Wed update

Well, the younger generations of this family are sleeping at the farm tonight. They dismantled grandson's bed and packed it, as well as his dresser, bookshelf, and toy bins, and hauled them to the farm, along with several sewing machines from Daughter's collection.

My horse shoer came out this morning, and put shoes back on Indy so that I can go back to work. As soon as he was finished, I hitched up the horse trailer, and hauled it home, to be used as a moving van. We have a couple more days to use it for that before I go back to work. Saturday will most likely be the earliest I'll actually be working.

Packing up after 15 years is hard. I've started weeding out clothes I haven't worn in more than a year. It will be freecycled. I've been donating books to the elks lodge, and tossing out those that I got from a dumpster behind a bookstore.

We aren't moving all the furniture out of the house right now. We are only moving what will be staying in daughter's home, and the bare minimum needed for husband and I to live in her house. The rest will be arranged to look as good as possible while the house is for sale. We will then rent a portable storage unit to pack it in till our own house is ready. They will bring you the unit, you pack it and they then move it to where you want it, or store it till you need it. We will have them take it to Needville, and have it all ready to put in our new home, once it is assembled on the property.

My skin is improving each day. I've stopped using the gel dressings. There is a small area still to heal, but the gel wasn't staying in place, so it wasn't helping anyway. My hair is very soft, and seems straight, but is a dark dishwater blond. No grey, though.

Pictures of Daughter's house

Here are pictures of my daughter's new house. They turned on the septic system today and put on the skirting around the bottom.

Click on a picture for a closer look.




The garden tub in the master bath

The lower of the 2 sinks...

The taller sink...


The front door, and a close up of the window in it.

Monday update

Happy Birthday to my Mom.

We spent the weekend working at the farm. It was so nice to have the house to retreat to when it got too hot. We still couldn't use the toilets, or shower in the house, as they need to install a breaker for the septic system. That is on the agenda for today. There are several damaged places they need to fix inside the house as well, and the telephone company is sending someone out to give an estimate for running a land line for computer access. We will be taking a step back to dial up, until DSL becomes available in the boondocks. The mobile home people will also be installing the skirting around the house. That should finish everything up. Daughter got her everyday dishes out of the barn, washed them, and put them away in the kitchen.

We spent early Sunday morning chasing the neighbors cows off of our property, and the rest of the morning, and early afternoon repairing the barbed wire fence between our property and the property to our NW. I wish I could have seen the cows when they tried to come back across the fence...

The trenches are dug for the conduit for the well, and the waterline to the storage barn. I tried to figure out what I needed to buy to complete these 2 jobs, but husband was mowing, and I kept getting too hot, so, though I pulled out a bunch of used PVC pipe, I never finished figuring out what I needed to buy... I guess I'll try again today.

My skin is almost normal again. I've lost about 11 lbs on my diet too. WHoo Hoo! I heard back on testing Indy, and I can go back to work as soon as I get shoes put on him. He passed with flying colors!!!

I'm including several pictures of my skin as it healed, and the cake for my party, as well as one of the house.

Sat.AM...

Well, the AC problem was a breaker that was mis-marked. The repair man came out, found and flipped the switch, and everything was good. The well got hooked up yesterday, but, when they put the 2 halves of the house together, they neglected to hook the water lines for the kitchen up to the rest of the house. We have water in the bathrooms and mud room, but not yet in the kitchen. That is supposed to get fixed today.

I have someone coming out to pick up one of Janet's horses today. Yeah!!! This is the TB gelding with the panic and tying problems. Now if the man who wants Miss A would just get her...

My skin is almost healed! A few more days of hydro-gel dressings and I'll be great! My diet is working too. I've had to start on Alieve for my back though. Tylenol Arthritis only relieves pain, it isn't an anti-inflammatory, so I've started taking 2 Alieve in the AM, and TA in the PM, at bed time. Yesterday was much better. I didn't finish the day in pain.

Sleeping at ...

My daughter called this morning. The AC in the new house isn't working. They were OK with ceiling fans, and open windows, till it started raining. They are coming to fix it tomorrow. The well will be hooked up on Saturday. Then all we will lack is a land phone line. We need that for the computers. Our cell phones work out there, even in the middle of the pasture, so though it looks like the middle of no where, we aren't that far away from town.

Sleeping at the farm...

Daughter, son-in-law and grandson are spending the night in their new house at the farm tonight. They have electric, and the AC is working. They took the TV/VCR from our bedroom, and several VHS tapes. The septic is hooked up, but there is no running water hooked up to the house yet. They have a quote for hooking up the water, but not a date. The electric company is coming out tomorrow, and the telephone company on Monday.

We need to move the dirt pile over some this weekend, so that it isn't in a direct line between the well and the new house.

My skin is improving every day. A few more days, and it will be all healed up. Yeah!!!! I'm feeling more like myself everyday. I've lost almost 10 lbs on my diet too. I can fit into my boots for riding at work. I rode in them on Sunday when I tested Indy for work.

I'm going to start packing up stuff in my room that I won't be needing for a while, and stuff that I don't want, I'll toss or Freecycle.

We are leaving some of the furniture in the house till it sells. I've been told houses sell better when there are some furnishings in place. We are going to sleep on the air bed we bought right before my surgery while we are living in the new house, rather than draining and moving our water bed. That, with Mike's dresser, our nightstands, and the closet in the room, should be all we need till we can get our own mobile home. When we sell this house, We'll get a PODS for the furniture we won't need until we have our own house ready to furnish. I want to buy 2 single foam mattressed beds, tie the bed frame legs together, and use king sized spreads and blankets. That way, when Mike is off shore, I can just change one side of the bed.

Little Moon Farm...

We will be moving to the farm soon. They have hooked up the power and septic. We need to get the water hooked up. The AC man is coming out tomorrow, to install the unit on Daughter and Son-in-Law's new home. They put up a mail box on Saturday, so that we can start to receive mail out there. All 4 of the electric accounts are in my name. Daughter needs to change the one for the house to her name. That way, when they go to enroll grandson in school, they will have a utility bill in their name to show as proof of living in district. That is the excuse that the school board used for side stepping the issue of grandson's long hair.

The only problem we haven't figured out yet is Internet access. We need a local phone line installed, and they can't tell us how much that will cost, because they need to come out and see... There is no DSL out there, we will be stuck with dial up most likely. That will be hard on daughter's business, as they need to download large photo files from different photographers, and that is nearly impossible with dial up.

I've been going round and round with the electric company that reads the meters. They had their own lock on our gate. We interlocked the 2 of them. That way they could get in to read the meters, and we could get in to feed, ETC. Well, one afternoon I arrived to feed and was locked out. The meter reader had not interlocked the 2 locks, just locked the gate with their lock, and I couldn't get in. Needless to say, I was very angry. I called and they radioed the meter reader on that route, so that he could come back, but it took at least 30minutes for him to return. I had him take his lock with him, telling him to send postcards, and we would read our own meters. WELL... They don't DO that any more. I called someone in the meter department to give him the combination to our lock, but he hasn't called me back.

My skin is healing up well. There are still some pretty bad spots, but now it is mostly spots, and not the whole area of my right breast, armpit, and underarm to my elbow, like it was. I have the gel dressings, but I'm only using them during the day when I'm moving around, to prevent and treat chaffing. I've slept the last 2 nights without them.

I went out and bought 4 new bras the other day. I'm going to throw away the old ones. They are worn out and stained from the marks from radiation. I'm sewing cheese cloth onto the elastic of the new ones, to prevent problems with the latex in the elastic. I can wear them without it about 4-5 times, but after that, the rubber in the elastic starts to peek through the elastic, and I start to break out, and chafe. That is not a good thing.

follow up...

My party was a blast, though there weren't many people there. We ate, and ate, shot off fireworks, and ate some more.

The shoer came out early, and had Birdie almost finished by the time I arrived. This wasn't good, because he trimmed him way too short, and Birdie is in too much pain to ride. I would have done better taking him with his raggety, chipped up feet. On the other hand, Indy did very well on his test for Mounted patrol, so I guess I'll be returning to work soon.

My Party & etc

I'm having a party to celebrate the end of my cancer treatment, and the return of my unrestricted life. If you know me in real life, and you know where the farm is, or have my cell phone number, and want to come to the party, call me on my cell for directions, or just come on out. We are gathering starting at 2:00 this afternoon. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, watermelon, home made potato salad, fresh strawberries, cake, soft drinks, and, after dark, fireworks.

I'm so happy to be finished with my treatment! YEAH!!!!! I just have to get my skin healed up, and regain the rest of my strength, (and lose the 20 pounds I gained during chemo).

I have a horse shoer coming out this afternoon to trim up feet, and put shoes back on Birdie's front feet. I'm going to go test Bird and Indy tomorrow, for going back to work. They said, because I'm a long time employee, and they know I can ride, that they will go easy on some of the test. I hope we are up for this...

Thursday 7/16/08

We went to the school board meeting last night, and Daughter, Son-in-Law, a lawyer, and a member of AIM spoke to them about Grandson's hair, and the spiritual significance of long hair to Native American Males, as well as reminded them of the Federal Laws they would be violating if they stood firm on this issue. The School Board sidestepped the issue by saying that since we haven't taken up residence in Needville yet, and haven't enrolled Grandson in school, that it is a non-issue. We will be moved onto the property by the end of the month, but this means we need to start over again at square one as soon as we take up residence. What a waste of time and energy. I guess they think we are going to just dry up and blow away in the next 30 days because we don't yet reside in Needville. I don't think so. The Department of Justice wrote a letter to the superintendent. We don't know what it said, but when Son-in-law mentioned it to Curtis Rhodes last evening, he wasn't happy.

On another note, Rosie isn't PG. The vet palpated her, and when he found nothing, he ultra sounded her. Still nothing. He said, as there were no follicles on her ovaries, she most likely had just cycled off her heat. This fit with her reactions on Wednesday, when we brought her home. She was fully in season, and trying to lure the geldings to her. He said she could have been in foal from her first heat with the stallion, not produced enough progesterone for the embryo to implant, re-sorbed it, and just been coming into season for the second time when she was removed from the stallions pen, several days before we picked her up.

Ringing the bell...

I'm finished! My life is my own again! I'll never again take it for granted, or forget a mammogram, but, for now, I'm cancer free, and ready to return to my life. I rang the bell at MDACC today, and gave everyone "Kisses"by Hershey's, as a small celebration. I'm going out to dinner with some of my oldest friends tonight, and have a party planned for Saturday, at the farm that includes fireworks.

I'm including several pictures of ringing the bell, and a couple of how my hair is growing in. One was taken last month, and one was taken today. It is darker than it used to be, but it hasn't gotten sun bleached yet. It isn't grey, and seems pretty straight, so far.

Kitten blues...

My daughter-in-law brought 2 kittens out to the farm last month. One disappeared, never to be seen. The other one, a cute, grey tabby male named Bandit, has latched onto my grandson, and they have spent the last 2 weekends together. The kitten even slept on his cot. Friday, I noticed grandson has ringworm on his face, shoulder, stomach, arm and leg. The kitten is the obvious suspect. I called Daughter-in-law to give her a heads up since the kitten was one of several she acquired at the same time, and I wanted her to be aware. She wasn't happy, thinking I was accusing her of letting an infected kitten go at the farm. I told her that it may have gotten the fungus out there, I just wanted her to know... Fast forward to today. I went out to feed, and the kitten is coughing, and sneezing, with a snotty nose. I called my daughter, and she says needs the vet ASAP and could die anyway. I call Daughter-in-law, and she says dose with baby cold med. I ask her to take care of it. She drives out to the farm, picks up Bandit, and drives away, without saying a word to me, just waved as she drove off. I think she maybe angry with me, but I don't need sick, unvaccinated cats at the farm, and I certainly don't need to get ringworm while my skin is already in such a mess.

My last treatment is tomorrow! Yeah!!! I get to ring the bell in the radiation treatment area. I rang the one in chemo when I finished there, but I wasn't through then, now I'm DONE!!! I don't need to go back until October, when I have my 6 month post surgery check, followed by Mammograms, etc as followup/prevention, etc.

I'm ready to get my life back! Thank-you God for the rest of my life!

Friday...

Well, it looks like Rosie may not be pregnant. She was showing signs of being in season when we went out to feed yesterday. After feeding everyone, and worming ours, we put her out with the herd. The geldings surrounded her, and herded her to the far corner of the pasture, so I think they will work to keep the 2 mares from fighting.

I've made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon, with the local vet, to get Buttercup's teeth floated, and get her a rabies shot. I'm also taking Rosie to be checked. If she isn't in foal, I'll have the vet check for any reason why she might not have "caught".

I only have 1 more radiation treatment! I just hope my skin doesn't take too long healing up. I need to get back to work, but can't do that until I can "bounce" without pain. Right now, just the thought is painful.

...picking up Rosie

Well, we picked up Rosie, and delivered the memory books to Janet's sister, but we didn't take the old, blind, mare to be put down. She has started eating, gained back most of the weight she has lost, and has stopped fretting. They are going to build her a run off of her stall, where she can become familiar, and move in and out as she wishes, without the other horses stealing her feed, or kicking at her. Only one of hers is really a bully, but he is an 18+ hand Belgian draft horse. That is a lot of bully.

I've put Rosie in with the old mare, Buttercup for the night. I don't know how she will do with Miss A, so she is regulated to a small paddock, until we can get Miss A gone.

...picking up Rosie, etc.

Tomorrow I'll be going with a friend to pick up Rosie at the breeders. We will be taking one of her old, blind, horses to Texas A& M for euthanasia. Her horse has been losing her sight for a while now, but when it finally went, the mare started fretting, and she stopped eating. My friend had an old, blind stallion, who was blind for years and did fine, but this horse doesn't have the same temperament, and can't relax and enjoy life, so it is time to give her peace.

Rosie has been at the breeders for over 2 months, and has spent that time in the same turn-out with him, so if she isn't pregnant, something is wrong somewhere... We are stopping at Waller equine hospital, on our way back to town, to have her checked, and hormone levels tested. If her levels are out of wack, she will be given a shot to help her maintain her pregnancy.

I'll be getting up at 5:00AM, to get my treatment at 6:45, so that I can be at my friends house at 8:00 AM, my normal getting up time. This will be my second "BOOST" treatment. I'll have just 3 treatments left after that. I'm counting down...

Almost finished!!!

I have only 6 more radiation treatments. One more the same as I've been getting, and 5 of a different sort, in a different position. My skin is a mess. I'm sensitive to tapes, and where they have taped over marks on my skin, I've broken out in a rash. I'm putting Hydro cortisone on it, and Gel-Magic pads, which helps, but it will be a while before I'm all healed up.

I'm going to have a party to celebrate finishing up my treatment. The last one will be Monday July 14. On July 19, I'm holding a party at the farm. We will grill Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Sausage, etc, with potato salad, beans, watermelon, a cake, and after dark fireworks!

This weekend we fenced off the area between the barn and the small pasture. This is so that we could put the old mare in this small area, and the other horses in her pasture. They are supposed to be pouring foundations for my daughter's mobile home this week, and now they won't have to worry about horses helping, or getting out. Moving out to the farm is getting closer...

I've been working on a memory book about my friend Janet, who died suddenly back in May. I've been saving email notes from different SCA lists, and I've compiled them into 7 two sided pages, and 2 one sided pages, plus 1 two sided page of pictures from different SCA events she rode in. I'm making 4 copies, 1 for her husband, James/Telbyrn, 1 for her parents, 1 for her sister who lives here in town, and 1 for myself.

update...

I'm getting close to the end of my treatments. I'm having some trouble with skin lesions. I look like a road map with all the marks on me. Some are red, some blue, and some green. They cover them at critical spots with a clear tape, to try and keep them from rubbing off. The ones in the treatment area are causing an allergic reaction, and I have sores along the edges of the tape. I have a jar of stuff called Aquaphor, that I can use to help, but it wasn't helping. When I saw my Dr Tuesday, He prescribed 2.5% cortisone cream, and they gave me some Gel-Magic dressings to go over the sore areas. These are helping, but now, when I change the gel dressing, I have to be very careful to peel off the gel, without peeling off the tape. It isn't easy.

I'm still trying to get rid of my friend Janet's horses. Her husband, James, thinks he found someone to buy Miss A, but I can't get the buyer to respond to my email, and I'm not giving him directions to the farm without talking to him first. We are keeping the 30 year old mare, as we have a soft spot for grumpy, old, Appaloosa mares, but want the others gone before we bring Rosie home from the breeders.

ambush journalism

As I mentioned before, my Native American grandson has never had his hair cut. He is due to start Kindergarten in the fall, and his parents aren't going to cut his hair. This has caused them to be at cross purposes with the Needville School District dress code. They were interviewed by the local Fox news station, and will be featured in an article in the upcoming Houston Press issue. My Son-in-law was interviewed by phone last Friday, on a public radio station show, called" people of the earth", a Native American talk show.
Yesterday, while I was at MDACC getting my radiation treatment, I got a phone call from my daughter. She was hoping I was almost home, as she had received a frantic call from my son-in-law that ABC channel 13 news had a crew at the house to interview them regarding Grandson's hair. She was at work, and was leaving to go home, but was hoping I would get there first. It didn't happen. I had to see the Doctor, and my regular Dr was out of town, so I was seeing another one, and he had his own patients to see as well, so it was taking longer than normal, plus he gave me a prescription for the sores I've been developing on my radiated skin, so I had to wait on the pharmacy.
By the time I got home, they were gone. I found out that they showed up with no warning, and my 5 year old grandson opened the door, while his father was dozing through Barney. They entered the house, and were standing in the entry way when my son-in law came around the corner to check on why it was taking so long to go "potty". What was upsetting to all of us was the state of the family room where they filmed the segment. I've been under treatment for Cancer since October of last year, so I haven't been feeling my best, and my daughter works full time, as well as manufacturing corsets in her spare time. We have an active 5 year old in the house, and we are also trying to get packed up to move. The place was a wreck! The other interviews were held at the farm for that reason, as well as not wanting to advertise where we live. We were very upset that they hadn't arranged with us about when and where we would meet. They had called right before they arrived, but no one answered, so they just went to the door... My husband called the station and gave them an ear full about it. I call it ambush journalism.

On a positive note, there have been over 60 comments on their website, and the majority have been supportive. If you are interested, go to ABC channel 13 Houston news , and you can view the video, and read/make comments