Angus in His Short Pants

The Centre called late yesterday, they've had to postpone my oncology appointments for one week.....that's OK, one week shouldn't be a problem.

So...we leave today for Vancouver. Not only will I get to see both my boys and the gals, I'm also going to get to see Angus.

Gman's cousin's friend (got that?) was able to get 8 tickets for tomorrow night's show. And we get to go! Weeeeeee.....

I was a little nervous about going, as we have floor seats. I don't wanna get too jostled around the upper right side, if you know what I mean!

But Gman says he and his cousin will be on either side of me, like a wall o men. I think I'll ask G to be on my right, just to be extra sure!

We'll be home again on Monday - a friend is coming to stay to watch the house and animals.....

Wonder if Angus will have his short pants on??? He always does, doesn't he? In all the AC/DC videos I have seen, he has..... Sphere: Related Content

My Big Fat Round Head

Life is kinda funny, isn't it? Sometimes, funny ha ha, but sometimes funny kinda strange....

I've always wanted thick lustrous hair....instead I got incredibly fine hair. My hairdresser assures me I have a LOT of hair, it's just very very fine...

I'm kinda funny in that when my hair is short, I want it long. When I grow it out long, I sometimes have to be held back from getting it cut short. Really, I'm hard to satisfy, lol!

On Monday I have to be in Kelowna for my radiation oncology appointment. I'll probably end up needing that treatment.(Everyone has said so)

Tuesday lucky me gets to meet again with the chemo oncologist and perhaps start chemo that very day.....

I'm thinking I am going to be having chemo. Why I think that, really I'm not sure, altho the chemo oncologist did tell me she thought I should have chemo when we met with her Aug 6. (I could phone today for my score, as the test results should be in, but I am putting it off....I will call, later today)

I had a dream that my Grandma phoned me....it was so wonderful to hear her voice again after all these years. She told me I was going to be just fine.....so I'm gonna take her at her word!

Anyway, one thing I don't want to do is simply watch my hair fall out....that would kinda freak me out, I think.....

Over the past year I have been growing my hair out....it was down just past my shoulders....until....


I went and did this.....















Ha! Here's the first pic the Gman took....he told me to think of something I really like. Never mind what I was thinking, I'm not telling!

Here's the second pic he took...man, I look like I just smoked a really good fat one!
















The Gman has let me know he'll shave my head for me if that time comes....actually, he's gonna shave his head too. Solidarity!!! I sure am glad I have him by my side! Sphere: Related Content

Man on a Mission

My parents came for a couple of nights.....they are on their way now up to Terrace where my cousin is getting married this weekend.

You know, even tho it was a really quick visit, my Dad HAD to have something to do.

We've got so many logs laying around the property...last week the Gman bucked them up, using his chain saw. We had figured that, knowing Dad, he would want to stack some wood while he was here.

Some of you may remember his fine work last year when he was here. He likes filling our woodroom for us. I had already gotten a good start on it earlier this Spring, and Dad finished the job while he was here!

He liked the Li'l John Deer! Here he comes!

And....there he goes!!!

He took it out onto the main road to turn it around...ha! Someone ELSE that doesn't like backing up! (I have tried and tried and tried to learn how to do that....sooooo frustrating!)

I can almost hear him thinking "Gotta get this all filled up, gotta make sure my Anniegirl stays warm this winter"

Thanks Dad!!!!!

Sphere: Related Content

Second Cousins

I come from a B I G family, that is....BIG.....my Mama is the oldest of 13 children. I have cousins older than me, and a Lot who are younger than me...some are wayyyy younger. And I have lots of second cousins.....

Last week, my Mama's youngest brother and his wife and grandaughter came for a visit.

Auntie Cathy, my Special Second Cousin Sgirl and I went down the road to my friends. I wanted to surprise Sgirl with all the animals my friend has....

Sgirl has turned out to be quite the Hawg Slopper, and Chicken Farmer! Each evening when the Gman went down to feed the animals, Sgirl trucked along with him.

Here she is helping Gman pick veggies from the Animal Garden to feed to the pigs.

Here Sgirl is listening to my friend talk about the goats....

Auntie Cathy watching

How CUTE is she?

Sgirl listening intently to Marion talk about milking goats. Marion is sitting on her milkstand....

Back at our place...she's on her way to the barn, Gotta check if there are more eggs.

Wolfie thinks he should follow her, just in case.....

Lots of eggs!

Now, she's gotta check on Little Miss, to see if she laid an egg. I learned that Sgirl really likes to name animals. We ended up with 3 chickens named: Little Miss, Pick and lastly, Up. Marion ended up with names for almost ALL her goats!

My uncle and Sgirl picking snap peas....

Uncle Henry, Auntie Cathy and Sgirl, with a pea sticking out of her mouth!

That bag is full of veggies and Cathy's holding a big cabbage.....

What a kid! Check this out! I think this pic has to go on the right hand side of the blog, don't u?

Sphere: Related Content

O'Keefe Ranch

While we were in the Okanogan, we went to the O'Keefe Ranch, just outside of Vernon.....here's a bunch of pics. It is a pretty neat place...

We took a tour of the old house there....

beautiful woodwork on that staircase.

Gorgeous Meissen dinnerware in that house

Countergirl at the General Store. We bought candy there!

There were lots of old time posters in that store....some of them were pretty cool!

Old drill press

St. Anne's Church, the oldest church in the Okanogan

Old stagecoach....

Check out the Leather leaf springs!!

A whole room set up with railroad track running thru a town

Da copper is sitting behind the billboards, lol....I got a kick out of that...

Industry in the little train town....

We saw some animals that were displaced due to fires at their homes....

this little one made me think of Linda....it looks like her baby goats.

The house the cowboys lived in....

Cowboy beds.....

I took a lot of pics of how they strung the bed laces together. We'd love to do this if we ever built a guest cabin here!

Sphere: Related Content

Strawberries, Corn......and Ummm, Rocks!

We're picking huge strawberries these days! I am taking pictures, so I can put up a post about them.

We've tried the corn...a few times now. It's ready, and it's delicious!!!

I was putting some dishes in the sink and said to the Gman..."it looks like there's a rock in the sink"

He says ' Well, yes, but it's a very clean rock"

Turns out he was using the rock to weigh down his bacons that he has in the brine. Tomorrow morning, he's gonna be firing up the smoker.

Sphere: Related Content

Busy, Busy....Brining Bacon, Rhubarb Wine

Boy, have we been busy! I'll try and catch you up with what's been happening.

A few days ago, we had packages of lamb brought over to us - folks we bartered with. Trading one half of a pig (to be butchered this Fall) in exchange for a lamb and part of a goat.

So that meant the meat had to go in the freezer. That meant something had to come Out of the freezer, in order to make room.

We're surprised how fast we are filling the two freezers this year. And we still have a LOT of meat to shove in there. Thinking probably another freezer is going to be on a shopping list soon!

So...out came the rest of last year's bacon. The Gman just put it all in a cooler to thaw.

Then he made up his brine, got all the bacon in there and shoved it in the fridge. He'll let it sit in there for about 7 days, then he'll fire up the smoker.

Moving on....

So then, we figured we should do one more picking of rhubarb....that means we now have yet another (our 3rd) batch of rhubarb wine started.

Also, we picked more and more and more Saskatoons. We got another 25 pounds for a second batch of wine. They're all sitting in the deep freezers, waiting to get made into wine.

Sphere: Related Content

More Breast Cancer Details

I don't want our blog focussing too much on what I am going thru with breast cancer. At the same time, I don't want to start a new blog about the health issues.

So read if you like, or skip it if you like.....

Butttttt, I think it's important to keep raising awareness about breast cancer. 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer. For your sake, or your wife's sake, or your daughters' sake, please donate to the Cancer Society.

Research has been such an important part of breast cancer treatment. What was studied a decade ago, may be helping me today. Women survive breast cancer and live for decades more (here's hoping I'm gonna be one of them!)

And so, here's the reason why I have had to wait 2 more weeks till I find out about chemo. It's because I have entered a study called The Tailorx Trial NCIC CTG MAC.12/ECOG PACCT-1. (Yeah, try memorizing that little ditty)

It's a study out of California, and Kelowna Cancer Centre is one of the Centres joining the study. The research done in this study will hopefully further define treatment options for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Women have to be estrogen-positive, node-negative to participate. If you know already what that means, I am sorry.....if you don't know what that means, I hope you never have to learn.

So anyway, that's me....ep nn.....so into the study I went. Here's what will happen (to the best of my knowledge).....the info came out of the appointment with the medical oncologist and the wonderful staff at Kelowna Cancer Centre.

My tissue (from surgery) will be sent to California, where it will undergo further testing. Those tests will result in my being given a Recurrence Score. If I score 10 or less, I will receive hormonal therapy only.

Score 26 or more, and I get chemotherapy plus hormonal therapy.

Score between 11 and 25, and I get ONE of the following:

hormonal therapy
chemo plus hormonal therapy

It is that "middle" group of women that the researchers want to learn more about. My oncologist put it this way....."We ask ourselves, are we overtreating women with breast cancer?" Does everyone NEED chemo?

So these are the types of questions they hope the study will help to answer.

I must say I can back out of the study at any point, and go for whatever treatment I (and the oncologist) think I need. During my consultation, she did tell me she wants me to have chemo, then she brought up this study.

What do I get out of this study? I get to find out the likelihood of a future recurrence. I think I need to know that for my own peace of mind.

What do future generations of women diagnosed with breast cancer get out of this study? Hopefully, clearly defined treatment.

I feel I have to participate in the study. If women didn't do this, the benefits for future generations would not be there. Research is so important, it just makes total sense for me to do it. AND, I'll do what makes total sense for me to do, with regards to this health issue.

So, I'm going it for myself. I'm also doing it for my nieces, my future granddaughters, and my daughters-in-law. And I'm doing it for all the women who will come after me, who hear those words....You Have Cancer.

_______________________________________

And here's another thing I really want to mention. You, you dear people who bother to read our blog.....I so appreciate every single one of you! We have had the kindest comments from so many of you, thinking of us, wishing us well and praying for us.

And I thank you for that...from the bottom of my heart.

And finally....I am not worrying. Really, I am not. Ever since I found that damn lump, I have not worried. I refuse to. It won't accomplish one single thing, except to stress me out and I don't need that.

I am trying to handle this with logic, humour and love. And one really cool thing is....before I had the surgery but after I had the results, I was sitting on the porch, looking out over our gardens.

And I thought to myself, now is the time...is there anything I really want to do? Cuz, I should do it...and you know what? There wasn't one single thing.

I'm happy with my life, I'm ecstatic with my boys, I love my husband to pieces...I wouldn't change one thing.

And THAT has given me so much peace....thank You Father!

What will be, will be..... Sphere: Related Content

Garden Clean Up

The Broccoli and Cauliflower are finished, the Gman cut the last remaining few this morning. I'll blanch them and put them in the freezer.

Normally, we would give that area of the garden a quick weeding, rake it smooth and plant some other veggie in there, maybe radishes, lettuce, spinach - something fast growing in the hopes of harvesting before Fall weather sets in.

Not this year - we've decided to start putting the garden to bed for the Season once the veggies are out. Things are too "up in the air" for me right now - since I have to wait till end of August to find out what we'll be doing in September. I'd rather have as much of the garden area taken care of for the year "just in case".

If it turns out that I don't need further treatment well then, I guess we go fishing and camping, right????

So the Gman gave it a quick hoeing and raking, and I threw down the fall rye seed....

My container of garden fertility goodness!

I've been seeding this stuff in during the Fall every year since we've lived here - it really does break up the clay soil native to this area.

Once I did that, the Gman raked it in, just to cover and that's that! One small area of garden taken care of!

If we get time, we will shovel a good layer of composted manure over this bed. If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world, the important part is done. The fall rye sown here will begin to grow within a couple of weeks, and should get nice and tall before the frost moves in heavy. We'll just leave it alone, and next Spring, it will start to grow again. Then the Gman will rototill it back into the soil, adding lots of goodness and fertility.

Sphere: Related Content

Raspberries, Hops.....and the Monster Turnip!

Wednesday we spent working around the place.....we had been away for several days, so animals needed to be checked on, veggies needed to be picked, the worst weeds needed to be pulled, blah blah blah

Picked 1 1/2 pounds of raspberries, weeeee! How nice to see these beauties coming on strong! I measured 2 cups of them out, and put them in freezer bags....tossed them in there! I'll use them up in muffins, or pies over the winter.

Picked, blanched and froze another round of snap peas....still have an ice cream bucket of shell peas waiting for me to bust open, blanch and freeze. Maybe tonite.

The Gman pulled all the yellowing leaves off the chard and fed them off to the animals....

Got a bit of Saskatoon berry picking done in the late afternoon.

Oh! And I went in the greenhouse and cut off the third stalk on the corn. Yes, they pretty much all have 2 ears and many want to grow a 3rd! But it is getting later in the season and those 3rd ears are Very Small, so I don't think there is time. I'd rather have the plant energy put into growing the 2 ears on each stalk instead!

The Hops plant is setting fruit.....We've got this growing along the fence close to the house. It's looking good and next year, it will probably take over the whole fence!

If we have enuf hops set, the Gman would like to try making mangel ale this fall.

And here....is.....the.....Monster Turnip! Unreal....6 1/2 freaking pounds!

We fed it off to the pigs, cutting it up for them. I'm sure it tasted really really Woody, but they don't really care.

Pigs are a great composting system!!!!

Sphere: Related Content