Crazy Life

Happy Easter to everyone.

The last 4 days have just been crazy.

I had watched the movie Hairspray and it brought back lots of memories of living in Baltimore when we were kids. I thought those memories would make a good blog. I barely got started writing the blog and got the news that my mother was in the hospital. Things went downhill after that. I did speak to her at the hospital and am glad I did that. She acted as if we had just spoken yesterday.

My computer was attacked with spyware on the 31st. The ultimate invasion of privacy, to my way of thinking. The bad thing is not just what that does to you but it assaults everyone in your address book. I hope it hasn't caused problems for anyone else. Hopefully no one was affected except with embarrassment. It linked to a Viagra site in Canada. I have no idea how I got it. I am so careful about what I open.

On the 1st my mother passed away. My brothers Ken and John were with her at Ken's house. I know this will be very hard on them and wish I could be there, if only for them. I think my Aunt Irene and Aunt Betty will miss her very much and I know her two granddaughters are hurting right now. I hope this mends any hard feelings left in the family. Funerals are hard enough without carrying all the other baggage. My mother didn't actually raise me but the fact is, she was my mother and I am very sad that she is gone. It broke my heart later when I got a message on my voicemail from my brother John. He was trying so hard to be brave (for everyone else) but he could barely hold his tears back. I wish I had been there to give him a great big hug. I do believe that my mother is in a better place. All the pain and disappointments of this life are over. She was diagnosed with bladder cancer and was gone about 10 days later.

Around March 9th my granddaughter Serenity's other grandmother, Gail, was diagnosed with 3 small spots of cancer on her brain. They were sure it was operable and she would be fine. Three weeks later they determined the cancer was so aggressive that it already covered both sides of her brain and was inoperable. On April 2nd they gave her two weeks to two months and sent her home. She was gone early the next morning, April 3rd. Serenity's dad, Anthony, is just 29 and he has lost his father and mother in a seven year period.

I just want to scream at the top of my lungs "Cancer be gone" and just know it has disappeared. Too many people, too fast, too much pain and too much suffering. Where will it stop and when will it end! "Ugly weapon of the devil, be gone with you!" Well, okay, maybe it's not the weapon of the devil. I have no idea. I am just madder than hell. And tell me how a person can have Stage IV terminal cancer and no one knew it until it was this far gone? And how is it someone has cancer and it takes 3 weeks to get a biopsy or two months before they start treatment? What's up with all this?

My niece, Jenifer, recently made the observation that it seems like cancer is getting closer and closer. It use to be the third cousin of a friend or a friend's friend who had cancer. Now it seems like everyone is touched within their immediate family. Jen and her family just lost Jenifer's Aunt Patty. Patty fought cancer for 20 years or so.

Selfishly I was thinking this is too much to ask people to endure and then I remembered that this is Easter and I remember what Jesus endured. How dare me protest or think any of us have been slighted. This is also a reminder to me of something I have said all along. I have been blessed to know I have cancer and to have the opportunity to prepare. I have been given time. If I'm not prepared to go when the time comes, I have only myself to blame. The truth is, while I may be spiritually prepared (which is the "prepared" I'm speaking of), I will never be materially or physically prepared. There is no such thing.

Prayers for all those who are gone and for all their loved ones, left to suffer the pain and heartache. I love you all.

The Cost of Not Forgiving?

This week I've been giving a lot of thought to forgiveness again. I wrote about it briefly in a blog in February but it keeps popping into my brain. In March a wrote a blog about going to New Jersey to see my mother and then in September I wrote about my mom coming to visit me. If you read those blogs you might have gotten the idea that my biological mother is just a little difficult. This would be an understatement. She is all about difficult. I think she invented difficult and probably mean and nasty. The reason this is weighing on my mind is because she is very ill. I don't know how any human being could go through life being so miserable and unhappy. How much better her life could have been if she could have learned to just enjoy it and enjoy the people around her. Of course the worse part of being like this is you are bound to take other people "down" with you. I think this is a sad legacy to leave behind. Sad that people will remember her being this type of person. Of course when someone is gone the emotions soften and it becomes easier to remember the "good" times. This is especially true when you don't have to be on guard waiting for more "bad" times.

Don't get me wrong. Her family loves her of course. Her sisters and her children and grandchildren all love her. The fact is we can love someone but not like them very much. It's the things they do that we don't like. There is nothing like a sharp tongue or a nasty glare to cut you through to the core.

I hadn't seen my mother from the time I was 6 until I was 41 or 42. Her family endured her scorn for many years. I never experienced it until last July when she came to visit me. It was not a pretty sight and even though it happened in front of my eyes, I could not believe how this woman turned on me. I suppose now I could look back and say it's because she was so sick and unknowingly seriously ill, but the fact is this was the real Virginia coming out. I had heard the stories. She just had never turned on me before. Well, at least, not since I was a child.

At the advice of my doctor, I hadn't talked to my mother since her visit to Nebraska in July. I'll blame the doctor but I knew it was the best thing for healing. My mom came to visit for two weeks. On the 5th day she told me off, stormed out of my house and refused to return. I can't believe I'm going to tell this but I had to call the police. She spent the night in a motel and the next day I took her back to the airport. She lasted almost six days. The first day was almost pleasant but it went down hill by the next morning. No long explanation needed, but rest assured it was not pretty and was ridiculous and childish.

My mother had an unbelievable childhood. No one should have to endure and live the kind of life she did. She was on her own from the time she was 12 or 13 and she worked hard her whole life. As she got older it might have been better but it was never good. Abusive family to abusive husbands. By the time she was free and independent she was already so bitter and full of pain and guilt there was no turning back for her.

I think guilt is the biggest burden that people carry. We need to forgive ourselves before we can forgive others. Usually the guilt we carry is unfounded but to us it is as real as if we had gone out and killed someone. We blame ourselves for everything. Yes, some things may be our fault but more often then not the blame and guilt we carry is for something we had no control over. This must be especially true of children. How can a child be responsible for what they are born into? I believe in reincarnation and I believe we are brought into our next life according to the way we lived our last life. Now all I hear is that we asked to come into this life. I have a hard time believing anyone would ask to be born into a life of abuse. Of course I use to not understand how a person was suppose to forgive someone who wronged them and especially if the person refused to accept that they had done wrong or refused to ask for forgiveness. I know now that forgiveness is something we must do for ourselves and it is for ourselves not for the other person. Forgiveness is necessary for both our physical and mental well being.

I spoke previously about Louise Hay. Louise Hay says that we do the best job we can with the tools we have been provided. This is a very important thing to remember when it comes to forgiveness. The people who raise us only have the tools the people who raised them gave them. This is part of the pattern that turns victims into victimizers. If we are lucky we break the pattern instead of continuing it on. So my mother did break the abuse pattern as far as the physical aspect goes. What she became I believe was the result of not being able to forgive herself and the bitterness that grew from not being able to forgive her transgressors.

I can't speak for my brothers, but for my part, I had nothing to forgive my mother for. From the time I was six, I believed in my heart that my mother did the best she could and when she could no longer take care of my youngest brother and I, she again did the best thing she could. She gave us to someone else to love and care for us. I have never had any doubt about this. From the time we were reacquainted it was obvious that my mother carried so much guilt and there was no way to convince her that it wasn't necessary. She held on to it like a badge of courage. She would never admit this. The fact is it seeped from every pore in her body. I speak of my youngest brother, Rex and I, but there were two other brothers that are a part of this family. I can't begin to speak for them and what they have lived through. Rex and I were adopted and we learned the meaning of a special kind of love. The not I love you because I have to or because I have no choice but the kind of love that says I love you because I choose to.

Thich Nhat Hanh says "forgiveness is not possible until compassion is born in our hearts".

This of course means we must have compassion for the people who wronged us.

Reverend James Forbes says "the soul wishes peace but anger and revenge won't give it".

Only forgiveness will give us true peace.

Forgiveness allows you to remember but releases the pain in the memory.

The memory is part of what makes us who we are. I can keep the memory but need to let go of the pain. The pain is the thing that destroys our lives.

I actually read somewhere once that often the person you forgive doesn't even know they did anything wrong until you forgive them. Imagine that!

I have always thought I was a fairly good person and never intentionally hurt anyone. The fact is it is possible to cause great hurt and pain with no intention. Since many people believe you must ask for forgiveness in order to be forgiven.....here goes.....

If I have ever hurt or offended anyone in anyway, I ask your forgiveness now.

This must go out especially to my children. They say the ones you love the most are the ones you hurt the most. I know this to be true.

Material Girl - but no Madonna

When I was young I knew I was in no way materialistic. It was a known fact that objects meant little to me. I made the best with what I had and didn't worry about the Jones'. I did value the things I did have, especially the sentimental things. I was very ambitious but not in a material way.

Now I have a dark secret to reveal. I am now a "Material Girl"! As my daughter's friend Jen says, "I love me some fabric". I can't go into the fabric store without some design or color catching my eye. It talks to me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear. It begs me to touch and caress it and take it home with me.

In my twenties I had quite a collection of fabric scraps. This was due to the fact I made so many of Tonya and Chris' clothes. I also did alternations for people and I would keep the scraps from hems and sleeves if they caught my fancy. I saved those scraps from the time I was 19 until I was 27. I had a great desire to make quilts. I had only made one by this time but I had a passion to make more. After I met the man who was to become my second husband (I use the term husband, lightly), we moved from Texas to Nebraska and he insisted that it was silly to keep all those scraps and lug them with us. Years later when I talked about quilting he admitted it was stupid of him to insist I throw all that beautiful fabric away. A lot of good it did me then.

In 2004, when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was determined to stop working such long hours and began to dream of quilting again. Now a real quilter would laugh because I know nothing about quilting and it would take years to be of the caliber of the women I know who quilt but that's okay. Everyone has to start somewhere. Desire has to count for something. I figured if I could just get started I could, over time, learn all the tricks and techniques a "true" quilter uses. That year I began spending part of my vacation money (I rarely took a vacation but got paid for it) on fabric. Well, okay, I confess, I spent some of it on eBay for pink depression glass (another love). Well, I cut down on my hours, just a little, for a very short time. The other lady in the office got sick again and now I was back to doing my work, the work of a second employee who was never replaced and the work of the sick Office Manager. All the fabric has been sitting and waiting for me. Some of this fabric is what I bought to make the rag quilts for Jessica and Chris. Can you believe I finally got those done? There's still plenty of fabric. Fabric for a quilt for everyone I love. I would like to paint some fabric and embellish with buttons, ribbons and anything else I can find that catches my eye. I have fabric to make a quilt of a farm in the four seasons. I want to make at least one Spirit Flag. In the meantime, I will be happy to complete even some of the ideas I have in my brain. Now those ideas might have grown in design and grandeur over the years or they may turn out to be moldy and impossible to accomplish. Only time will tell. I'll keep you posted.

To prove I know nothing about quilting.....When Tonya was a toddler I made her a quilt that was passed down through each of my kids. Jessica still has it but it is about a rag (it's probably 35 years old and Jessica was still sleeping with it not many years ago). The fabric is frayed and worn and even has holes in it. The last time I saw it every hand stitched seam was still intact. In high school Jessica was taking Home Economics and they were going to make a quilt. She took mom's quilt to school. When her teacher saw it she told her that she had never seen one like it. She had no idea how her mother had designed it but she said "it worked out". Heck I didn't know I was doing anything wrong. I knew what I wanted it to look like and I made it in sections because it was easier to handle that way. I didn't know how to use a quilt rack and of course I didn't have one. I was consoled that "it worked". I like the idea of the early American women who made quilts out of necessity and used old clothing and flour sacks. Now that's my kind of quilting. Stitching together memories that will last from one lifetime to the next. These quilts actually got used and weren't just stored away for safe keeping. Someone used them to stay warm, to feel safe and secure and to feel loved by the person who took the time to stitch them. I know it was out of necessity but I like to think all the rest went along with it.

So goodnight from the Material Girl...Living in a Fabric World!

In case you are wondering, yes, I am aware that I am not a girl.

Have Wheels, Will Travel

I was thinking about the fact that Tonya lent me her car for over a week. Not to sound selfish, but I could never lend someone my only mode of transportation for that long without having a nervous breakdown. Even if I have nowhere to go I have always needed to know that my car was close and available whenever I might need it. I have done quite a bit of thought about this over the years. You see I have always liked to psychoanalyze myself.

So this is my analysis:

#1 It is because I never had a driver's license or a car until I was 27. Hard to believe, right? After all, I wasn't born in the dark ages. Yes, I had a Learner's Permit when I was 15 and I took Driver's Ed in school. My mom let me drive once (yes, just once) in the shopping center parking lot when the store was closed and there were no cars in the parking lot. She saw no reason for me to drive since I wouldn't be driving her car and I would have to wait until I had a job and bought my own car and insurance. I did work but my meager income went for clothes and school. My mom never had a driver's license until she was in her 40's. My dad would have been okay with using his car (only when necessary), but mom had the last say on the kids. At seventeen I left home. I did drive a friend part way back from the Midwest to Maryland once when I was barely 18. She said I made her nervous because I drove too close to the right. Yes, I have heard that since then also. I also turn corners too fast.

#2 When I was in my mid 20's my father-in-law wanted to take me driving because he thought I should have my license. Husband #1 thought that was ridiculous because he was the one with the car and what would I have to drive and why would I need to drive. He felt it worked out well the way I packed my two kids up in the one kid stroller with the laundry and the groceries. What in the world did I need to drive for. I walked the kids to school each morning and walked to work then walked home from work and walked to pick the kids up at daycare. What would a woman need a car for?

#3 Husband #2 was very supportive of me driving. I was petrified and wanted some practice but he wouldn't hear it. I couldn't drive a stick so he got me the driving book to study and had my sister-in-law pick me up and take me to the DMV for the test. I took my first test in a Pacer. I figured that alone would get me flunked. The poor man who tested me said I needed some practice. He could tell I didn't have much experience behind the wheel. Hell, I hadn't been behind the wheel in nine years. I think I did pretty good considering. Can you believe he passed me? Either I caught him on a good day or he was afraid I would come back and it would be his luck to have to ride with me again.

I finally had a driver's license and I had $100.00 dollars. I carried myself, with my new found independence, to the local car lot. You should have seen the salesman's face when I asked if he had anything for $100.00. It was a Kodak moment. I was embarrassed but more determined than ever. He said "lady, I got three cars over there (way out in the corner hidden) and they've been sitting there for years. If you can get one of them started you can have it for $200.00". I went home and for the first time in my life I asked my father for a loan. This was very difficult for me, but I knew I needed a car. He didn't give me a loan but he did give me $100.00. Four days later I was back at that car lot and became the proud owner of a 1960 something Dodge Dart and was light blue. It wasn't the one with fins or the classic 2 door. It must have been 1964 or earlier though because it had the push button transmission. This was 1978 but you would have thought it was a new Mercedes. I was so proud of that car. I would get very upset when people would make their snide remarks. It was almost like a child that I had to protect and defend.

So from that moment on I felt I needed my car to really feel independent. When I was married and we went somewhere, I always liked to take my own car. It was mainly because if it got late or the party got out of hand I wanted to be able to take my kids home. I was not

comfortable with being somewhere and not having my own transportation. I never wanted to have to beg for a ride or have to wait for a drunken husband to listen to reason. Kids are tired and momma's tired (or disgusted or fed up), I'm going home. Good night all.

Blame the Camera

I wanted to add one more Grand Canyon picture. I imagine that Tonya and Jessica have much better photos. I have always said I take terrible pictures but I love taking them. We have quite a collection of photos from when the kids were young that have only half the head. It's a huge family joke. I am truly photographically impaired or challenged or whatever. I wanted to say photogenically challenged but of course neither of these are words but, if they where, both would be true.

Yes, I know. It truly is me, not the camera.

Visit From An Angel (Well according to Grandma)

Saturday Jessica and Serenity came and we spent the first night in the new house. Serenity didn't have much to say but she wanted to know if the "baby" room was still here. The first time she saw the house, the first bedroom was obviously a child's room with a monkey painted on the wall. She said then that this was going to be her room. She really loves monkeys and that's always her main interest when her mom takes her to the zoo. She does really great monkey sounds also. That room is now the office but she was still happy with her room at grandma's.

Sunday morning we went for Dunkin' Donuts by special request from Jessica. Later we went to Fiesta Mall and went window shopping and had lunch in the food court. This is the mall that Tonya use to take Jessica to with her friends when Jessica was little. Jessica was the baby sister that the older sister had to take everywhere with her. I worked till 6:00 each day and on Saturdays and Tonya had Jessica anytime she wasn't in school . It cut down on babysitting costs. Tonya was always good about this and I can only think of one time she complained. She was a good sister and a good daughter.

Tuesday Serenity got to go swimming at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse where Tonya lives. She was so excited about going swimming in the winter. Her new friend Jewels went with her. She has actually met Jewels several times before but only remembered her from the pictures we took. Jewels is the daughter of Jessica's friend Kaycie. Jessica and Kaycie have been friends since they were five. Jewels' grandmother (Rosemary is Kaycie's mother) was Jessica's babysitter. Tonya would pick Jessica up from Rosemary's each day after school. We have all been friends ever since. It is nice that Serenity and Jewels can be friends now also.

Wednesday we went shopping and prepared for a small house warming party that was a psychic party. We had a lot of fun listening to everyone else's "readings". Several old friends joined us for a little refreshment and a lot of laughs.

Serenity wanted to see the Grand Canyon. She said she had seen pictures but had never been there. Aunt Tonya took us there on Thursday. Needless to say it was a long trip, but as usual, it was a beautiful experience. There's nothing like the Grand Canyon at sunset.

Friday we spent most of the day at Tonya's. Tonya and Jessica picked up Jewels and she and Serenity spent most of the afternoon playing at Aunt Tonya's and Uncle Steve's. After Jewels went home I fixed lasagna and we had dinner with the Price family. This included Steve, Tonya, Charlotte, Kieran and Quinn. McKenna wasn't available as she had dog sitting duties. We had a wonderful time visiting and Jessica and Serenity said their goodbyes as they were leaving early on Saturday morning. We had to get up at 4:00AM in order to get to the airport in plenty of time for their flight home. I am not a bit ashamed to say that I came home and took a nap.

A picture of Serenity's room at Grandma's house. Can you believe Tonya found this sign that said Serenity. Needless to say, Serenity was very impressed.

New Abode

On Wednesday Steve, Tonya and I started moving stuff into the house. My friend Rosemary's son, Joey helped also. Steve is doing lots of work on the house and Tonya and I are going through her "Shabby Chic" storage. Steve calls it "Chubby Chick". Do you think that has underlying meaning? So we cleared out all the staging furniture that Steve and Tonya had in the garage and I now have a furnished house. By now I am getting very excited. Very little cleaning was needed as everything is brand new or close to it. Tonya and Steve have done wonders with this house. It is fresh and lovely and updated. The yard needs some work but there will be plenty of time for that. I am still surprised at the generosity of strangers (well, strangers to me). Tonya and Steve have friends who donated a stove, microwave and refrigerator. I am so appreciative and the items all are in great shape. Anything I ever had "extra" or stored in the garage was usually on it's last leg. These appliances were "slightly used". I feel very blessed.

Serenity and Jessica will be here on Saturday. We are very excited to see Serenity's reaction when she sees the house. She saw it in June when we were in Arizona, actually we both saw it for the first time together. When she first walked in she said "this place is a dump". Aunt Tonya told her it just needed lots of work and Serenity said "it's going to take a whole lot of work". Serenity is much more demonstrative then her grandma. Grandma is generally hard pressed to show much emotion, good or bad. Tonya says it's a family thing. We learned years ago to not get excited about anything until it actually happened, because there was always the chance that it wouldn't happen. Many times this was a distinct possibility and more often than not it was the end result. Example: the playhouse/clubhouse my kids never got. I think this was something I learned in my childhood and I must have passed it on to my children. What a terrible heritage. I know all this sounds very negative but it is actually just realistic. This way, if it doesn't happen, the let down is much less harsh.

When I spoke to Serenity on the phone, I asked if she remembered the house. "I don't know," she said, "but did you get a new brick put in?" Of all the things for her to remember. You'd think it would be one of the holes, in the wall, or the ceiling, or the middle of the living room floor, but no, it was the brick. There was a brick that had come out by the front door and it was sitting on the ledge of the brick trim. She wanted to know if I got a new brick for it.

This morning we pick Jessica and Serenity up from the airport. I can hardly wait. There's never a dull moment when "Miss Serenity" is around. She keeps grandma on her toes.

Stitching With Love

Finished my second rag quilt today. This one is for Chris. It'll be an early birthday present. I love making these quilts because they are so easy and fast and I love the way they look. The picture doesn't do it justice (lighting you know) . I was worried about the fabric. I really wanted this to be pretty but manly. I had to forgo the flowers that I like so much and of course the lovely colors that I like to use (especially "pink"). It turned out very nice. I was afraid it would be drab but it has it's own beauty. Happy "early" Birthday Chris (Rich). I love you more than you may ever know. Be looking for a blog on your birthday. Don't be scared...I'll be gentle.

Chubby II

Sorry, I absolutely could not resist posting this little update from yesterday's blog. Tonya had this little stuffed dog in storage with all her other "valuables". I remember the little dog but did not remember I gave this to her when her little Chubby died. She remembered and has saved it all these years. We know that all our best efforts can't replace something we have lost but I think this is proof that a "friend" can have an important place in our hearts and help us get through the pain. She has had this since she was five.

Tonya had a little confession after reading my blog. She told me that she use to sneak Chubby into the house and hide under my bed with him and watch the Mickey Mouse Club.

Chubby the Puppy

When Tonya was in elementary school she had to write an essay (if memory serves me right) on who she most admired. One of the most memorable times in my life was when I read her essay (years later) and discovered she had written about her mother. Can you even imagine that. I child who most admires their mother? I was both proud and honored. I will warn you that the story involved her mother breaking the law. Yes, her honest (well most of the time), law abiding, trying to set a good example mother broke the law. Okay, so it was just a little tiny law, probably a misdemeanor not a felony but the law none the less.

We lived in Houston for many years when the kids were little. Houston has (or at least had) a law about pets that die. You can't bury them in your yard. You have to call a certain department of the city and they come and remove the pet from the side of the road where you are instructed to leave it. They don't always make it the same day. It could be several days before your beloved pet is picked up. I use the term picked up very liberally. We had lived in Houston about four years and we moved to a house on a very busy road. In a very short time several pets (and, I guess, one big wheel) met their demise on that road.

My brother worked for a dog kennel that raised speciality hunting dog. When the dogs would get old or sick and be of no use, someone was responsible for putting them out of "their" misery. We inherited more then one dog when my brother had a favorite dog that he could not "put down". One of these dogs was a Brittany Spaniel that was hit on the highway in front of our house. Our neighbor saw what happened and told me I had to call the city because I was not allowed to bury that dog in my yard. I totally would have buried him but I was afraid the neighbor would turn me in. Out of fear, not good citizenship, I called the city and was instructed to put the dog on the curb in front of the house and someone would come and pick him up and he would be properly disposed of. Several days later a city truck pulled up and a man got out of the truck and picked up a pitch fork and walked over, picked up our dog "on a pitch fork" and threw him into the back of the truck. It all seemed so heartless and cruel. I am all about the cycle of life and this is the way it is and accepting what needs to happen but at that moment I couldn't believe how indignant I was. The kids and I watched this through the living room window. If I had any idea what was going to transpire I would not have had allowed them to watch. Don't ask me what I thought. I'm sure I wasn't expecting them to drive up in a hearse and put him into some little doggy casket. I vowed never again. Of course my idea of never again was we wouldn't have anymore dogs and that would solve the problem. Tonya's heart was broken and it wasn't too long before her dad came home with some puppy that he picked up God knows where. I was livid. I absolutely did not want the kids having to deal with losing another pet. I relented, after all, the kids had already seen the new puppy and were ecstatic. This little brown puppy was a little round ball. He could have been one of those little soft Nerf balls. Of course, Tonya named him Chubby. Tonya never let that puppy leave her side. I'm pretty sure she put him in her bed at night and needless to say, that was never allowed. Not good for the puppy, the child or the linens. We had never even had a "house" dog. It was just a matter of time before the little guy got away and it was time for another doggy funeral. Under the cover of night we buried this puppy under the biggest prettiest tree in our backyard. Actually, it was the only tree that wasn't a pecan tree. He had a respectable ceremony and we never owned another dog for many years.

So Tonya most admired me because I broke the law and buried that dog with a proper funeral in our backyard. I guess if I were teaching by example, at least it involved some compassion and not total lawlessness. Aren't I a lucky mom?

My Alibi? I was devouring my pasta!

Last night, Tonya and Steve, took us to a Murder Mansion Mystery Dinner Theatre in Phoenix. This event was in celebration of McKenna's 14th birthday. McKenna's friend, Bailey was born on the same day as McKenna so Bailey joined the party. We had an enjoyable evening of food and entertainment. It was immensely fun and I enjoyed it as much, if not more, then the kids did. What a nice remembrance for a 14 year old. Something fun, entertaining but so "adult".

Thanks for the inclusion. I haven't laughed so much in a long time.

Happy Birthday McKenna and Bailey.

Sunny Daze

The weather is beautiful today. It is unbelievable what a difference the sun can make in a person's attitude. It seems that when you bask in the sun you just have a more positive attitude and you feel more energetic and renewed. That warm sun touching your skin makes you feel somehow safe and at ease deep into your bones. We all know the sun can clear up skin problems. Of course over doing it can cause some totally different "skin" problems. As my friend Susan Neva says, everything in life is about moderation. Dr. Porman told me that 20 minutes in the sun each day would give me most of the Vitamin D that my body needs and since then I have heard Dr. Oz and many others say the same thing. It is like our bodies soak up the power of the sun and turns it into power for us. Another one of God's miracles. There is scientific proof to all this, of course, but I'm just talking about cause and effect in terms of feelings. There is nothing like the feeling of the sun on my face to start me on a great day!

Computer Jonesing

Can we talk about computers and the cost of staying connected? This could very well be a "soap box" moment so you might want to run, while you have the chance, otherwise take a deep breathe and get ready for the rantings.

Two years ago, for Christmas, Dale bought me a laptop computer. I was so surprised and excited I was actually shocked that this material item made me so happy. Several weeks later we were at WalMart and Dale purchased the extended warranty they offered. I never, and I mean never, buy extended warranties. I've never had a computer that didn't last ten years. This is where I say, "Thank goodness he did". I didn't have the internet at home so that new and shiny laptop set around for six or eight months and was turned on once. I had my old desk top computer that I used for Chamber of Commerce and personal stuff. I could write letters, do reports and make flyers. I have worked with computers since 1980 but I worked with balance sheets, profit and loss, budget and expense reports, inventory, payroll and all that mundane stuff. My world knew spreadsheets, ledgers, and the such. It was a world of analysis, projections, facts and yes, even a little fiction.

When I was unable to work I made a really huge decision and got the internet at home. I was about to learn the true meaning of addiction. That USB cable could have been my umbilical cord. My computer got turned on the minute I got up and didn't get shut off until I was ready to go to bed. I had been using email for sometime and Tonya even had to set that up for me. Now I was learning the world of myspace, facebook, Google, You Tube and all the other good stuff (with Tonya's help). I could do research, take a peek into other peoples lives, learn a new recipe, spend my money on eBay, play solitaire and much more without even leaving the spot I was planted in.

This past Christmas, Christmas evening to be exact, Serenity was watching a Scooby Doo DVD and the sound went out on the computer. I absolutely tried everything I could think of to fix the problem. It was obvious this was something I had no knowledge of. I pulled out the papers with the warranty information and several days later I made the phone call for technical rescue. This was on December 28th. They had me backup to a prior date (date before the problem) and this didn't work. They had me uninstall and reinstall this and that. I went to places I didn't know existed. After the third call they decided I needed to totally deleted everything on my computer and do a restore. This was very scary, knowing I was going to lose everything and hoping I could get everything back. First I had to go buy an external back up drive. Now I had to call back and get help saving the info I was going to lose. This included all my music, Outlook info, documents, pictures and all the other goodies I had put on my computer. Now I had to load the recovery disc that came with the computer. First disc, all is well, second disc, a problem. Unable to read-bad disc. Back on the phone and the person tells me I'll have to call Toshiba and get a new recovery disc. He'll give me the phone number. You mean I'm not talking to Toshiba? Okay, call Toshiba. There's a problem. My warranty expired over a year ago. In November to be exact. I argue with them that the computer wasn't even purchased until December, the week before Christmas and I did buy the extended warranty. The warranty wasn't through them. I should have purchased it from Toshiba. I thought I was purchasing it through Toshiba. WalMart sold the unit, I thought they were selling the warranty for them also. How was I to know. It wasn't like the person at WalMart said buy this warranty but it's through us not Toshiba. I can buy the restore disc for $26.95. Now it's a matter of principal. Why should I have to pay when they provided me with a defective disc? Are there scratches on the disc? Maybe I didn't store it properly and the extreme heat or cold damaged it. Give me a break. At this point the only thing damaged here is my brain and that has nothing to do with heat or cold. I think they should replace it free of charge. Only a supervisor can approve that. Okay, so give me a phone number that I call for a week and it rings and after being on hold 2.5 minutes I get a message that says they are unable to complete my call. This is their idea of good customer service. They don't want you to be on hold for too long. Back to the original Toshiba phone number. This call is not as friendly as the previous calls. I want to talk to a supervisor and I don't want to be disconnected. Of course, he has a number that won't go to the automated system but I may have to hold for awhile. I'll be glad to hold for three hours if necessary. Sure enough, not 1.5 minutes later I'm on the phone with a supervisor. Up until now everyone I have dealt with has been pleasant and as helpful as they possibly can. I'm talking to this woman who lets me know that there is no way I'm getting a new disc for free. I have no choice but to pay for it. After all I have a blank computer. I could just picture this woman, looking up and to the right, rolling her eyes and tapping her fingers on the desk. She could care less about my "matter of principal". For once I wasn't my usual courteous and polite self. Without use of too much profanity I told her what I thought of the whole thing and gave her my credit card number. The four to seven day delivery time wait (I refused to pay the extra for overnight) was over when I received my disc 10 days later. Thank goodness I had them send it to Arizona. So I restore the system and still no sound. I backup everything I was told to save. All the Outlook info is gone and my iTunes were finally found in some hidden hole. By now it's almost the end of January. I have to send my computer into MicroMedicsInc. which is part of WalMart. I'll be without it for no more than 10 days (including the 2 day air shipping). I shipped the computer to them on January 30 and I just got it back yesterday, March 3rd. The longest 10 days in my life. I wasn't without a computer all this time. I have been using Steve's kids computer that they use when they are here. If I had spent that much time without my "fix" I would be in a straight jacket today. The sound is back on my computer. The button for sound is stiff and not smooth. Hopefully that won't be another issue. Well, my consolation is I have an extended warranty until the end of the year. LOL My blackberry pearl isn't uploading info but that's just a matter of figuring it out and I'm sure the iTunes can be recovered. My pictures all seem to be intact. I no longer have Publisher because I had that courtesy of the Chamber.

Caveat: buy your warranty from the manufacturer.

Outcome: I have made my first step to recovery by admitting I have a problem! Well, isn't that how it works? Now I need the other 11 steps.

Food For Thought

This morning I was on Facebook and made a comment regarding the health care system. My friend Willma has a granddaughter who has had multiple surgeries the last few weeks. She is waiting for another one on Friday. This surgery had been scheduled previously but had to be delayed due to insurance approval or something. There were several comments about the workings of our health care system. I wrote that I felt like it is often a matter of "crossing our fingers and saying our prayers". Really, I should have added that "sometimes it's a matter of bending over and kissing our asses goodbye".

I have been very lucky. I was lucky to have health insurance when I needed it this time. That first year I was covered I had a pre-existing conditions clause. I was lucky that the first two appointments I made with my doctor for my annual checkup had to be cancelled due to not being able to get off work. When I finally got in it was a week after the year was up. Of course it took another 6 weeks before they actually diagnosed me. If I had gotten in six months earlier it may not have changed the diagnosis but I wouldn't have been covered.

Of course having coverage isn't the only issue. You still have to come up with co-pays and annual deductibles and all that stuff. All of this applies to in-patient, out-patient and prescription coverage and in network and out of network. It can take a heavy toll mentally and financially. If you're sick enough to not be able to work, whether it is temporary or permanent, you better be ready for those monthly Cobra Insurance payments. God forbid you can't make that payment each month. Sure, you may have no income coming in or maybe you're getting a percentage of your income and now you have the same bills as before and the full cost of your health insurance. You bought the extra disability insurance not realizing it isn't on top of Social Security. It works in conjunction with...the good thing though is they might help you get on Social Security sooner. At first you think it's because they are looking out for your best interest and then you are informed it's because they will deduct the amount of your Social Security check from the amount of your benefit from them. It's all good though. You have to be positive and realize you could be getting 60% of your previous income instead of 65%.

God forbid you are too sick to administer your own benefits. You need to be at least familiar with your benefits and coverage. Be on your toes so deadlines are met. You will need to make a lot of decisions. Thank God I was able to do all this and no issues came up when I was so sick I couldn't deal with them. Thank God also for Tonya who gave me suggestions on checking things out and who to call. We all know that Cobra offers 18 months of coverage if you lose your job for any reason. God must have been watching over me the day I was speaking to Cobra and for some reason mentioned I was on disability. They had no record of that from my employer and thank goodness the rep on the phone informed me that I would be eligible for additional months of coverage. I had worried endlessly about what I would do when the 18 months was up and I would be uninsurable. Thank goodness Cobra had never sent me the election letter so the time limit didn't apply. Mostly, thank goodness the young lady on the phone was honest and didn't try to tell me they sent this document which I knew I had never seen. I had to fight for it but I finally qualified. Thank goodness my former employer was cooperative. There was only one benefit I was denied and after several appeals they finally approved it (well, they approved after I made a third appeal directly to the labor board).

I just had a thought about why of all the places I have been for treatment, my favorite place to go is the St. Francis Oncology Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. I thought it was because the treatment rooms are larger and more private and the nursing staff is so pleasant. I think the actual reason is because it is the only place I go where the first thing they don't do is make sure they have that co-pay up front. What if I didn't have my $40.00 that day and I needed to wait for my monthly check. They always bill me. At the other places you're pretty sure they might not see you if they don't get that money upfront. Just the way they say "I need your co-pay now" makes me feel like they think I'm a deadbeat. Hell, I just signed in, give me enough time to pull out my checkbook. I know I have to give it to you. I should just start having the check in my hand when I walk in the door and hand it over before I sign in. If you didn't have the money you would have to discuss it with a receptionist in front of a waiting room full of people. As if your privacy hasn't already been invaded enough.

My main thought about health care is what it covers. Isn't it strange that they will pay someone to fry you with radiation and pay someone to poison you with chemo but they won't pay for all the other stuff that you may need to help you get better or even to live more comfortably with your disease. Massage therapy for neuropathy, nutrition training for eating healthier (or handling your chemo treatments better), hydro colon therapy for digestive health etc. etc. So my insurance has no problem paying over $5000.00 per chemo treatment but won't pay for my $75.00 massage. Oh hell. They probably think I'm sitting at a spa living the high life.

Life is all about perspective. You know is the glass half empty or half full. I may have cancer but how lucky have I been? I know that I could still lose my house if I were to require long term nursing home care etc. but I am counting my blessings every day. As usual, this blog is all about me...me...me but my heart goes out to all those people without health care and the means to pay for health services and those people with health insurance who can still stand to lose everything they have worked their whole lives for. I have been there and it's a very scary "black hole" to be in. I am not advocating universal health care or handouts from the government. I have made it my rule in life to never argue about politics or religion. I just feel that people deserve the basic necessities in life. I am no "bleeding heart" liberal but I would like to think that I have compassion for my fellow man. I don't know what the answers are for reform but, isn't that what the "experts" get paid for, to know the answers or to find the answers? Even if reform isn't the answer maybe some accountability from insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies would make a big difference in cost to the consumer. The health care industry had unbelievable profits this year but rates keep going up because of the "cost" of health care. Oh, or was that because of the "cost" to produce those profits. Have we all forgotten the $5.00 a gallon gas prices that were supposedly due to the cost of obtaining the fuel then the gas companies reported record profits? Do these people think all Americans are ignorant or just too passive to speak up? Okay, I'm off the soap box. Obviously, that was one of those "don't get me started" things! Blessings to everyone (regardless of your health insurance coverage status or position).

Taking Care of Business

Today I attended two real estate classes. I had been thinking my license expires in July so I need to get my renewal hours in. I need eight, three hour classes. I took a class online in December and took three online classes last week. Tonya found some free classes so I took advantage of that today. So, I'm sitting in class and it occurs to me that my license doesn't expire until July 31, 2011. As Tonya says, I'll just be ahead.

The reason I was writing about this is I remembered that a friend asked me months ago why I was renewing my license still. I said, because it wasn't exactly easy to get in the first place and there is no way I could possibly ever pass the state exam now. I also always planned on using it when I became a "snowbird". This actually wasn't the usual question I have had over the years about why I kept an Arizona license. This question actually related to the fact that I have "terminal" cancer. The answer actually is this. If I truly believe that I can lick this thing, I need to live as if I believe it. That means I need to continue taking care of business and live as I would if I didn't have cancer in the first place. You can call it denial or you can think the way I do. It's positive attitude, the law of attraction, visualization and many other things important to my recovery. It's all a balancing act and one day I hope to be good enough at it to join the circus!

My Guardian Angel

I was thinking how fast time goes. February made this fact even more apparent. I didn't even realize it was the end of the month. When I was 15 I'll never forget saying I couldn't wait until I was 16. I don't remember why but it was the magic age. I'm sure it must have had something to do with driving, you know permit in hand and all (little did I know I would be 27 before I ever had a driver's license. Who would have thought?

The point is my mom would say you are just wishing your life away. I asked her what that meant but she would say "Some day you'll understand". At about forty I was starting to understand and by 50 I totally knew what she was talking about. She was a wise woman. Too bad, like most kids, I didn't really appreciate her wisdom until too late.

Thanks mom for all the lessons. I have learned to value them and have a better appreciation of you. Even in all the difficult times I realized you were the mother who chose me, not the one who had no choice. I love you and know you are an angel watching over me.

Is Sushi Sushi Without Fish?

Today I attended my second raw vegan cooking class. On the menu was Vegsushi and Coconut Thai Soup. The soup was my favorite (not) color, green and I really couldn't taste any coconut but it was good. The sushi was a lot of fun. I can see why Chef Sara recommends this for parties. You can put out all the different vegetables and the nut pate on the table, buffet style, and let each person design their own sushi. It was exciting trying to learn to roll the sushi. I can see this will take a little practice to make them perfect. They can't be too tight or the ingredients push out the sides and if they're too loose they won't stay together. Don't ask me how, but with my usual inept ability, I was able to accomplish both at the same time. The shiny side of the Nori (seaweed wrap) goes down on the bamboo thingy. I swear, up close, the side that was suppose to go up looked like the shiniest side to me. Who would have thought that a dab of water is what holds them together. The class was small so there was better one on one and we each got our chance to roll the sushi. Since it was a small class there was also plenty of food to go around. Even though there was no fish in the Vegsushi, I swear I tasted and smelled fish. Does seaweed smell and taste of fish?

Chef Sara's assistant is Janelle. She is doing an internship with her through ASU. Bet you can't guess what her major is.

Terra didn't show for this class and I missed her thought provoking questions and insight. Hopefully she will attend the next class on Pizza and Deserts. Now that's some food I think I'll be able to sink my teeth into.

The Guitar (by Amos Poe)

When I was writing yesterday's blog it occurred to me that I never talk about all the books and movies I have had the time to read and watch since I'm not working myself to the bone. I don't know why I haven't been recommending some of the really wonderful things.

My niece, Jenifer, recommended I watch the Guitar. This is a 2008 movie starring Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole and Paz de la Huerta. I know, I never heard of any of them either. A young woman is diagnosed with terminal cancer, given two months to live, and is fired from her job and dumped by her man. Yes, all this happens in one day. It couldn't get any worse right? Right! As my niece warned the movie is not for children. There is nudity and an interesting "menage a trois". Sorry, that is without accent mark because I don't know how to make them on the computer.

This is a very inspirational movie. I cried, laughed, was intrigued and embarrassed. So many emotions I didn't know where one let off and the other picked up. This is maybe a "cancer" movie but it would be very inspirational for everyone. Guys can watch it and run the risk of a tear or two just for the nudity and at some point they'll want to play air guitar.

Hope, an integral part of human nature.

Thank you Jenifer for the heads up and the continued info and support.

Question to Self - Self, Why Do You Blog?

When I first started this blog I intended to write about all the things I was learning. When I was first diagnosed with a "terminal" illness I assumed the doctors were telling me everything I needed to know. Like most of us, I had blind trust. After all, we have all heard of the Hippocratic Oath. As time went by I was astonished how much information "they" didn't share with me and how much I had to learn on my own. Very quickly it became overwhelming. Even for someone with above average intelligence it was mind boggling. Of course the chemo treatments didn't help the search any. I would read something and 10 minutes later couldn't remember what I read or where I read it. I would have a vague memory of the general content but I wanted facts. I wanted facts set in stone and there really weren't any. When I started chemo they sent me home with a huge packet of stuff to read. From the onset I was ill enough I couldn't sit and read much of anything. I glanced through the packets but at that point nothing really meant anything to me. I wrote in an earlier blog about the problem I had with vomiting. These papers advised that ice cream was a good thing and that I would be able to it hold down. The chemo caused so much mucous that I would vomit from the time I woke up until I went to sleep. At that point the ice cream was the only thing I could even get down. Nothing stayed down. I began to realize I was on my own when the doctors told me they had no idea why I was so sick. They gave me lots of pills to help with the vomiting but guess what....they wouldn't stay down either. I finally came to my senses and realized the ice cream was causing more mucous and was compounding the problem. I think the idea of the ice cream is really just to keep your weight up. It was probably the last thing I should be eating. Wake up Liz. I ended up eating nothing for weeks at a time.

After chemo, when I was able to sit up again, for any length of time, I began my all day searches on the Internet and by reading books. For everything I read that said this is the answer there was something else that said this isn't proven. There are no case studies-no FDA approval-"no crap"! What made me think of all this today was I came across something yesterday that said hydro colon therapy has never been proven to be a benefit for anything. That was the first time I ever saw anything against this treatment. Well, that is as a treatment not as a "hobby". I was shocked. All I know is it definitely helps me.

I came to realize the doctor couldn't possibly provide you with all the information there is on any disease. There is too much out there and when it comes to cancer even the conventional treatments are trial and error and a huge guessing game. We are all guinea pigs in their labs. I can't count on one hand how many times I heard "We'll try this and see what happens".

So I ended up feeling that I couldn't write about the things I couldn't be an expert on. I can only write about me. So everyday I start a blog with the date. If I think of something that day that I feel compelled to say then I finish the blog. If nothing is really "on my mind" I don't write and I cancel what I started. Some days I wake up with something I really want to say and two hours later I can't remember what that exciting idea was. My blog has just become about me, my thoughts, my memories, my daily life. Not many people read it, which is okay, because really it is for me. Some family and friends will enjoy an occasional post and that makes me extremely happy.

We all have a terminal disease and it is called life. The closer we get to the end of it the more we realize how precious each day is. This is true of the healthy also. You don't have to be terminal to realize your days are numbered. Each day is precious so each day I write on this blog was a special day. Nothing earth shaking or life saving or world changing, just another special day for me. Each day I get up is another special day and each evening I thank God for giving me that special day.

Wishing for each of you, everyday, a "special day"!

Blessing, Liz

Happy Birthday "Pee Wee"

Today is my youngest brother, Rex's, birthday.There was never a mix up on this day. His birthday was never changed. We were both adopted together. I always felt that was nice for both of us. We had someone to connect to in our new surroundings. Having other siblings and being old enough to remember our family might have made the transition more difficult if we hadn't had each other.

Of course, like most older sisters, I was a little mother to him. Soon, he would no longer need me to take care of him. Well, except for the occasional bully on the school bus. You see, Rex was so much smaller then other kids his age. My mom called him "Pee Wee" (that was back before "Herman" of course). I think when he was 14 he weighed 79 pounds. By 16 he sprouted up and was eventually 6 feet tall. We were very close when we were kids. I haven't seen my brother in probably 14 years and have not probably even spoken to him more then four times in that period.

We grow up and start our own families and start running the "rat race" and time passes and we start to wonder where the time went. It doesn't lessen our love but it's just the way life is. Oh, what about "absence makes the heart grow fonder"? You know that old saying is true. Maybe that's why I still love my brother. If he lived next door we probably wouldn't be able to stand the sight of each other. But now the fact is he probably wouldn't recognize me and I might not him. Of course you might get him to say he's aged but I just know he doesn't really believe it.

We are perfect examples of children being as different as night and day. I was the responsible, uptight, insecure one and he seemed to go through life with all the self confidence and charm that can't be learned or taught. You have to be born with that. I was the caretaker and people pleaser and he could care less if you liked him or not. Actually, he assumed everyone liked him, because, how could they not? If someone didn't like him he knew he could change that. All he had to do was turn on the charm. Oh brother, was he good at that. When he was as young as seven I remember the "cousins" all talking and we all knew he would grow up to be a preacher or car salesman. I think preacher was a little too mellow and laid back for his style. Guess you know what that means.

Happy Birthday to my brother. I hope you have many, many more. Mostly, I hope someday you'll be able to celebrate with all your children and really be able to appreciate them. Sometimes, all we have to show for our lives, are our children.

"A Rose By Any Other Name........."

Yesterday I wrote about the raw food cooking class I took on Saturday. I was saving the best part for last. I sat next to a friendly young lady who probably thought I was a grouchy old hag. By the time I arrived I was literally tired.

To get to the class I took the 60-the 101- the 202 and finally the 51. It brought back the memory of the time we took the kids to Disneyland and I was driving but I told my husband to let me know before we got to the Anaheim exit and I would pull over and let him drive. He had lived in California much longer than I ever had and I never drove the freeways. For years I lived in Mesa and even Apache Junction and when I worked at Camelback and 47th, I took the back roads all the way. He never made a peep and here I was in LA in the middle of the wonderful California freeway system. Thought I would have a heart attack. Well, it wasn't actually that bad. I just stress when I have to change from one freeway to the next. It actually went fairly well because Tonya has a GPS and it took me there very efficiently. But I was still a little stressed and in my own space. When Terra introduced herself I just said hello and gave her my name. Hopefully I wasn't too short and didn't seem too unfriendly. For years I dealt with the public and I can converse with just about anyone. This takes a knack and I think because of years of doing it, sometimes now I have to be in the right place to follow through.

You would assume that most of the people in a class like this are dealing with cancer. Not many chose to share, maybe they had long trips also. Toward the end of the class I asked Terra why she was taking the class. She shared that she had a hectic job and life and wasn't feeling as great as she knew she could be (my words not her exact-you know my memory). She had been looking at going raw vegan for some time and had made the commitment to go raw for 365 days. She started her journey on January 1, 2010. Before I left she shared her blog address with me.

I was intrigued why a vibrant young lady would be wise enough to choose this life style and it takes the threat of death to wake most people up. Of course, I am referring to the older, "wiser" generations. Actually the threat of death probably only wakes up a small percent of people (yes, this includes me). On Sunday I sat and read each of Terra Rose's blogs. I was quite entertained. They were funny, poignant, open and honest. I concluded that the best part of the cooking class had been meeting this lovely young lady and hearing her story.
I feel blessed that God brought this into my life.

From Smorgasbord to Cardboard....not quite!

On Saturday I went to a raw vegan cooking class. Okay, everyone who knows me is rolling on the floor laughing (about to wet their pants) because you can't believe I said I took a "cooking class". Okay, let's get this straight. I really use to cook. Nothing fancy or special but I was a descent cook. It was the marriage thing that turned be off to cooking. It was my "job" and his "right". So, yes, I had it put in the divorce decree that I would never cook again for any man! This however is for me so I think I can do this. I can do the cooking but let's talk about the eating part. I thought this would be easy because I love raw fruits and vegetables. Heck when I was a kid I loved raw turnips. My mom thought I was crazy. I absolutely hated them cooked. It was the same with spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes (excluding sauces, of course) and lots of stuff we grew in the garden. On top of that I have always been a big salad eater. For years lunch was my first and biggest meal of the day and it consisted of a huge salad. I don't even know how to get this out of my mouth but I have eaten so many salads this past year that I think I have lost my love for a nice crispy, crunchy salad. That's something I never thought I would think, much less say, out loud.

So, back to the story at hand. Jeff Goodman, Body Talk Arizona brought in Raw Vegan Chef Sara Siso for cooking classes. Tonya told me about it and I thought it would be a good idea. With all the advice, reading and researching I have done I know this is the answer. Getting started just seemed so monumental I just didn't know where to begin. This past spring I bought all the "equipment" that it looked like I needed (well I guess now I need a good blender). I guess that was a beginning. Almost two thousand dollars later, there I was in Nebraska with all this equipment and unable to find the things I needed to even practice what Dr. Lilli had advised me to do. Not only could I not find organic, there wasn't a kale leaf or collard green in sight. Locally grown meant corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes and a little cabbage. There is a lovely place just outside of town that grows grapes and fruits organically. Cedar Hills Vineyard is run by two beautiful people who are very in tune to nature. Now here is the dilemma, fruit is loaded with natural sugar. Cancer cells feed on sugar. Not just refined sugar but natural sugar also. Adding insult to injury, my favorite fruit is tomatoes. This fruit is loaded with so many good things but now we have sugar and acid. A big no no. There have been days in my life where all I ate was tomatoes. Straight from the garden (and I mean standing in the garden) was my favorite way. This is like cutting off my left arm.

So I went to class and was getting very excited about the recipes and learning how to make all this stuff that is so healthy for you and now there's the promise of "delicious" raw food!

Apple-Kale Juice is the first recipe. I can handle this. The apples make the kale tolerable. Oh, but wait, if you have cancer you can't have the apples (sugar). I don't think you could get me to eat kale juice on my death bed. Kale is a very bitter green. So you can add cucumber, Well, I love cucumbers but even though I can taste them the kale is just too powerful.

Chia Seeds Cereal is the next recipe. We learned to make Hemp Milk to have with the cereal. I have been eating rice and almond milk for a long time (not made by me). Hemp milk wasn't bad, who would have thunk? Dr. Porman had me drinking a hemp powder drink but it was pretty fibrous. The difference must have been mixing by hand and mixing in a blender. I would take these milks anytime over skim milk. The chia seed cereal was pretty good. Okay, breakfast is covered. If I can eat this every day for breakfast I am on my way.

Coconut Milk is pretty good also.

The Energy Booster Smoothy (this is how it was spelled in the recipe) was such an insult to my mouth and that was with the fruit. If I have to take out the fruit there is no way I'll ever be able to gag that down. That reminds me, can I eat blueberries? I know bananas are a no no. Well, so much for delicious.

Granola made with oats and nuts. Now this was yummy. Okay, maybe we have lunch covered. Alright, I know it's unrealistic to think you can eat one thing for each meal for the rest of your life. I need some variety.

The Stronger Bones Smoothie was another drink that I don't think my dog would touch. That was again with the orange juice. What would it taste like when I have to take out the orange (acid)?

Sunshine Scramble was a dish to make you forget that eggs are an animal product. This was not bad either. It was a little dry but I would think there could be fix for that. The tomatoes that she decided to eliminate would have been the perfect fix...but once again....

The Chocolate Mousse was such a treat to the palate after all the veggie concoctions. Chef Sara was right you could almost taste tapioca pudding.

Chef Sara threw in a soup and cracker recipe that she made from the pulp of the things she used for the smoothie. The crackers were quite good. The soup was edible.

So, the next class is in two weeks and the menu is Vegsushi and Thai. That is sushi without fish or meat.

I was left with some questions for Chef Sara. She used many items from packages, powders and such. I thought you needed to grind the items fresh. she used agave which I have again read this is not good for cancer patients. Stevia I understand is okay because the cancer cells don't recognize it as sugar even though it is a natural sweetener.

I thought the cacao (chocolate) was not good at all. It was good in the Chocolate Mousse but the chocolate bars she made were so powdery the texture made them unacceptable to me.

It was nice to learn that even though all nuts need to be soaked and then dehydrated, Brazil nuts and hazel nuts are the exceptions and don't need to be soaked. Soak chia seed 2-4 hours (in distilled? water). Soak pumpkin seeds 4 hours and sunflower seeds 6 hours. There was no mention of flax seed. I understand it should also be soaked and dried before grinding. I'll have to double check that one. There was a lady in the class who said she always soaks her flax seed but Chef Sara seemed to think it wasn't necessary.

Chef Sara said she prefers distilled water as it is the purest water. I was confused by that. I thought I had read to not use distilled water, well, at least not store bought distilled water. If you use distilled water I thought you were suppose to process it yourself. Maybe she does.

I am anxious to go to the Scottsdale Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8:30 - 1:00. Chef Sara has a booth there and I'd like to check out the packaged items she has. If they are truly okay to use that would be so handy. The main reason I'd like to go is there is a guy in the booth next to her who sells flats of wheat grass. I'd like to check that out since I haven't seen them since I was in New Jersey last year. How convenient to have someone else grow it for you. Especially when my green thumb has turned into a purple thumb.

I think my biggest problem with raw food is all the chopping and "mushing". If I could eat all the stuff without it being a green drink I think I could handle it. The things that were dehydrated seemed okay with me. Unfortunately the most important part of the raw food diet is the detox and that requires drinking lots of green juices. Again, without the fruit in these drinks it would be like taste bud hell. I can even handle the 2 oz. of wheat grass with no problem. It's like a shot and is down before you have time to think about it and the taste isn't good but it really isn't so bad. Now, 12 or 16 oz. at a time might be a different story.

So, how many excuses can I come up with for not being on the raw food diet? Well, baby steps. But I keep remembering what Dr. Lilli told me. Don't wait until it's too late. I just need to commit and my life just seems in limbo. She said I needed to commit to be 100% raw. On top of that, I have been doing so well but I don't want to be leaning on a "false" sense of security. I just need to hop on that big green ball and start the balancing act. If I fall off I'll just have to get back up again. If raw vegan can cure cancer in 30 days, why am I not there? Of course the commitment part is the rest of your life part. When cured you can't go back to your old ways.