June 30, 2015. Western Head, N.S. The Garage.

The floor of the garage was built with heat so when the grandchildren played, they would be comfortable.   Our house has no play room so we wanted the garage to become a play space.  It has worked well.  We have two carpets plus two trunks full of toys ready for the children to play.  In the winter, we store the truck and the deck furniture but when we arrive, I move everything in place.  The problem this year is that I can not do it myself. so Mary and Gill came and helped put the garage into a proper order so it will be useful when the family arrives.

In addition, I asked them to move the trunks and the other objects to be placed so they would not need to move for the winter.  I will not be able to put things back either.   They are willing, efficient workers.  Now the garage is ready for the summer.   Once again, my friends have come to my aid.

I am getting good at asking for help.  When the East Link technician was going upstairs I asked him to carry up a basket full of clean clothes to our bedroom.  He said he was pleased to help.   And on several occasions I have asked total strangers the use of their arm to help me.  Now I keep my walker in the truck.  I guess my Salvation Army background has given me the ability to ask for help.   I have noticed that folks are very helpful, fortunately for me.  Now the garage is ready for the season, thanks to my friends Mary and Gill.

June 29, 2015. Western Head, N.S. East Link.

This afternoon, East Link came to fix our TV.   When we arrived on Thursday, at least 12 channels were not working but it took until Saturday evening that I called the company.   Their plan was to have the technician arrive on Monday afternoon.  Of  course, I could not watch the Canadian football game so was irritated, but I was polite.    The technician arrived at 5:30 and not only could he not fix the TV, but in trying to make the repair he disabled the Internet line.   He promised us he would come tomorrow at noon.  

Tonight we are having dinner at Gill's beautiful home, so I have borrowed her Internet service.  The view from her home is spectacular.   The waves crash  on the rocks right in front of her house.  She has the best view of all of our homes.  And she made some renovations in her home, moving a powder room and enlarging her bedroom so I was happy to see the finished product.    The MacDonalds and the Mitchells are here for dinner too.   This is the first of the many meals we will share this summer.   We are all delighted to be together again.   And I am especially delighted to be borrowing Gill's Internet.

June 28, 2015. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Fierce Weather.

Today, you could not possibly ignore the weather here at Western Head.  The waves are large and noisy and the rain is pounding on the windows, reminding us that we live  beside the bold Atlantic Ocean.   The day started innocently enough but things deteriorated.  First a light sprinkle of rain which increased in insensitivity all afternoon.  By the time we came upstairs to our bedroom, the scene out to sea was spectacular and we were pleased to be home in our cosy little nest.

Our attitude to weather is to ignore it and wear enough clothes to be comfortable, but the temperature had fallen through the day and our bedroom was chilly so I climbed into bed to get warm.   It was 8:30.  Ken turned up the thermostat so eventually the room was warm enough for me to get out of bed.   Our life these days is odd but comfortable.   I am prone to take a 30 minute nap before lunch and we retreat to our bedroom at 8:00 to read and answer e mails even though we retire to bed late.  Ken often takes a 15 minute nap right when we come upstairs, then reads late into the night.  There are advantages in being old.

The sounds of the waves are best heard from our bedroom.  The crashing of the waves make us pleased to be here in Nova Scotia at our house by the sea even when the weather is fierce.

June 27, 2015. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Privateers Weekend.

We missed the parade this morning.  Our Mersey Band marched but we were not there to cheer them on, which will be our story for the rest of the weekend.  Too many people and too far to walk for us to attend.   The event celebrates the history of Liverpool as an active place for Privateers, even though many young folks do not know what a Privateer was all about.   The first weekend we were ever in Liverpool we asked the waitress at Lanes Privateer Inn what the term Privateer meant and she did not know, but after asking in the kitchen, she sent us to the lighthouse just down the road, where they told us all about those old Privateers.   Interesting history and well worth learning

The weekend is packed full of activities for the old and the young.   They have Dory races and encampments supposed to look like the 18th Century, and rubber duck races too. The music tent will be active all day and all evening.   It is good fun.  Maybe next year we will be able to join in the festivities but this year we will cheer from our spot on the shore.  Today, the shore was again beautiful.  The sky was blue and the sun was bright and of course with always a good steady breeze.  Nice place to spend the day.

June 26, 2015. Western Head, Nova Scotia. The Hot Tub.

Finally we have a new hot tub in Nova Scotia.   Magic occurred this evening before dinner when, in the broad daylight,  Ken and I shed our clothes and wore our heavy robes to try out our new acquisition.  Our old hot tub was leaking and two jets refused to work so we decided to have it removed and do without a hot tub in Nova Scotia.  I thought we were both too unstable to get in and out of the tub safely.  And we both decided that the new tubs were too expensive.

Robert found us a good refurbished hot tub so Ken decided to proceed with the installation.   In our absence, the old tub was removed, the new tub installed and new decking build around the new smaller tub.  In addition, George installed a railing for ease of access.  Ken thought we should try the new system at least once in the day light, so after the exterminator man left, we figured we would be safe to go to the hot tub without anyone coming to visit.

All went well.  We could both get in and out of the tub without difficulty.  The water was hot.  The air was warm.  The sun was setting.  The magic of the hot tub in Western Head has returned.

June 25, 2015. Western Head, Nova Scotia, Canada. Home Again.

Today, everything was perfect.  Every time we arrive, we had forgotten how beautiful this place really is.  The weather was spectacular.  The sky was blue.  The sun was shining.  The breeze was constant.  The drive from the airport was beautiful.   And everything at the house was working.  Mary McD. had filled the fridge and freezer.  The Internet was working as was the television.  When we left in the Fall, our painter refinished the dining table and buffet and it looks great.  And our friend Mary M. left dinner for us: stew, salad, fresh bread and home made brownies.   Our welcome home was  royal.   Ken and I are delighted to be here.  This is a lovely spot.

June 24, 2015. Newark, N.J. Step One.

Stage one of our journey is complete.  And it was a success.   Our flight from San Antonio was uneventful.  Everyone we dealt with treated us well.  I am amazed how kind people are.  We get lugged around the airports in wheelchairs and are treated with great courtesy and not like the nuisance that we really are.  Ken booked us into business class so we were well fed but by the end of the three and a half hour flight, we were ready to lie flat on the bed in our comfortable hotel.

Today, everything ran perfectly.  The folks took us in wheel chairs to the place we were to wait for the shuttle to the Marriott.  We waited for two minutes.  Our room is lovely.    Ken booked us into the concierge level and when we went for a snack we discovered they served a whole small meal, so we had no need for room service dinner.  A wheelchair was available for Ken in the hotel and I even brought a yogurt container back with me from our dinner time to eat with my Ibrance.  It is not often when everything you plan  works perfectly.  Today was one of those days.  We are grateful.

June 23, 2015. San Antonio, Texas. A Busy Day.

Today was a busy day in the house of David and Suzanne.   Ken and I spent all day watching the action.   The fence around the pool was being painted so two young men spent all day spraying.  Yesterday they scraped.  Today they painted.  By the end of the day the fence was finished.  Another man was mending the ceiling in three spots on the house:  one in the living room and two in Allison's bedroom.  He spent all day working on the task but he must return to finish tomorrow.  The housekeeper and her son came to work.   When she left,  the laundry was all put away and the windows were clean.  And  the pest company came to do their work too .

Early afternoon, the air conditioning company came to check on the system.  Everything works fine, but had not been serviced for a few years.  We all liked the young man who was working but the poor fellow finally completed his tasks at 7:00.  

This morning, Suzanne, Abigail and Sarah went to their school to the book and clothing sale, so Ken and I were left to be in charge until they came home.  Allison and Samantha are at camp.  The house today saw a busy and productive day on Bluff Lane and I enjoyed all the activity and the progress.

June 22, 2015. San Antonio, Texas. Slow and Steady.

Last year, when flying to Nova Scotia,  we got stuck in Newark.  The flight to Halifax was cancelled as were all the other flights so by the time we were looking for a hotel room for the night, everything was full.  We took the shuttle to the biggest hotel, The Marriott, and basically begged for a room.   Even though the hotel was full, they found us a room.  This year we are making our trip slowly and leaving nothing to chance.

First we have come to San Antonio and will enjoy the company of the girls and David and Suzanne.   I drove from the lake so now will recover tomorrow and get organized for the flight on Wednesday.  Suzanne will drop us at the airport.  In Newark,  Ken and I will check into the Marriott Airport Hotel to stay the night.  You can see the hotel from the airport but it requires a shuttle bus to get us there.   Most likely we will order room service for dinner as we like to stay away from crowds of people.

On Thursday, we will steadily continue our journey and fly to Halifax on the early flight.   Mr. Gaskell will pick us up at the airport and take us home to Western Head.  These days, the only way that is reasonable  for us is to use the slow and steady mode.  We hope it works.

June 21, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. Caterers.

The Texas family is coming to visit us in Nova Scotia for a week. At the same time, the Mississippi family will be there as well as cousins from Toronto. All 8 girls are within four years of each other and enjoy getting together, so David suggested that everyone gather in Nova Scotia. I thought it a grand idea. Dave and Irene are coming too. David knew the group would be large. He also knew I was not up to orchestrating dinners right now, so he decided the easiest thing to do was to hire a caterer for the week. It turned out not to be so easy. The caterer we used at our 50th has closed and moved to Alberta. No one responded from David's offers at the culinary school in Lunenburg. No caterer on the Internet would come to Liverpool to serve dinners for a week and no one answered his ad in the local papers. He started calling restaurants. The only person who seemed to care was the head chef at White Point and he gave David several good leads. The chef also suggested to David that if no caterer was avsilable, White Point could prepare a meal each evening for us and we could pick up the food, which would have been no problem. The chef even called David to follow up. I was impressed. The Rivers Edge Cafe is a restaurant in Mill Village. The chef recommended them to David as they have just started the catering business. It makes sense because the cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch so the cooks are able to take evening jobs. The contact person was Vicki Conrad, who used to be the MLA for Queens County. So we are set. They will prepare, serve and clean up for dinner each night for 20. David has yet to approve the menu because Vicki has not yet sent them to him. But we don't really care. We just want food on the table every night. David thought it would be easy to organize a caterer but it actually took him a lot of time. But now he is happy.…and so am I.

June 20, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. A Busy Day.

Suzanne won at cards. The girls say that she always wins at cards. After dinner, the four girls and Suzanne played at the dining table and had a wonderful, noisy game of some thing or another. The chortles and shrieks emanating from that side of the room filled us all with glee and interrupted our conversation. But we just smiled. In the late afternoon, we sat and talked, with all four girls and Suzanne sitting on one couch. It wasn't long before the braiding started. All four girls have long thick hair so we saw french braids and corn pone braids along with all the other braids in fashion at the moment. This is not something that occurred in our own home, as we had no girls. But here we all were, chatting with Sarah about her experience at camp, while the girls and Suzanne showed off their expertise with braids. It was amazing to me and I enjoyed it. For the past several years we have been ignoring the lake house so now it is time to have repairs done by a contractor. This morning, Robert came to bid on the job. As we are all project people, we four are delighted to be making progress. We have three areas to be repaired: the deck, the leaking in the old chimney and the leaking in the back windows. None are insignificant which is why we have put off the repairs until now. Trying to find a contractor to work at Canyon Lake has not been easy so we were pleased to meet Robert. We hope he will take on the task. He will meet with Suzanne on Monday morning. Our day at the lake with the family was a delight and busy in a lazy kind of way. And tonight we celebrated Father's Day at our delicious fajita dinner, where we gave thanks for the cooks and the fathers at the table. We were all grateful.

June 19, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. Chocolate.

My task in the drug store today was to pick up our prescriptions and chocolate. The prescriptions were quickly accomplished but selecting the chocolate took longer. Ken eats any chocolate but prefers milk chocolate while I only eat dark chocolate. But they offer chocolate with almonds and chocolate with caramel and 70% chocolate, so selecting just the right kind takes time. Today I was a purist and bought only plain milk chocolate for Ken and dark for me. Ken eats any chocolate placed in front of him. Recently, he complained to Suzanne at breakfast that the chocolate in the bag was not very good. She laughed and replied that Crush, the dog, likes it just fine, because it was the dog medicine. We all laughed but next time she hid the medicine. Once at the farm in the middle of the night Ken was hungry for chocolate so he went to the kitchen to go searching. While sitting around the fire the girls like to eat those goodies made from graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate but we have trouble keeping chocolate in the pantry because Ken eats the chocolate. We try the freezer to no avail. Finally, Christina put two chocolate bars on the top shelf, well out of eye sight. That night, Ken was searching and searching for chocolate and finally found the bars in the top shelf and ate half. He had not bothered to turn on the lights because the outside farm light stays on all night and gives plenty of light to see to walk around. He was happy and went back to sleep. The next morning, he decided to eat the other half of the chocolate bar from last night, so he reached up high, opened the bar, only to find it full of maggots. The chocolate bar had been in the top cupboard so long that the bugs were eating it. That cured him from searching in the dark for chocolate. But it has not cured him from eating any chocolate within eye sight. He is a chocoholic!!

June 18, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. Surprises.

I was sound asleep having a lovely afternoon nap when I was rudely awakened by a loud noise. I opened my eyes to see an empty space high up the wall. A large picture had fallen. I did not hear the tinkle of broken glass which surprised me because I knew the large painting was a water color and was covered by a think frame and glass. I stayed on the couch and finished my nap. What a surprise it was. This large painting had fallen off the wall from it's place 12 feet off the floor and had landed flat. The only damage was one crack in a part of the frame. Another surprise occurred when we arrived yesterday. A new home was built right next to us. When Suzanne was here, the house was complete on the outside. It is a large lovely home. Work was being done on the back, with steps down from the house and then to the water. But nothing has been done since we left for the ranch because all the large blocks being used for the stairs fell down. The deck is now just hanging at the edge. What a surprise that would have been to have the whole retaining wall creep down the hill. It appears that the water side of the house was built on fill and the huge amount of rain washed away some of the fill. This is a major league problem. And certainly a surprise to us as well as the new owners and the builder. So far we have not spoken to the new owners who live in Austin but I hope they will visit this weekend. Being nosy, I would like to know how this happened. I can easily handle one fallen painting but I am pleased not to be dealing with a house whose foundation is crumbling. I thank my lucky stars and wish them well.

June 17, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Lake.

The lake is big. There are no rocks showing on the shore and lots of trees standing in water. And it is raining…again. But the water is not as high as the fence and certainly not even close to coming close to the shed. The last time the river flooded about 10 years ago our shed was totally under water. All our power tools were stored in the shed along with the life jackets and fishing equipment. Much to our surprise, even after being under water for several months some object were useable, except the power tools. We can see a gazebo across the bay from us. During the last flood, it was also totally under water. We judge the water level of the lake by had far the water is from the gazebo. Right now the water is covering the base but is not even close to covering it with water. Dr. DeLeon is not pleased that we are leaving for Canada, especially because I seem unable to have any Oncologist oversee my care. He has agreed to monitor my blood counts but feels it essential for me to have blood drawn and checked every two weeks. Our plan is to fax him the numbers. Then he will respond with suggestions. My numbers are not good right now and we both hope that the one week off the Ibrance will restore my blood counts. We have dropped down in strength so we hope that does the trick. He did give me a prescription for anti biotics in case I have an infection. After a week on the medicine, if I am not well, I am to go to the hospital. So here we go, heading off with a wing and a prayer. The last thing he said to me this morning was that he will be pleased to see me back in Texas in September.

June 16, 2015. Fredericksburg, Texas. Rain and More Rain.

It rained all the way from the ranch to town today. All last evening it poured. This afternoon when checking into the motel we both got drenched. And we did not get nearly as much rain as Canyon Lake or San Antonio, to say nothing of the coastal cities of Galveston, Houston and Corpus Christie. We keep remember that we are living in Texas. I have often noted the desire for Texans to pray for rain, but most folks now are beginning to say that the rains can stop. They never need to plan for alternate activities in the event of inclement weather. The sun always shines, but no longer. The rains just keep coming. Now we look forward to seeing Canyon Lake tomorrow. The water was already up to the fence but with the last few days of rain being added to the lake no telling how high the lake will be. And the forecast is for rain the whole weekend. These unusual weather patterns are such fun. You just never know what will happen next. But one thing is certainly true. It rains all the time in Texas.

June 15, 2015. Harper, Texas. Moving On.

We are doing it again, but this time our schedule for the nest week is complicated. Ken and I are leaving the ranch tomorrow. Our isolation at the ranch has been pleasant but now we are moving on. Tomorrow we will drive to Fredericksburg and stay over night at our favorite Comfort Inn. I must pick up my three months supply of Ibrance, plus get the rest of our medications at the drug store. We need to be sure we take with us all our medications while we are in Canada. Walgreens is an excellent drug store. The pharmacists go out of their way to be helpful. Wednesday at 9:00 I have an appointment at the Oncologist's office. I must have blood drawn, then wait for the results before meeting the Oncologist. Finally I must get a shot to protect my bones. This all takes time. As soon as we are finished with the Oncologist we will drive to the lake and stay there until Monday when we drive to San Antonio to stay with David and Suzanne and the girls. The family will be at the lake for the weekend too. Finally, on Wednesday we fly to Newark and will stay the night at the Marriott airport hotel. The next morning on the Thursday we fly to Halifax. Mr. G. will then drive us home to Western Head. Our week is complicated but with several breaks we should be able to get everything done. We are counting on it!!

June 14, 2015. Harper, Texas. Upset.

The upset has huge...and I loved it. Colombia was playing France. The game was being held in Moncton, New Brunswick. Canada is hosting the women's world cup soccer tournament, with games being played in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa and Edmonton. It is a big deal and as the tournament in the first found is a round robin, the series lasts a month. France is ranked number 3 in the world while Colombia is ranked 28. Further more, in international competition, Colombia has never won a game. When Ken spotted the game on the TV menu, we switched to the game but I commented that I did not want to watch because France would win by a big score. For the next hour, we both turned the TV off and began other activities. Later in the afternoon I came down to the living room. Ken asked me who I thought was ahead in the game. I of course said France. He had flipped channels and sure enough, Colombia was ahead by one goal, so we started watching. The time was in the middle of the second half, which meant that France was getting desperate. And wonder of wonders, Colombia scored again to make the score 2 to 0. Every lady on the French team is a professional soccer player. That is their job. Every player on the Colombian team has other jobs. They play part time. For that team to beat the French team was astonishing and so much fun to watch. Now we must watch to see how they fare in the rest of the tournament. They certainly handled themselves well against the French. The Colombian team did themselves proud, especially the goalie. So watch for FIFA World Cup Women. US is ranked number 2.

June 13, 2015. Harper, Texas. RFD.

We are having lots of fun watching the RFD Channel. It stands for Rural Farm Delivery and provides programming for those folks who live on farms and ranches. Every day we watch the prices for wheat and cattle and corn and beans, along with pork and barley. What is clear from watching on TV is that farmers have gone high tech. Every day a program called Phd.Ag.gives information on what to do to your farm to raise yield. Not easy but interesting. In addition, several states have an hour on how things are done in their state. The Texas Reporter is shown each week and is worth a look. Yesterday we watched an hour of Georgia farms. And there is music in the evenings too, many times from Nashville. They are working hard to try to have city people get to know farmers. So far they are just talking about how to do it as they admit they have had little success. Their weather reports are superior to the weather channel. More information and better maps, which pleases Ken. I don't know why but this is the only place where we watch the RFD channel, perhaps because this is the only place we pay for it. We do not recall ordering it but we are enjoying the RFD channel. We are pretending to be farmers and ranchers!!

June 12, 2015. Harper, Texas. White Poppies.

Who ever heard of white poppies? We certainly did not, but we were polite and admired the painting. We inspected it for such a long time that we ended up buying it, even though we were sure neither of us had ever seen a white poppy in Texas. It now hangs on the wall over my chair in our bedroom at the Top House and we like it very much. Ken has always said that in the world of medicine, a doctor will see what he expects to see. Ken and I were not expecting to see white poppies in Texas but after we got home we looked up white poppies and sure enough, they are one of the many wild flowers in Texas. Actually, it is the prickly white poppy in our picture. Once we knew they were in Texas, we began to see them everywhere. It is our habit to drive back roads and we see them each time we drive. We laugh about it. For years we drove in Texas and never saw a white poppy. Now we see them every time we look, because we expect to see them!!

June 11, 2015. Harper, Texas. Odds and Ends.

Hurrah. I was told today by the specialty pharmacy in Florida that I was approved to take the three months supply of Ibrands with me when we fly to Canada. The 3 months supply will be delivered to the Doctors office on Monday. That was a big deal and I am delighted. Of course, until I actually hold the medicine in my hands I will not really believe it, skeptic that I am. Actually, I an not cynical but I withhold celebration until the event actually happens. Kind of like not letting myself get disappointed. I suppose it is one way I have always stayed steady during my life. However, no progress on finding the Oncologist yet in Nova Scotia. Today, the server for the e mails was not working so perhaps I have new information and just don't yet know. A failed server is not to my liking!! The wind is strong today so perhaps that is the problem. I can not remember when I last changed the bed linens. Ken thinks I am nuts. Or he thinks I should write a note on the calendar. Now I have a routine to always change the sheets on Monday, except when we stay overnight at the motel in Fredericksburg and my system is out of whack. This started years ago in the condo in Chevy Chase when we were always at the farm for the weekend. I would ask myself "How many nights have we slept in this bed?" I would count and try to figure it out. Maximum was 7 nights. I still do the same thing now except I am now changing the sheets every Monday. It is the new rule. I will be OK if my biggest problem is changing the sheets.

June 10, 2015. Harper, Texas. Ibrance.

This medication is not even approved in Canada, it is so new. It was approved on a fast track in the US because the survival rate gave the patient a 20% longer survival rate. It was developed specifically for stage 4 post menopausal women, just like me. The IV chemotherapy given to me at first did it's job. The pleural effusion went away as did the mass in my chest but my body was breaking down so that treatment had to be terminated. Fortunately, just a few weeks before, Ibrance was approved so we all agreed to start me on the higher dosage of Ibrance and monitor my blood counts carefully. One main side effect of Ibrance is the blood cells. With the original chemo I had trouble with blood. Twice I had blood transfusions so the Oncologists were careful and had me draw blood every week to see if I can continue the Ibrance treatment. Sure enough, with my third batch, I will be getting the lower dose. But the real fly in my ointment is the Oncologist in Halifax who I have been in touch with since mid April. I have been told today that he will not accept me as a patient because Ibrance is not approved in Canada. So two weeks before we will be in Nova Scotia, I have no one to watch out for me. But if I think about it, when we went to Mexico we did not speak with the Oncologist until we were there and all went well there. I know I must take the medication with me as I can not buy it in Canada, which is another issue I am trying to resolve. But one way or another, we will work it out. Wonderful Wendy has folks who can help... may be. In a worst case, we will find an Oncologist in Portland and take the ferry for my appointments. Should work one way or another.

June 9, 2015. Harper, Texas. Isolation.

Ken remembers seeing signs on houses. No one was to enter because a person in the house was ill and being isolated from the public. The sick person was contagious. Wards in hospitals were isolation wards. But times have changed and now you never see Isolation signs on houses. Inoculations and anti-biotics have changed our routines. Ken and I have isolated ourselves and much to my great surprise, I seem perfectly happy with the isolation. The problem is infections. The treatment for my dire disease leave me with a compromised immune system, so the Oncologists and the written instructions tells me to wash my hands often, stay out of crowds, and limit contact with people to whom you know are healthy. So we do. Now we are anti social. We have turned down invitations when we know there is a big group. And I never enter large groups of people, like grocery stores. The system has worked. I have not had an infection. The interesting part of the whole process is that I seem perfectly happy being isolated. I could put a sign on the door but I don't need to because we never invite anyone over, except our neighbors. Ken and I will spend days at the Top House and never see a soul. After a life spent surrounded by people both young and old, I am surprised that I am content. I suppose that the isolation has it's own rewards, in that I do not get sicker, so I have resigned myself to the routine. I am still surprised at myself.

June 8, 2015. Harper, Texas. Selecting Hair.

My friend Jose mentioned that I would have fun seeing what kind and color I would have when my hair grows back, because as he reminded me, the hair always comes in a different way than before the chemotherapy. I have been pondering the question as to what I want in hair. All my life I have been happy with my hair. I was not one who wanted straight hair, or very curly hair. I was perfectly happy with what God gave me, except I streaked it light as I got older. Then I stopped streaking my hair because light streaks began to appear as I got older. Then all my hair fell out. But I have been thinking about my hair and have decided that I would like to have my hair grow back curly and red, so I could be Little Orphan Annie. Unfortunately, at the moment I have a quarter inch of fuzz on my head and the fuzz is not red. In fact it appears to be black. And it doesn't look like it will be curly either. I must wait and see. One of the side effects of my medicine, IBRANCE, is hair loss, so perhaps it will not grow back at all, at least not for the moment. But I have fuzz now on top of my head, which is quite a different look. I wonder how soon I can stop wearing my scrub hats when I go to town? I will defer to Ken. He has to look at me after all.

June 7, 2015. Harper, Texas. A Bonfire.

Almost nothing pleases us more than sitting around an open fire. Over the years, we have enjoyed hundreds. This afternoon was another in the long line of pleasant events. At the ranch, we burn our trash, as we did at the farm, so on a regular basis, Ken would make a fire in the fire pit and we would eventually put the trash in the fire. Our setting at the ranch is ideal because we sit under live oak trees and are fully shaded most of the time. And we get to watch the sunsets. Today was interesting in that it took us a long time to get organized. We gathered up the trash at the Hill House, put it into the back of the Gator, then headed down the hill to the fire pit. We had already left stuff in the butcher shop so we moved that trash over to the fire area. Then Ken needed to move wood, which is not an easy task for him. Eventually we were ready to light the fire but by then Joyce and Robbie had come over to join us by the fire so Robbie played boy scout and lit the fire. For well over two hours we watched the fire and chatted. The day was warm but with a breeze so we were comfortable. I was actually perfect because most of the time I freeze. All our efforts were worth it as we enjoyed sitting by the fire enjoying the outdoors. I just needed Alice Anne there to tell me what birds I was hearing.

June 6, 2015. Harper, Texas. The Triple Crown.

I know nothing about horse racing. I have only been to two horse races in my life. But every year I get interested in The Triple Crown. Today was lots of fun, watching the Triple Crown be won for the first time in 37 years. The same wonderful horse won all three races when the Belmont was won by this same misspelled horse, American Pharoah. Ken and I took in all the information from the commentators so by the end of the race we were experts, but only for an hour. The horses are beautiful to watch but we do not gamble and have no interest in horse racing but we loved watching The Belmont Stakes race today. And what a race it was, the winner starting out front and staying there until the end, just like in the Preakness. Perhaps it is the marketing departments that catch my attention but I don't think so. Records are interesting to me. During my life time, breaking the four minute mile took a long time but once it had been broken, runners beat it time after time within just a few weeks. Same runners but the barrier had been broken in their mind. With The Triple Crown winners, in the 70's it seemed simple, when three horses won. As time passed and no horses were winning, those of us who don't know much about horse racing got interested. Finally, today was the day. Now I wonder if over the next ten years, more horses will win The Triple Crown? Time will tell. And Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup playoff game tonight so now Chicago is tied with one win each. That too was an exciting, highly skilled game. Great fun in sports today for me.

June 5, 2015. Harper, Texas. Cameras.

There is no better camera than the camera in my mind. Scenes we saw years ago are as clear and vivid as today. My friends are visiting Jackson, Wyoming, a charming town nestled in the mountains, right next to Idaho and a couple of hours south of Yellowstone. We had only visited in the winter to ski but we were there several times. The Teton Mountains are magnificent. Perhaps one of the reasons the mountains are so vivid in my mind is that we bought a photograph of the mountains the first time we were there, which has hung at the farm ever since. Now it is on the walls of our new home in Mississippi. Ken and I have been fortunate with our travel. We did not leave traveling until we retired. We always travelled. And we were fortunate that we had summers off work. At that time, medical students only went to school in the winter and I was teaching, so we took jobs in some part of the country and traveled there and back. I still see, in my mind's eye, the highways in Arizona, with irrigation on one side with lush crops, and no irrigation of the opposite side with no water, so there was the desert. And the sign said "Arizona grows when water flows". That was 1961. I have no idea how the brain does it but at the blink of an eye, the scenes we observed many years ago just pop back and bring great pleasure. Right now, I am enjoying the pictures in my mind from our visits to Jackson, all triggered by my friends visit. They are loving it although I understand Jackson has grown and gotten trendy and fashionable. The setting is still gorgeous. They will enjoy and I will enjoy along with them.

June 4, 2015. Harper, Texas. Neuropothy.

It runs in the family, according to Dr. Stotz. My father had diabetis as an adult. He did not develop neuropothy. He died too young, at 61. Most diabetics have some amount of neuropothy of the feet and legs. My brother has it in both feet and legs even though Dave is not a diabetic. And according to Dr. Stotz, I was developing it . The chemotherapy gives, as a side effect, troubles with legs and arms. So I got a double whammy. I was already at the early stages of having neuropothy when along came the chemotherapy. Now I have an advanced case. The solution is to keep using my walker and stop complaining. As the good doctor correctly commented to me, "You can not stop taking the medicine that has kept you alive, so do the best you can". My solution to most things is to drink more water and get more exercise. Evidently it will not work in this instance.

June 3, 2015. Harper, Texas. Blood Counts.

Tuesday I had two appointments with two different doctors offices. The first was to draw blood to determine my blood counts. Every week it must be monitored. What I want to know is what causes my blood to go up and down? Is it the rest or the good food that causes the numbers to be better? And is it the medication only that brings it down? Whatever the reason, my numbers were better this week than last so everyone was happy, including me. I have decided that it is the dark chocolate causing the good results. The next appointment was with the same young Eye Doctor that has helped Ken. I like him but he was not happy with my eyes. The glaucoma has impacted my left eye. So after figuratively wringing his hands, he gave me different directions with my drops. And I am now taking my drops six times each day. AND I MUST NEVER MISS. I promised. He said I actually was a candidate for surgery but with my immune system shot to hell there was no hope for a surgery any time soon. So I keep on with my routine of drops six times a day, plus the wetting drops in between. This is a full time job. My sister in law Wilma sent me a bunch of funny sayings. The one I like the best is "The key to happiness is to have a sense of humor and a bad memory". Seems like good advice to me.

June 2, 2015. Harper, Texas. Surprises.

I have often wondered why I do not like surprises? Other folks seem to enjoy organizing them. My good friend and sister in law took a surprise visit to her best friend Sheila in Saskatchewan, of course with arrangements made with the family. Wilma said that she wondered if she had made a mistake because when Sheila saw her, she almost fainted. I would have told her a surprise visit was a bad thing. Sheila loved the whole surprise aspect of the visit, after she recovered. It was me that was horrified. One of the pleasures of an event is the anticipation. Before a party, I review the folks who will be attending and I will wonder what they will be wearing. I also think about the food and beverages. A surprise party removes all anticipation. And I like to prepare myself for the event. I like to be ready. I do the same with trips. The anticipation keeps me interested for ages, trying to figure out what we will be doing. Perhaps I am just a control freak but I do not like to be surprised. I like to know what is likely to happen and be ready. On the other hand, I enjoy it when people surprise me by stopping by to say hello. But I like best of all for friends to tell me ahead they are coming so I can put on the kettle for tea. That is my idea of a good surprise.

June 1, 2015. Harper, Texas. My Hair.

Once upon a time I had hair. My hair was always easy to look after so I was happy with my hair. After the first IV treatment for my breast cancer, my hair fell out in big clumps. I just laughed because I knew the medicine was working on my body. My decision was to wear a hat rather than get a wig. Fortunately, Ian brought me two scrub hats and I have been wearing them ever since. I look odd but don't care. I had been told by others that when my hair does come back in, my new hair will be different. I had observed it in other folks over the years. For some reason, when my hair fell out, I was left with wispy strands of hair over my whole head. Again most people would have just shaved these wispy hair off but not me. I wanted to see what will happen to that bit of hair. Also, my eye brows did not fall out, which the Oncologist said is unusual. I had assumed that when I stopped the very caustic IV treatments my hair would begin to grow, but I read the side effects for the IBRANCE and it too has hair loss, so nothing happened. I did not use Ibrance for 13 days and during that time, a fuzz grew on my head. Ken first noticed it. Now that I am back on the medicine, I thought the fuzz would disappear but the fuzz is still there. Now about one quarter inch, the fuzz is also dark in color. I might have black hair. When you are a lady of a certain age, stray hairs pop out on your chin. I just shave them off. But I was interested to know that when my hair fell out, the stray hairs on my chin stopped growing and disappeared. Now they are back. Like everything else in life, when you solve one problem you get another to take it's place. The wispy hair has gone away too. The truth of the matter is that I am not really in charge of my hair. I will watch with interest to whatever happens to my head. But I bet I will look odd with dark hair!!