July 30

LuLu

LuLu is enjoying the summer, finding the best sunny spot for her continuing naps, watching the birds, insects and wildlife from her various perches.  She is rally into head butting me in the morning when she wants her breakfast.  I did not realize that it was an affectionate gesture until I read it in my CatTails newsletter.

Taking Care of yourself

We are enjoying the increase of Farmers’ markets.  My favorites are the Meridian Farmers Market in Okemos, the East Lansing Farmers Market, and the MSU Organic Farmers Market. We have purchased wonderful fruit, vegetables and flowers at these markets.  We have also got goat cheese and samples cheesecakes and infused olive oil. Alan does not always like strong summer vegetables such as Swiss chard and Bok Chow, but he has learned to east them if I add some Balsamic vinegar (which I purchase form Williams Sonoma of course.

Exploring

We attended more theater in July.  We traveled to Augusta to the barn theater to see Please Don’t Drink the Water by Woody Allen. Set in the early 60’s, the play shows a frictional view of a Russian incident during the cold war.  It depicts a family caught up in a spy controversy.  The costumes and the hairstyles were right on.  Did we really wear such Helmet Hair?  We also discovered a new restaurant in Augusta the Food Affair.  This restaurant open for just one year is owned by a chef and his mother and has wonderful healthily food that should be supported by the community.

We also attended Bluff at the Boashead theatre.    The play featured John Astin (of The Adams Family Fame).  He showed he was a very talented actor in this play where he had most of the story.

We enjoyed traveling to Petoskey to visit relatives with our daughter and friend to continue celebrating our daughter’s passage of the bar exam.

Our book club discussed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows, a great fictional tale of the occupation of the Guernsey Island (part of the Channel Islands off of Great Brittan).  Although this subject is rather dark, the book is a delightful chronicle of how the islanders outwitted their Nazi occccupiers.  Our host made a delicious Potato Peal pie for us to enjoy.

 We have viewed some unusual Netflick films. One was Raggedy Man with Sissy Spacek.   A fairly violent movie with a wonderful ending, I would recommend it.

Giving Back

We volunteered at the East Lansing City Market as Veggie Valets.  I also continue with the church activities and as a member of the Prime Time Senior Center Program planning board.

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July 10, 2009

LuLu

Lu Lu, our cat, is getting a little bit cuddlier as she grows older.  She is especially demanding of cuddles when we return from a trip.  She is not a purring cat but occasionally she will make some sounds of contentment, particularly if Alan, my husband, and I play with her together.

Taking Care of Yourself

We are continuing our exercise routines.  My class at the East Lansing Senior Center includes pialates, yoga, stretching, balance and cardio sessions.  Our leader tries to get every muscles in the body toned.  Needless to say, many days I come home depleted.

We did some walking when we were in Canada.  Also we chose to purchase most of our meals at the local deli/grocery store rather than eat at local restaurants. Many of the restaurants in Canada serve healthy food.  I think they pay a lot more attention to serving fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, but we needed to save money too.   We had options to buy healthy food and to reduce waste at the same time as saving money.

Exploring

 We have traveled to the Shaw Festival almost every year for over 10 years. The Shaw Festival was started in 1962 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; by Niagara-area lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty. The following year, the Shaw Festival Theatre Foundation was established and the company’s mandate was to produce the dramatic works of Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. We became interested in the Festival as a result of our many trips to Syracuse University (our daughter attended the University) when we often traveled thru Canada.  It was heavily advertised thru that area.

We saw four plays at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake, Canada.  We saw Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin.  This play, although depicting the illegal activity occurring after WWI, showed that times may have changed but people have not, and that a vigilant press is very necessary.

The next play was Lunchtime by Noel Coward.  This Play should be required viewing by anyone who serves on a non-profit board or governmental commission.  The story revolves around an orphanage for children of the acting community and the board elected to manage their orphanage.

The last play was the  Devil’s Disciple by George Bernard Shaw.  It showed the contemporary nature of GBS’s work.  This work depicting a civil war drama could be easily applicable to the modern day. 

We were also lucky enough to get a tour of the backstage where we learned of the ghost light and how sets and costumes are made. 

 We stayed a few days in Toronto with our wonderful host Olga.   We visited the Royal Museum of Ontario and viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit.  We also visited a wonderful restaurant, The Spice Route.  We had a suburb dinner but the restrooms were truly outstanding.

Giving Back

We enjoyed our vacation and will have to start back with our lives now and giving back to our communities.

June 20, 2009

I learned on June 4 that I had a normal mammogram ending over 6 months of treatment for Stage II breast cancer.  Although this is great news, I will have to be vigilant for the rest of my life but partially for the next five years.  This will initially include mammograms ever three months then every six months.  It also includes more rigorous attention to diet and exercise.

LuLu

LuLu continues to enjoy her life.  I was asked if I believed in reincarnation, how  I would like to be returned .   I said  I would like to  be my cat (except I do not like the  food).  She has two staff to wait on her hand to paw, gets her meals presented  to her on a silver platter and sleeps 18 hours a day.

Taking Care of Yourself

I am continuing with my exercise routine and attention to diet.  I am not taking as many long naps-reducing them to 1-1/2 to 2 hours rather than three hours every other day.  I do like to stay up and watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart so we do get to bed late and I am usually up by 8:00 a.m.

Exploring

We love the MSU summer Circle Theater.  They run to three weeks in the summer on the banks of the Red Cedar River. The first play was Plaza Suite by Neil Simon, directed by Anne Levy.  This was familiar play which suites the summer theater format.  We also saw Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig, directed by Sam O’Neill.  This was an English farce with a lot of excitement and comedy.

Giving Back

Alan continues to do a lot of volunteer driving for  Department of Human Services and I continue to work on East Lansing women club activities.

June 2, 2009

Today is one of the proudest days in our lives (my husband Alan and I) our daughter was admitted to the Michigan Bar; she now can add Esquire to her title.  She got her JD (Jurist doctorate) in 2007 and passed the bar on the second try  It was along eight year marathon to achieve this end.  She has chosen to be a policy lawyer and not a litigator. She has a wonderful job at Michigan State Office of Study Abroad as their Security Specialist.  In this position she has been able to travel to over 13 countries and to interact with the US Department of State on Study Abroad security issues.

LuLu

Lulus, our cat, give up a scare today.  Alan was painting the outside of our French Doors.  The door was open to the outside for a short period and all of a sudden LuLu could not be found.  We used our usual tricks shaking the Pounce (cat Treat Box) which usually brings her out in a minute. No LuLu. We went outside and called and searched for her. No cat.  I was ready to start down our county road when Alan called.  LuLu had just strolled into the room.  We were angry and over joyed at once.

Taking Care of Yourself.

I have continued my Cancer treatment by having a mammogram to determine if the initial cancer was gone and a baseline bone scan to determine if my cancer medication will create additional bone loss.  I continued with my exercise routine.

Exploring

Our netflick movie was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  A movie with an interesting concept starting in the New Orleans in the 30"s and progressed thru WWII.  It stared Brad Pitt who showed he is more than a pretty face by his excellent acting in this movie.  Also we have been enjoying the Masterpiece Mysteries featuring Kenneth Branagh who is Kurt Wallander, Masterpiece mystery's newest detective. USA Today hails, "A terrific performance by Branagh as TV's latest brooding, troubled crime-fighter." Wallander is battling crimes and his own demons in the bucolic. Excerpted from Wallander.com

Giving Back

I am still working on the East Lansing Women’s Club Book Review schedule for this next program year.  We always review the One Book One Community Selection for our first meeting.  The Book for this year is The Soloist. By Steve Lopez.  I am Altar Guild Chair for the month of June.

May 30, 2009

My heart is heavy because we lost one of our oldest friends. She was a local successful 2nd generation business owner.  She was my husband, Alan’s college roommate’s wife and we had known them for over 48 years.  They got married one day after us and our children have fond memories of playing together.  She died rather suddenly after a heart attack. She leaves a lovely family.  One of her last conversations with her brother was to encourage him to listen to your body”.  I now have become a virtual pain in the neck about reminding people to seek medical attention.

LuLu

LuLu, our cat is enjoying the warmer weather.  She can stick her nose up to the screen and see the birds, chipmunks and squirrels run around.  We have also been seeing a lot of deer lately. 

Taking Care of Yourself.

We tried a new exercise class for the past two weeks.  It consisted of a lot of stretching with an emphasis on proper posture.  The class will start again in the fall.  Although, I am continuing my exercise class at the senior center and Curves.  I will be looking for a yoga class that Alan and I can both attend. We (mostly Alan) are planting lots of flowers which are making our space beautiful. 

Exploring

We also visited the Detroit Institute of Art t to visit the Norman Rockwell exhibit.  It was a wonderful experience and reminded us of older simpler times.

Giving Back

I am chairing the Women’s Historical Hall of Fame Picnic in June.  I contributed a large basket of Williams Sonoma soaps, lotions, and towels. We received many contributions for raffle prizes including a three night stay on Mackinac Island, Lynn and Owen jewelry and some Airline tickets.

May 25, 2009

LuLu

Lulu, our cat, has taken up a new sport.  Watching TV and trying to catch the movement on TV.  She has a small stool in front of both of our TV’s and she sits on them and watches TV.  She gets extremely needy when my husband Alan is gone.  He went to his mother’s house for a few days and LuLu got upset.  Our household schedule goes to pot when Alan is not home so that makes her more upset.  Cats like routine.

Taking Care of Yourself

We are still following the cancer treatment plan.  I have to have two more tests, a base line bone scan, and a monograph to determine if the cancer is gone.  I passed my gene test.   I am very lucky that my health insurance will pay for the test.  Many women do not have this. Oncotype DX is a test that examines a breast cancer patient’s tumor tissue at a molecular level, and gives information about your individual disease. This information can help tailor treatment for your breast cancer. Oncotype DX is the first and only gene expression test that has been accepted as demonstrating the ability to predict a patient’s benefit from chemotherapy as well as her risk of recurrence The Oncotype DX assay is intended to be used by women with early-stage (Stage I or II), node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) invasive breast cancer who will be treated with hormone therapy.  If your score is low that indicates that you have a 5% or less chance of having a relapse of breast cancer.  In this group, chemotherapy has not proven to be effective to reduce reassurance.

I have however been place on the drug Arimidex which is to interfere with estrogen production, since I have an estrogen positive tumor. The downside of this drug is that you may revisit menopause and have hot flashes, night sweats and tiredness.  So far my side effects have been minimal.

I am continuing to try to do 3-4 hours of directed exercise a week.  I also promised to help Alan with the gardening. 

Exploring

We have watched several net flick movies. We loved Woody Allen British Mystery Match Pointe, filmed in London with the classic sighs of a British mystery –no blood, cool elegance and wonderful county scenes. Scarlett Johansson debuts in Match Point as well, going on to become Allen's female favorite lead for a new slate of movies.

Giving Back

I am continuing with my church Altar Guild duties.  I also have participated in an American Cancer Society Relay for Life, contributed to the Port Austin Junior Priscilla club annual luncheon and am chairing the Women’s Hall of Fame annual Picnic--Jazzing It Up.

May 25, 2009

LuLu

Lulu, our cat, has taken up a new sport.  Watching TV and trying to catch the movement on TV.  She has a small stool in front of both of our TV’s and she sits on them and watches TV.  She gets extremely needy when my husband Alan is gone.  He went to his mother’s house for a few days and LuLu got upset.  Our household schedule goes to pot when Alan is not home so that makes her more upset.  Cats like routine.

Taking Care of Yourself

We are still following the cancer treatment plan.  I have to have two more tests, a base line bone scan, and a monograph to determine if the cancer is gone.  I passed my gene test.   I am very lucky that my health insurance will pay for the test.  Many women do not have this. Oncotype DX is a test that examines a breast cancer patient’s tumor tissue at a molecular level, and gives information about your individual disease. This information can help tailor treatment for your breast cancer. Oncotype DX is the first and only gene expression test that has been accepted as demonstrating the ability to predict a patient’s benefit from chemotherapy as well as her risk of recurrence The Oncotype DX assay is intended to be used by women with early-stage (Stage I or II), node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) invasive breast cancer who will be treated with hormone therapy.  If your score is low that indicates that you have a 5% or less chance of having a relapse of breast cancer.  In this group, chemotherapy has not proven to be effective to reduce reassurance.

I have however been place on the drug Arimidex which is to interfere with estrogen production, since I have an estrogen positive tumor. The downside of this drug is that you may revisit menopause and have hot flashes, night sweats and tiredness.  So far my side effects have been minimal.

I am continuing to try to do 3-4 hours of directed exercise a week.  I also promised to help Alan with the gardening. 

Exploring

We have watched several net flick movies. We loved Woody Allen British Mystery Match Pointe, filmed in London with the classic sighs of a British mystery –no blood, cool elegance and wonderful county scenes. Scarlett Johansson debuts in Match Point as well, going on to become Allen's female favorite lead for a new slate of movies.

Giving Back

I am continuing with my church Altar Guild duties.  I also have participated in an American Cancer Society Relay for Life, contributed to the Port Austin Junior Priscilla club annual luncheon and am chairing the Women’s Hall of Fame annual Picnic--Jazzing It Up.

April 3

LuLu

LuLu is still enjoying the bird feeder and watching the squirrels. She loved the week of my treatment since I had to be there quite early so she got an early breakfast.  She still follows Alan (my husband) around like a puppy and whines if he does not pay attention to her.

Taking care of yourself

I finally finished my one week of twice a day targeted radiation treatment.  This was done with a balloon inserted in the right area of my breast.  The radiation goes into the balloon and provides a much targeted treatment that spares the rest of your body.  The treatment is called brachytherpy and I was lucky that I qualified because the alternative would be six-to eight weeks of daily treatment. I had great care at the Sparrow Cancer Center from my new BFF (Best Friends Forever) Marty and Jim.  Although it was tiring to go twice a day 6-hours apart, it was doable.  I stayed at my daughter home in-between sessions. Although my daughter does not have cable and keeps her house at 65 F, she was a hospitable host and made lunch for me on two days.  When I ask about cable and the temperature, I get a discussion about her student loans and the environment.  Sometimes we do not know what we will reap when we sow.  .

Exploring

I have really been enjoying my Netflicks Masterpiece Series-Inspector Alleyn Mysteries.  They had all the things I love about English mysteries, great English manor houses speculator English gardens, formal dress of the 40’s and the fact that you rarely see any blood or violence.  We also watched Mama Mia. What a disappointment.  I love Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan but this was not a good fit for them.  They looked like they were having a great time filming it.  I loved the play however. 

The New York Times has stated that the Netflicks queue is the new area of disagreement with couples.  Although I have picked some doozies, Alan has been tolerant

Our book club read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski. This is a novel, with an unusual story, that captivates you.  Once you start it, you cannot put it down.

Giving Back

I am Altar guild chair for the month. That means I had to arrange coverage for many Easter week services.  Although, our group is shrinking, many willing hands helped.

March 14

LuLu

LuLu, our cat, had her spring bath and pedicure today.  Not a happy day for LuLu.  However, the cat groomer has a large group of animals waiting to be groomed or picked up.  LuLu enjoys watching them.  Like most females, she spends the rest of the day, rearranging her hair.

Taking Care of Yourself

We went to Florida for two weeks since I had to wait until March 16 for my surgery.  We went to Destin in the pan handle of Florida and Lakeland in the middle of Florida.  We had a calm, restful time.  The weather was cool for Florida but warmer then Michigan at that time.  We got some nice walks on the gulf shore and around Lakeland.

Exploring

I am also reading a lot of material on cancer. I have found two books most helpful. Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book outlines in great detail the anatomy of the breast, diagnosis of breast cancer, possible treatment options and follow-up. Dr. Love’s book is a little scary at times but essential information for the person diagnosed with breast cancer.   Another book of interest is Challenge Cancer and Win by Kim Dalzel, PhD, R.D., L.D.   The anti-cancer nutrition research points to a plant based diet with a lot of green tea.  I am researching some of the supplements that she has recommended.

Giving Back

I attended my first Church supported cancer support group.  Although, I am not one to share a lot about my personal life and was reluctant to go, I found it beneficial. I was also instrumental in arranging for two solar ovens to be brought to Haiti as part of our All Saints mission. I am arranging the East Lansing Women’s Club Past Presidents Luncheon.  

February 17, 2009

LuLu

Lu Lu, our cat, remains her self- centered life.  She is happy when we come home but just as happy when we leave her as long as she has had her food. She gets a little upset when we sleep in and her breakfast is delayed. She lets us know of her displeasure by making a deposit outside the box.

Taking care of yourself

I had my surgery-lumpectomy on February 11.  We heard today that additional surgery needs to be done since they did not get a clean edge.  The entire tumor was removed but there were some cells outside the tumor. I will have surgery again on March 16 and then I will proceed with the radiation.  I am not scheduled for Chemo since my limp nodes were clear,

I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from my family and friends since I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My church, All Saints Episcopal, has been particularly caring.  My daughters‘s friends who live all over the county have sent wonderful notes.

 Exploring

We went to Rain, a celebration of the Beatles. It was a wonderful production and brought back memories of the 60’s and 70’s. My church, All Saints, bought a block of tickets.

I am reading the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows, a great fictional tale of the occupation of the Guernsey Island (part of the Channel Islands off of Great Brittan).  Although this subject is rather dark, the book is a delightful chronicle of how the islanders outwitted their Nazi occccupiers.

Giving Back

I agreed to be part of an MSU study of Breast Cancer Patients.  As part of this study, I filled out multiple questionnaires, had blood drawn and performed some cogitative tests.