15th Blogaversary!

15 years ago tonight I wrote the first blog...5020 posts...that's a lot of words! A lot of water under the bridge since I started this. As to the start of the 16th year...what will it have in store for us? Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Here's what I wrote all those years ago...an explanation for the blog and some background for some who haven't been with us since the beginning: January 7, 2009: A FORK IN THE ROAD: WHICH WAY SHOULD WE TURN? I am beginning this blog so that our family and friends will be able to keep up with us during Woody's melanoma treatments. Woody found out Monday (Jan. 5) that the bones in his arm haven't healed sufficiently--so he will need further surgery--bone grafts and a plate. His orthopedist and his melanoma doctor conferred and for the time being that surgery will be put on hold so he can get started on his melanoma treatments. To back up a bit for those who haven't been in on the story from the beginning: Sept. 15th (2008) Woody was in a very bad bicycle accident--he will be the first to tell you that it was caused by a woman driver! He was going along at a pretty fast clip (between 20 and 25 mph). He saw a car approaching so he moved over to the paved shoulder. The driver turned in front of him immediately after passing him. He ended up braking to avoid hitting the car or vice-versa and the pavement broke his fall and he ended up with a compound fracture of both bones in his lower left arm just above the wrist. The orthopedist, Dr. Fiala, attempted to put the bones back together--but lots of bone was left along the side of the road. Dr. Fiala described what was left at the ends of the broken bones as cornflakes! Woody had surgery on Sept. 15th and a bar (external fixture) and pins were placed in his arm and hand to keep the bones in alignment with hopes that the bones would regenerate. So it has been almost 4 months since the accident. The bar and pins were removed Monday, Jan. 5. He now has a soft, half cast on the lower arm to protect it until he can have the surgery. Early in November, he felt a soft knot behind his ear and immediately called to set up an appointment with his dermatologist. Woody acted swiftly due to the melanoma that he had had removed from his forehead 2 1/2 years ago. The dermatologist told him that he was sure that it wasn't anything, but due to his history he needed to have it surgically removed. It was removed the week before Thanksgiving. We received a call (after 8pm) from the surgeon on the Monday after Thanksgiving telling us that it was melanoma. The surgeon set up an appointment with Dr. John Zubkus, an oncologist in Murfreesboro. At our first visit Dr. Zubkus set up P.E.T. and CT scans. Those scans showed hot spots in several places in his body. Dr. Zubkus got Woody an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Sosman, the head of melanoma research at Vanderbilt. We found out the results of the scans on Dec. 23 and we were seeing Dr. Sosman on Dec. 26th--so once in a while initial appointments with a doctor can happen quickly! Dr. Sosman has put forth several options that Woody can choose to try--and that is the reason that I call this post "a fork in the road." Dr. Sosman put things on hold till Woody found out about how his arm was healing at the January 5th orthopedist appointment. The treatments that Woody has to choose from would not aid in bones healing. But now that the bones aren't healing, I imagine that we will be going forth posthaste with melanoma treatments and look at surgery on his arm at a date after he has recovered sufficiently from treatments. We will be returning to Dr. Sosman on Monday, Jan. 12, at which time I am pretty sure decisions will be made about which treatment/s Woody will be taking. None of the options will be any fun. Woody will be in for the fight of his life. Once Woody chooses which treatment/s, I will explain more about it/them. We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Lois

Day 12 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

And, today we reach the 12th day of Christmas. January 6th is called Epiphany and is the dqy that tradition says that the Three Kings visited with Mary and Jospeh and preaented baby Jesus with their gifts. This day culminates the Christmas season. Now to share a memory about Epiphany. It was tradition in my family to take Christmas decorations down on January 1st...and, I always dreaded that day...dreaded it after I married and it was my reaponsibility to get them taken down! One year when I mentioned how much I disliked seeing January 1 come and what it meant, one of my fellow teachers shared that she and her family always waited till adter Epiphany to take down their Christmas. I decided that I would adopt this tradition and that way enjoy the end of a year and the start of another without getting into a mess for at least a few more days! These days, I tend to undecorate when the mood strikes me. But rarely on January 1st! I always say that my goal is to have everything put away by Valentine's Day! I have made more headway today with indecorating and redecorating...still a mess but progress! I will probably regret what I am doing. I have made the decision to pay tribute to Winter and am decoeating some of my tables with trees and snowmen...so it still looks decorated...that way the change from decoations to no decorations isn't so stark! But...this also means that I will still have more undecorating to do and have to figure out how to keep boxes where I can get to them to put what I have left out away! I have had a crazy idea this afternoon. I have a corner tree that we used to use in the family room and then for some years I used it in the living room instead of the big tree. And, when I used the corner tree, I used handmade ornaments on it...not the ornaments that I used to use on it in the family room...the theme of that tree was snowflakes and snowmen...perfect for my Winter theme!!!! So...maybe...I will put that tree up...still mulling that over in my mind! Woody had a very good day at dialysis. He said that everything went perfectly. But...this afternoon soon after lunch he got sick...the first time in more than a month that he has gotten sick. It is a week after Keytruda...so...maybe. Keytruda treatment before this he did not get sick in the following week...so I was questioning my theory...but now I will keep a watch on it. He is feeling fine this evening. Ruth came by for a visit this afternoon. It was nice to sit and visit and move away from the undecorating...she offered to help...but I told her a break from it was what would help the most! Woody has been working on his crossword puzzles. He has started his daily crossword puzzle calendar. You think your year moves fast...his really moves fast if you judge by the day that it is on this calendar! He does multiple days in one...it will keep him busy for a while...but not for a year! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious. And, with this blog, we will bid good-bye to 'Tis the season till later in the year!

Day 11 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

As we wind down the Christmas season, I am posting one last Nativity. This is a memory of long time friendship. Tonight's nativity ornament is done by the artist Jim Shore. I have several more of his nativity ornaments on my tree along with several other ornaments/decorations from his collection. The ornaments are all gifts from Connie...my tree is absolutely full of memories of her friendship over the years. Connie is my long-time Tullahoma friend who has moved to Alabama. We still keep in touch and talk and text often. She has gifted many, many ornaments over the 40+ years of our frendship...both specially chosen and many, many done by her own hands. Connie and I are sewing and stitching buddies, which can thankfully continue long distance due to the ease of communication these days. We have had a fairly quiet day...nothing on the docket that made Woody need to leave the house. I did get lured to the grocery store down the street as they have Boston Butt Roasts on sale for 99¢/lb...and I had just used the last of our pulled pork in the enchiladas that I made over the holidays. This is the store that also carries the ground pork that has no added saline solution so I can use it for Woody's breakfast sausage so I grabbed a couple of pounds of that while I was there. Now to get up the energy to cook the roast in a slow overn for a loooooong period of time. The cooking isn't the problem. The problem comes with having enough energy to pull it when it is finished! Didn't happen today...maybe tomorrow. After all, as Scarlett says, tomorrow is another day! I have really gotten underway with undecorating. The Precious Moments Nativity is back in boxes and ready to be stored away till I decorate for Christmas later in the year. I have made a lot of progress in other areas, too. The kitchen almost has no lingering Christmas...just a couple more things to remove. The dining room table is covered with things that need to be put away, but that will happen as boxes continue to be brought out. The china cabinet has all the Christmas items removed from behind its doors. I haven't gotten to Caroler boxes so they are still singing from their spots in the living room. There will be no annual gathering on the coffee table for one last sing this year, as I have already put things on the coffee table that will stay. I am going with a winter theme on the coffee table and also on the buffet and dining room table...that way it isn't such a shock when all is gone. I will admit that I am ready to have my counter space back in the kitchen. Things look a little bare but that is okay! I will get used to this new pared down look pretty quickly, I am sure. I have made many trips up and down the stairs. I am ready for the last trip up and down here shortly. I will go back down when I post this and start up the dishwasher and attend to Woody's leg. Then I plan to come back up and relax in my recliner. I have done enough for today! Woody finished a thick book of crossword puzzles that Melany and family gave him for his birthday...didn't even take him a month! Now he is working on baseball crosswords. I'm almost afraid to say it, but Woody has had several very good weeks. I think it is because he is eating better and also drinking more than he had been...so probably not as dehydrated as he gets sometimes. 2024 has started ever so much better than last year! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season for one more day!

Day 10 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

Tonight I went back to the Christmas Tree for a nativity. This one was given to us by Alex and Brooke, our grandson and his wife. They brought it back after a cruise last year to the Western Carribean. Brooke is a Spanish teacher so she brought us back a nativity from Mexico. This memory makes me appreciative of family and friends who share their travels with us this way! We have had a pretty good day. I guess Woody had a bit of a bump at the end of his dialysis. His lines started to clot off so they have to get his blood rinsed back befor that happens...but they did what they needed to and I think took a blood sample, too, for Dr. O. Anyway, I sat in the waiting room a lot longer than usual and we didn't get home till after 11. The rest of the day has gone smoothly. I guess I am in an organizational mood...maybe something to do with the New Year...or just that I am ready to take down decorations. But today I decided to clean out a section of the buffet in the dining room. I took everything out of one side...dusted and polished the inside and then since there were quite a few items that I took out that needed polishing, I did that, too. I polished lots of silver wedding presents today...I guess a gift of long ago...that no longer is popular...maybe because of the polishing?!?!?! But they surely do look pretty now that they are all shiny. I have purchased some tarnish retarding bags to store them in. They are to arrive in a few days...but they are all clean and shiny. I also removed some things that just didn't need to be in there...things that just got stuck in there when I didn't have any other place to put them. I found other homes for those...or will when I am putting Christmas items away. I have pulled out a few boxs from the Christmas closet and will start boxing up some things tomorrow. I am ready to take down and "get back to normal!" Woody has watched TV, helped me make a decision about a birthday present, and, of course, worked crossword puzzles. When I took a break this afternoon, I picked my stitching back up for a little while and also read some more on my current book, my first book for 2024. Last year I read a total of 44 books...didn't quite meet my goal of a book a week, but that's okay. I never read as much when I am in a stitching mode...though this year I did listen to more books...which I can do while I stitch. I'm heading down to put antibiotic ointment on Woody's leg and see how it has fared not being covered for the whole day. I think it will be fine and it hasn't seemed to bother him. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season for two more days!

Day 9 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

Tonight's Christmas memories center around the children at Christmas. This Nativity music box with Baby Jesus surrounded by baby animals just makes me smile. I, again, think of friendships as it was gifted us by the Hastys many years back. It plays "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem. It has been wound many times over the years and listened to by each of us, but especially by the children. That is why I paired it with one of the many Christmas books that we read to Melany and Nathan and then to the grandchildren. We have had a fairly quiet day. I just did a little of this a little of that around the house today. I managed to stitch some both in the morning and in the afternoon. I am well underway with my latest stitching choice. I got Woody's lunch and then headed out for my hair appointment. I was really ready for a hair cut after five weeks between cuts when I usually get it cut every four weeks...a good deed done! When I came home, I started getting things ready for our telemed appointment...TV tray to put the iPad on and made sure that settings were working on my iPad with the Vanderbilt telemed system. Then I went back upstairs and stitched a little more before it was time for the appointment. This time the appointment was a lot closer to ontime that it has been in the past. The infectious disease doctor was pleased that Woody's wound seems to be about the same and she felt like we can stop bandaging the lower part of his leg...just put antibiotic ointment on it. I am glad as I have been checking into having to purchase bandaging materials that wound care wanted and it was very expensive per bandage...between $3 and #5 per bandage and we were to change the bandage daily. They are no longer able to provide them for us due to some rule of Medicare so...that meant we were going to have to purchase them. Last night I was checking around and 100 of the bandages cost almost $500...all I could think was that there has to be a better aka cheaper way to go about this. And, Dr. Allos came up with that plan...no bandage at all!!!! I'm glad to go along with her plan. Now we will see what wound care thinks when we go back to see them next week! I have felt for some time that the bandage was harming the skin more than helping it...but I'm not the wound care doctors so went along with them...now infectious disease agreed with me...so we will see how his leg does over the next week without a bandage and see if wound care agrees with us!!! I rebandaged his open wound below his knee and applied antibiotic ointment below that on his leg, after the telemed appointment so that job is done for today...not a before-bed nursing duty for today. We have had supper. I will go load up supper dishes in the dishwasher and then do what else Woody needs done before bed. Then I am coming back upstairs to stitch and read. I haven't done much today, but I am tired...well, I didn't have an afternoon snooze...maybe that is why! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...for a few more days.

Day 8 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

Tonight's nativity and memory takes me back to the grandchildren in years gone by. When Erin and Alex were small (They are now 30 and 26!), Veggie Tale videos came on the scene. I can remember checking out the VHS tapes from the church library for Erin and Alex when they came to our house for visits. On down the line Nathan's children also enjoyed them...at least through the first four or so...not sure that they were still popular when the last two or three were young. VHS tapes have gone out of style...they were introduced as DVDs also, but now even DVDs are going out...though we do still have DVD players in our household. This nativity "stars" Laura the Carrot as Mary, Junior Asparagus as Joseph, a French pea as baby Jesus, Larry the Cucumber as a wiseman and Bob the tomato as a shepherd and another French pea as an angel. I got this nativity for the children as part of the Pickle Present one year. The Pickle Present is another memory! The first child who found the pickle on our tree at our family Christmas got to open the Pickle Present...which consisted of gifts that stayed at our house for them to play with when they came over...sometimes games...sometimes a nativity...as a matter of fact two nativities...both the Veggie Tales and also the Fisher Price Nativity. We have had a good day...mostly a lazy day once dialysis was over. I have stitched quite a bit and Woody has done multiple crossword puzzles. Tomorrow is a stay at home day for Woody. I do have my hair appointment tomorrow so I will leave the house for that. Woody has his appointment with his Infectious Disease doctor from Nashville's Vanderbilt, but it is a telemed appointent. That will happen mid afternoon. I am going to go back downstairs after I publish the blog to finish up in the kitchen for the day and then change Woody's dressings on his leg. Then we will call it a night. I will stitch a little more and maybe read a little before it is lights out. And, Woody will probably do another puzzle or two and watch a little more TV before he tells Alexa to turn out his lights! His dialysis went well this morning, though they did have to do a bolis of saline toward the end of his treatment...not sure exactly what it was caused by. He said that his blood pressure started out a bit high...but if they had to bolis at the end that meant that it went low...have not a clue. But he has been fine the rest of the day. So...alls well that ends well! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...for just a few more days!

Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

This nativity was given to me by a long time church friend...reminds me...What would we do without our church family! Woody and I wish you God's richest blessings in 2024! we have had a very quiet day...good day for crossword puzzles and TV watching for Woody. I have enjoyed pur decoratons for another day...I sat and read in the living room for a while and once again enjoyed being surrounded by our decorations. I did make a pot of soup...started out the year with Woody's favorite...J.Hatheway's Italian Sausage Soup. That's what we had for lunch along with some Frito scoops and Mississippi Caviar. So we have had our black-eyed peas to start the new year. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...still.