3–1 -11

Maybe inspiration comes to me on the first day of the month!  Actually, I have been ashamed of myself for not keeping you all up to date but I kinda got hooked on FaceBook even though I don’t understand nor particularly like it as a means of communication.  So, once again, I will try to keep up at least some information on this medium.

Mom did turn 100 on January 29, 2011.  I was sick in bed with bronchtis so Karen, Joe, Jack, Eileen and Jim headed over to the nursing home with balloons, cake, cookies, flowers and celebrated with Mom.  Unfortunately, Mom had no idea what was going on although she did seem happy to have visitors for a few moments and then went back to that hidden place in her mind.  I have been mostly in bed since the beginning of January although I am up and dressed and making every effort to shake this virus.  I have been to several of my doctors and it is a virus – even got an ear infection for the first time in my life.  Now I know how poor Bernadette feels when she gets one.  She is less cranky than I, however.

January and February were so snowy and cold I did not go out of the house unless it was to the local doctor or to MSKCC.  My latest reports on the cancer front are still the same which is good.  Somehow I keep wishing they would say that I am cured and to go home and stop thinking about it every day!

My beautiful grandies are growing up too quickly!  Bernadette is very merry and Agnes is such a bright and happy child.  Jack and I enjoy them very much and appreciate the time we spend with them.    Agnes likes Grandpa because he likes to watch “Dora the Explorer” so she gets to see it as well. 

We’ve had some sadness as my dear friend Marie Knott Kennedy lost her brother, Jim Knott, to cancer a few weeks ago.  He was a lovely guy – and he had 9 (nine) granddaughters.  I find that amazing!

When we were driving to the doc’s last week, we saw a large crop of lavender crocus in full bloom.  It was surely a happy sign that  in spite of all the cold weather, snow, sleet and rain – spring will always come.  I think we may all appreciate it a little more this year.  I know I will!

I can’t wait to get back to yoga which I’ve missed for months due to bronchitis, etc.

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

1-1-11

Sending you the most heartfelt wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!  Jack pointed out the date to me this morning and I got a big kick out of it.  What a day to have for a birthday – so I send birthday wishes to Katie R., my little cousin in Loudonville who was born on 1-1-00 – a true turn of the millennium baby.  I was think this year, a baby born on Veterans’ Day would have 11-11-11 as his/her birthday.  Too bad I didn’t find numbers this fascinating when I was struggling with Geometry, et al!  Now I let the bank balance my checkbook!

We had a quiet but fun time last night at Karen and Joe’s.  Joe cooked Chicken Marbella and it was delicious!  Jack fell asleep when we got home but I made it to midnight and then conked out  These days I am so grateful to be having a new year to celebrate, I force myself to stay awake!

Mom will turn 100 years old on the 29th of this month if God wills it.  She would be so surprised if she had any idea of her advanced age!  She is painful to see these days.   Continue to pray for me but remember those who have to make decisions regarding the health and well being of others as well.  It is not an easy task. 

Blessings to all.

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

‘Tis a Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, here it is Monday, the 27th of December and I am finally getting around to wishing you the happiest of the Christmas Season and all that is good and healthy and filled with joy for the New Year.  My good humor has little to do with the major blizzard we had here yesterday although the sun shining on it today makes me feel like a person kin to Johnny Appleseed has strewn diamonds as far as the eye can see.  Mostly the strewing is being done by the 30/40 mile an hour winds.  Last night, after I went to sleep, Kate and Jack were watching TV in the den when the front door crash open.  They knew it wasn’t Santa landing with a clatter and both jumped up.  The wind was that strong for those of you who don’t know my house, it is L-shaped with the door in the short corner of the L.  Tough to blow open.  Now we know how the little Pigs felt when the wolf huffed and puffed!  Jack and Kate left several hours ago after shoveling our driveway to shovel in PW 11550.  I’m glad Kate is still here to help Jack although I wish he would buy a snow blower.  We were just talking about this on Saturday.  Who knew?

Anyway,  my famous TV appearance is now on FaceBook.  Virginia suggested I write to Ben Aaron on FB and see what would happen.  What courtesy on behalf of Ben Aaron, his dad sent me a response almost immediately and posted the video on my website on FaceBook.  Unfortunately, you can only see it on FaceBook but if  you are interested, I’m sure you will find someone who has access to FaceBook.  You also have to be a “friend” of mine to access my account.  Is it worth all this effort?  Not really but it has its laughable aspects.  I thought I was reasonably humorous and not a total jackass.

Tom DeMerit sent along these photos.  I thought you would enjoy sharing them with me.  Hopefully, they will land up here and not willy nilly all over the page! 

Tom really made my holiday with these photos.  Bless his heart!

For all of you who have been on this journey with me, you will be happy to know I just passed 2 years on the clinical trial and there still is no sign of cancer.  This does not mean to stop praying, hoping, lighting candles – whatever you are doing to help me is working.  Surely this medication is miraculous but I truly believe it has a major Helping Hand guiding its power. 

I have been inspired to make beef vegetable soup since the weather is so cold.  I know it will warm up Kate and Jack when they return home.  I just had a cup and it is good!

lieve!

As always, love from me to you!

Oops!

I meant to include this photo in yesterday’s Christmas  Present.   Thought you would enjoy the idea that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

 

I did see a few seconds of my appearance on the Ben Aaron 12 Days of Christmas segment today.  I did not know it was on and turned on NBC to see my soap opera a few minutes early and met myself on the screen.  It was quite an experience, let me tell you.  Let me warn you to be careful of what you wish for as I appeared to  be a jolly fat lady who was really having a good time.  Little did poor Ben Aaron know how happy I am to be alive!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

Chasing the Humbugs Away!

After the wonderful, exhausting time we had last week, this week I’ve managed to catch a good case of the Bah Humbugs!  Well, I’m happy to report that with the lights on the tree and the beginning of the placing of ornaments and thinking of all the exciting, joyous Christmases we’ve been blessed with over the years, the humbugs are quickly being fumigated with the smell of pine and other holiday scents!

What set my heart where it belongs is finding these photos of Christmas past and Christmas present.   I actually taught myself to use the scanner so I can’t guarantee how fabulous the older photos will be but you will get the drift.   I have to say that Agnes Rose and Bernadette certainly reacted to Santa much like their Mama.

Christmas Past

   Karen at 3;  Karen 18 mos.

 

  Kate and Jack at Rockefeller   Center circa ‘81;  Karen and Kate visit Santa at the North Pole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Present

 

Joe, Bernadette, Santa, Mrs. Claus,  Agnes Rose clinging on to Karen for dear life!

 

 

Sorry for the big white space under the earlier photos but I’m a novice at this scanning stuff – but I have to say I am happy to have gotten this much of it!

Christmas Future

We’ll leave this one in God’s Hands.  He’s been doing a really great job!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

 

Perfect Week Ending

As you know, Monday was a really incredible day for us.  We still haven’t seen the video of my 60 seconds of fame as the two friends who made copies on their DVR lost the video.  Oh well, I will try to get one from the website but maybe it would be better to imagine myself being FABULOUS than actually seeing that I was pretty embarrassing! 

The week continued to be great fun although I must admit I did not get to one yoga class.  I’ll make up for it this week.   Tuesday night I had dinner with a dear friend from SCO days;  Wednesday night I had dinner with another friend from the SCO days;  Thursday I slaved over a hot stove and produced shrimp scampi and bow tie pasta for Jack.  Friday, well, Friday I had a four hour lunch with my pals from high school, Marie, Pat and Janice.  Pat had a gift certificate for one of my favorite restaurants and she had to use it up within the next 3 days so she treated us all to lunch!  We talked and laughed and enjoyed the time we spent together as only old friends can.   I got home in time to get dressed up a bit and put on some fresh makeup as we headed out for dinner with our friends Chris and Eileen Hughes and Bob and Kathy McMahon.  The Hughes’ treated us to a lovely evening at their club.   Again, loads of fun and laughter – good food and good friends make an amazing combination!

Today Jack has hauled in all the Christmas decorations for inside the house as well as a lovely fresh pine tree.  As I sit here typing, I am staring at the boxes of ornaments and other accoutrements of the season and wonder which ones I can make disappear without anyone knowing about it.  Putting them up is not so bad as the Christmas carols are fresh and joyful but putting them away is a genuine pain in the, a, ah – spirit of the season.  Whew!

I am cooking pea soup and a walnut Irish soda bread at the moment.  The cooking elf has taken control of me for today anyway! 

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!

Days of Special Magic!

Saturday was Bernadette’s first birthday.   Her Mama and Papa hosted a lovely party in her honor  at noon for her little friends and for dinner for the family and her aunts and uncles.  Karen and Joe made two lasagnas-both delicious.  Karen and Ag baked cookies and Joe made cupcakes and cakes to celebrate both Bernadette’s special day and Ben’s birthday which was on the 8th.  Honey Bee, because she is as sweet as honey, laughed and clapped and enjoyed everyone singing “Happy Birthday!”

Monday, Agnes Rose, Bernadette, Karen, Joe, Jack and I headed into the Big Apple to see the tree, have lunch and go to Radio City to see the Christmas Show.  Karen and Bernadette did not go to the show but visited I’d with Bernadette’s godmother, Lisa.  The rest of us, however, not only got to see the show but through the courtesy of Joe and Karen’s neighbor, Eric, we got a tour of the backstage – even got to meet the camels.  Agnes Rose got a chance to peek through the curtain to see the “house” from the stage.  I was so thrilled to be on that famous stage, I started to cry.  Eric asked me why and I said I’d been going to Radio City with my mother for Christmas and Easter every year of my childhood and never did I imagine be standing on that famous stage.   Well, Eric brought me immediately to the front of the curtain and there I stood facing the whole house.  I could hear the applause – at least in my head – as I imagined myself able to dance like a Rockette!

Well, you would think that this was enough excitement for one day but there is more!

As we walked from the tree over to Radio City, I noticed a fellow who is on an NBC show here at 5 pm (LX-NY.)  His name is Ben Aarons and he is a young, roving reporter.  I smiled and said hello as we walked passed.  He stopped me.  STOPPED ME.  Asked if I was familiar with the song 12 Days of Christmas.  Is the pope Catholic?  Of course, the words flew right out of my head with all those geese and calling birds and other winged creatures.    I could start at the first day but NO, we had to go from 12 to 1.  Total blank.  Joe and Karen were acting out the Lords Leaping and the Maids Dancing but I was too infatuated with Ben’s arm around me (and mine around him) to understand what they were doing.   All I really remember is a lot of laughing by me, Ben and the cameraman as I was too shocked to be nervous and was very relaxed and quite humorous (I think, although I could have looked like a total jackass.)  I am hoping one of my pals got a copy of it and I will try to get a video of it from NBC or from the internet.  Meanwhile, I had my 15 minutes of fame (well, 60 seconds) and no one knew it was on.  None of my family even thought to grab the camera and take a photo of me and MY BEN.  I now have my OWN BEN.

There’s more – I walked from 56 St. and Lexington Avenue to Radio City and then back again.   My legs did not hurt and I did not run out of breath.  That was probably the most miraculous thing of all!

Believe!

As always, love from me to you!