Five on Friday

I couldn't come up with ten things to write about on Tuesday, so I thought I'd do five on Friday instead.

1.  I've been busy getting ready for Easter.  Though we won't have the whole family here this year, all of my kids and grand kids will be here so I'm still decorating, and I'm doing the baskets and eggs for the hunt for the family brunch.

2.  I've been getting out a bit here and there.  I get tired much more easily, but the weather is gorgeous and I have to get out of the house.  I went grocery shopping last Thursday, my first time out, and it was hard.  About half way through Dierbergs I felt like my insides were falling out.  This morning, after a doctor's appointment, I went to Sam's and it was a little better.  I did come home and take a two-hour nap, but it was good to get out.

3.  I went to my pulmonologist this morning for my yearly appointment, and my breathing has improved.  My lung capacity went from 54% last year to 62% this year.  The doctor said it's probably because I lost 40 lbs. in the past year and it's like I'm not carrying that weight around any more.  I guess there is an upside to my ovarian cancer.  Not the best way to lose weight, however.

4.  I bought my plane ticket for Boston this week.  I'm going for Jack's First Communion from Thursday, May 1 through Monday, May 5.  My son John is also going, with his ten-month old baby, Julia.  I think Patrick will come from New York, so it will be a small family get together.  I think my sister Susie will come to the party; she lives in Marblehead, about an hour north of Boston.

5. Wayne has been busy working in the yard--getting it ready for spring.  He repaired some boards on the deck and stained it and has been busy cleaning out the flower beds.  Our tulips are about half way up in front of the new porch,  We're still trying to decide what to plant after the tulips are done.  I want hydrangeas and Wayne wants azaleas.  When he's not busy working outside we've been watching Doc Martin.  We got through the first five seasons earlier this week, and ordered season six from Amazon.  It came yesterday and we were thrilled  It was kind of funny last week when we were trying to watch an episode.  It was raining and storming outside, and all of the sudden all of our smoke alarms went off.  When they put the addition on they put in nine alarms and they were all hard-wired, which means when one goes off they all go off.  We couldn't get them to stop, so we called our contractor and figured out that the one in the front hall had water in it from the storm.  There was a place in the new roof that was not sealed tightly enough and the water blew in and started the alarm, which started all of them.  John, our contractor, came the next day and fixed the leak.  He's' the nicest guy--I highly recommend him to anyone needing work done on their house.

Stephanie's Skirt

When I went to visit John and Chellie in November, I brought Stephanie her first skirt.  As you can see in these pictures, she was determined to put it on by herself. 

She finally let me help her get dressed,

So we could all go out to eat...

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Just got back from the doctor and got my staples out. It hurt a little because my skin was growing around them already. He said everything looks great. The cancer was "clear cell cancer stage 1A." He said that is the most aggressive kind of ovarian cancer and I was really lucky to catch it so early.  I can do steps now and drive, but not lifting or tub baths for six more weeks.  That means I won't get to pick up baby Julia at Easter.

2.  Wayne and I have been watching a PBS series, Doc Martin, and really enjoying it.  My sisters had told me about it and Patty lent us her DVD's of the first five seasons  It seems like every winter we devour a series in a week or two, i.e. Homeland, Sopranos...

3.  My youngest sister, Libby, will host our family Easter brunch this year.  I think this is the second time since we lived in this house that we have not had it.  I really love doing it, but I might be pushing it a bit.  Lib has a nice big yard that will be great for the Easter egg hunt.

4.  All of my children will be here for Easter this year.  I can hardly wait to see everyone!  I don't think Patrick has been home for Easter since he moved to NY six years ago.

5.  I bought Easter dresses for the two baby girls on Zulily and they came yesterday.  They are darling--light blue bishops with white bunnies smocked around the neck.  They are on Zulily again today if you want to see them.

6.  I did our taxes this past weekend, and we are actually getting money back.  I was really worried because I took a chunk of my retirement and invested it, and when I got my W4 from Meramec it gave the amount as untaxed income.  Fortunately, it was rolled over into an IRA so I don't have to pay taxes on it.

7.  Since we don't have to pay taxes, Wayne and I are going to Michigan in July.  Four or five of my sisters go every year, the third week in July, and this year we are going too.  I just put money down on a one-bedroom condo in downtown Saugatack.

8.  I'm looking at plane tickets to go to Boston the first weekend of May for Jack's First Communion.  Kate says Jack doesn't really even care about it, but I went to Corinne's and would really like to go to Jack's as well.  I don't have many Catholic grand children.

9.  Nine more weeks and we'll be in Gulf Shores.  I'm trying to not go overboard buying outfits for the grands.  So far I've just bought one set of swim suits and one set of dresses (coordinating outfits for the little boys).  Katie, my oldest grand daughter, refuses to dress like her siblings and cousins anymore, and I think the next three will soon be refusing as well.  I still have the little ones, though.

10.  Spring has sprung!  It seemed like it was never going to come this year.  Wayne is outside replacing boards on the deck and fertilizing the yard.  The daffodils are coming up and the grass is turning green.  Today is April Fool's, but I can't think of any jokes

Wordless Wednesday

All's Well that Ends Well

I finished off my last post after our trip to Cincinnati and mentioned the rest of the month was not so good.  I had gone to my primary care doctor the middle of January and since I had lost so much weight and was having some stomach problems, and he ordered a bunch of tests and had me make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.  Meanwhile I had an appointment with my gyn. for my yearly appointment.  When I went to her she ended up leaving for a delivery and so I made an appointment for a few weeks later.  

Then I went to the gastroent. and he ordered a colonoscopy and endoscopy.  I went back to my gyn. on the 13th, and right away she felt a large tumor in my pelvis.  I went and had an ultrasound the next day and they found a mass the size of a five-month fetus.  She told me I could be relieved I did not have to have another colonoscopy and endoscopy.  She recommended an oncologist, but it took me two weeks to get in to see him.  He scheduled surgery for St. Patrick's day, so I had to wait a couple of more weeks.  I had the surgery last Monday, and they removed a tumor the size of a football and did a complete hysterectomy.  He did not see any malignant cells outside the tumor, but he took some lymph nodes and tissue to test, because the tumor itself had cancer cells inside it.  I was glad to have the tumor removed but still pretty worried whether the cancer had spread.  As I was being discharged Friday, the doctors came in and told me they had gotten the lab reports back and there was no sign of spread.  Now I can plan the rest of my life.

Where am I Going, Where Have I Been?

It's been over a month since I posted.  February started out great, but ended not so great.  We went to Cincinnati on the seventh for Stephanie's second birthday party and Julia's christening.  We had the car packed full; I found a little kitchen for Stephanie that really was not as little as I thought it would be. Wayne had to take it apart to fit it in the Jeep, then reassemble it when we got there.

We were about an hour out of St. Louis when I realized I had forgotten the christening gown.  I had made it for Stephanie but it had a stain on it so I took it home to get the stain out.  So there we were, in Illinois and the traffic going in to St. Louis was backed up at least ten miles--there was a truck on fire in downtown St. Louis.  Needless to say, Wayne was not turning back.  I called our neighbor, who had a key to our house because her daughter was watching the dog, and left a message asking her to unlock the house and I would get a hold of Amy and ask her to overnight the dress to Cincinnati.  I had also made a dress for Stephanie that was with the christening gown.  She called back and said she was not busy and she would send it.  It got there Sat. afternoon; what a relief.

So the weekend went well.  John and Chellie had not gotten married in the church, so their priest said they would have to have their marriage blessed before he could baptize Julia.  So they got married at noon, and afterwards we went to their friends Polly and Bill's for Stephanie's party.  On Sunday we went to a nice restaurant for brunch, and had the christening at 1:30.  It was really a fun weekend; Kate and her two came in from Boston because she was the godmother, so it was fun seeing them again, too.

 

The rest of February to follow in the next post.