This and That and Decisions Made (I Think), blah, blah, blah

DH and I had a rather relaxing day yesterday, watching football and just kicking back. He was all tense for the Vikings game in the evening, I was tense because of my breast cancer BS Wednesday morning. All in all, it was a nice day - relaxing at least - but an annoying day at the same time. I'm sure you've all had days like that. When I finally turned out the lights and tried to get some sleep, I was on schedule to get at least 5-6 hours - pretty normal for me. But I ended up waking up around midnight, went down to the computer, and spent an hour researching the procedure that I'll have done on Wednesday. 

Apparently my possible tumor is located in the 
10:00 position LCC. At least, I know it's the 
10:00 position, but it might be the RCC. I have no 
idea. It is the right breast, so maybe it's higher than 
I thought it was. In any case, the people doing the 
sample will know where they need to aim. 

My major conundrum (and how often do you have the opportunity to say or spell that word?) is whether I would take Claire up on her offer to drive me to and fro tomorrow, or would drive myself. I think I have come to the conclusion that I'll probably drive myself. It's a local anesthetic, and even though the procedure might have some discomfort involved, it shouldn't be anything major. I can get myself home within 30 minutes of getting into my car, and I'll just tumble right into bed and go to sleep. Claire lives on the opposite side of town, so it would be a considerable drive back and forth for her. It was fabulous of her to offer, but I think I'll turn her down. 

Although I really appreciated Claire's offer to drive me to and 
fro from my appointment on Wednesday, it's only a 15 minuted 
drive back home, so I think I'll be just fine doing it on my own. 

I was going to hit the treadmill toady, but simply didn't feel up to it with the short sleep I got. So, I did a somewhat longer morning meditation, took my shower, made my cups of tea and settled down to write this before I have breakfast and head off to work. One good thing, though. The missing part from my treadmill has arrived and they contacted me to get installation scheduled. I'm trying for Friday, but I'll phone them today to get that locked in. As it is, Friday will be quite packed - it's the only day I'll have for cooking this week. 

Oy vey! We'll have to put off our chat again this week. 
By the time we can talk again, there will be so much 
to catch up on, we'll be busy doing that for the full hour! 

Also, Aearwen, I'll have to pass on our weekly chat on Wednesday. As it is, this week looks like a wash and I hope I'll be sleeping when I should be chatting with you. LOL I know you'll understand, but we MUST make it next week. We have TOO much to catch up on! 

Have an excellent Monday and Slava Ukraini. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Good News, Bad News, and a Holiday Get-Together

Yesterday's schedule was taken up by my appointment for my secondary breast exam. I was a bit nervous, as would be expected, but they were so professional and focused and very expert, I at least felt I was in capable hands. After a thorough pressing (women will know exactly what I'm talking about - LOL), I was put into a waiting room while they reviewed the images. Then I was called in and they did a more thorough exam using ultrasound. Well, that one showed a small possible tumor near the exterior side of my right breast. After another thorough exam by a specialist, I now have an appointment for Wednesday to get an "ultrasound guided biopsy". 

Did you play "Marco Polo" when you were young? I 
remember playing it often when I was a kid in the pool. 

There's something about the term "ultrasound guided biopsy" that reminds me of the old swimming pool game of "Marco Polo" that we used to play when we were children. That scattered group of kids calling back and forth to themselves, trying to avoid the one child who had been appointed to tag each of them while blindfolded. Fortunately, in this case, I don't think the technicians will be blindfolded at all - LOL. The possible tumor is 6mm in size, so fairly small, but not as small as I want. Still, nothing to be done about it except to show up on Wednesday and let them do what they need to do. I might have to stay away from the pool for a couple of days while things heal properly, so I guess I'll be on the treadmill a bit more often next week. 

Apparently what they will do is give me a couple of 
numbing shots, then use a larger needle, guided 
via ultrasound, to target the mass so that they can 
get a biopsy. They'll examine the biopsy and let 
me know if this is cancer or if it is benign. Since I'm 
needle phobic anyway, this won't be an appointment 
that I'll be looking forward to. But better to know 
than not, and techniques and treatments have
improved a lot over the last decades. 

Of course, DH barely acknowledged that I had been at the clinic at all, and had no interest in my discussing any of the findings with him. He doesn't deal well with mortality, operating more on the "If I don't think about it, bad things won't happen." mentality. In other words, completely nonproductive. I would have really love a good cuddle last night, I didn't get one. *sigh*

This is absolutely stunning and I'm looking for the 
perfect place to hang it. I adore it and am VERY 
happy with it. Great choice, Sharon! 

But I did get a cuddle from afar. A gift from Sharon (my delayed holiday gift) arrived, and it's simply beautiful! A Celtic seasonal/annual calendar featuring an owl at the center. I've got it strung up and am contemplating where I want to hang it. It was a totally delightful and positive message to receive amidst all of the angst and BS of yesterday. 

I made my next batch of baked fruit and set two larger 
containers aside to bring to the family get-together. I'll 
probably leave one in the car and bring the other into the 
house with me. That'll keep the other one cold. I suspect 
one is all I'll need, in any case, but I'll have a reserve just 
in case. 

Today we have the family holiday get-together. We'll make the final hour of the three hour invitation, and I'm bringing a container (or two) of my baked fruit to share. It's scheduled for 4-7 pm, and the earliest we'll be there will be 5:30-6:00. Oh well, no choices here - it's a Saturday, we have to print out the weekly sales report which is the longer one at the end of the day before we shut the shop computers down for the rest of the weekend. 

So, all of you have a fabulous and fantastic weekend for me. I want lots of positive vibes and reports on Monday morning to brighten my week ahead. *Hugs* to all, Slava Ukraini. 

It's a New Year - Let's Make It a Good One

Happy New Year to all of my friends, relatives and readers. It's the 3rd on January, and after a couple of days off, I'm starting the new year out with a bang. Today is a Friday, so I have the "day off", but I have a 7:45 am appointment for a more thorough mammogram at a breast cancer specialty clinic. We'll see. I have "dense" breasts (not a surprise, I've been told that for decades) and they simply can't see clearly enough to determine if I have a potential problem or not. So, I leave my usual clinic behind and see a specialist this morning instead. 

What a way to start the new year. Still, there are many 
worse ways to start it. I always have issues with my 
mammograms - "dense breast tissue" causes problems 
with visibility. So, we'll see what we see. 

Tomorrow, after work, we head over to my youngest nephew's house for the family holiday get-together. It's only for three hours, and we're only able to catch the final hour or so, but we work at the shop on Saturdays, so we do what we can. I have only been to Joe's house once before, so I'll be relying on Google Maps to get me there - LOL. 

I'll be relying on Google Maps to get me to the clinic 
today and to my nephew's house tomorrow. I've been 
both places once before, but it's been quite a while. 

Then, next week on Friday, I get to go over the the clinic on the western edge of nowhere (not really that far, but it seems like it), and get the first of my every-six-months injections to slow down my bone density losses. Have I mentioned that it really sucks to get older? I'm far from old - I'm active, involved, I'm still in my right mind ... at least most of the time - LOL, and I have all of you to vent to. But time is catching up with me. That hunky dude in the black hooded outfit with a scythe will eventually ask me out on a date that I won't be able to turn down. I hope he's a great dancer, it's one major fail of DH. 

I think I'll postpone that dance with Death 
for a while longer. I'm sure he won't mind. 
He knows he'll win in the end, and everything 
on this Earth (and possibly everything in this 
universe) passes through his hands. That's quite 
the job for a single dude! I'm impressed! 

However, my plans don't include dancing with Death anytime soon. I'm going to try everything I can reasonably do to forestall that eventual meeting. I can't push it off forever, none of us can; and quality of life is just as important as length of life. If I can't feed myself, if my brain has taken a semi-permanent vacation, if I can't READ (that would be horrid beyond thought), then I probably want to climb onto the wheel once again and see what mischief I can get into the next go 'round. But I'm not there yet. No cute guys in black garb around me. I suppose that's all for the best. I don't need an early introduction. Have an excellent Friday, I'll be back tomorrow. In the meanwhile, start your New Year out on a good foot and be kind today. Slava Ukraini. 

It's the Final Day of 2024 - Thoughts and Calendars

Today is the final day of 2024 and I'm heading to the swimming pool in a half-hour or so. It's the end of the year on most calendars we come into contact with, but there are other calendars out there used today that will not reflect this date. That's fine, although it can be a bit confusing sometimes. 

It's the last day of the current year on the calendar 
that we use most frequently here in the USA. 
Do you use a different calendar? Tell us about it. 

I remember when I was quite young, a relative from Israel sent me a calendar for the New Year, and it was a complete revelation to me because it didn't resemble my "normal" calendar at all. It was all in Hebrew, for one thing, but the months and dates were different, and the year was totally different. I thought it odd and rather unusual, as well as rather worthless to my young self. I liked it as an oddity, but never really had any use for it. 

I was quite mystified by the calendar my Jewish 
relatives had sent. I didn't understand it at all, 
and finally gave up and returned to my standard 
calendars with months I recognized and dates 
I could read. 

Calendars frame our lives. We're born on specific dates, and celebrate those dates annually as we progress in age. We track things on calendars - appointments, goals, life-changing events, etc. We sometimes look back at old calendars to see if we have progressed in one or another thing. I keep the photo pages that I love, because the calendars that I purchase annually have some outstanding photography. 

I choose my calendars because of their 
images. I have five calendars that I 
use daily, and one at the shop. All of them 
have wonderful photographs that I adore. 

So we're at the end of the calendars for 2024, and almost ready to begin the calendars for 2025. Will things really change that much? It's unlikely. You'll still head to your job within the week, you'll still deal with cooking and grocery shopping, you'll still dry a child's tears or exchange hugs with a good friend. In other words, life will continue. The only thing that will change is the date that we write on entries like this one, or on notes or physical checks to pay bills. But, you have an opportunity, today, to look back over the past year and say, "Yes. I liked this part of my year", or "No, I don't think I want to repeat that experience again." In other words, we can change our future based on the experiences of the past. 

When you look back at the past year, look at all of it - the 
good and the bad. You'll find that the good is much more 
than the bad, and the bad existed only to show you how much 
you had that was good in your life. Be kind to yourself. You've 
made it through another year and are beginning a new one. 
The possibilities are limitless. 

Today, I urge you to look at the past year - the good and bad, the happy and the sad. Don't worry about resolutions, just make a general pledge to be kind. Somehow, that's really all that's needed to make your way in this world. Kindness can move mountains. Have a safe, excellent New Year's Eve. I'm not sure if I'll post tomorrow (I probably will), but I wish the very BEST 2025 for every one of my readers. Slava Ukraini. 

 

Fill The World With Some Joy Today

Yesterday's sales numbers were excellent, and we have three days of our year-end sale still remaining. We were all kept quite busy helping customers or getting them rung out and sent on their way, merchandise clutched to them. It helps that we're having good weather. It's cold, but it's the end of December. It's supposed to be cold. But the roadways are clear and there's no snow, rain or sleet happening or expected in the immediate future. I'm relieved. 

Things are going well. We still have three days remaining 
in our year-end clearance sale, and I'm hoping the numbers 
will be strong for all four days. Then we can collapse. LOL

I've always believed that we have the BEST customers in the world. They're polite, they help others find what they're looking for, they're not pushy, and they know that beads are one of the sure ways to happiness. Beads are rather extraordinary - they're good forever. Beads are found with prehistoric burials, or clutched in the hands of a five-year-old as a charm against bad things. Beads are magic, they're portable, and they create bonds between people. I love beads, and I love selling them to people who make extraordinary items with them. It's been my task for more than 30 years, and I love it. 

These stone beads date from the Neolithic, and there have 
been beads far older than that also discovered and cherished. 
Beads seem to have been with mankind for as long as 
we've walked the earth. 

I finally had a chance to get to the grocery store yesterday, and picked up all of the ingredients necessary to make a nice hearty soup tomorrow that will take me through dinners for much of next week. Tonight's dinner might be a bit scant, but I have some stuff in my freezer that I can add to my usual salad. I certainly won't starve - LOL. 

I'll be making a vegetable soup of some kind tomorrow. 
I got all of the ingredients yesterday morning on the 
way to the shop - just need to pull out the stock pot, 
load it up with all the good stuff, and start it cooking. 
I do love soups during the Winter months. 

And I finally got a good night's sleep. Yesterday night's sleep was fussy and stressed, I don't think I managed more than two hours all-told. But last night I crashed until my alarm went off this morning. I feel MUCH more human. It's rather amazing what sleep can do as a restorative - probably why sleep deprivation is used as a torture device by some regimes. 

What a difference a good night's sleep can make. Today 
I actually feel human and ready for Day Two of our 
Four-Day End of the Year Sale. Yippee! 

So we go on. The month and the year are almost complete. Look back at your year, a few days early. Look back and see what positive things you have done that has made the world slightly better for everyone. It doesn't have to been anything major - how about being friendly, smiling at everyone? That can leave so many good feelings behind you as you progress through your day. Why not try it today? If you like the results, make it part of your daily regime from this point forward. The world will benefit from a bit more joy. I'll be back on Monday, so have a safe and joy-filled weekend. Slava Ukraini. 

Just Checking In Today - It's Going To Be A Busy, Busy Day

I hope all of  you had a wonderful Christmas and had an opportunity to have some "down time". DH and I enjoyed a relaxed day, and yesterday (the 26th) we went shopping. DH needed another pair of pants and a few other clothing items, and he wanted me to get a few things also, so it was rather fun to be in a store without the massive Christmas pressure of the past month or so. 

Today, however, we're right back into the deep end with the first day of our year-end Four Day Sale. I'm hoping we'll have good sales numbers, we certainly could use the opportunity to end this VERY expensive year on a more positive note. It was a heck of a year all around, and adding the necessity of getting new phones purchased, installed and activated was almost impossible. Still, we succeeded. Nonetheless, I'll be happy to see the end of 2024 and will welcome 2025 - the FINAL year (not even a full year) of being in business. Whether DH and I will survive this next challenge still remains in the air. 

I've received simply lovely cards from many of you, my readers and long-distance friends. I love each and every one of them and they are decorating my mantle and making me joyous. My dear friend from Finland - your package arrived intact although the chocolate was broken in a few places. Of course broken chocolate is never a problem  - LOL. Thank you for the sweet gift! 

Tonight, having realized that I really didn't have much in the refrigerator to eat right now, I'll be throwing together a quick vegetable soup. I usually like to let those simmer for a while to really get the flavor deeply into the broth, but time will not be my friend for this, so it might just be tasty veggies but without a lot of seasoning in the broth. I might grab some bouillon to push the flavor profile up a bit. 

So that's the news today, and since I'm doing this quickly on my laptop at the shop instead of my main computer at home, there are no pictures today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back on a normal schedule. Have an excellent 27th of December and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

Oh! And my new mixer didn't fit where I wanted it to, but DH moved a few things around in the kitchen and it has a lovely home in the cabinet below my oven now. I can hardly wait to play with it. LOL

Thoughts About Christmas on this Christmas Eve - Happy Holidays to All of my Readers

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone. Now, I'm not Christian, but I appreciate the general feeling of goodwill and joy that permeates this season. I 'm not very Jewish either, although that's a bit closer to the way I was raised. My parents turned their backs on Gods and Goddesses after WWII, stating that any Deity that would allow that abomination was not one they could or would follow. They were possibly agnostic, but more atheist, I suspect. Dad was good, and if I wanted to experience what a church service was like, he would accompany me to whatever Church or Synagogue or whatever I wanted to attend, but Mom flat out refused. She never forgave God for allowing Hitler, and probably let him have "what for" if she met Him after she died. 

There are many, MANY religions throughout the 
world - the above is just a few of them. Mankind 
has always felt the need to acknowledge something 
greater than himself, but has never managed to 
come to an agreement of who/what that something 
actually is and how to communicate with it/him/her. 

I experimented with religion, actually studied it quite intensively for many years. Although there were many aspects of Christianity that I really liked, there was too much that had become warped - too much of that original "Love Thy Neighbors" that had been added to with exceptions and rules. That basic message of Christianity, as explained by Christ, was pretty damned good, and massively inclusive. It spoke to the downtrodden and the slaves of the Romans in Judea, and it spoke clearly, like a bell. And that bell has continued to sound through the centuries and the nations until it still rings today. 

The difficulty with religion is that there are always 
people out there who do NOT share your beliefs. 
That means they are less than you, or that you simply 
MUST try your best to make them see the "truth" as 
you see it. Nope. Not going to happen. Mankind is 
nothing if not stubborn. 

But mankind is a warlike species. We're territorial. We take land and beliefs and ideals expect everyone else to see how correct we are and how incorrect everyone else is. And, my friends near and far, that simply doesn't work on a broad scale. Religion can be warped to justify murder in too many cases. I prefer to keep my religion to myself - to walk the pathway that has been set out for me, to act with kindness when possible, to strike out to protect those I love when kindness fails. Will I be judged for my deeds? That's very hard to say. I am one part of cosmic dust that will return to this infinite Universe and if I'll be judged, I'll hope that I'll have those willing to sit in my corner while the scales are balanced and the forward road is opened for my passage. 

Even celebrating on Christmas Day is different, depending 
on your particular brand of Christianity. There simply is no 
agreement among all of us about who/what/where/when, etc 
for any specific deity, and really, it's the overall message 
that's more important, not the entity delivering the message. 
That message? PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO ALL. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. Many of you will be joyfully exchanging gifts and celebrating the birth of Christ. I wish you all a blessed day and one filled with happiness and family. I'll be cooking a "Roast Beast" and relaxing. I've got DH's chair filled with a variety of gifts, and a few more are on their way (late? a give can never truly be late). DH's birthday is tomorrow, so we get to celebrate a second day, even though we have to work on Thursday. I wish all of you a Blessed and Peace-filled Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I'll be back on Thursday. Slava Ukraini.