Speaking of kitty cats

Sylvester strikes a pose for the camera. 

I met a furry guy yesterday. His name is Sylvester and he is really good at purring. And not afraid of strangers trying to pet him! He's quite the sweet little fella.

A friend I've met through my work contacted me about Sylvester. He is a stray that she has been taking care of for about eight months. He had been dumped in the woods near her house on a dead-end street, and shot at -- and now he is ill.

I went to see the two of them yesterday, took photos of the kitty and wrote a story for the paper.


Please take a minute and read it, if you would. It will make you both sad and happy.

Thanks!

It's a jungle out there, Linus

 

... and that's why we keep you inside with us.

A smile for a Monday

I thought this was cute and shared it on Facebook a while back but I don't think many of my friends saw it.

Poor Kermit.

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ sunny glow on Linus

The setting sun gave a lovely warm glow to our feline friend, Linus, and I had to take a photo or two of the shadows.
See lots more shadowy photos at Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

~ Happy day ~

 * Hearts and flowers * for Valentine's Day? 

No, something better at this point in my life... strong bones and some unexpected cash

My bone density test results came back normal! 

 

And I'm happy to report I received a check from a 5K Walk/Run fund to offset medical expenses. 

It's the same fund for which I raised money last fall. 

I participated in the walk and was proud to complete the 3.1 miles, even though I was still having chemotherapy during that time. 

I raised $$ through pledges (thank you again to those who supported me!) and what I received from the fund is almost the exact same amount I had raised.

Woo hoo. Sometimes things go well!

{This is another in a series about my breast cancer journey.}

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 ~ summertime shadow

I didn't take any shadow shots this past week, so this morning I dug into our photo archives and found a shadowy summer picture to post.

I snapped this photo of the Second Congregational Church in Derby, Ct. while standing on the Green as we waited for an outdoor summer concert to begin. It is one of three stately old churches situated around the historic Green that date back to the 19th century.

Join the fun ~ visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2 to see lots more shadowy pix!

Ignorance is bliss

Remind me to not read any more online forums that focus on breast cancer or on the tiny pill I have started to take.

I read some comments from women who have been taking the prescription med and have had a variety of side effects. Notice I'm not mentioning the name of the pill. 

But I've told myself it is only those who have had ill effects from a medication who would take the time to write about their experiences on a forum...right?

For the majority of breast cancer survivors it works just fine, right? At least that is what I choose to believe. I'm happy to report that as of this week I'm a one-year survivor.

I was eligible to get the medication for free from the manufacturer. Thank goodness! I don't know what I would have done, since I don't have any prescription drug coverage with my health insurance. To say it is pricey is an understatement.      

I did have some joint pain earlier, but it went away. Bone pain is one of the side effects I read about, and the doctor did tell me it could happen. But he also said since I went through chemo (with no horrible side effects) I should have no problem with this. 

It has been seven days and so far, so good.

{This is another in a series of my online breast cancer journal entries. Thanks for reading}

Ruby Tuesday ~ school days

 

I drove our son back to school yesterday afternoon. He is a computer science major at the University of Hartford (Ct.).

I snapped this through the passenger window while I was waiting at the light. Not too exciting, but at least it's red! And that means I can use it for a Ruby Tuesday post. 

See lots more photos featuring a little or a lot of red at Ruby Tuesday 2.

Shadow Shot Sunday 2 ~ rosy rose'

I just had to take a photo for Shadow Shot Sunday 2 when I saw the sunlight filtering through this bottle of wine yesterday...it reminded me of the photos of colored-glass reflections made famous by Sylvia K. Her trademark photos have inspired me and I thank her!

In the bottom photo you can see some of my reflection in the bottle.

See lots more shadowy photos from around the globe at Shadow Shot Sunday 2.

Life is short; seize the day

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

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 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?

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...

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

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

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!

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 ha merry christmas! smiles, bee xoxoxoxoxoxoox

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

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Comeback time

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 ;-)

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ BLTN

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

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

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 ...

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

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

"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...

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

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

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!