A Williamsburg Christmas

Quite a few years back now...I got to do something that I had dreamed about...go to Colonial Williamsburg, VA at Christmas time for their Grand Illumination. One of the daughters of the owner of the Montessori School, where I taught, attended William and Mary. When she started school there, we made up our minds that we (the school owner and myself) would go before she finished...and we did. What a marvelous time! Colonial Williamsburg is just about my favorite place to visit. I'm wanting to go back now that I have my new camera to capture the area digitally!

Well, I went to the doctor this morning. I'll know tomorrow or the next day if all the labs come back okay. Doubt that they will...almost every time something is wonky. Last night I started getting a sore throat...thought that it was probably sinus...but the doctor said that it was red and she put me on an antibiotic...a surprise to me when I thought that I was just going in for a well-visit...good timing though for my sore throat to show up (before rather than after the doctor visit)!

Woody drove me to to the doctor and put the seat back in the car and rested his eyes while I was in the doctor's office. We saw nothing of note to stop and take a picture on this jaunt. He read this afternoon while I continued on my sewing marathon. I had to hide anything that would give away the gifts, as we have Graham and Abigail with us while the rest of the family performs for an Upward's banquet in Alabama tonight. Graham and Abigail didn't want to miss their Upward's practices. Graham is on an Upward's basketball team and Abigail is doing Upward's cheerleading. Woody turned on PBS for them to watch a couple of shows. Abigail did some school work while I started preparations for our supper. And, then Graham and Abigail helped us open up the shipping boxes with presents from Arizona...they got to put them under the tree after checking whom each package was for...FUN!!!! Woody has taken them to their practices and left me to get a late supper for all of us. I have it ready except for cooking the pasta so decided to blog early. Well, best go get the water boiling so they can eat as soon as they get back...I'll bet they will be hungry after their workouts.

Best news of the night...Woody downed his last chemo pills for this cycle, just before he left with the kids...a very good thing!

No Room in the Inn

We went to Sunday School this morning. Woody taught his class. We came home after church and I headed off to my annual Sunday School Class Christmas Party. It is so great to fellowship with close friends...we shared good food, laughs, even a few tears...some of the tears came from laughing quite hard at times. We have an ornament exchange. Every year I read a story entitled "The Right Family." While I read the story, everyone passes around the wrapped ornaments...every time I say "right" they pass the gifts to the right and every time I say "left" they pass the gifts to the left. It really is funny...no matter how many times we have done it.

Woody has read, watched football, etc. this afternoon and evening. He is still taking it easy due to his allergies. Today is cycle 6, day 6 and he has gotten today's chemo pills down and will be finished taking pills tomorrow for this cycle (4 in the morning and 4 at night).

Tomorrow the norm is changed and I have to go to the doctor for a six month check-in with our personal care physician and have lab work done. She has moved her office to a town that is an hour away. Since I don't know where I am going and since Woody is off from work, he will be taking me. Guess I had better go pack my camera...going in a new direction...so no telling what we might come upon for a possible picture for the blog. Well, I'd best get back to my secret sewing. I have been cutting out since getting home from the party...just one more item to cut out and then I can get back to the sewing machine. Maybe...just maybe...I can see a slight glimmer at the end of the sewing tunnel!

A better day!

Woody has had a much better day. One of the first things that he did after getting up (well, probably he took his pills first) was to get started making Chex Mix. I woke up to that wonderful smell wafting up the stairs...made me know that it must be the Christmas season, as it has become a Christmas tradition for Woody to make our Chex Mix each year. He made two big batches...which we will use for gifts and for munching on over the holidays...I probably did a bit too much munching...it is sooooooooo good! I made banana lemon tea bread. That smelled wonderful as it was baking, also. I also made chili today. Woody went to the library and stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple of items that we needed. He came home and watched a couple of DVDs and also some football this afternoon. He has also read. He sort of took it easy today after his not so great day yesterday. But he definitely feels much better today. I haven't managed to do much Christmas secret sewing today...I'm hoping to get going on it again in a few minutes. By the way, this is my 350th blog post for this year!

These acorns that hang on our Christmas tree are a reminder that great things come from small beginnings...as an old Latin saying goes: "Tall oaks from little acorns grow." According to legend, the acorn is a symbol of how hard work pays off over time...acorns have potential that is deep within...we all have such potential within ourselves. There can also be Christian comparisons/symbolism with the acorn: a mighty oak comes from humble beginnings...an acorn...likewise, Christ came to live on this earth as a tiny babe... a very humble beginning...born in a stable and having a manger for his first bed...as Christians, we base our eternal life on a Person who came from humble beginnings...Jesus...born in a stable...Jesus...sent to be Savior for the world. The ultimate illustration of "humble to Mighty!"

"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Cycle 6, Day 4

Not a good day for Woody. He is still having allergy problems...which leads to sinus drainage...which today has lead to nausea...but he has been able to keep his pills down...at least so far! He is just sitting very still in his recliner with his eyes closed...hoping to feel better quickly! Tomorrow will be the last day for him to have to take soooooo many pills in a day's span. After tomorrow, he will "just" be taking 4 in the morning and 4 in the evening for two days. And, then drug-study chemo pill taking will be over for this cycle.

Woody got up early as usual, took his anti-nausea medicine, went to work, took his nine chemo drug study pills, worked, walked at lunch, worked some more, and then came home. This isn't exactly the way he would have chosen to feel as he starts his Christmas vacation. Today was his last day of work till after the New Year. I just hope that he will feel better quickly so he can enjoy his time off.

Today the roofer came to hopefully fix a leak This begins the process of several home improvements that will be taking place over the next few months. I ran errands and did our weekly grocery shopping.

Cycle 6, Day 3

On this very cold day in Middle Tennessee, Woody got up early, went to work, took a cold walk at lunch, worked some more, came home and has been relaxing this evening with the TV and reading and resting his eyes. He still doesn't feel great...but does feel better than he did yesterday. He has completed one more day of this drug study cycle...much to his dismay (over taking the pills)...but also relief that another day of pills is finished! I have once again sewn most of the day...a usual occurrence for me prior to Christmas. No matter how I plan I always seem to have some Christmas gifts to finish...some years more to finish than other years...I think that this year qualifies for a "more year!"

Pictured tonight is part of my angel collection. I have them posing on top of the china cabinet as the heavenly host above our Precious Moments Nativity. One angel has a Bible verse in her storage box: Psalm 91:11 "He will give His angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways."

Cycle 6, Day 2

Woody got up early, went to work, managed to get his chemo drug study pills down, walked at lunch, came home, ate, watched some TV, and has pretty much collapsed in his recliner for the evening. He's not feeling the greatest today...probably a combination of allergies, day after Vandy, day after a Zometa infusion, and the 2nd day of the 6th cycle of his chemo drug study. I would say that all of the above mentioned could make you feel tired...and he did use the word "tired" today! He walked at lunch, but he said that mid-way he got tired...it wasn't cold today, but very windy and then you add in all the rest of the reasons that he felt tired on his walk. Last month, he didn't even attempt to take a walk at lunch on the day after he had Zometa and got started back on the chemo pills. My sewing machine has pretty much been humming all day...I'm making a "slight" dent in what I am hoping to do.

The little Precious Moments angel figurine is named "Seeds from the Chapel." Woody bought him for me when we visited the Precious Moments Chapel in Missouri quite a few years ago. He is only sold on the Chapel grounds. The meaning behind this figurine is that the Precious Moments Chapel is spreading the seed of the gospel to all who visit. This angel stays out all year round in our china cabinet...but he joins the Precious Moments Nativity at Christmas time.

I can now (7:50pm) report that Woody has taken all the chemo pills for today...two days down (literally)!

Cycle 6, Day 1

It rained on the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the physicians and the patients, the professors and the students...all alike...today at Vanderbilt. I took the above "umbrella and other ways to keep dry" study, while Woody was waiting for and having his Zometa treatment. These were all taken through the window of the room that we were in. If you look really closely you can find Woody in one of the pictures (hint: it's his reflection in the window behind one of the umbrella carriers).

We started so early that we beat the rain to Nashville. We didn't realize that it had started raining till we were called back to the waiting room outside Dr. Sosman's patient rooms. Once again, things got going very quickly once we got there. Shortly after registering, Woody was called to have his labs done. And, it wasn't too long till we got called back to the "inner waiting room" and we didn't have to wait too long in that area till we were taken to one of Dr. Sosman's examining rooms. We did wait a while in there...but in that wait...Woody's drug study nurse talked to us and told us she would be back...she came back and said that his labs looked like things would proceed for the next cycle...then a doctor in training came in and asked Woody questions and checked him out...and...finally it was Dr. Sosman's turn. At some point during that time, I handed the nurse the pill bottles from the 5th cycle and the diary card and she handed me the new card for the 6th cycle. Once Dr. Sosman had left, we were told to go on to the Infusion lab to get registered to have his Zometa treatment. We waited a while for a room there, but really not all that long. And, this time the Zometa got brought in quite quickly from the pharmacy. Zometa is a short infusion time (around 15 min.). When it was finished, I called the research nurse on the cell phone to find out where she wanted us to go to wait for the drug study drugs. She said that she was on the way to pick them up and to wait right where we were. Woody finished taking his 9 pills at 12:15pm and we headed out to claim our car. Now, that is where the wait was really long...made to feel especially long as it was damp and cold. The car was finally brought to us and we were on our way out of the Vanderbilt area by 1pm.

We stopped at Melany's to pick up a book that she had checked out for Woody to read from her school library...a Newberry Honor book that Woody had been wanting to read that our public library doesn't have. We saw their pretty Christmas decorations and ate some yummy strawberry cheesecake. And, then it was "on the road again." I was worn out and slept a good part of the way home. It did start raining on us again on the way home. We drove back into our driveway a little after 4pm...so we had a ten + hour day on the road and at Vanderbilt. Woody's nurse suggested that he wait till 10:15pm to take his evening chemo drug study pills...I know that it will be hard for him to stay awake till then!