Day 439 - Merry Christmas! Yes, Christmas.

Tonight was our Christmas dinner. Mom & I had a big blowout last night & thankfully we 'kissed & made up'. We got started on the dinner in the morning right away. That's when my arm started to hurt. My picc site started to ache. I got a little worried, as tomorrow I'm off to Cuba. I do NOT need to get into trouble health wise while I'm out of Canada!

We finished as much as we could & Mom drove me to Black Diamond. We saw her friend, Dee Dee, who just got engaged. It was great to see her! I saw a Dr. Ray (I think!) & he was really nice - in true Black Diamond fashion. The nurse was also nice, she did my last & final (!) neupogen shot for me! Yay! I took Kingston & Easton with me so they could make an appearance at the hospital. Dr. Ray basically told me he didn't think it was a blood clot, but if my arm started to swell & turn purple below the picc site, I needed to get on a plane & head back to Canada. Comforting!

On the way to Black Diamond, I grabbed Mom's phone to call someone & saw that Al & Wilma had called. I said, 'Oh! Al & Wilma called! I wonder what they wanted...' & dialed their number before Mom could interrupt. As it was ringing, she said, 'They are probably calling for directions. I invited them for dinner tonight & was going to keep it a surprise!' Whoops! I blew it!

We stopped to pick up a few last minute groceries & headed home. We weren't home very long & the guests started arriving. (!) Mom2 & Dad2 were the first to arrive & they helped A LOT! They put all my boxes in the back of the truck & helped with the dinner preparations. We hadn't expected to be so long in Black Diamond, so we were running behind schedule! (And we're always late!)

Dinner was at 1800. I think we ate about 1930? At least everyone was hungry by the time we actually sat down to eat it! It was a great meal & we had a wonderful visit with Al & Wilma, Kevin & Roxy, Mom2 & Dad2 & of course, Mom. And thank you for all your help! We made a great team!

Speaking of teams, the guys streamed the highly disappointing Canada vs. Russia hockey game on Mom's big computer. They were happy to watch the game while the ladies whipped up a frenzy in the kitchen!

Roxy & Mom both liked their pendants that I made for them, so I was happy about that! I'm always nervous making something for someone. I don't want them to feel awkward about it if they don't like it!

I did my best to pack my bags for Cuba after everyone left, but it was late & I was quite tired... The bone pain was also settling in again. For one last time!

xxxxMaria, Valentina, Oceana, & Adios

 Kingston & Easton help make the stuffing

Mom hard at work already! 

 Tweet Pea & her gingerbread man.

 Kingston & Easton in the hospital with me.

 Al, Wilma, Mom & I

 Roxy, er, Britney

 Rihanna

Kevin & Roxy - thanks again for your help!

Day 402 - The Doctor's Appointment That Wasn't

Last night found freezing fog in our area. This meant that Mom couldn't get back in time to take me to my appointments in the city. I called at 0800 to cancel & wanted to make sure that I could still come in for treatment tomorrow. The receptionist said she'd call me back as soon as she heard from Dr. Daly. By 3 o'clock I still hadn't heard back.

My picc line has been giving me issues, so Mom drove me over the the hospital in the afternoon. The Home Care girls took a look at it & said the adhesive was causing a reaction. They changed the bandage, but covered it in more adhesive with gauze underneath. And thank goodness the picc line isn't infected - I don't want to have it taken out with only 3 rounds to go!

Mom & stopped at the pet food place in Black Diamond & I picked up some more food for the girls. Mom was complaining about Valentina's squeaky toy on the way over, so I picked up 2 salmon skin bones for the girls to chew 'silently' on. Well. Mom had a hissy fit about the smell! She had to roll the window down the entire drive home & was paranoid her car would smell of rotten salmon. All I could do was giggle & roll my eyes, because I knew how much the girls loved the bones. And naturally the smell went away as soon as they devoured their treats.

I was getting pretty tired by the time we arrived home. I'd been up since 0530 with only 2 hours of sleep. I managed to eat some supper & then Jaco called. He was safe on the ship & finished his first day back at work. We had a good chat & I'm anxious to hear from him again.

I collapsed into bed about 0730. I can't remember being this tired. Ever.

G'Night!
xxxxMV&O

Meet Britney

Cuddling with Mama 

Um, there's something on the end of your nose!

Day 376 - Banff Mountain Film Festival

Today was MUCH better than yesterday. Although I drank some eggnog (1st of the season!) last night & I think I'm officially lactose intolerant. Super headache all day from the moment I woke up. Thanks for that!

Jaco had a dental appointment in Black Diamond, so I dropped him off at Absolute Dentistry & then made my stops at Bluerock Gallery, Stirr & the gas station. Bluerock had some amazing butterflies in - just like the ones I picked up in Panama. Well worth checking out! And Stirr was busy unpacking Christmas goodies & all sorts of other exciting new kitchen gadgetry! And the new knife rack looks freakin' amazing! Wowser! (Did I mention that their website is up & running & they used my photos!? Yep. Pretty excited about that too!)

Jaco was finished his appointment rather early, so I thought I would see if I could introduce him to Dr. Dowdall (for the 3rd attempt), but lo & behold, he'd just left the office. Go figure. I think he's running away on purpose! As we were leaving the clinic, this old timer stops Jaco & asks him about the 'Fitch - Fighting Moose' slogan on his shirt. Clearly the former Scotsman just wanted to visit. We stood on the street for a good 15 minutes listening to this fellow recant the days gone by. He was 21 years old when he crossed the Atlantic from Liverpool to Montréal & the Captain sailed right over an iceberg & this fellow's cabin was right by the hull. Then he took a train from Montréal to Calgary. Now he wants to take a train from Calgary to Vancouver so he can say he's traveled all the way across Canada. Oh & his Scottish cabin mate's sister moved to Galveston, TX & traveled to Canada, but got lost & ended up in his driveway to ask directions! They'd never met, but got talking (I can see how now!) & put the puzzle together. He was quite the character. I'm sure we could have filled the rest of the day with stories. He's going for knee surgery tomorrow. He had his hip replaced, but fell & now needs the knee repaired. He hugged me good-bye when I told him we had to go. Jaco got a firm handshake. I love these moments in life!

We sped, I mean, drove the speed limit home & quickly changed clothes & left for Banff. We were off to the Snow Show tonight. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is currently underway & we took advantage of tonight's show. It was amazing! I have never tried snowboarding & I haven't skied since I was 18 & that was at Elkwater - hardly the mountains! This was incredible! I'm sure it's a lot tougher than it looks, but I was encouraged to give it a go! If you get the chance - check out Deeper & Sherpas Cinema's Chimaera. The best 2 films of the night. Deeper features Jeremy Jones. A crazy guy who freerides in ANTARCTICA. Wow. In any case, I think I fell in love with Banff all over again. Hmm... maybe there's a Doctor's job in Banff. Don't they have a photography program at the Banff Centre? Hmm...

It's now really late & I'm sacked. This was a WAY better day than yesterday. Yesterday was fire. Today was ice. Well, at least a lot of snow.

xxxxMJV&O

Enjoying tea & soup at Maple Leaf in Banff 

View from the cozy chair. 

Intermission at the Film Festival.

Day 313 - Saskatoon via Black Diamond

I finally finished the Stirr edits at 0300. I was beat. I crashed, knowing full well that my plans to leave for Saskatoon by 1000 would NOT be happening. My revised plans to leave for Saskatoon at 1200 didn't even happen. Nope. We left around 1400. For Black Diamond.


We had to drop off the edits & Yay! Clayton liked them! I am very happy that he is happy & I am excited to take my cooking class in trade somewhere down the line! One step closer to domestication. No wonder I like boots so much. They allow me to dig my heels in when I want to resist something. Like domestication! :o)


We stopped at Chinook Windz to pick up some food for Valentina & a hot chocolate for Jaco & I. And we were off. At the wonderful hour of 1630. Oh dear. 


Jaco drove the entire way. I kept him company by nagging at him about his driving, reading a book to him, pointing out the Northern Lights (sweet!), giving directions, & steering so he could give Tweet Pea the odd cuddle now & then. 


We managed to get 2 stone chips in the windshield just before Hanna. There was a stretch of highway that seemed to last FOREVER & lo & behold, we each got a chip at about eye level. Hopefully we can get them fixed before they spread right across the line of view!


We talked about politics, childhood memories - when is your earliest memory? - dreams, buffalo, where to live & where NOT to live... Before we knew it, we were in Saskatoon. We found the LAST room at the Super 8... It's now 0130 & I'm beat... Tomorrow we surprise Granny... I brought a wig so she won't be horrified to see my bald, tattoo'd head. Here's hoping the red pixie cut isn't too much for her either! ;o)


Oh yes, Mom took a few snaps of the Henna Do while it's still dark & before I have to attempt at tracing over it. Thanks Mom! She's redoing the office while Jaco & I are away, so here's hoping she manages well on her own! She's always got Oceana for a 'little' support! 


xxxxx
Maria, Jaco & Valentina

Photos by Kim Taylor; Henna Artistry by Larissa of Dragon Fly Designs

Thank you to Larissa of Dragon Fly Designs for her incredible talents!

Thank you to Mom for her fabulous photography skills!

Day 312 - All Day Edit

Today is a short post. I edited from 1300 until 0300. Yes, that is a lot of hours. My eyes are crossed & dry from staring at the screen. But I am happy with the end result. I just hope the folks at Stirr! are too! We’ll find out tomorrow!

Here’s a sneak peek at the photos… (Did I mention how YUMMY & FUN the class was?!? If you’re in need of a fun thing to do on a Friday night – TAKE a class! Me, the non-cooker, TOTALLY recommends it!)

xxxxx

Sleep hard!

Maria, Jaco & Valentina

A proper, super sharp knife makes all the difference!

Potato Bacon Leek soup with Balderson cheese

Clayton doesn't cry when he cuts onions!

Spicy Thai Basil Feta Salad with chickpeas & quinoa

Clayton & Lainey of Stirr!

Black Diamond - next to the Pharmasave!

Day 308 - He Ate PASTA & The Death of T-Rex

Still recouping from my near death food poisoning/chemo session, I slept most of the day. I was doing my best to build up my reserve for tonight's photo shoot. What? Photo shoot? Yes. I was very excited to have the opportunity to shoot a cooking class! What? Cooking? You? Yes, me. 


My Mom asked me if I would be interested in doing the shoot & I said 'For sure!'. There was a new business opening in Black Diamond that sells gourmet cooking products, as well as offering cooking classes. Stirr! is the name of the business & Lainey & Clayton are the owners. I had met them last weekend at Mom's gallery showcase & we discussed what they were looking for. Tonight would be the first of 2 shoots that I would do to help them get some stock shots for their business. 


I have never taken a cooking class before. Officially I still haven't, but I witnessed one tonight, as I shot it, & it was a blast! What a great way to spend a Friday night! Tonight was Cheese Night & the participants learned how to cook Mac & Cheese, Potato Bacon Leek Soup, Spicy Thai Basil Feta Salad with Chickpeas & Quinoa, and Wild Mushroom Risotto. To say they were yummy would be an understatement. I think it would be a perfect date night, a fabulous girls night, wonderful for a bride-to-be (or bride) who needs a little coaching (like me!), what a fun experience & memorable night! 


The Chef that conducted the class was Patrick Dunn. His company is called Inter-Course. Clever name to say the least! He made the class an absolute riot! What a great night! I'm excited to sign up for more classes! Tapas, curry, appetizers, bbq'ing... Oh, they had bbq'd Bacon Chocolate Chip cookies... Have you ever in your life? They were actually really good! 


What impressed me the most was that Jaco actually cooked! He wasn't too excited that we were staying for the entire length of the class. So when I told him they needed his help with one of the dishes, he wasn't too happy. Lo & behold he actually enjoyed himself! I was thrilled to see him stirring away... But what really impressed me was that he actually at the dish he made! It was pasta! He NEVER eats pasta! He helped make the Mac & Cheese dish & when they served it, they gave Jaco the larger dish. I took his, thinking he wouldn't want the larger serving. He said, 'Hey! What are you doing?' I said, 'I didn't think you'd want any.' He replied, 'I helped make it! Of course I'm going to eat it!' I nearly fell off my chair in shock! And he ate the whole dish! Well done Babe!


On the way home, the girls (Valentina & Oceana) were in the backseat & started to get really aggressive with each other. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I could hear plastic rustling every now & then. I reached back in the dark & grabbed the plastic Valentina had in her mouth. It was a ziplock baggie from the dog bag. It had once been full of dog food, but now there was a hole in the side of the bag & it was 1/4 full. Additionally, the dog bag was unzipped half way. So, my little wiener had unzipped the dog bag, taken out the ziplock bag, tore a little hole in the side of it & proceeded to gorger herself on about 3 days worth of kibble! To make matters worse, she was sitting on the T-Rex head & the 2 dogs had been chewing on it. When I grabbed it to save T-Rex, his entire lower jaw dislocated from the rest of his face. So much for his travels all over southern Alberta...


We'll have a cremation for him tomorrow... Probably just the burning barrel, but I'll be thinking of him...


Have a dinosaur day tomorrow...
MJV
xxxxoooo

Patrick discusses cheese.

I think he was talking about double cream brie...

Clayton & Lainey 'stirr' it up!

Fun times in the kitchen! Who knew?!

Stirr!

Lainey helps Jaco make the Mac & Cheese

Fun times on a Friday night!

Learning around the stovetop!

Day 211 - Black Diamond

Today I had an appointment with my GP, Dr. Dowdall. I was pondering life the other day & thought they should make a 'Physician of the Year' award. Dr. Dowdall would get my vote! In any case, patients could go online to a website, click off the criteria their Physician met or exceeded & cast their vote. Then we could have a big black tie awards night & give due recognition to the good doctors out there! Patients could leave comments & after the voting deadline was past, the comments could be published in a book & presented to the Physician. 


It's nice to meet a Doctor who actually cares about your wellbeing. Not that most of them don't, it's just their personalities could use a little nudging to the 'I care & I am happy' side of things. So that's my idea... 


Back to Black Diamond... I was a few minutes late & had hardly sat down in the very busy waiting room when the nurse called my name. When I saw Dr. Dowdall in November, he had an Intern working with him. I confused her & eventually Dr. Dowdall answered all of my questions. She saw me today & I think I jogged her mind, as she right away asked if I needed to see him. Of course I said yes. 


Dr. Dowdall showed up & we had a lengthy chat. I was interested in getting a second opinion, although he didn't think it would happen in such short time. I told him about my studies, Bleomycin, the complications, the chemo sensitivity test, Dr. Canellos & so forth. Basically he told me that no Doctor would tell me that it would be okay to omit one of the drugs from the chemo regimen. He also told me that I was a very well informed patient & at present I understood more about the drugs than he did. I felt good about that! My homework was helping me! (I think!) He suggested I speak with a Pharmacist at Tom Baker & see what they could tell me about Bleomycin & its role in ABVD. 


He told me to keep in touch & let him know how I was doing. I'm sure he'll see me before the end of the summer! I only wish he was an Oncologist, as he's very committed to his job & he does it in a way that makes you feel like you are a person & not a number. 


After the appointment, I made my way to the pet shop. I needed some more raw food & the gal was most helpful. I picked up Cesar's other book & look forward to learning a little bit more! I also stopped in at the local art gallery & to my surprise, the folks that have been running it have sold it & are hitting the high road! They are travelling to the 'End of the World' - well, South America. I'm so excited for them! Of course we chatted for awhile & I am all for chasing one's dreams with a vengeance, especially if it involves traveling to do so! They don't leave until January, so I'm hoping to be in touch & find out more of their itinerary! 


I walked around the main street for a bit & then made my way home. I took the back way from Black Diamond to Millarville. It's a lovely drive with fantastic views. I must say, this neck of the woods is stunning come summer time when everything is green & the mountains are still snow capped. Pretty tough to beat! 


The little girls were excited to see me when I arrived home. We went for a walk to the highway & back & they were very well behaved! Valentina always needs a little coaxing up the big hill. I think she expects to go all the way to EVIC before returning home! 


Okay, sleep tight & here's to a wonderful tomorrow!
Maria & Valentina 
xxxxx

Great old sign

Pocket Garden - what a neat idea!

I've never heard of it before! But my thumb is NOT green.

Main street in Black Diamond

Looking the other way... Nice & quiet.