Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Disney Room

The Disney guest room is nearly complete.  I finished a simple window valance this weekend and mailed the quilt top and backing fabric to my Mom for quilting.  There is nothing more to do until I get the quilt back and do the binding!

Here is a picture of the valance, I used a tutorial I found on Craftsy... very easy!



And here is a link to the tutorial I used...

Also our grand dog Sitka had her puppies on Thursday (5/26/16).  
They are just the cutest things ever!  We saw them on Thurday night and again on Saturday.  They are doing great so far.  The one laying in the front in the picture below is my favorite, because of his color and because Greg calls him Crusty which I think is so funny.  Erik called him Rusty when he was born, and Greg immediately changed it to Crusty.  I have a strange sense of humor, but I love the name, and the puppy!  Too bad we really can't get a dog, because that little guy would be mine!  Isn't the cuteness almost too much to stand?


I was obviously very happy to get to hold them the day they were born.


I also sewed up a dress yesterday.  I had made a dress for a boutique launch a couple of weeks ago that I had not yet sold.  Someone contacted me wanting to buy it, but also wanting another one to match for a sister.  Great, but the catch was that she needed it by Friday and it is already Monday.  I (somewhat foolishly) agreed to do it, but had to complete it yesterday.  I managed to start around 3pm and completed it by 9:30pm, only taking a break for dinner.  Greg pointed out that it wasn't really worth it for what I charged her, but oh well, I enjoyed it and was glad to sell the first dress, and use up some more of my stash for the second one.




This pattern is the Josephine by Violette Field Threads.

A great 3 day weekend was had, and we got a lot accomplished.  There is always more to do though, so very much looking forward to our retirement!







Tuesday, May 24, 2016


It is official!! 



This past weekend I finished the quilt top for the guest bedroom and I am in love!!

 I used a pattern called 9 patch bento box.   Here are the instructions if you are interested:
http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ss/Nine-Patch-Bento-Box-Quilt-Pattern.htm

It really wasn't that hard to make.  I was surprised that it didn't take longer.  The hardest part was sewing on and pressing the borders, as once the quilt was put together it was huge and hard to handle.  It kept wanting to pull itself off the ironing board as I tried to press it.  I ordered the backing fabric, and once it comes I will be shipping it down to Mom for quilting.  She bought the batting already, and will set it up on her quilting machine for me to see when we get down there for vacation in July.  So we won't be seeing it all put together until later this summer.  (I can't wait!!)

Meanwhile I need to make the valence out of the fabric you see hanging over the curtain rod in this picture.

We went to Hayley's dance recital on Sunday afternoon.  Hayley was in 4 dances plus the Daddy/Daughter dance with Shawn and Hayley together.  They did great!  After the recital we all wait to see her, and it seems so overwhelming for her, with so many people waiting and wanting a picture, handing her flowers and gifts.  I think she loves it, but she looked like a deer in the headlights to me.  We were afforded a quick picture with her, which I love. Her flowers go well with Greg's shirt and make for a nice colorful picture.  Beautiful blue sky too.  She is growing up so fast.


Shawn and Hayley are on the left below, dancing to Uptown Funk.  Great job Daddy!


Hayley and Hannah have been dancing together for 5 years already.  Don't they look so old in this year's picture? 





Thursday, May 19, 2016

3 months to go!

Greg and I walk almost every day, and talk about all kinds of things.  Last night we talked about what fun it would be to have a motor home and travel around the country.  We've discussed it many times before, but now it is getting more real!  3 months of work to go!!  We talked about eating peanut butter sandwiches if we need to to make it work and agreed that we both really like peanut butter sandwiches!

So now we want to start looking for a reasonable used mid size motor home, with the capability to tow a car.  Not sure we would do it this year, or maybe for next summer, it may depend on when we find something just right.  There are so many things we would like to do!

I suggested getting the motor home in time to drive to Detroit for Scott and Michelle's wedding, and then just continuing west from there.  It may not be practical this year, but it's fun to dream and plan.

Meanwhile we still have work to do on the house.  We want to replace the carpet in the living room and dining room with hardwood floors, like we did in the guest bedroom.

The guest bedroom is almost complete, I need to finish the quilt I am working on and make valences for the window.  Here are a couple of pictures of the quilt squares laid out on the bed, but not yet sewn together.  They get a thumbs up from kitty!!




Tuesday, May 17, 2016

My life these days...

The first part of this post was written over a year and half ago, and hidden on my private drive until today, when I decided to write a followup.  Scroll further down for today's update.


9/9/14
Almost 4 months ago I was diagnosed with Cancer.  Yep, the big C!!  Scary sounding and very unsettling.  But over the last 4 months I have learned as much as I can, seen a few doctors, gotten lots of tests,  (and given a lot of blood!) and here I am.  I have Cancer.  And the second and now third opinions agree so there is really no doubting it.  But there is nothing they are going to do about it.  For now.   And I feel fine.  For now.

I may be fine, it may or may not progress, watch and wait they say.  But I may not be fine.  And no one can really tell me for sure.  The markers are all fairly good (except that I have CANCER!!)  So I wait.  And watch.  And worry.  And occasionally freak out.

I have told some people.  First my immediate family… Greg, kids, Mom, our siblings.  Then extended family, cousins and aunts and uncles and such.  And a couple of good friends.  But not too many people at work, trying to keep it from Management.   I don’t really want anyone but me deciding if they think I am capable of doing the work or if I will be around.  I don’t want any assumptions to be made on my behalf.  If I decide I don’t want to work anymore at some point (due to medical/physical issues or I’m just ready) then I will let them know in time for them to plan for my departure. 

I’ve read a lot, and I will continue to read a lot.  A lot of it is very scientific and over my head (that’s why I need a good doctor!!), but what I do know is that there are continually a lot of advances in the treatment of this disease, so there is some hope.  But as of yet it is not curable.  That doesn’t sound so good.  The longer I can go before requiring treatment, the better chance they will have better treatments available.  And maybe even a cure some day.  I will continue to have hope!! 

The biggest issues for me right now are all the doctor appointments, calls, insurance issues etc.  A real pain, especially because I can’t really take calls at work very easily if I don’t want the whole world to hear.   The joys of working in “cube land”.  I can’t even begin to imagine how anyone who is more sick, scared, uneducated or unsure can wade through all of this.  I already messed up and ended up paying for a vaccine that should have been covered because I didn’t follow the process correctly.  At least I have the resources to pay it, but what about those that don’t?  It sure brings to light how screwed up the system is.  And how much people have to deal with if they have a chronic illness.

It also makes me realize how much you really don’t know about what another person may be going through or dealing with in life.  Hey, cut people a little slack, maybe they have Cancer.  (Or something equally bad.)   Or love someone who does.

Walking around with the C word is bad enough, but not telling anyone and just carrying it as an emotional burden while pretending everything is fine is no picnic either.  Even though I am not physically unwell.   And I want to be ok so I am good with the pretending, but there are some times that I just want to tell people “look I am having a bad day because I am worried about cancer, and nothing else really seems that important to me!!”  But I look fine and am not undergoing any kind of treatment and don’t have any ailments, so who would really understand?  I think any whining would get old pretty quickly.  And I really am ok.  I am happy, I feel well, I have the best husband in the world, a great family that loves and supports me, and a good job that has provided me with financial stability.  There isn’t a whole lot more to ask for. 

5/17/16
So here we are 2 years later.  Coincidentally, yesterday was my 2 year “cancerversary”, or 2 years from the day I received my diagnosis, and I didn't even really think of it until today.

Some exciting things are happening.  First of all, I still have not needed any treatment or felt unwell with my cancer, so that’s good!  There are some things moving in the wrong direction though.  My lymph nodes are getting bigger, but not yet concerning.   My spleen is enlarged, as it was at diagnosis, but hard to tell if it is bigger or the same.  The biggest concern is my platelet count, which has now dropped from being low at around 120  +/- 10, to 85 at my last check.  That is heading for a concern area if it continues to drop, and would require treatment of some sort.  Not sure whether it is within some normal variability or heading south fast.  That has caused me some worry, but not a lot I can do about it, so keep getting it checked, and deal with whatever comes. 
 
I have an appointment with the NIH on Jun 10th to be screened to be part of the Natural History Study of CLL – for untreated patients.  Hopefully I will get in, but either way it will be another chance to see how my platelets are doing in between my normal appointments, and if they are ok I should get in.  I would only get denied if I need treatment I think.  If I do get in it will give me another team of specialists for consult should I ever require treatment, and help finding an appropriate clinical trial if there is one.  It helps research, and it doesn’t cost me anything at all.  We are also planning to turn it into a nice Washington, DC weekend for our anniversary, so that’s good regardless of the outcome.

And lastly, for the biggest news of all, I have accepted a buyout at work and will be “retiring” on Aug 20th!    I put retiring in quotes because I feel more like I am just quitting, like I am not old enough and have not worked long enough to earn the title of retiree.  But I will have completed 27.5 years with Kodak/Kodak Alaris after having spent 7 years in college and grad school, while raising children, so it really isn’t too shabby.  And so I will be “Eating Dessert First” as I have now decided to refer to it, after reading a recent article with that title, written by a fellow CLL patient. 

I am happy!  Greg is retiring too, on July 1.  We head to Sanibel that day for a week long family vacation.  Then my last day of work is August 19, and on August 20 we head to London for 3 nights in England and then a 12 night British Isles cruise.  We have also put a deposit down on a condo rental in Kauai, Hawaii for 6.5 weeks in Feb/March 2017.  So lots of fun to look forward to and exciting times ahead!  But still, I am at least a little nervous.   Nervous about whether we will really have enough money to do what we want to do, whether there will be enough to do, whether my health will allow us to do what we want to do, etc…  But what better to do than to start living it and enjoy life to the fullest while we can.  I am hopeful that the $ won’t be an issue.  We have a budget and if we stick to it we will be fine.  If it is looking like we want to do more, which results in spending more, maybe I will need to consider working some again.  And that is ok too, as long as it feels right at the time.  We can make it work by the choices we make.  I like the idea of seeing how it goes and dealing with whatever comes up.  And sleeping in more often!!  

So there you have it, maybe I will write again before another 2 years have passed.