Cannot really talk about it live…so. I had dinner with my son (26 yrs old), last night. His tests came back just awful. His left testicle is measuring very small, being strangled by blood vessels (like a bunch of worms) and has 5 black spots that came back on the ultrasound. Suspicious cancer. He goes back on the 30th of Jan for the results unless they come back early, they will call him. My mood is not good and I apologize in advance of my manners.
Super quick post as I'm slammed at work. So much to get done today. My plan is to walk on my lunch hour and visit Bob after work. He got home yesterday evening.
Annie - I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I'm keeping him in my prayers. Did they do a biopsy? Are those the results he's waiting for? Sending you lots of love and big hugs, dear sista friend.
Gotta run...I'll try for personals this evening or tomorrow morning. Sorry.
Oh Annie your son & your family r in our prayers for HIS divine Healing Immediately. I feel your heartbreak, he's your baby boy. He needs to feel his momma's warm strength that got him through his childhood, so please b brave & live w/o worry to keep him looking @ his long, amazing future when your together.
My dh is a cancer miracle w a terminal prognosis given: days to 2 weeks to live, when Ron had a reoccurence that had metastasized swelling his belly w 10 tumors in his liver looking like a 7 month pregnant woman; that happened 6 yrs. ago. A clinical trial RX, saved my Dh that we took home w us for Ron to try, w his Morphine & pain narcotics to die @ home peacefully. Dh's oncologist was thrown when he saw Dh's body healing 5 days later. The Rx is called Gleevec. Miracles happen daily & my husband is just one of many. Cancer can b Destroyed.....
Our temps won't b as warm as predicted, looks like we can go snowshoeing in our woods this weekend
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
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Hey all,
Quick post for me. I agreed to cover one person's afternoon shift at the thrift shop today and I have to get ready soon. I now have vegetables in my house and some fresh fruit. Yum yum. I am happy. Tonight we are trying out pork chops from my stash. The farm lady has cows for sale cheap - but even a 1/4 cow (minimum purchase) is over 80 pounds of meat. Guess I will just have to pay more and purchase the beef as I need it once a month when she comes to town. That's it for me.
Annie, Annie - I am so sorry to hear of the news with DS. Again I say as always, don't worry (hard) until they give you a good reason to. Sending good wishes, prayers and healing thoughts to both of you. Be strong. I can only imagine how this news must tear at a Mom's heart.
Michelle - so glad to hear that you are feeling the positive effects of surgery. I'm sure it will take you through the occasional questions of why did I do this?? I hope the stone pain went away. I am wondering if sometimes major surgeries cause the body to go wonko and make stones. My cousin had prostate surgery and afterwards it's a common side effect to get bladder stones. Yikes. Thanks for the info on Bob - it's good to know he will be looked after well. You are a good friend to him.
Dee - how nice to have your sons back in the same state with you. I hope that means more visits for Mom. Good luck on the walking program - when we bought our treadmill we bought one that was good for running even though we don't run - the Precor has a good cushioned track on it - figured it would be good for DH's back. However it doesn't do much good sitting in the garage with boxes on it, does it? It's good that you will get outside, get some exercise and some fresh air.
Ceejay - what are no bake cookies? Then again, maybe I don't want to know
Laura - thanks for the link on the glasses. Bummer that the only close by Jazzercise instructor is arrogant. Sometimes it's like that. I have to try and remember what kind of lens I got in my glasses the last time - I was very happy with them but I don't think they were the Nikon ones. I hope you find something that works for you - I totally understand trying to get the frames to work with your prescription.
Time's up - I have to get ready now. Hello's to the rest of the chicks I will be back later and let you know how the pork chops worked out.
Morning all. Where did the morning go? Our company had its quarterly earnings call today. Last year was a good year for us…we’re looking forward to bonuses, lol. I have to get out at lunch for an errand. No workout last night and it was a rest day for the pushup challenge. Tonight I should get to the recplex for my passport and a class! I’m a bit apprehensive about jumping back in – some of those classes are challenging and the one instructor is good, but pretty demanding! On the bright side, it would be nice if I run into my cousin.
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Terra – Sorry your foot was hurting again from walking. And boo on the cold! I hope you feel better soon!!
Annie – Nice it wasn’t painful picking out your frames. Bf has told me I will be on my own this time around – last time we were out looking was enough for him. As well as when I was shopping for sunglasses, LOL. My headache was due to TOM – I’m just glad they are very sporadic, thankfully. Too bad you haven’t started your yoga yet! Next week right? Just read your latest post - I’m so sorry to hear that the test results for your son were not good. I hope the other test results can clear up what’s going on and can rule out cancer!!
Ceejay – Sorry you had a poor night’s sleep the other night. Did you get good rest last night? And I forget – do you start your weekend today or tomorrow?
Dee – Hope you can get out for some snowshoeing before the snow melts. How nice that your ds will be back in MI again. Will he be nearby? We used to get good deals on contact lenses from Costco, but for some reason the pricing has gone up. I think the ballbark for steps is that 10,000 is 4 miles? Of course it depends on the length of your stride. I have 2,211 steps so far today on my pedometer, and the pedometer says that’s .87 miles. My fitbit says I have 2,429 steps with 1.08 miles. Good luck with your walking plan. We can post our steps each day – how about that? I’m not a fan of treadmill walking – just too boring. An indoor track is better, but not much. I just prefer the outdoors.
Michelle – Glad Bob’s at home where he wants to be!!!
Hellos to the rest of you! Have a great day!
PS - Just saw I missed some new posts. Will try to get back here this afternoon!!
Thank you girls for your kind thoughts, prayers and love. I am giving it to God and trying not to worry or think about it. Amen. I will say this, I am sick of the word cancer.
Annie - I'm right there with you being sick of having loved ones affected by cancer. I've lost way too many people I love to cancer. And I have several family members and friends who survived but after much emotional and physical trauma. Cancer effing sucks. I'm sending prayers, love and healing energy to your son and brother. I love you, my sista.
Afternoon all. Just went through a pile on my desk and got rid of a lot of it. Many more piles to go, but I’ll keep plugging on them.
Happy – Glad you’ve got your fruits and veggies in the house now. We are terrible about that in our house. If bf is making dinner it generally doesn’t occur to him to put a veggie on the plate. Sometimes, I remind him, sometimes I don’t bother. (I’m not a huge veggie fan.) Today I did bring 2 small apples, an orange and part of a pear to work with me. Not in the mood for any of it, but I will at least eat the pear because it was peeled and chopped and the lemon juice I sprinkled on it isn’t keeping it from starting to discolor and it will only get more unappetizing as the day goes on.
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I just finished reading the last few pages of a book at lunch. It was the book club book - The Dinner, by Herman Koch. Book club met this past Saturday and I skipped it because I hadn’t finished the book and because I didn’t feel like going. I didn’t like this book at all. Thank goodness I’m done with it! Another book I just started is The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler. He was a former head of the FDA, and the subtitle of the book is “Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. I think the jist is that processed food has a very deliberate, deeply researched combination of sugar, fat, and salt that is essentially addictive to people. I imagine the "self-help" part of the book is quitting processed foods. I’m not a big reader of nonfiction, especially diet/nutrition books (since I’m still have the food mentality of a child – I want to eat what I want to eat!), but I’ll give this one a try, if only to prove I can make it through something like that.
Our city is on the verge of shutting down. It will depend on tonight's city council meeting. We did get paid today just hope the check doesn't bounce in the morning. Heard this on the news tonight.
We are supposed to get a dusting of snow tonight and in the morning.
And I'm starting my 4 day week end today.
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Annie Sending healing vibes and prayers to you and your son.
Laura
Yes I slept good last night. I felt guilty about complaining about where my bff keeps her thermostat set but hey I had to do something. The vents are directly over my bed and there is no where in my bedroom to rearrange things. Think I have the temperature of the house a little to chilly for right now but I can bump the temperature gauge up if needed. I'm with you on the veggies. I have to force myself to eat those.
Happy
Dee mentioned her no bake cookie recipe in her post. It's the same thing that I bought. I like having my exercise bike here at home.
Michelle
So nice that you are going to visit with Bob tonight.
TGIF.....had a great check up with the doc from my surgery. Everything looked great, she swabbed it out and I don't go back until 4 months for another pap to make sure all is clear. Yeah!!
DS is supposed to come up tomorrow so I can do his taxes. If he does, DD is coming over with the kiddos to visit. I babysat last night and the kids were so good. Eating all their dinner and playing nicely. Snuggling up to Nanna too! Of course I sucked all that right in.
CEEG...wow, I hope they city comes up with a budget or money to pay you, not good to work for free, especially when we cannot afford it. Maybe retire before you think? lol. Glad you are sleeping better.
LAURA...Kudos to you on reading a book you do not like, regardless if it is book club or not. I just cannot do it. If I am not interested, I don't read it. Hmmmm, a nutrition book, I am guessing we ALL know what it is we are to eat, fresh everything that is not fattening or sugary. I love veggies and fruit. I could live off of them. Phooey on meat, unless it is seafood or maybe chicken, otherwise I could care less. Haven't ate much starch/bread since 2007, RNY surgery.
CHELLE...hope Bob is comfortable and resting as much as he can. Reminds me of my momma's end when she said to me that she hated me sitting there watching her die. It is all so sad. Where are you on WL? Hugs to you and Bob.
HAPPY...how was your shift at the Thrift shop? How are you legs/feet holding up with all this working and exercising? With the pork meat you got and then beef, I would probably never by meat again considering how little of it we eat.
DEE...have fun in the snow. We are having 40s temps this weekend. I am loving it as I do not like cold and snow. Thank you for your support on DS and my family.
CLAYGIRL...what's up? Any news?
SHADDIE...working from home next week? Hope you puter works for you.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
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Hi everyone,
We were supposed to go shopping up in Duluth today but there was overnight and early morning sleet and icy conditions so we took a pass. The sun is out now - that's nice as we haven't seen it in many days. Starting to feel a bit blah without it. It was very slow at the shop yesterday - I did about $7 in sales all afternoon. A lot of browsers, not too many buyers. A few people popped in to drop off some donations. The bulk of the sales occurred about an hour before I got there - don't know if that's when folks come into town or they just rushed in before I got there
Annie - that's great news about your surgery. that things hold up well and no more issues. So nice that you have some cuddle time with the grandkids and will have both DD and DS over together for some family time. Has Jacob accepted that he has a little brother and might as well just work with him As for the meat, I am more like you - have no trouble eating a palm sized (no fingers) portion of protein - and even that's a lot - just give me a bunch of different veggies to eat with it. DH is the opposite - lots of meat and a salad is good by him. Yesterday we had pork chops from the pig - they were very tasty. I am starting to think it's worth the extra price getting meat from the farm - I can notice a difference in the taste more and more and this good stuff defrosts nicely, unlike the color and texture of meat at the grocery store. Thanks for asking about my legs - I am only working one day at the shop so not standing near as much as I once used to - especially with it being much more quiet now. I do feel the effects of the yoga classes - but it's a good ache and I tend to stretch for about 15 minutes in the morning before I get out of bed. They say to wake up "like a cat" - big stretches.
Ceejay - I sure hope the city doesn't shut down - cash that paycheck quickly! I thought only California shut down due to lack of funding, guess it's spreading. That's unfortunate that you can't adjust the air flow in your bedroom vent - I don't know why they make things like that. Just put a warmer blanket on the bed. They said the body naturally cools down for sleeping so one gets a better rest when the room is cool - as long as you have snuggly covers.
Laura - I saw on FB but have not tried yet - someone suggested putting fresh pairs in a bit of lemon water rather than just squirting lemon juice on them to make them keep from browning. I don't think much keeps them white, just have to eat them quickly. Good for you for taking some fruit but I understand how things sound/look good when packing in the morning and then lose their appeal when the time comes to eat them. I do that with snacks I take to the thrift shop all the time. I'm with the others - hate slogging through a book that I can't get into. I asked my sister once why people post rude reviews on books like "what a waste of my time reading this bore". If I don't like something, unless I HAVE to read it for book club - then I put it down. Even so, sometimes I skipped book club because I didnt' finish the book. My sister said once she starts a book, she sticks with it hoping that it will get better - sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Good luck getting through the nutrition book - I have yet to get through an entire one. I'd rather read the "cliff notes" summary in an article. I do tend to agree that the manufacturers put additives into foods to make us want them more - just like cigarettes. I also agree that you do yourself the biggest favor by weaning off as much restaurant and processed foods as possible. I am starting to pay very close attention to how I feel with and without exercise, sugars, lack of fresh foods. And I can say without a shade of doubt that movement and fresh foods keep me on an even keel. I don't wake up dancing to the morning sun - not that kind of person, but I do feel a great deal more aches and pains and stiffness when I don't move, sit too long in the house at the computer or tv and eat starches (potatoes, corn, green peas) instead of salads, broccoli, squash and fresh fruits. Even my old favorite snack of fresh apple slices and a dab of peanut butter is better than a granola bar. I think we are running through our busy lives and tend not to notice things or blame them on things like weather, TOM rather than the real causes. I miss the fast foods variety in Chicago but then again, I am also glad I am away from the temptations. I hope you get a nice bonus at work - that would be a welcome surprise.
Dee - that is amazing that your husband did well with his recovery. I believe we all have a time and if you don't go when things look bleak, it's because it's not your time yet. Other times like with my brother - you can have the best care at your disposal - everyone else in treatment goes into remission and his cancer just amped up. Sometimes too I believe that sad times are the old brick in the head reminder to us to appreciate what we sometimes take for granted in life. I hope you got a good walk in the snow the other day - it's warming up here too. I'm wondering if we will be in for an early spring this year One lady at the shop mentioned that the birds appear to be singing their spring songs already - I have to say they are getting noisy again like they do when they start singing for dancing partners. As for your question about rendering lard - if you do it correctly - low and slow to separate the lard from the cracklings - the resulting lard will be snow white, odorless and colorless. If you are in a hurry and render it at too high a heat, it will start to cook the cracklings and that's when you get a faint pork flavor to it. I told DH to use a teaspoon of the lard yesterday to grease the pan for the pork chops - I think it gave a good flavor to the chops but might have been that the pork itself was flavorful. I want to try a tiny bit cooking up some fried eggs - they said it would be the best eggs you've ever eaten
Shaddie - come up for air? Still buried in work? I hope not - just a bit out of pocket with the dreaded laptop, eh?
How are things going for you Terra? Are you doing any more cooking school?
Guess I should go poke my head out the door and get 5 minutes of sunshine. DH just announced it is 39 degrees out there. Sun AND above freezing - nice while standing on the deck, not so nice as the packed down snow is turning to slippery ice - I had a hard time walking through the back parking lot at the shop yesterday. Anyway - have a good weekend everybody.
Kind of disappointed this morning when there was no dusting of snow. I waited till around 11 to get out to the bank and deposit my pay check. And boom it was sleeting with a few little snow flakes mixed in. whoopee. That's better than the foot of snow some people got last December.
Think the Mayor was playing hardball last night on the news. We have a couple of stubborn city council members who balk at every thing. From what the Mayor said before election we have more than enough funds, it's just that those couple of city council members didn't like the idea of us getting a raise this year. We hadn't had one in two years. Good Grief. They approved his budget but was still going to talk about adjustments in next meeting.
Happy
You mentioned the birds singing more loudly. I noticed twigs near the aerator last week. So I'm supposing they have started to build their nests. I've been checking one area where one set of birds build every year. Nothing their yet.
Annie
Aw, getting to cuddle with the little ones. I'd be doing that too if I could. I'm a bit upset that my niece said that her dh and 2 year old wouldn't be coming to the wedding. I've never met the little thing. Sure would like to. Maybe if I tell her I would babysit she will bring her.
Oh and by the way, I found my diverticulitis diet sheet. Yeah.
I went to see Bob last night. He's at home, but I don't know for how long. Even though he has round the clock care, he is not as confident/comfortable about them as he was with the Stanford staff. He is afraid to fall asleep because he's afraid he may not wake up, so when he starts to fall asleep, he wakes himself up. The sad truth is that even if he fell asleep and stopped breathing or his heart stopped at Stanford, he signed a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate), so the doctors/nurses at Stanford couldn't do anything anyway. I was there for about an hour, and he was conscious/awake for around 10 minutes. He really wants to go back to the hospital. I think dying at home scares him more than dying in the hospital. His sister and brother are in talks with his physician to see what can/should be done. I feel so bad for him. It's tough to watch my good friend in his last days (or maybe, hopefully, weeks). Last night I spoke with a mutual friend of Bob's and mine. She and her husband are very close with both Bob and I. She is having surgery on Monday and should be home by the end of the week. Once she's settled in at home, her husband wants to come down to see Bob (assuming it's not too late). Her surgery can't be postponed, and her husband doesn't want to come down until after he knows she is ok and home and settled.
I went to the gym this morning and did 1/2 hour on the bike, 10 minutes of elliptical and 10 minutes on the treadmill. For some reason, my back isn't a fan of walking on the treadmill but it doesn't mind walking outdoors. I was hoping to get some website work done before I head over to Bob's for a visit. Later this afternoon, I have a boob squish appointment. I wonder if it will hurt less since my boobs are smaller Then I'm going over to my step-mom's for dinner. My step-brother is back in town from Belize because he's hoping to have back surgery as his back pain has gotten worse and worse. If he does have back surgery, he'll be here for a couple months until he's well enough to travel.
Tomorrow, I've got an appointment with my trainer, but maybe after that I can get back here for personals.
Ceejay – Glad the city approved the budget – I figured it was some formality of some sort, and not that they didn’t have the money to make payroll. But either way, it would be horrible not to get your pay!! Has turning down the thermostat helped with your sinuses? Is it the air blowing out of the duct that causes it? I wonder if you can just close the duct in your bedroom – it could be all the dust particles/allergens in the ductwork that causes your problems. Hope you’re enjoying your long weekend.
Annie – I’m so glad the surgery follow-up with your doc went well!! What a relief! It’ll be nice to have both your kids over. Awww, I’m sure those grands love their nanna a whole lot. For some reason it’s very easy for me to ignore a nonfiction book – they can be so dry and perhaps, if it’s a self-help-type book, I suppose I can be a bit resistant, LOL. I like meat, but don’t need a lot of it. A lot of the time the restaurant sandwiches have too much meat for me and I pull some of it out.
Happy – Too bad the sleet/ice got in the way of your shopping trip. Oh gosh, it can be boring when things are slow at work, or for you at the shop. Is there any category of merchandise in the shop that sells really well? The shop I go to doesn’t have any large furniture at all, but then again, it’s not a very big space. I guess I’m like your sister – I keep reading and hope the book gets better. I do take notice of how I feel when I’m exercising/not exercising – energy level, stiffness. Even my skin. And i think I notice how adequate water intake helps my skin, digestion. Food – I don’t think I’ve made any connections because my diet isn’t very clean... It’s probably better to have fewer choices in eating out. I have to say, when the weather’s cold, I always think about the restaurant being cold. In which case I prefer to stay at home and just rustle up something to eat. Of course bf will brave the weather to go pick something up, and not usually healthy. Sigh. How do you think your rendered pork fat/lard turned out? Is it good enough to use for anything, or just the savory foods?
Michelle – Poor Bob. Now that he’s home, he isn’t comfortable with his care team. It probably just takes time, but sadly he may not have much of it. I do hope he adjusts and can appreciate the time he has at home. I’m sorry to hear about your brother possibly needing back surgery! I hope there’s something that can be done short of surgery to help him.
Hellos to everyone else! Have a great weekend!
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Yesterday I bought my fitness punchcard and took a Piloxing class. On the Piloxing site, it’s described as “a non-stop, cardio fusion of standing pilates, boxing and dance that will push you past your limits for a sleek, sexy, and powerful you”. I generally enjoyed it, but it definitely was non-stop for the 40-45 minutes of the cardio portion (the rest was some Pilates floor work and the cooldown/stretch). There were several balance moves that I found difficult because they were fast-paced. I'm glad I tried it. In time I know I would get better, but I really think I prefer to focus on the strength classes. It was good to be back there though. And I really enjoyed the short drive there & back!!
I’m surprised I’m not too sore right now from that class, but I then again, my muscle soreness always seems to be delayed quite a bit. I just hope I’m good to go for jazzercise class tomorrow morning.
I was supposed to be getting together with a friend & maybe some others to eat dinner out and see a band tomorrow night, but they are the headliner and they wouldn’t go on ‘til late – like 11 pm. I think they would go on after the hockey game and after their opening act. In the midst of the planning, I texted a comment that was intended to be joking about that being a late start time and maybe I’d just make it for the hockey game, but she took it to mean I was bowing out on it, so she stopped the planning. I’m fine with that. I just don’t need to have long or late nights like that - NYE will hold me for a while, haha. Just dinner would have been fine, though it does get old. I wish this friend were more active so we could do more than just sedentary activities.
I'm sort of back. I've pinched the screen from the security system and I think that Methusalah may have had it before me. Still soon I will go down to the store and see where I can 'invest' my money. have no idea what I want to buy and I really don't have the time to do a big comparison. So I hope that the young lad will be there today and will give an old lady some budget advice again.
We've had torrential rain over the past day or so. It seems to have eased off today. Of course all the water lying around is going back up in steam so the humidity is pretty awful. But the temps aren't too bad. I had to drive through it all yesterday when I went into town to 'visit' the accountant. Turns out I got some very bad tax advice from the agency in Wellington and I now have to deal with getting the IRD in NZ to play ball and get some tax credits from them. My accountant, bless her, is trying her hardest to reduce the bill.
The neighbourhood is consumed by the sound of lawn mowers at the moment. Everyone is getting out there before any more rain comes in. Too bad I can't join them, I am busy getting laundry out there and hoping to get most of it dry so I don't have to use the dryer.
I'll be back tonight with personals. I need to go hang out some more laundry now and then get down to the shops before 10000 others get there and pinch all the car parks. I don't mind parking down the back, but over here, when it rains and/ or is humid they all go shopping and they drag the kids along with them kicking and screaming. Such is life.
your son & your family r in our prayers for HIS divine Healing Immediately. 
I feel your heartbreak, he's your baby boy. 
Good luck on the walking program - when we bought our treadmill we bought one that was good for running even though we don't run - the Precor has a good cushioned track on it - figured it would be good for DH's back. However it doesn't do much good sitting in the garage with boxes on it, does it? It's good that you will get outside, get some exercise and some fresh air. 
I will be back later and let you know how the pork chops worked out.
Thank goodness I’m done with it! Another book I just started is The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler. He was a former head of the FDA, and the subtitle of the book is “Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. I think the jist is that processed food has a very deliberate, deeply researched combination of sugar, fat, and salt that is essentially addictive to people. I imagine the "self-help" part of the book is quitting processed foods. I’m not a big reader of nonfiction, especially diet/nutrition books (since I’m still have the food mentality of a child – I want to eat what I want to eat!), but I’ll give this one a try, if only to prove I can make it through something like that. 
that things hold up well and no more issues. So nice that you have some cuddle time with the grandkids and will have both DD and DS over together for some family time. Has Jacob accepted that he has a little brother and might as well just work with him 
I hope you got a good walk in the snow the other day - it's warming up here too. I'm wondering if we will be in for an early spring this year 
Then I'm going over to my step-mom's for dinner. My step-brother is back in town from Belize because he's hoping to have back surgery as his back pain has gotten worse and worse. If he does have back surgery, he'll be here for a couple months until he's well enough to travel. 
For some reason it’s very easy for me to ignore a nonfiction book – they can be so dry and perhaps, if it’s a self-help-type book, I suppose I can be a bit resistant, LOL. I like meat, but don’t need a lot of it. A lot of the time the restaurant sandwiches have too much meat for me and I pull some of it out. 
