Memorable Birthdays

Memories:

Childhood birthdays meant celebrating with family. One early birthday picture shows me with siblings Alice and Keith, cousins Harold, Fred, and Orville, and Auntie Beulah. Over the years Mom made many wonderful chiffon cakes for my birthday. There were chocolate chip chiffons, cherry chiffons, and poppyseed chiffons with apricot filling. When we were very young, Mom always decorated our cakes with marshmallows cut into bunny shapes. I remember a treasure hunt for one birthday. It took me on an outdoor adventure but ended indoors in the washing machine, my gift being a cool set of building blocks. (This was prior to the invention of LEGO.)

The first time that I was to have a birthday party with friends was for my 13th birthday. No doubt, the February weather had some impact on whether or not one would have a party. I very much looked forward to this party but ended up sick in bed with the flu. We didn't have a phone at that time so could not let anyone know that there would be no party. Thus friends arrived, greeted me in bed, and then went on their way. Mom, best friend Sharon Winder-Nelson, sister Alice, and boyfriend Max planned a surprise party for my 18th. What a delightful surprise it was! Mom served homemade buns filled with a mixture of tuna, cheese, onion, and mushroom soup heated in the oven. After all these years what I remember is how surprised I was and how good those buns were!! When I turned 21, I was in my fourth and final year of university at the U of A in Edmonton. I recall my friend Paul buying a nice bottle of wine. In those days the magic number was 21, not 18 as it is now.

The next birthday that stands out in my memory was my 40th birthday. We were living in Acme at the time and moving from the Doc Fowler house ,which we had been renting, to the Mrs. Greenway house which we purchased. (The Fowler house had a basement made with stone from the Bow River. Mrs. Greenway was famous for her homemade cookies and was known to have given piano lessons to Wilf Carter.) In the midst of moving my cousin Janet Hovis (nee Bjorgum) arrived with a homemade cake. It was perfect timing and such a treat! My 50th birthday was also full of surprises. We celebrated at the Legion in Caroline. I was expecting a few friends, my husband and children, my parents and siblings. I was delighted to find Auntie Beulah and Sharon Winder-Nelson there as well!!

This Year:

Granddaughter Madison spent two nights with us, January 30th and 31st. Aina wrote her Module 3 Accounting Exam on January 31st. Helge was in Calgary for a conference for Newspaper reporters. Madison is good at entertaining herself so is easy to have around even if one is not feeling 100%. We did spend some time doing origami together, though. I showed her how to make a black-and-white panda. Sunday morning I dropped off Madison at her home in Red Deer and headed for Laurel's home in Leduc.

Laurel organized a wonderful party for me. Guests included Alice, Keith and Theresa, Glenn, Michelle, Tyler, Braden, and Erika. Laurel and three daughters Megan, Tamara, and Kayli were also present. Laurel and Michelle created a whirlwind in the kitchen, as always. We had kabobs with colored peppers, pineapple, red onions, and marinated meats done to perfection on the barbecue. This was accompanied by a delightful brown/wild rice pilaf an, excellent spinach salad, and good wine. Alice brought a mocha chiffon cake created by her wonderful cake-baking neighbour. I was spoiled with beautiful cards and gifts. Megan wrote a beautiful handwritten note on her card and included in her gift a pendant that had belonged to Mom. This pendant was passed on to Megan after Mom passed away. It consists of a small piece of metal with a Norwegian rune on one side and the word 'strength' engraved on the other. Megan said that she thought I needed it more than her at this time. What a lovely thought! Glenn was somewhat shocked at the delight that the 'girls' and I took in a daily "Handbag" calendar, a gift from Alice. This prompted much gaiety and some fun photos with the 'girls' and their handbags. (I was happy that brother Glenn took pictures of my birthday. It was only a month previous that he had taken our photos at the Christmas celebration at Laurel's. Our look would not have changed, but I liked the idea of commemorating different events with photos.) We enjoyed much laughter over Keith and Glenn's favorite You-Tubes also.

I stayed Sunday night at Laurel's. Monday morning the girls and Laurel headed to school and work, respectively. I enjoyed a leisurely morning watching Regis and Kelly and enjoying Rocky Mountain lavender bath salts in Laurel's jacuzzi. I also received birthday calls from Auntie Hazel, Auntie Laurie, and cousin Ken. I met two of Megan's friends who came home with her for lunch. After lunch, I left Laurel's and went to visit Auntie Janet in Edmonton. We had a nice, but too short visit. Auntie Janet is downsizing. She gave me a small Norwegian plate and a plate of the Blue Boy that was a shower gift to her from Mom.

After leaving Auntie Janet's I headed to Kai's place. ( Kai had been in Grande Cache since early January. I knew he was coming home for a short break in February, and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered he would be in Edmonton for my birthday.) Jocelyn(Kai's girlfriend), Aina and Madison, and I all arrived at the same time. Sonja was home already and Kai had not returned yet from errands downtown. We arranged to meet Kai at Moxie's for supper. We were all in Aina's vehicle except for Jocelyn who stayed home as she was not feeling well. On the way to Moxie's Kai called. He wanted to escort his Mother to supper!! Thus we met at Esso, and I jumped out of Aina's car and into Kai's. Then I hung on and kept my mouth shut as he manoeuvred through the traffic and showed me the wonderful pickup of his Lexus sedan!! The girls and I enjoyed our usual Tandoori salmon salad at Moxie's. I was even treated to dessert with a sparkler. We said goodbye to Kai and headed for Rexall Place.

By the time we reached Rexall Place there was still a fair lineup. We finally got in but the parking lot was rather full. Thus we parked some distance away and had a substantial and hurried hike. Fortunately, we were seated within a few minutes of So You Think You Can Dance Canada? starting. The show was certainly worth the anticipation, and worth the hike. It was emceed by the dancers themselves, usually in pairs. This certainly gave an opportunity to see more of each individual dancer's personality. Although I hadn't been especially impressed with Izaak on TV, I thought he really spoke and performed well in the show. After the couple introduced an act they would go backstage and get ready for their next performance. Between runny eyes from chemo and emotional response to the dancing, my eyes ran for the full first half of the performance!! Some highlights for me were Natalli and partner doing disco, "The Mirror" with Lisa and Vincent, African jazz with Lisa and partner, Allie and Danny's jive, Allie and Izaak's hip hop, Kaitlyn and Izaak's restaurant number, and Nico and Arassay's "Guardian Angel" dancing to Queen's "Somebody to Love." That music of Queen will get me going any time!! Each dancer performed individually, the top four performed together, and the top ten also performed together (pirate number with colorful costumes was one). We had seats on the floor close to the stage, but also enjoyed the three large screens which gave close-up views. It was a memorable experience, for sure! There was memorabilia for sale, but none of us felt like standing in line or fighting the crowds.

Tuesday was another easy-paced morning. Sonja and I enjoyed visiting over breakfast which she had prepared for both of us. Then she left for university. Kai returned from the gym and we had a little visit. I left around noon and headed for IKEA where I bought a new carpet for my living room and some more shelving brackets. Then it was off to Red Deer for appointments.

Red Deer and progress of treatment: My first appointment was at the Breast Clinic with Dr. Topstad. At my previous appointment she had forgotten to tell me about a dark area on rib number four behind my left breast. Neither a bone scan nor a chest x-ray have been able to clearly identify the source of the dark area. If it was cancerous it would not make sense to do surgery, she said. She also told me that my oncologist recommended surgery and that the final decision was up to me. After my appointment with Dr. Topstad I went to the Cancer Center and had my PICC line removed. I am so happy to have that contraption off my right arm!! As soon as I feel up to it I'm going swimming again!

It was good to be home again Tuesday evening. I had Wednesday at home, then headed to Red Deer on Thursday for an appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Tarukandirwa. He was pleased with my response to chemo, described the spot on my rib as non-specific and recommended surgery as soon as possible. I have decided to go ahead with surgery. I am not worried about my rib. I have no pain in that area. I also had a couple of good falls last year wherein I may have bruised my ribs.

My main concern of the moment is my response to the antibody Herceptin. I am shortwinded with a small amount of exertion. I have been extremely tired and have been having 2 - 3 hour afternoon naps in addition to my nightly quota of about 9 hours. I haven't been doing my usual walking as my hamstrings and calves feel so weak and sore. I noticed today that my ankles and calves are very swollen. Now it makes sense why the scale jumped 5 - 7 pounds mid week in only a day or so. I am retaining fluid! Tomorrow I shall call the Cancer Center and talk to the head nurse, Myrna. I am scheduled for a MUGA scan, blood work, and another Herceptin treatment on Thursday. I have decided that I do not want any more Herceptin treatments at this time. I want to be in the best possible condition before I go for surgery at the end of the month.

Shopping: I have added a few more pieces of Emile Henri 'granny' green dinnerware to my collection. I enjoy how the color green brings the outdoors indoors. It cheers my spirit.

Closing Thoughts: It has been a beautiful day with sun shining and temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. I actually had a small walk today. We have two baby goats born a week ago, and two lots of puppies born over this weekend. It has been a busy couple of weeks so I am looking forward to a fairly quiet week. I have so enjoyed spending time with my family. I have also enjoyed many birthday phone calls and facebook greetings. I am truly blessed!!

The Next Step

Yesterday I had an appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Topstad, to discuss surgery. She was very pleased with the effectiveness of chemo in reducing the size of my tumour. I was hopeful that I would not have to have any lymph nodes removed. However, that is not to be. There is a fairly new procedure called sentinel lymph node biopsy wherein a blue dye or a radioactive substance is injected into the nodes. The sentinel nodes, the ones that pick up the dye first, are the ones that are draining the breast of fluids that may contain cancerous cells. The blue or radioactive nodes are examined under microscope. If no cancer is found the rest of the nodes are left in place. This procedure is not very effective for someone who has undergone chemo, like myself. Thus I will have lymph nodes as well as breast removed. One of my friends, who had one breast removed, said she wished she had had both removed. She finds an imbalance in the weight of the prostheses and the weight of her remaining breast. As a result she has frequent pain in one shoulder, even with regular exercise. I asked Dr. Topstad about having both breasts removed. I explained my concerns regarding imbalance, and also the risk of cancer in the second breast. She said that the imbalance concern is a valid one. The risk of cancer in the second breast is quite low. However, she said, the removal of both breasts, especially after chemo, is a difficult surgery. She said she would only perform surgery on one. If I still wanted the other removed I could do that in a later surgery. She believes that undergoing a second anaesthetic is preferable to having both breasts removed in one surgery.

Dr. Topstad is going to try for surgery on February 26th. She has to contact the Cancer Center to coordinate surgery with my schedule for treatment with the antibody Herceptin. I have an appointment for Herceptin on February 11th. She needs to make sure that surgery two weeks later is okay. If not, either the Herceptin appointment or the proposed surgery date will have to be altered. After surgery I will be in hospital one night for sure, and possibly two depending on how well I am feeling. I will have bandages and drainage tubes (to remove blood and lymph that accumulates during healing) for about ten days following surgery. Regular exercises for my shoulders and arms will be necessary for mobility. After surgery, the next step is radiation. How much radiation depends on the results of the pathology report on the tissue removed. At the very least it looks like I will have my chest wall radiated. This means going to Calgary or Edmonton. I will plan to go to Edmonton.

I asked Dr. Topstad about the best time for removing my PICC line and replacing it with a Porta Cath. She recommended that I wait until after my surgery. After my appointment with Dr. Topstad I went to the Cancer Center to have my PICC line flushed and dressing changed. The nurse Sonja told me that Herceptin is not hard on the veins like chemo is, that I have good veins, and that I should not need to have either a PICC or a Porta Cath. They are going to check this out with the oncologist and I will check it out with Dr. Topstad. It looks very likely that I will have my PICC line removed next week. Yay! I look forward to short sleeves and going swimming.

It is now a week since my last chemo. My energy levels are quite low. I still have some numbness in my fingers and toes. In addition, I have had some inflammation of the skin covering the knuckles on both hands. This is the first time I've had this side effect. It is looking a bit better today, though. I have not had any soreness in the roof of my mouth, or any difficulty swallowing so far. My taste buds do not seem to have been affected to the same extent as in the past. It is good to know that once I bounce back from these side effects I will not have to face another chemo treatment!! I truly feel like I've had enough!!

It's a Celebration!

Chemo treatment: Yesterday was my sixth and final chemo treament. Hurrah!! It's hard to believe I've come this far. It doesn't seem that long ago since I was telling myself, "Patience, girl. You can do this." My appointment yesterday was for 10:15 a.m. I wasn't finished until 1:30 p.m., much later than I expected. It turns out that my nurse hooked up the drips but forgot to turn them on right away. I was sitting in my reclining chair in my 2-chair south-facing bay enjoying the warmth of my heated blanket, and of the afternoon sun. I hadn't noticed that the progress was slow initially because I was preoccupied with watching TV, reading, and visiting. I watched most of Regis and Kelly Live, read most of my book "The Four Agreements," and visited with my two companions in chemo.

The first person to share the space with me was Steve who works for Mental Health in Red Deer. He worked as a mental health counsellor for many years, and is now in management. When he completed his treatment I was joined by Ernie, a farmer from the Bentley area. He was adopted out as a child. His birth parents, from the Camrose area, have never wanted contact with him and he has felt the same in return. I shared my Joan story with him. Coming and going I ran into Errol MacIntyre and his wife (Cathy, I think) from Ponoka. I shared space with Errol on my fifth treatment. He was on the Ponoka Stampede Board for 35 years. His wife is a retired school teacher (Phys Ed) who still subs and is an avid golfer. She is looking forward to supervising a group of girls competing in golf in Phoenix later this year. Her costs will be covered by grant money available to this group. I also met Gord the pharmacist yesterday. He was sharing his enthusiasm regarding a book he purchased recently from Shopper's Drug in Rocky Mountain House. First he talked to the nurses at the station, and then to one of the patients he appeared to know. My curiosity got the better of me so I had to inquire what the book was called. It was a book called "Cancer is a Word, not a Sentence." I said that I had heard the statement but had not heard of the book. He said he purchased it because he knew the author Dr. Robert Buckman to be credible. I thought to myself, "I must check into that."
He then asked about my book. We had a nice little conversation. When treatment goes over the lunch hour we are served lunch. Yesterday was a lovely leek/potato chowder, half a ham/cheese sandwich and green tea.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz: I purchased this book some time ago but hadn't yet read it. I chose to take it with me because it appeared to be light, easy reading. I enjoyed Hal Urban's 2o Life Lessons but that is a lot to lessons to remember without reviewing. I liked the simplicity of only 4 agreements. I related very well to these agreements because these have already been guiding principles in my life, and it is always nice to have affirmation. Simply put the principles are as follows:
1. Be impeccable with your word, that is, be true to yourself and others. Be authentic. A quote from a book I read in my youth Notes to Myself comes to mind: "The surest way for me to have a bad time is to do something because I think I should do it." These shoulds don't always come from within.
2. Don't take anything personally. This reminds me of a quote of my favorite cartoon character from my university days, Ziggy: "Don't worry about what other people think of you. The truth is they are too busy thinking about themselves to think about you at all." That, of course, doesn't mean that we are uncaring people. It simply means that many/most of our actions are motivated by self-interest and we don't always stop to think how it may affect another person.
3. Don't make assumptions. Communicate clearly. Ask questions. This is especially important in our major personal relationships.
4. Do your best. Don't beat yourself up if you don't meet your expectations. Keep working towards your goal. I was inspired a number of years ago by a quotation by Mr. Bojangles who said he always danced his best, whether he was dancing before the Queen or he was dancing for a mere handful of people. I decided that I would always give my best even if I thought I was not being paid what I deserved. I would be thankful to have a job and I would give my best.

Shopping: After treatment I had about an hour-and-a-half before meeting my friend, Marilyn Martin, for coffee. What should I do? I had errands to run at Staples but I would do that on the way home. I could check out the cancer book at Shoppers but I didn't really have money to spend on it at this time. (EI sick benefits have run out and it is another couple of weeks until I receive any disability payment from Great West Life.) I decided to go to Value Village, a favorite spot through many years of low income. My girls refer to it a VV's. Marilyn calls it Value Village where the age rhymes with the age in corsage. How sophisticated!! I checked out the CDs and books. I always have to put many things back on the shelf because I typically find more than what I can afford! I came away with 2 CDs, and 7 books, two for Helge. One of the books I was very excited about was What you Really Need to Know About Cancer by Dr. Robert Buckman the author that the pharmacist Gord told me about. It is an older publication than the book he mentioned but I'm sure that much of the information is still valid. Every four books purchased at VV's earns a free one. That was my freebie.

Coffee with Marilyn: I hadn't spent time with Marilyn since last spring so it was a treat to meet her at City Roast for coffee and a shared piece of carrot cake. We only had a short time as she was on a break from work. We caught up on the news of our respective families. We plan to get together again soon so we have some chit-chat time. It is always a boost to have time with friends no matter how short!!

Brainyworks: Throughout my life I have been motivated by an insatiable curiosity. I was always asking questions. It exasperated my grade 3/4 teacher, Mrs. Gladys Simonson, to the point where she would say "What IS IT, Elaine? My grade six teacher, Mr. Lyle Erga, was not so troubled by it. He said that the reason I knew so much was that I was always asking questions. My brain doesn't feel like it's simply firing on all eight cylinders. It more often feels more like major fireworks. Not only am I consumed by my own interests, but I get consumed by other people's interests, and then their business becomes my business. Whether researching on the internet or shopping, I am thinking " So-and-so would be interested in this" or "I should buy this for so-and-so." How do I tame this wild brain? My parents recognized this early on when they provided me with a quiet study place, free of distraction. Here are a couple of my favorite strategies:
1. Origami. This has been my hobby for about forty years. When I am folding paper all other thoughts and worries disappear from my mind. Since I have had time off I am trying to learn many of my favorite folds by heart and to learn many new folds. In the springtime I am going to teach a workshop to Art Sparks, a craft group for disabled adults in Rocky Mountain House. I am also going to do some volunteering with my Granddaughter Madison's grade 3 class in Red Deer. On Saturday I am going to display my work at a Women's Showcase in Caroline.
2. Ironing. Believe it or not, this is one of my favorite activities! I especially like ironing Helge's beautiful cotton shirts. Over the years I have bought most of his shirts from Value Village. The six shirts I purchased most recently were in such great condition that they became "good shirts" and the past "good shirts" became "everyday shirts." No, I do not iron the "everyday shirts." Up until a couple of weeks ago I tried to get my ironing done early in the day so that I could take advantage of the natural light. Then I was delighted to discover one of Helge's good work lamps that he usually uses outdoors. I rigged up the lamp on a Monday evening. From 6 until 7 p.m. I listened to Roy Forbes on CKUA play never- before- released recordings of Hank Williams. For a whole hour my mind was focused on music and ironing. What a treat! (NOTE: In the past, particulary, I have frequently compared orgasm to all-encompassing fireworks but never felt the need for any taming there!!)

I got home early enough to make and enjoy supper with Helge. I had to stay up until 10:00 p.m. to watch Criminal Minds. I just can't get enough of those crime shows, an unhealthy obsession, my husband believes. I really am trying to limit what I watch. I got to bed after 11:00 but didn't get to sleep for another couple of hours. The nurses say that the anti-nausea steroids are responsible for that. Once I finally got to sleep I had a good rest. All in all, it was a great day!

Simple Pleasures

At nearly noon, the sun is shining and the temperature has reached three degrees Celsius. I am looking forward to getting out for a walk.

Yesterday was Alice's birthday. I called her last night and was happy to hear that she had been showered with birthday wishes throughout the day: flowers, kisses, homemade puffed wheat squares, emails, etc. Today my grandson Spencer is six years old. He shares his birthdate with Mom. I would so like to celebrate with Spencer in Peace River. However, that is a long trip from here, at least six hours. As I do not have my usual energy, I am sticking close to home these days. Rebecca just called. She and Jarl and the boys are heading to West Ed this afternoon to spend the weekend to celebrate Spencer's birthday.

It is just over two weeks since my fifth chemo treatment. I have been feeling quite well for several days now, although I do need a lot of rest. I have found the first week or so following treatment to be the most difficult. Treatment has affected my taste buds so it is difficult to enjoy food. That has affected my interest in preparing food, which is not at a high level at the best of times. I usually enjoy strong flavors, but cope best these days with rather bland food. I am using child's toothpaste these days as I find the adult toothpaste too harsh. For nearly a week starting about four days after treatment, the roof of my mouth was very tender and I had difficulty swallowing. Thankfully, those symptoms were short-lived!! I continue to go to Sundre every Tuesday for Home Care. Helge has been coming with me because of the severe cold and often poor driving conditions. I am scheduled for my next and final treatment next Wednesday, January 21st, but I expect it will be postponed a week as my other treatments have been. (If my white blood cell count is too low, treatment is postponed.)

My January outings have been few. I am enjoying the slower pace after a busy December. I have,however, had a couple of spirit-boosting outings. Helge had a meeting in Rocky Mountain House on January 9th so I went with him. I hadn't finished everything I wanted to accomplish by the time his meeting was finished. He was not in a rush and was happy to spend some time at the library so that I could have some more time. I checked out a new medical supply store, the new Shopper's Drug, and then went to my favorite gift shop, Cherubs' Boutique. This gift shop was started in 1995 by a single mom. Her first shop was a small shop across the street from where I used to work in Rocky. After a year or so the vacuum cleaner business next to hers closed, and she expanded to occupy that space. A few years later she made the move to a larger shop on main street. Now she occupies a two-storey building at the end of main street. The main floor has an extensive collection of bath products, jewelry, clothing and games for infants and toddlers, and a coffee/tea shop which also sells fudge, frozen yogurts, and smoothies. The second floor has housewares and kitchen goods. The shop was beautifully decorated for Christmas, upstairs, downstairs, and along the two flights of stairs. I found some delightful decorations to add to my collection. Helge and I enjoyed a supper at the local Co-op Store. They always have good home-cooked meals at a great price.

On Wednesday this week I met my colleagues for lunch in Innisfail at the Flames. Except for the Christmas party in December I have met with some or many of them every month since I took my leave of absence. I so enjoy these times together and always hate to say goodbye. My colleagues bought me an exquisite 100% cotton terry, full-length dressing gown in pale blue. (They know that I'm a natural fibre girl.) I am enjoying wearing this at home, and am happy to have such a nice gown for my hospital visit. I also received an aboriginal calendar and card from Jenny who teaches aboriginal programs. Sadly, the staff told me that she suffered a stroke last week. She is only 38 years old. I must find out how to contact her so I can send her a thank you card and well wishes. Sherry told me that the Aboriginals at the Cultural Center are smudging for me. I am blessed to be remembered in so many ways!! Of course, before I left Innisfail I made a little trip to my favorite gift shop in Innisfail, The Gift Loft. I found a few more sale-priced decorations to add to my silver/clear/mirror/turquoise collection.

Yesterday's walk was around dusk. The winter colors were amazing!! The vast expanse of clean white snow contrasted the black lacey look of the bare shrubs and poplars. In the background was the solid black of the spruce trees, and surrounding were pale pink skies. To the west were the mountains in a haze of deep smokey blue. What a treasure!! Perhaps today I'll get a picture.

Where Have I Been?

When I got home from Leduc on Monday I felt like I had been gone forever. Upon reflection I realized that I had spent very few days at home in the last two weeks of December. I babysat my granddaughter Madison in Red Deer from December 18th - 21st. Aina was in Edmonton for her Module 3 exam prep course which is part of her articling to become a chartered accountant. Trevor went to Saskatchewan to pick up his sons T.J. and Cole for Christmas. We decided that a long trip would not be fun for Madison. In addition, it would be good for Trevor to have some quality time with his sons. Sonja arrived at Aina's on the 19th so we took turns with babysitting, last-minute shopping, and Sonja spending time with her friends. I was home in Caroline for the 22nd and 23rd, then back to Aina's for Christmas.

All of our family was at Aina's new home in Red Deer for Christmas Eve. Trevor's Mom Lorrena and sons were also there. We had a traditional turkey dinner and gift exchange that evening. Jarl, Rebecca, Spencer and Parker returned to Rebecca's folk's home in Caroline later that evening. The rest of us slept over. Christmas Day was stockings and more gifts for the children, a leisurely breakfast, leftovers for lunch, and quality visiting time. It was a wonderful relaxed time! I enjoyed not feeling the pressure of celebrating in a crowded little cabin!!

We were home for boxing day then off to Camrose on December 27th for Uncle Art's funeral. He passed on December 20th, his Dad's birthdate. The service at Burgar Funeral Home was a wonderful tribute to Uncle Art. After the service we went to the Kingman Cemetery for the internment. It was the first time I had been to the cemetery since Mom's headstone had been put in place. I was pleased with the result, thinking of the progress from pen and paper to computer drawings to carvings in stone. Following the cemetery, we went to the social room of the Kingman Lutheran Church for lunch. Although the circumstances of our gathering were not pleasant, it was a good opportunity to visit family and friends, though briefly.

On December 28th we had our Bjorgum family Christmas at Laurel's. It was a fun and lively time with the babyset, elementary school age children, teenagers, the twenty-something single set, newlyweds, oldies, cats and dogs. There were board games, games for kids like indoor hockey, You Tube viewing, visiting, photo ops, and an abundance of good food as always.

Madison and I spent the nights of December 27th and 28th at Laurel's. I returned to Caroline on the 29th, dropping Madison off at Red Deer on the way. On the 30th I went to Homecare in Sundre and on the 31st I had Chemo treatment #5 in Red Deer. All is well so far. Having come this far with no major difficulties has boosted my confidence. Only one treatment left now. I CAN DO THIS!! On January 27th I have an appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Topstad, to discuss surgery options. It's a patience game but it's good to know I've come this far. Of course, having passed Midwinter, with lengthening hours of daylight, brings a new optimism in spite of the severe cold.

It has been wonderful to have the last two days at home in a warm, cosy wood-heated cabin with my friendly companion. I am very much looking forward to sticking close to home for the next little while.

In the World of Music: Eartha Kitt passed in December just before her 82nd birthday. She will be well remembered for her singing of "Santa Baby" and her role as Catwoman in the Batman TV series. She started off with two strikes against her: she was an illegitimate child of mixed race, part black and part Cheyenne native. She was a child labourer picking cotton in the cotton fields. I must research her story further.

I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year with contentment, peace of mind, and few worries.

One Week to Go

On December 2nd I had a bad case of stomach flu. I went to Sundre for my weekly routine home care. I met Debbie Ennis for lunch as planned but picked at my food. I was worried about having chemo the next day but thought it was probably not a good idea to postpone it any longer since it had already been postponed by a week. Chemo has been successful at reducing the size of the tumour so I like to stay on schedule. Wednesday morning, December 3rd, I felt great so had no qualms about having chemo. The night following chemo I did not sleep well as I was so 'wired.' This is quite typical after an outing and probably didn't have anything to do with chemo. Thursday night, December 4th, I slept like a log.

On Friday, December 5th, I began to experience some of the side effects of Taxotere. The pads of my feet felt numb and my calves had a tingling sensation. In addition I was experiencing stomach cramps. I may not have been finished with stomach flu as I had thought. I did not sleep well for several nights as I could not relax. I was also feeling rather 'blue.' It may have been the drug but it could have been sleep deprivation. I missed my Red Hatters Christmas party on December 8th as I didn't feel up to going. Thursday, December 11th, I had an appointment for a bone scan in Red Deer. I was feeling much better by then so I kept my appointment, did some shopping, and went to Madison's school Christmas concert in the evening. It was a good day! The next day, however, I was tired. The weather began to change, with dropping temperatures and blowing snow. Road conditions were poor and there were several vehicle accidents in Central Alberta that day. We decided not to go to my staff party in Innisfail. On Saturday, Helge shovelled out our lane and went to the Village Christmas Party. I stayed at home and kept the fires burning. With the cold weather and my health condition, I have tried to minimize my running around.

I'm off to Red Deer today as I am babysitting Madison for a few days. Aina has her face-to-face for her Module 3 CASB in Edmonton this weekend. Trevor is off to Chicago to pick up a covered snowmobile trailer that he bought on eBay. Sonja is staying at Aina's Friday night on her way to spend time with a friend in Calgary on Saturday. She will babysit Friday evening so I can go with Helge to his party at The Mountaineer. My energy and spirits are on the upward swing so I look forward to having good times with family at Christmas. We are having our Nome family Christmas at Aina's on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. On the 28th we are going to Laurel's for the Bjorgum family Christmas.

While I was still in bed this morning, between 8:00 and 8:30 I had a phone call from my friend Andy in Australia. I was after 1:00 a.m. Friday in Capella. The temperature was 38 degrees Celsius, and the fans were going full blast. Here the temperature is -22 degrees Celsius. The trees, roofs, and ground are white with snow. What a contrast!! Andy's wife Elizabeth is in London visiting their daughter Emily. Andy's son Garrett and his girlfriend are going to New Caledonia for Christmas. Andy will be spending Christmas with friends between Capella and Emerald. It's too hot for the barby. Andy and friends will have cold meats and salads, enjoy a small game of cricket in the back yard, and have a late afternoon nap.

Musical Musings

I have been doing my best to record the names of the songs and the artists that the dancers on "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance Canada?" have performed too. I was therefore very pleased to find these songs listed on the websites of each. One song I was particularly attracted to was "Shosholoza" by the Soweto Gospel Singers. I checked out their website and previewed their latest CD "African Spirit." Here is another addition to my wish list!! I would love to go to a live performance. They have a great sound and very colourful costumes. I sure seem to be attracted to that South African sound: Lorraine Klassen, Johnny Klegg, Lucky Dube, Ladysmith Black Mombasa...

I am saddened this week by the death of Odetta at the age of 77. What a powerful, soulful voice she had. She sang "Freedom" during the March on Washington in 1963 with Dr. Martin Luther King.

I am thinking of Eva Cassidy who passed in 1996 at the age of 33 years from melanoma cancer. I think her voice is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard. She was such a versatile singer and excelled in many genres: blues, jazz, rock, gospel, etc.
She was shy and enjoyed performing in small venues. It was thought that she never obtained a major recording contract because she could not be pinned down to one type of music. I discovered today that her birthdate is the same as mine - February 2nd.

My Wellness Report: I had my fourth chemo treatment on Wednesday and am doing well so far. That is four chemo treaments down, two to go. Yay!! Since I am on a new chemo drug (Taxotere) this time I decided to take only this drug rather than the combination of Taxotere and the antibody Herceptin. This gives me a chance to see how my body responds to Taxotere (possible side effects of skin rash, edema) before I add the Herceptin. I want to enjoy this time of year and all the Christmas festivities as much as possible. In my next treatment on December 31st I will take the combination of Herceptin and Taxotere. I have to take the drug Herceptin for one year - 17 treatments, spaced 3 weeks apart. I expect it will be early March before I undergo surgery. I so want to go with Alice to Canmore the last week in March so hope I am up to it by then.

Sonja's last day of classes was yesterday. She has a big exam tomorrow, one next Wednesday, and one next Friday. Then she will have finished her first semester at the U of A!! She has taken a break from her part-time job for study and for a Christmas holiday. I'm glad for that as she has been so busy.

Aina is up to her eyeballs in audits, reviews, studying for her CA. Trevor is under the pressure of not only a new job but of a takeover by Keyera of the company that he was originally hired by. Thankfully they will both have some time off at Christmas.

Kai is finding welding very sporadic, and would like to make a change from the trades. He has a new girlfriend and is back to working out regulary at the gym so is in fairly good spirits. I think he enjoys having Sonja's companionship.

Jarl has had steady work since he started his own company Geospark in July. Rebecca is busy with household chores and caring for and running around after her children. Spencer started playing hockey this year and is very keen. So Rebecca has become a hockey Mom and is in charge of 40 hockey jerseys. This is no small feat when one has a 1-year old to care for. Luckily she has the assistance of good friends, like Launa.

We are looking forward to being with our family for Christmas Eve and Day at Aina's home in Red Deer. It is going to be a sleepover. How exciting!