Why Is It?

That some people can be so smart and others so... Not Smart?

That some people can do one thing and others cannot seem to figure it out?

That some people seem to be able to do ANYTHING?

That EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to burn a CD, I end up wasting at least THREE before I get it right? AUGHHHH!!!!!!

And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

NOT CANCER!

Just a quick post, for those of you keeping track...

My sister went for her check up today and although her tumor was very large and very deep IT WAS NOT CANCER! YAY YAY YAY YAY

Praise the Lord!

And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

My Weekend ~ And My Sister

Well I did not make it to the hospital in time to see my sister's doctor, but she did ask what he meant by "disease". He said the tumor was called Cholesteatoma. This is what the website says about it...

A cholesteatoma is a skin growth that occurs in an abnormal location, the
middle ear behind the eardrum. It is usually due to repeated infection, which
causes an ingrowth of the skin of the eardrum. Cholesteatomas often take the
form of a cyst or pouch that sheds layers of old skin that builds up inside the
ear. Over time, the cholesteatoma can increase in size and destroy the
surrounding delicate bones of the middle ear. Hearing loss, dizziness, and
facial muscle paralysis are rare but can result from continued cholesteatoma
growth.

A cholesteatoma usually occurs because of poor eustachian tube function as
well as infection in the middle ear. The eustachian tube conveys air from the
back of the nose into the middle ear to equalize ear pressure ("clear the
ears"). When the eustachian tubes work poorly perhaps due to allergy, a cold or
sinusitis, the air in the middle ear is absorbed by the body, and a partial
vacuum results in the ear. The vacuum pressure sucks in a pouch or sac by
stretching the eardrum, especially areas weakened by previous infections. This
sac often becomes a cholesteatoma. A rare congenital form of cholesteatoma (one
present at birth) can occur in the middle ear and elsewhere, such as in the
nearby skull bones. However, the type of cholesteatoma associated with ear
infections is most common.

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/ears/cholesteatoma.cfm

I believe they are still sending it away to be analysed, that is common procedure. She comes back down to see the doctor on the 26th. They sent her home the next day!


Saturday after I left the hospital I went and picked up my newly fixed bracelet ~ YAY! Then I went to pick up my Man~Child's girlfriend to come to the house for the day. We watched a movie while Al went and helped the neighbours move some heavy stuff to their new house, then we all went to the Coopers' for supper. After we finished watching the movie I took her back to her aunt's house. It was rather teary because she was leaving the next day for her home about 90 minutes or so away.


Turns out Saturday wasn't good bye anyway. She came home with us from church yesterday for a few hours, then I took her back to her aunt's house so they could go meet up with her mom, and so everyone was all sad and teary-eyed again.


When I got back, I went over to the neighbours where Al was helping to move and (although I did not do much), I stayed around and chatted and stuff til they were done for the day.


Al just went back over and I am going to get dressed and head over myself. I hope they weather stays nice!


Happy Monday everyone!


And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

Evidently I Do Not Update This Often Enough

But I don't really have a whole lot to say...

But, here goes...

My sister had her surgery today. She had a tumor removed from her ear, which all of a sudden is now referred to by the doctor as a "disease"... Not sure what to make of that. I want to be at the hospital when the doctor arrives in the morning so I can ask!

Last night I went out for nachos and drinks with my friend Nadine. We had fun laughing at a few drunk girls who thought they were hot and thought they could dance...

Today, like I said, I went to the hospital to see my sister, then came home, had supper, then went to the mall to meet the girls from the Women In Blue website - for Military wives. We had more fun that should be allowed eating ice cream and drinking coffee. Can't wait for our next get together. I am considering going White Water Rafting with them next month, however I am certain that my husband will say an emphatic NO! "You can't even get out of a canoe without getting hurt! You broke your foot BOWLING! And you want to go White Water Rafting. Are you nuts?" This is what I expect to hear. If hear otherwise I will let you know. I, personally, think it would be fun. {And yes, I remember that Fetty class when we learned that "I, personally" is redundant - but, Sandy, I don't care!}

The jewellery store called and my bracelet is ready. That was fast! And I am glad. My wrist feels naked. I will go get it tomorrow.

That's about it. I am rather famished and think I might order a donair.... {HEHE Spellcheck does not recognize "donair"}

Have a great weekend!

And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

♥Our Romantic Get-Away♥

We are back from our Get-Away. We had a wonderful time just being together, even though the weather did not co-operate until the very last day.

It was very relaxing. The jacuzzi was a BIG hit! Liked that a LOT!

We came to the realization that bubbles AND air jets in a tub are not a good combination!

This is the mirror in the bathroom I thought it was very pretty!

The beach was VERY COLD ocean water, so we did not swim in it. We walked along the beach and I picked up bits of weathered shell. I am going to TRY to make necklaces... We shall see...

We went to The Fisherman's Life Museum - and he would not let me bring the pussy cats home *pout* But I did carry them all around the park.

We went to Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park. It was beautiful - but so foggy and cool. It was NEARLY deserted... We walked along the beach, stuck our feet in the water. It would be nice to go back on a real sunny day.

That was Monday.

Yesterday we thought we'd try our hand at canoeing... Well, let's just say that we do not paddle the same... We made it all around the lake though! Didn't fall in the lake (which was good cuz it was kinda scuzzy). Once we got back to (the ROCKY!) shore, Al got out and then proceeded to help me out...

Can you guess????

Well he pulled and I wasn't ready, the canoe tipped and I went SPLAT on the rocks! Got some nice bruises on my leg... Broke my diamond bracelet!

~Am I EVER glad I bought the extended warranty! I must go today and get it
fixed! I didn't even realize it til we were on our way driving after leaving and
I was doing my "jewellery check": earrings - check; rings - check; watch -
check; silver bracelet - check; diamond bracelet - OH CRAP! We tore the truck
apart, went back and I tore the bed apart, checked the entire suite, hoped it
did not go down a drain! Then went to the water. I had my head down looking in
the grass as I was walking to see if it was there, and out of the corner of my
eye I caught a glimpse of something... A DEER ALMOST RAN RIGHT INTO ME! The she
stood in the tall grass watching me and I was hoping she wouldn't charge me!
Then Al comes up behind me, and with his long legs makes it to the water's edge
before me - AND FOUND MY BRACELET! I was so glad! ~

Anyway, I fall OUT of the canoe, ONTO the rocks...

As if that weren't enough, as Al is getting the canoe out of the water and on to the shore - I refused to help him because he knocked me down *pout*, I was standing on a rock... Evidently a TEETERY rock, because it slipped and my foot got jammed in between it and another rock and this is what I got...

I made him carry BOTH paddles and BOTH life jackets while I limped back. (He did get me an ice pack when we got back)

So, after the bracelet fiasco, we went to Memory Lane Heritage Site. That was really interesting because I can remember my Dad having a lot of the things on display there (it made me miss my Mom and my Dad ) And there were TWO OTHER pussy cats he wouldn't let me bring home...

This pussy cat wanted some of the fish that was drying...

I have no idea what this is, but it is really pretty...

I am sure Dad had one of these cars at one point...

Dad's tractor was almost just like this one. We met a nice lady who offered to take a picture of us.

Dad would have loved this old International truck!

From there we went to Martinique Beach. That is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to! I can't wait to go back. The water was lovely (I played in the waves in my tank top and skirt! ) I am trying to keep my hat ON my head, but it did end up getting wet when the BIG waves almost knocked me down. It was so fun!

Took lots of pictures. Like this one...

Then, after I changed and almost got caught putting my panties on by a surfer dude, we had a picnic. Then headed off.

Stopped for Ice Cream, and then hit the road for home. Got home about 6:30 last evening.

It was a nice couple of days. I do not know how the sailors (soldiers, etc) can go away from their families for so long. I missed my kids, as crazy as they make me, after a few hours!

Now today, my Man~Child has a Dr's appointment and I have to take my bracelet to get repaired. Tonight we have Bible Study (it is every other week over the summer).


And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

HIS NAME WAS A.J.

He was 85 years old. “I always saw people driving down the road talking on cell phones and wondered who they could be talking to.” He was a man who had seen a lot in his lifetime. “I’m retired now,” he told me, “and just trying to stay healthy.”

His grandchildren bought him his cell phone and insisted he take it with him when he went out – just in case… “How many grandchildren do you have, Sir?” I never did find out exactly, but they are scattered, that’s for sure! A couple in California, a couple in Mexico – I wonder did he mean MEXICO, Mexico, or NEW Mexico? One grandson in California is 16 and already towers at 5’9”! “He plays Varsity Basketball. I am very proud of him!” he beamed. I even learned that he has 5 great-grand babies.

“I live down here in New Orleans, where The Storm was” he told me. He was talking about Hurricane Katrina, of course. “It must have been awful, Sir.” Then his genteel 85 year old gentleman proceeded to fully shatter my heart with this story:

I was in WW11 – it looks the same. I am doing things I never thought
I’d do.
You know I have to pay my bills over the phone now? I even
have to call the
people every month just to find out how much my bills
are! We don’t get them
in the mail. There’s no post office there any more.
I got a bill the other
day. It was from October of last year.

Then A.J.’s tone went from melancholy to…I don’t even know what word to use to describe it…Deflated, maybe?

You look around and things that were there just aren’t anymore. It’s enough
To make you want to sit down and cry…

Then he did!

This kind gentleman of 85 years who’d been through The War, raised a family, is not only a grandfather, but a great-grandfather, lived through The Depression, witnessed countless technological advancements, loved and lost…this very proud man was weeping at the devastation that Nature left in Katrina’s wake.

It was more than my own soft heart could bear and I cried right along with him – and at every retelling of his story since. I feel very honoured that he shared his soul with me in the five or ten minutes that I give to each customer a day that was allotted to him.

A.J. touched something very deep inside me in that conversation and I’ll not soon forget him. He will never know. I wonder, often, about the impact people have on each other – especially in brief, unintentional encounters such as these. Have I touched someone’s life? Boy, I hope so!

Oh yeah, the reason for his call to Customer Care? “I don’t know what all these extra buttons are for on my cell phone…” My translation? “I just wanted to talk to someone…” I am glad it was me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just something I wrote last year when I was working for a call center. The people I talked to on those calls, who lived through Katrina, all had the same melancholy in their voices. Many of them touched me. One broke my heart...




And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

OK - From Delinquent to Downright Lazy, I Think...

Yes Al is finally home, but the "honeymoon" is over ~ that is until Sunday when we sneak away for our little rendezvous at "The Wechsler's Home" for a couple nights... He actually has been doing something since he got home I am NOT accustomed to seeing him do - READ! He has read 2 1/2 books since he got home. I think that is the most I have seen him read in the 11 1/2 years we've been together.



Let's see, what have we done since last Wednesday? Oh yeah - nothing... It was VBS so he took the kids to church in the mornings and I slept, then they came back and we sat outside (It was actually nice most of last week), and read, and tanned. I started my "Deployment Binder", to keep me somewhat sane while he is away. Really I think it is just my way trying to take back some control over something of which I have no control... It is coming closer and closer...



I found a website with other Military Wives in the area who get together on a semi-regular basis, and with the conflicts of emotion I am having over Lighthouse, I am really glad. They are having a Coffee Night next week, so I will meet them then. The "Ring Leader" (sorry Rebecca - had to say it) says we are going to have so much fun the time will just fly by. Let's hope.



The weekend was kinda slow. Saturday we spent at John and Crystal's. Had a BBQ, got some sun. Sunday was VBS Sunday, so a BBQ and fun day at church. Then I suppose I had my Sunday nap. We watched Hannibal Rising with Cory and Geraldine, and Chad. Chad had great fun teasing me for being scared. I was not amused, nor was I overjoyed at walking home in the dark!



Then on Monday - KAREN CAME FROM NEWFOUNDLAND! Yes this is the highlight of my week! But she left this morning, a very short stop over on her way to BC to see her sister. We had fun though, singing, playing guitar, chatting, fighting over Facebook... She will be back in a month for another few days then back to the Rock.



Last night we went to Sea Gulps. If you have never been to Sea Gulps, GO. It is so nice. The back patio is very nice. Inside is cozy. And the coffees and teas are wonderful. Would give Starbucks a run for their money for sure!



Here is Karen and me at Sea Gulps last night.










So, this was my week. I will TRY to post more often, and more eloquently ~ with a little more enthusiasm... But not today...


CIAO~


And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It

Delinquent

Yeah, so, Al's been home for 5 days now... That means I haven't posted for 8 days!

I am just happy that he is home! We have been doing things together and just BEING for a while.

Here are a few of the things we have done...

• went shopping for new patio furniture
• had a BBQ at the Cooper's
• took the kids to the Halifax waterfront for COWS ice cream and to walk around and see the sights
• introduced Al to Wanda and Danny, and Sonya and Peter
• went to church and got to meet our new pastor and his wife
• went with John and Crystal on their boat with some friends to the Lower Deck for music, then into the harbour to watch the fireworks
• Al took AJ and Micah and our boys on a tour of the ship
• had Kelly and AJ and the kidlettes for a BBQ - then a thunder shower
• watched Shut Up And Sing
• went to a park with Wanda and Sonya and the kids for an afternoon
• spent this afternoon on our patio (on our new patio furniture!) just chillin' and reading
• went to Bible Study

That about brings us up to now. Perhaps tomorrow I will post some pictures but I do not want to fight with it tonight. Tonight I am going to go up and get into bed and read, I think...

And so, today, this is...
Life As I Know It