The Rest of the Story

They look like best buds dont' they!  And for the most part, they are.  They look for each other outside. They go out together and come back together. They both nap on Becke's bed in the living room.  When August is coming out of day care, Becke walks up the hall to meet him.  But every once in a while......

A few weeks back we were traveling back home from a doctor's visit up north in Lebanon.  After letting out the dogs for a walk, dinner and potty time, we decided it was our turn to eat.

We stopped at a local Friendly's for some dinner.  We wanted to sit by a window so that we could see the car and of course the dogs.  The meal was good, the server was very nice and the entertainment was hysterical.

August had figured out how to get the harness off and decided to tour the car.  We have a SUV so he would go from the middle seat to the back, looking out the windows and then back to the middle seat.  Then he would jump into the front seat to look out the front window. Back to the middle seat and back into his car seat.  Then he would do this routine all over again.  At one time he would stand on Becke's head looking out her side of the car as she was laying down. Apparently he was using Becke as both a landing pad and launching pad.

After a few minutes, Becke sat up, looked out the window, found us in the restaurant looking at them, locked eyes with what a friend calls "The Hairy Eyeball Look". The look that says, "You had better be eating dessert, paying the bill and getting yourselves back here!! There will be words here!!"  She then looked down.  August immediately got into his car seat, curled up and laid down.

We had a good laugh, paid the bill, and left the restaurant to go back to the car.  August pretended he was sound asleep, eyes closed and all.  I got his harness back on, shortened the tether and kissed Becke.  Not sure what Becke said, but whatever it was, August understood.  As long as Becke is in the car, August stays in his seat!! Message given, message received.  Too bad I was so busy laughing that I didn't take any photos.  You will just have to use your imagination.

Gotta love dogs!!  What a blessing they are!!

Time for an upgrade

This was the car seat for August.  It may hold up to 15 pounds, but he became too long for it.  I really love this car seat and am holding on to it but for August, we needed something that was larger for him.  We decided on a car seat where he could look out the window.

We got the 3-in-1 Snoozer.  Here are the photos from the box.

When all 3 pieces are put together, August sits 10 inches up from the car seat itself.  He really likes that.   The photo shows a Chihuahua, but it does fit August really well.  It has 3 parts.

The top part is the seat itself.

The seat unfolds and the front panel comes off to make a dog bed. Great for those dogs who sleep on a bed in hotels, or while visiting family and friends.  

The bottom part is 2 way suit case.  When separated from the top two sections, it has a top zipper that, when unzipped, has huge storage for all of August's needs.  It can be divided into 3 sections if your a real neat freak and want to put food in one section, dishes in the other section, and clothes in the middle.  When the suit case is connected to the top 2 sections, there is a flap in the front so that I can open it, reach in and take out whatever I want/need.

Here is the bottom again, with a zoom in to the suitcase.  See the flap on the front?  It's on the right side of the photo. I can easily reach in and get whatever is in there.

When it's all put together, it has loops that the adult seat belt goes through to lock it into place and there is tether in the back of the seat that attaches to a harness that August wears while in his seat.  All 3 pieces lock together and it can be removed as one unit if need be. 

August in his car seat.

He gets a great view from there and yes, his hair is a mess.  This was early in the morning and he still had "Bed Hair"

So August got an upgrade.  Not sure that Becke is thrilled by it but on the upside, she does have a little bit more room back there.  The down side...Well that's another story.

Playing in the Yard

Because I have no need to shave, or use a lot of shampoo/cream rinse,  I've been saving that money and decided to update the front yard.  The doctor wants me to rest, so we can rest in the front yard, right?

We added some free pallets right up against the house and filled the ground under them with decorative stones, lots and lots of stones.  Then I started to add plants on top of the pallets. Don't you love FREE?

Different size planters and some up on upturned crates for different heights made the pallets look colorful.

In front of the pallets, we dug up the grass, made it pretty straight, laid down weed block fabric and rubber patio tiles made from old tires.  Then we got 2 red Adirondack chairs.  We also added some folding chairs that we had for others to sit and enjoy with us.  From here, we watch those walking their dogs, riding their bikes and of course those driving up and down the street.  

Both dogs like being out there as well, there is shade, sun, a water dish and of course a lap to sit on and hands to hug them.  

This took a few weekends to do as before we could do any of this, there were 2 bushes up there that I hated from the day we moved in.  We had cut them down but we couldn't dig them out of the ground so we waited until they rotted in the ground and then Hubby dug them up.  One came out easily, the other.....not so much.

We really love to sit out there and listen to music, watch the world go by, talk, and most of all enjoy each others company.  

As my stamina improves, we are working on the hill by the driveway.  Laying mulch is hard work when you have to first weed out a years worth of weeds.  We didn't do anything in the front last year as I just didn't have any strength or stamina or desire.  This year I have some so it's time to pull the weeds and get that mulch down!!  

How's your Spring going?  What projects are you doing?

Laughter and Friends, Friends and Laughter

Have you ever heard of Cairing Bridge?  It's a free website where people with illness can write about what is going on in their lives and share it with those who want to know what is happening.  It's a great site for those who live far away and those who life close by but you still don't see them every often.  This was my Cairing Bridge Journal update yesterday.  I thought I would share it with you as well.  

Any day is a good when you have friends and laughter.  Recently I was blessed with  a wonderful day of both.  A friend and I had been trying to get together for some time for lunch.  However,  she would be ill, or I was, or there were 4 more inches of snow of the ground, or it  was raining so hard you just couldn’t see.  So the lunch date was postponed over  and over again.  

Finally, we decided to just do it!  We picked another date and  unless the Lord came to take us all home, we were going out to eat lunch!! She  picked me up at my house and off we went.   I remember thinking that she was one very slow driver but since I love her I would  keep that to myself. I did tell her that in NH a person could take a right on a red light and that she had the right of way (I’m helpful that way you know).

We arrived at the Longhorns Steakhouse Restaurant and got a parking space right by the door.   It was a sunny afternoon and I was waiting to play catch up with her and all that has been going on in her life.   Instead there were 24 other ladies waiting at our table!!! They all wanted to  celebrate with me that the stem cell transplant my Oncologist down here wanted was  postponed by the transplant doctor up in Lebanon.  We will change meds. We're going to up the strength of one and add a steroid and see if that works.  If it works, then the transplant will continue to be on hold. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll talk…

 So for the next 2+ hours, we laughed, took pictures, talked, got caught up with each other’s lives, sang and cried tears of joy.  We ended up having 3 waitresses caring  for us.  The table was set in pretty girly pink with glow-in-the-dark light up rings, a Tiara and a Feather Boa for me to wear and of course a magic wand to wave.  There were  pink “Jewels” and small paper purses all over the table and HUGE pink balls hanging from the Antler lamps and on the table.  OH And there were cards and gifts.

The  cards were so funny and made me laugh (you know those are keepers) and gifts  were so sweet. Among the gifts was a coffee cup with “You are a Courageous Woman” on the outside and a  scripture verse around the rim (Joshua 1:9); a happy thought for each day flip book; and  beautiful note paper with a matching pen for the fridge (these ladies know me!).

The  cards were passed around so that each one could read and laugh at the crazy friends I have. These ladies have been praying us through cancer for 2 years now.  They haven’t let down once to check in with me and talk to me and even told me that my hair looked great and – which is only about 1 inch long so not much to look at.

Now I understand why my friend Linda drove so slow, she was giving the ladies more time to get to Longhorns and get set up at the table before her and I got there.  Sneaky lady - I love her.  That's her behind me in the photo.  

Besides all the fun the ladies and I had, it was also a day that some of the men were caring for Gerry, laughts, BBQ burgers, stories and friendship for him as the caregiver.  That made the day extra special!

"IS IT JUNE ALREADY?" HODGEPODGE!

1. I've read several posts and status updates recently describing end of year school field trips. Do you remember taking school field trips as a kid? Where did you go and do you recall a favorite? For any parents responding today, have you ever chaperoned a school field trip, and if so where?

I went to a Catholic elementrary school, back in the stone age.  We didn't do field trips.  EVER!

2. What's something you're tired of seeing online?

I'm tired of those adds for the newest "Skinny Pill" with before and after photos of people who lost 60 pounds in 6 weeks.  Can't be true and those people didn't take the pills and didn't give permission for the photos to be used.  Many did lose weight, the hard way, over a year, and blogged about it.

3. June is the month for roses. Which of the following expressions would you say has most recently applied to your life-'everything's coming up roses', 'there's no rose without a thorn', 'came out smelling like a rose', or 'wearing rose-colored glasses'? 

I love playing with our grand girls and so every time I get to play with them I feel like everything's coming up roses.  Also, my health is pretty darn good so again, everything's coming up roses!!

4. When grilling outdoors do you prefer gas or charcoal? Who does the grilling at your house? What's the last thing you ate that was cooked on a grill?

When grilling outdoors I really don't care since I'm not grilling.  We use gas here but our son-in-law uses charcoal.  Again, I'm only eating, not cooking so I'm easy to please.

5. Are you afraid of the dark?

No, unless I've seen a really scary movie or a really big bug that didn't get killed.  Then I want a light on untill the bug is found and dead or I've watched something light on TV to take my mind off the really scary movie.

6. Share a favorite song with a number in it's title.

I looked up "Songs with a number in the title" and came up with a really long list of songs that I never heard of sung by groups I had no idea of who they were, so I guess my favorite songs don't have numbers in them. Sorry.

7. "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."(C.G. Jung). Do you agree? Why or why not?

Agree, even if all we learn is that some things really iritates us about others, we know what iritates us and so we have a better understanding of ourselves.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We have had 2 days of lovely warm weather and plenty of sun.  That must have been our Spring because it's about to get cooler (50's) again and rain - again for the next 3-4 days.  I hope you all enjoyed your Spring. I know that Summer is right around the corner.  I hope it's better than our Spring has been.

Your turn.  Tag your it. 

What a Weekend! Love and more love

Well, it was a weekend to beat all weekends.  Busy enough to keep us busy but not so busy that I couldn't get in a nap.

Friday night our oldest Granddaughter was in her very first "End of School Celebration".  At 5 years old her school had a great and short celebration of songs, jokes and ice cream.  We went to see this and was really proud of our granddaughter and how brave she (and all the kids) was to stand up on a stage and sing and tell jokes.

Saturday my firend Linda and I had planned lunch.  We had been trying to do this since the end of March but one time she was sick. Another time I was sick. Then she or I had something else to do so it took a while to get our calendars in sync to go out and enjoy a nice lunch.

We went to a local place - Longhorns Steakhouse - where we could sit and enjoy our meal.  What I didn't know was we were going to be joined by 25 others who all wanted to eat and celebrate with me.

We took up several tables and it took a lot of pictures to get everyone in but what fun we had.  

We laughed, sang, ate a gret meal and dessert and I got wonderful funny cards, sweet gifts and lots and lots of hugs.  

We were celebrating my remission and the fact that I don't need a transplant - yet!!

My transplant doctor is going to change up some meds and increase some meds and hold off on the transplant for a while.  We will reevaluate around the end of August. 

So I get to enjoy my nice warm summer with ladies who make me laugh, sing, pray, and make me feel like a princess. 

In all it took us a little over 2 hours to eat, and 3 waitresses to get us our food and drinks.  The staff was absolutely wonderful and joined in on the hugging.  

We took pictures. Lots of pictures!  At one point I think all the cell phones were going at once and then we shared the photos between the phones.  Those who didn't know how to do that, got instructions on how to do it while others took photos of that too.

                  

       

 I even got a tiara and Feather Boa to wear for the day.

I had just started going without my hat indoors so for some it was the first time they saw my new baby hair which is really light and blond so from a distance, I look bald, but I'm not. I have really, really blond hair that is very short still, but you should see how fast I can get ready in the morning now.  Really, I get up, brush my teeth, shower, put on some make up and I'm out the door without even running a comb through my hair.  It never moves and doesn't need any hair spray.  You should see all the money I'm saving on hair products.  Oh wait, you can see all the money I'm saving by not needing to use hair shampoo, cream rinse, hair spray or razors at all.  I'll show you tomorrow what I'm spending it on..

The best part of the day was all those smiling faces, all talking at once, playing catch up with kids, grand kids, moving, end of school projects, eating, laughing, talking all at once.  The fellowship was amazing. The love was overwhelming.

Another great event was that while I was enjoying all these ladies. Hubby was getting spoiled as well by some wonderful men who were caring for him as my caregiver.  He had a blast as well.  We really felt the love. 

Sunday night was small group with part of our "Prayer Warriors". Sitting in the country, singing songs of praise and discussing a portion of the 16th chapter of the book of Acts. We shared a few laughs as well. All in all it was a wonderful weekend. 

TAG TEAM TUESDAY HODGEPODGE!

1. What news story are you following right now?
Since our son and his family live out in San Diego, I've been following the weather channel and the fires out there.

2. What's the last thing you wanted but didn't get?
Well I live a spoiled life because there is nothing that I can think of that I didn't get.  Hubby takes very good care of me and I have whatever I want or need.  I know that I am blessed.  If it were possible for my son and his family to live closer to us that would be divine.

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...when did you last have a hamburger? Other than your own kitchen or BBQ grill, where is your favorite place to go for a hamburger? And for all you non-meat eaters out there...when you're invited to a cookout what is the one side dish you hope is on the menu?
I had a hamburger on Monday. Hubby cooked some BBQ pork ribs and hamburgers on the gas grill and he added a touch of BBQ sauce to the burgers. It was delish. He is a great cook.

4. How have your priorities changed over time?
Since being diagnosed with cancer I don't care as much about the small stuff, you know, dishes in the sink, or laundry not folded right away.

5. What's a favorite memory with your grandparents?
My maternal grandmother lived across the street from a bakery. A person could buy a loaf of bread that was not cooked yet and you could put it in your oven and bake it.  When asked if it was home made, she would say "Well it came out of my oven, so yes."  We ate at her house after church often.  She was a good cook.

6. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being fantastic!), how good are you at multitasking? Share an example.
10!! I'm a woman after all!  I can take a bath while talking on the phone, get dressed and apply make up  and start cooking a meal all without the person knowing anything.

7. How would you summarize your highs and lows for the month of May?
My highs would be sitting out front with Hubby on the faux patio that Hubby and I made with beautiful flowers all around us.  Just holding hands, sitting there and enjoying watching life go by was my high.  My low would be that a transplant may be in our future sooner, rather than later.  Yuck to transplant.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
We had the chance to watch our grand girls on Tuesday.  They are  5 and 3 years old.  Watching them color with crayons was so much fun. The little one would declare "I need a green one." and the older one would hand her a green crayon.  They share so well, and they play together so well.  I am so proud of the children they are and how our daughter is such a great mom.  How did she become such a great person with me as her mom?   I'm impressed by her.

HUBBY LOVES ME HODGEPODGE!

What a week this has been!! Playing with grand girls, gardening, cleaning, showing hospitality to a house guest and life in general.  Thank goodnes my Hubby loves me and copied the questions for me.  Come play along with us, won't you?

1. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?
Early in the morning after a really good nights sleep.  I seem to be clear headed and make much better choices then.  As the day goes on, my head just becomes too full of information and my thinking skills just goes down hill.  

2. Are you a risk taker? What's one big risk you've taken?
No not really.  I like to play it safe.

3. Some of the most common phobias according to the National Institute for Mental Health are-fear of spiders (arachnaphobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), heights (acrophobia), fear of spaces from which escape is difficult (agoraphobia), fear of thunder and lightening (astrophobia), fear of dogs (cynophobia), injections (trypanophobia), social situations, flying (pteromerhanophobia) and fear of germs and dirt (mysophobia). True phobias affect only about 10% of adults, but of those listed which would you rate as your greatest fear?
WOW! As I read the list my brain was going "Yup, yup, yup"  Holy cow!  I guess my greatest fear is  is flying and heights which really go together don't they. After all one is pretty high when one is flying right?  
  4. Are you settled or do you feel the need to move somewhere new?
I would like to move again.  Don't get me wrong, I like the town we live in and being in the country but I would like to be closer to the grand girls and on one floor.  It makes walking better on these old bones. We could still be in the country and still be closer to the girls.

5. What is something you find annoying when dining in a restaurant?
Over tired kids that really need to be home and in bed instead of out so late eating dinner.  I feel bad for the parents, but really people, take that poor tired child home and put him/her to bed. They don't care about eating out, they want to sleep!

6. Daffodil yellow, sunset orange, spring green, or sky blue...your favorite color this time of year?

Sunset orange for sure.

7. If you were going to take a holiday all by yourself, where would you go?
In the woods, in a log cabin, by a pond, lake or some other water source. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
This week, Thursday in fact, we are back at the doctor's to see if I'm still in remission.  I test every month and although I try not to think about cancer it's hard when every month I have to test and then wait for the results.  I am growing hair, it's blond!! It's short - oh my is it short - but it's growing.  The doctor thinks it will grow at the rate it did when I was a baby so I'll need a hair cut July 2016!!!  

Now it's your turn, jump in and answer  these questions.

TOO POOPED TO POP HODGEPODGE!

Thank you Joyce for coming up with the questions and thank you Hubby for copying them for me.  It's been a long week and I'm tired.

1. It's still May, right? When were you last in the middle of something that might be described as mayhem?

We had our granddaughters over on Tuesday and played and played.  Ever see two girls 5 and 3 years old and not see mayhem as well?  Me neither.

2. When did you last feel dismayed?

I can't think of a time recently when I felt dismayed, I guess it would have to be when my doctor told us I had a incurable cancer. That was pretty dismaying.

3. What's a food combination you like, but other people may find strange?

Moxie tonic and vanilla ice cream.  I love Moxie but most people don't know what it is as it's a New England thing.

4. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Do you think that's true? Why or why not?

I guess that depends on what you might have been.  I might have been a research scientist but at my current age, do I want to do all that school work? No.  So for me that is too late, however, I do research the drugs I'm on and research items I am thinking of buying so in a way I am what I might have been  just not the same way.  See, it's all in what you might have been.

5. US News and World Report listed the best historic destinations in the US as follows-Washington D.C, Philadelphia PA, Williamsburg VA, Charleston SC, Boston MA, Richmnd VA, Savannah, GA, Santa Fe NM, Yellowstone, San Antonio TX, San Francisco CA, New Orleans LA, and Charlottesville VA.

Of those listed how many have you seen in person? Which two sites on the list would you most like to see in person?

I've been to Washington D.C., Philadelphia PA, Charleston SC, Boston MA Santa Fe NM, and New Orleans LA. I would like to see Yellowstone and San Antonio TX.

6. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. If you had to participate in a single fitness activity for the next half hour, which activity would you choose?

Playing with a 5 and 3 year old! Best work out anyone can ever have.

7. What did you like best about the city, town, or neighborhood where you grew up?

I grew up right across the street from a ball field.  It was a huge field where in the winter time there was an ice skating rink, in the summer you could play baseball, football, and soccer all at the same time!  It was bordered on 2 sides by woods where the best ghost stories were told and many forts were built.  It was elevated so in the winter we would use our "flying saucers" and slide down the side of it and across the street and end up in our driveway.  It was a blast!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
New Hampshire has lost another police officer this week. He was called to a home and was shot shortly after her got there.  He leaves behind a wife and 2 teen aged girls.  It's a sad day around here.  Our police officers run into danger all the time knowing full well that they may not go home.  If you see a police officer today, thank them and say a prayer for them to be able to go home today.  

The last Hodgepodge of April

Joyce once again found time to come up with the Hodgepodge questions along with writing the A-Z challenge which was really challenging.  Hubby took part in the A-Z challenge and it was really a hard challenge.  So thank you Joyce.  Come play with us.

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Are you blooming where you're planted as we begin the month of May?
Yes, flowers are blooming finally and the sun has been shining for a while now but this week we are getiing a lot of rain, the left overs of those heart breaking storms that the south got.  The rain is filling wells and helping our flowers to bloom.

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no big deal, and 10 being full scale panic, rank your fear of spiders.Spiders! oh I'm a good 7.  Depends on where they are, if they are moving, how fast are they moving, and of course HOW BIG. I've woken up Hubby to have him kill a spider so that I could take a shower.  It was just that big!!

3. May is National Salad Month (who knew???)...besides lettuce, what are two must-have ingredients in your favorite salad?Onions and strawberries.  Love that combo in a salad!

4. I mentioned on my blog last week that my Daughter1 will be moving to Washington State after she is married. Of the following sites in the Northwest, which would you most like to see in person-Crater Lake (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands (Washington),  Mt. Rainer (Washington) Oregon Coast (Oregon), Mt. St. Helens (Washington), or Olympic National Park (Washington)Olympic National Park sounds like the perfect place to be and camp. It looks beautiful don't you think.

5. This coming weekend marks the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby...when did you last race (literally or figuratively) to cross a finish line?Running with the grand girls and losing to a 5 year old counts, right?  

6. What is something little you love?My wedding ring. It's a symbol of love from a boy to me. A promise to love, honor, of cherish, sticking with and sometimes puting up with me.  We are looking at our 42nd anniversary this July.  He kept his promise.  I love my rings. More importantly, I love the man that boy became. 

7. Would you say you are more of a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Elaborate.Visual for sure! Most of the time when I sew, I use no pattern.  If I can see it I can sew it.  Show me and I can repeat it.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here. This week in NH is school vacation week so both dogs are either home with daddy or in my office as all the day care and boarding space is full!  I've been taking one and leaving one at home as my office is too small for both dogs and me.  Hubby is tired and worn out.  Poor Hubby.

More on What to do When Your Friend has Cancer

So your friend has cancer. You and they had a conversation and you have a feeling of just how well they are doing.  Now what?

Many times you want to help but don’t know how.  Here is a list of things you can do for them.

1.       If you pray, then pray for them. Pray for a cure. Pray for strength to get through treatment. Pray for good weather to travel to doctor’s appointments.  Pray for the caregiver.  Tell them you are praying and for what you are praying for.

2.       Call or email them every few weeks if you haven’t see them at church or work. Ask them how they are doing today.

3.       Do you sew, knit, or crochet? Then make them a hat, scarf, hand warmers, or socks to stay warm.  Can you cut with scissors?  Then take 2 pieces of fabric, each 1 yard long.  Place them back sides together and cut all the way around them about 2 inches deep and 1 inch apart, then tie the pieces together.  Give that to your friend to cover themselves with. Use fleece or flannel for warmth. What other crafts can you share with them?

4.       Can you cook? Make them some Mac and cheese or a cream based soup. Both go down easily and make for a nice meal when one is too tired to cook for themselves. Go easy on the spices!

5.       Do you go to church or other functions at the same time, sit near them and be a "wall" to protect those who may be sick from getting too close.  Colds can become very serious very fast and child- hood diseases (chicken pox and measles) can land them in the hospital.

6.       Go on Pinterest and collect all sorts of funny and inspirational sayings. Copy and paste them on black sheets, print them out and give it to them.  A great funny reminder to brighten up their day.

7.       Tell them jokes, email them jokes, and tell them funny, even embarrassing stories from your own life.  A good belly laugh will go a long way.

8.       Go with them to pick out their wig, be honest and help them find one that makes them feel comfortable.

9.       Cleaning for a Reason is a nonprofit organization partnering with maid services to offer free professionals house cleanings to improve the lives of women undergoing cancer treatment. Send them some information to see if they can get help with house work while they are having treatment.  There are limitations but if you live in a large city, it may be just right for your friend. 

Here are a few things you can do that don’t cost a lot, but mean a lot.

1.       A snack size zip lock bag with lip balm, small bottle of hand lotion (Udder cream is wonderful for people with cancer), emery board (their nails break very easily), and some hand candy (ginger, lemon or peppermint) to help with upset stomach from chemo.  Something small to put in their purse to carry around. Give them a new one every month or so.

2.       If you know someone who sews, knits or crochets, maybe ask them to make a hat, scarf, hand warmers, socks or blanket. Make a care package for them. Or buy them, using coupons to save money.

3.       A bottle of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes on their desk allows them to clean away the germs from the computer; phone, desk, door knobs etc. and the sanitizer will help keep their hands clean.

4.       Buy them some baseball hats.  Wigs are hot and summer is coming, baseball hats are easier to wear.  You can find some that cover more of the head and tops of ears to allow them to feel more comfortable.

5.       TLCdirect.org has some really nice hats that don’t cost a lot. These hats are made for people with cancer.

6. Buy them children tooth brushes.  Doctors tell them to use those as they are more gentle on the gums which bleed easily.  Buy super heroes like the Hulk, Superman and Captain American as well as others.  One of the Princesses, Snow White, Ariel, Merida and others to help her feel pretty. Since they need to change the brush every month, buy lots! Good thing they are cheap!  Gentle tooth paste and mouth wash as well, Biotine works very well also. 

And by all means, take care of yourself because if you are sick, you too need to stay away from your friend. So eat right, take your vitamins and care for yourself, so that you can care for others.  

HUMPDAY HODGEPODGE!

1. April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. When did you last 'shower' attention on someone or have attention 'showered' on you? Did you love it, or did all that attention make you squirm?

I do like to have a little attention showered on me. Nothing too big, just something small.  I had that happen when I turned 60 last month.  Our small group had a small ice cream cake and funny gifts for me.  It was nice because it was small. Big groups and large over the top affairs make me squirm.

2. Share a favorite 'spring break' memory. Not talking about just the 'college spring break' thing, but any favorite spring break memory you'd like to share. Keep it family friendly please!

Spring break has never been a time of vacation or stuff like that.  In the fall we take vacation after all the kids go back to school and we take time to just do whatever we want to do.  No agenda, no plans, no pressure.  We just get up and do whatever, go where ever, we want to.  That to me is so relaxing and refreshing.

3. It's National Pecan Month...are you a fan? If so, what's your favorite dish that calls for pecans?

Oh Yes, Pecan Pie is a wonderful way to eat pecans but I also like them roasted and coated lightly in sugar and cinnamon.

4.  'Put all your eggs in one basket', 'egg on your face', 'rotten egg', 'walk on eggshells', or 'a good egg'...which egg-spression could most recently be applied to your own life?

"A good egg" would apply to my life right now.  Life is good around here.

5.  In my experience___________________________________.

Oncology nurses are the kindest nurses in the world!

6. What's a  favorite song with the word rain in its title or lyrics?

When I was kid we would sing
"Rain, rain go away
Come again some other day"

That song still gets sung around here some days.  But I also like "Singing in the Rain"

7. What does the word hope mean to you?

Since I'm a Christian, the word hope to me means Heaven. I know that a Heaven is there for me and I hope (know) that Heaven is real.  But for others hope means maybe something will happen like they hope to win the lottery.  It's more of a dream that may or may not come true.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We have had a few days of rain up here and as a result, we are seeing more grass (or maybe a better word is ground) than snow.  It's nice to see the flowers trying to break through the hard ground and so the clean up can start.  If only the temps would stay in the 50's longer.  We are suppose to see 60 on Wednesday.  Not sure I believe them, but it would be nice. 

What Do You Say to Someone with Cancer

Last week I wrote a bit more on what NOT to say so this week I want to write about what to say instead.

When someone first got the news that they have cancer, there is silence for a bit as the words sink in.  Some people start to cry, other hold the hand of the person that is there with them and many look at the doctor and say “What?”  The doctor then repeats “You have cancer”. They will add what kind of cancer “You have Breast Cancer, or you have Multiple Myeloma Cancer.”  But first there is silence. 

 So Be Silent.

1.       Be silent, look at your friend and be still for a few seconds.  Then say something like “I’m so very sorry”.  Give them a hug and if you are close enough cry together.

2.       It’s OK to ask “How did they find it?” or “I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that cancer, where is it?”

3.       It’s OK to ask “I’ve never heard of that cancer, can you tell me more about it?”

4.       It’s OK to ask “When did you find out?” Some people wait a long time to let the cat out of the bag as it were.  If they don’t look or act sick, you might never have known.

5.       It’s OK to ask “Have you met your Oncologist yet and what was your first impression?”

6.       It’s Ok to ask “What's your a plan of attack?”

7.        It’s OK to ask “While on treatment, what foods should you not eat or what foods can you have to help boost your immune system?”

8.       It’s OK to ask “You have someone going with you to the doctor’s, right?”

9.       It’s OK to ask “Did you tell your boss and are they willing to help you?”

10.   It’s OK to ask “Did they warn you of any side effects?”

11. It's OK to ask "How are you doing today?"

See, what’s happening here? You don’t make any judgments about them or the type of cancer they have.  You don’t comment on how they look right now. Remember, to the person with cancer, it’s all bad news. You don’t tell those stories of others with cancer, you listen to their story.   You ask questions, let them answer.  You get a feel for how they are doing, how scared they are. You get a feel for how much they know now and how much they don’t know yet. You get a feel for how much they like their team of doctors or not. You be a friend. 

Thursday, I’ll have a list of ways you can help your friend – many are free!!