Late, As Usual

This has been a whirlwind of a week due to mom's surgery and it's finally over. Her surgery went without a hitch on Wednesday and the doctors feel this should be close to the end. They removed all of her breast tissue but on outward appearances, she will look the same (if you know what I mean) except for two small scars on the lateral side of each breast. What a blessing.

I hope everyone has a safe and bountiful Halloween.

1. While the cat's away well...we are all aware what happens ;)

2. Spending a quiet evening with the one you love; fabuloso!

3. Children can be such a blessing but can also totally drive you crazy!

4. I like quiet and a little me time when I get home from work or shopping or what have you.

5. This may seem odd, but I enjoy small breaks from the usual rigors of life as I know it.

6. Taking a weekend to myself to reflect and decompress seems like a fine idea to me!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching some old movies and eating a yummy hamburger from Bilmar, tomorrow my plans include making my traditional soup buffet for friends to come over and fill up on tomorrow before they trick or treat and Sunday, I want to eat some yummy soup and steal the good candy from my kids (considering dressing up but am not very motivated right now)!

Just for fun, here is a picture of my Bunko group all dressed up...as usual...I lost!

It's Friday.....Freakin' Finally!

I have had a difficult time focusing on anything this week. I think I am still in vacation mode or at least longing to be there. I want to take another week off, kick the family out of the house, and complete all those menial tasks and touch ups on the house. Anyone who knows me well is aware of how weird I am about my home and it needs love terribly. I wonder how my boss would feel about me taking another week off?
Anywho, mom's mastectomy is in 5 days and she is so ready to be over this already. Who can blame her? She is extremely nervous and would like at least one good night of sleep before the big day. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
So glad it's Friday.........

1. One of my strongest beliefs is (as lame as it may sound) that things do happen for a reason and if something is meant to be, it will be, even if you fight like hell for it to not be. The exact opposite is also true.

2. Marshall woke up in the best mood today...laughing and smiling unprovoked.....huge!

3. The sky is cloudy with a threat of rain and wind and cold, so we closed the windows, put the kids to bed and .......

4. A hot bath, a good book and a glass of wine is comforting to me.

5. I always thought I'd be a good mother....boy was I surprised!

6. I finished handing out the last bit of candy to the trick or treaters and then I went outside to look at the full moon.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to helping with the Haunted Half Marathon..I am the packet hander outer, tomorrow my plans include OMG three soccer games...one 30 minute for Marshall and two 90 min for Michael...arrgg and Sunday, I want to try to get back into the Sunday School grove followed by some fun at Bacchanal. I cant afford to bid on anything but it's fun to go and watch the richies make bids.

Late Evening Friday Fill Ins

A brief catch up: The first week after a vacation is extremely exhausted. I feel as if I worked my butt off at work and yet it was quite manageable. Anywho, must be the 'everything else going on' which is mostly in regards to my mother. She is going to have a simple mastectomy on both breasts on the 27th of this month. They are just going to take out the breast tissue so (without going into a lot of anatomical detail) from the outward appearance, she will be the same except for a scar. We are all very thankful this is a non-invasive cancer and nothing else in her body has been affected. Her lymph nodes are clean and no follow up radiation or chemo. After 2 months, she can have her implants put back in so...there you have it. Our family's first brush with cancer and this is going back >3 generations. We are very fortunate and blessed to have good genes and a hell of an immune system. Thank goodness it is Friday, enjoy your weekend and here we go......

1. Wow, it's already the weekend again. This week went fast and I am not complaining.

2. What two people can achieve if they work together can be beautiful.

3. My favorite way to start a day is a good cup of coffee, a satisfying work out and 'other things'.

4. I heard a whack, a thud, and he walked in the door holding a pumpkin. (or what appeared to be)

5. I look out my window and see nothing because it is dark outside and with the light on in the house.....you get the point.

6. You know what subject I've been thinking about lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a hopefully quiet night peppered with some good phone conversation, tomorrow my plans include soccer, soccer and spending some time with my mom and Sunday, I want to attempt to get back into the Sunday School routine and hopefully get a few of the little things that need to be accomplished around the house.

Sunday Late Fill Ins

Brief update: We returned from our extended vacation last night about 7ish and I was so happy to be home. There truly is no place like it. The boys enjoyed their surprise one day trip to Huntsville followed by a week in Florida. The weather was perfect. Upper 50's for the lows, lower 80's for the highs and not even a hint of precipitation for the entire week. The hotel we stayed in was nice and 1/4 occupied while during our week but started to explode with peeps on the last day of our stay. I was glad we were leaving at that point and thankful I picked the first week of fall break to go and not the second week. It would have been a much different experience.

1. My favorite month is September (a normal one) because it's warm during the day, a little chilly in the evening, humidity has taken a hike and it is starting to smell like fall.

2. If the temperature is anywhere in the 60's I open up all the windows to let in a fresh breeze.

3. I love to sniff a little after watching a good movie that had a hint of a tear jerk.

4. IHOP Pancake combo with scrambled eggs, my bacon crispy and my pancakes grain 'n nut with butter pecan syrup is what I like to have as a treat for breakfast. (I can be very particular)

5. The hobby I enjoy most is (I have to pick one!) hmmm..I somewhat enjoy exercise, I thoroughly enjoy reading and listening to music.

6. Ingenuity comes from being bent on getting what you want and it is amazing the cleverness it breeds, oh my!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to enjoying my last night in Florida, tomorrow my plans include driving, driving, driving and a little of that ingenuity I spoke of and Sunday, I want to make a stab at making pumpkin soup, by a new fish for Michael, get the fall decorations out (Fall and Halloween are my favorite times of the year) and enjoy my last day of vacation.

Triathlon Mark UP

Well, my first triathlon was this weekend and I think I am officially addicted. I am still trying to figure out why they put your number on every limb except your right leg and they put your age on that limb. Weird...is there a chance I may be dismembered on this course? If so, no one said a damn word! This is the only thing I can reasonably deduct from the multi limb markings!!

Anywho, I did finish and not in last. I was fourth in my age group so there you have it. I did get passed during the cycling by a 75 year old man. That is a real kick in the head..I wanted to catch up with him and kick his bike but I figured this would be bad sportsmanship therefore I refrained. Well, the first one is down and not really so bad....I am seriously going to kick ass on the next one. We half ass trained for the last one. I am curious to see what would happen with a 3/4 ass attempt!

P.S. Crystal, just do your first one (triathlon that is) and get it over with. It will drive you to train for the next one. Trust me, you will kick yourself if you dont.

Hitch In The Giddy Up

Well, there was not a Friday Fill In from my usual source, fill ins! So here I am exposed, naked and with no real direction. So here I go with my haphazard and impromptu update.....

Mom's second surgery (breast tissue biopsy) was performed last Thursday and the results were good and not good.
Positive part: 1. non-invasive cancer 2. lymph nodes are clean.
Negative part: Cancer is 'peppered' within her right breast therefore the biopsy margins were not clean...again.
Conclusion: She will undergo a bilateral (both) simple mastectomy next month sometime in order to remove all the affected tissue. They will be able to perform the removal and the reconstruction during the same surgery. This is good!! In other words, if one was to have breast cancer...this is the one to have. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to minimize this...simply trying to stay as positive as possible.

My Friday Fill Ins are going to be totally lame and may only contain one thing!!!!

1. As for tonight (Friday) we are going to Fall Fest to eat, play and listen to some good local music, tomorrow includes soccer, soccer and cleaning out some items we no longer use, and Sunday...continued triathlon (triathalon) training and general chilling out.

2. Why do we continue to ask the question 'why' instead of the question ' why not!'

3. With some gumption and fortitude anything (including this) is possible.

Small Catch Up and Happy Labor Day

I have been a little distracted over the past three weeks or so due to my Mom's recent diagnosis with breast cancer. It started as a small symmetrical circle which the doctor assured her is was nothing (there is usually nothing symmetrical about cancer) and let her decide if she wanted it removed or not. At first she decided to let it be...that is until she spoke to me. The conversation was just short of me twisting her arm behind her back and making her have it removed. She finally relented to my plea and had it removed.
The doctor came into her room after surgery, mouth agape, and told her it was cancer. We were all shocked (including the doc). That was 3 weeks ago. This past Thursday, they went back in to biopsy some lymph nodes at take out some additional tissue in her breast. He felt that will be the end of it all and her lymphatic system is most likely clean....THANK GOODNESS! So here we are waiting for the final say of cancer free. I really wish they could figure that out within hours of removal! She will still receive 5 weeks of radiation as a precaution then this will hopefully all be behind us. Please keep mom in your thoughts and/or prayers. She is handling this 100 times better than I would if the role was reversed.

1. Family time is important but one should not discount having quiet me time either.

2. I have thoughts that keep going back and forth without resolution.

3. I love a cool fall night in front of the fire outside and wrapped in a blanket.

4. Anything Italian makes a good meal.

5. I've got the best career I could ever hope for.

6. I guess timing it truly everything: wth!!!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to dinner with my youngest while my oldest heads to the high school football game, tomorrow my plans include cross country for Michael and hanging out with mom, and Sunday, I want to get the boat on Dale Hollow Lake and tube with the kids for a while.