Day Forty One - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Hello one & all! I hope this finds you well & warm! Brr! We had our first big dump of the season. I left for town about 1300 & it was just beginning to snow. I despise driving in the winter & knew that an impending stressful drive home was around the bend! 


I quickly hashed over my To Do list & decided what could wait until another sunnier day. I stopped at only 3 places & managed to leave Chinook Centre at 1630. It was crawling traffic & what normally takes me 1/2 an hour, took 1 1/2 hours! I stopped in Bragg Creek to pick up a few veggies & then headed out to the ranch. 


I pretty much plowed my way into the yard. I wasn't too sure if I was even going to make it up the hill! I had to take 2 attempts & on the 2nd attempt, I added a bit more speed & away we went! Whoo hoo! The deck was covered in a good 8-10" of fresh snow. When I left home this afternoon, there wasn't a flake on the ground... Different story now! I must say, I'm looking forward to Tahiti! Bring it on!!! Whoo hoo! I can't wait!


I thought I would be kind & shovel off the deck & steps, so when Mom came home, she wouldn't have to wade through the snow. When I finished & finally came inside, I realized I was covered in snow. So I dropped my drawers & left the wet jeans by the entrance. I put on my sweats & puttzed around the house for a bit. I had just answered the phone when I decided to clean up my mess by the entrance. I picked up the jeans & gave them a good 'flick' to get rid of the snow. I got rid of it alright! All over myself! I was covered in snow from my head to my toes! Yeesh! Whoopsie!


Anyhow, I managed to spend the entire evening on the phone... I would just hang up from one call & the phone would ring again & again... It's a good thing I don't have a TV - I'd never watch it anyhow! It was really wonderful to speak with some very dear friends I've been missing! 


And the biggest news yet... 
*******************************************NEWSFLASH*******************************************


I cooked a meal! 


Okay, so it's not that exciting for you, but it is for me. For those of you who know me, I am pretty much Domestically Retarded. I don't enjoy cooking in the least bit. Tonight I decided to make a stir-fry. After searching for the rice for 10 minutes, I found it in the bottom of one of Mom's tins in the storage room. I put it on to boil. Next up were the veggies... I sliced peppers, yellow & red, mushrooms, purple cabbage, celery, broccoli & cauliflower. Btw, if you're wondering how to properly pronounce my new last name, it's like cauliflower - CAUL-it's... Just a tip! :o) Anyhow, back to the cooking thing... I put the veggies in the frying pan & try to spray some olive oil on them, then the lid on top. I check the veggies in a bit. Not much happening & the pan is so full I can't stir them. So I take a few out. Actually I take a really large bowl out & the frying pan is still full. Okay, so I haven't mastered the art of cooking for 1 or for 4 yet! In due time, I'm sure! 


The veggies are looking a little hungry, so I put on some coconut oil. Lid back on. I rummage around in the storage room & find the sauce I bought the other day. Good stuff that I can have, or at least I'm hoping it will be good! Some kind of Indonesian Pineapple Lemongrass sauce. Sounds yummy! Hmm, pineapple... I rummage around for pineapple & find a can of crushed stuff. 


I end up with an upside-down stir-fry. (One more reason to move to Australia - my stir-fry's would be right-side up!) I mixed the sauce & some pineapple in with the rice & it ended up on top of the veggies. Hey, it all goes down the same tube, right? Oh, the sesame seeds were the garnish. 


I will say it was quite palatable & I definitely have leftovers - about 3 more meals worth! I have a bit of a tummy ache, but I'm blaming it on the Soy Egg Nog I drank instead! 


So there you have it! I prepared my first meal of the year & it's only November! Just in case you're wondering, I worked on ships for 5 years & they prepare all our meals for us. I haven't had to cook a meal in a really long time! I just ate what was put in front of me or opened the bag/box/etc. 


Today was also needle day, just to keep you in the loop on the health side of things... I am getting better & don't hesitate quite so much. I think my thighs will be permanently bruised for the next 3 months! I discovered that the needles I'm using are only 1.25" long. I thought surely they were 1.5-2". Ha! Gulp! I am looking forward to seeing Jaco & he can do that job for a day or two!!! :o) I am also pleased to report that the ridiculous itching I was suffering from on my belly & neck has pretty much all but disappeared! Whether it is the meds or what, either way, I am tickled pink! I have a slight red spot on my neck where it was quite raw previously, but for the most part, it's all gone! Yay! Also, my neck continues to feel different every day. I know it is certainly changing. I am not sure if the interstitial fluid is dissipating, the lumps are shrinking or what exactly is happening, but either way, I believe that change is good! Stuff is happening & it's not just a giant stagnant lump anymore! Bye Bye Lymphoma!! Hello Life!!!


I've decided to do a little list...
Reasons Why I Should Live Somewhere Warm & Sunny, Near the Ocean...
1. The air will have more than 2% humidity thus reducing the chance of electric shock every time you touch something, i.e., car, dog, blanket, jacket
2. My hair will not stand on end every time I take off my jacket
3. My socks will not come off every time I remove a boot
4. I will not suffer from nose bleeds due to the driest air on the planet
5. I will not lose my fingerprints from cracked, chapped hands
6. I will not have to drive like a Granny with my hazards on because there won't be any snowstorms
7. I will not have to wear 10 layers of clothes & feel like the Marshmallow Woman every time I walk out the door - down is warm, but so not sexxy
8. I will not experience hot flashes when I enter a shop to purchase something & need to remove 8 of the 10 layers of clothing in order to stay conscious
9. My nose will not run profusely when I enter a building
10. If I want to have a white Christmas or go skiing, I can fly to Canada for 2 weeks in the winter
11. Because sand between your toes will always feel better than snow between your toes


Okidoki, on that note, I'm going to sign off for the night. I have the place to myself, well, Adios, Valentina & I do, so I'm going to take advantage of the peace & quiet... Sleep well & see you soon!!! 


Love, hugs & snow angels,
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx

Parking lot in Bragg Creek

Opening the gate to come into the yard

Oh where, oh where could my boots be?

Fresh fall on the deck

Covering the truck

Um, excuse me, but you have something on the end of your nose...

Day Forty - Still Catching Up!

Wow! Where did the month of November go? I feel like I've turned around & it's gone! My goodness! I hope this finds you well & happy & getting ready for Christmas. Hard to believe it's less than 1 month away! 

I suppose I feel a little like a dog chasing her tail, as I am still trying to catch up on the blog! I'm 3 days behind & not getting any closer! Now, where were we? I think I left off on Friday, shortly before the Doctor's appointment. I can't recall if I have told you the background story as to why I wanted to see this particular Doctor. I have been on the phone so much lately that I forget who I've told what & what I posted on the blog & I'm just generally confused!

Way back in May or June, I took a friend to the ER in Black Diamond when she was have crazy pains in her groin & abdomen. I waited patiently in the waiting room (go figure) & eventually she called me in to sit with her. When he came in to tell her that he couldn't find anything wrong & she was now pain free, I asked him about my lymphoma, trying to be anonymous, which obviously didn't work. He got quite excited & asked if I had lymphoma, what was I doing about it, why wasn't I in treatment, was I in denial... I reassured him that I wasn't in denial, I would be fine, I would treat it holistically, yadda yadda yadda. I went home that night & thought to myself... Crap. I am in denial. The next day I started my juice fast. I lasted 42 days on fresh pressed grapes & lemons only. No solid food. I thought okay, enough is enough, let's kick this once & for all. Well, week after week went by & the lumps in my neck didn't change. July 1st I quit the fast & began my junk food bingeing, but that's a whole other blog. Somewhere in July, I broke my pinkie toe. I ended up back at the Black Diamond ER & yup, you guessed it, same Doctor! When he came in to introduce himself, I just smiled & he said, 'Do I know you? Are you the'... gesturing to his neck... I smiled again & said yes. He then proceeded to ask me how I was doing & that he had thought about me a lot & wondered if I had started 'proper' treatment. I was completely taken aback, as I have never experienced a Doctor who paid that much attention to his patients. Really, I'm a name & not just a number?!? Wow! I had mentioned that if my treatment plan didn't work out & I ended up doing chemo, that I would like him to be my GP. He said he would. 

So, here I am... He came into the room & of course, he already knew that I had been to Mexico, as Dr. Branch from last week had already brought him up to speed. He looked over my medical papers, asked me what I needed from him & we talked about Mexico. He told me he thought I was crazy, especially when I told him about the 10 ml needles! But despite his disbelief in my decision to seek alternative treatments, the best part of the appointment was when I showed him my neck. He felt the lumps & claimed they were much harder in July when I saw him. When I said the treatment was working, his reply was only that he wanted to see me healthy, whatever way it takes. Naturally I was pretty stoked that I could shock the 'Other Side' with my progress! Whoo hoo!!! I don't need to see him now until January after my blood work & CT scan, so I'll keep you posted on that. I told him I had 'another great Doctor' that I would be seeing over the next 5 weeks for blood work & follow ups. And of course, someone to take over my shots for awhile! :o) Did I mention that he's a really handsome, sweet, kind, caring, loving, MARRIED, *ahem, Doctor? :o) 

I checked on Jeff at the hospital for his IV & he was still 20 minutes from finishing. So I decided to venture downtown. Oh, which reminds me... I parked in the back alley by the clinic when I had my appointment. I get out of the truck & had to giggle. You know you're in a small town when there is a quonset 1/2 a block from main street. I love it. So anyhow, I wander into the little pet shop. I thought I would have a glance around. The fellow that owns it was there & bless his heart. It must have been a slow day. He proceeded to tell me about each & every kind of dog food they carried, what the differences were, where they were manufactured, what the brands used to be called before there was a copyright issue, I was in there for at least 20 minutes! Good salesman though, as I bought 3 bags of trial foods. So far Valentina has devoured hers, Adios is still picky. He has the tastebuds of McDonald's only (Whiskas). Trailer Trash Cat & I love him just the same.

I head back to the hospital & pick up Jeff. He is (im)patiently waiting. We head home & I make a few phone calls, check a few emails, pack up the stuff & head into town with Jeff & Mom. I am staying at Madelaine's & the roads have taken a turn for the worse, so I chicken out of driving & hitch a ride! The highways into the city are fine, but once you're in the city, it was fairly treacherous. Safeway parking lot was a skating rink!

And here's where the next set of drama begins. We pull up to Mom2's truck (Madelaine is my adopted Mom - she couldn't have kids, so I adopted her) & I see her & her little dog, Finnegan. Oh dear. Valentina is still in heat & I forgot her little doggy diaper. Madelaine has always reckoned that Finnegan was gay, adding to that - he only has one nugget. Well, let's see how it goes. We get to the house & I put a little bandana on her back end. Finny tries his best - he certainly is NOT gay. About an hour later, I check Valentina's diaper & lo & behold, she's done her business in it. Ugh. She's so good at home, I can't figure out why she does this when we go out... Anyhow, I put her outside while I clean up the mess. About 10 minutes later, I go to the patio door to let her in. A look of horror washes over me, as I see Finnegan outside with her! How did he get out! Ahh! The doggy door! I completely forgot about it. (Roxie if you are reading this, I am still sick) I am completely panicked. I have no idea how to check if, well, you know. But I do anyways. I can't tell. 

The diaper goes back on & we are safe & observed for the rest of the stay. I call the Vet as soon as we leave... 'Is there a morning after pill for dogs???' Well, yes, but it's fairly toxic & since Valentina is still young & small to begin with, it's not an option. Spaying her, well, one day, maybe one batch. I take her to the clinic & Dr. John does a swab. He can't see any 'evidence', but that's not a guarantee. She'll be back in three weeks to see him to make certain there are no little ones inside the Little One. If she is in fact pregnant, I will most likely be forced to spay her, as she is too young & too small to have puppies. Finnegan is a 16 lb Pomeranian. Poor little girl. I feel like such an unfit mother. My child was violated when I wasn't paying attention. Please don't report me to Social Services!!! Adding to all of this, she's been in heat for over 1 month, not normal! I am praying that it will end soon!!! 

Saturday afternoon, Mom, Jeff & I all catch a few zzz's. We are all shy on sleep & needing to catch up. Jeff drives himself to BD for his IV. I was set to go with him, until he drove out of the yard without me. I was putting on my boots & away he goes. Ahhh, brotherly love. Fine, I'll just work on my stuff at home! I ended up going with him at 2300 for his last IV. It was quite nice to visit & learn some more about my brother. While his IV was dripping, he proceeded to tell me the history of all of his scars... 'This one I got in Grade 1 while chasing Nicky Swallow around the schoolyard. This one I got when I had my finger caught between the panels. This one I got while chasing cows through some thick brush. The branch went right into his shoulder blade. He could stick his finger in almost all the way. He told me of the crazy Doctor in BC who was ridiculously hyper & had a Harley, Rover & some other fast car & worked WAY too much. He told me of the day he chipped the bone in his ankle, but proceeded to walk on it & rope cattle, the fencing pliers that ripped into his arm & something 'purple' showed through the wound, the list goes on & on... Needless to say, I was very entertained by his 'Battle Scars'. Him & the nurse enjoyed a fair bit of banter, he manages to charm his way into the hearts of many. Probably why I hear his cell phone beeping in the wee hours of the night, too! 

We drove home about 0140 & listened to some of his favourite tunes & he told me about his crazy colleagues & the trouble they would get into. And of course, we solved the world's problems. Once home, we started YouTubing & sharing funny videos. I showed him Valentina's smiling video & couldn't talk I was laughing so hard. He didn't see it quite as funny as I did, but I am certain he is warming up to her. :o)

Today (Sunday) has been a very lazy day. I pretty much unpacked & reorganized a bunch of stuff. I completed my receipts for October & November - for those of you who didn't know, I declared bankruptcy this past July. Think of it what you will, but it feels good to me & I am a LOT less stressed about where the money is going to come from... Although, now that I'm out of a job, it's creeping up again!!! :o) I called a few friends that I haven't spoken with in ages & a few managed to track me down too! I walked down to the Visitor Information Centre, where I worked this summer, & had a visit with Joe. He just came back from his honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera & we had a good chat. He is quite likely one of the most humourous people I have ever met. Not much slips past Joe. He's got a line for everything! No really, he does! Just try him! "Have you had your dose of Vitamin Joe today?" He is heavy into politics & for a wedding present, a friend of his arranged for a letter from US President, Barack Obama - composed especially for Joe & signed by the President himself! Pretty sweet! Btw, Canada's healthcare is far better than what the opposition makes it out to be. Is it perfect? No. Do we die waiting for treatment? No. Anyhow, I leave the politicking to Joe. :o)

I wandered home & did a little training with Lil' Miss V. She's coming along really well! We worked on 'Vieni - Come', 'Seduti - sit', & 'Ferma - stay' - all off leash. I am already having withdrawals, as I will miss her terribly when I am on the ship. But if all goes to plan, she will be able to sail with me next time as a Service Dog! I have a prescription from the Doctor, her Service Dog tags & now it's just a little more socialization & she's ready! 

The day was nearly complete when my brother decided to break his smoke free streak. He went to town for a pack of cigarettes & puffed away on the deck. Mom left the door open & the smoke wafted in. For those of you who know me well, you will know how much tolerance I have for cigarette smoke. (-1,000,984%) I had pneumonia when I was in infant & have scar tissue on my lungs. Cigarette smoke is not good for anyone, myself included. Sorry for those of you who smoke, it sucks to be addicted to something you feel helpless over controlling. Anyhow, I was very upset, as Jeff is staying in my room & I do not like my things to smell like smoke. It is tough to get out of the bedding & clothing, etc, etc. So, I pipe up about it. My brother pipes back. Louder. It escalates. Pretty soon, the nice salmon supper Mom had cooked was ruined. Apparently it is all my fault. Apparently I am to be ashamed for living with my Mother when I am 30. And I don't have a say as to what happens in her house - even though they are my personal belongings (bedding included). (Don't get me wrong I am looking very forward to the day I am out of the 'closet' (& I don't mean in a lesbian way - it's a small room!) - after tonight I might be knocking on doors shortly!) It was really quite awful. I felt my neck swell & I couldn't breath properly, my chest ached & I felt dizzy. Great. Now I've just undone the past 5 weeks of hard work & efforts to heal. Ahhh, gotta love a little more 'dys' in a dysfunctional family. Oh where oh where is the Best Western Americana when I need it? Send me back to Mexico! 

On a happier note, I received a call from a very dear friend who has recently relocated back to Canada. She is due with Baby #2 in a few weeks & just a few weeks ago she found out that her medical insurance in the US wasn't going to cover her delivery! (Socialized healthcare much?) So, the family packed everything up & drove all the way from Texas to Alberta, where she can have the baby safely & not end up $20,000 in debt! Poor girl! My goodness! I was so thrilled to hear her voice! It was like a ray of sunshine on a very grim night! We shared a lot of laughs & I am hoping to see her before I go. I can't wait to come home in January & meet her newest family member! And to make the evening just a little bit better, I decided to make Peanut Butter cookies. What?!?! You say. Yes, I found premixed batter at the health food store that has ingredients I can eat! I must say, they are darn good cookies! Nothing beats a warm cookie, fresh out of the oven! 2 cups of tea later & I am ready for bed!

I think that might actually have me caught up! For being bored at home, there sure is a lot of drama. I am excited to be heading to Tahiti in a week's time. Then I can create my own drama & it will still be beautiful. (Jaco & I had a fight on a white sand beach... and then we kissed & made up & watched the sunset in Bora Bora) (I saw a scary fish while I was scuba diving & thought it was going to eat my leg off) (They ran out of little umbrellas to put in my 'virgin cocktails') Ha ha... Speaking of scuba diving, remind me to tell you my most embarrassing story someday... :o)

So, with that, I'll hit the hay. Sorry if it's a little too graphic, too intimate, too harsh, too real, too whatever. I am sharing my story & it's all part of it. I know I am not the only one to ever have a family feud & although I'm sure not many of you have had doggy whoopsies, I am pretty sure I'm not alone on that avenue either! Enjoy your Monday & thank you for the comments... I hope the world is treating you well wherever you are & I wish you laughter, happiness & peace. Lord let there be peace in the world & if not there, at least in our house!! :o) Sweet dreams (lekker slaap)

Maria & Valentina

xxxxx

The back alley of the Medical Clinic - gotta love a small town downtown!

On our way home we saw 4 Moose - 2 Mamas & 2 babies - both within 2 or 3 kms!

Ewwww. The ouchy knee. Forgot to post the warning regarding gory & graphic images!

The last IV.

You know it's a small town when the hospital gets Christmas lights!

Okay, sorry for the really bad photo, but that's the hospital.

The Photobooth photos I forgot to post last night.

Trisha & I having WAY too much fun!

Day Thirty Nine - The Rest of The Story

Okay, so now that I'm awake & coherent... Let's find the rest of the excitement (!) in Saskatchewan...

...Granny is doing quite well, all things considered. It has been a great adjustment for her to make life work in the Lodge. She has been very independent & self-supporting for the past 30 years. Even when her legs quit working, she wouldn't give up. It took a lot of convincing for her to use the walker. I remember when she fractured her ankle, it really hurt & the doctors told her she'd only sprained it. She crawled around her apartment on her hands & knees, rather than calling someone to come & help her out. She didn't want to inconvenience anyone! Can you imagine?! What a gal! Her hearing is going & so is her vision, so watching TV or listening to the radio is out of the question. Most of the folks in the Lodge are not quite 'all there', so conversation isn't too rosy. My heart breaks most times when I go to visit her, but this last time, she was in great spirits. In fact, she brought a smile & a tear to my eye when she told me about the sunrise. She said she woke up the other morning & the sunrise was so beautiful. Pinks, purples, reds... She said she just sat there looking out the window admiring the amazing sunrise. She said she couldn't remember seeing a prettier sunrise & at 94 years old, that's a lot of sunrises! In fact, a quick punch on the calculator reveals - that's over 34'000 sunrises! I was thrilled that she found a little 'bright spot' despite the grim spot she's in.

We talked about her sisters growing up, Dad's first horse, her Samoyed dog, Snowball & how she had to leave Snowball behind when they moved to the city... It is always great to hear the stories of how things 'used to be'. The 'Olden Days' we used to call them when I was little. Granny used to come in & tell my brother & I bedtime stories - Chicken Little & Sweet Pea, making crocus chains, baking cookies, feeding the birds off her balcony & having tea parties... And of course, shopping. Perhaps that's where it began!

She was having surgery on her nose on Wednesday to try & help her hearing & her eyesight. I am not sure if the surgery was successful, but she did say it was definitely painful. It was very hard to say goodbye to her on Thursday, but I will be back to visit her in January. I'm sure she was sad to say goodbye to Valentina as well! 

Tuesday & Wednesday evening I stayed with Trisha. Trisha has been a good friend of mine since age 13. We were set up on a blind date by my Granny & her Aunt. We have been the best of friends ever since. Trisha was one of my 15 bridesmaids & drove all the way to Waterton with her then 9 month old little boy, Huxley. It was wonderful to spend a time at her house with both her boys, Buster & Huxley, and do some catching up. Buster enjoyed playing with Valentina, Huxley, well, not so much. We had a few good laughs & I particularly enjoyed sharing Photobooth with her. It's a MAC program that distorts the cameras image. Many joyful tears have been shed over this program, right Uncle Jerry? :o) I've included one of the gems from that night...

The drive home on Thursday got off to a late start. I visited Granny for awhile, ended up at Carol's again & finally left at 1700! I rolled into Swift Current & left a few calendars at Uncle Darryl's & then rolled on through to Maple Creek. I stopped in to see John & Julie & their new addition, Baby Seth. What a cutie! He must have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen! I presented them with the baby gifts & of course, the 1/2 eaten lion. We had a few good laughs over our experiences in Mexico - they had recently been to Puerta Vallarta. In fact, Julie found out she was expecting while she was in Mexico... Suspicious, she didn't want to buy the kit in town, as the local folk would talk. So she waited until she was in Mexico, piddled on the stick, but was none the wiser, as the instructions were all in Spanish! Back to the Pharmacist, who assured her, 'Si, si!' (Yes, yes!) Adding to that cute story, poor Seth's health card arrived, but there was an error in the application, as it came in the Delivering Doctor's name! Whoopsie! I guess that makes him the youngest MD in history!!! :o) Oh, btw, Julie has been a best friend since grade 4. She was supposed to be a bridesmaid, but considering her due date was the day of the wedding, she was off the hook from bridesmaid duty!! 

I left the Watson's around 2230 & headed home. Oh boy. Long drive. I sang, I ate, I sang, I ate, I recorded the dog playing with her bear, ate some more... Finally I rolled into the yard about 0230 SK time. 0130 AB time. I got out to get the gate & just about wiped out! Apparently we had some freezing rain! The Angels must have been with me, as I had wonderful roads the entire way home! I don't know how I could have driven on icy roads when the deck was a skating rink! Anyhow, I unpacked the car & as I headed into the house, Mom was just getting up. My brother, Jeff, split his knee open last Sunday. He was helping with some bull calves & I'm not too sure of the story, but it involved Jeff, a bull calf, a concrete pad, pipes & all that resulted in him splitting open his knee. Of course, it became infected & now he has to have IV antibiotics every 8 hours. So, as I crawled into bed, they were on the road to the hospital. 

I woke up around 0900 on Friday & got ready for my Doctor's appointment. Jeff had made arrangements to travel with me, as we were going to the same town & I was seeing the same Doctor he had seen just a few days before! I dropped Jeff off for his IV & I went to the clinic for my appointment. 

Okay, I'm going to post this & continue on in a moment... I don't want to bombard you with too much of a novel!!! 

Part III coming soon!!!


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx

Granny & Valentina bonding

Valentina snoozing on Granny's bed

Me & My Granny

Granny in her new sweater

The Schultz Family

Seth, MD

Julie & Seth, MD

Day Thirty Five Through Thirty Eight - I think!

Man! Time flies when you're... driving! I did just over 1800 kms in the past 5 days. That's enough driving for awhile I reckon! Luckily the weatherman was on my side & I had wonderful roads for traveling. And just in time too, as tonight it is pretty slick in the ol' cow town! The grocery store parking lot was a skating rink! Yeesh! 


What have I been up to this past week, well, let's get down to business!


I left on Sunday for Grandma B's house. I had full intentions of getting away by 1300 at the latest. Yeah right. I finally left the city at 1700, just as it was getting dark. Whoops! We lost our power out in Bragg Creek, so I was dilly-dallying around waiting for it to come back on, as I wanted to shower, etc, etc. No such luck. I finally threw on a ball cap & left for Bragg Creek. Fuel & food. Wrong. No power in town either! So, off to the city it was. By the time I filled up with fuel, took another batch of pills & picked up a few groceries for the drive, it was 1700. 


Thank Heavens this little car has a radio & a stereo. That made the drive way more tolerable! I could sing my little heart out, although I uploaded a bunch of new songs onto the iPod, so I didn't know the words to anything. I expected Valentina to start howling at any given moment, but she slept peacefully on my lap. That is, until she decided to eat 1/2 of the baby gift I'd picked up for John & Julie's little guy. For the THIRD time. I guess she really wanted that little stuffed lion! Brat! :o)


I rolled into Grandma B's at 0030. We had a quick chat & then both went to bed. I was pooped! Grandma B was up at 0700 sharp. I don't think she's slept in a day in her life. She is 83 years old - that's a lot of early mornings! We had a great visit & she promptly got on the phone that morning to see how many relatives she could round up for a quick visit while I was in town. She did good! I managed to have lunch with Uncle Stan & Aunty Karla, as well as my cousin, Robyn. After lunch, my cousin, Dustin & his wife, Jamie, came by with their little girl, Samara. She is the cutest little girl I have ever seen! I think she has the most perfect little features. Wow! 


Grandma B had 8 children, 4 girls & 4 boys. Of course, they are all grown up & their children have children now. Christmas is on her side of the family this year & I am sad that I will miss it, as it is always fun. There are so many people & never a lack of things to do (or eat). Although, I think the sun & sand of the South Pacific with my wonderful hubby is just a little more tempting! :oP


I left for Saskatoon about 1500 on the afternoon of the 23rd. I stopped at the Saskatchewan Landing to take a quick snap of the Visitor Information Centre. It is a really neat old house & I always enjoy seeing it, but I've never stopped for a photo. It's a really beautiful area. You drive & drive for hours, seeing nothing but endless farm land & then all of a sudden you drive down a steep hill & BOOM! There is a vast river, with ravines & bird life & beautiful reflections. It is impressive!


I drove straight to Granny's house from there. I arrived at the Lodge at about 1900. She was already in bed - still awake - but cold. We had a quick catch up chat & around 2000, I left for the Robbins household.


The Robbins family hold a special place in my heart. I worked for Carol for 5 summers in a chocolate shop in Waterton Lakes National Park, I rode with her husband, Neil, in the nearby forestry, checking up on cattle. Her 2 sons, Brandon & Cody, are like brothers to me. Brandy is married to Jen & they have the 2 most adorable little girls I have ever seen. Oh my goodness - they are picture perfect! Cody is an incredibly talented gentleman. He has recently completed his first season of Live 2 Hunt - his very own hunting show! If you are into hunting, it's on WildTV every Sunday evening... His webpage is http://www.live2hunt.com. Cody recently got engaged & I was finally able to meet his fiance, Kelsy. She is drop dead gorgeous & I am tickled pink for them both. I can't wait to see them in January, as we are going to do an engagement photo session - with snow! The plan was to do it this time, but unfortunately it was pretty brown & bleak. I did do a few snaps of some jewelry Carol has created for her Chicks In Camo company. Check out the site & see if you recognize any of the girls - Collet & Roxy modeled for me! Superstars! :o)


The next a.m. I left for the city to visit Granny. Granny & I have been best buds since I can remember. Every chance I get, I will visit her. Being the only granddaughter, we had plenty of time to spend together. She will be 95 in February & she is still doing quite well. Her legs have quit working, so she is now confined to a wheelchair, but she is determined to get better & get walking again! Her mind is still sharp as ever. I enjoyed listening to her tell stories of days gone by. She comes from a family of 9, so there were plenty of stories to tell! What a life she's had! She is a strong-minded Irish lass & she will keep you on your toes - even at 94!


Her & Valentina hit it off marvelously. Valentina slept on her lap pretty much the entire time we were there. She even curled up with Granny on the bed! I was surprised at how much Granny enjoyed her. Granny said several times that she would love to keep her there. I don't know what the nurses would think of that! :o) 


Okay, I'm going to leave you hanging at that... I'll finish the rest of the week's novel tomorrow... Sleep tight & stay WARM! Brrr!!


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xxxx

My cousin Robyn - She's a Roughriders fan! 

Uncle Stan & Aunty Karla

Grandma B & Me

Beautiful Samara!

Samara & Mommy (Jamie) & Daddy (Dustin)

Saskatchewan Landing

Visitor Information Centre at the Landing - Joe, we need to talk to Duane I think!

Uncle Cody & Aunty Kelsy with their nieces, Hannah & Olivia

The Newly Engaged Couple!

A quick a.m. snap - yes, those are my p.j.'s!

The Red River Cart at the Landing - they just retired it last year.

It was the local taxi service. Just kidding.

Day Thirty Four - New Posts Coming!

Hey Everyone! 

I'm back to civilization & high speed internet! It is 0200 & I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow, but I promise I will post some new stuff tomorrow (today). Look forward to catching up with you!

xxxx

Maria & Valentina

Day Thirty Three - Bellydancing & Shipmates!

Okay, so I'm finally unpacked! Just in time to repack & head out on the road for Saskatoon! I hope the weather will cooperate, as I'm a little like a Granny when it comes to snow & ice on the highways. My theory is, I speed in the summer because I have to drive so slow in the winter, therefore, I'm making up for lost time... :o)


The day was fairly uneventful. I managed to squeeze the stuff back into the closet I call my room & haul the rest of the stuff down to the bunkhouse for storage. It's a bit of a death trap in there, as the rubbermaid bins are a bit like the Leaning Tower of Pisa (yes, we're back to Italia again!). Hopefully I won't need much from there until spring! Oh where for art thou Spring? 


I made a few more phone calls & connected with a few more folks. It's great to hear familiar voices & catch up on what I've been missing! I had a phone call from a friend of mine, Sonja, today. Sonja & I worked together in the South Pacific shortly before I was medically disembarked. We were both photographers at the time. Sonja is from the West Coast & her best friend recently moved to Calgary, so she is out to visit this weekend. Lucky for me I caught that tidbit of information on Facebook, so I jumped at the chance to meet up with her! We met at the Broken Plate in Kensington, only to discover it was closed for a private function. So we headed over to Pegasus, another fine Greek dining experience. I love Greek food, but I was a little apprehensive about the Hoxsey diet & menu choices. So rather than pick something out that I thought I would like, I wrote down what I couldn't have & asked the server what I could have. Luckily they had quite a few choices. Additionally, they had a belly dancer there to entertain us! It was a great experience. All that was missing was a little plate smashing... Next time! For those of you who might not know, I took 1 1/2 years of belly dancing when I was in college. Great fun! You should try it! 


Sonja & I chatted about ships for a bit & it turns out she might actually be sent to Jaco's ship, so who knows, maybe we'll be seeing each other sooner than we both think! Andrew & Brandy, her friends, were wonderful. We enjoyed discussions about health & nutrition, as well as GPS. I didn't know this, but you can purchase GPS trackers, smaller in size than the ones they offer for vehicles. I have often thought of getting some for my luggage when I fly so it doesn't go completely missing! Touch wood, it won't before I get some trackers! Ingenious idea & about time they come up with it! In addition to that, I've often had the idea in relation to car alarms... Why don't they ring your cell phone when the car alarm goes off? Lo & behold, someone else has had the idea & put it to action! Wonderful!  Now if only I had a car worthy of an alarm... Awh, I love my little Contemplate. (I call her that because she doesn't have a stereo, so I have plenty of time to contemplate life) :o) Some day I'll share the edamame bean story with you regarding the car. It's pretty cute.


And that was another day done & dusted! Tomorrow is injection #2. Slow & steady wins the race! I may be leaving for Saskatoon tomorrow depending on Mom & my brother's decision regarding our early Christmas dinner. If I do, it may be a few days between blog posts, so bear with me! Although I am sure you can rest assured there will be plenty to report after the trip! 


Speaking of trips... 2 weeks until TAHITI!!!! 16 days until I see my Baby!!!! Let the days pass swiftly! 


I've posted a few photos of my cat, Adios. He is a bit of an unsung hero these days, as Valentina generally steals the show. Adios is the sweetest cat. He's more like a dog than a cat. Abnormally affectionate & very large, he wins the hearts of all who visit. He is 9 years old & keeps the mice to a minimum around the ranch. I rescued him from a neglectful mother shortly after his eyes were open & he's been my 'Shnookie' ever since. He growls at strange vehicles, plays 'ice hockey' with ice cubes, listens attentively to your conversations & chases Valentina from time to time. He's my little tiger. I hope you like the photos...


Love, hugs & healing...
Maria & Valentina & Adios
xxxx

Shake whatcha Momma gave ya!

Pardon me, just going to shimmy past you here... Mind your hummus!

Andrew, Sonja & Brandy

Sonja & I 

Adios on the chair

Getting interested in the camera strap

Day Thirty Two - And so it continues...

Well howdy everyone! I hope this finds you well & lovin' life! I am slowly readjusting to life in a landlocked area... I do miss that ocean! Today was fairly uneventful. I managed to sweet talk my way into the Doctor's office, so 1st appointment next Friday! Whoo hoo! It feels so great to see a doctor that actually cares! The Oncologist's office called again with another appointment. Gee, at least they are persistent! I suppose I will have to level with them & tell them I need more time to heal. I looked in the mirror tonight & I swear, my neck looks heaps better! I can't wait to finally wear a necklace again! I know, I know, how shallow, but hey, it's the small things! :o) Having the mass gone in my chest will be really neat to, but I can't feel it, so it's almost like it's already gone or was never really there! :o)

I managed to unpack the majority of my stuff & in the process filled a few bags of stuff for the Mustard Seed or any girlfriends who feel the urge to grab a hand-me-down or two. 

I am also off to Saskatoon on Sunday. I am going to drive a former Boss, who is kinda like another Mom, back home. She was going to take the bus & that's just cruel! So, it looks like the road trip begins, but it will be smashed in two, as I have the Doc's appointment back here on Friday. We'll see how plans go. With me, everything is weather impending!

Today was the first shot day. All by myself. Well, mostly. I will indulge you in my experience. Probably not for the faint at heart. I arranged all the goodies I would need... Alcohol, cotton balls, bottle of goodies, needle. Dropped my drawers & sat on the loo. Whoops, back up. I filled the syringe first! That was a task & a half! I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't go into the bottle! I flipped it upside down & that worked wonders. I have also been given the gem of tip for next time: insert AIR into the bottle first! Genius! So anyhow, there I sit. Ready to prick. 1, 2, Okay, 1, 2, ugh, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, okay, 1, 2, IN! Let me just say, 50 mls is nothing to take on the plane. 10 mls to put in your leg is a HECK OF A LOT!!!! And of course, I go too quickly. I want to get it over with, come on!!! I should have known better, as I would get lightheaded at the clinic if it was injected too quickly via IV. This was no different. After the first few mls are in, it kicks in. I feel hot. Really hot. I start to sweat. I feel light headed. I think I am going to puke. Or wait, maybe it's the other end. Can't put my head between my legs, there's a sharp stick in my thigh. 'MOM!!!' She comes to the door. With my head down, I ask her to open the door. I'm sweating to death. She obliges. She offers to open the window too. I said YES! She says, 'Brrr, is that too cold?' I say, 'What? I can't feel anything.' She puts a cold cloth on my neck & a towel under my forehead so I don't have it resting on the counter ridge. Oh, I feel rotten. So there I sit. Finally, 10 minutes later, the shot is in & I am done! Whoo hoo! I did it! I survived! Barely, but I am still here! No pierced fingers, either! :o) Yes, you could do it too, if you had to. It's mind over matter kids! Mind over matter! Only 44 more to go! (But who is counting?!?)

Next on the list of to do's was the missing prescription. I ventured into the city at 1930 & was home by 2130. I stopped at 2 Shopper's Drug Marts. One in the south & one in Kensington. I picked up the prescription at the south Shopper's. Valerie, the Pharmacist, was absolutely wonderful. She explained that this was not the Calcort I was after, as it's not available in Canada, but instead, I get Prednisone. Scary, yes. Better than a biospy & chemo? Yes. I only have to take it for three weeks & I am weaning off of it from the day I start it. 

The Kensington Shopper's was to pick up the Emulsified Vitamin A. I bought 2 bottles. One was the older bottle with no additives, but for olive oil & cinnamon flavour. The new bottle has a long list of junk they decided to add to it. Anyhow, I was about to comment about the rudeness of the Pharmacy Assistant when the customer beside me told off the Pharmacist for talking to him like he was a child! Okay, not the best time to comment about the co-worker! So I stuffed it & bought the Vitamin A. That makes the list of supplements complete! I am officially on the program in full-swing! It will be a challenge to travel & meet my dietary needs & take all these pills that the set times, but I can do it!

Speaking of travel... Oh dear. It appears I got my dates wrong. I thought I was joining Jaco on the 7th. Turns out I arrive on the 6th & I am only joining him on the 8th. Does anyone know of a cheap, nice, cockroach free place to stay in Papeete? I think there are a few oxymorons in there, but if you do, can you let me know? Cheers for that! I looked for awhile tonight on Google, but no luck. Very circa 1970's.

I had a lovely chat with one of my clinic buddies today & another this evening. It is like music to my ears, just to hear how everyone is doing. Sounds like the drama continues. I'm telling you, I need to write a book about the faces behind the illness. The stories are priceless, just like the people living them! And laughter! It feels so great to laugh about the silliest things. In fact, I can't even remember what it was, but we were on a rant again! Keep healing team! We're winning the battle! Whoo hoo!!!

For those of you who are still following, but haven't spoken to me yet since I've been back, first off, I'm excited to see you! But secondly, please don't panic when you see me & see that my neck is still 'fluffy'. Lymphoma took more than 3 weeks to grow in my body, so it certainly won't disappear after 3 weeks & the wave of a magic wand. Patience & prayers will help it disappear... Oh yes, a little love mixed in doesn't hurt either! :o) I'm getting there! Roma wasn't built in a day. In fact, I'm sure they are still building in Roma! :o) Sigh. What I wouldn't give for a fresh pizza from Roma... Pity about the tomatoes. Anyone care to join me in Roma for pizza when I'm CANCER FREE?!?! I know the perfect little Mom & Pop restaurant close to the Vatican right on the river. No seriously. With my husband's consent, unless he wants to come too, I am going to plan a trip to Italia to celebrate my health regained. If you're up for a little jaunt let me know... I know some great little restaurants, wonderful sights, & of course, THE BOOT SHOPS!!!! :o) I'll start saving yesterday. :o) Okay, that's me for the night... Ciao & arrivederci!

Maria & Valentina

xxxx

I've decided to add a few photos of my own on the days I haven't done much exciting... Hopefully this will be a start to get you thinking about Roma... It sure takes me back! xxxx

Cistine Chapel - It really is beautiful!

Apparently you're not supposed to take photographs in there.

Good thing I didn't.

View from atop St. Peter's Basilica. 

Roma is beautiful even when it rains.

Day Thirty One - Settling In

Well, hardly an exciting day, but I suppose they can't all be whirlwinds, now can they? I spend the largest part of the day unpacking & trying to find space in the tiny room for myself & Valentina. It's tough! Made some phone calls to sort out Doctor's issues... My Oncologist took the liberty of making an appointment for me today & I only found out about it last night! Needless to say, I wasn't ready for it, so I cancelled it! 


A poor sleep & a VERY early morning caller who wouldn't give up didn't start the day off wonderfully! What on earth do you have to say at 0715 that is so important that it can't wait until a reasonable hour!?!? Do I call you at 0030 & tell you about my day?!?! Yes, that's my beef for the day... Perhaps it is PMS, but whatever...


I discovered that I am short 15 pills of a very important drug. That you can't get in Canada. Great. And to make matters worse, I only have 7 days worth & if you quit it cold turkey, you can end up with a whole host of other issues. Just what I needed! I'll see what I can find out tomorrow. 


I went to the ER this evening, only because the walk-ins were closed & I wanted to sort out my medication issue... No need to panic! It was such a different experience compared to the Dr. Castillo's, but I will say, the Physician on call was stellar! He was so kind & very patient while I ran through the gamut of where I'd been, what I have, blah, blah, blah... He also wrote me a prescription for the missing medication, but I'm having issues finding it. He said it was available in Canada, the drugstore says otherwise. Fingers crossed!


On a good note, I was able to find some 'healthy' ice cream! Whoo hoo!!! There is a company called Purely Decadent & they make an ice cream from coconut milk & agave nectar! YES! It's even delicious too! Bonus! I'm so happy! Yes, I know, easy to please! 


Tonight was prayers. Unfortunately by the time I left the Doctor's & stopped to get the prescription, I was 2 hrs late! I missed the prayers, but I was able to see everyone from the group, so that was nice. I've been going to their weekly prayer meetings for a year & a half, although the past 6 months I haven't been regularly attending. We are a small group & we address any issues in our lives & pray about it. Chances are good we've prayed for you at some point & quite likely I still include you in my own prayers! When I was initially sent home last March, Neil & Lawrence, our 'Ringleaders', came out to Mom's & prayed for me. The lump was half the size the next day! Prayer works!


Tomorrow I will hopefully finish unpacking & catch up on a few phone calls that I didn't get a chance to make today. It will also be my first needle day! Wish me luck! Next time you see me, if my finger is sporting a new piercing, you won't have to ask any questions! :o) 


Love & hugs & see you soon! xxxx
Maria y Valentina

Lovely bed - where's my quilt from Nanton?

Sterile if nothing else! Luckily the Doctor made up for it!

What do you know? A number, then a name & now you know my age. I'm really still 29. :o)

Day Thirty - Back To Where It All Began

And here I sit again! Back home on the ranch & the cold nose & cold feet have already settled in. I was able to say goodbye to everyone this morning before the shuttle whisked them away to health & happiness. I had a lovely visit with Ed & he was kind enough to help me with my luggage & then tell me that he isn't supposed to lift anything!! 


Marcos took me to the airport... Funny story there... He was the cab driver that showed up when Mom, Laura & I rented the car & drove to Palm Desert. He offered to take us to the airport for $12 less than the going rate, so we gladly took his number. Mom used him when she left - in fact, I don't remember if I mentioned it or not - I saw Mom & Marcos pulling onto the freeway as we were pulling off! I missed her by moments! Anyhow, Laura used him to take her to the airport when she left. I had full intentions of phoning him to set up my ride to the airport, but when Joanne & I were waiting for the trolley the other day, I noticed his car! Sure enough, there he was! So I approached him & arranged for a lift to the airport. Of all the cabbies in SD, I found Marcos! Small world!


Anyhow, the ladies at the check-in counter were nice enough to allow my (slightly) overweight luggage through when I told them how many bottles of DMSO I had in each case (6) & what it was for. Can you say LUCKY DAY?!?! Security didn't like the 'fullness' of my one carry on. Apparently it was so jam packed that it looked too dense & they had to empty it out. I then had the joy of repacking it - no small task! 


Valentina was a rockstar on the plane. Quiet as a church mouse & very well behaved. I sat next to a gal who works for WestJet & we visited the entire flight! Super gal & we exchanged email addresses, so I'm sure we'll be in touch! We flew right over Vegas. I've never been there before, so it was exciting for me to get a 'visual'. I could see the strip & the Luxor Pyramid. Very cool! I can't wait to visit one day & see the Cirque du Soleil shows. I also bumped into Martha & her mom, they are from Calgary & had been down at the clinic for Martha's 3 month check up. I was also fortunate to meet her sister, brother-in-law & niece at the airport. What a fun day! A little dose of 'Castillo' away from home! Sigh. 


I miss everyone terribly. It was a little like a bubble. No negative influences, no great responsibilities... It truly is a wonderful place to heal. I can't wait to go back! Hugs to everyone for the time being!


Anyhow, back to the luggage... My $300 bottle of Hoxsey managed to leak... Luckily it was in a plastic bag & it didn't leak, so I was able to salvage what spilled. It was also still very cold - good stuff! Expensive bottle to have break or heat up! As for the vitamin C powder... Well... I decided to empty the bottles into ziplock bags. After doing which, I realized it looked like nice bags of cocaine. Great! Sure enough, when I arrived home & began to unpack, they had checked out one of the bags. I have no idea how they repacked the case like they did, but impressive job! The also didn't mind my ziplock baggies chuffed full of pills, nor the 50 syringes... Lucky again! 


Valentina was very excited to see Grandma. She has been showing Grandma her new toys all night long. We also dressed her up in the costume just like Daddy's. See photos below. Now we have 2 Doctors in our family! :o)


I had a small pile of mail when I arrived home. Most of it was boring stuff, but I had a few special cards from some very special friends. Thank you so much for thinking of me. I am so blessed to have friends just like you! I am looking forward to a big cuddle with my little girl in our own bed tonight & a nice big sleep in tomorrow morning. That is until the phone rings at some forsaken hour! 


Tomorrow will also be the first day I do my own shot. Unattended. Oh boy! Wish me luck! Mind over matter... Mind over matter!!! I'll do my best to keep updating the blog as progress winds along. I'm also booked to fly to TAHITI (!!!!) to see my hubby!!!! Whoo hoo!! Of course, I will do my best to upload & post while I am there... Those will be fun photos! I'm going to make the most of the underwater housing for the camera! Yippee!! Did I mention that I LOVE MY LIFE?!?!? I must be the luckiest girl on the planet, I tell ya!


On that high note... Lekker slaap (Afrikaans for 'sleep well') & I will see you soon! xxxx
Maria & Valentina

ps - sorry, no photos of Vegas - the camera was sardined into my carry-on & I couldn't get to it! :o( Guess I just have to go back! :o)

Dr. Tweet Pea is in the house!

She already knows how to use the stethoscope!

Check out my scrubs!

Chasing Adios & helping Grandma unpack!