Roll Call: Thursday, May 8th

[jezzie]

The Brewster Mill in Cape Cod (the herring start upstream in April).


I was trying to find Alyssa. ..... A day late (and a dollar short) as usual.
I finally noticed the search feature. - WTG Gladys. Brains and beauty.

Lin: There actually is a beauty product called spackle. Never tried it though.

On my second cup of coffee ..... and finished a large clump of black grapes.
Not an auspicious start for Thursday. lol.

[Fine Mind]

Hello from school!

Jezzie, what's so bad about grapes and java?

Had to come in to grade some essays from school-wide testing. In the excitement of finishing and submitting the completed draft of my paper at 4:00 P.M yesterday , I FORGOT I'd promised another teacher I'd have them done by Friday.

I also had to haul in the following for my AP kids: homemade caramel scones, doughnuts, Jolly Ranchers, bananas, chocolate and exotic bottled teas. They are SOOOOOO spoiled!

I rarely feel the pull of retirement now that I've accepted the fact that it "ain't gonna' happen," but this morning. . . I just want to be home and playing in the dirt

Enjoy this glorious day,

Lin

[jezzie]

Originally Posted by Fine Mind

Jezzie, what's so bad about grapes and java?

Add in a banana too.
There's nothing wrong with any of them. I just started too early.

I'm a morning eater. - So if I start at four am instead of six am that
means I'll be eating four times before lunch instead of my usual three.

I wouldn't be inclined to play in the dirt today - even if I wanted to.
Expecting rain. lol.

And ... I ate so many cherry Jolly Ranchers when I gave up smoking
that I perpetually had skinless sores on the roof of my mouth.

Sometimes you feel like a nut sometimes you don't.

[Joplin38]

Jezzie, I was also searching, searching for Alyssa until I saw your post. I am putting up a new link here so no one will miss sweet Alyssa.
The Daily World - www.dailyworld.com - Opelousas, LA

Congratulations to her Gladys.

Still congested by I woke up to a beautiful day and decided this would be the day I turn the corner.

Lin, I need to have a word with you about that game you introduced me to. I have been obsessed with it and got to level 13 when the computer froze and I had to start over. Talk about crazy.

Doris, those are clematis in honor of my white clematis blooming on my front porch.

[KrisA]

Good morning.

Cool and rainy here, although it's supposed to clear a little this afternoon and then rain like crazy tomorrow.

Mom came through her surgery just fine. She's amazing. She's always comlaining about how weak/old she is and then sails through surgery better than a teenager. The doctor doesn't think the cyst is anything to worry about (it's so strange. I never thought it was anything other than a ganglion cyst and NEVER worried about it!) So my reaction to having it biopsied was huh???? Guess I just couldn't stand the thought that it might be anything other than beneign.

Mom did have a little stomach upset from all the drugs and ended up spitting up a little in the car (I had a towel, thank goodness) and a little from coughing during dinner. I'm sure it's from irritation in her throat from being intubated. She seems just fine this morning and says the incision only hurts a little. Not enough for the pain killers they gave her and that totally knocked her out yesterday.

She was funny. I was trying to get her up the stairs and into the house and she couldn't find the railing on the stairs! Poor thing must have been so dizzy!

Well, have to run. The doctor put a drain in and it has to come out today so it's off to get mom ready for another doctors appointment. It's raining here and she hates going out in the rain but it can't be helped. Can't wait until the stiches come out and we can relax a little.

Talk to everyone later.

k

[jezzie]

Thanks for the update Kris. You were on my mind.


One of my legends has passed away.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Eddy Arnold, whose mellow baritone on songs like "Make the World Go Away"
made him one of the most successful country singers in history, died Thursday morning, days short of his
90th birthday.

Arnold died at a care facility near Nashville, said Don Cusic, a professor at Belmont University and author
of the biography "Eddy Arnold: I'll Hold You in My Heart."

[birdlady]

Thanks everyone for reading Alyssa's article.Yes we are very proud of her,she is a sweet,smart kid.She is an only child,her mom teaches 6grade,her dad myds1 is a major in the police force.They have a lovely family.
It's nice, sunny with a little wind here today.Nice yard day for those who still do that.The only plan is dinner with DD's family tonight.
SEE you guys later

[Loretta V]

What a wonderful story on Alyssa, Gladys, proud grandma.

Lin I am wondering who in the world has spoiled your AP kids? Surely not you.

Janie I'm glad to hear that you have told that congestion that it can leave and you are kicking it out.

Kris glad to hear that you mom did so well with her surgery. I would not have thought about anything else either if the doc said that it was a ganglion cyst. Bet she is glad that it is over with.

Jezzie thanks for that beautiful picture of Cape Cod. Looks so calm.
Sorry to hear about Eddie Arnold. It doesn't take long that we forget about some of the legends of music. He got to a nice age.

Catching up on paper work and cards, now that I have some time. Washing a lot of bed linens and towels. My friend invited me over for dinner this evening. One of the pamphlets I have on grieving says to NEVER refuse an invitation to dinner. Last night my neighbor brought me a huge stuffed green pepper. I ate the whole thing. She said she used wild rice.

[vessel of prayer]

Hi Everyone

Kris: glad you mom is fine.
Jezzie: love your meals
Janie: love your flowers
Gladys: windy here too..very for the last three days. Great grand kid!
Lin: hi and have fun at shcool. The thought of Jolly ranchers make my mouth water like thinking of a lemon. LOL. ewwww...

Posted some of my flowers on a seperate thread. sorry they are so large, i did them on photo bucket and thought I got them smaller. Oh well.
I NEED MORE FLOWERS!!!!

[rnsmth]

This is still not a habit, but I hope it becomes so.

Still here, still low carb, still experience weight-loss, still have lots of photos from Mexico

This one from Guanajuato

[Joplin38]

Very pretty Ron. I haven't been to Mexico in years but loved it when I went.

Where exactly is Guanajuato?

Just spent an hour cleaning on the garage and planting some grass. It felt so good to get out. I have really been hibernating.

[jezzie]

Loretta: the dinner advice makes a lot of sense.

Ron: I enjoyed your blog and all your pictures. You sure have done your homework.

Janie: Glad you are out n about. Hope you are back to 100% soon.

.

[KrisA]

Gladys: What a great article on Alyssa. You have a right to be proud!

Lin: I have a great recipe for orange cranberry scones. If I ever get home, I'll send it to you.

Ron: Love your pictures. keep them coming. I've never been to Mexico. Think I had a bad past life there as an Aztec.

Janie: Kick that cold! Kick that cold!

Loretta: Enjoy your quiet time and dinner out.

Jezzie: I've only been to Cape Cod twice but loved it. Last time was for a wedding and the groom chartered a fishing boat the morning of the wedding and "us fishermen" had a ball. Discovered that my BFF couldn't bait a hook or take a fish off the hook when she caught one so I did the honors. I'm not much to look at, but I'm darn handy to have around!

Sheila: I've taken pictures of our weeping cherry and dogwood and other pretty stuff but have temporarily misplaced the manual for the camera so can't post any. AAARRRHH

Now, the report on the doctors appointment.

Poor mom is so washed out from the surgery she barely made in into the office. I got her settled in a bench in the hall when a nurse said that the doctor had been looking for her.

To make a long story short, the ganglion cyst turns out to be a sarcoma, which is a rare form of cancer (less than 1% in 2006. God bless Google) and we're starting with oncologists and the UCONN Tumor Center next week.

The doctor did say that it looked like a ganglion, that it "shelled out" like a ganglion and he didn't realize it wasn't a typical ganglion until he cut it open and it was rubbery instead of jelly like.

I read that usually, tissue around the tumor is excised until they have a clean margin. This wasn't done so I don't know if mom will have to have more surgery on that wrist or not. The doctor did say that it wasn't at all "sticky" like a regular cancer tumor is wont to be so that's a good thing, I guess.

Looking back, her primary care physician was so sure it was a ganglion that he never ordered a needle biopsy or worried over much about it, and I didn't either. Guess that shows me.

Well, I have to take out the trash and get dinner ready. Just leftovers tonight, thank goodness. I'm going to have a real glass of wine or two - sorry Dr. A. I'll lose more weight in a day or two.

I feel like I've been hit in the face with a cinder block and just wish we had a shower here so I could climb in and have a good cry.

Talk to everyone tomorrow.

k

[mykneesareback]

I'm so sorry Kris! I hope you get the next doctor appts quickly so you can find out exactly what to do next...........



Doris

[vessel of prayer]

hugs Kris....

[Loretta V]

so sorry Kris to hear that report for your mom. Does she understand the possiblility of needing onocologists appointments? and treatment?
Hope there is a simple approach for her because of her age.

Enjoyed the dinner with friends. Fresh asparagus from their garden, salad and a few pieces of chicken. Memories of John. This couple stood up us for our wedding in 1998. We have been close friends for a while.

[KrisA]

Mom's next appointment is the 14th. They wanted to see her tomorrow, but she's so exhausted - she had to regain a little strength before I start dragging her around again. A friend is going to give me a transport wheelchair very soon and that will make things easier for both of us. She's so wobbly with her cane and she can't use a walker right now because her arm hurts.

When the doctor was explaining everything to me, he was changing mom's bandage and taking a drain out of the incision. I don't think she knows what's going on yet. I'll address it when I tell her about the new doctor and new appointment. She's slipped a little mentally, so I have to go a little easy.

I'm hanging on to the fact that the tumor was so easy to remove - just peeled out - so hopefully it hasn't spread to surrounding tissue.

I don't think she would survive either chemo or radiation. Have to discuss this with the doctor and we'll take it from there.

Thanks for all of your thoughts. I'm going to need all the support I can get!

xxoo

k

[birdlady]

Kris,thinking of you tonight.Try to take a little time for you.Get help if you can.
Has a nice Mother's Day dinner tonight,all but the Houston gang was there.Had a nice grilled fish/veggie dish,so nice noone had to cook/clean-up.
BBL

[Fine Mind]

I feel like I've been hit in the face with a cinder block and just wish we had a shower here so I could climb in and have a good cry.

Oh my gosh, Kris. So sorry. I hope you enjoyed your much-deserved wine last evening and found some way to deal with all this. My dad had a big chunk of cancer taken out of his lip when he was close to 90, and they didn't do any post-op treatment at all. It took a while to heal but 6 months later there was only a scar. I'll be thinking of you two!

[Fine Mind]

Originally Posted by Loretta V

Enjoyed the dinner with friends. Fresh asparagus from their garden, salad and a few pieces of chicken. Memories of John. This couple stood up us for our wedding in 1998. We have been close friends for a while.

This sounds great, Loretta. Talking about lost loved ones and happy memories is very healing. We all know this is going to be such a huge adjustment for you.

I STILL want to send you some elephant ears to try this spring. . .

[Fine Mind]

Originally Posted by Joplin38

Lin, I need to have a word with you about that game you introduced me to. I have been obsessed with it and got to level 13 when the computer froze and I had to start over. Talk about crazy.
.

Yes, well, I think the game is over today and I want a word with you. I made it to level 12 ONLY AFTER YOU TOLD ME I COUD SAVE THE BONUSES I have no hope of breaking 12. None.

And you should see how badly I do on the game you turned me on to. I am so deeply I no longer use my own name when I play. I use the names of students who give me a hard time

And back to "Clear the Skies" and the level 20 players

[rnsmth]

Originally Posted by Joplin38

Very pretty Ron. I haven't been to Mexico in years but loved it when I went.

Where exactly is Guanajuato?

Just spent an hour cleaning on the garage and planting some grass. It felt so good to get out. I have really been hibernating.

Follow the line on this map, it is the green dot just under the O of the word Leon.

It is in the state of Guanajuato, which can be a bit confusing. It is about a 4 hour bus ride from Guadalajara.

[Joplin38]

I have been to Tlaquepaque and Lake Chapala. Bought my husband a briefcase there.
Lovely area. Did you go to the No Name restaurant?