We moved the piano! *whew*

We had been putting this off I think, because we knew it'd be a tough job; the piano is so heavy! "But," I told Michael, "I moved this piano across my bedroom a couple of times when I was a KID!" My parents were so upset with me for doing that! They were afraid I might have hurt myself tackling such a big move.

Well, I was afraid Sunday that we might hurt ourselves tackling such a big move! LOL We had to move it from the carpeted front room, through the kitchen [where the linoleum floor is to be replaced soon], then onto our new hardwood floor in the "pool room" [which has no pool table yet].

We figured we'd use those plastic slider disks under each wheeled leg on the carpet, then switch the disks out to the soft padded disks over the vinyl and hardwood. Things should slide well: we had the different pads for different surfaces. Well, we finally got that huge piano lifted up enough to slide the pads underneath. We gathered our strength up, braced ourselves against the wall for leverage and carefully coaxed the beast forward........and it rolled right off the disks!

We discovered that the wheels were working fine! We were able to push and pull the piano once we got the wheels lined up in the direction we wanted to go. We especially were able to pick up the speed over the kitchen linoleum floor! Once we got to the new hardwood floor, we laid down these huge sheets of cardboard that we have saved from the shipping cartons that our glass patio doors came in. These have been VERY useful for all kinds of work projects over these past several months [even as temporary window shades!].

The moving project proved to be easier that we had anticipated, thank goodness! And, no one was injured in the moving of this instrument. Now I just have to learn how to PLAY it again! ;-)

First Snow

Our first snow of the season came on December 11 this year. It's always so lovely when everything is covered in a layer of white fluffy stuff!

We didn't get much, and it didn't last long, but it sure was nice while it was here! Enough to look great, but not so much to make things difficult [travel was still easy, no power outages].

Toby has always enjoyed snow and this year was no different. Garner and Penny were snuggled in front of the heater in the house while Toby and I went out for a walk.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

Here in Happy Camp, we'd always look forward to our FIRST snow of the season on Thanksgiving....but, alas, only cold weather here this year, a little rain, and then finally frosty mornings starting Saturday. Our dear friend Bonnie joined us again this year and we had a lovely visit, but we missed her son Talon, who is now old enough to drive to his girlfriend's to have Thanksgiving dinner with her and her family! My how fast they grow! This is the kid who sat on my kitchen counter to dive into the birthday cake I baked for him when he turned ONE! :-) Happy times! Well, his mom and I had a great time fixing dinner --and she filled me in on all his latest doings. I'll see him at Christmastime.

Dinner came out great, as it always does using Mom and Dad's tried and true recipes. I still pull out the notes I wrote down during my phone call to Dad in 1979 for all the instructions and tips on preparing the perfect holiday meal. I pulled out my scrap paper as Dad started: "Write this down first", he said, as I took pen in hand: "DON'T PANIC!". This is the first thing I read each year before I start reviewing the yellowing notes on the original scrap paper that I had on hand that November day so long ago.

I remember Mom gave me her version of her pumpkin pies and how she does the stuffing and turkey (the same way her family has done it for generations, and I saw the same method in a Sunset magazine one year when they covered recipes from the 'Pennsylvania Dutch' area)....and then Dad gave me HIS version of how HE likes to set the temperature, use a different amount of this or that, etc., always just a tad differently than Mom would do it! It was great fun and I am glad I have these bits of paper to help me remember and relive all the fun [and, yes, sometimes stress] of our holidays past at home with them.

I never copied the notes over for that "final draft"...I like using the originals--it's like being on the phone with Dad all over again, every year!

The House is Painted!

Well, here are pictures of the house in it's new exterior color! I was going for something that would go well with our new "rock" walls, and I've always liked the classic pairing of gray tones with reds...so: voila! I hope it looks as good to you as it does to us here "in person". As you can see, I already have my rocking chair out on the front porch! :-)

Wow, reds sure do change in different lighting! I look at these photos and see that some shots look rather bright...like a bright purple! But, in person the color is a richer tone I think. sometimes the red tones take on the BROWN hue and don't even look red at all...and I think that's difficult to imagine from these photos! Luckily, we've gotten great feedback from neighbors and townsfolk...everyone says they really like the colors, so I guess it really looks good from the road across the field. We are happy with it, so that's what matters! :-p

Looking at these photos, I realize that I should have rearranged the back patio before taking the pictures! The BBQ is still out where the painter moved it and the potted peonies are not where they belong, either! LOL AND, with the rains coming, it's about time we pack our bistro table and chairs into the shed for the winter.... We also have some tidying up to do [you can see some things strewn about along the wall in the pic above]...the ladder still needs to be put away, and we still have leftover building materials spread around the property. One day we will be completely done ;-) I just couldn't wait to show you the final color!

So. Lake Tahoe in October

We took a little 'get away' trip to South Lake Tahoe in mid-October. We enjoyed some much needed R & R. The weather was beautiful...but we did get a surprise snow shower the day after we arrived. Other than that, clear sunny days with crisp temperatures.

Some dear friends of ours, Pat and John, were able to join us for a few days and we enjoyed a little tour of some old estates from about 1890 to 1930's. What a lovely setting!

Then we mosied on down the road to the Rainbow Trail at the Taylor Creek Visitors' Center http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recreation/visitor-center/events/kokanee.shtml
to watch the Kokanee salmon spawn. The park has an easy access walkway to Taylor Creek--you walk right up to the edge of the shallow creek and can see the fish swishing their tails to create the perfect 'hole' to place the eggs...then the male comes along and hovers over them. Afterwards, the female swishes again to cover the now fertalized eggs with some gravel...then they both go off to die. But, the Kokanee continue on in the spring when these little eggs hatch and grow into sizes that can be washed back into Lake Tahoe for the next 3 or 4 years before

they too return to spawn.

Hundreds of fish make it back up the creek, returning to their birthplace in order to spawn.

The male fish turn bright red for spawning.

A nice view from Rainbow Trail

We had a very nice time relaxing for the week, but we were glad to get home; Toby, Garner and Penny were happy to see us even though they had beed pampered all week by our house/dog-sitter friend, Marie.

A Busy few weeks...

It's been about a month since I last blogged...

Since then I've been in and out of doctor's offices...all the check-ups are good! I'm healing well, the pain and 'weird' sensations have lessened, but the doctor warned me to be patient: healing will take lots of time even if I AM out and about and active! I still have to spend the time healing. *sigh* I get a bit impatient! ;-) But, I'm so glad to be feeling this well!

I am lucky that all my tests have come back with just the best results we could have hoped for! I'm at low risk for recurrence...but I could even lower the risk by taking a drug for the next five years...so looking into that. On Tuesay I saw my surgeon, my oncologist and had a bone density test. What a full day! Hardly any time remained for shopping :-( [But we DID get by PetSmart, Costco and the ACE Hardware store during one big gap of time between appointments! We just had to be quick with our chores--not a lot of browsing!]

Next week the results should be in from my bone density test...and the doctor will prescribe the new medication [aromatase inhibitor]--there also is a clinical trial that I could participate in, and I will get news of that soon. That way, I could help further the study of how to best treat patients with this cancer.

I hope all of you have been "thinking pink" for October's Breast Cancer Awareness month. ;-)

Recuperation...and SOD!

Well, I'm doing just fine! I've been back to work already....Monday was a short day: only 1 1/2 hours in the morning, then I went back from 3:30 to 5:30pm. Tuesday was 'doctor day'...went to Medford and had my "post-op" check-up. Doctor said she's really pleased at how well I'm healing--and was surprised that I had returned to work the previous day. Don't worry: she said if was fine to go to work if I felt ok! And, I don't have strenuous physical labor at work...and I'm taking it easy. I'm moving more slowly in the mornings, so not getting to work until about 10:30, but I've been able to put in full days otherwise, and feel pretty darned good!

Our yard was being done while I was in the hospital. We now have "instant lawn", complete with underground sprinkling system! This is the best our yard has ever looked! We had a paver stone path put in along with some gravel pathways, and we had some boulders brought in for interest in the planting area. We are really happy with how things look! I got some humongous mum plants at Costco [for only $15 each!] to put along one side of the yard...they kind of match my old mum plants that have been in the half-barrels for the past few years. We put those on another part of the yard. Things are coming together!

Our exterior paint job starts in the morning [September 28] ! I hope the colors I chose will look good...it was an agonizing process trying to pick colors! I'll post pictures in a couple weeks when the job is done!

My scary month of breast cancer

After discovering a lump in my breast on Aug 17, I have been through many tests and doctor appointments...and a mastectomy last Wednesday. Today I am happy to be going back to work! It's been a heck of a month: Aug 17 found lump; Aug 20 first Dr. appointment as will need Rx for ultrasound; Aug 27 mammogram and ultrasound (this was the soonest they could get me in!); Friday Aug 28 phone call from doctor saying results were "suspicious for cancer"; Monday Aug 31 appointment made for biopsy; Sept 1 core needle biopsies taken; Sept 3 results back as positive for cancer.

Tues Sept 8 I went to speak with the surgeon in Yreka, who had done the biopsies, about what the next steps were to be. On Sept 10 I had a similar appointment with a surgeon in Medford who specializes in breast surgeries. I liked her and decided to have the surgery in Medford--it was scheduled for Sept 16.

When I was taken to my room after surgery I found out that the biopsy of the sentinel nodes during the surgery, showed no spread to the lymph system! What a relief to know we caught it in time! We thought I'd be going home on Thursday, but they kept me until Friday [because my bowels hadn't 'moved' yet...and I guess a nice poop is the ticket out of the hospital...LOL]

The ride home wasn't so bad...not a lot of pain. I slept when I got home--had to catch up as I didn't get good sleep in the hospital. I relaxed over the weekend [well, went to the pharmacy for a couple hours to get caught up] and am now ready to tackle a Monday morning at work!

I am so relieved, and thankful that we've caught this soon enough! Michael's been taking care of everything and cooking, too! I've had lots of good support from friends and family which certainly helped, too. I certainly feel so lucky and blessed to be doing so well! Onward!.........

Labor Day Weekend....

Labor Day Weekend....is when Happy Camp has the Bigfoot Jamboree! It's a fun time for a little community like ours; local folks form committees to create this year's festivities which start with a Friday night dance at the park, including food and craft booths and fun activities and another dance on Saturday, then a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning followed by the parade along the highway, and more activities/booths at the park on the river. Families and friends reunite on this weekend: kids who have moved away come back home to visit and enjoy, and a great time is had by all.

OUR 'kids' came to spend time with us...they came with some friends and enjoyed a camp out along the Klamath River. We got together at the Jamboree and also went swimming at a "swimmin' hole" near our house. Everyone had a great time. Pictured at the parade with Michael and me are Lathrop, his wife Kaydie [our granddaughter], and their kids in order by age: Keyari, Junior and Carmen.

Labor Day Weekend/Bigfoot Jamboree: come see us next year! :-)

Toby bounces back...

Well, our dear friend, Toby has done it again! He fooled us into thinking that seizure a couple weeks ago was to 'do him in'! We are happy that he has bounced back yet again after several days of rest. He's back to walking, eating and enjoying his time on this earth!

These seizures sure hit him hard. We got a prescription from his doctor for anti-seizure meds [phenobarbital], but it made him so groggy his old feet wouldn't walk straight! We decided there was no sense in making Toby spend the rest of his life doped up so much that he couldn't enjoy going on his walks, so we stopped the medicine. We're back to our short walks, and there are even some berries still on the bushes! He's doing fine and we are so glad!

Another rough night for Toby

Well, our dear friend Toby dog had another seizure last night. He's about 14 1/2+ and has been having more frequent bouts of this type lately. He also had to be put on heart medication in July and that seems to be helping his congestive heart failure...he's able to breathe more easily now.

A couple of months ago Toby had a seizure like the one last night. After about 3 days of rest he was back to being almost as 'normal' as he had been prior to the attack. He was eating and walking again, enjoying his life.

Toby loves to walk! Even at his advanced age, he walks. It's his usual routine after he eats: he has what seems to me like a smile on his lips, looks up at me with big brown eyes that seem to say, "OK, let's go walk!" We feed the dogs morning and evening, so Toby goes walking twice a day. He likes walking down the path along the front field...it's actually our neighbor's field, but he lets us walk in it. The path leads to his house and in his younger days, Toby would walk over to visit and be neighborly...it's a long way so we discourage such long walks for Toby now. We walk part way, Toby enjoys all the sniffing, then we turn back.

Other times, Toby prefers to go up into the woods behind our house. Last year we were able to go along the path there much farther than we have lately. Even earlier this spring, he was able to walk much farther, though he huffed and puffed. These days he enjoys shorter, less strenuous visits to the woods. We can still enjoy the shade there and the beauty of the trees, the crunch of leaves and pine needles beneath our feet. Of course, I can't tell, but Toby says there are extra special interesting things to sniff there! He also enjoys walking down the driveway [it's 200 ft long]--there's another opening to the front field from there, too---and during summer we pick blackberries along the way! He likes those!

I'm missing our walking today... We are hoping Toby will recover well from this recent seizure, but at his advanced age we are bracing ourselves for the time Toby must take that final walk to the other side...

Lazy Days of Summer and Blackberries

Well, we had quite a heat wave a couple weeks ago, then we enjoyed some milder temperatures [merely in the 90's and no longer in the 100's!]. Today the heat is rising again. Luckily it cools down overnight here. When we awake in the morning it is cool enough to wear our fleece wear...long sleeves and pants! We change into light and short clothing once the sun is overhead and warming things up.

The dogs, old boy Toby, Garner and Penny, like to walk with me out in the front field. The past few weeks we've been enjoying blackberries! Toby loves them, Garner acquired a taste for them last summer, but Penny still turns up her nose to them. Garner and Toby like that: more for them! :-)

I'm trying to teach Garner that it is not wise for him to pick the berries himself....I think he'll finally figure it out. Right now he gently bites the berries at his nose level, but cannot get the berry off...at least he doesn't seem to be getting mouthfuls of thorns! Oh, and I'm only picking berries HIGHER up on the bushes for our consumption! No pre-licked berries for ME!

Toby's very patient. He has trained me over his 14 years to pick the plumpest and sweetest berries to hand feed to him. The other day I gave him a berry that was apparently not sweet at all! The look on the Tobster's face was all-telling, and he refused my next offering. But, it's hard to resist for long, and Toby truly trusts me, so took many berries after that sour one. Berry picking has become a MUST DO for Toby on our morning and evening walks.

Penny, dear Penny....just doesn't know what she's missing! She has tried to enjoy the berries like the 'boys' do, but just doesn't care for them. She'll lick them, take them from me and drop them on the ground! She happily lays down and watches us pick and nibble and then walks back home with us afterward.

I'm going to pick enough berries to bake a pie tomorrow...it's a first-morning chore--gotta bake while it's still cool in the morning. Maybe I'll pick enough extra to freeze some... yummmmmmmmmmm! A little bit of summer tucked into my freezer to enjoy later when the rains and snows come~~~~~ :-)

Gee, it's been a long time since...

I've written anyting here on the blog! I've enjoyed someone else's recently, so thought I'd better give this a better try. :-)



And, it's been a long time since I last posted a picture here...and the one of our dogs needs to be updated, because we lost our dear Star November 11, 2008...she was hit by a speeding truck on the road in front of our home. She's been dearly missed, but her shining memory still lights up our hearts!



It's also been a long time since we started our home remodel! We broke ground Sept 1, 2008 and we are now NEARLY finished! It's been a long haul, but, HEY: what ELSE have we got to do with our time?! Hahaha! We are really pleased with how things have turned out, and if I keep up this BLOG thing, I'll put in some updates here with pictures. Let me know if you'll pop in now and then to see updates to my blog. Your response may just keep me going! ;-)