Ms. Plumber

Out with the old...

Yep, I'm feelin' a little smug these days. Just before I left for Florida the flush valve in my main bathroom's toilet tank went belly up. I didn't do anything about it at the time since I was going to be gone for three weeks. Soooo, I return from FL and of course the issue had not resolved itself (darn). I pondered the problem, considered and discarded the various options, finally settling on the obvious: I am the daughter of a long-line of accomplished and talented HVAC technicians (members of Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Local 189) and should be able to figure out how to do this simple swap-out on my own. Sure enough, my heritage did not fail me. In fact, not only did I replace the flush valve, I went a step further and installed a water-saving feature. Maybe I've found my next career.

...in with the new.

P.S: the only cracks allowed on my pink toilet are those sitting on it...

(S)He Who Laughs Last...

I've been quiet on the subject of weather, but then what is there to say other than I now know how the rest of you felt during the first Arctic blast. Great Scot, glad to see we have balmier temps on the horizon, I'm tired of wearing a damn knit cap to bed! ;) Sedona has been a trooper through it all despite the near paw-freezing she endured because I foolishly exposed her tootsies to single digit temps on the annul Winter Hike at Hocking Hills. I tried to make it up to her by hanging out the rest of the day in a cozy state park cabin and rubbing those abused paws.

Within the last two weeks I had one of what I call my "mega check ups." What that means is I made the rounds at the Spielman breast center for the dreaded mammo, blood draw, cardio inspection, intro to a new surgeon (God forbid I ever need one again), the person who oversees the clinical trial I am participating in and, last my oncologist. End result? 1) According to a letter I received yesterday, the mammo "showed no malignancy." Of course, I put little faith in that procedure since it didn't find anything the last time, even after the medical folks knew exactly where the lump existed. [Side Note: For those of you ladies who get squeamish about self breast exams, all I can say is "get over it" and do them, they are life savers.] 2) While my white blood cell count is still low they think that's just my normal, but want to retest in three months [ugh]. 3) The ticker is ticking just dandy. 4) A 30-minute wait for a five-minute nice-to-meet you with the surgeon. 5) Oncologist says all looks good and, finally, 6) the clinical trial peeps gave me a big jar of pills that will last me through the next six months. Nothing like missing nearly an entire day of work to remind you that the cancer beast is ever-lurking and it wants to rule your life. Well, sorry, CBitch, not mine.

Pic o' the Post 

Can't share photos yet from the Winter Hike as my computer is having issues with downloads, etc., so sharing a different snowy visage of "the girl" in her backyard.

My snow angel

A World of Difference

A New Year's Day rainbow

We are not cold. Well, I am not cold. For my parents, anything below 65 degrees is cold. My dad says he needs to move south. ;)

After a day of putting away Christmas decorations, we met up last evening with several of my parent's friends at the VFW for fried shrimp, prime rib and live music. My folks left just after the start of the ill-fated Buckeye game. I stayed behind with some of the gang and danced. What fun! And, conveniently, the VFW is just across the street from my parent's community. Walked home with my mom's friend, Betty, watched the second half of the game and hit the sack. Woke up around 8:30 and bundled up to take Sedona out into the frigid 54-degree weather. Ok, I'll quit rubbing in the temperature difference between here and the rest of the Midwest.

Sedona's suggested panacea for the weather
up north: earmuffs 

My suggested panacea for the weather
up north: sun & a cuba libre!

I'm Still Here

Hangin' at Pete's

It feels a bit surreal that my stay in Florida continues. I am so accustomed to just beginning to unwind when it's time to pack up and head home. This time it is different. Instead, Sedona and I are here for nearly two more weeks.

Speaking of Miss Sedona, since our arrival in Florida last Monday, she has enjoyed her trips to the beach and doggie paddling in the Gulf of Mexico. She's also become a regular visitor to my dad's favorite haunt, Pete's Time Out down at Time Square.

Swimming at the dog beach

It is a rich blessing to spend this much time with my parents. We talk, our stories looking back, looking forward, looking at now -- at each other. They, my parents, are tremendous examples for my siblings and me. Their marriage (59 yrs/7+ mos) a testimony to the indefatigability of love. Thank you, Lord.

Ephesians 4:2 -- ...with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends -- those in Ohio and across the U.S. Sedona and I are enjoying Christmas this year with my mom and dad in Fort Myers Beach, FL. Hate to complain, but it's only going to be a high of 70 today and overcast... :)

Andrew with a very happy Sedona!

My nephew Andrew joined us for a one-way ride down; he flies home on Sunday while I will continue to be here for a longer stretch. What a gift to spend such time with a nephew. And, equally wonderful will be the extended time I will enjoy with my parents.



No gift under the tree is more valuable than the family and friends I have in my life.

The Bayside Babes celebrating Christmas Eve at friend Betty's.
 My mom is in the foreground to the right.

How Does She Know?

I made the mistake of watching the movie 'Ghost' tonight. The tears rolled from my eyes as the movie closed with Demi Moore's character being given the opportunity to see and talk to her husband (Patrick Swayze) one last time. I turned off the TV feeling a couple of shades beyond melancholy. Without provocation, Sedona got up from her end of the couch and snuggled up next to me, laying her head in my lap. What a balm to my aching heart. She is the best dog ever.

Pic o' the Night

I took this picture last year following a storm.
I remember how it cleared the air and left everything
awash in soft sunlight. That's how my heart felt tonight
when Sedona loved on me. 

So Blessed

A heart full of praise and thankfulness today (always) for the family and friends I love, who love me, and who I have yet to know and love. Happy Thanksgiving!

And yet another from Mr. Emerson...
For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, for love of friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends. 

Intoxicating

I have a confession: when I pull in the garage after work each night and get out of the Xterra, I don't immediately go inside. Instead, I go to the camper, open the door, lean in, and inhale deeply -- mmhhh, new camper smell. It triggers a desire to take to the open road, to embrace the adventures that await Sedona and me. I am antsy to go. I think Sedona knows it, too, because she seems to be more clingy. I can't leave for work in the mornings without her trying to go out the door with me. It's as if she fears I'll hitch up the camper and drive off without her. Yeah, not going to happen, Sedona dear.

My sister Mary Ann is with me this weekend. She is going to try and help me restore order to my house of chaos. I don't know how it happened, but in the last four years, one woman and a dog have managed to occupy every inch of this 1,900 square-foot house -- that's just wrong. It's a condition that's making me twitchy, this being surrounded by too much stuff. Maybe the abundance of stuff is also part of the attractiveness of the camper. It offers an uncluttered abode and a lifestyle unfettered by the four walls of home ownership. The life of a nomad sounds very appealing at this particular chapter in my life.

Someone recently described me as fearless. I've been reflecting on that comment and considering if there's truth in the statement. I think not for I have been (and am) fearful on many levels, at many times, in many scenarios. So, after much pondering, I think that the better adjective is deliberate: I am deliberate in my efforts to be happy, to live without regrets, to love. It isn't always easy, but for Ron and to honor God, I deliberately move forward.

Pic o' the Day

Look at Me, Posting Two Days in a Row!

A satisfying Saturday. Sweet friends asked me to take their family photo at a local city park as part of their holiday greetings. We headed out around 11:30 and despite the overcast skies got some real keepers -- not hard getting good pix: very photogenic family. As I began snapping photos, it was clear I was capturing something that transcended a simple family Christmas photo -- and not because of anything I was doing. Each time the camera pointed in their direction what came into focus was big love and it beamed right into the lens. I feel privileged to have been part of that experience.

Another good thing came out of the photo expedition: glam shots of Dona girl and me! She was such a good pup, waiting patiently for us to wrap up the human shots. She is my sunshine.

Our Pics o' the Day!

Where to Start?

The thing about letting so much time elapse between postings is not knowing where to begin, what to share...

• My first cold-weather camping experience in the Silver Shadow, which included my sister? 
• Realizing that a little over a year ago I had my last day of radiation and was beginning to really grow some hair?
• Watching my great-niece play with wicker doll furniture that was handed down from her great grandmother, my mom?  
• Photographing the Cattle Baron's Ball, an awesome annual fundraising event for the American Cancer Society?  
• Witness to a morning sky crisscrossed with the most amazing contrails? 
• My goddaughter asking if I would be her pen pal?
• Serving with friends down at Jericho's Light Club and witnessing the hand of God at work?
• Wonderings about what it has been like being 50 for almost a year?
• Learning that my sweet friend Tina had her last radiation treatment on Oct. 31? 
• Updates on my favorite boyfriend, Clark?

Hhhm, well, I think it's going to take me a long time to put a decent post around every one of those bullets. Wow, I am humbled by the gift of having such a list, especially considering it is a compilation from just the last 30-or-so days. Can't say it often enough: I am blessed.

Collage o' the Moment