T Stands for Get Your Kitties Checked

 

Today, begins Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Yeah, you've heard it. Go get your mammogram. The test is not fun. What's the harm in skipping a year or two?

I'm here to tell you to make sure you get your kitties checked. I had a routine mammogram a year ago in November. A few days later, I got a call back. "There was some calcification seen on the image. Please make an appointment so we can do a deeper scan."

On January 2024, I went in to have the deeper scan. After, I was asked to wait so the radiologist could read the image before I left. I barely sat down when the radiologist came into the room. Calcification is common in older women (moi). She said if I were younger, she would have me wait 6 months to do another scan, but the calcification looked very suspicious. She strongly suggested I have a biopsy.

The biopsy was done on January 23 and two days later I got the pathology report: DCIS Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. Carcinoma. Cancer. Whelp, that sux. The good news though, it was caught very early and the second was the "in Situ.": abnormal cells are found only in the place where they first formed. They have not spread, and they rarely spread to other areas of the body. 

A lumpectomy to remove a very small lump, 16 radiation treatments, and taking Tamoxifen for the next 3 years, was a speed bump in my life. On June 27, I was told I was cancer free.

So ladies, I'm the poster child for getting those routine mammograms. I had no clue anything was going on. No pain, no lumps, no bumps. Nothing out of the ordinary. Make sure you have your kitties checked every year. No excuses.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Farewell, Summer

 

From September 2, 2013

I will miss you. Deep sigh. forlorn look. You barely got started after the month of rain.  I'll miss the hazy, hot, and humid days. I'll miss working in the sun room and taking Popsicle breaks. I'll miss evenings in the sun room and how light it was outside even at 9 PM. I'll miss going outside without a jacket. I'll miss island time and the slower pace of days. Until next year.

Is it July, yet?

Whatcha Doin?

 

Sometimes no one wants me. Sometimes everyone wants me. I'm blessed my hands have work to do.

Whatcha doin?

Whatcha Doin?

 

Due to circumstances beyond our control, I am not sitting with Teague on a beach in Newport, Rhode Island.

Teague always says when something happens there's a curse and a blessing. What's the blessing? Since I don't have plans to be anywhere this week, I won't have to wear a brassiere all week. 

Whatcha doin?

A Little Visit

 

A text from the Niece-in-law to ask if they could stop by. They were on their way to an indoor playground not far from my house, and the Littles had something they wanted to give to me.

Most Sundays we are home, but wouldn't you know this Sunday we were on our way out to have lunch with last term's teaching assistants?

The NIL said they would leave the item in the front porch. 

Just as we were on our way, the Nephew was at the door with two,  sweet, little plants from his Littles. Just in time for the first day of Spring. 

 I walked to the car so I could thank the Littles and the NIL. We had a nice, little visit.

D picked the light pink plant on the left while his older sister, G, picked out the darker pink on the right. The plant is a Calandiva which is also known as Kalanchoe. The plant is a succulent,  it doesn't like direct sun, it doesn't like a lot of water, and sadly, it's also poisonous to cats. Hopefully, I'm not poisonous to the plants.

The little pots are 2.5 inches and fit nicely on the window sill in the studio where the kitties are not allowed. 

Thank you to the Nephew, NIL, and their Littles for thinking of me. You made my day.

No Need

No need to apologize if you show up "late" to read a blog post. Late is a relative term. I'm just thrilled and grateful that you decided to spend your time with me.

Oh, It's Saturday

The End of the Line

Hard to believe 2014 is almost done. My diary bulges from where the watercolor brush caused the pages to buckle and from cards and small things glued in the book.

 Only two more entries to make in this year's Good Stuff diary. Wednesday will be a time to read through the book to see all the good things, big and small, that happened this year. Truth be told, I've flipped through the book from time to time through the year.

I hope to get to Staples, either today or tomorrow, to buy a 2015 diary to continue the practice.  I blogged about the how to here. Do you plan on keeping a Good Stuff jar or diary in 2015?

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week:

1. The flusher on the toilet broke. So we had to flush the toilet with buckets of water. Holy Mary on the Prairie.! Himself took the tank apart (because fishing in the toilet tank is definitely not a Little Princess job) and replaced the innards. We can flush like normal people again! It really is the little things that give meaning to life.

2. I lost two bags of sugar

3. Since the new microwave arrived damaged and couldn't be installed, Himself and I went to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

4. I can almost fit into a pair of The Young One's jeans. They are a little tight. I can't put things in the pockets, but I can pull up the zipper without lying across the bed.

5. A new, undamaged microwave was finally installed. I missed having a second microwave. Spoiled much? This one has a power saving feature. Supposedly, it will save electricity when its not running.

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week:

1. After picking up my artwork from the show, Light, Himself and I stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Sturbridge for lunch. I had the BLT on sourdough bread.

2. We bought a new over the range microwave.

3. I took 7,016 steps between walking on the treadmill and at the mall.

4. The Christmas tree got taken down before Valentine's Day

5. I got a prezzie in the mail! A reversible print, polartec, cowboy Heath blankie and a fuzzy, bandana print pillow. Thank you, Sunflower! Perfect gift for the polar weather. Ink thanks you for the box.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week

1. I found just the kind of diary I was looking for at Staples to use as The Good Things Journal.

2. I got my hair cut.

3. Went to the movies with Himself and the girlies. Saw The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug. in 3D

4. Found Ma's Zeppole recipe (Italian doughnuts) and made a batch for New Year's Day breakfast.

5. Wicked stahm swirling around us, but I don't care. No one has to go into work or school today, so all my chickies are home safe and sound.

Good Stuff in 2014

My colleague and friend, Sue Simpson has come up with a wonderful idea to focus on the good things that happen through the year instead of being bogged down by the negative. Sue proposed a Good Things jar. Every day, you write down on a slip of paper something good that happened that day no matter how big or small. Then you put the paper in the jar. On the last night of the year, you empty the jar and read all the wonderful things that happened. I like the idea, but I'm going to keep it as a journal.

I've been blogging since 2007 and am running out of ideas for The Friday Five. Since the blog layout got a makeover, it's time for a new twist for Friday. Starting this week look for Five Good Things That Happened This Week.

Here's to a productive, healthy, and happy 2014!

Farewell, Summer

I will miss you. Deep sigh. forlorn look. You barely got started after the month of rain.  I'll miss the hazy, hot, and humid days. I'll miss working in the sun room and taking Popsicle breaks. I'll miss evenings in the sun room and how light it was outside even at 9 PM. I'll miss going outside without a jacket. I'll miss island time and the slower pace of days. Until next year.

Is it July, yet?

Blizzard of 2013

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Thursday, 2/7/2013 The 35th anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978.

At 3:30 PM, the college where Himself and The Eldest works announced the school would be closed for the entire weekend. At 7 PM, the college The Youngest attends announced the school would be closed on Friday. Everyone was going to be home safe and sound during the storm.

Friday, 2/8/2013 Innocuous little snowflakes began falling at 9 AM. We had adequate provisions. Water for 7 1/2 flushes. Another 5 flushes. 8 gallons of drinking water or 4 more flushes whichever comes first. Home-made cheese pizza 1. Home-made cheese pizza 2 because someone snacked on the pepperoni. At 9 pm the snow was coming down at a pretty good clip with blowing and drifting snow. And at 1 AM we still had electricity. Gottseidank!

Saturday, 2/9/2013 8:30 Still snowing. Still have electricity and still can flush. Ink inspects things from the front window. View from sunroom slider.  11:30 and the clean up begins

Noon: Path to the mailbox cleared. Outer wall of driveway is breached. Opening of the driveway cleared. Time for lunch and some ibuprofen. Front of mailbox still needs to be cleared. Cars and half the driveway still need to be shoveled.

Counting Blessings

I almost forgot about this little journal. Time to get back to it.

It took almost a year and a half after college graduation, but The Eldest finally landed her first dream job, and will actually put her biology degree to work.

She started yesterday as a lab tech at a community college. She'll be responsible for cleaning glassware, setting up labs, preparing reagents, and cleaning the lab. She gets to wear a lab coat, and her new boss is ordering the lab techs surgical scrubs as the techs had complained that spills ruined clothing.

She's excited to finally have put a halt to the Catch-22 of needing 2 to 5 years lab experience for entry level jobs. The downside to the job is the hours are part-time, but hopefully it won't be long before a full time opportunity presents itself.

Next up, car shopping so she doesn't have to share my wheels.

Have a Happy Mole Day. That is celebrating Avogadro's Number 6.023x10²³  and not the rodent.

The Friday Five

Five surprises that happened this week:

1.  The red high tops I ordered arrived earlier than expected.

2. The company I hired to do the final cleanout of the old homestead, said the job would take three days to complete. They finished in two.

3. Because the cleanout went so quickly, the real estate agent was able to list the house earlier than expected.

4. Minutes after the listing went live, an offer was made on the old homestead.

5. The Eldest gave me and her sister a gift. No reason. Just because. The Young One received a cool, bat cuff bracelet. The Eldest gave me this fun shelf sitter.

How was your week?

NaNoJouMo - 24

This is an odd Thanksgiving for me. With my folks in the nursing home, it's the first holiday I haven't had to host the Holy Day of Obligation. The Brother goes to his in-laws. The Eldest is working. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I'll be able to watch the Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Parade for the first time in over 10 years. I like the balloons and the marching bands.

I went to the Macy's parade site to choose a balloon for today's journal entry. Saw they now have a Blue Sky Gallery where each year an artist is asked to design a balloon for the parade.  This year the featured artist is Tim Burton with his B balloon. I like Tim Burton's quirky style and skewed view of the world. B is  "a boy obsessed with flying and has the scars to prove it."  That made me laugh.

I'm sitting with my cup of tea waiting for the parade, waiting for the B Boy balloon.  I'm wondering where are the balloons? the bands? the floats? In between a gazillion commercials are inane commentary from parade hosts and snippets from Broadway musicals (I'm not a fan of muscials). Guess I haven't missed much of the parade these past 10 years as there's little parade. I'm thankful for the mute button.

Do you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade?

Counting Blessings

Thank You for the electricity that powers the lights, and the computer so I can surf the Internet, blog, and tweet.  Thank You for the electricity that keeps cold the food we eat. Thank You for the electricity that keeps the sump humming. Thank You for the electricity that keeps the water running (just not seeping into the basement.) Amen.

Nikko Zebra Comic, Ziller Glossy Black, water color and salt.

It's pouring buckets, again. What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Counting Blessings

This week I'm teaching calligraphy at a summer recreation program.  I have a group of 12 and 13 year old girls. 'Tweeners. The girls are bright, talented and funny. How fortunate to be able to play at work.

Do you get to play at work?

Counting Blessings

One of my guilty pleasures has been to take a break in the sun room and watch monster movies. TCM has a monster movie marathon on Thurs. night, and sometimes I record those to watch later. Verizon also has a large selection of monster movies On Demand. As a kid I watched a lot of those movies lying in front of the ol' RCA with my face buried in the carpet. since I don't remember a lot of the stories, it's almost like watching the movie for the first time., and this time around I don't have to bury my face in in the carpet.

Do you have a favorite monster movie?