Difficult Trip

Tomorrow is one of those days that I wish never comes and yet I really need for it to come. Confusing? Yes, but no. You see my 17 year old cat has a cancerous tumor and it is too close to the spine to remove along with the fact it would cost me about $10,000 to do it right. So, we are taking her to Raleigh, North Carolina to the vet hospital that specializes in oncology. We will have to leave her there until Thursday. While she is there she will have a CT scan and a treatment of radiology. We are hoping that the treatment will slow down the disease and give us some more time with her. I can't imagine how I feel tomorrow leaving her....I just don't think I can manage, but I know in my heart I must and I will.

Pets are so wonderful and they are family and you get so attached to them, that it hurts when they are ill or when you lose them. I can't imagine life without our kitty, but I know that it will become a reality all too soon. Pets are such a comfort and give unconditional love to us. On one side of my heart I can't image living with another cat, but on the other side of my heart I can't imagine living without a cat. I know there will never be another Soda Pop, she is such a special kitty.

So, dear friends and readers, please say a prayer that Soda will be better and that I will survive.

Empty House

Well, Santa has come and gone and so have all the children and grandchildren. It is amazing how quiet and empty my house is now. It was so wonderful to have everyone home for the holidays and to hear the words "Gramma, I love you!", "Gramma sit here with me". It was such a wonderful time. I guess you never get used to hearing those little voices and seeing those eyes light up on Christmas morning. Needless to say it was great!

I am truly blessed to have such an awesome family. My children were all so great, even if Mark wasn't here in person, he called and that helped fill the void. As I think back over the past few days it is truly amazing just how fortuate I am. We all have our health, we all have jobs, or at least those of us who wish to be employed, and we all have each other. It is such a grand feeling to sit back and count the blessing we have. I may be old enough for social security now that I had the BIG birthday on the 22nd, but I certainly don't feel that old. As my mother always said you are only as old as you feel and I don't feel any other then 35!

I am spending a lot of time just wandering around the house recalling all the people, voices, and events that recently took place here. The mind and memory are wonderful tools. The certainly keep you young at heart.

I am so thankful for my family and friends and as I approach a new year 2009, I only hope it is filled with health and happiness for everyone.

Almost ready!

Well, the trees are decorated, the packages wrapped, the bed linens changed, some baking is done, and the house is totally decorated! Now, I just need to go to the grocery store and do a few odds and ends and I will be ready! Ready for what? The Grandchildren!! They will arrive Monday and I hardly wait! I want to have everything done so I can just play!! It will be a wonderful time and I am sure Santa will be by! I love Christmas. I always have and I guess the kid in me comes out every Christmas season. That's kind of bad for someone who could qualify for social security on Monday. Yep, it will be my birthday. I am not sure I want to reach this milestone, but when I consider the alternative, it does sound rather pleasing.
This is beginning to ramble so I guess I will just leave it at this....this grandma can hardly wait until Monday! Hopefully I will get some good pictures and will learn how to add them. Go to go....I want to bake some more cookies! :)

Looking for another miracle

Those of you who know me, understand how much I love my cat. You also know the story of how 10 years ago on December 22 she survived major cancer surgery and has been able to beat this terrible disease for a long time. However, much to my dismay the cancer has returned and she has had one tumor removed a year ago, and now she has 2 more large tumors near her spine. I am not ready to give up on her, so tomorrow we travel to Raleigh, NC to see the specialist there and see if they can perform another miracle on my 17 year old cat. Some people would say I am really crazy, but I have to try one more time to see if I can have a little more time with this wonderful animal. She is the most loving cat I have ever seen and I only hope that something can be done for her and that somehow I can afford to do it. I know I cannot spend thousands of dollars, but I will spend some. I also know her time is probably limited, but in my heart I know I must do all I can at this time. If it ends up that nothing can be done or that is just too expensive I pray she will not suffer. I can't help but think God loves animals and I hope and pray he is hearing my prayers for this animal that I love so much. So please dear friends please say a special prayer for us tomorrow.

Catching Up

I have been meaning to write a blog for sometime now, but when I sit down to compose my thoughts I haven't been able to write....I somehow think I have nothing to write about and yet I know I do. So, let's start with the fall beauty. I can't remember when I have seen such a beautiful fall. The color in the leaves has just been unbelieveable. I didn't think it would be a pretty fall since it has been so dry, but my goodness was I wrong. I guess the rain and frost came at just the right time and it has been beautiful. I think fall is my favorite season!

There has been so many good things happening. First Fred had his prostate cancer surgery and that went very well and all the test results show that everything is just as predicted before the surgery. The margins are clean and the cancer low grade and confined to the just the prostate. We are truly lucky and thankful. He is recovering very well and I am trying to be a good nurse, but I can tell you this I make a better teacher then a nurse. I went to the doctor with him to have his incision checked, and almost fainted...some nurse I am.

My friend Ann, who is fighting a rare form of lymphnoma and has undergone eight heavy chemo treatments got the good news that she is in remission. Now if she can hold it there for five years she will be declared cancer free. I just hope and pray that things continue to go well for her.

My friend Heather and her husband have a beautiful baby daughter and even though it was a difficult delivery, with Heather ending up with a C section they seem to be doing well and Zora is absolutely beautiful!

I am working on Christmas gifts and making a Christmas Countdown for my granddaugher Olivia. It has been a learning experience since this is somewhat different then what I had made for my own children when they were younger. It looks like it will turn out great and I can get it in the mail to her soon.

I promise I will try to learn how to include pictures on this blog, all my dear friends who blog know how to do that and I don't have anyone to teach me so......Holli, Shana, Heather teach me!

I can hardly believe it is so close to Thanksgiving . Where does the time go? I thought I would have all this extra time now that I am retired, but somehow I don't. I guess it could be that I am finding more and more projects to occupy my time...like my new sewing machine that I am really enjoying. Well I guess I have wandered on enough topics for today and I hear a project calling me before I go to teach my afternoon speech class.

Gotta love the internet

You know what folks, you gotta love the internet. I know it doesn't take the place of face to face communication, or getting a letter by snail mail, but it certainly does have its perks!! For those of you who know me know I was a teacher for 34 years. During those years I taught some really awesome students and so I often think about some of those wonderful people and wonder what on earth happened to them. Well, the internet and facebook have helped me reconnect with some of those folks. It is really great to hear from a student who is living in London and loving life or one who is in NY and is having her play presented in our home town this month. It is so rewarding to here from one who really had a difficult home and is now a successful lawyer in Philly. Yes, you have got to love the internet because it has given me some really great connections with some really great people and that makes me really, really happy!! I really love the word really!! Can you tell... really? Got to get back to my facebook page and see who else from my past has found me!!!

Learning every day.

I just finished reading a friend's blog about how she has learned some things this past week and I can relate to her thoughts. Although she is a young mother of three boys (yes Shanan I do mean you) I know where she is coming from. Every day I learn something about myself. I have learned that I can work as hard as I want for the day and if I finish the project ok and if I don't that too is ok. I have learned that I can handle difficult times and events if I just take a minute to stop and collect myself. I know that life is not always easy, but it isn't always difficult either. Some days I just want to have fun and other days I want to work and that's ok too. So folks, don't ever stop learning about yourself!! It is soooo much fun to discover new and exciting things!!