Pancake Tuesday

I seem to be living my life "holiday" to "holy day" this year. I can't believe it is Ash Wednesday tomorrow and the beginning of the Lenten season. I feel I have been so blessed by the power of prayer that I am going to try very hard to make this a season to turn my deeply held faith and belief back into a more active role in our parish life. I hope to start by going to Mass tomorrow at noon and receiving ashes. Somehow the ashes this year will remind me of what I'm working my way through physically while I look forward to the joy of Easter and all the promise it holds. I ask you to continue to keep me in your prayers during this special season.

I guess this has been the winter of my discontent! I am really looking forward to the reawakening of the flowers and trees and the song of the birds - even the noisy one who nests outside my bedroom widow every year and must be first cousin to the rooster as he starts singing shortly before sunrise. I don't know if I mentioned that we have been hearing an owl quite often this winter. I haven't heard it lately, though.

Pancakes were on the menu this morning so we won't be having them for dinner. I did make some turkey/potato croquettes from the leftover turkey breast. I made them early so I could just reheat them tonight. It is such a mess and takes so long to make them, I just wanted to get it out of the way so it would not interfere with my afternoon nap! This is one of Jack's favorite things to eat.

I had a happy phone call last night from my favorite internist, Dr. Kathy Restivo. She called to say she had been getting copies of the reports on my progress at MSK and that she was thrilled. She had also encouraged me to go to MSK when the thought was pancreatic cancer as she went to school with Dr. Pancreas. I told her I was glad I was there even though, thank God, it was not a new cancer but the metastasis of the lung cancer. We had a few laughs as we often do as she understands my warped sense of humor! Anyway, it was wonderful to hear from her and she was happy that she was kept in the loop.

Here is a shout out to my cousins in Connecticut today....hope you are enjoying your tea while reading this - especially Patty.

Now, time for my nap!

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you.

Sunday with Agnes Rose

Ye gods! I'm sorry I let the week go by without stopping by with some chit chat. Frankly, I was preoccupied with my toes, my failed career as a prima ballerina and some pains I was having in my arms - which I attribute to the antibiotic I was on for my toes.

Joe told me that Agnes Rose insisted on bringing me flowers to celebrate my recent good news from MSK. Here is a photo of them. Such a beautiful combination of white and fuscia roses with sea lavender as filler. The roses actually have a lovely scent as well. Isn't she a thoughtful baby?

So, right now Jack and I are babysitting our sleeping Agnes Rose while her parents are out looking at open houses. Their apartment lease runs out in June and it is time to start house hunting. I think it is the height of irony that one of the towns they are looking in is Port Washington as Joe comes from Port Washington, Wisconsin. Isn't that wild? They are looking at other towns as well - ones located near a direct line on the LIRR into Manhattan. Of course, I am rooting for Port Washington - not only for the name - but because it is the closest to us - just across the harbor.

This morning, I introduced Gingie Girl to a family tradition. My mother used to make free form ginger bread man shaped pancakes for me when I was a child; I made them for Karen and Kate (and some bunch of kids in the Hamptons!) and today, I made one for Gingie Girl. She seemed to enjoy it. See pictures above, I could not get them in the right place.

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!

Miracles Happen Every Day!

Just returned from MSK and am thrilled to report that the growth on the pancreas no longer exists and the lung growths are much smaller. I will continue on this Miracle Pill and go in for another visit in one month on March 16. God has smiled on me once again.

There is not much more to say except thank you all for your prayers and support during these past few months. I am so happy that the pancreas is "non-remarkable" meaning the pill got whatever was growing and I am ever optimistic that by the next visit, the lung growths will also have become "non-remarkable." With good luck, this pill will continue to target any growths anywhere in my body and nip them in the bud as it were. I will still need periodic testing and will be on this medication as long as I can tolerate it. Believe me, I can tolerate anything as long as I am alive and kicking!

We are overwhelmed with gladness and ask that you continue your prayers as prayers of thanksgiving and hope for all those afflicted with this scary disease.

We

Believed! Hoped! and

We continue to

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!

Late Valentine Wishes

Late, but sincere, Valentine wishes to you all. Yesterday just got away from me. Today's post will be short as I am feeling really tired. I think it is anticipation for tomorrow's appointments at MSK. I am hoping for good news and trying not to be setting myself up to be disappointed.

Kate has arrived from Boston and Karen, Joe and Agnes Rose are here. We are hoping to go out for dinner to celebrate Kate's birthday which was on Friday. Who can believe our own baby is 29?

So, send a prayer up for me tomorrow. I'll keep you in the loop.

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!

Twinkle Toes No More

I took the plunge today and went to the podiatrist. Let me begin by telling you that my podiatrist is not just any old foot doctor, he was a model in Seventeen magazine when I, and Seventeen and he, were just youngsters. Having said that, he is a wonderful podiatrist and not too hard on the eyes. However, I had done some "bathroom surgery" myself a few months ago and my big toe was kind of sore but with all else going on, I just ignored it. Then the other big toe started an ingrown and I let it alone figuring I'd make an appointment. Well, it took me until the toenail was long enough to scratch my knee before I made the appointment for today. Dr. Seventeen was not pleased with the two, hugely infected toes I presented him with expecting an instant healing. Well, he did some very uncomfortable (I did not scream) surgery on both, put me on a major antibiotic and cream and orders to soak my feet in Epsom Salts and extracted a promise that I would never ignore this type of problem again. I told him that he never hurt me before - I actually thought he was going to extract a tooth through the toe. I now have added this procedure to the five most painful things ever endured by me - right up there with childbirth, kidney stones, lung needle biopsies and tendonitis in my legs. I left out the nightmare of lung surgery without post surgical pain medication....that took the prize. He was very surprised that I said it hurt but to be fair, I never waited this long for treatment.

So, here I am with both big toes wrapped and sending off major heat. Guess they were pretty bad and now I will have to give up my career in ballet. Toe dancing seems to be out for good. What dumb things we do to ourselves! I put that in the plural because I am sure I am not alone in putting off health matters that would be almost nothing if resolved early but turn into nightmares when procrastination wins.

Fortunately he put me on Levaquin which I was taking for my chest cold and UTI as the UTI has returned and my cold is still not totally gone. Now at least I feel as though I am taking care of more than one thing at a time.

Tomorrow we head in to MSK for THE CT scan and an echo sonogram. I only hope and pray that the Miracle Pills have been doing their thing. I won't know anything until Monday when I meet with the team so don't look for any results until then.

Tomorrow is Kate's birthday. She is coming home on Sunday so we will celebrate then. Hard to believe how swiftly the years fly. We are all looking forward to seeing her.

Pray extra tomorrow!

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!

Sunday Surprise Monday Joy

Here is Agnes Rose decked out in her Sunday go to visit outfit. She looked so cute and when we complimented her on how pretty she looked, she pulled her skirt out almost as though she was going to curtsy! Even she knew how sweet she looked in her purple jumper and fancy shoes! I think she looks like a little imp in the middle photo!

I'm feeling a little better today, at least the cough has been gone for two days and nights. I am still dealing with the nose but hope that since it was the first to start, it will be the last to go - and soon.

Friday is the big day at MSK - echo cardiogram and CT scan. We'll get the results on Monday. Just reminding you so you pray extra hard that the growth on the pancreas has indeed gone away - and I would not mind hearing that the lung tumors have shrunk or gone away as well! One thing at a time, I guess.

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!

When You Wish Hard Enough

Sunday can be the loneliest day of the week for me so I am glad you are there and we can have a conversation.

Yesterday, Eileen and Virginia came to visit. We were supposed to go out to lunch but I am still under the weather with this nasty virus. Virginia was hilariously funny and we laughed so hard at her wit. Today I was going out to brunch with the high school les jeunne filles as Janice has tried to fool me with this new moniker - I still prefer Crones and Miss Jean Brodie but what the heck - a rose is a rose by any other name......However, I have taken to the mattress (move over Don Corleone.) Tomorrow I will call BP at MSK and see if I can renew the antibiotic as I am still running, wheezing, sneezing, coughing and ..... well, I don't need to name all Seven Dwarfs, do I?

Earlier during the week, I awoke in the middle of the night and as is my habit, I turned on the TV. I flipped around and found a show called "Knit & Crochet for Today" on the PBS Create TV channel. I was inspired by an afghan square they were showing and decided to go back to crocheting which surprised Shirley as she had no idea that I even knew what a crochet hook looked like never mind used. Well, I searched all over for this program on the Internet and could not find it. I soon began to think I dreamed the entire thing up but did begin to get my hand back into crochet. Then I remembered I gave all my mother's needles to Kate and I had a few plastic ones but they just don't have the same weight and feel as the aluminum. Fortunately, Kate is coming home next week and will bring me some of the needles.

Well, today I found the show again quite by accident - I did not hallucinate it and actually got the correct web page and all the directions I need for this afghan square which looked so intriguing - as a matter of fact, I printed out several patterns whose stitches used to be part of my repertoire but need a refresher course. I have never been able to read the patterns as my mother was always around to show me first hand how to make the stitches (although mine were never up to her standards - passable but not like her's and Aunt Lou's - she said my "hand" was more like Aunt Anna's. I remember Aunt Anna always made beautiful intricate designs for table clothes and bedspreads while the other two made woolen blankets which have kept many of us warm on a cold winter night. Believe me, I would not mind having Aunt Anna's hand but I know I do not have the patience for this fine stitchery - I need to use a broader stroke and get it done before my interest wanes. Long range projects never work for me!)

Well, you will never guess what just happened! Karen and Joe called and they are in the neighborhood and are going to stop in for a visit. Guess my loneliness will disperse as soon as I see my Gingie Girl smile!

Believe! Hope!

As always, love from me to you!