Christmas Day

All is well. Subdued and quiet here. But, that's the norm for us.

We spent yesterday entertaining our close friend, Lisa. She lives over an hour away so to have had her here is special to us. She arrived laden with gifts and food stuffs. The food was her idea. She made most of our dinner and I filled in the bare spots in the menu.

You would have found us sitting at the dining room table and having some great cheeses she had picked up as we visited and chatted for well over an hour.Then we realized how dark it was starting to get outside. Lisa hates (as much as I do) driving in the dark. So it was time to eat.

Our menu included: ham, beef, risotto w/pine nuts, yams with apple chunks all from Lisa's hands. I added a few things from our garden I had canned; pickles, beets and chutney and some green beans which also were part of this past year's garden harvest. Our dessert was supposed to be a pumpkin pie. But, Lisa did confess and say she made one without a recipe and it didn't gel. I told her I would cover our dessert. I made a pecan/maple layer cake with a cream cheese frosting. Oh yum! Sent a good portion of that home with Lisa. Get those sweets away from me!!!!! 

I hope everyone is having or, has had a wonderful day. Happy Christmas! 

Happy Christmas Eve

 Want to know where Santa is? Or, how to send a Santa message to a friend?
Google has got you covered.
Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours.

http://www.google.com/santatracker/#/village

Merry Christmas

 While you enjoy your day enjoy some beautiful music with pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqwDrZ4bNY0

Repeat post from 2010

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Geminids are coming

In the same vein as yesterday's post I bring you the info on the Geminid showers...

The Geminid meteors should perform well after nightfall on Monday, December 13. They will continue into the next night, December 14 th. Hopefully, the full moon's (Dec. 21st) light won't interfer too much with the viewing of this spectacular show.

No other meteor shower boasts more meteors than the Geminids—with 75 per hour in a dark sky. Plus, viewing is all night (whereas most meteor showers are predawn)!i

• Where to look? The "point of origin" is where the flight course starts from. This is a good place to start. The bright and fast Geminids will appear to come from the northeast out of the Geminid twins.

• You don't need any special equipment! To enjoy, just find a dark place free from man-made lights, spread a blanket (if you live up north where I live, bring extra blankets and a thermos of hot chocolate) on the ground, and look up in the dark night sky!

Happy 12-12-12!

Got Hair?

Here I am status post chemo and radiation treatments. My hair is just now starting to grow back in. Wondering if it's going to be curly or, straight is the big question in my mind. You see it used to be curly. I so wanted straight hair all my life. Anyone want to place a bet what it will be?

Have to add.... after yesterday's post, I needed to write about something lighter and less emotional.

My life now

It has been almost 9 months now since my mammogram came back positive for breast cancer. Nine months since my life was changed forever. Nine months of learning about cancer treatments, nine months of of getting an education that I never signed up for. Nine months of finding my own strength, while learning to lean on others. Nine months of crying every tear my tired eyes could produce; nine months of discovering that some of the humor that makes me laugh the hardest is the stuff that comes from a dark place. Nine months of appreciating things I overlooked before....and nine months of letting go of what is not important. 

I probably don't look much different to the world. My hair is returning and I am thinking of keeping it very short in remembrance. Daily doses of Tamoxifen will dry my skin, make my waist thicker and my temper a bit shorter. No one except the person living inside this body really knows how much I've changed. 

I was one of the lucky ones --- I had a lot of support from family and friends. But, not all the people who started on this journey with me were able to hang in there for the long haul. And, some of the people who helped me the most were an unexpected surprise. 

My cancer was treated by a team of capable and experienced doctors. My soul was treated by my family and friends who stepped up and helped me live through the daily angst of continuing my treatments. 

My life has changed so much, yet so many things are the same, that sometimes it feels surreal. I still forget to take out the garbage, I still spend too much time in front of the TV (or, computer). Yet always in the back of my mind is the anxious feeling that I should be doing something important, that somehow on this wild roller coaster ride that I have been on these last 9 months, I should have discovered the "true purpose" of my life. 

I have not. 

What I have discovered is that everything is temporary. Happiness, grief, joy and heartache --- it's all temporary. I always knew that even life itself is temporary, but now I really KNOW it. 

Cancer or no cancer --- expensive cars, grand houses and huge bank accounts can't save us from the inevitable. All we have is this minute, right here, right now. 

I wish I could say that I'm living this minute to the fullest. For now it's enough that I'm living this minute. I'm still working on the `fullest`.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The light.... it's here. Finally.

You know how people talk of the light at the end of the tunnel? After using this phrase often these past
eight months myself, my cancer treatments are done. Finished. Completed. And, again I'll say, finally.

It's been a long struggle these past eight months. Without the love and support of my husband, family and dear friends, I know these past months would have been worse. Much, much worse.

I won't be specific with incidents or, names. Because these people know who they are.

I love you all very much.Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Julia Child Remixed | Keep On Cooking | PBS Digital Studios

August 15th would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday.
Psst, recognize any of the other chefs?

James Taylor Sings "Romney & Bain" ("Fire & Rain" Parody) - Jimmy Fallon