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Security Issue

10/31/2014

all -

Something happened with moms computer during an update (we think) and her security settings are blocking her access to the blog. She is going to take her pc in and have it looked at to see if they can get it fixed for her because I cant figure it out (I really dont know as much as she thunks I do!).

So, hang in there. She has lots to tell you and is going into withdrawal not being able to blog to you all!

Have a great weekend!

Jenna

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Hope this makes it to you

10/24/2014

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Is This Thing Fixed Yet?

10/23/2014

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just testing to see if this has been fixed yet.....

it appears to work from my phone. can you all see the text? if someone would let me know I would appreciate it!

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Technical Difficulties Abound

10/21/2014

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OVERWHELMED

10/17/2014

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I am having a lot of trouble with my computer so I am tapping this out on Jenna's. it seems the blog website updated their buttons, and I got locked out! I am so bad at modern technology.

Things have been rather hectic around our house. One of our most beloved people is very ill but I don't want to go into details at this time. It is just so heartbreaking to see this happening.

Personally, I am doing good. The hair update is not so great. I have been taking Roschelle off in the evenings to encourage real hair growth. I have noticed that my poor wigs are really starting to show wear and tear. The one I was wearing yesterday has developed stiff little wings on either side in the back, and I have to keep patting them down. I kinda look like a shabby "Carol Brady" from the the Brady Bunch TV show. I Do wash them regularly, but there is only so much up-time before these things start to get ratty looking.

I am excited about going to the Annual Mini Conference for writers at the Marion Library. Usually these conferences are at Des Moines or Dubuque or somewhere that is too far away for me to be comfortable about driving by myself and no one else is really interested in this kind of thing. There are going to be several authors there and they will be having workshops, that will be interesting.

With all that is going on, Mother Nature is sending us a loving message with all the beauty outside. Take advantage of how great everything looks - soon the scenery will be bleak, and dreary, and probably pretty white!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL

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THIS BLOG HAS HAD ALMOST 27,000 VIEWS IN ELEVEN MONTHS!

10/10/2014

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I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THINGS TO SAY AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO.

                                                                                                            Sean Paul

I just wanted to leave a quick message about the readership of our little blog. Jenna has some kind of way of checking the views (or hits, if you will) on this blog. We never did figure out how to put a counter on this thing, but she can check how many views we've had by looking on her smartphone. ALMOST 27,000!!!!!

Unbelievable. Thanks everybody, for checking in, and up, on us over the last eleven months.

I am finally finding time to do some fun stuff which is reading books and also doing some of my writing.
I just finished reading two books by Maya Angelou - The Heart Of A Woman and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Speaking of my Maya, when I was getting my treatment at Ghosh clinic on Wednesday, Lori and Lynette came over with a basket of new bookmarks and cards with cool sayings. The Gems Of Hope supply them and they do bring a smile to lots of people. Anyhoo, I picked out one with one of Maya's quotes. The card also has a silver ring attached to it, with GRATITUDE engraved on it.

STORMY OR SUNNY DAYS, GLORIOUS OR LONELY NIGHTS, I MAINTAIN AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

I also just finished a book EVERY LAST ONE by Anna Quindlan. Talk about a heartbreaking tearjerker!!!!
If you run across a copy of it, it is really worth reading.

Alec absolutely loves dressing up for Halloween. He's not that much into going Trick-or-Treating but he does love his costumes. This year he wants to be Spiderman. He enjoys squirting that Silly String because he thinks that is how Spiderman shoots his web out. Anyway, Jenna and he were in Kohl's and he spotted the neatest zip-up hooded sweatshirt that has Spidey's big web across the back and neat web designs on the arms,  The hood has a unique zipper that can be zipped to close off the face area, making a Spiderman mask. He has never asked for any piece of clothing, but he saw that and asked for it. Cool!!! There's no way we could have found a better costume for him, since he is pretty much adult sized and getting taller every day.

For years, I would go to that costume shop in downtown C.R. and buy myself a new wig every year. Then I would concoct some outlandish Halloween outfit (which never failed to embarrass the heck out of Lon). Maybe that is where Alec gets his love of dressing up. The ironic part about this is, I have a whole bunch of wigs and I've never thought to wear them now. Sure, they are mostly way too dark colored for me and longer lengths than I would probably ever wear, but, yeah, I may break them out and see how silly I look now. SPOOKY!!!


I found this picture of Alec on Halloween of last year. For some reason, he insisted as going as The Grinch That Stole Christmas. Jenna slaved away and sewed that whole outfit. I think she had to special order that green fantasy fur off the internet!

                                                               GOD BLESS YOU ALL

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I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS CRAP!

10/9/2014

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LET GO OF THE THOUGHTS THAT DON'T MAKE YOU STRONG.

                                                                                       Unknown

       I'm too old for this crap???? I was just sitting here thinking that, when I realized what a stupid thing to say. There is NO appropriate age for cancer. Sometimes when I happened to be feeling down, I would see a commercial for St. Jude's Hospital showing all those little bald kids with lots of tubes hooked up to their little bodies, and then think, now THAT'S NOT FAIR!!

Friend Betty M.'s 94-year old mother was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer!! That's a crappy deal. Bernice is a lovely woman who is unfortunate enough to get slammed with something major like that in the goldenest of her golden years. THAT'S NOT FAIR!!

I have a comment on the last post from a lady named Angela who was just diagnosed in May. Regardless of her age, THAT'S NOT FAIR!!

I went in to the Oncology clinic yesterday for my 8th treatment of Herceptin. Whoo Whoo, only six more to go! When I was talking to my nurse practitioner, Mindy, we were talking about the advancements that have been made in the last ten years or so. We also discussed the fact that a lot of cancer is probably evolving from our environment. (again, I am almost certain that my breast cancer was caused by wearing my cell phone in my bra - SO, PEOPLE, PLEASE DO NOT WEAR YOUR PHONE IN YOUR BRA!).

I remember when I had the initial scan that showed the nasty cancer tumor and the doctor who was doing it, was reading the screen and said, "Yup, it definitely looks like it's cancer." A river of adrenaline ran through my body and my mind actually went blank for a few seconds. I couldn't believe he was saying those words so casually. In the movies, the doctor always has the patient sit across a desk from him in his perfect office, and looks so concerned as he breaks the news. I guess cancer is so prevalent that it nothing for a doctor to talk about it right in front of a person, even before the tumor has been correctly analyzed. Scary.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that ANYONE can get it. Even if you are thinking, "oh, I'm sure I won't ever have to worry about getting cancer.", all I can say is FROM YOUR LIPS TO GOD'S EAR. I sincerely hope you are right. It just worries me about people I care about. I don't want them to get it, either, because no matter who ends up with it . . . IT'S NOT FAIR!!

                                                                  GOD BLESS YOU ALL

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THE AMAZING CANCER WALK

10/7/2014

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The Especially for You Breast Cancer Walk was held on October 5th and was incredible.

A "Survivor's" picture was taken before the 5K walk/race. About 600 of us stood in position that formed a big breast cancer ribbon, and then the photographer stood on a tall scaffold and snapped the photos.
While we were waiting in line for everyone to get situated, a few of the other ladies started asking others "how long?' meaning how long had they been survivors. One was at 5 years, another 6 years, and one was at 11 years. One lady had never had reconstructive surgery and was prepping for that. She (with a State 4 diagnosis) evidentally had very little flesh to work with now and hadn't had expanders put in when the cancer came out! Another lady was listening to us and advised her not to get the kind of reconstruction that required using your own fat and muscle to make the new breasts, because she was still trying to recover from that. I am not saying not to do that kind, because a lot of people have had it. I just know that my plastic surgeon game me the option and just watching the video about it was scary. Owwwee. It just wasn't right for me.

All was very exciting and beautiful. At the Finish line, I told Jill and Delta that I felt like pulling Roschelle the wig off and tossing her in the air just like Mary Tyler Moore did at the beginning of her sit com TV show. They said to go right ahead, and when I finally got enough courage worked up, I did it. I think maybe I scared a few people who were passing by me to finish the race, but since they were all there for someone with cancer, I imagine that they were familiar with baldness. My peeps gathered around and looked a little stunned at how different I looked since I have worn a hair helmet for about 7 months. My dear Holly who is a hairdresser, said the short Pixie cuts are all the fad right now. How sweet for her to say that.

It kinda feels like has been a graduation of sorts. Most everything is behind me and now I will finish up the rest of treatment and go about my normal life again. (Normal???? did I say that outloud?)

GOD BLESS YOU ALL

My Peeps Alec, Jenna, Zonna, me, Nina, Lon, Sara, Addy, Kayla, Holly, Kersten, with Delta and Jill in front.

Alec, Abby, Cate, Lon, and Zonna with me

Finished! (sorry about the baggy jeans and the four layers of clothing, but it was cold!)

A beautiful bracelet from Delta and another pic of our "official" club membership button.

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Sun, Oct 05, 2014

10/5/2014

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I AM HALF NAKED!

10/3/2014

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VANITY - THY NAME IS WOMAN.

I'll bet the title of today's post got your attention. I may not actually be half naked (ohhh - - - that paints an ugly picture) but I certainly feel like it.

Wednesday night Lon and I went out of town to Bettendorf. Thursday morning, we went down for breakfast at the hotel, AND I DIDN'T WEAR ROSCHELLE (my wig, in case you have forgotten her name). OMG, was that an experience! Lon said I looked fine and to keep it off, but it truly felt like I was half naked. I have had "head coverage" for the last seven months so it does feel like something really important is missing when I don't have my hair helmet on!

Anyhoo,  nobody appeared to look at me any stranger than when they do when I am wearing a wig. I admit that sometimes Roschelle gets a little windblown and has sprigs of artificial hair sticking out in ten different directions and I am unaware of it, 'cause you can't really feel your hair out of place like you can when it is real hair growing out of your head. At times like that, I realize that people will glance at me and then do a double-take, and then they seem to realize that it is fake hair. Whatever. Going without something that conceals the lack of locks is a whole new experience. It's not as though I am shiny bald-headed. The thick silvery-white cap of hair I have going is better than a lot of women get at this point. I should be very grateful, but I realize how much this cancer thingy has aged me with new fine lines and wrinkles on my face, and the short short hairdo that I am wearing.

Jenna picked up the Cancer Walk t-shirts and the goodie bags after work last night. Unfortunately, my Little Ma will be unable to go with us on Sunday.  The plan was to push her in her wheelchair along the walk route, but it is going to be too chilly for her to be out and about at that time of the morning, and the last thing we want is for her to get sick!!!   Dan called me last night and he and his fiancé will not be coming either. He has to work out of state, and won't be back in time to get here. Tammy has had bronchitis for the last week or so, and is not feeling up to doing much of anything. The sis-in-laws are all coming and some wonderful nieces and great nieces, as well. All three of my sisters are too far away to be able to come, or health reasons restrict them from participating, but they will be there in spirit.

NOTE: I had to look up the spelling for bronchitis, and when flipping through the dictionary, I spotted the words "bitch goddess" which is a noun, and means SUCCESS - material or worldly success. It just kinda struck me as funny and I thought I would share it with you. So if someone every calls you a Bitch Goddess, I guess it means you are successful at something - maybe being a bitch????

I got the cutest card from sister Karen and Ray-Ray, with a gift card for the Outback! She was thanking me for the stuff that I took care of when Dad was needing a care center and such. What a thoughtful thing to do, Karen, but you must realize that it was a GROUP EFFORT with everyone helping get Dad through what he had to get through. I remember you saying that if there was anything we needed, you would jump in the car and get yourself here to take care of business.  Everyone did their part. So when you thank me, know that I feel the same way about you and the rest of the kids.

NOTE: It seems amazing that it has only been a little over five months since Dad passed, but so many things have gone on.

                             GOD BLESS YOU ALL (AND GOD BLESS YOU DAD AND MOM)

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