2013-9 Ramsey

It's been a few months since I went to the vet with my dog Ramsey. She's getting old and seemed to be stiff going up stairs and was groaning in the evenings. I was hoping to get a prescription of arthritis medication for her so she'd be more comfortable, plus she needed her shot and I wanted more heart medicine.

But instead he said he'd like to get an ultrasound of her abdomen because it seemed swollen. OK.






Well, she has cancer and he recommended not doing chemo or anything else because it was spread all throughout and would basically be more painful to treat her than to take care of the discomfort she already has. Where does all this cancer come from? Is there just a stockpile of bacteria or germs or something that is lying in wait to attack someone's good cells? Are you born with these cancer cells and they just wait?

On the news there was a story of an eight year old going through her second round of chemotherapy, and others with breast cancer or leukemia or another of the hundreds of types of cancer, and then of course there's my own mom and dad who got cancer later in their lives. Do the researchers and scientists have any real idea where all these diseases come from or why they begin to grow?

Arrggh!

Well, as I am writing this in March 2014 I can say that dear Ramsey dog is still with us but needs more medicine to be comfortable. That is a good six months longer than the vet originally thought. We go on short walks because she gets tired, but we still have great cuddles and she still runs after the bunnies and squirrels.

2013-9 Remember it's the Little Things...

Bianca has been working so hard to learn to wink. 

This picture reminds me that with perseverance we can learn and accomplish a goal. 

So now my task should be to set my goals, again - they always get side-tracked - and to remember to set them in smaller steps than I usually try to do. You know, those BIG IMPORTANT GOALS that I never seem to ever finish might be better served by breaking them down into smaller steps and worked on every day.

 Like learning to wink - just practice and do part every day.

2013-7 St. Louis visit

It is a little pleasure that I think many people forget - to do things slowly with a small child and see those things in new ways. Mike, Karly and Bianca stayed with us several days and even though she is still very young we explored some fun places.

First was Faust Park with a good playground for small kids, a carousel and of course, the Butterfly House!

I want to go back here every year as Bianca grows to see her different reactions. This visit she didn't try to touch any of the butterflies, but also did not want them to touch or land on her.

one of the many inhabitants

Hello Ms Butterfly!

We had a fun visit with Great Grandpa and I love how happy he is every time the kids come to visit and see him. Got me thinking that I will never see my grandchildren unless I live to be pretty darn old. Ah well, I'll just have to extra enjoy my grandchildren!

Funny hair!!!

One of our fun trips was to the Magic House in Kirkwood. It has doubled or tripled in size, at least, from the last time I was there. There are baby rooms, toddler rooms, and rooms for water, sand, building and drawing! There are rooms in the basement for schools to have special classes or people to have birthday parties.  Looking at the 'house' from the street it seems like four houses built onto each other. I suppose when the directors get a new, wonderful idea they have just decided to eland each time. How wonderful and I wish it had been like this when my children were small, but then I think, what will it be like in 10 more years?

And who had more fun playing?

sliding down the 2-story slide

a music machine

Long day - so tired and ready to nap

The last full day of fun was at Aquaport enjoying the water. I know I had at least as much fun as Bianca did! I do remember liking so much to play in the water with the kids when they were so little.

2013-7 San Diego

So it turned out that we could actually find a time when everyone (except Kim in England) could take some time off from either work and/or school and take a family vacation. Dick and I offered a few choices and San Diego won. Hoping for the best, since neither of us had been there, we chose a place called the Catamaran. Turned out to be a good choice with pools, restaurants and nice rooms on the 'bay' beach. We walked a short two blocks to the ocean most of the time but it was nice to have the bay too.

 Walking on the sidewalk along the beach was the best for people watching and just enjoying the day. Unfortunately we were there during the only week of the year (probably) when the weather was on the chilly side and not sunny. Not a problem for us though - everyone wants to go back soon!

Nothing better than nice warm sand!

Best way to see the area!

Dick and I gave all the young people chances to play while we enjoyed ourselves with Bianca. They took a segway tour around the city ending up at a place where they then put on wetsuits and took a kayaking tour. A whole day off! 

walking the boardwalk with Pa-pa

One day was just to enjoy the San Diego Zoo…

reindeer

We waited to get parking - so crowded - we waited to see the pandas - longest line ever - we waited to eat - everyone is hungry at the same time - but most people were in good moods and polite and the zoo is really nice. I think we were lucky that it was not a hot day or too sunny.

cutest koalas around

beautiful birds

2013-7 workshop with Jacquie Gehring

I wasn't too sure about taking this workshop because it seems I'm always starting things and not finishing them! With all the quilting projects I have, do I really need to take an 'art' workshop? But thankfully I have some very encouraging friends who urged me on.

one of Jacquie's sample quilts

The class was fun and stimulating. Yes, I had done the techniques before of sewing pieces together then cutting them apart before sewing segments back together, but she stepped the work up by adding the angles and making it all 'architectural' looking (which was the name of the workshop.)

Classes always teach me something, even if it's that I do not like the technique. Jacquie's classes were taught by doing color work first and experimenting with technique before she let us start on a project. I appreciated this because it helped all the students have an idea and purpose before they jumped in and only knew enough to emulate what she had shown everyone. This way we felt ready to experiment and not to copy.

Then, since the guild was sponsoring her for two days, I took the next day's class also which was making 'modern' and 'wonky' log cabin blocks. So much fun! 

Jacquie's log cabin block samples 

two of my blocks (on the right) 

2013-6 (... slowly catching up to the present…)

I had a chance to go to Chicago to visit Mike, Karly and little Bianca. Oh my, the changes as she seems to be growing so fast. We walked along the lakefront, went to a few street festivals, investigated the Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier.

I got to cuddle, hug and babysit as I encouraged mommy and daddy to have a night out.

parks and swings - woohoo!

library heaven

There is so much to do in Chicago and we tried to put as much in as we could since it was so beautiful - not too hot or windy - and we had a very cooperative baby!

Street Festivals are fun and very crowded with hard to find parking of course. We enjoyed a few, but couldn't go to the Italian Festival because after looking for a spot for about 20 minutes we gave up.

View of downtown from the Lincoln Park Zoo

street festivals

amphitheater by the art museum

'selfie' at the art museum

We even played at the Art Museum one day but Bianca liked being outside practicing her walking to being strapped into the stroller. 

on Navy Pier

2013-6 Back to New York

I had another chance to go back to New York since Dick was going to a conference. It's especially nice because usually the conferences are near the Times Square area which is easier to navigate for me by either walking or using the subway.

This time I planned to go to the 9-11 Memorial. The indoor museum is not ready and open, but the outdoor area with the reflecting pool is, and it hurt my heart to remember.

I was amazed to see the rainbow

the center of the reflecting pool