On This Day Of Thanksgiving

I am thankful for so many things. For the first time that I can remember I woke up on Thanksgiving day and my first thoughts were of the things that I am thankful for. There are so very many things, too many to actually list but here are a few in no particular order. As I looked through my many pictures tears came to my eyes realizing what a rich life that I have had. It is not to be taken for granted.

As Lenny was growing up I knew and liked his many friends. As they became adults I was able to keep in contact with those friends and for this I am grateful as well because they are all wonderful adults. I am also thankful for the friendship that I have been able to develop with Lenny's Dad and his bonus mom Alisa...it was a long time comin but life is much better this way.This one is a tough one because I miss her so but I am thankful for having had my mom as long as I did. She passed much too early in our lives but the impact that she made will never ever be forgotten. Damn it I miss you mom and sometimes life is just not fair. Anyway....Mom gave me some great memories
From Isla Mujeres Mexico

To Ambergis Caye Belize
And Jamaica
She loved to travel with us as much as we loved having her. She was one of a kind.

I am thankful for our family and our grand kids. I so enjoyed raising Lenny, adding my bonus kids(Ry and Rachel) and their spouses to my life and now am thankful for the ability to have our grand babies as well. What a joy they are.



For my constant four legged companions who love me unconditionally

I am thankful for our ability to have worked hard all of our lives which then gave us the joy of purchasing and building our little slice of heaven.
And where we are able to enjoy views like this daily




I am thankful for my very good friends. I so love you guys and my life would not be as rich were it not for you all.





And mostly I am so very thankful for my husband who has been with me and supported me through many difficult times. The most recent being my many hair changes which of course was due to chemo treatments which were necessary due to my breast cancer.....which we beat.
And now David and I are about to embark on another much awaited journey. When we began thinking about this our friends Mikey and Jan were 5 years from this goal and David and I were 8 years from it. Three years ago Mikey and Jan began the journey of traveling full time in their motorhome. During those three years it was their job to 'get the bugs out' so that when we went on the road it would be smooth sailing. It seems that they have gotten many of the bugs out and we cannot wait to join them. We will not be full-timers we will be well I guess third timers:) And I am very thankful to have this opportunity to travel with my husband in our 5th wheel living life on the road for a few months.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. May your day be blessed and filled with good turkey, stuffing and all of the trimmings...yummm.

A New Controversial Medical Recommendation

A team of experts have now found that women under 50 who are not 'at risk' do not need mammograms and those over 50 only once every two years. At risk is typically a person (I say person because men can and do get breast cancer) who has a direct relative-parent or sibling- that has had breast cancer or who has the breast cancer gene). WTF......I was 48 when I was diagnosed and I am not an 'at risk' person. Had I not had my mammogram that found my breast cancer I would not be here today. My cancer is one of the most aggressive and fast growing ones there is...I would not be here. They say that mammography causes too many false positives. I had a false positive many years ago, a benign lump in the very same breast of my cancer years later. I have no problem 'putting up with' an extra test to prove it is a false positive as opposed to not being able to have a test that will prove a positive and save my life.
The real concern here is of course that because of this new study and recommendations mammograms will no longer be covered under insurance for those under 50.
So apparently Dr Susan Love is one of the experts that came up with the new recommendations. She is a very well known and respected breast cancer expert. When I was diagnosed I was given her book by friends Mikey and Jan and found it very informative. I guess that I am really surprised by her thoughts now. However she is saying that we need to find a new test that is more reliable. I agree with that but man oh man do not downplay the only test that we have available to us UNTIL we find another method of detection....ahhhhhh. I wonder if how many of these twits making this decision have had breast cancer......crabby, makes me crabby.
I am going out on a limb here....go ahead no more mammograms for those under 50.....and what the hell, don't have your flu shots or immunize your children (another controversial thing in the news.) and we might as well have all of the old time diseases come back and take us all.....I know I know there are friends of mine that do not believe in immunizing themselves but I care about you and I say get your shots.
My next post will be more upbeat I promise and I may even add a few pictures :)

Yup It Was My Birthday

And a nice day it was. Along with all of the birthday wishes that I received (when you all have a birthday don't let Mikey and Jan know as they just may flex their vocal pipes on your answering machine....and it is ear splitten!) there were a few very fitting cards and a nice day spent with David. We took a long drive on the WoodTick Trail my camera in tow...not a shot to be had however...to Hackensak for breakfast. David got by pretty good as it was Veteran's Day and he got his breakfast free. Later the dogs and I took a long walk in our woods and then David and I headed for the casino for supper and a little table play. Nope Ry we didn't play Texas Hold-Em that night but we did play three card poker and came out of the place $125 ahead....see Mikey and Jan we won two times in a row. Still way better than your jobs :)
I do have to share a gift that I received from a good friend of mine who has a great sense of humor...Karen. I opened this up and laughed until I cried. The only thing better is if it would be on a T-shirt!Opening of deer hunting just wasn't the best, for David anyway. Lenny shot himself a nice doe Saturday morning and unless David gets something this weekend it will be the big skunky poo for him. The first time since we have been together that he has not gotten a deer...IF he doesn't get one this weekend! The excuse has been, the full moon so the deer run all night, the weather is too warm it messes up the rut. OK ok so all of this is true but really David.
While David and Lenny spent the days in the woods I spent the days in the house with Kelly and Julia. That little girl talks constantly and is all over the place. She does listen to no no however and I didn't have to put much of anything up out of her reach. Momma sort of cringed when Grandma 'helped' Julia climb up on the back of the couch to look out the window with Peeko. I can't wait for the days of, 'What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's'. David and I would have all three of the girls spoiled rotten and have a blast doing so.
So again, thanks for all of the birthday wishes.

The Hunt Is On

It is the season opener and it is just not right. The temp is 54 degrees, the sun is shinning and the grass is green! Deer hunting is supposed to be danged cold with snow covered ground! Hey I'm not complaining but the hunters may be. This warm weather makes it difficult to track a deer that has been shot and it just messes with their regular rutting patterns.
Len, Kel and Julia arrived Thursday night. On Friday morning David and Lenny took a drive to scope out an alternate hunting spot and to check for signs of deer at that spot. They had not been gone 30 minutes when Kel spotted a nice doe in our back yard. I saw a second doe run through the woods and a bit later there was a nice buck drinking out of the pond. After he left another buck came through the back yard obviously after a doe. I got the binoculars out and saw that his neck was quite thick and he was...well he was salivating...I am sure that there is a hunting term for it but what do I know!
Here is the first buck that we saw.
And of course this morning neither Dave nor Lenny saw a single deer. Dave says he spooked some out of their beds when he was going to his stand but do we believe him???
Since the day was gorgeous yesterday we all took a walk in the woods (the season started today so we were safe in the woods:) Julia loved the woods and would have preferred to walk without holding onto daddy. Here is Julia peeking around a tree at grandma.

And here she is trying her walking legs out on our driveway with a good tight grip on the leaf.
More later with a better deer report...we hope.