This one is for me…
Ted Kennedy has brain cancer. As of this moment they haven’t told us what kind… We know it is a Glioma but not too much more than that.
My heart is breaking for him but more so for his family. I remember those first days at that same hospital, in that same solarium very probably with almost the same picture (it's amaxing how fast pictures become so much more than priceless), it was a scary place. It was a place where the future loomed short and dark.
Even as little as a week later it wasn’t so scary, it wasn’t so ominous, but it was life changing. For Mom most certainly, for me, for my family, and for mom’s many friends and loved ones, and I am betting for my wonderful friends who supported me so well.
If I could write a letter to the Kennedy family (not necessarily Ted since I haven’t been there but I have been the one supporting) I would tell them that they are headed down a path that is twisty and curvy and sad and amazingly happy… That there will be moments of pure terror and sadness but there will also be moments of love and amazement and that the docs at MGH are day to day heroes who create miracles big and small ALL. THE. TIME!
I hope for them that they get those moments that I got. Some of my all time favorite memories of mom are on our way to radiation or blood draws. “Mom can you pass me a tissue?” “You want me to paint you a picture?” And smiles and laughter and seeing the same bus daily and the knowledge that TOGETHER we were fighting and together we could achieve anything… She and I may have failed but we surely had a great time fighting!
Cancer sucks, there is no doubt about that! The moments that it gives you by FORCING you to realize that we are not immortal are priceless. I hope the Kennedy family not only gets to know those moments but gets to enjoy them for a long time to come.
I wish them all the best
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sometimes…
Sometimes life, the universe, karma or whatever you want to call it gives you a leg up. Last night I got a boost in the saddle of life, yesterday was a miserable day for me which started with a dream that wasn’t real, got worse with a Drs appointment that left me in tears, then a phone call from a friend changing plans made it a little worse (but not too much I was already pretty low) and a work that is way too busy for brain cells to be stopping left and right. So when someone asked if I was going to storytelling I said I would think about it, I *knew* I wasn’t going… I was too tired and frankly too sad.
Then Lani called and even the sound of her voice can make me smile, and she let me know that she was the feature and well the deal was sealed – I WAS GOING. Jim took the night off and met me there, we sat outside and Jim enjoyed a chicken ceaser salad sandwich and we talked while sitting on the grounds of Harvard Divinity.
Storytelling was good and I enjoyed talking with people and just embraced a wonderful night… And then it was Lani’s turn and as always Lani was magic, she took me to England, and Scotland, and Ireland and she brought me home – safely home. One of my FAVORITE parts about Lani’s telling is that I know going in she will bring me to magical places and take me home and I will be a little __________ (better, happier, more peaceful?) for having gone on the journey with her.
After that my secret crush (is it really a secret when the WHOLE storytelling world and the person themselves knows that I adore him?) invited Jim and I out for dinner. Jim was full but thought that my craptastic day might improve by sitting at a table with my version of two of the most handsome men in the world (No Marianne not Duff – though THAT would be sweet, get it sweet?) so he agreed and off we went. I got a great drink, though honestly 3 sips in I didn’t remember what it was… Beckett was on the TV behind SC and I was a happy girl. I mentioned to SC that Beckett was on my 5 list (and stopped just shy of telling him he was too THANK GOD) and we talked about crushes and life and growing up and the world. And although I left there a little tipsy (okay a lot tipsy) and pretty tired (it was after midnight) I also left there sitting a little higher in the saddle and had (have?) forgotten the crap that made yesterday a waste of a day…
Kind of like Lani’s stories, I arrived safely home a little better for the journey.
Then Lani called and even the sound of her voice can make me smile, and she let me know that she was the feature and well the deal was sealed – I WAS GOING. Jim took the night off and met me there, we sat outside and Jim enjoyed a chicken ceaser salad sandwich and we talked while sitting on the grounds of Harvard Divinity.
Storytelling was good and I enjoyed talking with people and just embraced a wonderful night… And then it was Lani’s turn and as always Lani was magic, she took me to England, and Scotland, and Ireland and she brought me home – safely home. One of my FAVORITE parts about Lani’s telling is that I know going in she will bring me to magical places and take me home and I will be a little __________ (better, happier, more peaceful?) for having gone on the journey with her.
After that my secret crush (is it really a secret when the WHOLE storytelling world and the person themselves knows that I adore him?) invited Jim and I out for dinner. Jim was full but thought that my craptastic day might improve by sitting at a table with my version of two of the most handsome men in the world (No Marianne not Duff – though THAT would be sweet, get it sweet?) so he agreed and off we went. I got a great drink, though honestly 3 sips in I didn’t remember what it was… Beckett was on the TV behind SC and I was a happy girl. I mentioned to SC that Beckett was on my 5 list (and stopped just shy of telling him he was too THANK GOD) and we talked about crushes and life and growing up and the world. And although I left there a little tipsy (okay a lot tipsy) and pretty tired (it was after midnight) I also left there sitting a little higher in the saddle and had (have?) forgotten the crap that made yesterday a waste of a day…
Kind of like Lani’s stories, I arrived safely home a little better for the journey.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
I love being an Aunt…
When you are an aunt and you babysit once a week for free you get certain liberties…
They aren’t great and huge but they are things like
“I hear the ice cream man let’s go get something before dinner”
OR
“Ohhhh Alicia you want taquitos, and Stefy you want BBQ chicken, and Danielle you want meataballs and Tyler you want cheese? Okay! We can do that!”
OR
“If we don’t look at the clock it’s not 8:00 yet girlies and we can paint our nails”
Or any # of other silly little things that moms can’t do because they need to grow up good responsible humans – I only have to be the cool aunt, and that is a great thing.
Ummm yes all of things happened last night as I watched the kids, ummm yes I really did let Tyler eat a Sponge Bob ice cream before “dinner” and then let him eat a bowl full of shredded cheese for dinner.
Ummmm yeah I did try to get Stefy out of trouble for getting another detention (one away from either being kept back or put in summer school for behavior)
Well yeah I did let a 7 year old stay up until 9:00 on a school night (but she was being good…)
BUT on a side note (and only because I am super excited about this) Today is Corey’s 31st birthday and the girls and I wanted to make him cupcakes and AGAIN there were no eggs (what does Christy have against eggs) so I did a quick websearch and came up with this (after looking up “cake mix low fat recipe”) http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1832.html
BUT we didn’t have any diet coke so I thought of the MOST brilliant idea I have ever come up with… They had Sunkist and we had our choice chocolate or vanilla cake mix… Isn’t the “in” flavor right now chocolate and orange (bet you can see where this is going)
I followed the directions then let each girl pour batter into 4 cupcakes and let me tell you they rose beautifully and the girls (who ate one) said it was AMAZINGLY delicious and per the birthday boy (who had one for breakfast today) they are wonderful… So here is a great in a pinch low fat recipe.
Chocolate orange cake
1 Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake
1 ½ cups Sunkist
½ cup chocolate chips
Vanilla and Chocolate frosting
Mix cake and Sunkist until combined. Add in chocolate chips and stir briefly. Portion into 12 cupcake tins lined with pretty cupcake liners bake @ 350 for 20 minutes (probably would have been less if I had pre-heated the oven) allow to cool and frost. ENJOY.
And lastly a picture of Tyler AFTER I let his sisters use him as a dolly…
Okay I lied and lastly check out my watermelon
Yup I love the new Centro - best phone ever!
They aren’t great and huge but they are things like
“I hear the ice cream man let’s go get something before dinner”
OR
“Ohhhh Alicia you want taquitos, and Stefy you want BBQ chicken, and Danielle you want meataballs and Tyler you want cheese? Okay! We can do that!”
OR
“If we don’t look at the clock it’s not 8:00 yet girlies and we can paint our nails”
Or any # of other silly little things that moms can’t do because they need to grow up good responsible humans – I only have to be the cool aunt, and that is a great thing.
Ummm yes all of things happened last night as I watched the kids, ummm yes I really did let Tyler eat a Sponge Bob ice cream before “dinner” and then let him eat a bowl full of shredded cheese for dinner.
Ummmm yeah I did try to get Stefy out of trouble for getting another detention (one away from either being kept back or put in summer school for behavior)
Well yeah I did let a 7 year old stay up until 9:00 on a school night (but she was being good…)
BUT on a side note (and only because I am super excited about this) Today is Corey’s 31st birthday and the girls and I wanted to make him cupcakes and AGAIN there were no eggs (what does Christy have against eggs) so I did a quick websearch and came up with this (after looking up “cake mix low fat recipe”) http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/1832.html
BUT we didn’t have any diet coke so I thought of the MOST brilliant idea I have ever come up with… They had Sunkist and we had our choice chocolate or vanilla cake mix… Isn’t the “in” flavor right now chocolate and orange (bet you can see where this is going)
I followed the directions then let each girl pour batter into 4 cupcakes and let me tell you they rose beautifully and the girls (who ate one) said it was AMAZINGLY delicious and per the birthday boy (who had one for breakfast today) they are wonderful… So here is a great in a pinch low fat recipe.
Chocolate orange cake
1 Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake
1 ½ cups Sunkist
½ cup chocolate chips
Vanilla and Chocolate frosting
Mix cake and Sunkist until combined. Add in chocolate chips and stir briefly. Portion into 12 cupcake tins lined with pretty cupcake liners bake @ 350 for 20 minutes (probably would have been less if I had pre-heated the oven) allow to cool and frost. ENJOY.
And lastly a picture of Tyler AFTER I let his sisters use him as a dolly…
Okay I lied and lastly check out my watermelon
Yup I love the new Centro - best phone ever!
Monday, May 05, 2008
A weekend away
A weekend with TYler (who now says I am T Y because he knows that is the beginning of his name)
The cold air and rain required lots of indoor activities...
We came up with a 2 hour train ride in first class (more comfy seats and more importantly for me heat)
Tyler spent the entire ride in awwwww he couldn't get over the fact that HE was actually on the train and he sang the soul train song most of the way
The view
Another view shot
Tyler and Daddy on the phone calling Mommy (who was standing next to me)
Tyler and Uncle in the pool... Jim was in his little heaven after Tyler and I left and he got in a good hour of laps! (I think I am not supposed to add the part where he can't lift his arms today)
The cold air and rain required lots of indoor activities...
We came up with a 2 hour train ride in first class (more comfy seats and more importantly for me heat)
Tyler spent the entire ride in awwwww he couldn't get over the fact that HE was actually on the train and he sang the soul train song most of the way
The view
Another view shot
Tyler and Daddy on the phone calling Mommy (who was standing next to me)
Tyler and Uncle in the pool... Jim was in his little heaven after Tyler and I left and he got in a good hour of laps! (I think I am not supposed to add the part where he can't lift his arms today)
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Aaackkkk I think I am thinking this through too much
I just didn’t know what to post so I haven’t posted anything. Not too much is new…
I have actually finished ALL the gifts that I am making for Christmas 08 (yup you read that right)… Can’t post any pictures since if you read this chances are you are getting one of them ;-)
I am starting to feel better again and am loving the promise that warm weather will soon be here (it will be here soon, right?) I am looking forward to warm nights on the back porch sipping a nice cold glass of _______________ (fill in your favorite). Jim promises me that this year he will ACTUALLY grill – HA every year I tell him that that’s a guys job (yeah I know I am taking woman’s lib down a few notches here – I do it when I say that taking my car to the shop or to get gas isn’t my job either) and every year he offers to buy dinner every single time I mention we should have grill for dinner.
Yeah see I really have nothing here so you can get a list of my summer goals. By September I would like to be able to:
-Run 5 miles (all at once)
-Bike 20
-Have a clean house that I love to have people over to
-Have the hot tub installed
-Had successes in my garden (I stick with it is a garden even if it is in pots not in the ground)
-Have Christmas shopping complete and wrapped
-Have gone on a couple of vacations (even if they are just long weekends)
-Have redone the living room
-Have a new kitchen table (or table top whichever the case may be)
-Have taken a few classes (already have one planned with Sharon and would like to take another on writing so maybe this blog won’t be painfully sucky to read anymore)
-Have gotten to a few Tuesday nights at Blue’s
-Been to a couple Red Sox games
What are your summer goals?
I have actually finished ALL the gifts that I am making for Christmas 08 (yup you read that right)… Can’t post any pictures since if you read this chances are you are getting one of them ;-)
I am starting to feel better again and am loving the promise that warm weather will soon be here (it will be here soon, right?) I am looking forward to warm nights on the back porch sipping a nice cold glass of _______________ (fill in your favorite). Jim promises me that this year he will ACTUALLY grill – HA every year I tell him that that’s a guys job (yeah I know I am taking woman’s lib down a few notches here – I do it when I say that taking my car to the shop or to get gas isn’t my job either) and every year he offers to buy dinner every single time I mention we should have grill for dinner.
Yeah see I really have nothing here so you can get a list of my summer goals. By September I would like to be able to:
-Run 5 miles (all at once)
-Bike 20
-Have a clean house that I love to have people over to
-Have the hot tub installed
-Had successes in my garden (I stick with it is a garden even if it is in pots not in the ground)
-Have Christmas shopping complete and wrapped
-Have gone on a couple of vacations (even if they are just long weekends)
-Have redone the living room
-Have a new kitchen table (or table top whichever the case may be)
-Have taken a few classes (already have one planned with Sharon and would like to take another on writing so maybe this blog won’t be painfully sucky to read anymore)
-Have gotten to a few Tuesday nights at Blue’s
-Been to a couple Red Sox games
What are your summer goals?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)