finally...

To my faithful readers...it's about time! So summer's just about over. It's been filled with all kinds of medical things. School starts in less than three weeks. Nate is ready to go! He actually got cold feet about a month ago. Oh brother. He was able to e-mail a student and ask question and that helped.

Three days after school let out, Nate broke his lower right arm. compound fracture, both bones, through the skin just a bit. The EMT's took a photo of it because it was a perfect example of how a compound fracture looks like an abrasion. The bone had gone back into his skin. The story goes--I sent the boys out to ride bikes because it was a beautiful sunny day. Within minutes, I received a call from the school that Nate had broken his arm. Moment or two of confusion because Nate wasn't in school. The principal and office staff were still finishing school business. We tried to move him so I could drive him to the hospital but he was in too much pain. We took an ambulance ride with air splint and pain meds. Nate still talks about it. He was wearing his helmet. He said he was riding between the school and dumpsters and that he tried to swerve to miss a piece of paper. Then hit the sidewalk. Who knows exactly. Nate got up and went to the front of the school to be buzzed in. I don't know how he did it. All the docs were glad he had his helmet on. Or we would have a different story to tell. He had surgery. The orthopedic surgeon put in a wire to stabilize the bone. The lower bone just needed to be set. The wire will have to come out in September some time. A quick day surgery. Nate had a splint for a week after surgery and a cast for five more weeks. He now has a removable brace. All is healing well. At the beginning, Nate made for a bad patient and I made for a bad nurse. Oh what a complainer.

For me, my oncologist is still worried over my left kidney. Something showed up on my PET scan in March 2007. At that point, the cancer was more of an issue and my blood levels were normal, sort of. My creatinine has been the contested issue. The lab reports it as high but the range for it at his lab is smaller than the range for the lab at my GP's office. So I dug out lab reports from 1993 (yes, I had them) and showed him how my creatinine has remained essentially the same. I thought we had put this one to rest. But no, the nurse calls back and says to call her. But then she never calls me back. I did make the appointment with my GP for this past Monday. Ya, I had a bad attitude about it. Because really, if it was such an issue I could have talked to my GP at my annual physical in February. But I didn't because he said OK, leave it. The good news is that my creatinine was about .10 lower (yes even this small amount makes a difference, he was worried when it was .04 above the "normal" limit) than it has been running at the oncologist's. Which makes me think there's some problem with his lab. My GP explained that kidneys either work or they don't, and they can go bad in 3 months or less. OK, I understand his over-zealousness. It might help if he'd have explained that to me. On the 25th I go for a kidney ultrasound which should make him happy. I also learned that a PET scan isn't the best tool to measure kidney function. And I imagine if something shows up, then I'll have to go to the specialist and probably pee in a cup for 24 hours. Yea!

On Tuesday morning, the boys and I are in search of pots to plant some of my Grandma's spider plant that I got in Ohio in July. And Jay calls from the ER at our doc's office building, simply an ER, no hospital facilities. I didn't even know he was going to the doc (for a night breathing issue.) He thought it was related to Jay's reflux. Then, the GP decided to do an EKG and found a glitch. So Jay went right to the ER in a wheelchair. He was irritated to say the least. They looked at heart enzymes many times which were all normal. He had to be transferred to the hospital by ambulance, they wouldn't let me drive him. Wednesday morning, Jay did a stress test which showed something in an artery on the front of his heart. They then had him do an angiogram catheterization. It showed nothing. If something was there it was knocked off or was never really there. If it was knocked off, where did it go? They released him last night at 9:45pm. Jay was so glad to sleep in his own bed. He's working from home the rest of the week. We have a work picnic to go to tonight and he wants to go. He's feeling good.

At the end of July I went to Ohio for a wedding. My cousin got married. I thought it would be nice to see the family. About 10 days before I went, I got a call from a friend that her mom was sick. At the time I remember thinking how I'd want to be there for my friend if her mom died. Also knowing that I was coming home and probably couldn't afford to go twice. Her mom died the morning I was flying to Ohio. I was able to go to the memorial service while I was home. I'm so thankful that God didn't allow her mom to linger. I'm so thankful that I could be there. Her mom wasn't a religious woman but that doesn't mean that God can't work in her life too. It was a gift from God that I could be there. I was able to see everyone--Jay's Dad, Suzanne & Grandpa, my Dad, Paula, Grandma, Jayme, Chris, Karen & Jeremy. Grandma brought me some of her spider plant. I had one in MA but couldn't bring it to CO. I love that it was hers.

And now to politics...there's so much to say but I'm just kidding--I won't start that.

Spring!

Baseball has sucked me in again. I admit, I'm a baseball fan. It was much nicer when I didn't really care who won. And now, out here in Colorado, I have another team to root for, those Colorado Rockies. Go Tulo! And the big boys of Boston. I'm going to get two decals for my car-the Rocks and the Sox. I wanted to go to a game desperately on Sunday but they are in Houston. Jay said we'd have to get up way early to get there in time.

What's new? I guess I've had my couple conversation stoppers so let's talk about summer. We're going to go the farmer's market every Thursday. The boys can play in the fountain while I buy veggies. I'm probably going to get an annual pass at a reservoir where there's an actual beach with sand. I won't have sun restrictions this summer. Although I've been tanning with a spray on tan. I'm not very good at it. It gags me when I spray so I try to spray fast. And that means I miss places. I'm sure you can picture it. It's not terrible but I need to fill in the white places. The other thing I'm looking at doing is leading a Bible study. We're trying to work out logistics.

I'm going to be helping/editing the women's newsletter at my church. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing but I'll find out soon. I'm also interviewing for helping with the newcomer's class this fall. There are a few gals interested in the position. We'll see where that goes.

Today is supposed to be in the upper 70's. We had snow on Wednesday. Up and down it goes. We're going to meet Juli and the twins at the park and LET THEM RUN! Oh to get out all of the energy! We are tired of being indoors.

Truth

Do you recognize truth when you see it? Do you recognize lies when you hear them? How do you judge what is true and pure? How can you know the difference?

I just saw that Oprah is offering a daily lesson on her radio show about the book, A Course in Miracles. There's no truth there. It is billed as "a course in mind training" and is dedicated to "thought reversal." Sounds like brain washing to me. Remember the song "Be careful little ears what you hear?" Everyone wants you to believe what they want. Look at TV, a magazine or the newspaper. They want you to believe their commercials, to buy their products--because you're not good enough. Where are YOU getting your truth from? Just stop and think. Are you swayed by what others think? Are you swayed by TV, magazines or the newspaper? Where do you seek your identity from? (I know that was a dangling participle or some such other grammatical error. But "From where do you seek your identity?" doesn't really sound right.)

Who are you?

Dogs

Nancy and Taurus

Cheri and Bandit

I'm certain that Bandit is as big as Taurus' head. And that's a peek at my hair these days.

TGTWIO--Thank God this week is over!

Aaron did a presentation on greyhounds today. Taurus got to go to school. We learned that Taurus' crooked tooth & nose came from one of his great grand sires, Mi Designer.

Mi Designer

I always thought it came from a muzzle accident of some sort. Taurus raced as Neo Wild. His sire was Deuce's Wild. Deuce's Wild's dam was Pooky's Rowdy (no pictures.) And her sire was Mi Designer. Deuce's Wild

Taurus

I found out today that the claim from my first biopsy that finally got paid Feb. 4, did not in fact get paid. The insurance company called the money back-they "unpaid" it. After another 35 minutes on the phone (to be added to the 12 hours or so already) she told me that they didn't submit it in the right amount of time. She phoned the provider, left a message for them to provide the time log of when the claim was initially submitted and that's where we left it today.

The boys are on spring break this week. Nate's going to do a special program on Lego robotics this week with Hudson. Aaron's going to come with me and go to my studies. We'll find some good things to do in the afternoons. Taurus gets his teeth cleaned on Thursday.

First mammo since surgery a year ago

I had a bad experience. You know, I'm not sure what would make it OK. Not much really. They can't take it back. Time at this point. Time heals. Well it isn't moving along fast enough.

I did tell the tech that I've had occassional discomfort in my affected breast. (Now that sounds so clinical. But it doesn't have cancer in it anymore. It doesn't sound right to say my "surgered" breast. My broken breast? My half a breast? My right breast? I think that could do.) During the mammo, I just wanted it over with as fast as possible. I never said stop but I did tell her it hurt and to hurry. She did two of each and then I had to do two more on the right. I did expect some discomfort. But not to be in tears when she was doing them. That's not right. And really--was I going to say something like: Oh excuse me I think this machine is in the wrong place--or are you sure that's the right tray to use for my mammogram? No I don't think so. However, I do have the right to stop the tech. Or to request another tech to finish. And so today--a full 48 hours later--I have pain in my sternum, armpit, side, under my breast, swelling of my breast. Lightly touching these areas is painful. Choices--not a whole lot. I have to go. I will not go back to that tech. I left a message with the oncologist. I spoke to the director of the mammo clinic. She'll talk to the tech. If they don't have this feedback, they cannot make changes. If you have had a bad experience--call the director of your clinic. Surgery or not, it shouldn't hurt like this. I know my other ones never did. Discomfort perhaps-but no tears! It ought to feel like getting your blood pressure done. Unless of course you go to my oncologist's office and they use a machine that pumps it up way too high and your arm turns red. In that case--that's too hard. Ask them to do it manually. You might be thinking that I'm just too sensitive to pain these days. I don't think that. If I were more sensitive, I might have stopped her from hurting me further. It all gives me a stomach ache.

The good news is that there's nothing there. I'm free and clear for six more months. Then I go back. The director told me to call her when it's time to make my appointment and she would ensure that I got the right tech. The tech who did my mammo the day of surgery was perfect. I requested her.

Two days in a row, I woke up at 2 am and didn't go back to sleep. I don't mind waking up but to not go back to sleep, that's crazy. That's how this has bothered me. I'm going to try a nap. And so the saga continues...and these are the days of our lives.

you should write...

For those of you mulling over our discussion, you should write. Why not? Or at least send me your comments. I just want to know what you're thinking about the candidates, etc. It's so much fun!!!

Before dinner yesterday, we went out and flew some kites. You've got to love flying a kite in March. The boys did pretty well on their own. Aaron learned which way to run. If you run with the wind, the kite flops. It was kind of fun.

On a celebrating note...

It's been one year since I had surgery. I go for mammorgrams on the 23rd. Start praying. I don't know what to think. How could there be cancer there after all the chemo and radiation? How do I even know for sure? I don't. I do know that the Lord has the plan for my life. Whatever that might be. I know that He got me this far and will take me the rest of the way. I am confident of that.

So you're not chickens

But I do want some blogging going on. This is a blog not a monologue.

Going to church doesn't make you Mormon, Christian, Jewish or Catholic. Church is how you practice religion. Belief that Jesus was who he said he was is different than religion. Since the media has brought up this whole religion thing, I want to know about all the candidates and what they believe. I'd like an honest answer about all of their beliefs. Jay suggested the League of Women Voters. They do provide info about the candidates. Any other places you can think of to find info?

What specifically makes you like one candidate over another? Unfortunately, TV is where we see the candidates acting the way they are acting. It makes me form beliefs, true or untrue, based on how I feel about how they are acting.

Did anyone see the Geraldine Ferrarro interview on Good Morning America? He said, she said, he said, she said. Everyone says their comments were taken out of context. She really made some good points. She's on the finance committee that Barack wanted her fired from. She's not part of the Clinton campaign. There's nothing to be fired from. I do wonder if Obama would have gotten as far if he were the traditional kind of candidate. I don't think Ferrarro was being racist. I know a president has all kinds of advisers and experience does count for something. An inexperienced candidate wouldn't be making decisions in a vacuum. How about the whole Obama-Clinton ticket or the Clinton-Obama ticket? Did she really think he'd go for being VP? Or are they just testing the waters? It seems a bit contrived to me.

Send me something interesting if you don't want to post. I could add your comments anonymously. Anything? Anything?

Oh, you chickens...

No comments? Come on, just talk...

Obama seems to have won Wyoming. Is Hillary pouting? Since we have all seen her recently when she went into second place and when she was unhappy the Barack was criticising her health plan.

I went to the democrats.org to find out who won the Texas caucus. The main headlines on the democrat site were: Bush backs McCain, John McCain-No change, McCain Backs Criminalization...again, Countdown to McCain's Iraq Withdrawal, McCain hires Another Lobbyist and McCain Trying to Distance Himself from Bush? I bet all of these articles are written with the highest of journalistic standards.

Nate's getting glasses. He's actually getting bi-focals. Crazy-isn't it? The doc said it will help him to be able to read a book and also see the board better. Aaron doesn't need them. Taurus needs his teeth cleaned. I went to a new vet who gave him a very thorough exam. We'll get his teeth done within the month. Nate starts CSAP on Monday--it's like MCAS in Massachusetts. State testing of kids' skill levels. The boys went to my dentist for cleanings. Nate said he was the best dentist ever. Such a relief when it works out.

What have we done for fun? Absolutely nothing this weekend. We went to the library, to the bank, out to lunch and then we read all the rest of the day. Now we're watching Kicking and Screaming, a Will Ferrell movie where a parent goes over the top with his kid's soccer team. Have you seen pictures of him for his new movie-Semi-Pro? He has that afro with a headband? If I got a headband, and fluffed my hair, I could look almost like him!!!! My hair is curly and about 4 1/2 inches long. We just measured. I got some mousse. If I dry it, it goes big & fluffy, so I don't. I just air dry it.

And now I have to watch The Bad News Bears. Yippee! It's the re-make with Billy-Bob Thornton.

Let's talk politics

Uh-oh--politics. Barack or Hillary? McCain? I'm a registered Independent. That's code for "I don't like any of my choices." I haven't liked any presidential candidates for a long time. I don't feel any affinity towards either party. In fact, the last person I voted for with confidence that I remember was Bill Clinton in his first term. It's down hill from there. I've abstained from voting for president when I didn't like either candidate.

That brings me to learning about the candidates. Where can you find the truth or the facts that aren't skewed? Each person's website spins it in their favor. Even FOX news and CNN seem particularly biased. My Dad sent me a government site that tracks congress and how members voted: http://www.govtrack.us/ You can find out how the senators have voted over time. There's lots of other info there.

How are you making your decision about voting? I'm already tired of hearing bits and pieces. McCain's 100 years in Iraq: We've been in Japan and Korea for 50-60 years. His point was that our servicemen and women are safe there. It's the casualties that are upsetting to everyone. He clarified his position and said it would be fine to be in Iraq so long as our people are safe. It's the idea of maintaining a presence to maintain peace. It is a drag when words are taken out of context and misinterpreted. Here's a clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUE-QmH-n4Q&NR=1

And Obama being Muslim. We looked that up over the weekend. The point: misinformation abounds. We did find that he is a member of a Christian church and has been for about 12 years. He attended both Muslim and Catholic schools. The take-away is that just because he attends a Christian church, does that make him a Christian? did attendance at a Muslim school make him Muslim? or attendance at a Catholic school make him Catholic? And so--does anyone know what Hillary is? I'll look later.

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Hello all. You know, the prep is the worst part. I'm telling you--I didn't feel anything, I didn't remember as much as I did on the first one (back in 1999.) I was walking out on Monday morning at 11 am. feeling strange but walking. I didn't have to be wheeled out. I didn't feel anything later either if you're wondering. Oh and it was what I thought it was--there's nothing else in there. She didn't even biopsy anything, said all looked healthy and good. How does a person decide to do colonoscopies for a living?

The car is good. Taurus is getting used to it. He's not used to the motion of this one. So I put a blanket in and he will lie (lay?) down. I don't know what the mileage is doing at this point. We're on the first tank of gas and it only has 125 miles on it.

What goes in, must come out.

I thought I had to be on a clear liquid diet yesterday. It turns out that I only had to do it today when I'm prepping for the colonoscopy. I read those sheets more than once. I re-read them at dinnertime, and discovered that it was only for today. I did eat dinner. And today I'm drinking my food. White grape juice, apple juice, broth. I can also have popsicles and italian ice, as long as there are no red dyes in them. My motto is, "what goes in, must come out."

Yesterday I was doing some car research on-line. I wanted to know where are the 30 MPG mid-size SUV's. So I'm searching around and find a Ford Escape Hybrid. 33 city, 30 highway--yes, that's right, city is better than highway because highway driving is mostly just gas not electric. You might see where this is going. I called the dealer to find out if there was one on the lot. There was, so I asked him if I could bring the dog to find out if he would fit. If he doesn't fit, we're dead in the water. Taurus did fit. He jumped into the back, no problem. I think he could lie down and still see out the window. They all thought that was funny, Ford Taurus, Taurus the dog. Ha-ha. Before we even went, Jay and I talked about the boys sitting side by side and them getting along. They would need to deal, and get over the bickering. Some of you are chuckling already. Aren't you? Better gas mileage, smaller vehicle, and one we still fit into was what I was looking for before. We pick it up on Monday. One other bonus for buying a hybrid is that we'll get tax credits on state and federal taxes next year. Anything to help with taxes. Plus it's green. Less emissions, etc. Here's a picture--http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escapehybrid/ It's black pearl slate metallic.

I'm doing the "I don't own a mini-van" dance...

Saturday

We have too much drama at our house. At about 8am, Nate starts yelling in that kind of "I'm in pain" sort of yelling. Then he starts running around and I couldn't find him. (You can run in a cirlcle on the main floor of our house. I was in the laundry room so didn't know where he started.) I tell him to stand still. I find him with blood running out of his nose, gushing. He had been chasing the dog and playing. He said he was running and his toe got caught in his pant leg and he fell towards the rocker by the window and hit his nose/upper lip on the window ledge. I know why I'm not a nurse. I see blood and want to just pass out or throw-up. I left Nate with Jay in the kitchen and started cleaning the drops of blood on the carpet. Then I felt like I couldn't breath, my hearing started going fuzzy. I sat down and then went outside. Later Jay and I joked that he might have had to deal with my concussion and Nate's blood. After the blood stopped and we were able to clean it up, it looks like he hit the window ledge just under his nose. It doesn't look like his nose is broken yet he does have a stuffy nose. No teeth were broken. He'll have a nice bruise though. Aaron was really upset. He said Grandma Carol should have been here. She's a nurse. She was there when Aaron cut his forehead and needed 11 stitches. Aaron told me that he fell in the blood that I forgot to clean up. And since then, he always tells the story that Uncle Brian was chasing them (Nate, Ben and Aaron) and it's all his fault. I almost threw up that day, too. I had to leave the room before they even started stitching. I almost passed out, too. Like when you feel the black curtain rising or falling. Hard to describe.

Both boys were with friends today. Aaron's friend's mom came and picked him up around 10am. We went to get him at 4pm. Nate had a birthday party that started at 1pm and they were going to keep the kids over night. We don't do over nights. Only with grandmas and good friends. Jay and I went to see "Definitely, maybe." It was funny in places. We had a date. Strange and unusual to be with Jay without the boys around.

It was warm enough today to have some windows open. It was so nice to get some fresh air into the house. I hope we got the germs out. Because Germ-boy, I mean Jay, is still sick from 15 days ago. He did go to the doctor. But it's lingering. I was sick and feel better now.

Nate's in!

Some good news--Nate's been accepted into the Challenge School. He told me he wasn't worried. He knew he'd get in. Well, we didn't. You never know.

He's also been cooking things. He likes scrambled eggs and cheese, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and smoothies. I asked him if he'd like to learn to cook dinner. He said no.

Thursday, Feb. 7

I've got the cold that Jay brought home. He's been sick for a week. I hope I get over it sooner. He even decided to go to the doctor. He must not be feeling well.

Nate went back into his gifted class on Monday. I met a second time with the teachers and principal. He is just fine. We'll go back to the counsellor. I do have a few more questions but those can wait.

I've had three good blood pressure readings in the last 10 days. (the colonoscopy doctor, surgeon and GP) I just can't get a reading at the oncologist's office. They have a machine that automatically pumps up to 250 or more. It feels like 3000! Anyway, it squeezes my arm until my hand feels like it's gong to fall off. It gets a little numb and tingly. It usually doesn't get the reading on the first try so it has to pump up twice. That alone makes my pressure go up. And when it tries to go for the third time, I have to rip it off. The nurse called me her "problem child" the last time I was there. The time before that my reading was 155/80-something. Doc wasn't happy about that. But I think he needs to get his blood pressure take with those automatic machines. These three readings were around 124/76. At my GP appointment, we talked about what I do for fun. The funniest was my "hobby" of going to doctors appointments. That's not really that funny. I've been to my own appointments and the boys' annual exams. Next is their dental and also eye exams. Hobby. Hmm.

How boring is this to just talk about sickness and doctors? I can't even come up with anything else to tell you. Here's something: I made an orange bundt cake today. I used a white cake mix and added zest & orange juice instead of water. I just took it out of the oven. I forgot to grease the pan but it's a silicon pan so maybe it won't matter. I'll find out. The Today show is doing a segment on "Fool-proof Tarts." Interesting...

Busy Week 2

I called the last post a busy week and never explained. When I look at my calendar, it doesn't look any busier than any other week. I spent alot of time on the phone with Nate's teachers. I met with them yesterday. Still have more questions, still waiting on return calls. Although he will meet with us next Monday, apologize to his gifted teacher, make a plan and he will go back into GT.

I felt like I was behind or running around all week. Probably just the time I've spent trying to figure out what happened at school. It's been consuming. Nate finally talked to Jay and I Tuesday evening. These boys don't talk about what's bothering them. It took a long time to draw him out. Trying to piece together everyone's side and still not clear.

The boys had their annual physicals today. Aaron can now hear. He had two huge ear wax balls cleaned out of his ears. Both boys will need to get their eyes checked. Probably getting glasses for Nate at least. More appointments because I don't do enough of them. Although there are Saturday appointments and Jay could go this time. Oh and the dog needs to go.

What did I do fun this week? Two gals from newcomers (cucumbers if you're Aaron) had their babies this week. A little boy and a little girl. I found two cute gifts for them. I went to lunch on Wednesday with my small group from Reflections. We met at Sherrie's house and had a marvelous time. Tomorrow is a scrap booking get-together. I don't really scrap book. I do have several small projects that were supposed to be Christmas presents for the parents. So I'll take those and try to finish them. Maybe they'll get them for Valentine's Day.

Busy week

On Sunday, during church, my pastor phoned the congregation. He's away on a mission trip in North Africa. He phoned from North Africa. I know there are phones there. But it was really exciting thinking about the many miles between Colorado and North Africa, and that we could hear his voice during the service.

"What kind of horse, um, dog is that?" Ah, yes, our Torse the Horse. Here's some pics of Cheri's dog, Bandit:

Bandit is about 10 pounds to Taurus's 90. I think Taurus's head is just about as big as all of Bandit or Kaitlyn for that matter. Maybe Bandit is about as big as Taurus's patch on his back.

Friday, Jan. 25

I went to look at the two cars. Neither one will work. Taurus is too big and the seats don't come out from behind the driver. I'm stuck with a regular mini-van.

Colonoscopy scheduled for Feb. 25. Yea.

Thursday, January 24

Having pie was a big hit with Aaron because he wanted pie for his birthday last night. So off we went for, "Pie, Pie, Me-O-My!" Does anyone know where that came from? Movie trivia.

Sherrie's biopsy was benign. No cancer there. Thank God for that one.

Nate hasn't been doing some homework and got found out yesterday. He over-reacted and the school psychologist was called. He will probably have a short break from GT (gifted & talented program.) Jay and I are not happy about that. Going away from the problem doesn't solve it. It will give him some perspective. Perhaps some time away will help him to think about it instead of being over-whelmed.

Appointment with oncologist yesterday. Much better to meet only with him. All is well. Mammogram scheduled in two months. Then we'll see if I need further tests. He thought MRI every 1 1/2 years. I had to go and tell him about a certain problem I was having and now I have to go get a colonoscopy. Because I haven't had them look there recently. Although I'm hopeful this doctor will decide I don't need one. Ah, yes, another specialist. I suppose you can call me because I'm making the rounds and I will tell you who I liked and who I didn't. Beyond that, it makes me not want to tell him things. Except that I will, I know I have to. Good news is they got me in tomorrow for the initial consult so I don't have to wait.

Hope all is well with you-love, nancy

The cars

So it doesn't look like either car has removable seats. Here's Taurus who needs a good bit of room and just won't fold himself into a car seat.

Clearly it is possible for him to make himself small (?). He stands when I drive.

Not a good picture but the top of the black part on the fireplace is at 32".

The guy at Kia was more than happy for us to bring the whole family including Taurus. He does want to sell a car. It would really have to meet all of our needs: better gas mileage (I'm getting 17 MPG on the van.), smaller with room for everyone, three rows of seats to keep the boys separated (rides in Jay's car where they are side by side, are painful).

The Mazda5 has sliding doors like vans. The Rondo doesn't but we already own a Kia and would likely get a better deal there.

Am I boring you with these ramblings?

Friday, Jan. 18

We got a call from the person who keeps the paint books for our home owners association. I had called them the night we got that crazy letter telling us to paint the whole house. She said that around 100 (out of 500) homes in our neighborhood received that letter. She also said she and her husband drove around to check homes themselves. We do need to do some minor touch-up painting. She said we don't need to paint the whole house. But that touch-up isn't going to be done until it's warmer. Certainly not in 20 degree weather.

I'm looking at different cars. I'd like one that gets better gas mileage but still fits Taurus with one seat removed. I found two small mini-van or cross-over kinds of cars. The Mazda5 and the Kia Rondo. Since I drive Aaron to and from school I've been looking at cars. What else is there to do? Since I'm driving, it's costing lots in gas. More than we anticipated. I've been taking the mileage and feel like my Dad who used to write it all down all the time. I thought I'd call the dealers to find out if either has easily removable seats. Both have fold down seats but Taurus would never fit. Nor would he climb in over the seats. He's not that coordinated. We tried using the boys' old toddler bed for Taurus to sleep on. His foot slipped one time and he never would get back on that little bed.

Yep, today's my birthday...

Thanks for the happy anniversaries and happy birthdays! I have to say I've never been so happy to see a year behind me. It's a relief to be into 2008 and to be 42. Exhale.

My official recipe:

Red 'n' Whites
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3-ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
36 small ripe strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat the oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheeseuntil well blended. Beat in the sugar and vanilla, then stir in the flouruntil well mixed. Using a 1/2 tablespoon measure, shape the mixture intosmall balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make asmall indentation in the top of each cookie with your thumb. Carefullyplace a strawberry half, cut side down, in each indentation. Bake for 12 to18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on racks. Makes 5 dozen.

Nancy's variations: I've tried fresh black raspberries and red raspberries.The red ones are the best. I also like seedless raspberry jam in them. I usually end up with about 36 cookies because I make mine twice the size. The recipe comes from The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson.

20 years!

"It was 20 years ago today. Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play." You know the rest.

Did you know that Jay and I have been married 20 years? We were married on a Wednesday in Orlando, FL. Jay had just graduated from Navy boot camp. I had graduated from college Dec. 19. We went to the Orlando court house. A very pregnant Justice of the Peace married us. Kinda funny when she took us into another room, we though she was taking us to someone else but it was her! Jay had to go back to the base that night. He thinks he only stayed two nights on base. I found us an apartment and we moved in on Friday. I was living at a very small hotel. Only for a week. It was the least expensive one I could find. And there weren't any critters scattering when you put the lights on!

Yes, I did mean that anyone could come for our New Year's Day party! We even have space for you to stay here. You can come any other time, too!

To commemorate this special day, we decided to go to a very special restaurant called the "V.I." Have you heard of it? They have great pie. That's really why I wanted to go there. It was my idea. The "V. I."--have you been there? Yes, we went to the Village Inn! It's like Bickford's or Perkins. I had coconut cream, Nate & Jay had white chocolate cherry and Aaron had a brownie with ice cream on it. It was excellent. It was my idea. I want you to know that because I don't want anyone telling Jay, "You took her where?" We had some lovely dinner conversation. We talked about bottom feeders and the fish we don't want to eat. We talked about the poor girl in Nate's math class who vomited. We were also treated to Jay singing some Village People songs on the way home. YMCA, Macho Man, In the Navy. We were at the Village Inn.

I'm not feeling so bad today! Making cookies and taking them to Sherrie was so helpful. Taurus was a bit put out by the change in schedule. But he did get a nice walk out of it. We went to a park by Sherrie's. And I'm happy to make those Red N' Whites for you anytime!!! That recipe came out of a book by Diane Mott Davidson who is a mystery writer here in Denver. I found that recipe about 10 years ago. I made them for my neighbors, Nancy & Bill and Senada & Alex. Nancy & Senada loved it when I made those, too! One friend I took them to told me, "There must be a pat of butter in every one!" Not really, but they do go nicely with a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

Sunday; Jan. 13

We've been quite busy. Doing weekend stuff and relaxing. That doesn't sound busy. We went to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything yesterday. The Veggie Tales have gone secular. Not one word about God. I suppose that's what Universal Pictures does to them. There was a magic ball that went to seek heros. There was time travel. There were boats that fell from the sky to rescue people. In fact, I don't think these pirates were really the same ones as in Jonah. It was a disappointment. Although the kids liked it.

My friend will have a biopsy on Tuesday to remove a spot found on her repeat mammogram. If you've seen the last post & comment from Sherrie you've got an idea. Her blog is: http://whatsupgoofballs.blogspot.com/ I'm a mess of emotions. So I cook. I'm making Red N' Whites, a cream cheese butter thumbprint cookie. I'm making them for Sherrie and for the newcomer's brunch on Tuesday. I know this is going to happen to women I love. I also know how all of you felt when I told you. I knew the news would be hard. I don't like being on either side of it.

Friday

Mom is doing well. All tests are normal. I know, as normal as she can be... She thinks she'll go home tomorrow after a stress test.

I called the HOA and the lady I talked to said that others had received the same letter even after just painting their homes within the last year. Big sigh. All we need to do is write a note on the letter telling them we think we received it in error. It seems that that will be the end of it. Welcome to the neighborhood. The letter threatened legal action and they didn't even have the courtesy to sign it. It was a form letter with ridiculously strong language. Unbelievable. Perhaps we'll sleep better tonight.

So I have a friend who had to go back for a second mammogram. I'm trying to practice patience. But after a phone call and e-mail and still no word, I'm not being too patient. She hasn't blogged since Jan. 3 either. (Oh, is this how you feel when I don't blog?)

I'm doing some research on breast cancer. Surprisingly, I am finding more on breast feeding and breast cancer. The idea that it is a "protective factor" sits better with me than calling it a preventative. Since the researchers aren't sure what causes it, they also haven't found a way to stop it from happening. Thus, they can't say one factor or another prevents breast cancer. I'm not finding concrete numbers. But there have been some studies done this year.

I re-submitted Nate's application to the Challenge School. We'll find out in Mid-February. Having both boys at the same school would be wonderful.

Do you know how stupid soap operas are? I can't even begin to explain. I know I should shut the TV off. I guess it's just amusing.

Thursday

Mom is feeling better. Her blood pressure is closer to normal but still low. She said once this is over, she should be able to go back on her BP meds. She'll be getting a new doctor. This is a good thing. Her other one wasn't responsive. They've checked her gall bladder with two tests. She'll have the stress test on Saturday. Not sure when she'll go home. For the most part, she's getting room service and eating bon-bons! She's laughing and teasing about the beeping noises being the french fry alarm.

Oh the joys of home associations. We just got notice that our home is in "critical need of repainting." What? Really? Are they looking at the same house I'm living in?

Wednesday

I got a call from my mom last night. She's in the hospital. She has low blood pressure, shortness of breath, sweating, heart enzymes are off, and tiredness. That's all I know. I'm not worried. She's where she needs to be. It's a good thing she didn't call me when she was feeling bad in the morning. I would have told her to go sleep. We had just been sick and I would have figured it was that. Her friend told her to call the doctor and go right away. That was good. I'm glad she's at home with Don because he would have been very worried if he couldn't see her.

I started a new Bible study yesterday. It's Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. I've never done one by either of them. This study is an "Over the Coffee Cup" group. Kathy asked me to go so I thought I'd try it. Really, she'd been asking me to go since the summer. I'm looking forward to getting to know these new ladies and seeing what all I'm going to learn.

Fruit Cake Toss

I found out that in Manitou Springs, CO at the base of Pikes Peak, they have an annual Fruit Cake Toss. We went on Saturday. We saw a few tosses and decided that was enough. The other part about Saturday was that there were extreme winds and gusts. Jay had trouble holding the steering wheel on the drive down. At least we can say we went to a Fruit Cake Toss.

January 6

You're probably wondering where I've been. Or not. My Mom came on the 31st. We hosted a New Year's Day brunch. It was alot of fun. I think we'll do that next year also. And you're all invited! We had BBQ pulled pork mini-sandwiches, quiche (of course!), chips & dip, vegies, cookies, cole slaw, cheese & crackers. And Kathy's baked french toast with Pannettone bread which is a citrus-y kind of bread with dried fruit in it. Excellent for french toast.

Too many interruptions--more later...