WEEK 22

 

Yup, another week, another update.  

Almost......................

I was so hoping this sock would be completed by Thanksgiving.  It was not to be.  There were way too many interruptions each day for a good solid knitting fest.  Last night, I got two rows of the toes put on before I finally had to give up and get some sleep.  I am sure these will be completed today, sometime.  

I was contacted by my niece today.  She is asking for some knitted goodies for her and her daughter.  I now have something to do once the sock is completed!  And the items she wants are all very portable.  Even better!

That is all I have been doing craftwise.

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our home.  I wish I would remember to take photos.  My dining room table was laden with food from all members of the family.  After dinner, there was very little leftovers to pass around.  We had a great time with lots of laughs, and hugs to go around.

Hubby and I are now in Christmas decorating mode.  The outside lights are completed, the tree is set up but undecorated.  I did have to move one piece of furniture so I could put the tree where it can be seen from many places in the house.  Hopefully today we will bring in all the decorations for the inside of the house.  It needs to be completed before Thursday.  After that, all bets are off since we do not know what kind of help will be needed after Josh's surgery.

Speaking of Josh..........................

Here he is with his 'little brother'.  They decided to have a golf date last week and had a blast.  The 'little brother' is the one who just completed 20+ years in the US Navy and then moved his family here from Texas.  So glad to have almost all of my chickens back here.

After Thanksgiving dinner, hubby and I kicked back as did Enrique.

He is not a huge fan of crowds so did not sit down or relax the whole time family was here.  Poor little boy.  He slept hard the rest of the evening.

I think I have found the Christmas tree I would like to have in my house.

Could you imagine this right inside your front door?

That is all for today.  

Until Next Time........................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 21 & JOSH UPDATE

 

Hello everyone.  My update this week will be short on the crafting front and long on the Josh medical update front.

Hubby's first sock is complete.

I was smart and cast on sock #2 right away.

This was taken yesterday afternoon so it is further along this morning.  Hopefully it will be completed before Thanksgiving day.

I also have a Thanksgiving surprise

My cactus is blooming.  I know everyone calls them Christmas cactus, but after looking at a nursery I found out they are actually Thanksgiving Cacti.  Christmas Cactus have a different leaf shape as does the Easter Cactus.  Who knew.  This is the first time my cactus has bloomed during it's actual season.  It seems to love the new spot I put it in and is doing well with the transplanting too.

That is all from Leftycrafter.  The following is the post that was put out publicly from Josh (my son).  Needless to say, my posting over the coming weeks may be a bit spotty.

OK Friends and Family, update time, and a long one. We got the pathology from the biopsy on 11/13 and it is indeed a cancerous tumor (we call it Felix). The molecular results were not yet conclusive but it is trending towards a grade 3 glioma. More molecular results are pending. In other words an intermediate form of cancer. So what's next? Great question. We have an amazing medical team at St Joes BNI. Dr. Nadar Sanai is our primary Dr. Look him up, you will not be disappointed. I chose him and requested him to be my Dr. after doing my research. For those of you that don't know, you always have a choice in doctors. Do not let anyone tell you different. 

 Next is surgery on Nov 30th with a check in time of 4:45 AM to remove the tumor. It is a 6 hour procedure starting at around 7-7:30 AM, including knocking me out and waking me up. The Dr. is confident he can remove the entire tumor. Says he does close to 10 of these a week. After the tumor is removed, there is no guarantee all the little glioma cells get removed because you can't see things at the cellular level. So meds and radiation treatments will follow. We still need to meet with the oncologist on this. We will get these options once the final molecular pathology is received. The other good news is I am being offered a clinical trial med before surgery to see if it invades the tumor. If so we can continue with the trial after surgery if the oncologist approves to use as a treatment. Positive, my trial and treatment could save more lives. 

 Yes, I am scared and terrified beyond what anyone could ever imagine. I am also afraid for what Stacie and Josie will have to witness before and after the procedure. I always envision myself as the one to protect them from pain, not cause it. This procedure requires cutting and pulling back a flap of skin and making a half dollar sized hole in my skull to remove the tumor. I will be in the hospital for about 3 days. Sorry to gross anyone out but these are the thoughts in my head and the reality I now live. This stress and anxiety obviously is not healthy. I am reading literature and reached out to brain tumor support groups for additional mental and emotional help. I have an amazing family, and support system of friends, and even strangers. I am and will continue the fight! I will not give up, and I will be here for my family for a long time!

People always ask what they can do to help. PRAY! I truly believe in the power of prayer and that God has put every single person in our lives for specific reasons. Some people have been in our lives for over 20 years and now it is glaringly apparent why they have been with us for so long. Not just because they have been great friends during that time, but because they had resources we would need later in life and didn't know it until now. We may ask for meal trains, help at home, or other care options, but until things happen, we cannot say for sure. We won't be shy to ask. I will be potentially out of work recovering at home for 6 weeks. The, do not overdo it, approach is important.

 Speaking of being out of work for a while, a big thank you HairClub! The people in this company have been behind me, supporting, and treating me like a family member instead of an employee. They check on my well being, come to visit me, call and offer help, and even offering up personal assets to help us. And this is from the top leadership down. This is why I have stayed with this company for over 26 years, the people! I love and thank every single person in this organization!

And with that, I will close my blog for today.  And before you ask, Hubby and I are doing pretty good with all of this.  Like Josh said, we have a wonderful network of family and friends who are by our side.  Our Christian faith helps to sustain us also.

Until Next Time....................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 20

 

There is not much to talk about today.  Hubby and I went to Vegas last Sunday and got home Thursday afternoon.  We are not winners but had a fabulous time meeting new people and visiting old friends.

Since I was the driver for both legs of the trip, I did not get as much done as I was hoping.  But since I have gotten home, hubby's socks have been my main focus.

They are moving along quite nicely.  I have hopes of completing this sock and starting the mate before next YOP update.

Josh as still not heard anything about his biopsy.  The nurse called him on Friday to let him know they do not have all the pathology back yet and do not have any information for him.  He does have a follow up on Monday.  The Dr is supposed to have a 'game' plan to give when they meet.  I will update once I know anything.

And that, my friends is all from me this week.

Until Next Time....................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 19

 

Made it through another week!  My ribs and sternum are getting better.  My car should be done by the middle of this month.  I have a rental which is good since hubby and I are on the road this coming week and wanted take my SUV.  The rental is a Nissan Rogue and rides very much like my Hyundai Tucson. Perfect!

Anywho..........Let's take a look at what transpired this past week.

Monday - Picked up the rental and ran some errands.  Spent a few hours with Josh as he was having quite a bit of anxiety over his upcoming biopsy.

Tuesday - Spent the morning taking Josh to his office so he could get his company computer updated.  I did a little shopping while he was busy but did not find anything to buy!  Went to Mass for a Holy Day of Obligation.  Met our new Associate Priest too.

Josh hard at work

Wednesday - Enrique got his pedicure and then went to the vet to get his hind end cleaned out.  Oh the joys of owning a little dog LOL.  Got invited to lunch with Josh and Stacie and enjoyed our time with them, as always.  Finished my Female Gnome.

Gnomanda

Not sure I want to make anymore female gnomes.  They are a lot more work than the guys.  Once I finished her I started another RCR sock.

Thursday - Josh's needle biopsy day.  Everything went smoothly and he did quite well.  He was very relieved to have that part over and now he waits for the results which should be in by Wednesday and a follow up appointment on the 13th.  I was a good mom and set up a crockpot of chicken and dumplings for them so they did not need to worry about anything for the rest of the day.

Friday - Got all the laundry done, grabbed a few groceries and helped Hubby clean the house.  Still working on the RCR in little spurts.

Saturday - Did our food bank pick up and started getting stuff ready to pack.  Went to Mass and then went to Josh's house and played games for a few hours.

This may sound crazy but, I did not pack my knitting up first!  In fact, it was the last item I packed.  That has never happened before.  I want to show you the RCR I am working on at the moment.  This is my road trip project.

That green yarn has been begging for me to find a way to use it for a couple of months now.  I love the contrast of the two colors.  Hubby is quite pleased with it too.

Hubby and I are on the road for the next 4 days.  Heading to Vegas to play in a bingo tournament.  We will see some friends and family while there too.

Until Next Time................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 18 OF YEAR 13

 

Oh my, this was the week that was!  Let's take a look at how the week went for me.

Sunday - Hubby and I went to a new Casino and met up with our boys and their wives.  It was fun to be together for a few hours watching NFL Football.  When we got home, I started another RCR sock for hubby.

Monday - This is my laundry day.  I also made some very yummy sourdough cranberry bread.

Tuesday - Hubby has a class in the morning.  This gives me time to have a little me time.  I went to JoAnns to grab some beads to bling out some shoes.

I have 3 pairs of Hey Dude shoes.  I am not a fan of the way they have the laces attached.  So, I decided to make them just a little more feminine.  JoAnn's had their beads on sale so I was able to bling out all 3 pairs for under $15.

Wednesday - Josh called and asked me to pick him up and take him to the office so he could get his office laptop updated.  Things did not go as planned.

I had a gentleman pull out infront of me, from a buisuness driveway, and I t-boned him.  His car is pretty well totaled but he was not hurt.  My SUV is damaged but repairable and I have bruised ribs and chest from the seat belt doing it's job.  My knee is also bruised from hitting the dash.  Unfortunately, the man I hit does not have insurance so my insurance company will be taking the full brunt of the bill.  I will be picking up a rental car on Monday and they are getting me another SUV which is nice. I feel blessed as this could have been much worse since it was in the middle of rush hour traffic.

Thursday - Hubby cleaned half the house and I pitched in and did all the counter tops.  Not my brightest idea.  It really irritated my ribs.

Friday - Hubby and I went to the grocery store for our weekly groceries.  We also hosted game one of the World Series.  I am glad we decided to order a 4 foot sub for eats.  I also delegated the rest of the food to those coming to the party.  It was so much fun to have company at our house.  Unfortunately our team did not win.  Oh well, there are a lot more games to be played.

Saturday - OH MY RIBS!  I over did yesterday and I paid for it.  Anti-inflammatories became my closest friend on this day.  Hubby had a retreat all day so I sat and decided to start binge watching Virgin River on Netflix.  It is sooooo good!  So, while sitting and letting my ribs relax I did this.

Yup, I completed a pair of RCR socks in less than a weeks time.  Hubby was very surprised when he came home to find a pair of socks waiting for him.  Since those were done I decided to grab my basket of wool scraps and make a Gnome.

The hat is done and one row of the body.  It will give me something pofrtable to work on this week.  But wait, there is more.  I got treasures in the mail this day too.

Leading Men Fibers had another mystery sale on yarn.  I love their ShowStopper yarn.  That is what the RCR socks were made from.  These are 50 Gram hanks of yarn.  Perfect for a pair of RCR socks.  It is always so much fun to see what colors are picked for me.  They were all half price too.  Hubby is excited as he sees some colors we would never thought of using before.  He is so open to anything I make for him in any color.  Love that man!

We stayed home Saturday night and watched game 2 of the World Series.  Our team won!!!

Today is Sunday again.  Hubby and I went to Mass and are planning on a quiet day at home watching NFL Football.  The weather has finally cooled off and I am opening up windows after the sun goes down.  It still gets into the 80's during the day but into the 50's at night.  LOVELY!

Here is a photo taken the last day we had temps in the high 90's.

He loves to bury in blankets no matter the temperature.  Love this boy!

Until Next Time.........................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 17

 Another week has flown by.  It was a good week, overall.  I did do a bit of crocheting this week for a change of pace.

It was time to do another prayer shawl.  Once again, I used the ever popular 'To The Point' pattern.

The yarn is called Shimmer by Red Heart.  I think it might be discontinued.  This yarn has been in my stash for YEARS.  It is one of the softest yarns Red Heart makes.

Those white specks are actually little shimmering stands of yarn wound in with the 'normal' yarn and gives a lovely light shimmer to the shawl.  With the big three holidays coming up, I thought it would be nice to make a little more glamourous shawl for someone going through a tough time.

I got a sweet text from my SIL who lives in Colorado.  She received her socks this week.  They even managed to arrive on her actual birthday.

She loves them.  I am sure they will be loved with the cold weather coming there soon.  

No other crafting was done and I am once again trying to think of what I would like to do next.  It was suggested to look at my YOP list.  Well, I did not list specific items to be worked on only general categories to add items to.  I am sure something will strike my fancy soon.

Ninety percent of this past week was actually a normal week for me.  There was laundry, grocery shopping, menu planning and general housework.  It felt good to kind of be back to normal again.

Here is a post my son did this week about what is going on with him.

OK, for all of my friends and family I have not spoken to in person, I am sorry. So many to update and so little time. I know there have been questions about some of my posts recently, and concern about what is happening at the Price house.   

 

Here it is, on August 30th I was called by my doctor with results of an MRI I had taken due to some disorientation and dizzy spells. On that day he informed me that I have a brain tumor. He could not say what it was or what it meant. We have since been doing testing and consults at both the Mayo Clinic and Barrows Neurological Institute. As of today, we have decided to move forward with a biopsy at Barrows on November 2nd. This will tell us what the lesion is, and what next steps need to be taken. There is nothing more I can report than that at the moment.

 

All we can ask from our friends and family is for your prayers, love and support. We are doing everything we can to remain positive and hopeful for the best results possible from this biopsy. 

 

Since there are so many of you to update, I will post more on facebook as information becomes available. Thank you all for being patient with me and our updates as this will remain a fluid situation for a month.

So, we sit and wait again.  Once the needle biopsy is done, it will be about 7-10 days before the results are back.  Again with the sit and wait.  I will keep you all updated as we are updated.

And now, I leave you with something I see each evening around 5pm.

He is trying to let me know he is starving and hasn't eaten in MANY days!  Little pudgy liar.  He eats twice a day and gets a little doggie treat at bed time.  Most spoiled dog ever!

Until Next Time......................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 16

 

Another week gone another week in review blog post coming to you today.

Sunday - After I blogged last Sunday I baked a cake, did some laundry and worked on my SIL's RCR socks.

Monday - My daughter was on my side of town so we spent the day together.  I took her to Mulqueens.  It is a HUGE fabric store geared towards quilters.  The fabric in there is only the type you would use for quilt tops.  We also went to Bath and Body Works so I could pick up some lovely scented hand soap for my house.  After that we stopped and grabbed a bite of lunch.  Onwards we went, after lunch, to the Mall to look at shoes.  Daughter found a pair that were both comfy and could be worn with skirts/dresses as well as pants.  She is substitute teaching and so needs comfy/nice shoes.  I finished one of the RCR socks and got to work on the second sock again.  There were more sourdough crackers made too.

Tuesday - Hubby cleaned house while I ran and did errands.  I went to UPS, USPS, Sam's Club, Banfield Pet Clinic and the Water Store.  I spent the rest of the day working on the puzzle I started a couple of weeks ago.

I finished it only to discover there was one piece missing.  So frustrating since this was a brand new puzzle!

Wednesday - The cleaning of all the counter tops happened today as well as getting ALL the laundry completed.  I normally do the counter tops when hubby does the floors but since I was out and about yesterday, I got to it today.  I also did some straightening up of 'my area' of the family room.  It is all nice and neat now.  I tried so hard to finish up the second RCR sock today.  I stayed up until 1AM working on it.  

Thursday - I did it!  I finished the second sock and now have a pair of socks for my SIL.  Just in time too as her birthday is this coming Friday!

I finally got to the fun part of the sock when I hit the toe.  You can tell that the blue was a gradient also.  It just did not show up while I was working on them.  Took my TX DIL to her Dr appt to get her cast removed.  Her incision is all healed up with a nice scab on it.  She was so relieved!  Then we went to lunch to celebrate her transition into a walking boot.  I ended up taking a 1.5 hour 'nap' after all of this.  It was NEEDED!

Friday - Hubby and I put together my new 'over the sink' dish drainer.  Even though I have a dishwasher, I still have many pots and pans that are hand wash only.  The drainer next to the sink takes up so much real-estate, I wanted something else so I could have that area back.

I love it!  It opened up my sink area so much.  I am now able to actually work uninhibited in the kitchen.  Wish I had taken a before photo, drat!  We went over to Josie's house that evening for dinner and games.  It was so nice to have some fun with everyone.

Saturday - Hubby and I did our normal food pick up for our food pantry at church.  We had lunch with one of the priest we have become friends with.  After lunch hubby and I went and did some shoe shopping for ourselves.  We each found a very comfy pair of shoes to purchase.  With my arthritic feet, that is no small task.  "Hey Dude" shoes for the win!  Extremely lightweight and stretchy.  After shopping we went to Mass at our priest friend' parish.  To cap off the evening we had dinner with our TX son and DIL.  I think I need to come up with better names for the TX family since they live close to us in AZ now.  Any suggestions?

That brings us to Sunday again.  I have no plans what so ever for today.  There is nothing on my needles or hooks.  I have been like that for 3 days now.  Nothing is inspiring me at the moment.  Maybe I will work on my cross stitch for a while until inspiration strikes.

We are still fairly warm here.  In the high 90's most days.  The mornings are lovely though, so I know cooler temps will be here soon.  Maybe that is why my inspiration is waning.  Anyways.........

Until Next Time.............................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!