The Father and Son Happy Tire Rotation Routine

Thank you to everyone who shared your stories, tears and personal experiences in the comments area after my post yesterday. It’s so nice to be reminded that we aren’t alone on the grieving journey.

Today’s post is going to be a bit different from yesterday’s but different is good, right? Since I’m having fourteen people in for dinner tonight (our Board Members and their wives) I figure I’d better spend my time cookin’ and cleanin’ rather than writin’ and postin’. (I’m sure the dinner guests would heartily agree because after all, it’s sort of hard to dine on a blog post.)

So instead of writing, I’ll post some pictures from Nathan’s visit last week.

He and Steve discussed all throughout the week how much tread is on Nathan’s tires and how much tread should be on Nathan’s tires. (Hey, it’s cheap entertainment!) Finally, they decided that the time had come to do the Father and Son Happy Tire Rotation Routine.

While the men stayed busy with their manly man duties, Sarah and Meagan (Nathan’s girlfriend) took care of important business of their own—thrift store shopping! Here they are, about to leave the house. In the course of the shopping trip, they also engaged in some discussion about the all important subject of boys! Sarah is really enjoying having a big sister in her life.

And lastly, a picture that should make you smile. My sister sent me the most colorful, beautiful cheery umbrella for my birthday. (It’s one of the things I asked for.) I firmly believe that there should be a law against black umbrellas; if it’s rainy, it’s already gloomy and who needs more gloominess? This is the way umbrellas should look!

And with that cheery sight, I will sign off. And start cooking. And cleaning. And running amok.

Which I’m actually fairly good at!

Always

Your Wednesday Dose of Old Beauty

Yesterday on our way home from the surgeon’s office, Steve decided that his forlorn and exhausted little woman needed a little diversion from all the Serious Talk that has been flying around in our lives lately.

And as usual, he was right.

The diversion was in the form of an antique store along the way highway leading to Manteo.  The place was a veritable photographer’s delight.  Every corner and cranny was overflowing with stuff—valuable stuff, junky stuff, beautiful stuff.  Old beauty.

 

 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day.  (Some of them may already be in a collage but I wanted to post them full size, as well.)

I loved the idea of an ancient gas pump sitting next to a (formerly) fancy sitting room chair.

I adored the over sized diaper pins.

 

 

So there you have it.  Your Wednesday Dose of Old Beauty. 

And may I just add that I hope you find unexpected beauty--both old and new--filling the corners of your life today.

Surgeons and Naps

Before I lie down for the longest nap of this century, let me fill you in briefly on the day.

First of all, I was so blessed by all the messages greeting me when I got home a few minutes ago; thanks to each of you who took the time to send an encouraging word, a virtual hug or a long distance prayer.

There is good news and bad news:

The good news is that a secondary suspicious, cancer-related issue that had been mentioned turned out to be a "no go," representing nothing at all to worry about. Whew!

However, when the surgeon put my films up on the light board he said, "Uh, HUH."

Translated to mean, "My, my, my, my."

What he saw was a large number of microcalcifications in several different areas on the left side. From what I understand, macrocalcifications can show up in anyone and are very rarely a sign of cancer.

On the other hand, microcalcifications can sometimes be a sign of cancer, but not always. Certain patterns of calcifications, however— such as tight clusters with irregular shapes — can indicate breast cancer.

It seems the radiologist who read my mammogram is worried about the shape of the calcifications. The surgeon who examined me today is concerned that the extensive array of microcalcifications on this recent mammogram were nowhere to seen on the one I had just six months ago. And since calcifications are usually slow growing, this is obviously a reason for some worry.

Bottom line is that he told me he was going to go ahead and schedule a biopsy, and whether the calcifications were benign or malignant, he was still probably going to recommend having them all surgically removed at a later date, just because he would feel a bit "safer" that way.

They had an opening to come in on Friday but we already had a Board Dinner scheduled at our house and since that took a good deal of maneuvering to get the schedules of fourteen people to align, we we didn't want to change that.

Instead, I'll be going next Monday morning for the biopsy and will go back to the doctor the following Monday for the results.

So now you know what I know.

And now I'm going to bed.

Long Day

Steve and I are leaving for the surgeon's office in fifteen minutes.

I've been awake since 3 am.

It's been a long day already.

A Random Act of Niceness

A couple weeks ago, I got a surprise box in the mail.   In my considered and humble opinion, there are few things more exciting in life than to get an unexpected letter or package in the mail.

 

When I opened the box, I discovered the following treasures awaiting within.

 

A few of the messages inside the cards . . .

In addition to the hand crafted cards, there were two tins of individually wrapped chocolates.  What’s not to love?

My benefactor was a lovely lady (and blog reader) named Connie who designs and creates these fabulous works of art by hand.  I am just so grateful that she suddenly got the idea of sending me a box full of such fabulous findings!  I am going to have the best time giving those cards to various people over the next few months; pastor’s wives are always needing cards so I am extra thrilled to have such a unique and lovely inventory. 

And just when I got to plotting about how long I could hoard the cards and make them last, I got an email from Connie saying (in part), “Becky, if you need more cards, please let me know when you are down to six or so and I will keep you supplied.  I know we don't know each other, but I have a special place in my heart for you and your family. “

Wow.  I am blessed, or what?

And as for the chocolates?  Well, I must say they are causing me a little bit of happy anxiety.  Do I look at them or eat them?  Eat them or look at them?  Look?  Eat?  Look and then eat?   Oh, the rapturous agonies I have been going through in that regard.    (I have eaten a couple of them but I feel sort of reluctant to dig any deeper into the pile until I have sufficiently admired them.)

I would like to publicly thank Connie for her heartfelt gift and also (with her permission) post her email address so that you can contact her if you’d like to have her create cards and/or chocolate wrappers for you.  She said she did some chocolate wrappers for a teen birthday party (some of them had jewels on them) and she said the girls were quite reluctant to open their candies because they were all so beautiful! 

Anyway, here is her address if you would like to be in touch:

cj@walker.net

____________________________

I’ll leave about 8 am tomorrow for my appointment with the surgeon.  Earlier today, I re-read the radiologist’s report and looked up a few little terms I didn’t know the meaning of.  Now I’m sorta sorry that I did that. My little ol’ brain started to worry and my formerly fairly peaceful heart started having some twinges of anxiety. 

I will just be ever so glad when the appointment is actually here and I don’t have to wait on it any longer.  Of course, he wont be able to tell me anything definitive tomorrow, since we’re only going to discuss what type of biopsy needs to be done.  But I will still get a better idea of the overall gist of what I’m dealing with as he does a physical exam and explains a few more things from the report.

I hope that I will be able to sleep tonight and not spend too much time pondering things.  I wish there was an “unpondering” button to push somewhere in our brains. Wouldn’t that be so helpful?

Hmmm.  It just might be time to unwrap another one of those lovely chocolates!