Teeny Tots of Jolly

A picture's worth a thousand words. Even in the midst of the unknown, life goes on. Songs are sung. Snowflakes are danced. Guitars are strummed. One foot in front of the other. This is what I look like 4 and a half hours before I learn that I have officially been diagnosed with cancer, the second time around.

Monday, Pre-Diagnosis

Here I am amidst my little friends, singing my heart out on Monday morning -- at the beginning of this week, wondering when my surgeon will call with the pathology of my biopsy. It's good to stay busy. It's good to have responsibilities. It's good to have a routine that doesn't require a whole lot of excess brain cell energy. Sing, dance. Live in the moment. Focus on the children. Don't allow your thoughts to go leap-frogging beyond the song at hand.

When I saw my mamo up on the screen last week..... I knew. It didn't take a trained eye to point out the obvious. The biopsy was a formality, or sorts, at least in my heart. All I had to do was wait for the confirmation from the pathology and sing some songs with my wittle wonders in the interim. On a snow covered day, it's a fun distraction to pull out the laminated snowflakes. I LOVE throwing dozens into the air and watching their excitement. That last picture is my "big kids" singing along with my new 'Tall Giraffe" book, singing, "Happy lappy, tongue so slappy."

Wonder Peeps in a Box

It's important for me to focus on what's significant. Like taking a picture that includes the faces of all three of our local grandchildren in the same frame. Here we are in my "office" little alcove. (Yes. I painted the box and stenciled my favorite graphic image: the checkerboard. Yes. I made the curtains with my favorite combinations of stripes and polka dots. Yes. I took the pictures. Yes, I have adorable grandchildren.)

These are my favorite four shots of their antics together. How on earth did my parents ever get the four of us children to line up in all of those 'travelogue' shots, the traditional Easter shot, the pose on vacation shots, the matching sibbling outfit shots, the descending front stairs shots..... without the benefit of digital-technology, no less? My goodness, back when we had film, I always used to find a roll in the bottom of the drawer, that we would get developed and then would shock us all with images of three or four years earlier, from some long ago ancient occaision. Even the twins at 20 months want to see the digital image displayed within seconds of the flash. I LOVE having a digital camera. One out of 27 attempts getting one picture with the three of them, isn't all bad.

Cancer Announcement

Announcement. (Who would have ever thought I'd be putting this up on FB?) I have breast cancer, again. No beating around the bush. The great, wonderful, amazing news is that this cancer is again, EARLY stage. Discovered due to my hyper-overdrive proactive med team, to whom I am deeply indebted. My pathology report came back late today: DCIS, 3 CM. Exhale.

The sun will come out, tomorrow. I have spoken to each of my daughters and my parents...... so everyone is in the loop from the get-go. I have scheduled surgery for Jan 15th -- assuming we can get all of the paperwork & pre-op tests in order by then, which is my greatest hope. The sooner the better. The more the merrier. A stitch in time saves nine. (Just couldn't help myself.)

This is my chance to be candid with my loving & supportive, non-cancer friends. Please don't tell me that 'you're sorry'. Please do your level headed best not to look at me with cow-eyes of sorrow. This is early stage. You may refrain from telling me how strong you think I am, too for that matter....or what a fighter you think I am and please leave out that you know that I will conquer this..... you may also delete any stories of how you have seen cancer patients suffer.

What I would love is laughter. Prayers. Calm. Acceptance. Joy. Funny stories. Supportive posts that let me know that you're thinking about me.

I would really like to be very 'selfish' and focus on me and not how I'm concerned about telling you.... geesh I hope that makes sense. I really hope that I don't have to hold your hand, because you're so worried about me. How much can you put in a FB post?? LOL. It is EARLY stage cancer. We have every hope at this point to think that it is 'self-contained.'

I am taking the BIG jump to do everything in my proactive power to thwart ever needing to have a gray cloud over my shoulder & I realize that even this doesn't promise me a sunny eternal forcast.

Breast cancer is a wicked disease. I had a 2-5% chance of being back where I am today. All of my stripes and polka dots and happy-face, bright attitude did not keep me from this day. Have your mamogram. Walk with your pink sisters. Make a donation. Say a prayer. Mine is early stage. Mine is the best possible news.

There are many, many, many women not nearly as fortunate as I...... I will be doing my level best to bring their spirit, spunk, determination and example into my journey, in an effort to keep my perspective and pay them honor.

My puppies have served their purpose and now they're going to be gone. Good riddance cancer.

All prayers for calm & acceptance are gratefully and enthusiastically accepted. I will probably cry the next time I see you -- until I've wept sufficiently..... and then it will be time to get on with making music & making merry & making magic. Well actually this will all overlap a bit. The making of merry and the crying and the kindness and the pain and the sorrow and the joy.

Thanks friends. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.

***I wrote this all on my FB post, only to learn there was a limit. How funny is that?

Coffee House Birthday Party

The annual coffee house and birthday party, food fest and sing-a-long in honor of our dear friend, Dan Green. He hosts the best party anywhere in town..... and with this year's goofy snowfall, we had an avalanche of food for the brave souls who traveled the highways and the byways to get in on the action. Mark your calendars now for next year.

Quilt National

Twenty ten. Inspiration. Appreciation. Enjoyment. Creativity. Fabric...... all my favorites!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It's a whole new day. A whole NEW YEAR. There seems to be some discussion as to whether or not this is the beginning of a new decade or the conclusion of the '00s. In any case it is indeed a whole new day. My computer has been having a techno melt-down and so we have now officially switched machines and I have Allen's old one -- which has at least 7 more squirrel-power than my old one.... and it moves at the speed of sound, comparatively. I now have to learn a new keyboard orientation, but that learning curve is worth the new squirrel-power.

But back to the pictures I've been waiting to share. I took these at the Riffe Center Gallery that is currently hosting the traveling display of Quilt National -- that originally is hosted at the Athens Dairy Barn. I've never seen a 'quilt' with this amazing concept. As you can see from the close-up images, these little buildings are all 'quilted' in a three dimensional fabrication and then sewn to the foundation. It was truly breath taking..... from across the gallery & then more and more amazing as you approached closer & closer. AND my favorite colors, too!!

Happy New Year!