The Hermit Club

Jazzygirl

GrammaB- yes, the follow up process can be a frequent one. I thought I would go every three months to start too, but my breast surgeon and MO said six months is fine for my particular situation. I went this fall for my first follow up with them, plus the rad onc who did my internal radiation treatments last winter. I will return for my next follow up in the Feb to March time frame. This is the part people really don't understand, the five years after treatment. So many of my people are like "so you are done now right?" Well, not really. The first one felt hard to me, I hope the next ones get easier. We will be here with you when you go through them.

And I am much like you with friends here being the ones I do my holidays with. What family I have is far away and they don't like to come in the winter (they prefer the warmer months, which I understand). I am not always able to get away for the holidays with end of year deadlines I am usually involved with for my clients. I am grateful for my friends here too!

Skittle

First Thanksgiving, married six months... Lived in a Canadian (Brockway) school bus... as in tiny. DH in the Navy had duty that afternoon, so on a tight schedule and miniscule oven, I was hopelessly proud of my 7 1/2 pound Butterball turkey w/stuffing, pecan pie, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce from scratch, hot-crossed buns from scratch, broccoli, mashed potatoes, and gravy Waldorf salad, and all the traditional trimmings I had grown up with, with a gourmet-level cook for a mom. We felt quite grand and all grown up, at the ripe old ages of 21 and 23. Just the two of us.

Fast forward to this year. DD1 likes to hostess Thanksgiving, so we assemble at her home, about 12 miles from here... She does the traditional turkey, but jazzes up side dishes with whatever whim hits her. (One year she mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes... I wouldn't recommend it.) DD2 and I feast upon the meat-product free stuffing and "turkey roast" I am making today, while DH, DD1 and whatever assorted friends come over feast upon the "real" bird and trimmings. We are surrounded by DD2's menagerie of rescue pets, and it's a quiet loud small but more than I'm used to gathering... if that makes sense. (DH and I hope deeply that our dd's will someday marry, but so far, it's really just the four of us.)

Wishing all hermits the best... health enough to enjoy the day and loved ones... patience enough to get beyond hermitude for a few hours... joy enough to laugh until eyes sparkle. Hugs to each.

SallyS70

Hi all ...

CCFW, your black outfit with the blue fur jacket sounds stunning.

simplelife, I too plan on attending a cancer support group.  The next meeting is the 2nd Wednesday in December.  How did your meeting go?

Jazzygirl, the picture of the Pilgrim cat and Native American dog is wonderful ... and best of all, smile provoking.

Skittle, I love your phrase "laugh until eyes sparkle."  I am finding that laughter is good medicine.  I think for too much of my life I have been too serious.

My Thanksgiving Story Memory to Share ... Until I was 15 we lived within the driving distance of both my maternal and paternal extended families.  On Thanksgiving we dressed up in our Sunday best in the late morning.  Noon found us at my maternal grandparents house for the full turkey dinner followed by "cousin time."  At about 4 o'clock, we left that party to go to a paternal great aunt's house where an even larger extended family served a full turkey dinner at 5:30 followed by "cousin time."  Although the ride home was a short 15 minutes, I was never able to stay awake in the car.  I would fall asleep thinking about a replay with presents on Christmas.   

This year all of you have become extended family ... I am very grateful to have found you!   

camillegal

Skittle I loved what u said, and yes I understood every word of it. Oh and seeing the Dr. is still ongoing every 3 months with tests in between. Anyway----

One of my favorite is when my kids were 6 and 2 we were planning TG with my parents coming over , eating at my house then going to be with everyone afterwards. So my DD1 when asked at school what we were doing for TG she said well we weren' t going to have a turkey so she wasn't sure--(I was newly divorced from their father) so the teacher took it as we couldn't afford a turkey, which was always cheap--so somehow she collected money and called me to school and asked me what we were having for dinner and I said well we're not having Turkey and smiled--so she gave me this envelope with money and said please buy what u need for a traditional meal for u and u'r kids--well here it comes--I apologized for the confusion and told her none of us like turkey and we were having standing rib roast with all the fixings--Those days that was a lot of money--Of course my parents were paying but I did not take the money. We still laugh about my DD1's mouth.

dwill

Hi Hermits,, Made it back home from the hospital.  Had my exchange operation and breast lift .  Feeling real good to get past this step! Have a Happy Thanksgiving all!

camillegal

OK Dwill atta girl ---YYYAAAAYYYY Stay feeling good, and a very happy Thanksgiving to you.

Skittle

Dwill, Please remember to let people pamper you. Have a list ready to go when people ask how they can help... from take out the trash to rake the leaves... whatever helps. Be good to yourself! Gentle hugs on your special milestone.

Camille, Teachers today cannot interfere. We must relay concerns to the counseling center, and they turn it over to local church food banks.

Sally, I, too, have spent too long being serious. My parents should have divorced, but did not... leading to lots of dysfunction. I was never a rowdy teen frolicking and laughing, interrupting families in movies and restaurants with teen high spirits... I guess the two of us need to kick up our heels now that we know better. :-) Let those eyes sparkle!! :-)

Jazzygirl

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, one and all!

Skittle

Jazzy---it pays to be bilingual!

camillegal

Cute Jazzy

Skittle no one is allowed to get involved with anything now--they might just want donations to help people, but who knows where it all goes.?

grammaB

Cute Jazzy!!

dwill, glad you are home and doing well. As Skittle said, let people do for you for a while. The more rest you can get the faster you will heal.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my dear Hermit friends!!

camillegal

Happy Thanksgiving to all my hermits--I'm staying home today hahaha but I did take a shower and put my sweats on, no nitegown today, and I'm comfortable and already to take a nap.

Dwill--Please just take it easy  and let u'r self heal.

SallyS70

Happy Thanksgiving All You Special People  ...  I am savoring my second cup of coffee and enjoying my time with all of you.

Camillegal, you handled your daughter's/prime rib story/situation very gracefully. 

Dwill, take care of yourself.  Keep us posted on your recovery.

Skittle, are you a teacher?  I am retired (after 36 years as a teacher) and now am watching from the sidelines as education changes.  Some of the changes remind me of what we did when I first started teaching.  One DS is an administrator which provides a whole new vantage point. 

Skittle ... on another subject ... about us kicking up our heels ... breaking our seriousness will be hard but worth it ... I think! ... Anyone else out there need to kick up their heels a little?

Jazzy, thanks for the mooing chickens.

Hi GrammaB.

Yesterday, two weeks after surgery, I finally resumed my exercise routine which is walking.  In the morning I went shopping with DH at Walmart  ... it's a big store, so I counted that as exercise.  In the afternoon DH and I took a neighborhood stroll.  Health issues had been keeping him from exercising too, so we are reentering exercising together.

Thank you all for listening and sharing,

Sally

Jazzygirl

Happy Thanksgiving my hermit peeps. Thinking of you today for those of you who are home recovering and resting, those enjoying a quiet day at home alone or with family, or going out and about with friends and/or family. However you are spending this day, may you find peace and love surrounding you.

I am watching the Macy's day parade and missing NYC. Spent a lot of time there when I lived back east. I am thinking of planning a trip there for my birthday in 2014. Getting caught up on all the current Broadway plays too. I think I have to see Motown the Musical for sure!

Heading out this afternoon to meet a friend (and fellow bc survivor) for dinner at one of the best resorts here. Going to dress up and enjoy the whole experience!

SallyS70

Jazzy, New York sounds like a great vacation spot. Last night I was watching a Christmas movie set in New York City. I would love to wander around there ... I love citiies. New York has such a variety of architecture, microenvironments, and people that I could probably wander happily for months ... can't forget the museums and Broadway.

CCFW

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grammaB

Priceless CCFW!!

SallyS70

CCFW ... great picture!

camillegal

CC--way to funny--chillin the good way.

I hope everyone had a restful nice day today--I did and I'm going to answer this Skittle is a teacher and wonderful.

There's a couple of gals who haven't been around for a while I hope that means they are doing well.

Jazzy I think u should go to NY sounds mahhhvelous and I always think of the old movies where it's snowing and they show Rockefellow (sp) center (that is in NY right) and it looks so beautiful.

Spookiesmom

ahhhh chilled turkey!!!!!!

Jazzygirl

Spookie- I was watching the dog show yesterday. What kind of dog is Spookie?

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving yesterday. Getting a few things done at home, and then have to go to work (sigh).

Have a good day hermits!

Spookiesmom

I'd never heard of that show till yesterday. A Walker Coonhound got BIS.

Spookie is a Maltese, her bro KrisKringle is a poodle.

camillegal

Spookie, hahaha KrisKringle--get all the holidays in there---that is so cute.

Skittle

Sally, yes, guilty as charged... Teacher. (Any chance you taught in DoD Heidelberg schools? I attended 5th and 6th grades there.) It has changed so much just in the past few years... and not for the good, I'm afraid. (Had to laugh at the chilling turkey! a little creepy at the same time.)

Hope all had satisfying Thanksgivings. It was so quick to leave us! Rest if you can. Enjoy the month ahead as the Christmas roller coaster scoops up so many in its path.

Spookiesmom

Cami have to keep the holiday names going. The vet thinks Kris was born in Dec, so he'll be 3. He was a rescue. He's daddy's boy! Really a very good boy.

Jazzygirl

Spookie- Kris is adorable too! I just became aware of the dog show a few years ago as it comes on right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. There are so many cool kinds of dogs I have never heard of!

Anybody do black Friday shopping? I know we hermits tend to avoid things like that. I just ran errands before I had to go into work for a bit to place like the hardware store, UPS and grocery store but no big retail. Tomorrow is small business Saturday and do need to stop by one of my fav local stores for something I ordered. Shop local!

No work tomorrow. Just time at home, a few errands and some exercise. I am determine to not let my project consume my holiday weekend.

camillegal

Spookie u furbabies are so adorable--they're so cute. Our Dog is kind of clumpy but so good, but when he's happy just walking by he can knock u over, not meaning to.

BLACK FRIDAY shopping???? Jazzy I don't shop when It's white Tuesday. Mine are all catalogue or internet, some on the shopping channels too--for years. I hate to shop always did, the most I do is grocery when I have to and now hardly ever, I just make a list. Oh Lazyness is bad.

Oh last nite Joey and I were watching TV and tired and he had his arm around me and I ws cuddled into his chest and we fell asleep, how relaxing and he got up a little while ago and went to bed--we're a wild pair when we watch TV. My type of kid. He's gotten so tall, at nine, I would put my arm around him not to long ago.

SallyS70

Hi all,

Skittle, I didn't teach in Heidelberg.  However, I attended a wedding in Heidelberg performed by a monk in a stone monastery on top of a hill.  As I recall, we had to walk up the hill upon which cows were grazing.  Even if my memory is off, I am enjoying the mental scene.

Can we share uncommon wedding venues?

Jazzy, does shopping the day after Black Friday count?  Since I want new sheets for the den bed and have a coupon, I plan to bop over to the very close Kohl's.  Maybe I can find hair ornaments for DG's 9th birthday in December.  I think her older sisters will thank me as she borrows theirs, takes the piece off at school, and sometimes forgets to bring it home.  Since I had two boys and no girls, buying for girls is a treat and a challenge.

I hope everyone has a fun Saturday.

camillegal

Sally it doesn't count??? Besides buying for a girl is so much more fun--there is so much to pick from and u can buy sparkly things, all kinds of stuff--Boys are much more boring to buy for as far as clothes go. Hope u find what u need.

I just talked to one of my GFs and we're going out to lunch on Tuesday, (my other GFs) for years and yrs. So I look forward to that. We see each other as often as possible too. Well actually we go by one of the girls houses and my GF who owns a restaurant has our lunch delivered---- all our favs. too.

Jazzygirl

Cami- I love the story about Joey cuddling up with you and falling asleep watching tv. He is really your buddy and so glad you have him. I was very tall at age nine too, I grew much faster than the rest of the kids in grammar school. I was one of the first girls to get boobs too, around that same time. That made me the envy of some of the other school girls and an obsession for some of the school boys. Nine is an age of much change for many kids!

Sally- I think the whole weekend is about shopping from the sounds of it! I love Kohls but won't go to the department stores after Thanksgiving. I hope you find the nice sheets at Kohl's and some ornaments too!

I came home from work yesterday with a bad headache and went to bed at 7 p.m. and woke up before midnight. Up for awhile and back down until 7 a.m. I woke up with what feels like a head cold that may be coming on. So I am going to stay in today and take it easy. I have been working on the start of my Xmas cards.

Oh, and for the folks here that were chatting about the JFK anniversary and the memories from 1963. I watched a really good rental movie called Parkland, which focused on the day and following days after his death. It was based on true people and events, from the fellow that took the film that caught everything that happened, the family of Oswald, the ones at Parkland hospital who cared for him when we came in, etc. For those here who like to read the books and history around this, you might want to rent this movie (Netflix, etc.) if you have not seen it yet. I found it interesting to learn more history about the people surrounding the events of that tragic day.