Oops; Frank is sick!

The picture on the blog today is Jo Ann and I in the porch swing when we went to the museum in Conroe today. It was a fun trip. We were going to Montgomery, a little old fashioned town out here close to us but Frank got sick, so we came home. Bless his heart; he has stomach and intestine troubles, so we’re treading carefully. We got him some chicken noodle soup and he has kept it down, and rested all day. The rest of us played cards and Boggle.

Don and I went to the pool and it was CLOSED! We couldn’t believe it! However, there is a second pool and it was open so we went there. There were a few people there, but we got plenty of enjoyment, anyway.

Don and I get up early every morning and walk. He walks about 20 - 30 minutes with me and then I get my stick and walk the rest of the hour by myself. It’s really hot here and he wants to be reasonable about it. Me? Be reasonable? Not about the walking! I thank God for every step I can take by myself. I really do enjoy it. It’s hot, but somehow it feels like a gift to me. I love being limber enough to do it.

There is a precious lady in our town who lives on the end of our street. She walks every day and she has always reminded me of my mom, because my mom always walked and they are about the same size and have simlar hair. When I walk, I think of my mom and this sweet lady, Gertie Dugan. I’m so pleased to be in a walking ‘club’ with these two great women. I thank God for their examples in my life and for giving me the ability to walk. I’m so grateful to be able to walk here!

A great, relaxing day!

The picture on the blog tonight is the best picture I got of Colter on Sunday. He is a boy on the move! I barely got him in this picture. He banged his head against the coffee table and I got several pictures of him with a goose egg on his forehead This was the best smile, though, so I had to put it on the blog. I was such a goof ball I didn’t take pictures at the restaurant when Luke was there! Ugh! I got my hug and kiss, just no picture. Thankfully, we’re coming every 3 months, so I’ll get him next time!

Today we relaxed. Don and I had the best time at the pool. There was nobody there but us! I swam laps and it felt so good on my arms! It felt good all over! It was so nice to have the pool to ourselves; it’s hard to swim laps when there are people to avoid. I’m looking forward to pool excursions tomorrow and Friday.

We’ve played cards, but the guys are beating us to death. Jo Ann and I love to play; we hardly know the joy of winning, so it’s a good thing we just like to play. The guys have no mercy. We are enjoying eating the fresh vegetables that Kristy sent! We’ve had fresh tomatoes galore and tonight we had fried squash, peppers, and onions with tomatoes. The guys ate burgers, but Jo Ann and I fully enjoyed the veggies!

I sure thank God for my good report yesterday and the opportunity to enjoy this time with friends as well as see family and other friends while we are here. We are richly blessed.

Report is awesome!

This is the picture Don made of Judy and I today. She wanted to be sure her new watch with two time zones on it got into the picture. I wanted to be sure my swollen arm got into the picture. See; it’s not very swollen!

That was the only ‘bad’ report I got today: that I have a mild case of lymphedema. Lymphedema is swelling that comes from the lymph nodes being taken out and the lymph doesn’t travel through the arm like it should, so it swells. I’ll go to a therapist when I get home and get some therapy and a sleeve that is designed to compress the arm and help with the swelling. It is so minor that I hadn’t even noticed it. They want me to get it corrected so that it doesn’t get worse. If it gets worse it can be very painful. I feel so blessed that it’s so minor that I didn’t even notice it. In fact I didn’t believe it was swollen until my radiologist showed me how to tell. My left arm feels like it should, but when I feel of my right arm, the skin feels thick. That’s because the skin on my left arm and the tissue under it are stuck together with the tightness caused from the swelling.

EVERYTHING else was great. I had a couple of spots that concerned me but they said they were caused by the radiation. I had a hard spot that I suspected was a seroma that was hardened by the radiation, because I had one that I knew was that and it looked the same. (A seroma is a pocket of drainage after surgery; I had one that we knew was there and the radiation made it turn hard.) I hadn’t seen it before the radiation and hadn’t noticed it since until a couple of weeks ago. They did an ultrasound of my whole chest area to be sure that was a seroma and it was. While they were there they also included my neck and collar bone because it could have easily spread to those nodes since the nodes under my arm were positive. All the nodes in my neck and collar bone were CLEAR! So, it was all very good.

The radiologist doesn’t need to see me for 6 months. The Oncologist will see me in 3 months; that’s normal for cases like mine. They were pleased with my tolerance to Arimidex and my energy level. THANK YOU, GOD!

It was wonderful to see Judy! After all my appointments we were able to find Ann and Jim Nelson. We were in such a hurry that I forgot to get pictures of us with them, though! We hoped to get out of the hospital and beat some of the traffic, but I don’t think that worked! Bless her heart, she is starting a new trial program today and she was waiting on an available bed. They looked absolutely great, though! It was wonderful to see them.

Raynie saw her doctor today for her post surgery visit and he said she is all healed and can eat anything she wants! She doesn’t have to see him again for 9 months! THANK YOU, GOD! Wow, are we blessed!

Mary, me, and the rainbow tree.

The picture today is me with Steve’s wife, Mary at their rainbow tree. Love these memories!

Today has been a fun day; we didn’t do a single important thing, but we had lots of fun. I think THAT’S pretty important Don and I got up early and walked. When we got home Jo Ann had the sausage made and the biscuits ready to go into the oven. I made gravy and we had those wonderful home grown tomatoes that Kristy (their daughter) sent. Yum; what a breakfast. We called it brunch and had hamburgers around 4:30 for dinner. The guys just had a bowl of ice cream, so we’re all content. I save this to the computer, then I’ll go to MacDonald’s and post it while they watch Closer on TV.

We talked to David last night and were horrified to learn that our friend, Dorothy, fell yesterday and broke her wrist! God love her! I talked to her today and she sounds great. Bless her heart. I guess this will give her a little more time to recover from the back surgery! I thank God she didn’t break a hip or injure her back, and it was her left wrist, so she can still comb her hair and feed herself, etc. I also thank God that her attitude is wonderful!

We’ve played 4 games of hand and foot canasta and the guys have won 3 of them. I may start rationing the gravy if they don’t let up on us. Actually, we’re having fun even when we lose. We also went to an outlet mall today and Jo Ann got a really good deal on some Naturalizer shoes for school. Then we went to the 99 cent store and I got a stash of sugar free cookies, so we came home happy.

Tomorrow is my day of appointments. We’ll leave here at 6:30, so it’s an early day for us. My friend, Judy, who lives here is meeting us for my appointment with the oncologist in the morning. Then we hope we can meet Ann and Jim Nelson for lunch. Ann has appointments at MDA tomorrow, too

Meet Steve Davis and the rainbow tree.

The picture on the blog today is Steve Davis and I when we stopped to see them last Tuesday the night before Raynie’s surgery. Steve and his wife, Mary, are great friends of ours. We love to travel with them and Steve and I were born on the same day, so we like to celebrate our birthdays whenever we can make an opportunity. This picture is taken by Steve’s rainbow tree. It’s a tree that died in their yard, but he painted it with rainbow colors to keep it and enjoy it.

Thanks to Trish there was a post last night. I had remarks to put with the picture, but I couldn’t get online. She’s a dear to post for me. You know she only has 6 kids and one just out of surgery, but she still has to take care of her mom!

Uh oh. I just realized that I’ve hit a key that changes my computer so that I can’t add something without erasing whatever is there. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense, but I can’t think of the right terms to express it. I don’t have any instructions with me, so I’m going to cut this short. Besides, we’ve got cards to play!

I will tell you we had a wonderful time this morning. We went in to church where we went the whole time we stayed here. Of course Doris and Jerry and the kids were all there and lots of friends we made while here. Then we went out to eat and that was wonderful. After lunch we went over to Doris and Jerry’s for a visit. Way fun times! The boys are SO cute and precious! I thank God for them and the time to spend with them!

Tom Selleck? No, it's Jeff.

Hi guys! It's me, Tricia. Mom and dad made it fine to Houston but are having internet connection issues. So, I am posting this pic of Jeff that mom promised last night. Mom should be back online tomorrow. Happy Saturday!

Tricia

Meet the Beauties' mommy!

This picture is Jeanette, our daughter-in-law and the mother of the beautiful ladies you saw on the blog last night. She’s visiting with Don at the Cracker Barrel. Tomorrow I’ll put on Jeff’s picture. Wait until you see him!

Today was like a gift. We were really ready to go, so I washed our clothes from OKC and re-packed. I’ve had a rib out and causing my back to hurt, so I went to see my wonderful chiropractor and he fixed it. It slipped back out sometime this afternoon, though. UGH. At least I know that it’s the rib and not a metastasis to the bones! It’s not a terrible pain and I’ve had it lots before, so it’s okay. I’m going to go hang on the inversion table in the basement and see if I can get it to go back right before I go to bed.

I’ve fixed some things around here today, since I had an extra day. I love to be able to do that. I didn’t have food in the house for meals since we didn’t mean to be here, so we went out to eat all day. That was fun, too. Dorothy and David joined us for supper, so we loved that.

I thank God for this day of rest and thank Him for the safe trip He will give us tomorrow. Frank and Jo Ann are going to be here at 6:45 to load the car, so we can leave at 7. They are always early, so we’ll get off early, no doubt. I love having predictable friends. Unpredictable friends are wonderful, too. We’re going to have a fun week this week. Canasta, canasta, canasta! Ha!

We’ll see Doris and Jerry and their family at church. We can hardly wait to see them. The little guys are both walking; I sure hope they remember us. I thank God for the support they’ve been to us through this. What joy!

Stever Davis and the rainbow tree.

The picture on the blog today is Steve Davis and I when we stopped to see them last Tuesday the night before Raynie’s surgery. Steve and his wife, Mary, are great friends of ours. We love to travel with them and Steve and I were born on the same day, so we like to celebrate our birthdays whenever we can make an opportunity. This picture is taken by Steve’s rainbow tree. It’s a tree that died in their yard, but he painted it with rainbow colors to keep it and enjoy it.

Thanks to Trish there was a post last night. I had remarks to put with the picture, but I couldn’t get online. She’s a dear to post for me. You know she only has 6 kids and one just out of surgery, but she still has to take care of her mom!

Uh oh. I just realized that I’ve hit a key that changes my computer so that I can’t add something without erasing whatever is there. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense, but I can’t think of the right terms to express it. I don’t have any instructions with me, so I’m going to cut this short. Besides, we’ve got cards to play!

I will tell you we had a wonderful time this morning. We went in to church where we went the whole time we stayed here. Of course Doris and Jerry and the kids were all there and lots of friends we made while here. Then we went out to eat and that was wonderful. After lunch we went over to Doris and Jerry’s for a visit. Way fun times! The boys are SO cute and precious! I thank God for them and the time to spend with them!

Mary, Mary Jo, and the rainbow tree.

The picture today is me with Steve’s wife, Mary at their rainbow tree. Love these memories!

Today has been a fun day; we didn’t do a single important thing, but we had lots of fun. I think THAT’S pretty important Don and I got up early and walked. When we got home Jo Ann had the sausage made and the biscuits ready to go into the oven. I made gravy and we had those wonderful home grown tomatoes that Kristy (their daughter) sent. Yum; what a breakfast. We called it brunch and had hamburgers around 4:30 for dinner. The guys just had a bowl of ice cream, so we’re all content. I save this to the computer, then I’ll go to MacDonald’s and post it while they watch Closer on TV.

We talked to David last night and were horrified to learn that our friend, Dorothy, fell yesterday and broke her wrist! God love her! I talked to her today and she sounds great. Bless her heart. I guess this will give her a little more time to recover from the back surgery! I thank God she didn’t break a hip or injure her back, and it was her left wrist, so she can still comb her hair and feed herself, etc. I also thank God that her attitude is wonderful!

We’ve played 4 games of hand and foot canasta and the guys have won 3 of them. I may start rationing the gravy if they don’t let up on us. Actually, we’re having fun even when we lose. We also went to an outlet mall today and Jo Ann got a really good deal on some Naturalizer shoes for school. Then we went to the 99 cent store and I got a stash of sugar free cookies, so we came home happy.

Tomorrow is my day of appointments. We’ll leave here at 6:30, so it’s an early day for us. My friend, Judy, who lives here is meeting us for my appointment with the oncologist in the morning. Then we hope we can meet Ann and Jim Nelson for lunch. Ann has appointments at MDA tomorrow, too

Raynie is home! Janelle and Jessie are beautiful!

This is a surprise picture tonight! This is Janelle and Jessie, our two granddaughters from Las Vegas. They will be 18 and 16 on their birthday in October. They were in Oklahoma today to tour Oklahoma State University, where their mom and dad both graduated and where they hope the girls will want to go. We weren’t too sure of their scheduling and how it was going to work with Raynie’s surgery, but it worked out GREAT! We got to go have dinner with them at the Cracker Barrel about 20 minutes after Raynie got to COME HOME! It was great to see the girls as well as their mom and dad and their cousin who was with them. After dinner with them we came on home to spend two nights in our own bed before we leave for Houston. We had the car packed for Houston in case we had to stay and leave from OKC, but Trish and Rob seemed to have a really good handle on things with Raynie.

Today was a wonderful day for us, though stressful. We didn’t go to the hospital at all. We had Grace and Mason with us, so just before lunch we went and picked up the big kids, went to lunch, and then took them home for the afternoon. We kind of felt like we were hanging onto threads all afternoon wondering if Raynie would get to come home or not. Finally Rob came home to get some things he needed at the hospital and then he went back, so we had accepted the idea that they would keep Raynie another night. Then Trish called to tell me the doctor had just come in and said they could take Raynie home, but Rob had already left! When she called Rob he was on the elevator headed back up to their room in the hospital! Anyway, we were all thrilled! The kids had been busy all day reacquainting themselves with home and I had been burning off energy cleaning the stove and microwave. (I wonder if all mothers do that?) We played cards; that’s always a treat for me! It was really a good day, and culminated with Raynie coming home! In the meantime Jeff had called saying they’d be in town around 6, so the timing was working great.

Raynie was doing so great when she got home. She keeps her mouth closed except to eat ice and they give her that pretty much constantly. She was so glad to see all the kids and wanted to hug everyone. It was so sweet! The thing we all dreaded the most was the restraints on her arms, but they said she didn’t have to have them after all!!! She hasn’t displayed any desire to put anything in her mouth or bother it at all, so they said she didn’t have to be restrained. Of course they will be watching her closely to see that she doesn’t bother it. She can get down and walk around all she wants. We’re thrilled with that. We are so full of thanks tonight! We thank God for Raynie’s successful surgery and her getting to come home with no restraints; we thank God for Jeff and his family and their safe trip and our getting to see them; we thank God for our safe trip and for the opportunity to come home for a couple of nights; we thank Him for the opportunity to spend this time with Trish and her family during this time. It’s actually 12:30 a.m. and Don is already in bed, but we feel warm and fuzzy (blessed) after this day. I talked to Gretta today and she is in Chicago for a Turner Syndrome convention. (Her Elena has Turner Syndrome.) She is doing very well and we thank God for that!

Raynie is fine.

Here is Raynie and Trish today after Raynie’s surgery. Whew! What a day! Trish has some really cute pictures of Raynie BEFORE the surgery, but I don’t have them on my computer. She’s doing really well. It was not so simple this morning, though. They came out and told us the surgery was done and Trish and Rob went in to see her in recovery. When they got back there, she had started bleeding again and they couldn’t stop it, so they had to take her back into surgery and redo a portion. It’s more complicated than that, but we were pretty shook about it. They took her in for another 45 minutes. When she came out that time, she did real fine. She whines a little sometimes when she swallows, but mostly she sleeps. Someone holds her all the time, so we’re all liking that part. The freaky part was when she kept having to be in surgery.

I kind of melted down. I did fine until I had to call Gretta to tell her. I knew I had to call her because she was expecting us to call when the surgery was over. If I didn’t call her she’d think something was wrong worse than it was. When I called I got her voice mail and talking to that was hard. I broke down and cried and then I felt terrible to be leaving an awful message like that. It’s not very convincing to tell her everything is fine when I’m crying! I told Don he’d have to call her the next time and he said that would scare her worse; she’d think if he called it must really be bad news. I really felt so terrible because Raynie was really fine; she just had a little complication but I was falling apart! If I’d been there with Gretta when she LOST her son I would have been totally worthless and even a liability to them. I felt like I really let her down. Of course she was an angel and called me back and told me not to even frett about it. I think I just needed a melt down. I think I lumped in all the stresses of the last couple of years and crashed today. No doubt it was good for me. It only happened when I called Gretta, so I wasn’t too bad for Trish and Rob. They held up beautifully.

All the kids went to a friend’s home who have 5 children around the ages of all Trisha’s kids. They loved being there. We picked up Grace and Mason and brought them with us to spend the night at the hotel with us. They loved swimming in the pool and eating at the Sonic. The big kids will spend the night at that same friend’s house and we’ll pick them up in the morning before lunch. Then we’ll go spend the afternoon at their house and play cards all afternoon. Hopefully Trish and Rob will be able to bring Raynie home tomorrow afternoon. They’re spending the night in the hospital with her.

There are hard times, but I find comfort in knowing that God is in control through all the bad times as well as the good times, and He gives us the support we need to make it through the tough times. We’re so sad to have lost Gretta’s baby Leo and I don’t have any sweet answers for that loss; all I know is that Leo is with God and he won’t have any struggles. I thank God for the memories we treasure of our hopes and dreams for him. I thank Him for the recovery that Gretta and Joe are making. I thank Him for taking care of Raynie today and for the recovery that she will have over the next few weeks. I thank Him for all our kids and their abilities as wonderful parents. I thank Him for the recovery I’ve had and ask Him to continue to watch over us over the rest of our lives. I thank Him for our safe travels and ask Him to continue to keep us safe as we travel to Houston. Thank you for sharing my prayers.

Ready for tomorrow.

This is a picture of Mason and Raynie when we were in Pigeon Forge. It's what I could come up with quickly. This is the first time I've been able to get online at this hotel, so I've got to put something on very quickly. Okay, I couldn't get the paragraphs to space right and indentions wouldn't work, so I made the middle paragraph bold and in italics. That'll work for tonight. Thanks for your patience!

Trish and crew are all ready for Raynie's surgery in the morning. Don and I are going to bed right quick so we can get up at 4:45 in the morning to be ready to meet them and go to the hospital with Raynie at 6. We had a wonderful dinner tonight over a visit with great friends, Steve and Mary. Steve and I share our birthday, so we have to get together and celebrate from time to time. It's not our birthday, but we're a few years behind on celebrating. We love to travel with them, and needed to make some dreams for new travel sometime in the future. We thank God for great friends like them. I just called this afternoon and said, "Is there a prayer we could get together for dinner tonight?" Bingo! It worked and we're refreshed!

I'd better get this online before I get bumped. I hope I can get back on for the report tomorrow night. I'll keep on until I do. Thank God for the ability to communicate! I get frustrated with the technical side of this thing, but when I stand back and look at the big picture I know it is a real blessing. I'm so grateful for the ability to use it, too. God is GREAT!

Feel like dancing.

The picture on the blog is me acting silly tonight. We’re ready to go as much as we can be. I feel like dancing, but I don’t know how. I feel really good and I have a red rose; now I just need music, some know-how and a partner. Actually, I probably ought to have good knees, so I’d better rule out the dancing! My knees let me walk, but I think dancing would be out of the question! The rose is one I have around for fun; it’s not real.

Tomorrow I’ll get up and walk by myself. Don wants to sleep late if he can. He didn’t sleep well last night, so he needs to catch up if he can. When I get home I’ll load the car before I get cleaned up because it’s HOT in the garage! After I get cleaned up there is a birthday luncheon next door for our neighbor across the street, Hazel. After that is over we’re leaving for Oklahoma City.

Today I spent getting everything packed and ready to go for the next two weeks. We might go straight from OKC to Houston. We’re taking everything so we can if we need to go from there. It will depend on how Raynie does. I’ll take the laptop and keep you posted about her and our plans.

I will be so glad to get this appointment done in Houston. I really feel so good, but I don’t know what is an indicator of problems. They told me to watch for anything different. Lot’s of ‘different’ things appear when I’m really looking! I’ll be glad to have them tell me that this or that is okay or that we need to attack it. I thank God for the good treatments I’ve had and a husband who supports me staying with MD Anderson. It’s a long drive down there, but I feel that they know what they are doing. My cancer was not an early stage, nor a simple one, so I feel that it needs the experts. If you are wondering I had two types of cancer, both invasive. One was ductal and the other was lobular. That’s not pretty and the fact that it had spread to my lymph nodes complicated it. The fact that it was large made it messy, too. It was stage 3b. None of that is to be taken lightly, so we treated it aggressively and will watch it closely. Remember, they got all they saw with the surgery and radiated aggressively after that, plus I’m taking Arimidex to help prevent it from recurring. I feel good about my future, but I’d be lying if I implied that I’m not concerned. I think I will be concerned if I live to be 100. I am so glad that God is my father and I trust His care and timing. I appreciate the care He has provided, and the love and support He has provided. You, who are reading this are part of that love and support. Thank you!

Restful Sunday.

The picture on the blog tonight is sweet Leesie. Her name is Elise, but we call her Leesie; I don’t know how they spell it, but I spelled it like it sounds. She was such a gracious doll when we were there last month. She was kind and patient and quite the peacemaker. When Sadie got there, I never heard so much giggling! They had a blast; especially when the guys soaked them in the water fight! (The guys were soaked, too!)

This was a regular Sunday for us. Don sleeps in on Sunday and I get up and walk by myself. It’s good for me to do a day by myself; reminds me that I can do it without him even if I don’t enjoy it as much. When he and I walk we go around the park and then around some streets and then up to the hospital and go around it a couple of times. When I walk by myself I just do 3 times around the park. It’s the same time, just different scenery. After I come home and get cleaned up, we go to Mr. B’s for breakfast and then head to church. After church we eat at the Mexican restaurant. Then it’s naptime. I got a pair of pants altered and a (protective) cover made for the new cooktop before church. After church they had an appreciation dinner for VBS helpers so I didn’t have to make dinner!

It was nice not to have to do any cooking today. (Says the lady with a new cooktop! Something is wrong with that picture!) I must be getting lazy.

Daniel came home today, so things are really back to regular around here. We’ll be here tomorrow and then Tuesday we leave, so he’ll be batching it for a while.

I thank God for a nice day of rest and for safe travel for Daniel and us. It’s wonderful to have a home with all we need in it and room to share, and I thank God for it.

I continue to feel great. I have absolutely no complaints. Everyone is amazed at my hair; me, too! I thank God for His care for me.

Grandkids are such a blessing!

The picture on the blog tonight is Ethan, Elise, and Kyle on the way to church when we were there last month. There was a better picture of Ethan on the blog last night, but I like this one because it’s a sweet memory to me of them sitting so well packed in the back of the Suburban. Of course Ethan does his best to keep up with the older two; Elise is so the peacemaker, and Kyle is really a kind big brother. Yes, they are normal and they have their conflicts from time to time, but they kept it to a minimum while we were there and we were very impressed and proud.

Today was a great day for me! The glass cooktop on my stove had been broken for a while and my washer has been leaking for a while, and I got them both fixed today! I could still use the washer and just wipe up the leak, and I still used the stove, but they were both hanging over our heads as ‘needy.’ It felt good to get them fixed, and we were so glad not to have to totally replace either!

Then we went out to Jo Ann and Frank’s to play canasta tonight and the women beat the men all three games! Dorothy and David and Dorothy’s sister went with us! Dorothy did great! Isn’t it a tremendous blessing that she is so able to get around after that back surgery! Praise God! Her baby sister, Vel, is here for a few days and she went with us. She is so much like Dorothy, so it was such a delight to play with her.

We are blessed with wonderful family and friends. We sure thank God!

Another baseball star in the making!

The picture on the blog tonight is Ethan, another baseball star in the making. Ethan is Gina and Brian’s youngest and this picture was made when we were visiting back in June. They live in Indiana and Ethan is 5. I’m going back over the pictures and reliving a wonderful trip.

Today was a fun day. Dorothy’s sister, Vel, and her husband, Darrell, were here this morning and we all ate at the Kozy Diner. Darrell went home after breakfast, but Vel is staying a few days to visit. Later, Dorothy called to tell us her therapist was coming for her physical therapy, so we went to sit in on that session. I learned lots of good exercises to do to strengthen my back! After the PT I cut both Dorothy and David’s hair and then we all went back to the Kozy Diner for lunch.

Don and I walked to breakfast and then home. Then when we went to lunch we left the van with the mechanic so he could fix our door and we walked home. I so thank God for our ability to walk! It’s refreshing to me to be able to do it, even if it was around 100 when we walked home from lunch. Cancer hates heat and I sure had a big dose of heat! The driver side door on our van isn’t working. We can open it from the inside, but we can’t open if from the outside. So, we’ve been leaving the door open whenever we go anywhere. It’s way time to get it fixed, so that’s the story there. This is our ‘around town’ van; the van we use for travel works fine.

I finished getting the herbs and vitamins all packaged today, so that’s a relief to me, too. I’m headed for a bath and bed. Thanks for caring and checking!

Can you believe the curly hair? God so abundantly gives!

Today I cut fresh flowers, again. God is so good to me! So, this is me with a new arrangement; looks the same as the others, doesn’t it? I took one to the new Baptist preacher in town to welcome them to town. This is so me, so it’s an appropriate picture. I absolutely love to cut the flowers and bring them in and arrange them. Then I set them on the bar and enjoy them as I work in the kitchen. I have the grandkids pictures on the other end of the bar, so it’s ‘my spot.’ (Seems like I spend a lot of time at the sink.) I sure thank God for the Grandkids, for digital cameras, for the flowers and even for the sink!

It was so nice to be in our regular routine today. We got up and walked early and then went to the Kozy Diner for breakfast. We ran some errands and took care of odds and ends around here. It’s nice to be home and getting some things done. ‘Things’ don’t amount to much, but then pile up and are heavy burdens when they are all piled up on my back at one time.

I’ve got to throw more herbs and vitamins to be ready for our trip to OKC for Raynie’s surgery and then to Houston after that. It’s really a good thing we got to come home early from the ball tournament to give me time to get these things done.

Baseball is over for this year, but the lessons will last a lifetime.

The picture on the blog tonight is one I took last year when the guys won a tournament. The team is mostly the same this year, but they’re all about 6 inches taller! They didn’t come home with trophies this year, but they came home winners. They didn’t win the games, but they are winners because they are such good kids. They played hard and they came away happy to have had the opportunity to be there and compete. We are so proud of them; I am refreshed to know that this generation coming up will have men like these boys will be. They’ve learned a lot through baseball about winning, losing, giving your best, ethics, loyalty, support, etc. We thank God for them and for allowing us to have been a part of their season. I took pictures last night, but they didn’t come out good at all, so I had to use last year’s picture. I must have had my camera set wrong last night. Our grandson, Bruce, is right in the middle of the back row and his dad, Davey, is the coach on the right in the very back.

We stopped in OKC to collect hugs from the Oglesby bunch and that was fun. Garrett was there for the day, so we got to sneak a visit with him and pass on a message his Aunt Diane had sent to me for him. It’s always fun to visit there and they give the best bear hugs!

We came on home and got here in time to get some sun and then get cleaned up and fix dinner before singing at the nursing home and then Wednesday night Bible class. It’s always busy at home! It was nice to be gone to the tournament because we had some time between games to relax. The hotel was really nice, so it was a great time and the folks around us were wonderful people. It’s always good to get home, though.

Daniel was here when we got home, but he left after church to go to Weatherford for a couple of days. He has something to do to get ready for school this fall, I think. He’ll be home Sunday. He’s a good guy and I pray that he travels safely as we did. I thank God for all our safe travels and our family’s health.

We score; just not enough!

The picture on the blog tonight is Grace proudly wearing an outfit I took to her from a yard sale in Hobart. She’s easy to please! That's their dog, Rigel, behind her.

The boys are still fighting to stay here, but they haven’t managed a win, yet. They are the coolest guys, though. They are playing hard and they’re still holding their heads high. We’ve got another game tonight at 8. If they don’t win it, we’re going home, so we’ll see what happens. We’ve never lost this much, so we’re all learning a new feeling.

There’s a kid here in a wheel chair who was diagnosed with some terrible disease in January. He has had to have both his legs and one of his arms amputated since then. He dresses in full uniform and hangs with his team. He’s a great example to everyone else; it sure helps us to keep our priorities right and to thank God for the blessings that count. Life counts; friends count; there are lots of things ahead of winning on the list of priorities!

Our guys are doing their best. If they get beat, they’ll just be proud that they qualified to come and compete. If they win, they’ll keep playing as far as they can. We’re proud of them and thank God for their health, determination and stamina.

Gaining character.

The picture on the blog tonight is Grace and Mason when we came through and visited on Sunday. I had to put this picture on because I knew Ruthie and Phil would recognize the "pose" Grace so often assumes. Wearing an OSU hat doesn’t call for a different pose!

We are having a great time. The boys are struggling with the games. They play great, and one of our guys even hit a home run today, but nobody was on the bases, so it only gave us one point. We had the bases loaded a couple of times, but couldn’t put it all together to make a win. I’m sure enjoying the weather and watching it all unfold. The parents all get along well, as do the boys, so it’s a great group to enjoy. Many of these boys have played together since T-ball, so they have so much fun together. After their game today they had a blast in the pool and playing basketball. They’re amazing to me. I watch them and it gives me confidence for the future, knowing that they will grow to be men, husbands and fathers, and leaders in our world. This baseball experience will help them to be great men, I believe. They know what it is like to have loyal support and unconditional love whether they are winning or not; I hope they will learn to give it as well as receive it. I thank God for these families, the men they are producing and the opportunity to be a part in this experience.

We got up early and walked this morning. Then I had a coughing fit after lunch and thought it must be du to allergies, so I took a Benadryl. Clunk. I got so sleepy and took a 3 ½ hour nap! I was done coughing, though!

Losing is full of hard lessons!

The picture on the blog is Mason holding Raynie today when we stopped for a quick visit. We took the hat to Mason and Raynie had to wear a hat, too! She loves hats and can say ‘hat.’ She’s starting to say lots of words; for the longest everything was ‘mom.’ She’s saying ‘uh-oh’ and ‘thank you,’ as well as lots of other things I didn’t catch! Thank you, God!

We had a safe trip here and it’s wonderful to see everyone, but the guys lost both of their games today. That’s disappointing, but I’m sure it hits the adults harder than it does the guys. It’s wonderful to win, but there is a lot to learn in losing, too. I guess it’s something like all there is to learn with breast cancer: a bunch of stuff we never wanted to learn and it isn’t easy, but I think it’s way valuable.

We are staying in a very nice hotel and the social aspect of all the team and fans staying together is really a good experience. Losing is hard, but I’m still way impressed with these boys. They play so well and they are a lesson to me just to watch. I thank God for their commitment to doing their best and to the parents and families who support them in being the best they can be. I think this is super experience for all of us, but especially the boys. They play hard all year to earn the right to come to this event and compete with the best in their age range (13 year olds). God has given them gifts of ability, spirit, and stamina, not to mention wonderful parents; I thank Him for all that.

Headed to Tulsa.

The picture on the blog tonight is Kyle, (playing a game of Solitare that I taught him) when we visited with them last month as Gina watches. Kyle was so hooked on that game; it was fun to watch him play. Kyle is the same age as Sadie, so that makes him 11, I think, but it’s late and numbers are fading for me! He’s old enough to play cards and we sure had fun! These are precious memories. Gina was so sweet to go get Elena when Gretta had to be in the hospital; then Gretta went to her house for a night after she was released, too. It’s wonderful to have family close when you need them! We thank God for Gina and Brian, their wonderful family and their love.

I’ve got us packed and ready to leave in the morning for a week in Tulsa, we hope. We’ll stay as long as the boys are winning! I’ve got to ‘jiggle’ yet before I go to bed. That’s where I put my ankles in the Jiggling George and it shakes my back into the right alignment. I can do that while I do one of the exercises I do for my chest and arms (lay my arms out flat), but I have to do it before I go to bed. I’m headed that direction; Don is already in bed. He drives and I can sleep, so he’s got to get to bed.

We pray that God with give us and all the families traveling for this series safe travel and thank Him for this opportunity for us and for the boys. I’ll have the laptop with me, so I’ll post this week.

Two years ago; now.

There are two pictures on the blog tonight. When I look back a few months and see how peeked I looked while undergoing chemo it sort of freaks me. I felt better than I looked, I think. So, tonight I went back to BEFORE I started all this, thinking I’d look better. I guess I looked better than when I had no hair, but it’s making me think I won’t go back to make up, after all. The first picture was taken the 1st of June of 2006, and it has me in full eye make up and the gap in my teeth shows. I must have been hiding behind all that eye make up. That’s my real hair, though. The second picture was last week, and that’s my new hair after chemo, and NO gap in my teeth. I was considering going back to some eye make up, but I’m thinking I’ll keep it easy and enjoy rubbing my eyes! Anyway, that’s my thought process, as I get ready to pack to go to Bruce’s world series for his age in Tulsa. I’m not taking any make up!

We finished up with vacation Bible school today. Maybe the big people learned more than the kids. I hope the kids learned as much as I did. It was a cool week for me. I had time to finish reading The Shack and it fit right in with the spirit I saw in the kids and the lessons we had about God’s Big Back Yard. The Shack was a totally separate thing I was reading, but it fit right in with the lessons on pure love and also with the traumas that have happened in our lives in the last couple of years. Thanks, sweet Terri for sharing it with me! I thank our God for Terri in my life, for this week of VBS, for the chance to heal from breast cancer, the opportunity to stand back and take a look at who I am, the opportunity to live this life some more and for you who care enough to come and check on us.

Happy Birthday, Summer Rayne! One!

The picture on the blog tonight is Raynie about a month ago. She has the look of, “Is this Daddy’s notebook I’m not supposed to touch?” She’s such a sweetie. This year of her life has really flown; she is one today.

Today has been a fun day. Daniel’s girlfriend, Ziana, met us at VBS today! She’ll spend the night and will be with us for the finale at VBS. We’re so pleased she could see Daniel working so well with the kids.

Dorothy called and wanted us to go eat with them and the Meiers, so we did that. (The Mexican Restaurant, of course.) After that we played cards! That’s the first time Dorothy has played cards for months, so it was a real break through. We are all so grateful for her recovery. She still takes a pillow to sit with and she can’t sit for too long, but she’s doing so well! We played 2 games and the guys won both of them, but we gave them a good fight and we all enjoyed every moment.

Raynie has her surgery to correct her cleft palatte on the 23rd of this month. We’ll be there to support them in every way that we can. The hardest part is that they have to restrain her arms for a couple of weeks to be sure she doesn’t undo her surgery. She’s a really sweet baby, so we think she’ll handle it very well with the help of all her siblings and all of us who love her. They tell us her hands can be free if someone is holding her, so that gives us hope of lots of bright times. We all love to hold her. Of course, she walks, so she’ll want down. When she gets down she’ll have to have her arms restrained. That’ll be tricky. She’ll be fine, though. God will help us. We thank Him for all her family to help and love her. We thank Him for the joy she has been to us in a really tough year. She was born right after all our flooding and after a night of rain and storms, so they named her Summer Rain, but she has been a year of sunshine just like all our other grandchildren!

Storms miss us, again.

This is a picture of me in front of the storm that missed us this afternoon. Thank you, God for opportunities to see this awesome power, SAFELY!

We got up early to walk this morning before VBS, but it was sprinkling, so we got about half a block and came home. Then after VBS we went out to see if we could walk and it started to sprinkle and thunder and we saw that big black cloud that is in the picture. We decided it was not a good time to be away from home, so we hung around for a while and took pictures. Then we decided to unplug electrical stuff and take a nap while the storm did its thing. Its thing was to go north and east of us. Whew! We finally did get to walk. Thankfully, it was cloudy so that kept it from being too steamy.

Every day I’m impressed with the kids at VBS! I’ve been to lots of Vacation Bible Schools in my lifetime, but this one is the best, I think. I must have been ready for it. These kids are so terrific. I think everyone my age should go observe at a VBS; you’ll be encouraged to see the kids behave in that environment. I’m impressed with all the teachers and helpers, too. It’s really encouraging to me.

Tomorrow is Raynie’s first birthday. We’ll stop by to see her and help her celebrate being one on our way to Tulsa on Sunday. Tulsa is where Bruce’s world series is this year, so we’ll be going there for most of next week.

Tomorrow is also the anniversary of the beginning of my treatment at MD Anderson. A lot has happened in the last year. I thank God for the opportunity to have that treatment and for your support over the last year and the months before. I feel great and pray that my recovery continues.

A bit of history.

The picture on the blog tonight is too fun to miss; a bit of history. I found it yesterday when I was looking for baby pictures for Gretta. Elena looks so much like Joe does today, but they don’t see her looking like his baby pictures. She reminds us of Gretta, but we forget that because she looks so much like Joe. When I found these pictures, though, I could sure see why she reminds us of Gretta! And look at Gretta’s hands: she’s working them like Elena does like, “I think I can get a hold on that!” Gretta was 1½ here and Trish was 4 ½; I was 26. I emailed this picture to Gretta and she was showing it to Joe’s family, saying, “Look! She DOES look like me!” Their response was, “Yes, and you look like your mother.” That’s a compliment to me! We agree that Grace looks like Trish! It’s been fun looking through the pictures, but I won’t bore you with any more.

VBS has been a real inspiration to us this week. The kids are having so much fun and they are really sweet kids. We have lots of visiting kids from the community and they are an inspiration, too. I’m not getting much else done, but I don’t think anything else much matters! Kids are the future!

I do have to grind up the rest of my chia seeds tonight and get online and order some more. I don’t enjoy doing it, but I thank God for the ability to do it. I thank Him for providing it for our health, too.

VBS week.

The picture on the blog tonight is of my daisy and Echinacea patch out front. They give me such a boost to have flowers to cut and bring into the house. I keep some by the kitchen sink and some on my mirror in the bathroom. Thank you, God, for a boost everyday.

We are having vacation Bible school at church this week. I’m not teaching, but I’m ‘manning’ the registration table. Don is driving the church’s van to go get kids around town who need a ride and then take them home when it’s over, so we’re both tied up for the mornings.

We have to get up and walk really early to get cleaned up and breakfast before we head out to VBS. It’s fun, though. The kids are inspiring. Daniel is doing a great job with them and so are all the other teachers. I’m amazed and hopeful to observe it all.

This afternoon I’ve been scouring the house to find pictures of when Gretta was a baby to send to her. Then I had to figure out how to get the scanner to work and then get them sent to her. This is all really hard for me (because it’s technical), but I sent a bunch. It was fun going through all the pictures. There are still a bunch I’m hunting, but I found a bunch to get her started. She’s working on an album, I think, to keep her mind going in a positive direction.

We have so much for which to give thanks. All the technical stuff was hard today, but I thank God that I COULD do it! I thank him for giving me the use of my fingers! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Celebrate as best we can; it still hurts.

Our youngest daughter, Gretta, and her husband, Joe, were expecting their son to be born in November. When Gretta went last Monday for her monthly appointment there was no heartbeat. Their son was dead within her, so they induced labor so that she could deliver their stillborn son. It was a very difficult labor for her. In fact, she had a reaction to something they gave her and they thought for a time that they might lose her, too! Joe called us and kept us posted along the way and called us when it was over, too. Bless his heart; this was a gut wrenching experience for him, too. He gave me a treasure when he called and told me of how he got to hold their son and how thrilled he was that Gretta survived. He said, “My son is as much a part of this family as I am.” I will always treasure that call from him. I didn’t say anything about this loss last week because I wanted to give Gretta a chance to tell the people who needed to know in person rather than by phone or by seeing it on the blog. She wanted me to put it on the blog today, so that it’s all done and they can begin to put their lives back in place. It's not like it's news that makes us happy, but it is fact and we are all adjusting to this tremendous loss.

They and we were so delighted about this baby. They are doing a complete autopsy to determine the cause of his death, but all we know now is that his life is over. We can still celebrate his sweet existence. He gave us joy just because we expected him. When my mom died, the thing that turned me around from such tremendous grief was this quote: “How long does a man live? Is it as long as you can touch him or is it as long as he touches you?” That is true for this baby, too. He will always touch us because we had such great expectations for him. His daddy is so right; he is as much a part of our family as any of us. Thank you, Joe and Gretta, for sharing with us, even through your tremendous pain.

Thank you God for blessing us with the delight of the expectations for this precious baby and for saving Gretta’s life. Thank you for the blessings of health and safety for all the rest of us and for 15 awesome grandchildren. Thank you for Gina and Brian and their family, who kept Elena while Gretta and Joe went through this traumatic time. (Thank you, Gina and Brian for being the family we all needed!)

Hair update.

The pictures on the blog tonight are the hair update. I wanted you to see the great haircut that Gretta gave me while we were gone. These curls are fun to wear, but they get unruly when they are too long. She got me shaped up after I’d cut on it here and there; she knows what she’d doing and it feels so good to have it right. I apologize for having 3 pictures on the blog; I know it’s time consuming for you with dial up access, but it’s not a complete hair report if you don’t see it from every angle. I’m so pleased to have hair, again. It’s wonderful to have plenty and the curl is way fun!

We had a wonderful time at the fish fry. We didn’t get around to playing cards; there were just too many people. It was fun to visit and the food was really good. Dorothy and David were able to go, so that was a treat for all of us, too.

The December that I went to Tijuana for treatment one of our good friends, Charlene, was in a car accident and lost her leg about the first week that we were gone. They first amputated her leg at the ankle, then after 5 surgeries she ended up with her leg amputated about 6 inches above the knee. This precious lady has been a widow for years, but she is such a great survivor. She now has an artificial leg and can walk with a cane. She is able to drive her own car and still lives alone. She went with us tonight, so that was another treat about tonight’s adventure. We love her dearly. She and I have kind of survived together since we were both taken down at the same time. She’s had a much tougher ‘row to hoe’ than I have, but she’s been a great example to me. She plays cards with us from time to time, so you know what a good friend she is. Often she and I count our blessings together and we count each other among our blessings.

I have to tell you this. When my hair fell out Don called me “Curley.” Now, he calls me Jo, again; I guess he recognizes me! Another funny thing that happened this week: we were at the Kozy Diner having breakfast and a guy came in and said, “Aren’t you Mr. Shnell’s boy?” That was too funny! I thought the guy was going to say Mr. Shnell and I was ready for him to say, ‘You can just call me Don.” Then when he said ‘boy,’ I was too tickled and Don was pretty much speechless! They say people who laugh live 8 years longer than those who don’t, so we’ll live to be old we laugh so much! (I know; our kids think we are ALREADY old, but WE think we are young. After all, Don’s just a boy!) God is great to bless us with laughter and wonderful people in our lives.

Happy 4th of July!

The picture on the blog tonight is of us playing canasta with Frank and his daughter Kristy. Jo Ann took the picture. She let Kristy play 2 of the 3 games and she played one while Kristy watched. They called this afternoon and invited us out there to play. We had plans to go to Applebee’s in Altus for supper, so we came back by their house and played. We’re practicing for tomorrow after the fish fry!

The rest of the day was really quiet. We’ve just been enjoying no strings and no clocks to punch today. It’s been nice!

We’re thanking God for health, for family and friends and for freedom. Today I’m especially thankful that the picture posted the first time!

Fancy foot.

The picture on the blog tonight will be Don’s heel if I can ever get it to post. If you click on the picture and make it bigger, you’ll see it’s really a pretty nice foot. The blister is peeling off, but there’s a perfect foot underneath that old blister. You’ve got to look at what a really nice foot he has; for a 68-year-old foot, I think it looks great! He used to have cracks so deep around the edge of his heel that they sometimes bled. We finally learned that was a fungus and it went away after 30 days of treatment with vinegar! We are both big believers in white vinegar for our feet. If you have feet that snag on socks or your carpet, write to me and I’ll tell you how to fix it.

This morning I ‘threw herbs’ for Don for the next 24 days. I still have 24 days thrown for me that I threw before I went on chemo and they took me off of everything. After this batch I will throw for both of us, again. It’s a confusing thing to do, but it’s so much easier now that the neuropathy in my hands is so much better. I can handle the capsules without dropping them all over the place. I still have to package them, but that’s pretty easy. I can do that tomorrow while we watch something on TV.

This afternoon it was mostly cloudy, so I sat out on our back deck and shelled pecans. Sometimes the sun came through and I got some sun, but for the most part it was just nice to sit in the swing and shell pecans. Bob and Diana gave us a huge shopping bag of pecans and we had them cracked; now I need to get them shelled so I can put them into the freezer. I always think of my mom when I shell pecans; I guess because she taught me how to do it. I think of her lots because she taught me most everything I know and, of course, now we have breast cancer in common. She was a peach, so I’m proud of any way I can be like her and love recalling all she taught me. I thank God for a precious mom and for precious memories; I realize everyone didn’t have the luxury of a mom who was good to them, and many mother’s died early in their children’s lives. I’ve been blessed.

Tomorrow is Independence Day; WOW! Our independence is such a great thing to be celebrating! Don and I will be quietly celebrating; we don’t have a plan until the fish fry on Saturday. Daniel has gone home for the weekend, so it’s just us. I thank God for my opportunity to grow up in a family rich with military men, who were willing to fight to keep our independence; I consider it a blessing to be a ‘military brat.’

Flowers at home

The picture on the blog today is one Don took of me yesterday, I think. Those are daisies and echinacea from my front flower bed. I love those flowers! They come back every year and they make great cut flowers for the house. The bow is left over from the arrangement Gretta, Joe, Garrett and Elena sent for mothers day. I thank God for my flowers in the yard!

Today has been busy. We did our usual walking, but we also went out to make a quick visit with Dorothy and David. Dorothy is doing so much better. She has to go to OKC to see her doctor tomorrow, so she’s bracing for a long ride there and back. I hope he’ll be able to encourage her some.

Jo Ann and Frank have a huge pond on their farm and it’s stocked with fish. They have a friend, Carl, who loves to fish and then leave the fish in their freezer. So, once in a while they have a big fish fry to make space in their freezer. This Saturday is the fish fry! There are 23 people coming, and where there are 8 of us there will be canasta, I imagine. Anyway, I made my mom’s recipe of Edgefield Slaw today to take Saturday. YUM! It’s better after it sits a day or two, so it’ll be perfect Saturday. I thought it was perfect today as I nibbled it. Ruthie, I sure wish you and Phil were here to go with us to the fish fry! Mom will be going with the slaw! I’ve enjoyed making it today, thinking of her and you!

Don’s blister is peeling off his foot, finally. I got a picture of it today, but who knows when I’ll get it onto the blog. I’m just glad it didn’t bother him more than it did. We thank God every day when we walk for the ability to walk! What a blessing!

Isabelle cleans; I sew.

Well, I’m really baffled by the pictures not loading to the blog. I’m really sorry, too, because I think the pictures are the best parts of the blog. I’ll keep working to get a picture to post, but for the time being all there will be is my text.

Wednesday morning note: Lookie here, lookie here! A picture posted! It's a shot I took looking back on the kids as we were headed to Tennessee. Grace was in between drawings and Mason was working on his summer 'homework.' Can you believe they give them assignments for the summer? The amazing thing is that he DOES them! Gabe's in the back holding down the fort of all the luggage and flowers we took to Gretta and Ruthie. That was sure a fun trip; the kids were really good travelers! Thank you, God, for helping me get the picture posted. I'll go see if I can get one to post for yesterday's blog and do one right quick for today's while it's working!

Today Isabelle is here cleaning the house for me. Bless her heart. She is as wonderful as Angela. (She is Angela’s mother-in-law.) How can I be so blessed to have good help? Isabelle is super busy, so she can only clean for me once a month. That means that I’ll have to keep up in between times that she can clean, but I can do that! It’s like the yard. I can work between times that Joan does big jobs. I just don’t want to do all of both of them. I guess I could do it, but it would take more of my life than I want to give to it. I thank God for providing help for me.

A little bit ago Dorothy called and she wants us to meet her (and David) for dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I was amazed that she feels good enough to make this effort. She’s stir crazy from being cooped up for the last couple of months. I really can hardly wait! It’ll be good for her to get out a bit. She came to church Sunday, but this will be her second outing. PTL!

I’ve been doing some alterations to some shirts while Isabelle cleans. I wanted to stay around in case she had questions since this is her first time to clean here. I have some shirts I’ve bought that need to be shortened. Everything is too long for me; today was a good opportunity to get that done. I come to the computer every now and then and see if I can get a picture to post, but with no luck. I’ll keep working on it. I just keep rejoicing that I don’t have to be doing the cleaning. Some of you really encouraged me to get help, so I always think of you, with love and thanks (Linda, Judy and Ruthie), when someone else is here doing this job to get the burden off my back. I thank God for your support and encouragement.