Race for the Cure.. a few photos

I know, I know. These are overdue.

I am just not into blogging at the moment, I suppose. But, I did get one single request for these photos, so here they are!

We have Rachel in the T-shirt she and I made. They say "2 Sisters 2 Young 4 This" on the front, in the form of a math equation because , after all, we are a family of math geeks. We made matching shirts for both Lucas and Hannah, but Lucas did not want to put his on and Hannah was not interested in showing hers off.

The only reason this photo was even taken was because a sorority girl asked Beth if she could take her picture for their scrapbook. I remember our sorority keeping a scrapbook back in the day. It's funny. I was wearing the same pink survivor shirt that everyone else was wearing. Yet, when I went up to various booths, I was not recognized as a survivor. You'd think it might have been the hair, but I think no chemo is more common than chemo these days. It could have been the age, but I think I'm looking pretty old these days. Whatever.

Stay tuned for post #2. I have pink Halloween pictures to follow. :)

An entry to end a month of pinkwashing

Now, this is a survivor! I'd even go out on a limb and say she was cured. Unfortunately, in the world of breast cancer, you cannot be pronounced cured until you manage to die from something else. We have no cure. Just treatments. There is such a thing as "no evidence of disease," but unfortunately, that is not the same thing as a cure.


http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/103108/met_350169631.shtml


Approaching her 101st birthday, she says it "is not a death sentence."
By SHAKAYA ANDRES, The Times-Union

Times were different - to say the least - when Ruth Mooneyhan got breast cancer more than six decades ago.

Surgery was performed only one way because doctors knew so little about the disease. It wasn't talked about openly, the way people do today. And after-care? When Mooneyhan couldn't afford a prosthesis after a radical mastectomy of her right breast, she took matters into her own hands.
She made her own.

"A lady at Sears Roebuck cut me out a pattern," said Mooneyhan, who grew up in Marianna but now lives at a nursing home on Jacksonville's Westside. "I put my own pockets in."

Mooneyhan is believed by the American Cancer Society to be one of the oldest - if not the oldest - breast cancer survivors in the U.S. At 100, she is inspiring family and friends who marvel at her resilience after being afflicted with a disease whose mortality rate in the 1940s was as high as 50 percent.

Ernest Mooneyhan was 15 when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1943. He still admires her ability to cope with breast cancer at the young age of 35.

"She's definitely been an inspiration to me," he said. "She didn't let anything get her down. She's very close to the Lord. She believes it's because of the Lord's mercy and grace that she's still living."

The memories of suffering from breast cancer are a bit foggy for Ruth Mooneyhan, but one thing is certain: They will never be completely forgotten.

"I didn't know what [breast cancer] was, but I knew it was serious in my own mind," she said.

Mooneyhan was married with five children, all under 18, when she felt a lump in her right breast. She remembers how painful it was when she rubbed down on the lump.
"It was just a sore. [It felt] like a boil," she said. After doctoring the lump with cold packs and other home remedies for about a week, she gave up and went to a physician. The news wasn't good: A biopsy revealed breast cancer.

"I was heartbroken when the doctor told me ... I was scared," she said. "I never thought I'd live to see my children grow up."

She sat on the porch crying and praying before the surgery, and then she got her answer.
"A thought dropped down in my heart saying 'you'll see him larger than he is today,' " she said of her 2-year-old son, who she was swinging. "I saw him get grown and another one, too. It was an answered prayer."

She wasn't the only one scared. Her family was, too. They didn't know anything about cancer or anyone to turn to for answers.

Ernest said he remembers vividly the anguish his family went through the day his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"We were scared she had to have surgery," he said. "I think it would have been a real encouragement to her if she knew somebody [who could relate]."

Officials with the American Cancer Society's Florida division confirmed that tumor registries didn't begin until after World War II, and mass screenings for breast cancer weren't being done before then.

"Wow, I've never heard of someone [who has survived breast cancer for so many years]," said Lisa Braswell, a spokeswoman for the division.

In the early part of the 20th century, there was only one standard treatment for breast cancer, added Troy Guthrie, director of education and research at Baptist Cancer Institute. Radiation was in its beginning stages, and chemotherapy and hormonal therapy were non-existent.

"They have made enormous improvements in treatment and technology," said the 34-year oncologist. "[Doctors'] understanding of how to do the surgery then [was] not as nearly as good as today."

Death rates have significantly declined over the years - to 21.4 percent in Florida, according to the state Department of Health - with increased public awareness, improved breast cancer surgery and superior screenings.

For Mooneyhan, doctors in Marianna didn't have the equipment to perform a Halsted radical mastectomy - the disfiguring and debilitating standard surgery in the '40s in which the breast, chest muscles and all of the lymph nodes under the arm are removed.

She was referred to Jacksonville, where she stayed at her sister-in-law's house for a month after her surgery.

After the procedure, she went back for x-rays of her chest every month for years as a precaution to make sure the cancer didn't reappear.

Now, just months away from celebrating her 101st birthday, Mooneyhan said she is blessed to have lived a fulfilled life. She wants to encourage women with breast cancer to hold on to their faith.

"I just had faith and believed that the Lord would bring [me] through," she said. "[Breast cancer] is not a death sentence."

It's almost over!

Yes! Pink month is almost over. :) Are you aware? I sure am.

I've had billions of blog entries floating around in my head, but nothing that I felt compelled to put to paper.. err.. keyboard.

I do have pictures to share. They are all very pink, so I hope you'll pardon me. While pink is a color that I do actually like and has been one of my favorites for a long time, I'm just tired of pink at the moment, so I just might not share my Race for the Cure photos nor Rachel's Halloween photos (we did a pre-Halloween photo shoot on the canal) until after Nov 1.

On other fronts, it is that time of year again. The Nutcracker is rapidly approaching and I will be doing more decorated pointe shoes to sell at our boutique. They are available for purchase directly through me as well, with all the profits going directly to DanceVision. To answer other questions that have come up, the shoes are NOT meant to be danced in and come in a variety of sizes- basically whatever I am given to work with. I can post pics of these later next month as well.

In the meantime, I *can* share some other photos, and maybe even make you hungry.

These cheesy garlic biscuits remind me very much of the biscuits from Red Lobster. Better yet, they are pretty quick and easy to make. This recipe comes courtesy of Alisa Bangerter and PaperCraft Magazines upcoming special issue, PC Gourmet.

Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
2 c. flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c. milk
Chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until mixture is fine. Add cheese and mix well. Add milk and stir until just moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle top with chopped dried or fresh chives if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes


I admit that I don't have a pastry cutter and I'm not sure I'd know what one looks like unless perhaps my 11 yo daughter pointed it out. I do have a nice Kitchen Aid mixer (thank you Martha) and it works quite well for this purpose!

And all that jazz!

So, you've followed my adventures in cancerland. You've followed my return to the world of twirly girls as I went back to ballet after about 25 years.



You've probably guessed it already. If you are a friend on Facebook you already know.



I went back to jazz class this week.



The break was not quite as long as ballet. I did continue jazz classes a bit longer, on a rather irregular schedule, until medical school began. So, instead of almost a 25 year break, it's closer to a little over 20 years. Like that makes a difference!



And even better, this was an adult beginner Broadway jazz class. Quite unlike the advanced adult ballet class I jumped right into back in January. It was easy and there was nothing complex. It did not require anywhere the same amount of brain power that I require to even get through the first exercises at the barre in ballet. And thank goodness for that because this class is at night and I am not sure I am capable of doing that sort of thinking that late in the evening. Critical medical thinking, yes. But retaining complex combinations in my head and then performing them, and even reverse, flipping them to the left side, no!



Don't get me wrong. It might not have been a mental stretch, however, it was definitely a physical stretch! I do have a natural turn out and have to think to stand in parallel. It came back to me that it was always a challenge to go from ballet to jazz class. And while it might not have required the same level of brain power on my part, it's not like I wasn't wishing there was a shower in the studio when I walked out of the class!



Did I mention the class was fun? What a blast it was! There were 4 of us, all in our 40's. I am excited because all of us are committed to continuing with the class. One of the others is even trying to figure out when she can get to the adult ballet classes now. Ah yes... another addict has been created. The instructor is a riot. He takes much of the classic Luigi style warm-up and uses them in his own way with a heavy dose of humor. I've watched the kids and even older teens take his class and they are smiling the whole time. I know I did as well.



So... now on Tuesday night, I'm going back again. They are also starting a beginner lyrical jazz class for adults too. I can't commit to another night, especially one when Rachel is actually NOT at the studio, but I want to at least try the class. (The first one is free). It should be an interesting contrast.

September is nearly over...

which means October is almost here.

Not sure how I feel about October this year and the inevitable onslaught of pink which has already infiltrated most of the universe. October, for the uninitiated, is the month where breast cancer is thrown in your face at just about every turn.

As a survivor, it's a constant reminder. Sometimes, that's just not a helpful thing when you are moving on as much as you can from breast cancer. Then again, with a sister now following closely on my heels on this path, I've already been pulled back into this world. I don't need a reminder. On the other hand, I think I am actually pretty darn well. September 12 passed and it did not occur to me that the day was anything other than my father's birthday... instead of being the second anniversary of living without my breasts and ovaries. Not too shabby.

What I do need is hope. My sister and I both have daughters. We need hope that maybe, just maybe, our girls will not walk this road. So, all this awareness and fundraising, in my eyes, is for them and little girls like them everywhere.

I do urge you to "Think Before You Pink" though. Look at where your money is going from the pink products you might buy. Some of these products around in October are just pink! No money from the sale is going anywhere other than someone's pockets. Look at how much... or how little is going to the cause. Some of the companies producing special pink products are donating pennies, or less, to the charitable organization they show on the package label. Your money is better spent giving directly to the specific organization in many cases. Of course, if I am buying a package of York Peppermint Patties, you'd better believe I'm buying the one with the pink wrappers that sends a few pennies to the Young Survival Coalition.

And, I am once again participating in the Race for the Cure early next month. I even have the whole weekend off for a change of pace. Please consider supporting our me or join our team, 2Sisters2Young4This in our race against time to find a way to truly PREVENT this from happening in the first place.

End of plug. :)

Reflections on 9/11

This morning, the radio show I sometimes listen to in the morning was inviting listeners to share to their 9/11 stories. Living where we do, the stories are mainly people who lost loved ones or people who were very close by, if not at the WTC.

My story starts with me sitting at this very same desk, typing on this keyboard (computer has since been replaced though). I wrote about it as a distraction on the morning before my "bilateral mastectomy + ooph + whatever other procedures we could cram in" day. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I will share that link once again.

http://melissaga.blogspot.com/2006/09/91101-where-were-you-when-you-heard.html

I've talked about defining moments before. This was one for our family. Thankfully, a positive one. I can't fathom how I could have gotten through the past 2 years of my life without my husband by my side.

Whale Watching in Alaska

There's no way around this. I have literally over 1000 photos to go through. I started printing some today so I have something to show when people say "Show me your Alaska pictures." I thought I would just print a handful, an assortment from each exciting thing we did or saw.
Yeah right. I've printed probably 150 today alone and there's still more. This is just not going to work. I've decided that I am going to put these in a traditional pocket photo album, something I have not used in over a decade!

I've made an executive decision. I am going to make a simple photo book (Artscow.com) or two or three for the entire trip. Don't worry. You'll still get to see the occassional layout. I am going to use the 12x12 Alaska scrapbook album Howie bought me on the trip to do a "my favorite photos/moments" from the trip sort of thing.

Sounds like a plan. A little less overwhelming anyway!

Here are a few more photos from Alaska. These are from our Wildlife Cruise aka whale watching. We saw 14 whales! Much more than they normally see at this time of year. The first two photos are of a whale cub. It came out of the water in a full breach, not once, not twice, but three times! Howie managed to catch it on his camera phone. I had trouble getting decent whale photos, but love the tail shot below.

We also saw many sea lions.... and many is an understatement. We sailed right by an island with literally hundreds of these guys.

We interrupt this program...

I started the blog to share my little cancer journey in a public fashion, mainly to make it easier for friends and family to keep up with what was happening. Since all I normally do these days is pop a tamoxifen tablet, there's not usually much to discuss.

Until Friday.

Didn't mean to scare you. There's nothing going on.

However, on Friday, I accompanied my sister to the chemo room where we both received treatments. She was given her second dose of adriamycin and cytoxan and I received my first ever dose of Zometa.

Zometa is a drug for osteoporosis. It's an IV drug, given once a year for this purpose. It is also used on a more frequent basis for treating women with metastatic disease to their bones. I do not have this. What is exciting to me is a small study presented at ASCO, one of the big oncology conferences, back in May. A study looked at 1800 women who were premenopausal at diagnosis, with hormone receptor positive tumors (just like me). The women where then randomized to treatment. Half were given traditional hormonal treatment (such as tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor) plus ovarian suppression (this is not traditional.. yet!), the other half received the same PLUS Zometa infusions every 6 months for 3 years. There was a 36% DECREASE in the recurrence rate for those who received Zometa in just the first 5 years of this study. Dr. Susan Love's Research Foundation has a nice discussion on the study here.

I found this study extremely intriguing. And promising. I recognize that 1800 is a small number and that 3 years of treatment and 2 more years of follow up is a short time. But, it is not often that we see prospective studies specifically looking at women who were thoroughly premenopausal at diagnosis. As I have had the ultimate in ovarian suppression, a bilateral oophorectomy (no more ovaries), this study pertains directly to me. When I saw my oncologist in August, I mentioned that I wanted to discuss the study. Much to my surprise, he agreed to give me the medication, figuring that at the worst, it would help strengthen my bones, a very common problem for post-menopausal women. At the best, it is another tool in our armory to crush the beast which is breast cancer.

So.. I had the Zometa. I've been fairly open here about my side effects with various drugs (even if it did take me a few months to talk about what Arimidex did to me!), so I thought I might share once again. I had my IV on Friday morning. Went to lunch with my sister afterwards, picked Rachel up from school and headed home. All was good with the world. I did what I was told and stayed very well hydrated. Thought this might just be a breeze. Friday was a hot and sticky night here. Not for me. After I went to bed, I was overcome by shaking chills. My teeth were literally chattering! Definitely the "flu-like" symptoms mentioned as one of the most common side effects. Made it difficult to sleep. It did alterate a bit with feeling flushed, but the chills definitely predominated! The next day, Sept 6, was my birthday. Unfortunately, it turned into one of those days that just disappears from the calendar. I did nothing all day. Generalized malaise and fatigue would be the medical descriptors. Loss of appetite too (so much for going out to dinner)! I did what I was told and took Tylenol, but it did not seem to make a difference. Fortunately, I woke up on Sept 7 feeling like myself, headed off to work a half day (12 hrs) and did just fine. We finished celebrating on Sunday and now it's like nothing ever happened.

From those who've taken it for mutliple times for other reasons, I hear it gets easier each time. I am going to believe that. :)

A little postscript about my sister:
She's at that very rotten part of the journey where you lose your hair. It started just before chemo on Friday. She had her hair cut very short on Saturday and is now wearing wigs, etc. She seems to be handling this part with remarkable aplomb. But of course.. she's my sister!

More random photos from our Alaskan cruise

Back to the Skagway tour. This is an actual shot of the White Pass train. This is not the highest narrow little bridge we passed over, just one where I was brave enough to stick my camera out and get a shot! I was expecting to perhaps be a little bored on this trip. It was after lunch and it was a second view of the same landscape we saw on the bus tour.. but not at all from the same view. Absolutely breathtaking. I only have a few hundred more photos from this part of the trip.

Now we are back in Juneau! We went first to the Mendenhall Glacier, which you can see behind Rachel. We did see bears on this trip and I do have an amazing close up of a cub from our bus tour, but not from hear. Too many bears spotted on the trail, so it was closed! We did see salmon swimming upstream. I can only imagine what a field day the bears must have at this stream.

The second half of this excursion was a wildlife cruise. We actually saw 14 whales on our cruise. My shots of the whales are pretty good, but Howie managed to get a shot of one whale in a full breach.. not once, but three times! We also saw 100s of sea otters, most just hanging out on this little island.

Photos, take 1

I had forgotten you can only post a handful of photos per blog post. I just tried to upload a scattering of photos to this one post, but I see that it's just not going to happen.

I took almost 1000 photos on this trip. Howie took a few hundred as well. It's impossible to share them all. Impossible to scrap them all! I will make at least one photobook, possibly a series of photobooks. I also plan to do a little traditional 12x12 paper scrapping but that album will just be my favorite photos/memories from the trip. Just too much to cover!!!

Yes, we went to Alaska, but these first photos are from Canada! LOL

The top 3 photos are from our last port day which was at Prince Rupert in British Columbia. Not a busy place. The downtown reminded me a bit of Troy, NY. A tiny city, on the depressed side of life.

As we got off the ship, a woman was handing out ads for an actual scrapbook store. Having no plans for the day, we decided to explore and find the store. So glad we did because it led us to a little street market fair that was fun to visit. The store is just a few months old and quite tiny. They did have a bunch of 12x12 and assorted sized local photos, so I bought one for my scrapbook. Their other items were definitely more expensive than back home. Loved the cow theming in Cow Bay, which was where the ship was docked. Some cute stores and a wonderful store for local artists. Other than that, we went to a drug store and bought Canadian candy- things that are difficult to find in the US like Smarties. Not the little round tart candies, but the ones that are more like M+Ms. :)

This last photo is from another day... our Skagway port day. There obviously will be little order to these next few posts.
Our excursion was a bus tour from Skagway into the Yukon to a kitchy but fun place called Caribou Crossing, along with a stop in Carcross. Plenty of other stops along the way. That was followed by a train ride from Frasier back to Skagway. Important lesson learned here! This excursion was booked through the cruiseline... so when we were more than an hour past all-aboard time, the ship was still waiting for us.

Race for the Cure

I am apparently Widget-impaired.

I gave up trying to add the little thermometer that marks our team progress to this blog. Instead, I've added the links.

So, here's my plea. Click on one of the links. Donate if you'd like. Or, join our team! You don't even have to be in New Jersey on October 5th. You can chose to Sleep in for the Cure and they'll send you a T-shirt and race bib anyway. But, if you are in New Jersey and would like to join us at Six Flags Great Adventure, please go ahead and join our team.

2 Sisters 2 Young 4 This (our team page)

Melissa (my page)

Packing

It's just not fun.

Was it ever fun?

I can't remember. But packing for experiencing 3 seasons in a period of 10 days, plus exercise gear and formalwear and fitting it all in one suitcase that falls under the new strictly enforced airline weight limits, is just not fun.

I like to be over-prepared so this is becoming quite a challenge. Adding just one more complication is my ever changing body. I pulled out the one formal dress I had planned to take on the cruise. Tried it on before I put it in the suitcase. So glad I did! I had forgotten until Rachel reminded me that this dress was pre-mastectomy. It's from my DD/DDD days. It's probably only 2 sizes too big. Maybe 3. Not good at all. I am a barely a B these days. So, then I move on to the dresses I wore on our last cruise. I use a photo of me in the green version as an avatar on several web sites, and another photo of me in it appeared in a published layout about breast cancer, so you may have seen it. It is definitely post-mastectomy and even post-reconstruction. I loved how it looked last year. Now, it's just OK. I could definitely use a size smaller, but no such thing exists in my wardrobe! Oh well. I've already gone out and bought a fleece for layering/warmth and a waterproof jacket to wear on top of that... and new sneakers. But I've needed new sneakers for a good year.

Can't we just travel with our entire wardrobes? It would be so much easier.



Back to the dressing room.


Oh.. and we start our journey to Alaska on Thursday night, so I will be even quieter than usual for while!

A little scrappiness :)

I've been scrapping again. :)

I am very lucky to receive these wonderful packages from Scribble Scrabble every time they have a new release. :) I am going to be using so much from these new lines. Each one has at least one or two notebook style papers in various colors. I know I'll be using them constantly in Rachel's school album. I suppose it is a good thing I am a few years behind. Now, I have just the right paper.

Aside from the layout I did with the Sweet N Sour line on Scribble Scrabble's blog , I also finished two with the Suzy Snowflake collection and Autumn Afternoon. Not too hard to figure out which is which! These lines come not just with the double sided cardstock weight patterned papers, but with a tear strip which is in a coordinating pattern. Plus, there is a sheet of die cuts, a sheet of borders, and a package of chipboard stickers, some of which are flocked. Flocking is a hip thing in the scrapbook world lately, in case you are wondering. :)

This little peanut is my 2 yo niece. She was pretty impressed that we can actually walk outside and pick apples right off a tree. Too cute. She is my sister's daughter. Which brings me to a little update on my sister- she will start chemotherapy next week. She'll do 8 rounds, 2 weeks apart, then she'll get a bit of a break and will have surgeries, very similar to what I did. I've passed on the last of my hats and my last wig. I was never able to part with that one, for whatever reason. Until now. I also sent little Hannah home with some wigs of her own. I had bought some Disney princess wigs long ago. Rachel got good use out of them and we gave several to friends as birthday gifts. I had two saved all this time, so now they are Hannah's. Hannah is still working hard at growing hair, as you can see. I definitely surpassed her and I suspect her mom will too, eventually!

I am in shock

I just got back my oncology visit.

I had blood work done (no results yet) and got weighed. It's the only office where I get weighed on a semi-regular basis.

I've had a good number people ask me how much weight I've lost recently. On my scale, the numbers don't seem to move. I feel like I never make any progress. I keep losing the same 5 lbs over and over again. I know that my clothes fit better (I've dropped at least one full size and my bra band size has changed) and I know I've lost inches.. 1.5 to 2 inches off pretty much every measurement one can take. But, my scale STILL does not move much.

Well, I have to say I like the scale at the oncology office MUCH better. I like their record keeping even better than the scale.

According to their records, as of today, I am officially ELEVEN pounds lighter than I was this time last year!!

I had set a goal to lose 2 lbs a month and felt like I was getting nowhere with that. Apparently, my goal was a bit too much and 1 lb a month is something I can and DID achieve!!

Doing a little happy dance... and now I am even more motivated to get back to my regular ballet classes. :) It IS working, just in sllllllooooooooowwwwwwwww motion.

So easy a child could do it

Digital scrapbooking.

It's a phrase that strikes fear in the heart of many.

Others jump right in.

I didn't care for it at all in the early days of digi scrapping. The pages looked far too... well.. digital!

I also had no desire to give up that whole manual aspect. I actually enjoy cutting, pasting, and creating.

But, as you know from previous entries, I've been dabbling a little in the world of digi scrapping. At this point, it is just about making these 8x8 photo books through Artscow.com. I still play with paper. You can even see my latest paper creation at http://scribblescrabble-scribblemethis.blogspot.com/ which is Scribble Scrabble's new blog.

So, what about that child?

Rachel had a performance today, two in fact. I, being the dutiful mom, went and took photos. In the middle of one of the performances I though how cool would it be to make Rachel one of those 8x8 books from the performance. So, I went about taking even more photos and actually taking photos of the other kids too. :P

We came home and I sat down to get started. Rachel wanted to do it herself. Didn't want Mom to do it for her. She's a big girl now, you know. Truly. Look at this photo from today's show. She's dancing to Blackbird by the Beatles.

.

So, she sat down beside me and I walked her through the basics of digi scrapping in PSE 5.0. I showed her how to create a canvas, chose background papers, add digi elements and how to change their color if need be, and how to save a file in PSE in different formats. We looked through some digi kits and she chose a free kit from Shabby Princess.com .

Here's her title page

and page 1

Not too shabby, eh? She's almost half way through. That's 15 pages done. Not going to say how long it would take me to do the same with paper scrapping. Not going to think about it. And, I'd like to remind she is 11 yrs old. I've now taught her everything I know how to do regarding digi scrapping. Can't wait to see where she takes it next.

Tales from the Cancer Chronicles

The latest installment.

Bet you thought this little collection of short stories was over, huh?

No such luck.

It's a short one and not all that funny.

It's been quite some time since I've had anything new to add to this volume. It's unusual that anything catches me by surprise these days. You might want to sit down for this part- I actually sometimes go entire days without thinking about it or the effect it has had on my life. OK. So maybe that has changed now that I have my sister on my coattails in this journey.

It was so simple. It happened so quickly I did not notice.

I was cooking today. Uhoh. Should have warned you to sit down first. I hope Howie is not reading this. He might pass out from the shock. Then again, he'd say baking chicken in the oven is not cooking. Anyway, moments after removing said chicken from the oven this afternoon, I notice a moderate sized stain on my shirt. Right at the breast level. Well.. it would be at the breast level if I had actual breasts.. so let's say foob level.. OK? My guess is that anyone with an intact peripheral nerve system or maybe even anyone with actual breasts and not foobs would have noticed if they hit a HOT, FRESH FROM THE OVEN pan of chicken with their chest. Nope. Not me.

Perhaps this is an advantage of having foobs that I had not considered before. If only they were larger, I might be able to use them as oven mitts. Aggh. Just kidding. Lousy cancer humor.

A free lunch, almost

Of course nothing is free. But it's close.

I made a photobook recently on this new site, Artscow.com. I have to admit, I've never done one before. I posted about it in another entry recently where I shared my first digi layout. In the meantime, the book arrived. I am totally hooked! Love how it came out, even without many bells and whistles. I am definitely going to make a few more.

And, I am going to share with you, my friends. :)

With the book, came 10 codes for 10 more photo books. So, I have 10 codes to give away. The book is free, but you do pay shipping and handling charges totalling $13.99. You pay nothing else. The fees are on the high side because the company is actually in Hong Kong. I am amazed that you get a totally custom made 30 page book, including custom covers, for this price. Don't I sound like an infomercial? Anyway, I have 10 of these codes to give away (I still have several credits for free books myself). They expire on 8/7/08. Let me know if you want one or more codes.

Here we go again

Hold on tight.

The rollercoaster is back in operation.

It all starts all over again on Monday.

My sister will have a lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy on Monday. She had a core needle biopsy last week.

Almost 2 years to the day that my hair fell out, she'll be starting on this ^&@%^* path.

That ride to the top of the coaster, in the darkness, is one of the scariest parts of the journey. I hope that having stood by, watching me ride this monster, has made this a tiny bit easier. Not sure anything can. Not sure that she totally gets it all yet. She told me how everyone keeps telling her that she needs to put herself first now. Even if I thought I understood that at the start, I didn't. You may remember my little essay (it was published as part of a scrapbook page in the May issue of Memory Makers Magazine) about how I thought my breast cancer diagnosis was simply going to be a little bump in the road of life. It turned out not to be a bump in the road, but a huge, SUV-swallowing pot hole that put me on a whole new road altogether.

The events of the last 2 weeks led my daughter to ask a question that no 11 yr old should ever have to ask. She asked "How old should I be when I go for my bilateral?" She's just barely starting to grow breasts and is wondering when she should have them removed. She's a bright, insightful and mature child. But, she is a child! It breaks my heart to have to have these discussions.

Still, I grew up with some of the same thinking. I planned that I would have my ovaries out after I had my children. I was iffy on the whole breast thing, but confident on the ovary issue. Ovarian cancer scared me more than breast cancer because it is so hard to detect. I don't know how old I was when I made these decisions. Obviously, these decisions I later abandoned until I was actually diagnosed with cancer. I think it was more an evolution than a single decision. But, Rachel, for now, has her mind made up. She's looking for risk reduction to the nth degree. Sadly, we have nothing else to offer. I hope by the time she needs to act, there are other choices. Not just a cure, but prevention.

Broadway Baby!

I've got several blog entries stored in my head from this month. Some you may actually get to read, a few probably won't even make it to my private journal.

Rachel and I have been out and running all month, ever since school ended. We've been to Manhattan at least once a week. We've had all sorts of adventures, most focusing around one of our shared passions, musical theater. I am so lucky to have had a child that loves so many of the same things that I do. :) Here's a little summary (mostly so I can print this out and put it on a scrapbook page.. I have no photos because I didn't want to lug around my big camera.. I needed to save room for our shopping finds. :o)

The first week was a completely spontaneous trip. We had a horrendous heatwave in NJ and Howie kept telling us to spend the day out of the house in order to not turn the AC on. We spent two days at two different malls and saw two different movies. There was a little break in the heat the following day when it only went to the low 90's, so we headed into "the city," which is what everyone in the suburbs calls NYC. Very provincial sounding, but that's what I've been hearing since I was younger than Rachel is now.

Anyway, I had read that they actually have a lottery for front row seats to 'Wicked.' Neither Rachel nor I have seen 'Wicked.' She knows every word to every song by heart and plays a few of them on her flute. She's been mildly obsessed with the show. Howie tried to get tickets for her birthday in March 09, but there weren't any great seats to be had for the $125 or more price tag. So, without plans for the day, we decided we'd head over for the morning lottery. After reading that 200-300 people enter the lottery for most shows, we figured a Wednesday matinee before most schools were out for the summer would be our best bet. No luck. A woman we met while waiting had won tickets the night before and she won again! Rachel was in tears as we walked away. She's getting a little emotional these days. Can't imagine where she gets that from. So, I decide that instead of MoMA, we'll visit the TKTS booth.

The TKTS booth is now at the Marriott Marquis while the new booth is under construction. I have not been to the booth in years. For the out of towners, it's where you can pick up same day discount tickets for shows. It used to be half price, but not all shows are half price anymore. These days, I usually use Broadwaybox.com for similar discounts, but you can buy in advance and chose your seats. Anyway, I let Rachel pick the show. I thought she'd go for the 'Little Mermaid' (was surprised they had a few seats for it) or 'Mamma Mia,' but she chose 'Rent.' Even though it has been playing forever, I had never seen it either. We ended up sitting in the second row, off to the side, with our 50% off tickets. Not bad at all. Loved the show. Very glad we saw it in person as it is closing soon.

We spent the rest of that day walking around the fashion district. Rachel is a huge Project Runway fan and was keeping her eye out for people and sights from the show. LOL. Instead of Project Runway, we ran into a kid and his brother from "The Naked Brothers Band." Literally. Actually, he ran into Rachel. I admit I have heard the phrase before, but really didn't know what she was talking about. As they walked away, Rachel whispered to me "MOM!!!! That's the from the 'Naked Brothers Band!" I shook my head knowingly (not). I looked them up when we came home and she was right. It was one of the kids from the show (I forget his name).

This occurred as we were heading back to the Gershwin Theater. As we walked out of 'Rent,' Rachel asked if we could try again for 'Wicked" tickets. I figured why not. I told her not to get her hopes up again and that we could go to the American Girl Place for dinner if we did not win. After a quick stop to an ATM to get more money (you have to pay at TKTS in cash or money order and it must be cash for the Wicked lottery), we made our way to the Gershwin again. This time, the crowd was huge. Definitely the 300 or so they mention on line. This time was also different because we WON!!! Yes!! FRONT ROW center tickets to see 'Wicked' for all of $26.50 a piece. We wasted some time at the Capezio store and had dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. And then, it was show time.

Sitting in the front row was a wonderful experience for my Wicked-ly obssessed child. Many times, the actors played directly to her. She was the only child in the front row. She got quite a few little winks and looks from Glinda in particular. At the curtain call, Glinda waved directly to Rachel. Everyone around us commented on it. Those who did not know the first row were lottery tickets (some kids sitting behind us) thought she was a friend. LOL. We went to the stage door afterwards so Rachel could get her autograph. If Rachel had a broomstick, she could have flown home, she was so high after the experience!

The following week, I used Broadwaybox.com and got tickets for 'Cirque Dreams.' It's Cirque's first time ever on Broadway and we've never been to one of their shows before. Friends came with us. I took Rachel and her friend in earlier and then her mom met up with us for dinner and the show. The show was amazing, of course. It really would be a great one for anyone to see.

Then, this week, my dad's wife (stepmother just doesn't work for me at times) took Rachel and two of her other grandchildren in. I was asked to come along to make it easier for her to manage 3 children in the city. We took them to Ellen's (yes, again) and saw "Legally Blonde." Rachel's been listening to the music since she learned we would be going. Very infectious stuff. I hear it in my head even as I type. LOL. Fun show. Very cute. Would see it again, at a steep discount only of course.

There's more, but this is enough for now. Our adventures are coming to an end. Rachel starts a ballet summer intensive on Monday, which means mostly ballet, mostly all day. And I go back to my normal life. Not sure what that means though. And it's not exactly my normal life either. More on that one later.

Stepping into the dark side....

The dark side of scrapbooking that is.

I've been fighting working digitally from the start. My dh bought me one of the earlier digi scrapbooking programs, but I declined to even upload it to my machine. That was probably a good 10 years ago. Much of the scrapbooking industry has moved in this direction, though you'd never know it from our guest room/scrapbook room/craft room or whatever you'd like to call it.

I had an offer for a very inexpensive photo book. Said offer was about to expire. Knowing a bargain when I see one, I couldn't resist. I spent a few hours (not many) putting together a 30 page album from out last cruise. I tried to use the templates that come with Photoshop Elements 5.0, but wasn't happy. I then tried to use some free digi elements I had downloaded, but the process was too slow and it wasn't working out for me. So, in frustration, I made a simple book using the same background, journaling font and my photos. After I finished the 30 pages, I nearly flipped when I saw I had to design the covers and spine too. But I managed.

I decided today that I would try again and make an actual page. Just a simple one. Here are the results. This took 10 minutes tops. Almost 10 minutes on the nose. I used a free digital kit from ShabbyPrincess.