Bill and I spent most of the day watching TV and reading.  We watched some of the things we had DVRed.  Bill is almost done reading Total Control by David Balducci.  Bill has been keeping our fireplace going and it's been nice and toasty in here.
Bill did not go to the Scout Recognition Dinner today.  Just as he got up to go get ready he developed the kind of stomach problems that require staying close to the bathroom.  What a shame.  Instead of having Prime Rib he got to stay home with me and have Tilapia and Mashed Potatoes.  I tried to make something that would be easy on his stomach.
Speaking of food, I placed a PeaPod order for delivery tomorrow.  That is such a great convenience.  Thank you Stop and Shop.
Chloe loves attention and tries her best to get between you and whatever your doing that is taking the attention away from her.  When Bill kisses me goodnight I'm sitting in my recliner and Chloe jumps up in my lap and gets between us.  It's like she wants a kiss too and she is trying to lick Bill's face.  It makes Bill laugh. When I'm on my laptop, she gets fed up and gets in my lap and nudges it away.  If I'm watching too much TV she gets in my sight line.  She is so cute.
Tomorrow Julies comes again.  We decided that Julies would like it better not to have to come on weekends.  So we will do Monday, Tuesday and Fridays.  Works for me.  This coming week will be week four Julies has been working with me.
I have to say that my midsection has been very sore lately.  I've been taking my pain meds to control it.

Got up at 5:40 a.m. to go to an Eagle Watch in Haddam.  The Audibon Society there guides it.  I picked up Sherry and Mom and then met Laurie and two other ladies in our Red Hat Ladies group.  Then we went on to Waterbury to pick up my friend Linda and another Lynda in our group.  Mom, Sherry, Linda and Lynda rode in my car.  We were a cozy group since really my car only seats four comfortably.  There were three in the back seat, but nobody seemed to mind.  We got to Haddam by 8:30 a.m.  The Eagle tour took us through Haddam, Chester and Essex.  Then we had a nice lunch at Oliver's in Essex.
I think I jinxed everybody.  We didn't see any Eagles.  Just like I didn't see any Whales on the Whale Watch I went to in Mexico. 
One reason we didn't see Eagles was it was very windy.  So windy that I came home with windburn on my face and lips.  We laughed saying that the Eagles were hunkered down in a tree somewhere watching us stupid humans standing out in the wind looking for them.
I made a big boo-boo.  I made arrangements for Bill to go to the Scout Recognition Dinner at Villa Bianca.  He was supposed to be there at 4:00 p.m.  He calls me from Villa Bianca saying there was only three cars in the parking lot and was I sure it was 4:00 p.m.  So I pulled up the poster for it.  We finally figured out the dinner was tomorrow, not today.  So Bill came home and was pretty nice about it.
I was having headaches and backaches so Bill made franks and beans with green beans for supper.  Nice and simple.

Today Julies and I got the rest of the desk cleaned off and a few more boxes sorted.
We were met with an unexpected snow storm and got about 4 inches.  We were expecting rain since we are near the shore and that is what the weatherman predicted.  Silly us for believing him.
Feeling much better today.  I think it was the steroids wearing off that made me so tired.  For those of you who have had to step down off of Prednizone, you will understand.  You are not supposed to just go cold turkey off of steroids and that is what I did.  I guess my oncologist didn't really think about that.

Did some laundry today and not much else.  Julies comes tomorrow.  Resting up to work with her.  Talked to two of my sisters today.  Jane and I are playing tag with trying to get together and Sherry and I are going to an Eagle Watch on Saturday morning.  Mom is coming with us too.  We are all in a Red Hat Ladies group.  That will be all I can handle for the day so Bill will be going to the Housatonic Council Recognition Dinner by himself. 

Bill came with me to my appointment for the results of my CT scan and echocardoigram.  The CT scan showed there has been no change.  This is a good thing.  I am stable.  Dr. Orell said that the CT scan does not show whether the lesions on my liver are active cancer or dead cancer.  So things could be better.  I had to make an appt. with the cardiologist though.  Adriamycin, my chemo, can cause heart problems.  The electrocardiogram showed that the right side of my heart is not squeezing as much as it should.  Because this can just be a test hiccup, I will have more testing before we resume chemo.  If it turns out my heart is being affected, we will have to find a different chemo.
We had a nice visit with Aunt Helen.  I brought her up to date with everything going on in our family.  She really enjoyed it and was very bright and cheery today.  Just before we left though, she told me she went to Whitney Houston's funeral.  She wore a very big gold wristwatch with large numbers on it and while she was walking down the aisle in the church, someone stole it off of her.  Oh boy.  I'm sure she is projecting what she has seen on TV. 
She does love her home health aide.  She told me it's the best decision she ever made and that Jackie is very good to her.
Chloe is so cute and she is very good.   She has settled into our household well.  She's completely house trained (and so are we).  She brings us a lot of joy.  Look at those ears.
I got good news about about Elaine, Sybil's friend, she is awake and recognizes her sister.  A good sign.
Bill checked out Dale's 3rd floor apt.  The tenant left and Dale wanted to make sure the electric and heat were still working.  They are.  Bill also replaced an outlet that wasn't working.  But it turned out that it must be a problem with ground in the circuitry somewhere.  Dale is calling his electrician friend.

I went for my electrocardiogram this morning.  I had to be at the hospital by 8:00 p.m.  The woman who did my test was very nice.  I told her that the other times I've had this test that it hurt immensely when they push on my liver trying to get a shot of my heart under my rib cage.  She told me she wouldn't have to even do that for what the Dr. wants to know about my heart.  That was a relief.  She had to do a lot of manipulation on my left side though because she said my heart was laying on it's side.  Only me with this weird stuff.
Today Julies and I started the piles on my desk.  We can actually see the top of the desk!  My plan is to sell my executive desk with the matching bookcase for about $15o.00.  We paid 2 1/2 times more for them.  The desk top has always had a clear protector on the top so it is in good shape.  So is the bookcase.
Once the office is cleaned up, then we will switch the guest room back to the bigger bedroom and put the office back in the small bedroom.  That will give Mike and Amy and the kids a lot more room when they come stay here.
Tomorrow I find out how my cancer is doing.  I'm praying hard to God that there is a good outcome.  He has answered so many of my prayers already.  Bill is taking the day off to come with me.  I told him he didn't have to, but he said he really wanted to.  Besides he has a lot of time coming to him from work.  Great to have him coming with me.

Bill fitted the headboard of our bed with 3 1/2 inch risers.  I have been having a lot of trouble with acid reflux.  I had to use pillows to prop myself up to sleep.  I measured the bed and the foot was 2 inches higher than the head of the bed.   Since Bill put the risers on I've had no more trouble. Yay for Bill.
Julies came today and we really got started on the back office.  When our 2 hours were up there was more floor space than I've seen in a very long time.  The stress is lifting with every visit by Julies.  She is a really nice girl too.  AND she didn't run for the hills when I opened the door to the office.  It was a real challenge that didn't scare her off.  Kudos Julies.  God has blessed me with her.

We didn't accomplish much today.  We stayed home and did not much of anything.  At least I did start to have more energy in the afternoon and started cleaning up the kitchen. 

Tonight is our fundraiser Sweetheart Dance to benefit the Boy Scouts.  I decided to take the afghan I made for the Door Prize to set-up at 1:00 p.m. at Warsaw Park.  I am not going to the dance at all because I'm just too tired to drive at night by myself.  Bill is going to a retirement dinner for the Chief of Police in Easton.  It's at the Stone Barn in Monroe.
There are so many to thank for carrying on with the dance without me there.  Robin, Linda, Michelle, Christine, Joanne, Chuck, Theresa, Alcyne, Royce, Carole.  This is our 20th year.  Especially Brad and Flashback for playing for us for the same amount as they did 20 years ago.  And Karen of Warsaw Park for all of her help.
I'm just going to hang out at home and rest. 

Today Julies and I emptied the guest room closet.  It now covers the floor in the living room.  It seems to get worse before it gets better.  There are boxes and boxes of pictures.  Some that are 100 years old.  These are a combination of Bill's parents, Bill's grandparents and our pictures.  Bill is going through them to see what we can toss.   We are tossing those pictures with people we don't know and vacation scenery shots of vacations taken by others.  Then we are organizing them by families so we can give them to the people who will appreciate them.  It's amazing how much stuff that one closet held.
I drank the "berry smoothie" contrast starting at 6:30 a.m.    All I can say is BLECH!  That stuff is terrible.  40 oz. of it.  My CT Scan was at 8:30 a.m.  I'll find out the results on Weds.
I tried to take a nap from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. before Julies came but I was interrupted by two telemarketing calls. So much for going on donotcall.gov and registering our number. I was having weird dreams anyway.  Didn't get any REM sleep.
Bill brought home the most delicious lobster bisque that he gets at Swanson's Fish Market.  That was enough for me for dinner. A few Stacy's Pita Chips and I was good.  MMMM.

I had a little pity party today.  I was too tired to go to scouts for the final meeting before the Sweetheart Dance.  I ended up texting last minute instructions to my bff Linda.  Thanks to God for my friends.  Then when Bill came home, I was too tired to even get up and fix myself a plate of leftover pot roast and Bill did it for me.  That's when I started to cry.  I told Bill I felt like I wasn't contributing.  He comforted me and told me that was not true.  Good guy, it made me feel better.
Luckily, the task I had for Julies today was to vacuum the house for me.  That required no interaction with me.  So I just rested in my chair.  I'm hoping this fatigue lets up soon.

I got all of our laundry done, folded and put away today.  
Julies (my H.S. student) and I got the paper goods under control and all the food storage containers and trays in the pantry.  I'm feeling relieved that this is finally going to get done.  Tomorrow she is going to vacuum the whole house and we'll tackle another couple of shelves in the pantry.  Yes!
Bill brought home a lovely bouquet for me.  I made him a pot roast dinner and gave him his favorite candy, Turtles and a card.
Keeping Sybil's friend Elaine in my prayers.  Elaine is in a medically induced coma right now.  They are supposed to bring her out of the coma today or tomorrow.  I'm hoping she will be OK.
This Saturday is the Sweetheart Dance that I used to be chairperson of.  I'm hoping it will be a big success.  The boy scouts need the money for going to camp and on trips.  Unfortunately, Bill and I will be going in different directions.  Bill has a retirement dinner for the Police Chief on Saturday night.
I have so many blessings.
Speaking of blessings I got to talk to my grandchildren today.  They are growing up so fast and I am missing them like crazy.  Tess is really quite the talker now.  It was nice to hear them say Happy Valentine's Day.

More cabinet finds today.  5 Table Talk pie tins that go for $10 and a gingerbread cookie cutter for $10.  Maybe I can make enough to pay for hiring my HS student.   All the lower cabinets and drawers are done. Tomorrow we start the pantry. Oh boy, that is mostly reorganizing, not cleaning. I'm so happy I hired my HS student.
I felt like crap today.  The Neupogen is really causing bone pain in my back.  I've been taking my pain meds all day.  I also started getting a silent migraine.  An Aura of sparkly silver is visible out my left eye.  It's gone now.
My CT Scan is scheduled for Friday and my Echocardiogram is scheduled for next Tuesday.
After my shot I went to Walmart this morning.  We needed a lot of health products.  I bought Chloe 3 new toys.  One of them was destroyed by 5:00 p.m. . . sigh.
Maybe we really will skip winter this year???  Sunshine and temps above freezing. YIPPEE!
Tomorrow I don't have to go to the cancer center, yay, I can sleep in.

Attended the christening of Laura and Matt's little boy, Matthew David Frouge, Jr. today.  Matt Sr. was also baptised.  The service was lovely.  What was even better though, was getting to see all of my family.  I got some cute pics.  Although Matt, Jr. doesn't look too happy here, he was an angel most of the time.  He, like a lot of babies, has hat issues.  He didn't appreciate the cute matching christening suit hat that we attempted to make him wear.  It was so nice having a baby fall asleep in my arms.  It makes me wish my grandchildren lived closer.  My brother Paul's children are growing up so fast.
Being at the christening made me very tired.  I took a nap from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Bill made breakfast for supper.  A very yummy cheese omelet with sausage and English muffin.  MMMM.  He is so good to me.

More Saranac Lake Winter Carnival goings on.  Wyatt and Morgan did the Tire Tube Races yesterday.  Pics below.  The parade was today and luckily the forecast changed from being 1 below to 20 degrees.  One year we were there and it was 5 below.  Our telescoping camera froze.  All the cheerleaders are still in their skimpy uniforms.  They have a group called the lawn chair ladies.  They do a drill team type of routine with the web type lawn chairs.  Pretty cute.  Bill says the men are coming out with a similar group called the canoodles.  They will be do something with canoe paddles.
Luckily in our area the predicted snow came and went.  There is no trace of it now.  The temps didn't drop either.  It's still above freezing.  Thank goodness.
I haven't done much of anything today.  Still recovering from all I did yesterday.  Bill and I are watching TV and are on the internet.

Went for my Neupogen shot this morning.  I got it in the chemo treatment area where I ran into Rudy and Pat Gajdosik.  Friends of ours in scouting.  Rudy is battling emphyzema and lung cancer.  He was having his chemo.  It was good to chat with them.
Then I was off to buy a gift for Matthew David Frouge, Jr.  My niece Laura's little boy.  He is being christened on Sunday.  That required lots of walking at the CT Post Mall so I am completely wasted right now. 
My little  granddaughter Josie is a charmer, her picture is below just because she is so darned cute. 
Then my H.S. student came and we got two more kitchen cabinets and a "way too cluttered" utensil drawer, cleaned and relined.  All contents were organized (and some purged for donation, too).  Guess what we found in the back of the baking cabinet left from my MIL's days? ~ 2 original Frisbie Pie Tins.  I looked them up on Ebay and they are going for more than $150 each.  I don't know if that is what you would get for them, but I was stunned.
Snow is expected tomorrow so I decided not to have my H.S. student drive in it.  She will come on Monday instead.
Bill's cousin, Alvin Davis, III passed away in his sleep last night at 66 years old.  He was a green beret in the Viet Nam war.  Agent Orange really took it's toll on him.  Thanks for his service and may he rest in peace.

Went for my 10:00  a.m. Neupogen shot this morning and then went to have tea with Mom for a little while.  So glad that Mom is in remarkable health.  We caught up on her great grandchildren.  Sammie's recent birthday and Matthew's upcoming Christening. 
Came home and had lunch and now I'm just resting.  Bill calls me every day at 2:00 p.m. to check on me.  Isn't that sweet.  He let me know that Wyatt's picture was posted for winning the Snow Shoe race for his age group.  It is sponsored during Carnival Week by Curtis Lumber and was held at Dewey Mountain.  Wyatt came in first place in the boys 7-9 age group.  Check out Wyatts hat.  It was issued to all the pages in the royal court.  Morgan came in second in the boys 4-6 age group.  WooHoo grandsons.  You did terrific.
I'll probably rest the rest of today.  The steroids I get with chemo just aren't making me feel like super woman like they used to.

Today was my 12th chemo in the series.  So I get a break for two weeks.  I have to go the end of next week and have a CT scan and Echocardiogram done.  The CT scan will show whether the chemo is working and I have shrinkage of the cancer.  The Echocardiogram is to make sure this chemo isn't damaging my heart, which is a possible side affect.  Then I have the follow-up visit on the 22nd to get the results.  My white cell count has been consistently low so I still have to follow-up this chemo with 3 consecutive days of shots of Neupogen.  Neupogen works in the bone marrow to build white blood cells.  The side affect of Neupogen is bone pain.  For me it's mostly lower back pain.  Luckily, Tylenol with Codeine does a bang up job of relieving it.
Texted my BFF Linda just before chemo was over to see what she was up to today.  Didn't notice til I got home that she texted me back about going to the Scout Store in Milford.  I had to admit I was too tired and glad to be home.
Chloe seems to be excited that something has moved in under the pallet that our firewood is stacked on.  She was going crazy sniffing around it.
I was thinking of my sister Sue last night ,since I was up until 3:00 a.m.  All the stuff on the Powell guy killing his wife and children brought her to mind.   What is wrong with people who decide it's all right to take a life.  I'm confident God is looking over her.  I wish she had enough time for Mark to get to know her.  She must be so proud looking down on him and how well he is doing in college.  He has become a good man thanks to my sister Jane and her husband Tim.
Well, it's 3:00 p.m. and that is when the chemo takes charge and tells me I need a nap.  So I've crated Chloe and gone to lay down.  Bill called just before and is going to bring home dinner on his way home from work.  I called my BFF and told her I was too tired to attend the boy scout meeting tonight.  Great friend said she'll take care of all the announcements for our Sweetheart Dance on the 18th.
Today is Dale's birthday ~ Happy Birthday!

A Shelton H.S. student started to work for me today.  She is helping me with odd jobs around the house that take too much out of me to perform myself.  She got two cabinets cleaned inside and out with new shelf paper done today.  Bill (my husband) came home and offered to go get KFC for dinner.  He is wonderful to me.  Even puts up with my needing the house to be around 74 degrees to be comfortable.  He started the fireplace.  The weather has been so warm for the beginning of February.  All my Hyacinths have popped up.  The Pacysandra (sp?) on the side of the house is going to bloom soon.  I hope a sudden snow storm and freezing temps don't kill everything.  Chloe, our dog, wants to spend more time outside.  She is a joy, giving me a smile each day.  I sent Mike (my son) pictures I grabbed from the internet of our oldest grandson as a page in the royal court of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.  The theme this year is Alien Invasion.  Hence the Green Martian costume (pic shown.)   We are so proud of our grandchildren.

It was a wonderfully emotional night.  Bill was chosen to receive the first ever Alumni of the Year Award from the Edmund D. Scout Reservation Alumni Association.  Their purpose is to raise money to put toward Boy Scout Camp to enable the scouts to enjoy things that aren't covered by the camp budget.  One example was a new Copes Course on the property.
Bill did numerous things throughout the years.  He built the Johnson Memorial gateway sign for the entrance to camp.  He was instrumental in the erection of two trailers donated by a bank.  They were combined to make one Scout Training Center.  He worked on the ampitheatre where all the scouts ceremonies are held.  He built the Cook's Cabin.  He worked on the Tierney Lean-To Camp Site.  He built the Women's shower and bathroom in the Tierney Building.  We spent our 10th anniversary at camp while he used heavy equipment to build up the mountain for the backdrop of the Rifle Range.  He built latrines.  No job was too big or too small.  And all so that the Scouts could get as much fun from the camp as he did.
The most special thing of the night is that our son, Mike, drove down from Vermontville, NY, to pay tribute to his Dad.  Bill had no idea that he was coming.  The look on his face when Mike walked up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder was shock and crying.  Our grandson Wyatt was in a coronation ceremony this same night for the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.  It was Wyatt's own special honor that he was chosen by his teachers at school to be a page in the royal court.  So Bill thought that Mike would definitely be at Wyatt's function.  But Mike had decided that there were going to be events throughout the week that Mike would attend for Wyatt.
My sister Joan attended.  How nice it was having her there to celebrate with us.  Joan collected all the newspaper articles about Bill's honor for us ~ thanks Joan.
Michael got up and did such a nice tribute it had both Bill and I crying.  Bill did a wonderful job with his acceptance too.  Mike is staying the night and then leaving after breakfast in the morning.  It will be so nice to see him for just a little while.