Thankful Thursday

Most of us have a lot to be thankful for everyday. Like most everyone else, I usually don't stop often enough to take stock of all my blessings and be thankful enough.

October is breast cancer month. It reminds me to be thankful for my health, thankful that I had wonderful doctors and nurses and was able to receive the best treatments to help me live a long, long time. I'm thankful for my local friends Bonnie & Evelyn who went through the same junk as I did - losing our hair, laughing at crooked wigs, getting through crappy chemo and radiation. I'm thankful for my online friends who also went through all of these crappy things but came out healthy too. They all helped me get through it.

We lost two of our online friends along the way, Karen & Frances, who both died much too soon. I'm so thankful I was able to know them.

30-something years ago today I gave birth! Moms never forget that day. I'm thankful for a wonderful daughter and so glad she now lives near us and not 600 miles away as she did for 10 years. I've quit holding a grudge for going 2 weeks past my due date and the 30 hours of labor!

Tonight we had a great birthday dinner at a Japanese restaurant and met a couple here from Illinois to work at the VIR racetrack this weekend. We found out the husband had once lived about 45 miles from our hometown in Kentucky and we all agreed the Moonlite BBQ restaurant in Owensboro has the best BBQ we've ever eaten! I'm thankful for "small world connections" no matter where you are.

It's been very sad this week at the nursing facility where I work. A wonderful nurse died suddenly leaving us all in shock. It seems impossible that she was working last week and this week is gone. Life is precious and you never know what tomorrow will bring, so be thankful!

What a Hard Life!

My two 12 year old cats have never had their own beds. It just never seemed necessary, as they have always slept wherever they wanted and had their own favorite places. Lately however, they seem to want to be wherever I don't want them and yesterday I found Magic on a placemat on the kitchen table! Later in the day we went out shopping so I decided it was time for them to have their own special spot. I picked some with cozy bottoms, (catnip zips into a pocket underneath) and brought them home.

I showed Magic his bed, but he wasn't interested and preferred the sun on the back deck.

Onyx wouldn't even come in to look at his bed!

This morning however, I found Magic happily lounging in one of the beds.....

Then the other..........

I'm sure he is staking out his territory before Onyx gets a say. He's always the bossiest brother!

Notice all the hair already in the empty bed. This is the main reason I wanted him especially in one place as much as possible. I brush as much as he will let me, and I could get a basket full of hair off with the fur-ender, but he only tolerates it a few minutes at a time then gets very irritated! Maybe if I can contain it just a little it won't be everywhere!

Catching Up

The leaves have not all turned yet, but maybe the cooler weather this weekend will help. Here are a few around my neighborhood and on the way to work. I love this time of year.

I've been a terrible blogger this week. For the past few days I've had a cold and just doing my normal activities is about all I can drag through!

Wednesday I had my 6-month check-up at Duke. Since I had breast cancer in 2004, I have been seen there first every 3 months, then 6 months, and Wednesday I graduated to a year! Yeah! I have to say everything about Duke is wonderful. I love my oncologist, surgeon, the chemo nurses were exceptional, and the nurse practitioners great. But, the drive and the wait for tests and doctors appointments makes it a long day, so moving to once a year is welcome.

I had a great check-up. Mammogram read "no sign of cancer" no better words for a survivor to hear. My bone density showed a 3.5% increase in bone in my spine which means I won't be getting too much shorter soon! It was all a great relief.

For BC month, volunteers had a table set up with lots of materials and give-a-ways and provided a delicious lunch for all the breast cancer patients and their families with appointments that day. I've been so fortunate to live close enough to Duke to have the opportunity to get all my treatments and follow-up there.

Last night I watched the movie on Lifetime about the doctor who developed the drug Herceptin, which has made such a difference in the diagnosis of breast cancer for some women. I fall in that group and was selected for a clinical trial for Herceptin. My clinical trial was to see if it would help prevent cancer from returning in women whose cancer had not spread. At the time I started the treatment it would have not been covered by my insurance so I would not have gotten the treatment had I not been selected. It was surprising to me in watching the movie how long this doctor had worked on Herceptin and hard it was to get support for it. I'm very thankful he kept trying!

Starting Thursday night I came home from work just wiped out - later that night my throat got sore and nose stopped up. I rarely have a cold and hope this doesn't last too much longer. I haven't been out of the house this weekend except for yesterday afternoon when we went to see The Secret Life of Bees. I had read the book and was not disappointed by the movie. It is wonderful! I heartily recommend it.

I have done a little knitting this weekend (when I am not napping). I am now on the sleeves of B's sweater. On yeah, an update on that. If you remember I was worried about the size. When she was here last weekend I had her try it on, and even though it was big, so wanted it that way so asked me not to make it any smaller. I hope it will work.

And I leave you with a picture of my little helper from last weekend. She loves to help her Mama clean, and she loves to dress up! She was a little diva with the knitted fun fur scarf.

Have a good week!

Weekend Visit

We had a special treat this weekend. Since they had Columbus Day off, our son and his family got to come for the weekend. It was a beautiful weekend - here the girls enjoy they front porch.

After a full hard day, N couldn't stay awake another minute, grabbed her doggie, and fell asleep on top of her toys!

Yeah for Google!

Just a little search for coconut candy and I found what I was looking for. (See post below if you are totally confused).

A Little Knitting

I'm still working on the sweater below and it is slowly coming along. I just feel it is going to be too large. I swatched about 3 times, and because my yarn is bulkier than the suggested yarn, I went from a size 6 needle down to a 3, and then still went down a pattern size. The swatch seemed fine, and the length of the sweater seems fine, but the width just seems too large. Ughh!
Very frustrating. I don't have her measurements, but knew her size and was going by that. I may take it into a store and hold it up to another girl's sweater in her size and see how it compares. I hate to keep going and then it not work.

















I'm also knitting a blanket for a sweet little 2 year old. I didn't want it to look too babyish, so I chose this pattern. I haven't knitted with large needles in a long time and had forgotten how fast it goes and how easy to correct mistakes. Nice for a change! Ever since I started the blanket it has reminded me of something. I kept thinking it was ice cream, but just now as I downloaded the picture I know what it is. Remember a coconut candy with brown and pink stripes? I'm going to have to see if I can find a picture to compare!

Autumn Potpourri

Pyracantha is taking over the side of my house, but I love these berries! Another beautiful sign of fall.
















I love the Sedum too. Not quite as flashy, but beautiful in its own way.

















Yesterday we went to the annual Autumn Potpourri, held by our county Historical Society. They have restored the old courthouse and clerk's office, which used to be located here out in the country. Years ago they moved the courthouse to the town of Chatham, but we are lucky that this area was saved. It's a beautiful place and this is a well-attended annual event. Members of the historical society are dressed in period costumes and love to tell the history of these old buildings. There are crafts, (I saw some knitting) cider making, blacksmiths, musket shooting, apple butter making, molasses, home made brooms, and of course lots of food.



This is the old Clerk's office - tiny inside, but served the purpose in its time.



















Bands were playing.....







Crafts were plentiful..........
















Muskets were demonstrated........















And food was very popular as you can see........

Can you see the mountains in the background of this picture? (Click on pictures to see better)Some years it is cold and rainy, but yesterday was a blue-sky day.