Hot summer days.....

We just ended a very long 90+ degree heat wave last week. (a lot of times over 100 degrees!) Norm got some wash lines up for me hopefully cutting down on our electric bill most of the year although I have been hanging things in the basement since February. My back is improving from Physical Therapy but it is still hard to carry a heavy load of wet laundry up the stairs, through the kitchen and down some unstable "steps" made from concrete blocks.

Lexi has started summer school and on Wednesday afternoon she goes to camp till Friday evening. She wanted to go longer. Hoping to be able to send her for a week next year.

Nicole is headed for Kentucky. They left after lunch yesterday and were stopping for the night at a church in West Virginia to sleep. This morning they will go on a mine tour and then head to their crew headquarters to get their assignment. They return on Saturday and will get in late......somehow I will have to get Nicole's clothing washed and dried and repacked for Sunday afternoon where Nicole is volunteering at the same camp Lexi will be at this week.

I am hoping to continue my library work today cataloging books, labeling and putting cards inside.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Psalm 100

The LORD Is God

Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD! You know the LORD is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture. Be thankful and praise the LORD as you enter his temple. The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever.

Happy Independance Day USA!

The local fire companies have had a very rough week. Last Sunday three motorcycles crashed into a van. We don't know the complete story of what happened with that yet, but five of the six motorcycle riders were killed and the sixth one severely injured. Early this morning they went to another crash involving fire..... another gruesome fatality. Please keep all firefighters, police and ambulance responders in your prayers.

Last Sunday morning we were also awakened early to a major leak under our kitchen sink. It was repaired but when we got the water loss estimate from the borough, the water lost was 7 times more than what we use in an average day. We are thankful that the borough said they were doing to credit us for some of it.

On Monday I started having lower back and leg pain. My oncologist sent me for a CT scan and a tumor marker but that came back okay so now I have to find a way to relieve the excruciating pain. I believe it's sciatica but I am almost scared to find out what I need to do to fix it. I am not up for surgery. I would like physical therapy better. We have to come up with some money to do something. It is very frustrating because I had so many things I wanted to get accomplished this summer.

Tonight we are planning to go and see some fireworks with my parents. I thought we might take a little picnic along.

I will leave you with a verse on Freedom:

John 8:36 - "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." God bless!

Send a Virtual cake to benefit Ovarian Cancer Research fund

Brighten someone's day this summer with a virtual cake. Each day you send a cake, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. And you'll be entered for a chance to win the hot new induction range from Electrolux².

Summertime

We are up and running. I'm not being really good at listening to my oncologist when he told me to relax this summer. I have my hands in several different areas. I started housecleaning. I did my girls room on Thursday. I am hoping to get two rooms knocked out this week. Or at least Ty's room and the hallway although the hall shouldn't take a lot of time.

I also am trying to work on the library stuff. I had load of books in my basement that were either bought or donated. It took a couple of days to get through 4 bags. This includes placing a pocket and card in each book, labeling the spine and putting the info in the computer. I still have about 4 more boxes in the basement....at least. After that I wish to tackle the actual library.

Meanwhile the kids have places to go and people to see. Lexi will be going to my inlaw's Bible School this week. On Sunday Ty goes to camp and on Wednesday morning Nicole heads to Creation. After July 4 Lexi heads to summer school and summer camp and then Nicole goes to Kentucky.....comes home after a week and heads to camp as a counselor in training for 2 weeks. Then she has band camp for two weeks..... and in between that we have doctor's and dental appointments.

Maybe I should ask my oncologist to define "relax". LOL

Remembering Shirley

I had befriended Shirley last year when she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer shortly after I was. Unfortunately hers recurred and she lost her battle with the disease last week. My husband and I attended her funeral on Monday. She was 71. You will be missed, Shirley!

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Only a few more days until school is out for the summer. I have so many things I want to get done and I hope I will have time to do it all. I want to houseclean really well and work on library stuff as well. Nicole will be away through most of the summer and Lexi and Tyler both have places to be as well. I feel tired thinking about it.

Skipping into summer

It's hard to believe another school year is about to close and summer vacation is upon us. We just came home from the mountains. Below is a slide show of our weekend.


I also gave Lexi a hair cut.

It's hard to believe I was recovering from cancer last year. In a way it seems like a bad dream. My oncologist did a tumor marker test. I wasn't sure why he ordered it because it didn't pick it up in the first place but I ended up having to take it twice because the lab messed it up the first time.

This summer promises to be very busy. Nicole is going to Creation for a couple of days, going on a mission trip with the youth and volunteering for two weeks at a church camp. Lexi and Tyler will also be going to camp and Lexi has summer school. Nicole also has two weeks of band camp in August and there are VBS's as well. Through it all I hope to get the house cleaned. I'm already tired out!

Moving into May

An update on Norm: They did the Cardiac Cath and found no blockage, just a small amount of plaque build-up in which they will treat with medication, exercise and diet. Norm goes to his family doctor tomorrow for a check-up on the incision site and then to the cardiologist next month. We were relieved for the good report. :)

I also had a visit with my oncologist. He informed me that he starts remission from the time of diagnosis. Others I had talked to say theirs started from last treatment so I am a little confused. Anyway, he says I am a year and a half in remission which is good news to me. :)

Our family is planning a trip to the mountains in a few weeks which I am looking forward to. It will be our first trip all together as a family since I first got diagnosed.

Our church has been trying to get the Cancer Support Group moving. We recently had an ice cream social. It was a fun time and it was nice to mingle with others who have gone through similar struggles. I was saddened that the other lady from our church who also has Ovarian cancer does not have a good prognosis and has chosen not to continue with treatment. I understand why she is doing it. It's just sad to me. We also have aneighbor who also has a bad prognosis for her cancer as well and is not expected to last longer than six months. Of course, doctors have been wrong before.

My kids generally keep me stepping during the week with soccer practices, band practices, church and youth group. Tonight was the first time this year I was able to work in my flower beds. I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked to. I've been feeling really achy lately and my friend who has been battling lymphoma told me she believes the chemo contributes to arthritis. I don't know if it's true but I feel half inclined to believe it.

Standard Operating Procedure
For Using and Maintaining Dishwasher

Large pans more than 3000 mm should be placed on the rack at a 33 1/3 degree angle so that if you place an olive at the top of the pan it will roll to the bottom at 0.678 kpm.
Soup/Salad Bowl and Fruit bowls must be placed in the rack to represent a checkerboard pattern so that the water has a chance to distribute water in a homogenous manner.
Please be careful if you chose to sing a cheery tune while working in the dish room. Any note sung above the frequency of 17 kHz will cause any glass ware to shatter instantaneously and will cause all the local canines to storm the MCHS in a frenzied mania.
This is the dishwasher the school gave us. Take the nozzle and rinse out the dishwasher that the school gave us. Take out the curtains and use the nozzle to rinse out the dishwasher the school gave us. Pick up the rack and spread the curtain on it and use the nozzle that rinses out the dishwasher the school gave us.
When you position the curtain on the rack, place it in an open position so you can read it like your favorite Jane Austin novel.
Every 16th rack must bear a bowl that is turned upright and the water must be tested by placing your right index finger in for six seconds and then placed inside your mouth so that it can be tested for saltiness.
Cleaning: Open up the door on the port side. Have your work surface ready by providing a 1/16th inch Phillips screwdriver. Then you put the blue bolt in. Take the red screw out. Put the orange bolt in and shake it all about. Do the hokey-pokey and turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.
When you are through cleaning out the inside of the machine use FS-Cleaner #5 to scrub the outside of the machine. Scrub until the reflection illuminates a large nut. Wave at her. Maybe she will wave back.

Norm

Has a heart catheterization scheduled next Thursday since they feel he might have a partial blockage. Prayer for a peace for us and wisdom for the doctor would be appreciated. If they do find a blockage they plan to either put in a stint or do angioplasty.

Spring has sprung!

Lots going on. Soccer practices for Tyler and Lexi, church clubs/youth, band. Games on weekends. Tonight was rollerskating with our church for Lexi and youth for Tyler while Nicole babysat.


We've had some health twists. Norm has had some things show up on a test so tomorrow we are visiting a cardiologist for a consultation.

Here are some photos of recent events.

EASTER

Recent Storm brought down a large branch across the street which also brought down wires which also almost brought down a pole on our side.

1 year in remission!

Another busy month. Our church has recently built a new sanctuary so we moved in two days ago. They also built us a new library which we moved in over the weekend.

This past weekend Nicole was also in "Once Upon a Mattress". I have a whole album on Facebook but I will share a couple of shots.
She played a lady in waiting. It was really good!


Lexi and Tyler start soccer next week. Then our weekends will be tied up for a few months. Well, at least they are active in a sport. :) We told them they should do that to stay in shape.

A year ago I ended chemo and have been in remission. I was teasing Norm that he needs to come through on his promise for dancing lessons. I've been on the committee at church for cancer support. We are still exploring where we are going with that.