Monday, November 7, 2016

What?


What hubby does when he wakes up too early , but I should be doing.

 WHAT we are thinking!!!
  1.  What ,are friend are doing.and thinking..................and going to lunch, bringing me giffties, etc.

My sister and me

one of our  younger grand girls. It is so hard for me to type and keep my fingers on the keyboard.

You see, I  have diagnosed with inoperable cancer. there are too many lesions in my brain. I can think ,can't write, can talk ok. it's hard.
Radiation starts tomorrow. Be back when I can.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

it sure does!!!!


Now That It's Cooled Off I Am Readin More

I apologize for restoring to the web for reviews ,but I can'y seem to think and type good enough. 
I eas in for a CT scan last night and a brain MRI this morning. I do have some bleeding, that is all I know for now.



Masterfully written and beautifully told, Heather Gudenkauf's debut is a stunning novel of family devotion, honesty and regret that will linger long after the last page is turned.  
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. 
Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by a tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried to be the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice.  
Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Desperate to find his child, Martin Gregory is forced to confront a side of himself he did not know existed beneath his intellectual, professorial demeanor. 
Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets.

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same.
Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. 
Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout?
Both are similar and excellent books, I HIGHLY recommend them.

This last book is a different genre, I needed too get away from "who dunnit" It's about a young boy, from a dysfunctional family who grow up with his 'grandma". Good story.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Happy Fall Y'all

 I made this card a year or two ago , I guess I never posted it. 

Friday, October 28, 2016

2 Movies in Less Than a Week, Really???


Last month Kevin asked me if I wanted to see Sully...I said 'sure.'
Sully
Excellent.

We haven't been to the movies in a LONG, LONG time. We really enjoyed it. The theater is new, has comfy and roomy seats.
A few days later I went to the movie with friends from book club. I prefer to read the book and then see the movie, since we read the book a few months ago it worked our perfectly. I didn't cry (I don't) but we all liked the movie.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Gift Ideas For The Home-bound, Ill, Those Hospitilazed, Those Undergoing Chemo

And anyone else you might be visiting  that you want to cheer up.
Yes, I think too much...........about stuff that may not matter. 

tic tacs
lip balm
treats for their furry family
purse tissues
small, bright bouquet
home made soup
favorite hot or cold drink from a fast food place
 stop in for a visit and just talk 
single serving size of sherbet or ice cream
assorted hot drinks for the Keurig (it's nice to offer drinks to visitors)
unscented toiletries
coloring books are all the rage (I don't color)
candy to suck on
ginger ale
ginger candies

While you are visiting offer to:
(maybe JUST DO IT)
clean his/her glasses
water the plants
feed/walk pets
fill the Keurig
wash the dishes
put the dishes away
switch laundry loads
throw clothes in the dryer
fold the laundry
carry something up or downstairs 
take the person shopping, some place fun, go out to lunch

Just some things that popped into my head






Wednesday, October 26, 2016

A Busy Week (for me)

Going to the dentist, lunch, and a tiny bit of shopping probably doesn't sound like a full day to you,,,,,,,,,,,,,but it is to  me. I was hoping to do more than the dentist, especially since I had a great appointment!! No natter that my son called when we were eating. That was Monday.

Tuesday was another good day, a old friend came to see me and took my for lunch! I found out That she sent me this beautiful plant a few days ago, she remembered that from over 25 years ago. Impressive!!!! We visited, looked at old photos, reminisced, laughed, etc.
I did not attend the Red Hat pajama party this year, last year I did. I  was too tired.
Today it is rainy, I will stay inside all day.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Bold Spirit


This an excellent book, don't hesitate to pick it up.
This is a true story. no wonder my friend wants the book back!



'In 1896, a Norwegian immigrant and mother of eight children named Helga Estby was behind on taxes and the mortgage when she learned that a mysterious sponsor would pay $10,000 to a woman who walked across America. 
Hoping to win the wager and save her family’s farm, Helga and her teenaged daughter Clara, armed with little more than a compass, red-pepper spray, a revolver, and Clara’s curling iron, set out on foot from Eastern Washington. Their route would pass through 14 states, but they were not allowed to carry more than five dollars each. As they visited Indian reservations, Western boomtowns, remote ranches and local civic leaders, they confronted snowstorms, hunger, thieves and mountain lions with equal aplomb. Their treacherous and inspirational journey to New York challenged contemporary notions of femininity and captured the public imagination. But their trip had such devastating consequences that the Estby women's achievement was blanketed in silence until, nearly a century later, Linda Lawrence Hunt encountered their extraordinary story'

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Cutting Back and a COnfession

I am cutting back on activities of late.......b/c of heath? weather? or what? Since my sinus infection I seem to be more tired. I don't like to be out at night after 8PM. I like to be in bed by 7PM......I play my games, read, or watch TV.......besides that it is dark so early.
Last week I did not go a local live production. I knew it was going to be good....but didn't want  to go out at night. 
It's cold.............50 is cold to me. I turn the thermostat up to 74 when I am at home.....have to remember to have Kev turn it down at bedtime.
Next weekend I have several reasons not to go to a scrapbook retreat....I get tired so easily. It is only October.....I hope winter goes quickly.
I am cold, tired, and slow.
I have started physical therapy for my neurorpathy ...hope it helps. I am tried of not driving, walking like a drunken sailor, and slurring my words. 
Wish me luck!!!!
I want to make a confession..............I have ACCIDENTALLY deleted one of your posts, I hate it when I do that. Sometimes I check comments on my Kindle and my thumb hits the delete button....and it is gone.....:-( so sorry....I love comments!

Friday, October 21, 2016

Wonders of Autumn

Monday I had an out of town dr appt. It is such a pretty drive to Fond du lac, especially this time of year. I don't get out much so my gf wanted to take me to a gorgeous apple farm. I am so glad she did. It was a perfect day for a lunch visit. 

 the photos do not do the trees justice


 It is a great place for younger children: goats to feed, a peacock, cats waiting to be petted, there's a playground area, corn maze, pumpkin patch, apple orchard....just a beautiful place to soak up some fall. 

 They have cafe with some fabulous looking food on the menu, it was closed so we just drooled and stopped in Valders to eat.
God certainly gave us beauteous trees to gook at




cute planters 
View from the craft barn, lots of wonderful stuff...or a great place to enjoy a nice cup of apple cider or hot chocolate




still have flowers 


fat person by a water fountain


Friday, October 14, 2016

Halloween's coming

Pumpkins are everywhere


So are the jack o'lanterns
 Not my style
 More
 These are cute

Just a few of the pumpkins I've seen around

Dear Lord....

I hate cancer and what it has done to my body and life!!!
Last night I was sooooo upset....
I am battling with feelings  of helplessness, loneliness, incompetence, invisibleness, etc. Last night I just wanted to throw things.  I am better today, but not over it. I hate being helpless and having to ask people, I barely go anywhere, where's my life?, I have a hard time walking, I am much weaker than I used to be. I know I shouldn't complain - so many people have it so much worse - most days I can deal with it. I really try not to complain much, it doesn't do any good. 
I know I can look up Bible verses and probably should do so.
I am thankful to the people that say I look good, that's a positive I can hold on to.
I am not sure what to pray, but YOU do! Dear Lord.....

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Polly's Pumpkin Patch

Saturday we took a short drive to Chilton, Wi for our annual pumpkin patch visit.
We did not have my car and I really missed my Onstar, but we made it.
In the front are the duck races, (pumping water), hay bale 'castle', in the back are the corn cannons (boys love it) - shooting corn out of 'guns' to try to hit targets. They are more games that you can't see. They're free (the wagon ride, corn cannons, and corn maze are $3.)


40' slide, the kids favorite
duck races

Corn cannons.......boys love it!!!
$5 for 8 cobs

The boys and I went on the wagon ride ($3)
We did not walk thru the corn maze - it was too muddy and I can't walk very good on uneven ground. We had a good time............not sure about Kev, he just stood and watched. Later we ate at DQ, boys are hungry people.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Can't Sleep? Me Neither

Millions of people can't sleep so we aren't alone, but we still don't like it. It's 2:12, 3AM, 4 and after.....
What do I do?
I lay there and feel: cozy and warm, slight nausea
I crave: a pickle, Bubbies sauerkraut, Mexican food, seltzer water
I hear: a quiet house, wind rustling through the leaves, as it nears 4AM there is a car or 2 driving past
I see: darkness, I have my eyes shut
I want: 10 more years without pain, God's will, to cry (but I can't)
I think: about writing this post and the Zometa treatment I have the following day

As is almost 5AM I fall asleep, and NO I did not fall asleep early the next night.

I really just want to stay home, in my leggings and sweatshirt, covered up with my blanket and read. Life is OK....'cept for one thing......

Friday, October 7, 2016

Synopsis of the Week

    

Nausea ✔


Cold      ✔

Cold/sinus getting better  ✔

Tired, always    ✔


Fall weather  ✔


Yes, it's time to find my sweaters and pants. I'm still wearing my leggings, I have a new pair of boots that look great with them.
Tomorrow  is supported to be cooool......no problem....no hurricane here, we are so lucky here in the Midwest. 
Were taking the boys
 to the pumpkin patch/corn maze tomorrow.
Yesterday I had lunch with my grandson at his school. We ate and then he read to me. That was really nice. He's the only one that attends that elementary school this year.
Other than that is was a BAD day.....but after today I think it will be OK.
I am still so very tired about lunch time. Today I kept moving and did not lay down. Napping is not normal for me. I don't know if it's my cancer or the weather. 
I have lots  of plans for next week: therapy so I don't walk like I am drunk, I'm hungry for homemade meatballs, shopping (lucky Kevin LOL), etc. 
Good Night.....more next week.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Pain

the dictionary definition of pain is: 

  • : the physical feeling caused by disease, injury, or something that hurts the body
  • : mental or emotional suffering : sadness caused by some emotional or mental problem
  • : someone or something that causes trouble or makes you feel annoyed or angry

Pain is not only felt physically, it can be felt emotionally......that hurts too.  Worry is a form of pain...will I be OK? What is going to happen? Do you care about me? Who will care for me? What is happening to me? Am I getting worse? Why can't I remember -fill in the blank???
I am not going to talk about physical pain because i don't suffer from it. 
But, sometimes aren't there days when you just want to take 15 minutes to cry for yourself?
I have been feeling more like that lately.The cooler weather? My emotions? Cancer?
The sinus infection I have?
If you're  a friend of mine you probably haven't heard me speak of it.......and you probably will not: b/c I don't want to burden anyone, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, and I do not have a reason. I just want to vent and see if anyone else feels this way.

Monday, October 3, 2016

It's Not Over Yet

It's Sunday night, but it won't be over until tomorrow. No matter how old or young, how healthy or sick you are the time just seems to fly by.
The weekend started out with a visit to my sister's. It's an 80 mile trip and too far for my sister to drive, so my friend was nice enough to drive me. We had lunch and visited. Hopefully we'll be able to gather together before Christmas.
OK. it's Monday night so the weekend is over, I get so tired at night that I am ready for bedt at 8pm.
Before we came home our grandson J called me and asked to spend the night.........About a thousand phone calls later we were able to make arrangements. Mom hasn't let him come over for months....the babysitter was sick (so it was convenient for her). Hubby leaves his phone downstairs and does not hear it..... One of my pet peeves.........I can't reach him. Thank goodness my girlfriend was able to stop over and talk to Kevin.
Grandson J made his 'famous' crazy bark.
Another Pet peeve - I don't like putting the dishes away, neither does Kevin.

Saturday I had plans to make my Paper Pumpkin kit from Stampin Up, Jalen went along and only 3 others were there, It was very nice. I was tired saturday night, in fact I have been sooooo tired since last weekend. Sunday I vegged and did not even get dressed, it certainly felt good.  
Kev bought cookie dough from work and promised the guys cookies, so sunday night he made some.

  Today we saw some. so after I finished at the grocery store I took some time to read on the deck.

It was a pretty, sunny night....
 No pretty colors yet, but soon...
Yes, I really need to catch up on my reading.