Dress Up Day at School

Since they boys are going to a private school this year, they have to wear school uniforms (khaki pants and collared shirts) most days. But today they were given the option to dress up in costumes for Thanksgiving.

Entropy Boy chose to be a pilgrim. Please ignore the silly face. He's been making that one for all photos lately:



And Spiff wanted to be an Indian:



Spiff's costume isn't very historically accurate, but it was easy to make and will double as a Davy Crockett costume somewhere down the line. We already have the coon-skin cap and the rifle for that one.











The classes will be having Thanksgiving feasts today and then they are off until December. What fun!

In a Cooking/Baking Mood Lately

I'm feeling festive and ready for the holidays to begin!

Saturday was the day of the annual cookie fair at the Episcopal church down the street. Every year they put up a sign that has Sesame Street characters riding a train with peppermint wheels. Well, this year Joe didn't want to go. Oh no! Where will we get our fudge?

I hopped on the computer and pulled up some recipes from allrecipes.com. I then beknighted Spiff as our official fudge maker for the family. He did a great job! We have Peppermint Chocolate Fudge and Coffee Shop Fudge cut up and stored away for gift giving and snacking. They are both YUMMY! Click on the recipe names and you'll be directed to the recipes.

Today I made my friend Tigger's Jezebel Sauce. We had it on my weekend at Mystic and it is sooooo good! It's got that sweet/spicy thing going on and is like honey mustard on steroids. I LOVE it! I'm bringing it to the P's house for Thanksgiving.

Tiggerific Jezebel Sauce

1 c. apricot preserves (may use orange marmalade or peach jam)
2/3 c. apple jelly
5 TBSP Creole or prepared brown mustard
1/4 c. prepared horseradish sauce (I used prepared horseradish, not the sauce kind)
1 tsp (or more) freshly cracked ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill in the frig for 1-2 days for best taste (although it is still good right away). Ladle 1/2 to 3/4 c. over softened cream cheese and serve with crackers.

Makes 2 cups. Would also be amazing with ham and biscuits or on sandwiches.

Eat What You Want. Go See People. Happy Thanksgiving!

I went to see my oncologist this morning for a blood draw. All my counts are good. She said "Eat what you want. Go see people. Happy Thanksgiving!"

Yaaaaaaaaaahhhhoooooooooooooooo!

I don't start up chemo again until the Thursday after Thanskgiving. It will be a welcome break.

This last round of A/C was hard--primarily due to the shot of Neulasta (sp) that I got the day after chemo. Instead of 4 Neupogen shots, I got one shot of Neulasta to boost my immune system. I was able to get the Neulasta because I was going to have 3 weeks in between chemo treatments. However, the Neulasta gave me more bone pain than the Neupogen did. I was on the couch with a heating pad on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday I battled reflux. Oy. I'm glad to be feeling better now.

I'll update more later. I've got to go pick the boys up from school and get their costumes ready for "dress up" day tomorrow--they are allowed to dress like Native Americans or Pilgrims.

Last A/C Chemo is done--I'm half way through!

My mom called and said I should update. Well, I'm tired. No news there. I'm really tired.

I'm half way through with chemo now. I'll rejoice when I have more energy. The Taxol part of the chemo comes next. It won't wear me out as much, but it will have different side effects, like my eyebrows and eyelashes falling out and my fingers and toes going numb.

I'll let Joe tell you about the flooding in the basement. [sigh]

Another Good Weekend

Cara from SL said she's been blog-stalking me (Hi Cara!) so I thought I'd give an update so she has something new to read. ;-P

Boy, did I need this off week! I have been baking for Christmas (lemon bars, strawberry cookies/candies, and cranberry oatmeal bars) and freezing everything. I made pizza for Friday Night Movie Night and we watched The Gods Must Be Crazy.

On Saturday we baked the meal given to us by the mom of one of Spiff's school friends. We also made some meatballs in marinara sauce. Between the two we had meals for the weekend and were able to just relax and have some good family time. Joe has been a little confused because he doesn't know what to do with me when I'm feeling well and up and around. Like I said, I really needed this week. It has been good to be nearly normal again.

I took the boys in for their dental appointments (no cavities were seen) and hair cuts. Spiff got some new jeans this weekend because he is wearing holes in the knees of all of his jeans. Hopefully he won't wear holes in these until he is closer to outgrowing them.

The Keflex (antibiotic) doesn't seem to be doing much of anything for my port scar. I'm beginning to think it is just red because I started chemo so soon after it was put in. It just hasn't had the ability to heal nicely without interruption. I'll see the surgeon on Thursday morning before I have my last A/C round of chemo. I'm going to have to talk to the oncologist about my chemo schedule--my week break means that I'm supposed to start Taxol on Thansgiving Day. It would also put me on schedule to have chemo on Christmas. Maybe she'll delay an extra week between A/C and Taxol so that I won't be hitting holiday days? I don't know; we shall see.

I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow to talk more about reconstruction. I have all sorts of thoughts swirling around in my mind about it. He called me today and we spoke briefly--he said the radiologist wants me to have the surgery after radiation. That is not the impression I got from her. I will let the two of them work it out; it all has to be done at some point or another. They are the experts at when everything needs to be done.

So, those are the latest updates. All incredibly, wonderfully B O R I N G !!!

Update: No surgery, no chemo--stronger antibiotics

It's a good thing I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of girl.

I went to the surgical center directly--they wanted me there at 1:30 and the surgeon couldn't see me until 2 pm. So, they did all the intake stuff and got me in my little paper warming gown. I just needed to meet with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist before I walked down to surgery.

My surgeon walked past in the hallway (on the way to go find out where I am) and saw me waiting in my gown, so he stopped in. He looked at the port site and said he didn't think it needed to come out--no swelling, no puss, the red isn't spreading to the surrounding skin. So he called my oncologist and consulted with her on the phone.

The result: I am on a stronger antibiotic and will see him again in 7 days. I will have to reschedule chemo, but for now I have A FREE WEEKEND OF FEELING GOOD!!!

God is so good! This weekend is a gift I really needed. I was dreading feeling yucky again, so I am happy dancing here!

Change of Plans: No Chemo Today--Surgery Instead!

My port site has been looking ugly, and the antibiotics haven't been helping. So the oncologist today decided that it needs to come out and I won't be having chemo today. She called the surgeon and I am scheduled for surgery at 2:30 pm Eastern time.

While this messes with my chemo schedule, on the bright side, the recovery from the port surgery is pretty easy and I will get some extra "good" days on this cycle before I start chemo again.

I'm packing my overnight bag in case they decide to keep me at the surgical center for IV antibiotics instead of oral ones.

Please pray for quick recovery for me and no lung issues. I began to have a cough after the port was put in, so I'm hoping I can avoid a relapse of my lung issues.

We Need a Little Christmas

I've decided that on good days, I'm going to work toward getting ready for Christmas. Slow and steady makes the race, right?

Today I'm listening to a CD called Christmas Cocktails. I love hearing Lou Rawls and others belt out Christmas tunes. (Christmas Hint: I don't have the other two CDs in this series.) While I'm dancing in the kitchen, I'm making Kelly's Cheery Red Strawberries. They freeze really well and look great on a plate of cookies for gift giving.

Kelly's Cheery Red Strawberries

4 small boxes strawberry jello (not sugar free)
4 tsp red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups finely chopped nuts (I'm using pecans because I have them)
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Red and green colored sugar

Place first 4 ingredients in mixer. Mix thoroughly. Stir in nuts and coconut. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until mixture stiffens.

Scoop out mixture with small melon baller or scoop and roll into ball. Flatten one end and taper the other end to look like a strawberry. Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet and keep forming strawberries. Roll 3/4 of strawberry in red sugar. Dip flat end in green sugar.

These freeze wonderfully! Layer them in a container with waxed paper between the layers.

Yield: about 100 strawberries.

Medical Update

My last round of A/C will be tomorrow if my MUGA scan (I had one Monday) comes out showing no heart damage. Two weeks after the last A/C treatment, I will begin Taxol, which will take 8 weeks to do 4 rounds. That is the one that will make my eyebrows and eyelashes fall out.

My white blood cell counts rose from 1.7 on Friday to 6.1 Monday. That means I didn't have to take Neupogen shots this week.

I'm fighting some sort of infection. I was on Cipro over the weekend, but it was switched to Keflex Monday because my port incision is looking unhappy. It is itchy too. The Keflex is a better abx for skin stuff, so I'll take it for a while to help my body with whatever is going on.

After my weekend away (and a few days of Cipro) I am feeling really good today. Too bad I have to have chemo again on Thursday. I like having good days!

I Had the Most Amazing Weekend

I have had the most amazing weekend with some of the best friends a girl could have. Tigger came to pick me up on Saturday and she, her husband and I chatted the whole way back to her house. We arrived about 5 minutes before MA'AM pulled in with Java Junky and Lizzytish in her car. MA'AM had left Maryland at 5:30 am for our weekend away.

Tig had her home set up like a B&B. She had gone to the Lindt factory store and bought a HUGE assortment of chocolate bars. (Chili/Pomegranate was wonderful, as was the one with creme brulee filling.)

She had sent her men off to a hotel for the weekend and it was an all women's event, with the exception of Dulce the cat. We talked and laughed and laughed and talked. And drank lots of coffee and tea. And ate lots of chocolate.

We went to Mystic Pizza (of movie fame) and had a great lunch. Then we walked around Mystic and saw the sights, watched the boats on the river, and ate homemade ice cream at a shop by the drawbridge (because the Sandys wanted ice cream). Oh, and we visited a yarn shop and they saw me pet the yarn. I did refrain from drooling too obviously.

Back at Tig's house we ate some *more* and tried to build a fire. We talked and talked and talked some more. Then we slept and got up and drank more coffee and talked some more while we knitted or cross stitched or just hung out.

When it was time to leave (all too soon) we prayed and parted ways. Tig and her dh drove me back to my house, but Beastie Girl (Tigger's SUV) wanted to make a detour to the LL Bean Outlet and Trader Joe's first. Tig and her husband came in and met my husband and boys and Hank the Cowcat quickly before they had to head home with their purchases.

It was a wonderful weekend. I feel refreshed and energetic and the best I have felt in more than a month.

Good friends are God's gifts to us. Cherish them.