Jeepers! Peepers!

Except for a Steinway Grand and a two-seater, red convertible (I don’t care what kind), I haven’t dreamed for too  many extraordinary things.   Oh, the usual – loving and safe family, good health, good friends – the really important things.  HOWEVER, a dream I dared not to dream has come true. 

Having to stop at our local pharmacy to pick up a prescription and some tissues, I simply had to walk down the candy aisle – just to look…..sniff…..gaze at the Peeps.  I know I am turning into a voyeur with these secret peeps at the Peeps but I am out of control…..a candidate for a Peep Peeper Clinic for my addiction.  Well, you will not believe what I found.  I was so startled, I knocked off my sunglasses as I pushed back my low brimmed hat and lowered the scarf from my nose and lips.  (Well, you can’t go around peeping unless you wear a disguise can you?) 

SUGAR FREE yellow Peeps – the diabetics of the world of Peeps.  Of course, they were about three times the price of the regular Peeps but what an incredible discovery.   THIS is how Columbus must have felt when he saw land after all those choppy waves.   With wild abandon I quickly snatched a box of 3 (yeh, 3 not 9) and rushed the cashier – then rushed back to actually pick up my prescription and tissues.  I waited until I got home to open the package.  I put it in the freezer to get them stale quicker.  I delicately snapped off the head with my teeth after dinner.  It was divine.  Tonight I will have another and tomorrow I will try to find another ten boxes or so.  Of course there is a warning on the side saying “Not a calorie free food.”  Certainly not, it tastes good therefore it must have calories  just not sugar.

Now accompany my sugar free Peeps with some sugar free Jelly Belly jelly beans and I will have come close to Nirvana.

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

March Happiness

There is much to say about the joys that have come about this month.  I’ll start with the most current and work back…..Our friends Bill and Joan became grandparents yesterday when their daughter Jennifer and her husband presented them with 7lb 20 inch Lia Grace.  God love them all.   (Thank goodness Jack and I finally got the baby’s shower gift over to them on Saturday!  Nothing like cutting it close!) 

We also learned that Virginia’s son Tom and his wife Jenna are expecting a girl in late July/early August.  I, of course, am hoping for August 4 – I’d like to share the feast of my nativity with this new life!  March 19 was Virginia’s birthday as well as the Feast of St. Joseph.  I had a St. Joseph’s pastry on Saturday night – late for the feast day but good nevertheless.

Jim had his surgery last Monday and says he is as fit as a fiddle already.  Thank God again, all went well and there was no need for any follow up treatment.  I hope he takes really good care of himself because we love him and need him with us for a long time.  I have been giving a lot of thought to where we should go in Ireland as Joan and Bill are in agreement that it would make Jim happy and we are all happy as long as we are together.  Maybe we should spend most of our time on the west coast with a trip to horse country around Tullamore and the Giant’s Causeway in the north.   We’ll see. 

I got to spend some time with Bernadette on Friday and I think she recognized my voice and actually smiled before she saw me.  She is a sweet baby who is really plumping up.  All her little forehead wrinkles are gone and her big blue eyes are observing everything.  When she sees her big sister, Agnes Rose, she smiles and coos. 

Agnes Rose and I got to spend some time together on Friday, too.  She took me on a tour of the garden (which her Papa is working very hard in with her help!)  We found tulips and daffodils coming up through the soil as well as crocus and a ladybug.   I was so happy to find the ladybug as ladybugs are very special to me and Kate.  We used to spread them in our garden and it was always funny to have a pint of them in the refrigerator afraid that they would be mistaken for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s! 

Yoga has been wonderful for body and soul.  Tomorrow I will meet the local Crones for coffee at Starbucks.  I have been rewarded for my hard work at yoga as the Dominos Pizza next door to the yoga establishment has been turned into a place called Vanilla Cupcake.  I will have to check that out on Thursday and get back to you.  I hope they serve coffee as well as sell cupcakes.

Being back on diabetic medicine has brought my glucose level down quite a bit but not enough.  I’m sure when I see the endo at MSKCC, I will be back on injections. I don’t mind that – at least it keeps me in check.  I am trying really hard to watch my diet but I need to exercise more……exercise more, what a joke – I NEED TO EXERCISE every day not just on yoga day!  And what with Passover next week, I already have a box of matzos waiting for me to butter them up and put on some sugar free jam.  Then there is Easter and the Peeps.  Sometimes, life is not easy.  I don’t mind not eating chocolate candy (and you can get sugarfree everything) but there are no sugarfree Peeps and I’d rather have Peeps (yellow, please, I am a purist) than any other candy…..although I don’t mind a Cadbury egg or two.  AUGHHHHHH!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you.

Yoga Cheer

This may seem to be a silly thing to write about but I am so happy I wanted to share it.  As you know, I’ve been going to yoga as often as I can – trying for at least once a week.  I really love it as the group is so much fun to be with and the instructor is so inspiring.  Anyway, joy comes in little ways…..a few weeks ago I started to spend time off the  chair and go down to the mat – it was a struggle after so many years as a couch potato.  I then needed some assistance to get back up – but I wasn’t the only one in the class so I wasn’t ashamed of asking for help.  Well, today, I got down on the mat and I got up from the mat with no assistance from anyone of anything!  It was a big achievement for me and I wanted to share this with you. 

My goal is to strengthen myself physically and calm myself mentally.  Physically, I would like to be in good enough shape to start walking in a few weeks so that I can go to Ireland this summer and not be a total drag.  Of course, I haven’t exactly shared this Ireland plan with Jack yet but I think he will go with it.    I’ll keep you posted!

All journeys begin with a single step so they say!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Well, the parade is on the television and the soda bread is in the oven.  Jack is marching along in the BIG PARADE again and no matter how long I watch the parade, I  never see him.  There are too many white haired men wearing Irish sweaters to pick him out.

It is hard to believe it is March 17 as the weather is glorious – warm and sunny.  After all the misery of this hell of a winter season, the sun almost hurts your eyes!  Agnes Rose will miss the snow, I fear.  Hopefully, the sand at the beach will be a good substitute for a few months.  Bernadette will enjoy a ride in the sled next year.

I think I shall purchase a corned beef sandwich at the deli when I go out later.  Jack won’t be home for dinner and I’m thinking a sandwich would be just right – maybe with a touch of Jamie….we’ll see.

I promised my pal, Jim, that if he was up for it, Jack and I would plan a trip to Ireland this summer.  It is ok with our other travel companions so we’ll see what we can do to keep our promise….God willing and the creek doesn’t rise.

Here is a lovely thought I copied from the program from the LAOH Division 8 St. Patrick’s Dance last week.  I thought it was beautiful:

St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.

–Adrienne Cook

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

Early St. Paddy’s Celebration

Last night, Jack and I joined some of our pals at a St. Paddy’s Day party at St. Patrick’s Church in Glen Cove.  It was run by Ladies Order of the Ancient Hibernians.  It was really good “crack” as the Irish say!  Crack being the expression used for great time!  It was good to see some old friends and acquaintances.  The food was great;  the booze flowed and the music had our toes tapping.    Of course, we were worn out by 11 and headed home by 11:30 – bet I was asleep by 11:45.  I am getting ready for a nap now.

Kate was down for the weekend to see her nieces – that Aggie Rose is crazy for Aunt Kate.   She could not wait for Kate to arrive and play hide and seek and color and draw.  Jack and I had brunch at Joe and Karen’s along  with Kate today and got to see Bernadette who is smiling and gurgling and, I swear, it seems laughing out loud.

Time for that nap.

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

So, Anyway....

Thought you might like to hear the conclusion of the last blog. After 3 days, I get a call from the gal from the endo office giving me an appointment for mid-May. I started to explain again how I was being treated a MSKCC for lung cancer and my sugar was VERY high and there was some concern and she informed me that I already told her all that, it was of no interest to her and that I should go see my Internist. I promptly made an appointment with my Internist for Tuesday and hopefully will be put on some medication as a stop gap. Meanwhile, Jack and I discussed seeing the Endocrinologist at MSKCC since all my records were there; it was good to have the doctors in the same place and able to coordinate medications, etc. Jack does not mind heading into the city an extra day a month if need be but I have since found out that they will try to schedule my appointments with Dr. Lung O and the Endocrinologist on the same days. See, that is a place that tries its best to accommodate its patients. Anyway, I got in touch with Dr. Lung O's secretary, Jacquie, who is the most helpful person on the planet, and she arranged for me to have an appointment with the MSKCC endo (a woman, praise be) for June although I will have blood work done in May. So, I still have to see my Internist to try to ward off any glucose crisis.

I will be canceling the other appointment for sure. It did not make me feel like I would get very good care. It is amazing to me that I have had such incredible doctors most of the time but the hardest time finding an Endocrinologist that relates to me or I to him.

Kate is coming home tomorrow to see Aggie Rose and Bernadette. She says she misses them - us, she doesn't miss because she saw us two weeks ago. I don't blame her one bit because those two little dolls are adorable - not that I am prejudiced or anything. I haven't taken any new photos but if you look on Notes from a Long Island, Joe has some wonderful photographs.

Last night I cooked wiener schnitzel. Jack and I are sick of eating the same foods all the time so I have begun to experiment with different dishes (see what happens when you retire and feel good?) The wiener schnitzel was delicious, accompanied by potato pancakes, red cabbage, apple sauce, and sour cream. I was very proud of myself and thought about lighting a candle and giving Jack a check at the end of the meal but since he did the grocery shopping, I refrained. There seemed to be so much meat but there was only one little piece left which is in the refrigerator waiting for tomorrow as we are not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. It was hard to have my tuna sandwich with the sound of the Viennese Waltz coming from the foil wrapped package in the fridge.
Last week I made Osso Buco and we enjoyed it. I froze some for Joe and Karen and Joe said it was excellent. He is such a good cook that I appreciate his compliments. Truthfully, I am craving White Castle hamburgers but figure they would kill me with the medications I am on. You know, you can only eat so much healthy food before you need a junk food fix!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you.

Update

Had my monthly check up yesterday at MSKCC and am happy - very happy - to report that my CAT scan from last week was fine, everything is holding its own. The Miracle Pill still seems to be working well! Unfortunately, my glucose level is rising and I have to see an Endocrinologist and go back on diabetes medication. If given a choice, I would opt for insulin or shots of some kind as the oral medication did not mix well with my Miracle Pill. I've been waiting since yesterday for a call back from the new endo's office to set up an appointment. All they wanted to know was my name, phone number(s) and type of insurance and referring doctor. I felt like I was trying to get into Homeland Security with my name, rank and serial number. All I want is an appointment but I am a new patient as I have not been very happy with my endo people and I'm searching for one who actually cares about his/her patients. I'm spoiled by the incredible doctors I've usually had.

Congratulations to Molly and Anthony and Chrissie and Pete. May your lives be filled with great joy and happiness.

Welcome to the newest member of the family, Marina, who was born on February 21. Marina is the daughter of Megan (Joyce) and Dave Lagnese (I hope I got that right - if not, let me know so I can fix it.) Mason Farmer is still the only fellow among all these female cousins! Hopefully we will be getting all the babies together for a photo shoot in the not too far distant future - at least before they leave for college.

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!