Busiest Shopping Day of the Year - But Not For Us!!

It's the Friday after Thanksgiving and we are home preparing for Christmas. I am getting the house ready to decorate for Christmas and Don has settled down for his long winter's nap. I think all of that driving yesterday caught up with him this afternoon. So, while he's napping I have decided to do something quiet, and what better than to decorate the blog. I think the tree will wait for another day.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We were on the road this morning before the sun was up, headed to Aunt Vickie's and Uncle T.C.'s house to share Thanksgiving with Don's family. This is a tradition we have kept for most of our 26 years of marriage and we were happy to be in Century again this year. It was such a nice family gathering, filled with immediate and extended family members enjoying many, many different dishes. Aunt Vickie out did herself again. The batteries were not charged in my camera so I was unable to take all of t he pictures that I wanted. Below are a few taken during the day.

Don's shakes even made the trip and were blended right there amongst all of the yummy Thanksgiving treats. Who knows where the blender will travel next. He felt great all day and even drove the entire trip, to and from Florida, about 7 hours total!!
Ashley, Drew, and Douglas ready to go. Ashley and Drew were sharing an Ipod and singing along with the music...due to their off-key signing, this is probably the last time Douglas smiled during our ride to Florida!
A serene path.
Enjoying our day in the country.
Erin and Ashley enjoying the horses. Ashley was actually scared of Uncle T.C.'s horses which I find interesting since she took horse back riding lessons and even rode in competition when she was in high school. What's up with that girl? (In the picture below of all the children lined up on the porch, Ashley and Erin are the two little girls on the left - my how they've grown!)
Ashley and Don sharing a moment.
The horse whisperer.
Ashley and Deanna cleaning the kitchen. It was so nice to have help in the kitchen from the younger girls!

Call from the Doctor's Office

Last night we got a call from Dr. Regenstein's nurse regarding Don's appointment on December 3rd. The day before each appointment he gets a blood test so that the results are ready and waiting for the doctor when we get there. When we left with the lab request after his last appointment, the doctor had not requested the test that measures his cancer marker and we were a bit disappointed. During the conversation with the nurse, I told Don to ask her if we could add that test to the lab sheet and she said go ahead and do it. So, if you recall, this is the test done in early September that showed his marker went from 55,000 to 3,600 after three months on the Nexavar. When this test is done next week, it will be almost three months since the last one and we are praying that the news is as good as last time. Oh, what a gift that would be. Now, we just have to wait. Fortunately, we will have the Thanksgiving Holidays and our visit to Florida to distract us!

Drew made it home and said he had a wonderful time in Pennsylvania once he got used to the cold weather. His flight came through Atlanta and he said the weather was really rough for a while but calmed down after about 45 minutes. It's good to have him home again!

Say a Little Prayer...

Drew has been in Pennsylvania since last Wednesday visiting his friend Paul at Lehigh University. Since he has been gone, all I have heard on the news is how much it has been snowing, lake effect snow (which I don't quite understand but seems to be worse than regular snow), and the freezing conditions where it is reported to be 27 degrees today. Drew called and said he has never experienced such cold in his life. I tried to tell him before he left that his southern blood is not thick enough for such conditions and I think he understands now what I was saying. So, please say a little prayer for his safe return later today to the comparably balmy winters of New Orleans, where our high for the day will be 70 degrees.

Speaking of cousins, what a pair!!

Whitney called today and said she was going to be coming in from LSU to visit with the family and spend some quality time with Douglas. I previously posted a picture with all of the cousins when they were young. These two are to the far right in that picture, sitting next to each other which has been their way since they were babies. More likely than not if there is a family function, these two are together! Douglas and his friend, Geremy, even went to the mall with Whitney to do some shopping - that's unbelievable.
We grilled hamburgers this afternoon and all ate a nice meal together. It is so nice having the Godwin girls close enough for a visit now and then. Left to right, Douglas, Whitney, Geremy, Lynette, and Don.

Being Thankful

This morning Don and I were discussing Thanksgiving's past and our many, many trips to Aunt Vicki and Uncle T.C.'s house in Century, FL. During these visits we were able to visit with Don's extended family where our kids were able to forge relationships with aunts, uncles, great aunts and great uncles, first cousins, second cousins, and cousins once removed. We have had such good times and made so many memories and are very thankful for all of the years we have had with each and everyone of our relatives. This picture was taken around 1990 or 91 with our children, Ashley, Drew and Douglas and their cousins who to this day all have very close relationships. From left to right are Ashley, Erin (first cousin once removed), Drew, Amber (second cousin), Jenna (second cousin), Douglas and Whitney (second cousin).
Is it my imagination or is Douglas looking adoringly at Drew???!!!!
Our kids loved to pose like this and we have several pictures of them piled up in different locations. I think I'll try to get them to recreate this pose one more time while we are in Florida!

Can't Keep a Good Man Down!!!

Well, he's back. After being under the weather for over a week things are looking up. We reduced his chemotherapy Sunday evening and he has progressively gotten better during the week. Tonight I was moving some furniture in the living room and before I knew it, he was right there with me. We finished the move and I saw him on his hands and knees under the piano - when I asked what he was doing he told me puttying the windowsills so he could paint them tomorrow. The living room is where we stored everything while we repaired the house after Katrina so there is quite a bit of touching up to be done - hopefully, we'll get it all done before Christmas.

Don continued to take his shakes throughout his illness. Although he did not have much of an appetite during the last week and a half, the shakes kept him well nourished and contributed to his speedy recovery.

Why Couldn't She Just Play Piano????

Last night we visited Lisa and Chad Umbach, friends from De La Salle. Chad is going to rebuild my mother's home in Lakeview and we were there to hopefully get our ducks in a row on the rebuild. It was a nice visit and it was good to see Lisa doing so well after her own health crisis.

We were talking about cooking and Don told them we would be cooking the ducks Ashley brought home from her hunt this weekend. Lisa was shocked that Ashley goes hunting as much as she loves animals. When we got home, Ashley was at the house ready to share some pictures of her latest hunt. So Lisa, these are for you. It's all because of her father...I took her to piano lessons but HE took her hunting!!!

Hunting buddies.
Goby was looking up and wimpering so Ashley turned to check out the cause of the crying.
Ashley said she cried a little too when she looked up and saw this flock of geese a little too far out of range.

Over the River and Through the Woods

What a difference a good night's sleep can make! Don and I both slept through the night with no interuptions - what a treat. I got up early and he continued to sleep until 9:30 AM so I know he was well rested. His upset stomach subsided somewhat but is still lingering just enough to make him leary about going to far from home. We did go to a play at the Rivertown Theater here in Kenner, Over the River and Through the Woods, about two sets of Italian grandparents in Hoboken, NJ doing what they could to prevent their 29 year old, single grandson from taking a promotion and moving to Seattle. It was a dramatic comedy, hilariously funny but oh so sad at the same time. Unfortunately, we were sitting in the first row and I was crying early on during the performance, much earlier than most of the audience. I was wiping a tear from my eye with a tissue when I noticed the actor playing the 29 year old staring at me from the stage--how embarrassing. He was probably thinking what a kook I was because the play had not even gotten to the REALLY sad part yet! It was a very good and we both enjoyed it alot, even if there was a tear or two shed.

Don was still not happy about the way he was feeling so we decided to tweak his chemotherapy and reduce the dosage to half of what he is taking now. We will try this for a week and see if we can get him back on track so he can start getting out of the house again. Our next adventure will be a visit to Aunt Vickie's and Uncle T.C.'s house for Thanksgiving, our own version of Over the River and Through the Woods!

Calgon Could Not Take Me Far Enough Away!!!

Well, there's only one thing worse than a sick man in the house...two sick men in the house. Don started feeling bad again late last night as a result of the chemo and it was late in the evening before he was settled and feeling well enough to get some sleep. I had no more fallen asleep when Drew woke me to say he was covered in hives and was itching all over his body. I looked at the clock and it was 1:00 AM. Of course, I had no Benedryl in the house so, I got up, got dressed and went to CVS to get some. He was itching so much that he met me at the front door when I returned, took the bag from me and disappeared to medicate himself. I got back in the bed and poor Don woke up sick again! I stayed awake until 5:00 AM listening to him breathe to make sure he was okay. (I'll spare the details of Douglas coming home at 4:00 AM after a night out with the fraternity.)

Don slept until 9:30 this morning without getting sick and woke up a little hungry, which is always a good sign. I fixed breakfast while he read the paper and told me what I was doing wrong! It was then I knew he was feeling better.

When I sat down to have a cup of tea the phone rang. It was Drew calling from his room for some more Benedryl, the itching was back with a vengence and his fingers were so swollen then looked like sausages about to break their casing. More medication and a quick discussion about whether or not he was having trouble breathing and he was knocked out again.

At this point I am wishing for some mind altering medication for myself when Ashley calls from the hunting camp and tells me that the high wind pulled the barge away from the bank and she had to get in the boat and push the barge back against the bank while the men reanchored it. She has to go to work today so she was waiting for a ride back across the Mississippi River in a boat larger than theirs because the wind was too strong for them to cross the river in their boat. As we hung up she told me she loved me and "not to worry"! I grew up hearing horror stories about my Dad crossing the Mississippi while duck hunting...I AM GOING TO WORRY!

It's only 11:30 AM and I have the rest of this glorius day to look forward to...I am looking for an IV drip of that mind altering medication!

On the Road...to Recovery

Don is feeling much better after his run with the virus. He has not had any more fever and is up and around rather than in the bed. On top of the virus, he has been suffering with a severe side effect of the chemo that is really giving him a problem and keeping him close to home. I e-mailed his doctor who gave me a couple of suggestions and said if all else fails we can reduce the chemo to half of what he is taking for a week and see if that helps. We are going to give the doctor's initial suggestions a try for a couple of days before we reduce the medicine. We were able to get out for about an hour today, so that is better than nothing. Thanks to those who have called to check on him, we both appreciate your concern!

Under the Weather

Don woke up yesterday and said he did not feel right and rested in bed most of the day. I had a hair appointment late in the afternoon and when I returned at 5:00 he was in bed with a 102 degree fever. He looked awful and felt the same way. I gave him Tylenol, put a cool cloth on his forehead and before long he was sleeping. Douglas had a virus last week and I guess Don caught the bug.

This morning there is no fever and he says he feels better, not good but better. I'll keep you all posted as he gets better.

I must say thanks to the girls we talked to about his shakes, Maryanne and Cindy. I e-mailed Maryanne to let her know I would not be participating in an evening phone call because I was upset about Don. Maryanne called me immediately and then got Cindy, a nurse and nutritionist, on the phone. Cindy told me what I could give Don to keep him hydrated and give him a boost to fight the bug. I also want to thank Marie for being so understanding. Thanks girls!

C'mon Baby Light My Fire

When we rebuilt our fireplace after Katrina, the ceramic logs were never quite right. Today we went to the fireplace store and bought the correct products to make the fire radiate from the gas logs and sparkle like a real fire. When we got home Don got right to building the fire!

Checking it out.
Join us by the fire.

Touring the Northshore

While we were on the Northshore, we took a ride to Abita Springs to look for some furniture. While we were there we drove through town to look at some property my mother owns just outside of town. It was a beautiful drive through the country.
We came back home across the Causeway, the 24 mile bridge across Lake Pontchartrain.
Rain showers over the lake.
Now, those of you who know me well, know how much I hate bridges, especially the Causeway. Don was not up to having his picture taken today so I thought I would get a quick shot of him while he was driving on the bridge. Just as I snapped the picture, this is what he does - takes both hands off the wheel and screams like he is crashing...he really thought he was funny. Me, not so much.

Meeting Olivia

Today we took a ride to Slidell to meet Susan and Glenn's newest granddaughter, Olivia. She is a beautiful, sweet baby girl.
How sweet is she??
I must still have that magic touch...could be that she was really tired when we got there!

Lunch with the Triche's

We met Susan and Glenn Triche for lunch today at Catfish Charlie's in Hammond. We ate a delicious catfish lunch and Don had a ribeye which he really enjoyed. I took cute pictures at the restaurant and now that I am ready to post them, none of them are on my camera. This is the third time this has happened and I am DONE. I told Don it's time for a new camera but I am not sure what I want. Any suggestions are welcome. Susan sent this picture that she took...obviously she does not have the same problems that I have. Susan and Glenn gave me a bikini apron for my birthday-I think Don likes it!

A Visit From the Harris Boys

Jack getting a little rocking from Uncle D. Drew was the seat of choice for watching Sunday morning cartoons.
Who says Jack goes to bed at 6:30 - too much commotion at the Walker's to go to bed early!