Oral Cancer Revisited

You know, when we have our children, we as parents always have dreams for them, that they would accomplish great things, that they would be successful, and that they would follow in our footsteps.  Today, I would give anything if my youngest daughter, Emily, was not following in mine.  You see, her husband, my Fab Son-in-law, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx last week. 

Right now, they are trying to be very optimistic, hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst. The only thing is, we don't know exactly what the worst can be. I do know that FabGrandpa and I will be able to guide them to some extent, to show them the road, to help them along the way. As I told her, "unfortunately" they have someone who has gone before them, to give them advice and to listen to their fears. While FabGrandpa and I had each other, and an online support group, Emily and her husband will have us, and I hope we will be able to help them in whatever way we can.  

Fab S-I-L is a surgery scheduler at a hospital in Atlanta. Right before Christmas, he lost his voice, so he went to the doctor to have it checked out. That doctor said he had a polyp in his throat, and scheduled surgery to remove it. When he got in there, he discovered that the mass was not what he thought it was, and just did a biopsy instead.  He was referred to a specialist at Emory University Hospital, who did a thorough exam, including a CAT scan. He is going to do another biopsy next week. We are hoping for good news. 

So, I am here to nudge you all, again, to get an exam for oral cancer at the very next opportunity--it is painless, doesn't take much time, and can save your life. Please, just do it!

Remember Whensday

 

This is Emily, Spencer's Mommy,  on Christmas Day, 1983. Who do you think he looks like? 

 

And, because I couldn't decide which photo to use, you get two! Poor old Santa! Me and Becca in 1990, trying our best to be good. 

For more Remember Whensday photos, click here.

I'm Turning Into A Bag Lady

My fabric shopping trip last week included some heavy-weight interacing so I could make some tote bags for my daughters.  That stuff is expensive! But, I got enough to make four bags. I have two of them finished already:

Greens, blues, and browns for Becca.

 

 Pinks, greens, and beige for Emily.

 

The pattern I used makes three sizes. These are the medium sized ones. That large bag would hold a Volkswagen, I think.

 

And I have yellow and black sitting there waiting to be sewn, for Becky. I don't have fabric yet for Sarah's, but will have it next week. OOooo, I get to go fabric shopping again!

It's Been A Mail-a-palooza!

When I lived in my house in Georgia, my daughter had painted on the inside of the mailbox "I love gettin' mail!" along with a smiley face. My mail carrier told me she never failed to smile when she opened my mailbox.  But I do, I do love getting mail! And I got a lot of it this week!  

My daughter, Becca, sent me a package from Colorado. She had been on a trip to New Mexico a couple weeks ago, and bought that purty chili ristra for me.  She also sent the fabric for me to finish her quilt:

 

and a loaf of gluten free bread from Udi's Bakery in Parker, Colorado:

 

And when I opened the box, I also found her green ink pen she hasn't been able to find. thanks Becca!

 

I loved that bread so much, I ordered a case of it for myself, and it arrived only two days later! all the way from Parker to Greensboro, Alabama:

 

  

I saw this fabric online a month or so ago on Etsy in one yard lengths, and had been trying to find  a seller with three yards in one piece. I was so happy to find it! It's called Fairy Tip Toes, and it is soooo cute.  It was also delivered to me this week. I have to make a baby quilt for my new FabGrandchild that is due in May. In case I haven't mentioned it yet, my son's wife, Sarah is having a baby! We'll find out in two weeks whether it is a boy or a girl. I am so hoping it is a girl so I can use this fabric. But, it it's not, I'll just make something for FabGrandaughter, Sarah, with it. 

And. the last thing I got in the mail was a new copy of "The Essential Gluten Free Grocery Guide".I love this book! I can find out really quick if something I want to buy is on "the list" or not.

Ooooooo, I can hardy wait for next week to see if I get anything good in the mail!

Remember Whensday

When my daughter, Becca, was in kindergarten, she refused to wear a dress unless she could wear that pin. It was a simple gold leaf, I think I got it from Avon. Even though it was way too "grown up" for a five year old, it was a necessary addition to her wardrobe whenever she was required to wear a dress. I still have that pin, and every time I see it, I think about this picture.  Happy Birthday, Becca! 

For more Remember Whensday posts, click here.

Mother Of The Bride

When Becky was here a while back, she gave us the news that she is going to be getting married. We are very excited and happy for her. We have not met her young man yet, but will when we go to Georgia this winter.  She is very nervous about her Dad meeting The Guy. Dad is just not good at meeting The Guy.  Lord knows, he tries, but somehow it usually doesn't go well on that first meeting. 

Becky and The Guy have set their wedding date for February 20, 2011 and they have reserved a very nice venue for the wedding. She is sending me links for florists and musicians.

I have started looking at mother of the bride dresses online. I know it is kind of early for that, but I remember when my youngest daughter, Emily, got married, we looked for weeks and weeks for a dress. It's not that I am that picky, it's just that I don't think the people who make mother of the bride dresses are very realistic about what a 57 year old woman looks like in a dress. 

(Here I am as mother of the groom in 1995. The red dress worked fine back then. It was a less formal wedding at a church in Smyna, Ga.)

Have you ever seen some of the stuff they have to offer?  Well, let me show you. 

This dress is actually listed as a mother of the bride dress. I don't know anyone who has a daughter old enough to get married who looks like that, or who could actually wear that dress. I can't even imagine it in a size 24.

This one is a little better, at least I can picture it in a plus size, but does it really have to be that shiney? Do they really think a large woman wants to draw that much attention to herself? I don't know how formal the wedding is going to be, but if the occasion calls for it, this dress may be ok. Just wish it didn't glow.

 

(and here I am as mother of the bride in 1997. The wedding was at a small chapel in Gatlinburg, TN. )

And yes, this one was in the category of mother of the bride, too. It shows a bit more of the gozongas than I would like. Who are these people who would wear something like that to their daughter's wedding?

I think this one would make me frumpy. What do you think? Or am I really too picky?

I DID find a couple of dresses I like. This one, if it is a more formal event, I think would look real nice on a "big boned" lady like me. I like the mint green, but I wear a lot of pink, too. 

And for less formal, I might just pick this. It would depend on how it looks in person when I tried it on. At least the people who own that website are using a plus size model so you can get a somewhat realistic idea of how that dress would look on a larger woman.

And though I don't think this one would be right for a wedding, I do like the looks of it--except that I know something that clingy wouldn't look good on me. And there is that cleavage thing again, too.

So, there you have it. All of these dresses were found in the "mother of the bride" category online. I think I need help.

Where Does The Time Go?

I'm sitting here tonight, wondering how in the world it got to be October 6th already, and thinking I only have 18 days before we leave the North Rim to go to Alabama. I am psyched for traveling again, and really glad that I'll be in a place where I'll see water every day. I am happy that I will see my daughters and my grandson again soon. But on the same token, I am saddened that I will be leaving a place I love so much. Saddened that there aren't enough days to spend with friends before we go. Lonely for them already and we aren't even gone yet. 

And as I think about that, I also wonder how I got to be fifty-seven years old so fast. Where did all THAT time go. I think about the people back home in Georgia, the related ones, of course, but more often the chosen ones. People who have been my friends for years, who still love me, no matter what flaws I may have.  Amazed at how many of them I have found on Facebook, and who want to get together with me for lunch or coffee, or whatever, when I get back to town this winter. And overjoyed that I found one in particular just recently, who I have known since the 8th grade. Knowing that she was my best friend for many years, and that I have known her for more than 40, and happy that I may see her again soon.

And that kind of thinking always leads me to think of my mother. My relationship with my mother has always been shakey--I have never felt like I have accomplished quite what she wanted me to, or that she has ever approved of anything I have done. Lord knows I have tried.  But at 57, I have tried to let all that go, and just love her, no matter what, in the hope that she would do the same. Sometimes that is hard to do. Sometimes I cringe when I see her phone number in the caller ID, and sometimes I don't answer when I know it is her. Sometimes I do, hoping she will be the sweet mother I always hoped she would be. Too often, though, it's not. And I know I can't change that.  I really do try to be patient with her. She misses me--my sister tells me that she does. It's just hard to believe that when every time she calls me she loses her temper with me--whether it is something I say, or, a lot of the time, whether it is something I DON'T say. 

We have very different opinions about a lot of things, from politics to religion, and back again. Most of the time she rants on rather loudly about whatever it is that has gotten her ire up, and I just listen until she calms down. More and more often, though, if I keep my mouth shut and bite my tongue in an attempt to NOT make her mad, that just makes her mad. And I have told her over and over again, that just because we have different opinions, it doesn't mean I don't love her.  That maybe we should agree to  not discuss religion or politics, and just talk about family, and my life and her life. And forget about the rest.

Our most recent telephone conversation ended with her calling me some ugly names, and hanging up on me. And I cried like I was eight years old again. I wish I could figure out why this happens. My sister says it is because she misses me. And that she wishes I would call her more often.  And I might agree, that that is the case. But who wants to call when they know what the result will be?

I know there will come a time when I will wish that every time the phone rang it would be my mother. She is almost 82 years old, and I know how lucky I am to have had her in my life for as long as I have. I just wish she would feel lucky to have me, even if I am 2,000 miles away. Mama, do you know I love you???? do you know that you did a great job raising me? do you know that even if I didn't accomplish what you dreamed for me, that I have achieved my dreams for myself? do you know that I am lonely for you, too?

Becky and The Parents Day Three: Bryce Canyon National Park

We spent the night in Kanab, then got up early the next day and drove up to Bryce Canyon National Park. Again, the drive was just as beautiful as on the previous days. The photo above is one view along the way of a river in southern Utah, in Long Valley.  

 

To get to Bryce Canyon from Kanab, you take Hwy 89 north until you get to Hwy 12, then turn right. You go through an area of red rock formations in the Dixie National Forest that is spectacular all by itself. If you didn't get to Bryce, you would still be in awe just from the drive on Hwy 12. 

 

 

 

Once you get into Bryce Canyon National Park, there are several different areas and viewpoints. We went to the Bryce Ampitheater, which included Sunrise Point, and to Fairyland Point.  FabGrandpa and I went to Bryce last year, but we were there in mid-afternoon and the sun was too bright--all my photos looked washed out and did not truly show the gorgeous colors. This time, we got there early in the morning. The light was better and I got some fantastic pictures.  

The pictures below were taken at Sunrise Point:

 

 

 

 

Becky and FabGrandpa at Sunrise Point

 

  

 

And the pictures below were taken at Fairyland Point:

 

  

  

  

So, so far, we have been to Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. Three canyons, all different, and all very beautiful and awesome in their own ways.  Then we went home to the North Rim and took Becky on a tour of the Grand Canyon.

Becky and The Parents Day 2, Antelope Canyon Tour

We spent the night in Page, at Amerca's Best Value Inn, which turned out not to be what it's name claimed. For only $116 per night, we were allowed to listen to the crackheads upstairs from us stomp around their room until well after 3 a.m.  I really don't know what they were doing up there, maybe they had a bad case of Montuzema's Revenge and had to run to the bathroom repeatedly during the night, who knows? But, I can tell you this: They kept me awake most of the night, and the maids said their room was trashed the next morning.  At any rate, I would not recommend staying at that motel even if it is the only one in Page with vacancies. I'm just sayin!

After leaving the motel and eating breakfast, we went on a guided tour of Antelope Canyon. Wow! OMG!  I have been wanting to go there forever! I am so glad we got to go on that tour. It is so fabulous. I took over 150 pictures, but I will only be showing a few of those here.  I checked them out online, and all the different tour companies websites quoted prices of $32 per person for the one and a half hour tours.  But, we walked in and paid for our tour in person, and for three of us it was only $88. It was the best $88 we spent all weekend. 

 

We rode out to the slot canyon site in this big four wheel drive vehicle. It was a very bumpy ride in places, but it was fun.

  

 There are Becky and FabGrandpa on the truck, waiting to take off to the Navajo Reservation.

We bumped down this road, which is actually a wash when the rains come. Notice the power lines--there is a nuclear power plant nearby.

 

We finally got there, and got out of the truck. The ground is very fine sand, which made walking difficult, but we managed to do it. Becky was wearing flip-flops, and I had on sneakers. My shoes were full of sand at the end of the tour.

  

This is the entrance to the slot canyon.

  

It is so hard to describe this canyon to someone who has never been there. It is very deep and narrow. The sun shines through the top of the canyon and makes the inside glow orange and red. At different times of the day beams of light come in and iluminate the walls of the canyons. It is absolutely amazing!

  

Of the many pictures I took, a lot of them are not very good. These are some of the best ones. You can get a "Photographer's Tour" for a little more money. You get to stay longer, and the guides give you more time to take pictures at each stop along the way of the tour.

  

The tour guide took the photo above for me. He was very helpful in letting people know what settings to use on their cameras, and in some places he took photos with each person's camera for us, to make sure we got some good shots.  

 

There we are, back on the truck after an hour and a half of tour time in the canyon. It was an awesome tour, one of the best tours I have ever been on.  The only thing about this tour I was not happy with, was that there are five tour companies that take people on tours of this canyon each day. There were probably close to 300 people in the canyon at one time. Considering that it is a very narrow canyon, it was very crowded.   However, that was a very small price to pay for such great tour, and to get to see the place with my own eyes. I want to go tour the same canyon again, at a different time of day.  

If you ever get a chance to go to Arizona, Page has to be on your list of places to go, and this tour has to be top of the list!

Becky and The Parents Day 1

We left the North Rim headed for Page, Arizona early enough to have breakfast at Jacob Lake Inn.  We stopped at the scenic overlook of House Rock Valley.  Here is Becky with the Vermillion Cliffs in the background. 

The next stop was at the balancing rocks near Cliff Dwellers in Marble Canyon.  Those rocks are huge! How they don't tumble over is a miracle to me!

 

This is a view of the Colorado River from Navajo Bridge. It is absolutely gorgeous!

 

 

And this is looking across at the other side of the bridge at the very eastern edge of the Grand Canyon.

 

We stopped for lunch at Fiesta Mexicana, where Becky and I both ordered Camarones a la Plancha. Yummo!  

  

After lunch we toured Glen Canyon Dam. It is the second highest dam in the United States. The highest is of course the Hoover Dam.

 

 

This is one of the old turbine rotors. Th original on was placed in service in 1964, and was replaced this year. That is FabGrandpa's backside there in the photo.

 

Lake Powell, so much blue, blue water in the middle of the desert.

 

 

The Colorado River where it comes out of Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon Dam. That bridge is Hwy 89 in Page. 

 

See that water pouring out of the pipe at the bottom? That is what they call seepage, water that seeps through the concrete and rock from behind the dam. 1600 gallons a minute worth of seepage. Amazing! And there is enough moisture for those plants to grow right on the rocks.  

More tomorrow!

Remember Whensday

In July of 1985, my kids and I went to Stone Mountain for the day. We picnicked on the lawn in front of the carving, went swimming and stayed for the laser show. It was the second time we went there. The first time was when my son, Seth, was about three years old. He was so scared that the giant rock was going to roll over on us that he couldn't eat his lunch!

For more Remember Whensday photos, click here.