The Hermit Club

SallyS70

Mags ... great quote!

Jazzy, are you ready to escape to your hotel?

Jazzygirl

Mags- wow, look at those roses! Beautiful. I have never had much success with them myself. Thanks for sharing those! 

How are you feeling?

SallyS70

Jazzy, I want to hug that baby!

Mags, gorgeous roses ... so big.  My garden is in containers, and I can almost hear my roses saying, "Let me out!"

Teka

I wrote *Biddy* instead of *Bippy*.

Years ago, I planted pink and purple wild asters for blooms in the Fall.

Mags, such lovely roses!

Teka

Jazzy,

The floor project has begun!

SallyS70

Teka, those asters are lovely ... good fall color ... I think I will look for a pot of them.

Jazzygirl

Teka- purple asters grow wild all around this area! I love asters! Yours are so pretty. We love our gardens, don't we? My seedums are starting to turn and have the coolest mauve color (when do you see that color in nature?) I will post picture soon, not quite ready yet!

And yes, the men are here (2) of them. Carpeting is gone, tile in entry way removed (will be wood from the front door all the way into the living room). They are leveling the flooring/sealing up some minor cracks in the slab and getting ready to put the flooring in. We will all be breaking soon to go grab lunch (including me on my own, as I did not get lunch food for the week as I was not sure I could get to my fridge....) Drive through to Wendy's I think.

One of the good things about turning your house upside down is finding things you forgot you had. Sitting in my home office listening to all kinds of great CDS I have not listened to in awhile. Making it very jazzy over here in my cave.

Jazzygirl

From northern NM. Double rainbows are common here. Never saw one before I moved to the southwest. I love the dog in this photo too!

Jazzygirl

Hermits- I came across a mag I got while out in AZ getting rad treatment last year called Living with Cancer and found it today in my home office. It has a great article about how our relationships change with a bc diagnosis, treatment and down the line. I know I shared it here last year at one point, but since we have a number of newer people here, I thought I would post it again.

Four Things No One will Tell you about A Cancer Diagnosis

1) You will be bombarded with other people's cancer stories- this includes those who have made it through and those who have not. The article suggests letting people know it is not helpful and that you only want to hear success stories.

2) You may be the one comforting family and friends- a lot of time, we end up doing a lot of the reassuring. They suggest if you need support, be specific about what you need since most people do not know what to do and may  not have any experience with dealing with cancer. I need a ride to the doctor, can you pick something up for me at the store, etc.

3) You will envy others- especially those who may be doing something fun, going on vacation, playing with their kids, etc. Suggestion is to not compare yourself to others. Instead, determine what you can do to meet your emotional needs (relaxing bath, and my favorite, just asking people to take you out for a ride, to go to the store, finding simple ways to connect at home with those you love, etc.) 

4) Your relationships may be strained- spouses, friends, etc. cannot deal with the disease or the idea of loosing you. They suggest finding yourself a support group in your community (or how about BCO???)

I know I certainly had experiences with all of these and the article is very right on that you just don't expect these things to happen.  I hope this is helpful for the new folks here, especially those recently diagnosed and going through treatment.

Teka

magdalene51

Jazzy, beautiful pics! New Mexico does have its own unique landscapes, doesn't it? I moved to New Mexico at age ten from San Diego, and it just seemed barren to me. I never did learn to appreciate it and left as soon as I graduated. I've been back briefly, twice in 1969 and 2008. But I am able to appreciate it now, if from a distance.

Those roses were one reason I hated to give up our old house; we lived there almost ten years. The climber on the trellis is Cecile Brunner, an old rose that is sometimes available now. My mom had one growing on the fence in San Diego. The buds are perfect tea rose shape, we kids used to make Mom corsages for church with them. That picture was taken the spring after it had a major pruning. The other is a David Austen English rose called Crown Princess Margareta. Both are very fragrant. *sigh*

OncoWarrior

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Jazzygirl

Hi hermits- some good progress today on the new floors. They finished a bit after 4 p.m., and I packed up and came up to my hotel and am relaxing. I just ordered room service and am going to veg with the tv tonight.

Here is a photo of the flooring progress today. I am very pleased so far. Guys working on it area great too. I like contractors who just do the work, ask questions when they need your input, are polite and answer your questions. 

Onco- I am sorry you have so much stuff coming up right now. Sometimes these things remain buried until it is a safer time in our lives to deal with them. I have had that happen before myself, and it can really catch you by surprise. Keep taking care of yourself and know that everything is coming up to be healed. 

Okay hermits- over and out for tonight and going to veg with the tv. I have to be up early and back down to the house in the morning to meet up with the guys for day 2.

Wishing everyone a restful evening!

maidentiredofwaiting

Mags and Teka, your flowers are gorgeous.  Alas, I have no green thumb but I truly appreciate other people's gardens.  

Jazzy your new floor is lovely!  

Here is a little Nashville warbler I rescued this Spring that hit our window. Happy to say it was just stunned and continued on its migration.

Teka

Check out the *Bird Watching Club* thread.

magdalene51

I just wanted to show you the relative size of the Cecile Brunner buds. So tiny, so perfect, so fragrant. That portrait is 3"x5". My mom, taken around the time I was born.

Jazzygirl

Maiden- what a beautiful little bird. I am glad it was just stunned and few off after recovering. We like birds here too (I am going to check out that thread too Teka when I get the chance).

I enjoyed some shrimp cocktail and buffalo wings last night via room service, along with a delicious glass of cabernet sauvignon, and watched the Emmy's. I was disappointed to see more of my favorite HBO shows like The Network and True Detective not getting any awards. Seems like all the old favorites like Modern Family and Breaking Bad got all the attention. 

Heading down to the house to being for day 2. We may get some heavy rain today and may need to move my other car out of the garage so they can use that space to cut the wood. Don't want my wood getting wet!

Have a good day hermits! I will be back tonight to check in!

Jazzygirl

New floors down!

Teka

I love the colors and pattern!

Jazzygirl

Teka- it is two colors of maple mixed to give it a more antique type look. Having the mix of colors helps it to go better with all the woods and colors in the house. It came out so nice, and am so happy with the wood and the install. 

They will come back tomorrow to finish some tile repairs I am having them do too, and then put things back together. I had to hunt around tonight for the right kind of felt cushions to put under the big furniture that gets moved back into place tomorrow. Ace Hardware for some, Lowes for the rest. It's all a big learning experience. Got some new plants at Lowe's too for the front garden, including a new sedum, but it is going to be a deeper purple color then the one I have right now in the back gardens. 

At the hotel and just enjoyed some room service again. Tonight was salmon with asparagus, and brie and bacon mashed potatoes. Oh and another glass of cab. My treat at the end of another long day!

How is everybody doing today? Blondie, you feeling better yet? Cami, are you still struggling with D? How about our friends Mags and Bippy going through chemo? Lily, are you doing okay? Sally, Onco, and everyone else?

Teka

A tiny patch of sedum near the tiny frog pond.   I'll post a photo when in bloom!

blondiex46

Yep I got a wig and never wore it, donated it....

Jazzy it looks wonderful...can't wait to see everything completed...

not sure how I am feeling, tired, somehow....went out today just to the local save a lot andx was exhausted when I got back...it seems so much takes everything out of me...trying not to do stuff....am up now 117am, but slept off and on all day....

Happy Wednesday.....oh yea one of the twins got a job, working 11 - 7....hopefully he will stay at it..., now need to get the other one going....will feel better that I am not leaving them, sitting on the couch, playing on the x box all day long, lol....

TEKA, CAMMIE, SALLY, MAGS, JAZZY AND ALL WHO I FORGOT.....HUGS!!!

ME

Bippy625

Hi hermies, jazzy I love love love your new floors!  I live in a very old house with original wooden floors and they are beat up. Nothing else like real wood though.  I am very jealous of your room service and your cab!  

Blondie and  everyone, hope you're all doing great today.  I am starting my next chemo on Friday 8/29. This time I packed up the on the Gatorade and frozen Popsicles at Cetera. I put together a kill cancer playlist on my iPad, and have downloaded a few fun mindless games. Also I downloaded a couple of good books on dealing with the emotional impact of cancer and treatment. I am ready! 

So did anyone else start to exercise only after being diagnosed like me?  I'm doing very well with my walking program and took my first walk alone this morning as DH was working. I can't believe how good it feels to sweat and move. Usually I sit all day in a chair!  I'm losing weight for a good reason. 

Jazzygirl

Good morning hermits!

Teka

Jazzygirl

Back at the house this morning. I planted some of my new plants this morning after I got home and after a night of soaking rain. Will post some garden pictures soon, bit more to do there! With all the interior work here the past month, I looked at the gardens this week and thought they needed a late summer face lift. Plus all the hermits here talking about gardening like Teka, Sally, and Mags.

Bippy- I am glad to hear you started exercising. I have been exercising my whole life, but don't do everything I used to do post BC. I gave up some of the higher risk things like downhill skiing, mountain biking, etc. that I did for many years. I belong to a gym and swim regularly (although I cannot until I get my stitches out of my head next week), do yoga, walk, and plan to start biking again (on trails) starting this weekend. I also try to lift weights but don't like it, but need to because the aromtase inhibitors can reduce your bone strength. I hope you can keep doing a bit of exercise through chemo, but know many don't feel like it. My sister is a runner and when she felt good enough in between treatments, she would do short walks with her dog. She has been back to running for awhile and just decided to join a gym too.

Thank you also for the compliments on the floors. I lived in an old farmhouse back in CT before I moved out west and had hard wood floors in part of the house there. We also had them in my childhood home growing up, but my parents covered them with carpeting so they were hidden! I would see them whenever they replaced the carpeting. I will share more photos when the house is a bit more put back together.

Blondie- I am sorry you are not feeling well and so tired. I hope your son can get going with his job and your other twin can find work too. I know it will make you worry less about them. And perhaps keep them out of your hair. Hugs sister, and hoping you feel better today.

Hope everyone else here has a good day.

magdalene51

Good morning Hermies! Jazzy, those floors look wonderful! Can't wait to see after it's all put back together again! Blondie, that's great news about your one twin, fingers crossed for the other. Bippy, good luck with Friday's chemo, I have number four on Tuesday. 

I had a flare up last night of this weird condition I have called Costochondritis. Simply, it is inflammation of the connective tissue of the ribs and sternum. Generally, it manifests itself as a tight feeling in the chest and back, but a flare can mimic a heart attack which is what I had last night. I've had this for 8 years now, so I knew what was happening, but it hurt like the dickens, and there is no treatment for it. It lasted about an hour, wave after wave, and I finally took a pain pill and got some sleep. I haven't had a flare up like that in several years, but I have felt it coming on for several days and last night just capped it. I know that having any kind of surgery on the chest can aggravate it, so it was no surprise. 

Taking it easy today. Got the watery eyes blurry vision again, just like last week#3.

SallyS70

Hugs to you too Blondie ... and thanks.  

Bippy, congratulations on getting your walking program going.  Although I have walked for exercise at various times in my life, I had not been good about it before my diagnosis.  I am now back to regular walking although I am not back to the 30-45 minutes I was doing before BC.  Building up stamina is one of my current goals.  I have also started doing a very short yoga with weights based routine ... very short and starting with 2 pound weights.  I just remembered that I did do 20 minutes of walking per day during radiation ... a request from my radiologist.  After radiation I got pneumonia and walking took a break that lasted longer than necessary.

Several of you ... Teka, Jazzy, and ?, ... mentioned sedums which got me thinking about hens and chicks which I would like to find when I am in the mood to clear an area for them.  I had forgotten that sedums change color in the fall.  

Hi Maiden and Onco ... Hi to all!

Mags, how scary your attack of costo must have been.  I hope your eyes fix themselves today quickly.  Hopefully, you are taking good care of yourself.

I spent yesterday evening playing Barbies with a granddaughter.  My Barbie went to a prom in a beautiful gown and then on a road trip in a perky sun dress to save a dolphin baby.  How nice Barbies have it ... an elevator in their house ... however, they are missing the exercise of climbing stairs.  

Nap time ... 

OncoWarrior

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Teka