Joppette

Judy, all you have to do is click on the "errant" post (which this time was Eric's LOL) and edit it and it allows you as moderator to change the title. I did it, but decided to leave the Wednesday in just for fun! Judy, Dumplings. The secret is to boil them in real gravy that is made from scratch. 2/3 cup milk to 2 cups of Bisquick. Boil 10 minutes uncovered, and then 10 minutes covered and you have delicious dumplings. I make the base for the gravy by boiling the chicken for 1/2 hour, in 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken stock. Then I bake the chicken in whatever you like to bake on it. Then I make the gravy by thickening it with Corn Starch and water. It's so good! Eric, your New Years party sounded so fun! I could never make it up that long, but glad that you did! I can't sing a note, so the party would have ended quickly once I got to the microphone! Today I'm going to fill some orders at church for the CD and DVD copies of the service, and that's it. It's 15 degrees here, but we didn't get the drastic blizzard that those weather people love to predict! Judy in MI

Well, I missed this yesterday! So here's some sparkle for us all!

It's the 2nd day of this brand new year! Awesome. It's very cold and blustery here, but the sun is shining in spite of a Winter Storm warning. It was supposed to drop 8 inches on us yesterday, but we only got a couple. It's not snowing at all now, but they claim 8 more inches are coming. Weather predictors! I should have gone into that business when I was young. LOL Looks like everyone had nice New Year celebrations. We did too. Yesterday a buddy came over and filled little dents and holes in the walls with R. They sanded them and painted over them and our walls look brand new! It's very cool. I thought the re-do would be expensive and long, but it wasn't at all. All we had to pay for was me making dinner for him and his wife last night. I went all out and made chicken and dumplings, with home made gravy, and fresh canned corn. Yum. We all ate until our bellies ached. Then we played a couple of games of Taboo which was huge fun. Judy, the fishing sounds so fun! You fish with squid for bait! Wow. We don't have that kind of fishing around here, but it sounds awesome. Ann, hope you get to feeling better. Katie too! Shingles are not fun. Hope the pain medications make you at least not care as much that you have them. Judy, the chicken thing is funny. I'm not sure how happy I'd be to hear Mr. Rooster crowing at 5:00AM. However, we were fascinated when we were in Hawaii. They are sacred animals over there, and they are everywhere, like Robins would be here. Everywhere we went we could hear them and it was so strange! We do have a little bit of what we call "free range" chickens on farms, but you don't see them often. R is off getting new 2012 calendars for the house, a new white board for writing notes in the kitchen to each other, and replenishing paint supplies for our friend. I'm going to make a fried egg sandwich, and turn on the tube for some college football bowl games. Nice. Judy in MI

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Posted at 12:14AM est!!!!!

Here’s to the outgoing year, 2011: May the good times live on in our memories, and may we learn lessons from the troubling times that will make us stronger and better than ever. Here’s to 2012: For each and every one of you, may it be filled with significant steps toward the fulfillment of your fondest wishes. In this coming new year, let us focus on our goals and work toward our dreams, and yet let’s all try to go with the flow a little more and stress a little less. And most important, here’s to all of you. Appreciate yourselves and each other in the new year as I appreciate all of you now. Let’s focus on each other’s good points and choose to overlook minor annoyances to create mutual happiness and contentment in 2012 Here’s to 2012: Enjoy the journey! *********************************************** I found this little poem, and wanted to share it with you! Wishing a blessed and joy filled New Year to all of us. MI Judy

Welcome here Paula! Sounds like you are in good shape now! Congrats. It's so nice to give support, especially when you've been through it and are doing so well. Wishing you a happy New Years celebration. Judy in MI

I'm back! And was successful in merging Eric's Friday Air into this one. I feel so smart right now. LOL. Went to the computer store today because my @#%@### cellular air card stopped working again. Turns out that when I connect to other WiFi hot spots, this card can't remember it's password. All I have to do is log in and enter it and it's all good. Sheesh, I've spent hours on this trying to troubleshoot it! I updated my Care Page with the latest on my biopsy. It's scheduled for next Wednesday, the 4th. I follow up the following Tuesday to get results of the biopsy and my PFT. She told me verbally that I have moderate obstruction when I exhale. Not sure what that means, so I guess I'll find out soon. KW Judy, I'm not in trouble about deleting his documents. They are on his back up hard drive, and all I have to do is retrieve them back to his desktop. No biggie. LOL. Ann, the fried chicken dinner sounds yummy! And the New Years Eve party sounds even better! Yum! We are going to a small party tomorrow night, and the hosts are serving scallops and a beef filet. That sounds good too. We won't make it to when the bells ring. I like to go and eat, socialize, have a couple of toddies and then home. Sounds like you'll have fun driving the drinkers home though! Eric, that stinks about your debit card. Hope they catch the person who stole it! What a shame that the bank didn't take action on it. What jerks. A friend of ours just got here. He's a builder and is slow right now. We have 9 years of dings and holes in the wall that he's going to patch for us. Next project will be painting what he patched. Dogs are responsible for almost all of them! With that, I'll head out. It's nice to be back on line and in touch again. Judy in MI

I'm posting from my cell phone. I'llog in later to try to merge the two Friday posts! Must have had some spammers here because I got lots of notification in my email!!! I'll be back.

Hello! Judy, I had to laugh about the cleaning comment. Before I found myself back to cleaning again, I never looked closely at what my cleaning lady did. Now that I'm doing it, I realize I clean a lot more thoroughly than they did! Surprised myself with that one. Thanks Alan for the good explanation on the biopsy. I so appreciate that. Have not heard back yet on the date so maybe it will be later in the week? Not going to worry about it. Biggest stressor right now is that my internet air card is not working. It's frustrating to not be able to come here, or answer emails in the time frame I am used to. I'm at Gilda's right now so I'm on line for a bit. I'm taking everything in tomorrow to the local repair shop to see what is wrong. I tried to fix R's computer last night. He has so many programs running all the time that it's moving like a slug. So I ask if he's using these programs and most of them he is not. I start deleting them, and poof! I lost all of his documents on his desk top! he kept all his documents on the desk top and not filed. Yikes! Judy in MI

Me three!!!!! MI Judy

I concur with Randy and Judy. If you could give us more information, we'll try to help. Two infusions is not enough to make a difference yet. They usually do four or five rounds of chemo before seeing a difference. Wishing the best outcome for you and your Dad. Judy in MI

Hello all! Judy, it sounds like you have had a wonderful time with your Grandson! What a great kid to have around. These days a lot of 13 year olds want nothing to do with family. It's nice. The doctor did call, and I am going to have a biopsy. The results may be inconclusive, because he is not sure he can get a piece of it. At the same time, they do not want to do the 3 month CT scan regime. They said I have been exposed to so much radiation, that the CT's actually can cause more cancer. Nice. I didn't get to talk to the doctor, so I don't know what their next step solution is. They are reluctant to remove another lobe due to how young I am. And yet? They say it's the best solution. So, who knows what is going to happen. They will call today and tell me when the biopsy is scheduled. It is probable that it will be next Monday or Tuesday. Am curious to hear from folks that have had a needle biopsy. Was it painful? Were you sore afterwards? Trying to plan my next couple of weeks and not sure what to expect. Anyway, I'm helping out at church today. R has a bunch of guys coming over to "practice" grilling pheasants. Decided I wanted to not be around all of that testosterone! LOL. We got a pretty sprinkling of snow. The sun is beaming and it's 21 degrees out. A very pretty day. Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! Judy in MI

Ah Judy, you look adorable in hats, so can't wait to see the new one. The PFT was not bad! I think that Attilla the Honey must have performed the last one! The technician today was super sweet, didn't rush me, let me have lots of breaks in between procedures, and it went quite well! I have no idea if the results are as well as that, but we shall hear soon enough. The pulmonary doctor was super. He showed me the CT scan from four years ago, and what is going on today. Wow, that tumor four years ago was a nasty one, with arms sticking out. And now I know why they recommended chemo, one of the tentacles definitely was touching the chest wall. But the two little guys look pretty harmless when compared to the original tumor. I am not even sure how they even saw them they are so little. The quandry is this: 1. Can it be biopsied? The radiologist is concerned that he may not be able to get to it. 2. Should they remove the lobe or a partial part of the lobe. The surgeon is not anxious to do that considering my young (smile) age, and possible implications should more cancer return. 3. Should they just watch it again? The Oncologist is concerned about the large amount of CT scans I've had. He's worried that if we continue to watch and scan every 2 to 3 months, that the scans themself will give me cancer. 4. Can my lung capacity handle surgery? I'll know that after today. So the four doctors are meeting and going to call and make recommendations. The nurse indicated that if they biopsied, it would be Friday. I asked about complications, and she said it was possibly the lung could collapse, and I'd need to be in the hospital for a couple of days. I asked if we could move the biopsy to Monday then? She said yes, but wondered why. I explained that weekends and holidays are staffed with minimal crews, and that I would prefer to wait after the holiday weekend. So I am waiting for the phone to ring. I'm okay. It is what it is. Judy in MI

Well, it's back to reality now. The Holiday is over, and my life is going to change starting tomorrow. I DREAD the PFT tomorrow. I couldn't sleep last night, kept dreaming that I was drowning. I realized it was because when they put me in that clear booth, my claustrophobia kicks in and I begin to feel like I'm drowning. The nurse starts the test, I'm getting yelled at to try harder, and it's just a nightmare to me. Poor R., he's got the day off, and I already bit his head off once. I can't do that for the rest of the day. I'm trying to find projects to get my mind off what is ahead of me. So how's the weather your way? Judy in MI

It totally worked Eric! Thank you. So cute!

Soon we will be off to our other family! Can't wait! Hope you all have a day of joy and happiness! Judy in MI

(((Alisa))))

Hi! You all got me grinning from your posts. Steph, the 50 year old punk cracked me up! Sounds like you had a lovely time. Alan, I understand about the small family. We used to number 7, and now down to 4. But I have to share a kind of (maybe gallows humor) funny story. After my Dad died, we continued to serve sweet potatoes every holiday. And for 3 years, we served them and threw them away, before one of us realized that the only one that liked them was Dad! We did have to laugh at that. Today I had a poignant moment. I was driving and a song from George Winston (fantastic piano player) came on the radio. It was from his album called Winter. I remember, like it was yesterday, giving this album to my Dad a couple of months before he died. I treasured watching his face relax and ease as he listened to it. The music was so beautiful and it gave me such peace seeing him enjoy it. When it came on today, I pulled my car into an empty parking lot, and just laid back in my seat, and remembered Dad as he enjoyed the music. I did too. I need to go out and find that CD. Brought back precious memories. Today seems to be the day for memories for me. I read the post I wrote about my little sister in my Carepage. It was the first entry I wrote. My aunt asked me to go and read it again, and her response to it. As I read it, the memories of that time flooded me, and tears just flowed. She's been gone so long. But every once in a while, I get a huge wave of grief. It washes over me and I go on, but I do miss her so much to this day. Kasey, glad to see your post, and your thoughts. This place is for all of us of all ages. Sharing little parts of your life bring these pages to life! So glad to see you. Alan, I laughed about your taking the picture of the fish real close too! Hah! Judy, glad you are having a good time with your little 13 y/o prince. I pray for all of us to allow the good memories of those gone before us to help us through these holidays. God bless you all. Judy in MI

Hi everyone, I am up at 4:00 AM. I can probably go back to sleep, but since I am up, fresh from the support group tonight, I decided to write here. As I sat there last night, and listened to the many folks talk about their journey, it made me think. How many of us are dealing with living with cancer and facing the fact that our support network is weak at best. There were so many in the group living in fear. Some of them are in their first year since diagnosis, and terrified if the cancer returns. Some of us have had the disease for a long time, and just are trying to find a way to live with this in spite of it all. One woman has lymphoma. Recently they found tumors in her lungs. They do not know yet if it's cancer, or scar tissue. She mentioned that she is doing okay with it all, but that her husband was anxious and fearful, and that this was harder than her facing the next steps. I recently found out that my husband is frustrated and angry because I am NOT as anxious as he is about my possible diagnosis and journey. He does not understand how I can be at peace with all of this. He is so afraid of what my next steps are. I think his memory of my last surgery in 2007 is probably fresher than what I remember. Thankfully, the pain medication folks did a great job, so my memories are not as acute as his are. His anxiety is difficult to deal with. While I absolutely do not want to go through what is probably the next steps, I know that my prognosis is good, and I am strong, and can endure whatever is next. He is so fearful, remembering how awful it was the last time they removed a lobe, and is terrified about facing it again. At the same time, I have 3 brothers that didn't want to deal with this the last time, and are not dealing with it now. After seeing what my sister, Mom and Dad went through, they pretty much have decided that cancer is not something they want to ever deal with again. What do we do with this? Sadly, the role I am thrusted in is to constantly reassure everyone that I will be okay. How many of us have been in that spot? While I know that long term, I will be okay, I wish I didn't have to be the one reassuring them! I have a lot to deal with. I know that I'll be okay, but I also know that I will be going through a lot of pain. I know that it will affect my lifestyle for a long time. I don't know where this rambling post is going...LOL...maybe it's the time of night. I guess I wish family and friends would just acknowledge that they can't begin to understand what I must be feeling, and not try to interject what they think I MUST be feeling. I don't know...........guess I'll just go back to try to sleep and let it go. It's going to be okay. I am grateful that my prognosis is a good one. I'm gong to go through some stuff I wish I didn't have to, but it will be okay long term. So? Judy in MI

Hi Janet, Thank you for sharing your story. I didn't know it before. It is inspiring. If this site had a place where we post our "Reader's Choice" posts, this would go there. You are amazing. Judy in MI

Hi Ann and everyone else! Strange, this morning I tried to post and everytime I hit submit, it booted me back to the sign in page. I finally gave up and hoped the problem would just go away. Maybe it has! R is off of work tomorrow and all of next week. He's going to drive me nuts! LOL. Just kidding. We do have some projects (the kind you want to get done, but never do) that I am looking foward to tackling. I want to get as much done as possible before the next medical procedure. Poor guy is going to wish he was back at work. I'm sitting at Gilda's being the hostess with the mostess, but with nothing to do so I thought I would pop in here and say HI! Judy in MI

Well someone bailed me out on the title of today's AIR. I need a moderator to show me how to do that. I'm computer savvy, but that one I could not do! Anyway, it's 7:00PM. Just had a great meal prepared by R. We had a friend over so we splurged on T-bone steaks with big beefy baked potatoes. Yum. Now I'm not much of an eater, so I enjoyed a quarter of the steak, and a half potatoe, but it was so good. Busy day today! Volunteer work at church became urgent when the pastor wanted to send a New Years letter out at the last minute. The office assistant was on vacation, so it was fun to assemble my old team of volunteers to come and help with the project. Nice. Tomorrow is Gilda's. R warned me he is off the week between Christmas and New Years. I'm like SWEET! He looked at me warily, and I explained the long list of projects around the house that we could work together on. LOL. I'm sure he's looking forward to that. Well, not much else to say. Hope all are well. Judy in MI

I'll be back to write and respond. Just wanted to let you know I'm a new moderator and for the life of me I cant figure out how to change the name of the topic to Wednesday! Maybe Bud will happen by. Judy

Ann, I feel bad for what your boss is saying. Grief has it's own schedule, and can't be forced or changed. Hug, my friend. Steph, if you have any kind of Robitussin DM or other DM type cough syrup, and Hydrocodone (Vicodin for me), taking both at bed time will help a lot. Or if he prescribes the cough syrup, take it! It helps a lot, and allows poor M to get some sleep. Hug to you too! Lots of colds going around. Ann, mine was mostly head stuff but when it hit my lungs, it hit hard! I took Mucinex DM in 12 hour pill format and it helped immensely! Judy in MI