taking a stroll, flying kites, viewing the somber memorial and just relaxing.

But I think I'll save those photos for another day. Cupcakes and terror attacks don't really go together very well.

Linda and I ended up back in West Haven at the Texas Roadhouse for a late lunch. Here's Linda sitting near the Willie Nelson Corner.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our January wandering. I know I enjoyed being a part of it.

Can you say cupcakes?

2012-01-07T08:49:00.000-05:00

My friend Duchess Linda of Norwich-Upon-Thames Facebook messaged me last night (do any of us use a real telephone any more?) and asked me to accompany her in search of cupcakes and tea today.

Sounds like a plan!

The sun is shining and it's unseasonably mild. We're lucking out weather-wise.

Details to follow...

The ups and downs of daily newspapering

2012-01-06T18:55:00.004-05:00

So...two days ago I interviewed a 91-year old World War II veteran. He served in Alaska in 1942-43 in what has been called "The Forgotten War," and in Ie Shima, an island off of Okinawa, after that.
I thought he was going to tell me about his war experiences, but he told me so much more. He has had an interesting life, and I hope the article I wrote (that has not yet been published) does him justice.

Yesterday I covered the sentencing of a man who drove drunk and struck a local police officer, who was a Vietnam veteran and beloved member of the force, as he was directing traffic. The officer died several days later from his injuries.
A dozen of his fellow police officers showed up in the courtroom to witness the sentencing. It was an extremely sad story and not the kind I normally cover.

Today I made up for dealing with a story about such a tragedy by writing about an 85th birthday party. It was an open house for a wonderful woman who used to run a downtown luncheonette.
People from all walks of life turned out to honor her. I quickly learned she was beloved by many, many people who got to know her over the 19 years she ran the restaurant.

It was wonderful to see all the love being bestowed on her from family and friends. Although she had no children of her own, she treated the young people who used to frequent her place after school as her own kids, the now-middle-aged partygoers told me.
"When Millie yelled, you listened," one woman recalled fondly.

Today I also interviewed a woman who grew up on a farm. She has opened an old-style general store that sells antiques and will carry only Connecticut-made and Connecticut-grown foods, from ice cream, maple syrup and organic bread to fresh produce in season.
She will be serving light meals on weekends and live music will also be performed there on occasion. It's a lovely spot and I'm sure she will succeed in her new venture. I plan to return there soon with Ralph. Sounds like fun.

So that's my world as of now...thanks for reading.

Happy, happy

2012-01-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

It's a new year and soon to be a new me.

I found out yesterday that the chemo port can be removed! My collar bone area will be back to normal, except for a scar.

The minor surgery is scheduled for next Thursday! Yay!

And no, I won't post a photo of the port. It isn't pretty.

That's all I got for now.

{Thanks for reading my online cancer journey journal.}

So I already broke a resolution

2012-01-04T08:34:00.001-05:00

Not good.
I actually broke several. I resolved to post every day, get organized, read more books, and more.

Yesterday wasn't the day for any of the above.

Who came up with this (silly) resolution stuff anyhow? I know it wasn't kitty cats.

When I stress about anything all I have to do is turn around and peek at Linus. Pet therapy is the best.

New Year's Resolutions ~ do people still make them?

2012-01-02T18:17:00.001-05:00

I have a few...but I didn't put them down on paper like I once did.

This year's resolutions are remarkably similar to those of previous years. They go something like this:

1) get organized
2) exercise more

3) keep up with blog friends

4) post daily on my blog

5) read more books

6) write that book (It's going to be fiction based on fact)

7) take more photos

That's about it for now. If more come into my brain I'll do another post. haha

I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

New family activity...

2012-01-01T20:21:00.003-05:00

Touching my soft, new hair that is growing back. It's fun, it's easy and it only takes a few seconds.

And it's bringing us together as a family. What's better than that?

Tea-rific surprise

2011-12-27T20:26:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd make a holiday wreath out of the multicolored envelopes of herbal tea Duchess Linda of Norwich Upon Thames sent me.

We were chatting one day on Facebook about caffeine-free herbal tea and she kindly sent me some samples. I haven't had any in a while, preferring to stick to my regular caffeinated coffee or tea. ;-)

Looking forward to trying the Vanilla Caramel, Cherry Vanilla and Perfect Peach, three flavors I've never had before.

We had a merry...hope you did too

2011-12-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

Grandma didn't get run over by a reindeer so all is good.

So, now it's time to share a corny post-Christmas riddle. It's a groaner.

Q. Where does Santa put his red suit after Christmas?

A. In the Claus-et

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Ho, ho, repost!

2011-12-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Ho ho ho

Ralph took this photo last night after I was asleep. Santa was waving to him through the front window!
Quite the capture, if I do say so myself.

4 comments:

Empress Bee (of the High Sea) said...: oh good one ralph! ha ha hamerry christmas!smiles, beexoxoxoxoxoxoox; December 25, 2008 9:15 AM
storyteller said...: Excellent ;--)Merry Christmas to both of you.Hugs and blessings,; December 25, 2008 11:42 AM
Dianne said...: Ralph knows ALL the famous people ;)have a wonderful day!; December 25, 2008 12:52 PM
Linda said...: Ah, that would be the perfect picture for Ruby Tuesday - too bad Christmas came on a Thursday this year or Ralph would have had the perfect shot!; December 26, 2008 12:49 PM

Comeback time

2011-12-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

As quickly as they disappeared from my face, they are now coming back. My eyebrows, that is.

And yesterday I suddenly noticed my eyelashes are starting to reappear.

Woo hoo times two!

I graduated yesterday ;-)

2011-12-20T09:24:00.002-05:00

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ BLTN

2011-12-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

That stands for Better Late Than Never!

I finally found a shadowy photo in my Linus archives. =^ . . ^=

See more shadow shots by visiting here.

Viral, I went

2011-12-17T10:00:00.011-05:00

Posting this for any of my friends who didn't see that I went "viral" on Facebook last night. ;-)

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn here. (toot, toot)

I was surprised the story link that one of my editors posted got several shares and many comments. 

Yesterday I wrote a story about my experience at a "Look Good...Feel Better" session Thursday night and sent it to my editor. He put it in today's paper.

"Look Good...Feel Better" is an American Cancer Society program for women undergoing cancer treatment. I had written about it five years ago, as an observer. This week I was a participant. 

Here's the link

Thanks for reading! My online cancer journal continues.

A Christmas miracle ~ for moi anyway

2011-12-16T14:03:00.001-05:00

I found out today I only need to have 25 radiation treatments instead of 35. Woo hoo!

And today's was number 24, which means on Monday I'm all done.

Not that it adversely affected me; and not that I won't miss the four awesome radiation therapists I've gotten to know.

They're all wonderful women who made me feel great about myself.

My radiation oncologist said the blood work and the skin in the affected area both look good. So again I say woo hoo!

In a few weeks I have an appointment to learn more about the next step: pills.

This is yet another in my continuing cancer journey saga..thanks for reading!

Ah ...

2011-12-12T10:11:00.003-05:00

I just had my second (complimentary) Monday morning massage after radiation.

It felt so good! Relaxing for sure.

Looking forward to having this week off. 

What to do? What to do?

 Oh, that's right I remember now: Christmas shopping, sending out (a few) cards and taking care of related Yuletide activities. ;-)

Happy Monday to all. 

This 'n that at holiday time

2011-12-11T08:55:00.002-05:00

Don't know what else to call the post I'm about to write.

I love writing and feel kinda icky when I don't get to it on a daily basis.

But the work schedule has been hectic, and the energy has been (temporarily) diminished.

And there are those four (4!) farms I must tend. Insanity, I tell you. I like working on the new one, Winter Wonderland.

Anyhow, yesterday I was brave and went to Tar-jay. It wasn't too crazy there. I got some things for our family's wacky Yankee Swap on Christmas Eve. A few years ago we gave up trying to buy for people and started the swap idea.

It really takes the pressure off! I just buy "unisex" items ~ can you say 'Ove Glove'? I brought one two years ago and it caused a few chuckles, so I got another one for this year.

I also bought a snow globe with Santa inside..it plays "Jolly Old St. Nicholas."

And a Nutcracker ~ a throwback to the old days, when Ralph's parents collected them. I forgot to mention that our niece who is hosting the party has proclaimed a theme for the holiday fare this year.

It's Retro. "Vintage Villers."

Ralph is going to bring redskin peanuts, because their grandfather (Ralph the First) always brought them when he visited on Christmas.

Our nephew is bringing potato chips and onion dip, I hear. Another fancy and festive item that they used to have on their holiday table. ;-)

Can't wait to see what other delectable foodstuff will be there. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-12-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

"Hey! Can't a cat get any privacy around here? I was trying to sleep."

Not to worry, Linus forgave me.

He knows who takes care of his every need. =^. .^=

Join the fun each week and see lots more shadowy photos at Hey Harriet, hosted by our awesome Aussie friend Tracy.

19 treatments down...

2011-12-09T10:43:00.001-05:00

Having radiation is easy, but it makes me tired. Wishing I could take a nap right about now.

In happy news, my hair continues to grow in a fluffy sort of way. Someday my tresses will return.

I'm not yet ready to post a photo, but soon I shall.

{Jotting these things down for my online cancer journey journal. Trying to keep a record of what is going on with me these days, for future reference.}

Happy Friday to all!

F is for Fatigue

2011-12-07T09:59:00.002-05:00

Just returned from radiation treatment #17 ~ not that I'm counting.

It's all good but I am getting rather tired.

Since F is for Fatigue, I made up some words for the letters leading up to F in the alphabet. Woo hoo!

A is for Allegra, my helper these days.
B is for Breast.
C is for Cancer.
D is for Diagnosis.
E is for Exhausted.
F is for Fatigue. And this is where I'll stop...I don't want to whine. I can deal with fatigue.

And so ends my latest online breast cancer journey journal entry.

Thanks for reading!

Still doing OK with the radiation

2011-12-01T07:18:00.000-05:00

I haven't been true to myself ~ I've not been blogging about my cancer journey on a daily basis.

If I don't write about it now, where will I get the info for that upcoming book?

This week is flying along..between work and tending three farms, I've been quite busy.

Nothing new to report health-wise. This morning after treatment I'll probably see the doctor.

She can check my "tan lines."

Oh, and my hair continues to grow...very s-l-o-w-l-y...

Happy December to all!

What's the rush?

2011-11-27T16:47:00.002-05:00

All over the neighborhood I see nothing but Christmas decorations.

Ack! It's November, people.
I really love Christmas, but this weekend I've been feeling like Scrooge.

Bah Humbug!

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ getting into the holiday spirit

2011-11-26T16:04:00.004-05:00

I'm not one for November Christmas trees, but yesterday Allegra and I toured the classic Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, Ct., where I spied these shadows created by the morning sunshine.
Each year local garden clubs decorate the home for the holidays. It opened for tours on Friday.

I wrote a story about it for the paper, which you can read here.

If you want to see lots of shadowy photos, visit our awesome Aussie friend Tracy, our hostess, at Hey Harriet.

Leftovers, anyone?

2011-11-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

We finally sang 'Happy Birthday' to our guy

2011-11-25T07:21:00.001-05:00

Work and Thanksgiving preparations got in the way Wednesday of having a birthday cake for Cameron. But we had the cake for dessert yesterday, instead of the pumpkin pie.
I hope he had a good birthday! We're happy to have him home for a few days.

I go to radiation this morning after a day off yesterday. Then I'm heading out to do a story on the beautiful Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, Ct.
Each year local garden clubs decorate the house for the holiday season. This year's theme is cinema, and a friend who is in a garden club told me that her group used The Grinch theme to decorate the childhood bedroom and bathroom, with a sleigh set up in the bathtub.

Looking forward to the creativity!

I'm thankful for a lot on this Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T09:04:00.004-05:00

Money makes the world go around, or at least the song from 'Cabaret' would have us believe that.

Call me crazy, but I prefer instead to believe love makes the world go 'round. Yup. Who's with me?

In the past four days I have gotten a lot of love: every day was another surprise.

Hmm...I wonder what today will bring?

Over the weekend a cousin (who is a regular reader of my blog but doesn't comment) e-mailed me to tell me he had ordered two magazine subscriptions for me.

He was hoping I didn't already subscribe. Of course I don't!

Who can afford magazines? Although a certain unnamed man in this house gets a couple that deal with cars. It's his therapy.

On Monday an artist friend gave me five Christmas ornaments he had made three years ago. They still have the price tags on them. ;-)

My favorite is a lump that is black on one side to resemble coal with the word naughty painted on it and the other side is painted to look like a gold nugget, and it says nice.

On Tuesday a woman I've met through my job gave me a ceramic guardian angel to hang on the wall to watch over me.

And yesterday as I was leaving radiation one of the technicians wished me a Happy Thanksgiving and handed me a homemade apple pie. It's delicious! What a nice surprise!

And after that I covered a story and tried to interview four-year-olds. When I was ready to leave two of the girls asked their teacher if they could give hugs. So they hugged me around my knees. It was adorable.

'Tis better to give than receive but I must say being the recipient this week hasn't been bad at all!

Yesterday was our Cameron's 21st birthday. We didn't sing Happy Birthday or have his cake, so we'll do that today after dinner, if we can stuff anything more into our stuffed selves. He understood I was busy with work and other things.

I do have a lot for which I'm thankful. I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Radiation: Days 6 & 7

2011-11-22T09:52:00.004-05:00

I don't want to jinx myself here but the treatments continue to go along fine...no side effects yet.

That's something for which I am thankful, especially in this season of Thanksgiving.

Today our Cameron comes home for a long holiday weekend ~ yay!

And tomorrow is his birthday ~ double yay!
I wonder what kind of cake he would like?

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-11-19T09:50:00.001-05:00

November sunshine creates shadows on our Linus. Isn't he cute?

=^..^=

Join the Shadow Shot Sunday fun each week at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

Radiation: Day 5

2011-11-18T16:25:00.003-05:00

And so I finished week one. That went by quickly. Yay!

Seems like I was just there last Friday to do a run-through before starting treatment. Now it's a week later. Time is flying by.

And a week from today is the day after Thanksgiving. Yikes!

Guess it's about time I get organized...

{thanks for reading my online cancer journey journal!}

Day 4 and counting

2011-11-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

This morning I had my fourth radiation treatment.

I also saw the doctor, and she said my blood work from yesterday looked fine. Yay!

She noticed my hair is growing back and told me I'll have a new 'do every week. Double yay!
It's exciting to see my hair return.

{And so my online cancer journey journal continues..thanks for stopping by.}

Radiation: Day 3

2011-11-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

Everyone is so friendly there I didn't want to leave!

I needed a blood test so I saw my "old friends" in the other part of the building (chemo side) and it was like old home week. The doctor asked me if I missed him last week. I said I did, but I don't think he believed me!

And a volunteer gave me a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie. It was still warm.

Woo hoo!

Now on to Wednesday stuff..

{My online cancer journey journal continues..thanks for reading!}

Radiation: Day 2

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-05:00

It went fine; thanks for asking. ;-)

Soon I'll be leaving for treatment #3.

Radiation: Day 1

2011-11-15T07:35:00.002-05:00

That was easy.

Bonus points: So what is that white thing above the Easy Button next to the mouse?

Answer: Linus' paw. That was easy.

Bizzy days

2011-11-14T07:55:00.006-05:00

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to radiation we go ...

It starts today and will continue for the next seven weeks.

Life has been a bit busy lately...we got home at 10 p.m. yesterday from Ralph's co-worker's wedding and this morning I'm fixin' to head to my first radiation treatment.

Here's Ralph enjoying himself at the wedding. I had a tough time getting a good photo ~ I blame it on the soft lighting. This was the best one I captured.

Before we went to the wedding we visited our docent daughter working at an open house at the David Humphreys House.

The annual open house features samples of Thanksgiving fare - turkey, cranberry sauce, cornbread, squash pie and more - prepared over an open hearth in the historic house.

Here's a link to a post I wrote about the event three years ago! I would have guessed I had written it last year. Time sure does fly.

Allegra surprised us yesterday when she told us she had made the tasty pumpkin soup.

My favorite is the squash pie. Our friend Christine who always makes the squash pies says she follows a pumpkin pie recipe and simply substitutes butternut squash, because it's sweeter than the pumpkin.

Yum!

That's about it from here. Off to get ready to be radiated.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ pix from a fun jaunt with a friend

2011-11-12T10:58:00.002-05:00

Today I'm using more shadowy photos from a foliage trip I took in early October with my friend and chauffeur, Linda, through Connecticut, Massachusetts and into southern Vermont.

It wasn't easy finding autumn colors, but we did find some interesting places to photograph along the way!

This is an Episcopal church "somewhere" in western Massachusetts. I'm not sure what town we were in at the time.

We both liked the shadows created by the noonday sun.

See lots more shadow shots from around the world at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog!

Happy Veterans Day ~ 11/11/11

2011-11-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm heading to a Veterans Day ceremony this morning.

I'll see many of the veterans I've met through my newspaper work, and I'll remember several veterans I've known who have passed away in recent years.

Today is a perfect day to say thank you to all who served our country or who are serving now. Let them know you appreciate them!

My online cancer journey journal continues...

2011-11-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

It's almost 5 p.m.

I'm tired and I've caught a cold (boo hoo) but I'm still planning to attend a support group meeting that starts at 6.

I always enjoy my time with the ladies. Our group, Circle of Friends, meets every other Thursday but in two weeks we won't meet, because it will be Thanksgiving already. (gasp!)

I can't believe how fast November got here and how fast the month is flying by us. It has been one of my crazier years, it's safe to say.

Tomorrow I go for a dry run of sorts for my radiation treatments, which start Monday morning.

Thanks for reading!

'Everything looks good'

2011-11-09T07:34:00.001-05:00

That's what I wanted to hear on the phone yesterday regarding my mammogram results.
And that's what I heard.

I'll get a letter in the mail confirming the good news. Yay!

Now on to radiation. I don't yet know when it will start.

(And so continues my online breast cancer journey journal..thanks for reading.)

I'm all about medical appointments these days

2011-11-08T07:55:00.001-05:00

I had a mammogram yesterday before I start radiation.

Dare I make a joke and say the screening only took half as long as it used to take? Or would that be unbecoming of me?

Anyhow, I waited all afternoon for the results but no phone call. So today I wait again.

{My online cancer journey journal continues..thanks for reading!}

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ historic

2011-11-05T15:38:00.003-04:00

Four weeks ago my friend Linda picked me up on a sunny Saturday to seek some autumn foliage in Connecticut.

Of course we were armed with our cameras and were ready to capture colorful leaves and trees for posterity (or at least for our blogs!)

We didn't see much color in Connecticut, so Linda kept driving over the border into Massachusetts. Still not much color for Oct. 8 in New England. It was disappointing.

She saw that Bennington, Vt. was a mere 38 miles further north, so north we headed. I'm so good at being a passenger!

Here are five of many photos I took in Bennington that have shadows in them.

The fall foliage was at about 10 percent there. You'd think Vermont would be colorful in October...not really. Maybe it's because we were in southern Vermont.

I did find shadows in the historic cemetery adjacent to the First Congregational Church of Bennington.

Robert Frost is buried there, and we weren't the only ones walking down the path through the graveyard to see his gravestone.

There were arrows pointing the way to the Frost family's site, and there were lots of folks there when we were, thanks to lots of tour buses in the area.

The fence below was in front of the cemetery, along the sidewalk. I was able to get a photo without cars and tour buses in it! Woo hoo!

I thought it was pretty and so typical New England. Notice the green leaves on the trees.

And here's Linda photographing The Walloomsac Inn, directly across the street from the church.

It was once a grand hotel, but now it seems like a perfect place for someone to set up a scary Halloween house. It looks kinda haunted!

I read that someone lives there, but I have my doubts. Who'd want to live there?

I urge you to visit our awesome Aussie friend Tracy at her Hey Harriet blog to discover lots of shadowy shots!

If I glow, it won't be from the radiation

2011-11-04T09:15:00.005-04:00

I went to see the radiation oncologist yesterday for a consultation. She explained everything that will be happening with the upcoming radiation treatments and it didn't sound bad at all.

She said it's easier to take than chemo. I feel fortunate to have gotten through five months of that with nothing more than tiredness.

I also had an unexpected CT scan. That wasn't on my agenda!

It turned out fine, but when I first saw the scanner (don't know correct name of it) I flashed back to my MRI experience in February when I freaked out.

At that time Ralph had to bring me back another day with a medication inside me to get through the claustrophic feelings I was experiencing.

So now I wait to find out when I start the five-days a week radiation treatment. The nurse assured me I wouldn't be radioactive. So apparently I won't be glowing.

I don't mean to sound flip about any of these important procedures. I simply want to keep my sense of humor about all of this. :D

{And so my online cancer journey journal doth continue ~ thanks for reading!}

Our friend 'Jack' made it through the night

2011-10-30T10:47:00.001-04:00

He looks a bit cold though!

Hope everyone weathered the snowstorm OK.

We're so thankful we didn't lose electricity.

Happy Sunday to all!

Jack gets some air

2011-10-29T15:05:00.003-04:00

Our friend Jack that I carved last Saturday was getting all moldy so I thought I'd let him go outside to get some cold, crisp air.

Doesn't it look like he's exhaling?

Getting ready to be 'spellbound' Saturday

2011-10-28T08:40:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow night is an opening reception for the Valley Arts Council's 'Spellbound' Halloween show. This year I'm entering this photo, which is near and dear to my heart.

It features the feline members of our family. Sadly our loopy guy Rigby, on the left, is no longer with us; Linus, on the other hand, is usually no more than a few feet away from me. =^. .^=

He stays close, that's for sure. Ralph thinks Linus needs a kitty playmate. We'll see..

For local readers, the Valley Arts Council's Gallery@37 is at 37 Elizabeth St., Derby, Ct. The reception is from 6-9 p.m. and the show runs through Nov. 19.

UPDATE: The reception has been postponed to 2 p.m. Sunday, due to the Halloween weekend snow that is falling. Hopefully tomorrow's weather will be more cooperative.

See you there!

Haunted tour fundraiser was a spook-tacular success

2011-10-24T16:58:00.001-04:00

On Saturday night Ralph and I volunteered for three hours outside a stately (and haunted?) Victorian mansion that is now a funeral home.

It was one of several stops along a Halloween-inspired haunted lantern tour through downtown Derby, Ct.
We told a spooky story hat we read from a script given to us.
Hundreds of people - who paid $5 apiece - came to get spooked and learn local history.
I counted 20 tour groups, although I could have lost track, because I was getting rather punchy near the end of the event.

So does Ralph look kinda creepy here? I think so.
It was cold out there and the wool cape added a bit of a 'Grim Reaper' look, in my opinion...

We told the story of a young woman, Emma Schabert, who lived in the house with her first husband - who was 40 years her senior.
She and her brother were lucky enough to survive the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 after being rescued from a lifeboat by the crew of the Carpathia.
The question we posed was: would her wealthy husband, Rufus W. Blake, who owned the Sterling Piano Co. in Derby, be as lucky?

As the story goes, the couple was home one night playing cards when Rufus went upstairs and accidentally shot himself in the eye. He never regained consciousness.
Newspaper accounts at the time said his death was accidental. However, the "accident" left Emma a very wealthy young widow.

Coincidence? No one can say for sure.

But as the script we read says, "Someone in the house rests uneasily. Footsteps are heard echoing through the building, cigar smoke is frequently smelled and doors open and close without explanation."

Hmmm...

Before the tours there was a Jack O'Lantern contest. Guess who didn't win?

BEFORE
AFTER

Bwahahaha ~ I've only carved three pumpkins in my entire life, so I'm not too skilled at it.

I do believe 'tis better to give than receive

2011-10-22T11:25:00.002-04:00

...but receiving lots of support since my cancer diagnosis from family, friends, and even from folks I don't even know is almost as good!

On Wednesday I received some unexpected recognition from a group of wonderful people, and I'm trying to figure out how to thank them for their thoughtfulness.

I'm purposely being vague here...need to think about what to do to show my gratitude.

~ ~ ~

In other news, Ralph and I are taking part in "Haunted Lantern Tours" tonight in downtown Derby, Ct.
The cool thing is we're not attending, we're two of the presenters.
He and I will be at one of the stops on the tour to tell a story about the former inhabitants of a (haunted?) Victorian house that is now a funeral home.
We'll mention the sudden death of one them inside the house ...

Spooky!

Put a fork in me

2011-10-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

...'cuz I is done!

With chemo. Hopefully forever!

Next up, radiation.

{And so my online breast cancer journey continues.}

Last 'chemo light' treatment delayed a day

2011-10-17T16:37:00.003-04:00

... but tomorrow it will finally be here!

The doctor had a day off today so I must wait until tomorrow to have the 12th and final treatment.

That's OK. Time flies anyway. I don't wish it to go any faster than it does.

{And so my online breast cancer journey journal continues. Thanks for reading.}

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ road trip

2011-10-15T11:54:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday I accompanied my blog and real-life friend Linda, of Are We There Yet? and The Distracted Wanderer fame to find some fall foliage. 

You'd think being in southern New England in October we'd find some.

Not really.

But I did get some shadow shots! We headed to northern Connecticut, not much color. We went into Massachusetts. Still not much color to be found.

When Linda discovered it was a mere 38 more miles to Bennington, Vt., we headed there. My guess was the foliage there was about at 10 percent color.

Boo hiss. But we had fun trying and exploring...and the weather was spectacular. Sunny and actually too warm for October. Linda and I both prefer "crisp" air.

But that was OK.

And at least we found some wildlife!
We saw a beaver.

And a moose!

(taken from the passenger seat ~ we didn't feel like getting out and dealing with the crowds)

And we later spotted yet another moose on a sidewalk in Massachusetts on our way home. (Photo quality is poor because I snapped it through the windshield when we were stopped at a red light.)

And I have many more shadowy shots to share from the day in future posts. So all was not lost ~ just the hoped-for colors of autumn!

See lots more shadowy photos every weekend at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog. 

Life imitates blogging

2011-10-15T09:10:00.012-04:00

Or something like that!

So happy it's Saturday morning...had another busy week. Whew!

Today I combine blogging about my breast cancer journey with my journalism.

Please click here (it's a quick read) for my story in today's paper and join me in celebrating my return to a wonderful support group. I haven't been going but hope to start anew.

{My online journal about breast cancer continues. Thanks for reading.}

It's Tuesday and I'm 'supposed' to be hyper

2011-10-11T16:51:00.002-04:00

...but I'm not. I don't know what happened. Maybe I didn't have enough coffee (yet) today to keep me going. I try not to drink too much of it.

Oh well.

Hmm.. I think take-out may be an idea for dinner.

'Cuz I'm just plain tuckered out.

Back from second-to-last trip to chemoland

2011-10-10T17:09:00.003-04:00

... and I'm exhausted.

Even after a two-hour nap.

It's after 5 p.m. Should I have a cup of coffee? Or just relax?

Decisions, decisions.

{My online breast cancer journey journal doth continue. Thanks for reading}

Steroids + coffee = a hyper me

2011-10-09T08:27:00.005-04:00

Up, down, up, down. What a week. Blame it on the steroids I got Monday, I suppose.

On Tuesday I felt like I was in perpetual motion. I covered two live events, wrote a third story, and did some other stuff for work.

On Wednesday that "energy" was gone, but I did cover a live event first thing in the morning, and also filed a second story.

By Thursday I was "mezza-mezza" energy-wise, but managed to cover yet another live event at night.

Now it's Friday afternoon, I filed a story. And I'm hoping that's it for this week.

Before I know it I'll be back in chemoland, and the cycle will begin again.

Only two more treatments and I can get off this roller coaster for now.

{Now it's Sunday. Thank you for reading my online journal about my breast cancer journey ~ I don't like to complain but was urged to post what I had written Friday, so I did.}

Friends, foliage and no whining

2011-10-08T09:08:00.000-04:00

So I wrote a post yesterday afternoon about my crazy week, but didn't hit publish.

It was another in my continuing series of online journal entries about this breast cancer journey.

But it sounded way too whiny (overworked and exhausted was the theme) so I canned it.

In other news, for the two or three of you who read this who know our friend Linda, I am awaiting her arrival to pick me up for our second annual fall foliage trip!

Woo hoo! I don't know how she does it. She just returned last night from a trip to the White Mountains.

I hope we find some color north of here ~ there is still way too much green on the trees here in southern Connecticut.

Hoping to be posting some beautiful photos next time.

Happy Saturday to all!

Back to the grind...the chemo grind, that is

2011-10-03T07:30:00.020-04:00

It's Monday morning and I'm all set to go back for treatment #10.

Only two more after today! Yay!

I always get hungry while I'm sitting there, so once again I'll bring my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a snack. This time on multi-grain bread instead of whole wheat. Exciting, eh?

I'm going to wear my new long-sleeved T-shirt that I got for participating in the walk on Saturday. I'd take a picture of it but my rechargeable batteries aren't recharging any more. And I can't seem to find any AA batteries. Must buy some. I hate to be without my camera.

I guess that's it for now. Thanks for reading my online cancer journey journal!

I did it!

2011-10-01T11:39:00.001-04:00

So happy I completed the 3.1-mile walk this morning.

It was amazing - as I was pulling out of the driveway the rain was letting up and the sun was breaking through the clouds. It ended up being a perfect, albeit steamy, morning for the event. There were so many participants. I'd say it was a huge success.

I was among friends. I saw two of my doctors, both oncology nurses, an extremely energetic and enthusiastic nutritionist and fitness expert named Samantha (who has been strongly suggesting to me that I get into an exercise routine), and several other hospital employees.

Samantha was at the finish line and gave me a big hug when I completed the walk. I think she was happier than I was.

Thanks to all my supporters. ;-) I must say I enjoyed the hugs and kisses and handshakes and all.

I also love the T-shirts they gave out. I didn't know they were going to be long-sleeved. Woo hoo!

Walkin' in the rain

2011-10-01T07:58:00.006-04:00

We'll see how this goes...getting ready to leave for a walk/run (I'll be walking, not running) to benefit the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Ct.

And it's pouring out.

Being part of a group with the same goal of raising funds and awareness will keep me inspired, I hope!

Happy to report I raised $155 for the cause.

More later...

Only three more to go!

2011-09-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my chemo day again...Happy to report I feel fine. Just tired.

Three more chemo treatments left, then at some point after that (hopefully there will be a bit of a break) I'll start five weeks of radiation.

That will be five days a week. Woo hoo! I'm guessing it will be a tiring experience..

On Saturday I'll attempt to walk 3.1 miles in a fund-raiser for the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Ct. It's the third annual event and the first one in which I'm participating.
I plan to take it easy...the second half will be the hard part, since I'm so out of shape.

Maybe I'll ask Ralph to ride along nearby in the van so he can pick me up when I'm losing my energy. (just kidding)

My friend Linda suggested I amble. I agree ambling is good!

My (sometimes hurty) knee and I did fine Sunday walking in an event along the shore in West Haven, Ct. to raise funds for the Center for Disability Rights.
Ralph works for the nonprofit, which gives college scholarships each year to students with disabilities. They said the route was 1.5 miles. It felt like more, but maybe because it was so muggy out.

As you can see in the photo it was an overcast morning.

Meanwhile my oncologist said yesterday he'll be making some brief remarks at Saturday's event, as will several other health-care professionals. He jokingly asked me if I wanted him to mention me.

No thanks, Doc, just wave. I'll see ya. ;-)

{That's about it today for my online journal about my breast cancer journey. Thanks for reading.}

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ morning sun

2011-09-24T11:22:00.005-04:00

When I was eating breakfast the other day I spied this shadow on the wall.

Meow!

Visit our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog every weekend where you can check out lots of shadowy pix from around the globe.

Happy Shadow Seeking!

Out of my comfort zone

2011-09-23T17:09:00.002-04:00

I've never asked anyone for money but I've decided to take a step outside my comfort zone to ask for sponsors (any small $ amount would be much appreciated) as I participate in next week's third Annual 5K Walk/Run to benefit the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital.

That's the facility in Derby, Ct. where I'm currently getting chemo and will soon be getting five weeks of radiation treatments.

The fun never ends!

The state-of-the-art facility (below see photo of the healing garden outside the treatment room) opened three years ago.

I took this photo in August. It's such a peaceful setting.

I guess I never dreamed I would be a patient myself in 2011. Goes to show one never knows.

Anyhow, I wrote a story for the paper about the walk/run that you can read here. I hadn't planned on blogging about the event, but I decided to give it a go.

It's always a good idea to raise awareness of breast cancer. It seems to affect so many people.

The walk organizers' goal is to raise $75,000 this year. I set a goal of $200, to do what I can to help.

To make a donation click here. Thanks so much!

Kemo brain kicks in

2011-09-22T10:39:00.003-04:00

Methinks the kemo is kicking in big time. I feel like I can't keep up with anything.

I really could use a mental health day.

Looks like I'll have to wait until Saturday ...

P.S. I spelled chemo wrong just because I could. ;-)

{And so my online cancer journey journal continues.}

Chemo light #7 turned out to be #8

2011-09-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

Time sure flies when one is having fun! Looks like I lost track of time.

Yesterday I wrote here that it was day number 7 - glad to learn that it was number 8! One less to go until I get to the magic number 12.

The chemo kinda messes with my sleep, but I much prefer that side effect to others I won't bother mentioning.

I came home exhausted yesterday afternoon and slept for more than two hours to recuperate. Then this morning I woke up after a less than full-night's sleep. :- (

Maybe it's because I skipped a week, and my body has to get used to it again.

{Thanks for reading my online cancer journey journal}

Back to chemoland today

2011-09-19T07:37:00.002-04:00

I missed a treatment last week because the doctor was on vacation and the other oncologist in the office is not authorized by my insurance or some such thing,

I was given the option to see a different oncologist in the medical group in another city, if I didn't want to miss a treatment.

But they said it would be OK to take a week off, so I did.

I believe this is number 7, but who's counting?

I feel fine, and for that I am grateful.

{Thanks for reading the continuing saga of my cancer journey.}

Cute and observant, if I do say so myself

2011-09-18T12:58:00.000-04:00

I went through a drawer yesterday that hasn't been gone through in quite a while.

I found a scrap of paper from 1995, when our daughter was 6 and our son was 4, with the following written on it:

July 30, 1995:

Allegra said, "Cam, you're confusing me."

Cam replied: "I'm confusing myself."

So Allegra said, "Write it down, Mommy."

~ ~ ~

She knew I was always writing down cute things they said. A lot of it is on scraps of paper.

Now to find them all!

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Sergio edition

2011-09-17T14:31:00.003-04:00

I took this photo last Saturday as Ralph went up a long drive into the Stonington, Ct. estate of the late romantic tenor Sergio Franchi.

We were there to attend the 17th annual Sergio Franchi Memorial Concert emceed by his widow, Eva Franchi.

He died in 1991 and she started hosting the concert a few years later.

The grounds are lovely, and offered plenty of seating for the approximately 4,000 in the audience.

A friend of ours got free tickets to the concert, because a close friend of his, and an acquaintance of ours, was one of the performers.

We had a grand time, enjoyed a picnic lunch and sipped wine on a picture-perfect September afternoon.

Sergio seems to be looking out into the audience enjoying the sights and sounds on his 240-acre estate.

Sadly he was only 64 when he passed away.

The program was mostly opera, with a few Broadway show tunes in the mix.

And the weather could not have been more cooperative!

Below you see our daughter Allegra's bare foot...we go from the sublime to the ridiculous, I guess you could say. Not that our daughter is ridiculous...I merely mean the subject matter of the photo.

As you can see we sat near the side of the stage for most of the concert, except when our friend performed.

I am not a music critic, so far be it from me to review the performance. But I will say even though we are not into opera, Ralph, Allegra and I enjoyed ourselves!

See our Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog for many more shadowy photos.

It's almost worse than losing one's hair

2011-09-16T17:16:00.007-04:00

Eyebrows.
I never thought much about them until I didn't have any. : (

I realize there are worse things.
And I know there are artificial ones I could get, or I could use eyebrow pencil.

But I prefer the real kind.

And they're not there any more.

At least with my head I can find a variety of chapeaux and scarves to cover up the few remaining strands of hair I have. And the wig option is still there.

But eyebrows and for that matter eyelashes (they are mostly gone too) are so visible, unless one wears large sunglasses to cover the blank areas.

Oh me, oh my.

OK, done whining for today.

{My online journal about my cancer journey continues.}

Pointin' and shootin' through the windshield

2011-09-14T16:55:00.007-04:00

When Ralph is driving, I like to take photos through the windshield. I'm easily amused, I suppose.

These are five of the nine I took Saturday. It had been a gorgeous day at an outdoor event we attended.

The view is along I-95 in southeastern Connecticut, as we headed home.

Shadow Shot Sunday: A local remembrance stirs emotions

2011-09-11T13:37:00.002-04:00

On Friday morning Ralph and I witnessed an impressive demonstration of patriotism that occurred right outside our front door.
We live near four schools: two elementary and two high schools. Our town's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was due to the creativity and determination of the technical high school principal, Laurie LeBouthillier.
She managed to pull off the coming together of more than 2,400 students and staff members from all four schools, and they lined three streets forming a circle of unity in our neighborhood.

She also coordinated a parade featuring local volunteer firefighters riding in several pieces of fire apparatus, a high school band, elected officials and more.

I covered the story for the newspaper, which you can read here.

Neighbors came out of their houses to watch; parents of children involved took photos and videos along the route. People remarked about how well-organized the solemn event was, and how it stirred their emotions to see so many people take part.
The event apparently went off without a hitch.

I congratulate Laurie on following through on an idea and turning it into a reality that those involved will long remember.

Visit our hostess, Tracy, at Hey Harriet to see lots more shadowy pix from around the world.

Tossin' and turnin'

2011-09-07T10:24:00.001-04:00

... it's not something that I normally do.
I'm blaming my insomnia on yesterday's chemo light treatment #6.

I woke up after only four hours of sleep. Wasn't happy.
Finally got back to dreamland after about two hours of tossin' and turnin' thanks to a soft and furry heating pad we call Linus. He snuggled up to my back, I was able to relax, and all was well.

Awww ... what a helper he is. And what a sleeper! He's asleep as I type this. What else is new? Tee hee.

{And so my online journal about my cancer journey continues ... thanks for reading!}

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-09-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

'Twas the first day of school Wednesday and I visited an elementary school to write a story. A friend and former colleague from many moons ago is the principal there now, and I wanted to capture her first "first day of school."

As you can see the kids and parents were waiting for the door to open to start the big day ...

The opening of school was delayed a day in the next town because of some power outages in the district. We lucked out and had no loss of electricity here at our humble abode.

I feel like I'm jinxing myself by writing that, since it is still hurricane season through the end of November.

Ralph and I didn't participate last week in Tracy's shadowy meme, because we were preparing for and getting nervous about the impending storm. But we're back. ;-)

I pray there are no more storms like Irene thinking about forming out there in the Atlantic. Just stay away!

Visit Tracy at Hey Harriet and join the shadowy fun!

Color us lucky

2011-08-30T12:19:00.001-04:00

Thousands of our fellow Nutmeggers are suffering with power outages and worse after Irene stormed her way through Connecticut.

Here in our neighborhood there was a lot of wind, intermittent heavy downpours and branches and leaves down.
A dead tree fell into our backyard, but nowhere near the house.

But we never lost power. The lights never even flickered, and for that we are so grateful.

Yesterday my oncologist told me he and his wife had

to evacuate Saturday afternoon. They live on Long Island Sound and he said the Sound was like the ocean that day.

Ralph's sister and several other relatives in Connecticut have been living without electricity for days, and they can't get an estimate of when it will be returned. I can't imagine their frustration.

A friend who lives about 20 miles away in a more affluent (and rural) town than ours lost power Sunday and still hasn't gotten it back.

Today she was able to bathe herself and her two kids with water they got from the fire department.

Wow. That is roughing it in my book.

I pray that everyone gets electricity back soon!

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2011-08-29T17:24:00.000-04:00

This is how the courtyard outside the area where I get chemo looked at noon today. It's a beautiful setting.

This was taken through the window. Unfortunately we can't go out and play in the courtyard.

Today is Chemo Day again...the weeks fly by

2011-08-29T07:50:00.002-04:00

Gimme a c - C!

Gimme an h -H!

Gimme an e - E!

Gimme an m - M!

Gimme an o - O!

And what does that spell? Exhaustion.

Well at least it's 'chemo light,' as I prefer to call it.

Must be Monday. ;-)

{And my online cancer journal continues..}

Storm damage recap

2011-08-28T19:45:00.003-04:00

We got through the wrath of Irene unscathed, thankfully.
None of the bigger trees in our yard fell.
This old dead tree from a neighbor's yard is now lying at the bottom of the hill in our backyard.

And there it will stay, because it's not in the way.
We have electricity and we don't expect it to go out now. It got really windy here this afternoon after the storm, but that seems to be subsiding.

Sorry to hear about all those people suffering after Irene paid them a visit, including several family members in Connecticut who have no power.
We had luck on our side this time.

A little levity from the e-mail bag

2011-08-27T18:20:00.004-04:00

I'm tired of waiting all day for the arrival of that mean Irene. It's nerve-wracking!

Thought I'd share something I got in my e-mail yesterday, just for giggles.

~ ~ ~

A crusty old man walks into the local Catholic church and says to the secretary, "I would like to join this damn church."

The astonished woman replies, "I beg your pardon, Sir. I must have misunderstood you. What did you say?"
"Listen up, damn it. I said I want to join this damn church!"

"I'm very sorry sir, but that kind of language is not tolerated in this church."

The secretary leaves her desk and goes into the priest's study to
inform him of her situation.

The priest agrees that the secretary does not have to listen to that
foul language..
They both return to her office and the priest asks the old geezer, "Sir, what seems to be the problem here?"

"There is no problem," the man says. "I just won 20 million dollars in the damn lottery and I want to join this damn church to get rid of some of this damn money."

"I see," said the priest. "And is this bitch giving you a hard time?

Getting anxious about Irene

2011-08-26T16:47:00.002-04:00

It appears that our family of four is among the 65 million people on the East Coast about to get hit by Irene.

I never did like crowds. :-(

Waaah!

Ralph just came home with some wine. Both red and white.

He's good at hurricane shopping!

Minor miracle, horticulturally speaking

2011-08-24T08:24:00.002-04:00

Yup, my poinsettia is still with us eight months after Christmas.

This has never happened before.

Time for 'chemo light' again, tra la, tra la

2011-08-22T09:05:00.001-04:00

Actually I joked to a friend last week that going for the treatments is my only break! My days seem to get pretty busy. So it's relaxing to just sit there and veg out.

My mother is there with me, and she goes to the snack bar in another part of the building and gets us a roll or something to snack on, and there is free coffee...

The doctor will even get it for you! How cool is that.

He seems to get miffed if you don't want any!

{And so my online cancer journey journal doth continue. Thanks for reading.}

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ fruity

2011-08-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

It's Saturday morning here, which means it's Shadow Shot Sunday time ...

Now that statement could confuse someone not in the know!

One sunny morning this week I spotted this shadow when I put a colander of blueberries on the table.

You can see lots more shadow shots (much more interesting than this one!) at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog. Check them out!

Building up a tolerance? Could be

2011-08-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was "chemo light" day number 4, and miraculously when I got home I was not ready to go to sleep.
I actually stayed up for two and a half hours and worked before taking a nap.

When I told Ralph he said I must be getting used to it.

Maybe my body is building up a tolerance to it or something.

All I know is eight more treatments to go! Or as the doctor said, I'm one-third of the way there. The weeks are flying by.

~ ~ ~

My online cancer journey journal doth continue...

Thanks for reading!

Surreal is one way of describing the process..

2011-08-14T18:35:00.001-04:00

My friend Linda said in a comment on my blog May 3 that she was wondering how I felt when I went for chemotherapy.
Well, I've had a lot of treatments since then and her question continues to stick in my head.

The first time I was escorted by the doctor into the spacious room (overlooking a beautiful healing garden and waterfall) where they hook you up to an IV I felt like I was part of a new club - the chemo club - that has a membership list a mile long.

It was kinda like when I became a mother for the first time...you are instantly a member of a club that you never leave.

I suppose I'd describe the feeling as surreal - you know of people throughout your life who have gone through various forms of cancer surgeries and treatments, and you only imagine what it must be like.
But when it actually happens, all anyone can do is take it one treatment, one procedure at a time.
I wasn't scared, but rather grateful that I was getting the medical care I need.

I feel fine, just tired. I've had no nausea, and for that I also am incredibly grateful!

Tomorrow morning I return for 'chemo light' number 4.
Thanks for reading my online cancer journal.

To be continued...

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-08-13T10:27:00.002-04:00

I spied this shadow earlier this week while waiting for a friend at a breakfast/lunch spot.

Luckily I had my camera along.

Snap a shadow and join the weekend fun!
You can see lots of shadowy photos at our awesome Aussie friend Tracy's Hey Harriet blog.

A day later than usual

2011-08-09T16:00:00.002-04:00

My usual Monday chemo light appointment got postponed until today.

I just got up from a nap and feel a bit less tired than I did when I got home. I found out what is knocking me out is a dose of Benadryl. It must be a large dose or maybe as one of the nurses said, I'm a cheap drunk.

And I thought it was the chemo light. Silly me.

Dang, it's raining now and we were thinking of going to a free outdoor concert tonight. I figured I have enough energy to sit there and listen.
I guess it will be postponed until tomorrow.

And so my not-too-scintillating online journal of my cancer journey continues...

Ruby Tuesday ~ summer fun

2011-08-08T10:36:00.002-04:00

Today I post a photo of some real rubies, or gems as it were! These are some of the members of the next generation of our extended family.
I'm happy two of them were wearing red, which gave me an excuse to use this for Ruby Tuesday!
Oh, and the flagstones are red, so it's all good.

See lots more photos featuring a little or a lot of red at Mary T's Work of the Poet.

Impromptu x 2

2011-08-05T08:12:00.007-04:00

I had two unplanned get-togethers with friends Wednesday, thus the title of the post.

First off I took a morning walk with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I wrote about it and posted a photo here. I'm cool like that. ;-)

I also snapped the photo below while we walked and talked.

Then Wednesday afternoon Duchess Linda of Norwich Upon Thames Facebook messaged me to see if we could meet her for dinner after she picked up daughter Amanda from the New Haven train station.
We could and we did! It was great to see them again.

All in all Wednesday was a lot of fun. Note to self: Need to do more of that!

Straight out of the camera

2011-08-03T13:09:00.003-04:00

Took a short walk with a friend this morning. We should do that every morning! Anyhow, this is what I saw along the way.
Looks bucolic, doesn't it? Well it isn't! haha

It's located directly under a highway bridge that spans the Housatonic River between Derby and Shelton, Ct.
It's pretty but it's also kinda noisy around there.

What the hail happened?

2011-08-02T09:20:00.002-04:00

Like many of my Facebook friends in this neck of the woods (southern Connecticut) I posted two photos of the hail we got during an early evening storm yesterday on Facebook.

And I thought I'd also post some here, just for the hail of it.
It was a freaky storm and it seemed to last quite a while. It was soooo noisy on the skylight. I was afraid that the hailstones were going to make their way through the skylight. Fortunately they didn't.
Some folks were able to capture rainbow photos, but I didn't see one or else I would have as well.

As you can see Allegra was out there with me taking pix.

It was so nice and cool after the storm. Felt great.

Here's one of the smaller hailstones in Allegra's hand. A lot of them seemed to be the size of quarters.

Guess that's about all I have today. Hope everyone has a good Tuesday ~

OK, it's another Monday morning

2011-08-01T08:39:00.004-04:00

...and time for some more "chemo light." That's what I've decided to call it.

Woo hoo!

Happy August to all my blog friends.

Cake for moi!

2011-07-31T20:32:00.001-04:00

Some things have not been going so great lately (breast cancer diagnosis and money woes come to mind), but in the spirit of taking the bitter with the better - or in this case the bitter with the sweeter - a few things have been going well.

And they're things that money cannot buy.

In the past few years I've been fortunate to have met some wonderful people and to have made several friends.

One of them is Troy, a guy who always makes me smile. Actually he cracks me up.

I just met him in April when Ralph, Allegra, and I attended a viewing party to watch the SyFy channel's "Ghost Hunters" episode that focused on an investigation at the Sterling Opera House in Derby, Ct.
I just happened to be interviewed for that episode, and my interview was on TV. ;-)
You can read about my 15 minutes of fame here.

Once you meet Troy you feel like you've known him for years. He's a friendly chap, that's for sure.

Yesterday he surprised me with a delicious chocolate Bundt cake he baked (see above).

He already told me Bundt cakes were his specialty and he'd bake me one for my birthday, but instead I got the cake yesterday ~ five months early. It was such a cool surprise!

Thanks so much, Troy, you made my weekend!

Almost doesn't "cut" it

2011-07-29T09:19:00.002-04:00

I almost got my head shaved yesterday afternoon...but I got too busy to take the time to go to the salon at the hospital.

The service is free if you're undergoing treatment there. I must take advantage of it.

Next week. Yep. I'll do it next week.

Steroids and 'chemo light' ~ cancer journal continues

2011-07-26T07:39:00.000-04:00

I had my first Taxol treatment/injection yesterday, but not before lots of steroids got pumped into me.
I had to take five tablets the night before then got more steroids through the IV, along with Benadryl to help a possible allergic reaction to prep me for the chemo drug.
They say this drug won't affect me as much as the previous "A and C" cocktail, so I've decided to call it "chemo light." haha

The steroids give me an appetite and today I have that Taxol glow. Pink cheeks. They also seemed to keep me awake last night. Not good. Time for some coffee.
When we were leaving the Griffin Hospital Center for Cancer Care I took a quick photo through a window of the healing garden built into a rock outcropping and situated between the chemotherapy side and the radiation side of the building.

It's a beautiful facility, that's for sure. I'm fortunate to live so close to such a wonderful place.
When it was dedicated in late 2008 I never thought I'd be making use of it.
It just goes to show you never do know what the future holds.

Ignorance is bliss

2011-07-25T08:10:00.006-04:00

I've not been keeping up lately with my online cancer journey journal thingy.
And it's truly counterproductive, since my goal is to compile parts of these blog posts into something more permanent.
The idea is to self-publish a book...I have the title and everything. ;-) Maybe by sprinkling some humor into a book about breast cancer I can help another woman with a similar diagnosis. That would be my hope.

So it's Monday..and I have more chemo coming up this morning. Woo hoo.

I was blissfully ignorant a few weeks ago when everyone who has been caring for me in a medical professional way was saying "it's your last chemo"...turns out what they meant was the last treatment featuring that strong "A and C" cocktail. I thought they meant the last chemo.

That's what I get for not reading all the literature given to me at the start of all this. I found it overwhelming, and decided I'd take one day, one week at a time.

That July 5 treatment really knocked me out for more than a week. All I wanted to do was nap.

(Cue the violins here) And it seems like once I started regaining my energy the HORRIBLE HEAT hit. I don't like the heat at all, because I get so sluggish. And with all this medical stuff I feel even more sluggish.

So, that's it from here. Hope everyone is keeping cool. We can try anyway.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-07-23T12:55:00.007-04:00

A toddler and his juice box on a summer day.

See lots more shadow shots at Hey Harriet, hosted by our awesome Aussie friend Tracy!