Getting Ready for Fall in NH

We are still getting ready for the fall/winter season. Another bird house went up for our feathered friends. I painted it the dark red that I love so much. I say, if you have a color you love, share it! In this case, I'm sharing it with the birds.

It's next to the other birdhouse that is just stained.  I like the look of it but I think I like the red one better, I wonder which one the birds will like??

Together with the bird feeder they make a great path from the trees to the house.  The bird feeder was in need of some repair, the rope that connected the top to the bottom broke. Hubby fixed it, I hope the birds appreciate it.  Since the bears in our area are well behaved and not a problem, it's safe to put these up.  We have to make sure that all the feeders are down in spring because when bears wake up from their hibernation, they wake up hungry!

The outside summer decorations are put away.  The vines around the arbor are cut back to the ground. This makes the back yard look so bare. However the deck chairs are still up for those few moments when the sun still comes out and warms us up. They will be down soon however.

The fire place is clean and ready to light up. I do admit that I love a fire in the evening.  The mantle is all set and welcoming (well I think it's welcoming at least). The dogs have a great stay but they were not cleaned, just told to get ready for their photo to be taken.  Becke is 13 1/2 (the lab) and August is 2 (Not the lab - really he's a Chinese Crested, Powder Puff)

While working in the yard the other day, Hubby found this huge catapilla. It was chewing on our lialac bush.  No idea what it was, but we found it a new home.

The double windows are coming down and the house if getting "buttoned up".  How about you?  My DIL told me once that her fall cleaning consists of moving the sweaters from the back of the closet to the front and putting out the pumpkin place mats.  Our fall readiness list is a bit longer....then again, she lives in San Diego! 

Hodgepodge

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?  Boy it seems to comes so fast these days. It must be the shorter days that makes time fly so fast.  Thank you Joyce.

1. What's one thing that's still the same about you as when you were young?
You mean other than my ring size? Well, I was pretty naive when I was young and I'm told that I still am. I don't see that as a bad thing.

2. What's more important-history or science? Why?
If we don't learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it so I think history is more important. But I like science better because of all the possibilities out there.

3. Lima, kidney, string, garbanzo, black or pinto-your favorite bean?
Green

4. What's something people come to your town to do?
Water sports, we have a lot of ponds and lakes around us. There are lots of boats on them.

5. When was the last time you were in a meeting? Sum it up for us in five words or less.
Today at work. Fun with food and Friends!

6. What special event would you like a VIP pass to attend?
Nothing comes to mind. Sorry

7. What's one piece of advice you'd give a writer?
Write what you love

8. Insert your own random thought here.
 It's cold up here! The blankets are on the bed and the socks are in the dresser.  The almanack says we are going to have a colder than normal winter with more snow than usual.  YUCK!

So now it's your turn, how would you answer the questions?  Join us OK.

MEDICAL TEST HODGEPODGE!

This is a testing week so boy am I glad to have the Hodgepodge this week. I bet Joyce didn't ever think she was a blessing in this way. Thank you Joyce.

1. When did you last sing happy birthday to someone? When were you last sung to? Does that embarrass you or do you enjoy being the center of attention on your special day?

Our Friend's son. He was turning 23 years old and also was moving away from home for the first time. So it was a combination of Happy Birthday, Farewell,  and Enjoy the bigger home all at the same time.  I don't remember the last time I was sung to. I enjoy the attention if it's among friends but if at a restaurant or something like that, I'm totally embarrassed. So don't do that to me EVER! 

2.  Name a famous or 'infamous' person (living or deceased) who shares your birth day and month. Is that someone you'd like to meet in person if it were possible?

David Janssen was born on my Birthday. He was an actor on The Fugitive.  I remember watching that show and I enjoyed it very much. Now he was in this show in the 60's so I was young and didn't watch it then, but I do remember seeing it later on when it ran as a rerun and it was then I became a fan.  He died just a month shy of 49th birthday. I would have liked to meet him as I read that he had a great sense of humor, something we never saw on The Fugitive. 

3. Someone hands you a box tied up in a lovely bow...what are you hoping to find inside?

Depends on the size of the box. A little box - jewelry. A medium box - camera. Big box - Out door  fireplace. A giant Box - New Fridge.

4. What can you guarantee about yourself?

I am a normal person, who needs a Savior to take away her sin.

5. Talking art and beautiful cities here...'The Last Supper' in the Santa Maria della Grazie Abbey in Milan Italy or 'The Mona Lisa' in The Louvre, Paris...which would you most like to see up close and in person?  Why?

The Last Supper in Italy because it's about our Savior.

6. Your favorite dessert?

WOW, there are lots of desserts that I love. Hot apple pie with ice cream, any fruit cobbler, bread pudding and just about anything with the word Pumpkin in it. I seem to love dessert in the fall and winter more than in Spring and Summer. 

7. This coming weekend marks the official start of autumn (in the Northern hemisphere)...what is something you do to get ready for fall? What is one thing you're looking forward to on your fall calendar? Spring or fall-which do you prefer?

Living in NH we have a long list of things we do to get ready for fall. Some of them include, clean the the pellet stove, fireplace and have the furnace cleaned as well. Pull out the winter clothes and put away the summer ones. Pull out the electric blanket and quilts. I look forwarded to getting all the Christmas shopping done before the weather gets too terrible. I hate to shop in the snow. Spring is my preference because I know that Summer is coming and I LOVE SUMMER!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We got some news about the biopsy from the other week, no stomach cancer and no esophagus cancer either.  I am currently undergoing the other GI test called HRM &; PH Impedance test. It's where they put a tube up my nose and down my esophagus to watch it all work while I  go about my day. I have to wear this thing for 24 hours with a box over my shoulder and a tube coming out my nose connected to the box - and if you think it sounds terrible, it is!  I will be so glad to get it out of me.  They want to see how my acid reflux reacts to what I eat and drink and how I move all day and sleep all night. I'm answering these on Tuesday so I haven't been to bed yet, but I don't think I will get much sleep.   How am I suppose to sleep with this thing up my nose, down my throat as well as out my nose and attached to a recording devise!  Anyway, it will be over at 9:30 on Wednesday morning when it comes out.  I plan on a really long nap!
Update: I got a grand total of 2 1/2 hours sleep (not all together). I wasn't able to eat anything so I had a liquid diet of protein drinks and coffee/tea and my whole face hurts with all the tape holding the tubing in place as it comes out my nose and down to the recording devise.  9:30 can not come soon enough!  Never again! Never again!

OK your turn. Have fun. 

More Answers, More JOY

Hubby and I got to go out for breakfast at one of our favorite places. It's a small place but it is very good. And just look at the size of the coffee cup!  Be still my heart!  We talked about the weather, the dogs, friends, and our news from the Doctor.  Last Wednesday we went up north to meet with the transplant doctor, Dr. Meehan. The news - I'm Good!

In fact I'm really Good!

My liver and kidneys really handled the Chemo perfectly! That was a real concern, but not now. I have good color and my hair is growing back. I look good and feel Great!
When I started Chemo back in May, the blood test said that someplace between 40-50% of my body was cancerous. I'm now at somewhere between 10-15%!  That was HUGE!

That cancer count really came down! I'm healthy, I'm strong and I'm ready to take that percentage down even farther. The doctor can harvest my stem cells now, but he wants to see if we can bring that number down even more.  So we are going to do another round of Chemo to see if we can't get that number below 5%.  At under 5% I can be in remission - where I really want to be.  At 5% the doctor can harvest my stem cells and they can be returned to me later, if I need them back.  That is the goal. Get me into remission, keep me there for as long as possible and if I need them, have a stem cells transplant with my own stem cells - which would mean no anti-rejections drugs needed since it's my own stem cells back inside of me. This time, chemo will be between 4-6 weeks! After 16 weeks of chemo, I can do 4-6 weeks more.

Back home we got the news from the Upper GI biopsy - No Cancer. The irritation in the esophagus is from stress, diet, or medication!  Not cancer!  I am on cloud 9!

We thank all of you for your prayers, concern, love and emails/comments about our health. Hubby is my rock and I am so thankful for all the prayers for him. I need him. I love him.  We are one.

Not sure when we will start the new chemo. It's a drug that is a bit hard to get so we are waiting for it to come in. The transplant doctor says it can take up to 14 days for the drug to come in.  In the mean time, more testing, and some more NORMAL life for us.

So, normal life is so perfect for me. Breakfast with my man, play in the yard, food shopping, laundry, and of course blogging.  It just feels so good to have a normal life.  A normal weekend. A normal week.

I have more tests to run, but mostly for small issues so that is fine. Then we start again, chemo, to kill more cancer in my body.  Life continues and I am still singing our fight song.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

One Word 2013: JOY of Normal

I've not been posting about my Joy for a while. I've been busy fighting Cancer.  Maybe my word should have been Fight. But I was lead to pick the word Joy.  And Joy is what I've found along this battle.  My latest JOY is NORMAL

JOY of Normal.
It's a blessing to have a normal week, with no chemo, no doctor's appointments, no lab work. No places to be, don't have to check the calendar to see who I'm suppose to see and why and what am I suppose to bring with me at what time.

JOY of Normal.

Breakfast out with friends

Shopping for fall decorations and gifts.

 Playing in the back yard, walks with the dogs out on a nice flat trail.

JOY of Normal.

Cooking meals for my husband and myself again, shopping, enjoying friends.

We start back up with another round of Chemo in  a few weeks but for now - life is Normal and that brings me a lot of JOY.