Shortest in the Family!

This picture was taken at my Dad's 90th birthday celebration last Saturday.  I never realized, until seeing this picture, that I'm shorter than of all my brothers and sister:)  

Happy 90th Birthday, Father!

Such a Wonderful Day!

Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this day! 

The highlight of this day was a visit from my brother John, all the way from California!  He's in the area for my dad's 90th birthday celebration tomorrow, and so took this opportunity to stop by our place for a personal visit.  What a wonderful time we had together! Very, very special! 

 My second-youngest brother of six brothers!
I think my hair might just be longer than his!

So spending time with my brother was definitely the highlight of my day! However, there was lots of additional activity. We started the day out bright and early to get to an 8:20 a.m. appointment where my PIC line was flushed out.  And the good news was that she managed to unblock one of my intravenous lines that was blocked last week. So now we're all good to go again.

I went grocery shopping with Gerard and he bought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers!

Gerard's gift to me this morning

This afternoon we headed over to Sunnybrook Hospital for a blood test in preparation for our routine appointment with my oncologist. He was very satisfied with the way things are going - my blood count was good, and he commented on my healthy appearance, He will be ordering one more round of chemo for now and then order an MRI to see how things are going. If things are looking good, we might have one more treatment for now and then take the summer off and have the rest of this round of treatments resuming in September. So we're looking forward to hopefully having the summer off, at least from the chemo treatments.

Thank you all for your various expressions of love and care for the two of us! It's time to sign off for now. Tomorrow is another big day - the celebration of my dad's 90th birthday!      

A Thankful Mindset

Here is a quote that especially spoke to me from the devotional that we read this morning:

Let thankfulness temper all your thoughts.

A thankful mindset keeps you in touch with Me...

... A grateful attitude becomes a grid through which you perceive life. 

 Gratitude enables you to see the Light of My Presence 

shining on all your circumstances. 

Cultivate a thankful heart, for this glorifies Me and fills you with Joy.

Quote from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

March 25

Based on 1 Cor. 10:10. Heb.12:28-29

This morning we saw our first robin of this spring season!

I zoomed in on it from our living room window
so that I could share this with you.

So here's the latest update on my bean growing situation.  The second set of bean seeds also rotted.  I don't know what's going on! This has never happened to me before.  Thankfully one of the readers of my blog offered me some of her seeds that work for her every year. So now I'm on my third round this spring, of trying to sprout bean seeds! I'm determined to watch some bean seeds sprout in our window sill before the outdoor gardening season starts! I'll keep you posted,

                        

A dog walker who comes by regularly - with six dogs this morning.

This week I started spring cleaning. My version this spring is not necessarily cleaning everything, but sorting, especially papers that have gradually accumulated everywhere. Today's goal is my desk top and my dresser drawers. Happy spring cleaning, if you're at it too!

What a Wonderful Day!

Today was exciting (and exhausting) yet so-o-o wonderful! I got picked up by Betty Carter and Dee Van Niejenhuis mid morning and the three of us headed out to Oshawa to visit with Jeannie Luimes. We had such a wonderful time together! Good friends, good food, good memories! Amazing how some relationships last over the years! I got back home mid afternoon, and after telling Gerard a bit about the visit he sent me off to bed for a nap. I was tearfully exhausted, but a very happy exhausted. What a wonderful visit! And how emotionally satisfying and uplifting it is to have deep and meaningful relationships with good friends.Thank you, Lord, for this day and these friends!

Unfortunately I was too involved in the visit to take any pictures, so I'll share these cheerful flowers for you to enjoy.
.

It's the First Day of Spring!

Did you realize that today is the first day of spring? I celebrated by spending some time gardening indoors and outdoors today. It was so beautiful out  and so good to feel the warmth of the sun! 

I had hoped to have two flower pots full of beans plants by now.  But out of ten bean seeds only one sprouted. Wondering what was going on, I dug around in the soil with my fingers and found that all the other seeds were soggy and rotting. So disappointing!  So we'll try again.  If they don't grow this time, I'll have to find another source of seeds.  I just used kidney beans from the kitchen, just like I always did before, but this time it's not working very well.

 Indoor gardening - my one and only seed that sprouted

Outdoor gardening - clearing out the dead growth

We're both itching to get working outside, but people always tell me I'm too early. I just ignore that advice and start whenever the soil is ready, the temperature is comfortable, and I'm ready for being outside.  So today was the starting day for this season - right on the first day of spring. I started cleaning up the flower bed below our living room window, whether it's too early or not.  Just so eager to get out there! 

Gerard raked the grass on the boulevard and some of the mold from the lawn and I cut back spent dried flowers from the fall. I'm just so eager to get the whole place cleaned up, but need to pace myself. So today was my first time working out in the garden this spring. It felt wonderful! Gerard urged me to take it easy, so I'll  do the front flower beds, one manageable section per day and gradually it will all get done. I love the look of the garden when it's all cleaned up and the spring bulbs start flowering.Can't wait to see it again.

We received this bouquet of tulips from a friend who visited.

This morning we walked to the local hospital to get my PICC line flushed out. It took a long time, because there was an emergency and they had to spend two hours with another patient. O well, we've got lots of time on our hands, but would rather not be spending it in this way. By the way, I found out today what PICC line stands for: Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter - an Intravenous line that goes from my arm almost to my heart.  I don't want to think about that too much because that thought scares me, but it just sits there all taped up between monthly treatments and doesn't bother me at all. So I'm relieved about that.  

PICC line all taped up between treatments

So we've figured out how I can take a shower without getting this wrapping wet between treatments. We wrap it with saran wrap and put rubber bands round it- one at the top and one at the bottom. And that way I can take showers while this is on for the next few months. Yay! Well, that's all for now.  Goodnight!

Today's Visit with Melanie and the Boys

This morning Melanie came to visit with the boys. As soon as they had their coats off, they were ready to head down to the playroom. They love to be down there and this child friendly room makes it easy and fun to visit with the kids. And we have two gliders and a rocking chair there to make the adults comfortable too.

  

 

 Oscar likes to get personal attention

                                         while Charlie tends to quietly entertain himself

Both boys were all dressed up today for their visit to Opa and Oma's; Charlie in a suit and white shirt

and Oscar in white shirt, a tie, a vest and gloves! 

It's great to have this room and the toys available.  It makes it fun and easy 

to have the grand kids over.

Finding Joy and Beauty in Little Things

I'm finding so much joy in all kinds of little things that friends have shared with me the last few days.

 this handful of sea shells that a friend brought me

  another friend brought this activity

of arranging stones around a ribbon

and another brought these little tangerines from her indoor plant

All  completely different and all so enjoyable!

A Full and Wonderful Day!

This past Saturday Henry, Oscar and Charlie visited us for the morning. While Oscar was playing downstairs with Opa,  Charlie discovered the piano and decided to serenade Oma with his musical skills. 

Look at Charlie's finger work!

Oma is giving him some pointers

Ellie is doing well and we appreciate all the support we have received with cards, calls, visits and food. - Gerard

Hi there! Gerard thought it was time for an update here on the blog so he started this post to get me motivated and then said, "There, now it's yours." So here I am, not sure again what to tell you, but I'm hoping something will come to me.  I am slowly learning how to help my poor memory along.with notes to myself in the form of a "to-do" list each morning and also notes about ideas for the blog posts, but I keep misplacing those notes. 

OK, just found my list. Wow! I can't believe how many things I did today! It was a day full of visiting!  Even though I probably seemed pretty low-key to others, I felt so happy and excited inside! I don't have a lot of energy, but enough to have experienced and enjoyed the following today:

- an over-half-an-hour-long phone visit with my sister in Rapid City.

-  vacuumed the basement. I kept forgetting where I had already vacuumed. I have a feeling that a large percentage of the basement got vacuumed twice today because some of the areas felt familiar when I was there, but with my memory the way it is these days, who knows? Maybe it was two weeks ago that I vacuumed the same rooms. Anyways, I'm sure I covered the whole basement at least once this morning.

- washed the dishes twice (breakfast and dinner - not all the same dishes twice. two separate meals)

- walked with Nelly for over an hour (at my slow speed)

- tried to have a nap, but couldn't sleep. Even with sleeping pills, sleeping has been a problem lately.

- our daughter, Alida, came and visited for about two hours - she's really starting to look pregnant now! She said she felt the baby moving and let me feel it, but I couldn't tell. Hopefully next time!

- prepared a carrot salad to go with soup that someone brought us and bread baked by someone else.

- my dad just called as he does every evening, just checking in to see how we're doing and at the same time we find out how he's doing. 

- wrote this post

- Gerard has started reading a chapter per evening from a book that I was reading because it's been taking me forever to get through this book on my own.

- the bean seeds are starting to grow! The first seedling broke through the soil today! So exciting! I only put them in the soil a few days ago. I'm sure there will be a lot more seedlings tomorrow.

- we're trying to get to bed on time, somewhere around 10 or 10:30, but I'm having trouble sleeping these days (nights, actually). I have a feeling it's some of my medication that's keeping me awake, so we're trying different things to help me sleep. The only time I sleep soundly these days is in the afternoon, but that doesn't help me sleep at night. So if you're awake around 3 or 4 am, think of me.  I'm probably up and wide awake too.  OK, that all for now.  - Ellie

Update - A Little Bit of This and That

Hi There!  Since it's been a few days since my last post, I thought it was about time for a bit of an update. During the last few days I've composed about three updates in my mind. I even wrote down a few quick reminders of what I wanted to tell you. And now here I sit at the computer drawing a total blank and not sure where my reminder notes are. Frustrating! My immediate memory comes and goes - mostly goes these days.

I'll just start writing and see what comes out of my mind. Topping everything else... today was a wonderful day!  We had company this morning. Our friends Herm and Dee from Iowa, and Grant and Jean from Peterborough came for a visit.  We used to hang out together a lot about twenty years ago before we all went our separate ways, It was so wonderful to spend time together. Kind of like old times. It was great! A very,very special visit!

In addition to our daily walks, Gerard has been looking for things to do outside. It feels so good to be out there enjoying the beautiful-mostly-sunny-and-around-3C-weather the last few days. So reviving! 

_

moving snow into the sun to help it melt it faster

washing the salt off the car

Oh yes! And spring has sprung in our living room bay window sill! I soaked some bean seeds for two days and today put them into potting soil in two flower pots. Can't wait for the little seedlings to push themselves up through the soil! I keep checking the pots for signs of growth, knowing very well that there's no way they'd be growing yet, but I'll be sure to see them as soon as there is any sign of life.  I might just get to eat a few fresh beans; but rather than supplying us with fresh beans, it's really just the thrill of seeding them and watching them grow. 

my first indoor gardening project of this spring in process
(they did get pressed down into the soil after this picture was taken)

Good intentions - getting lots of fluids to flush out the chemo

Now, if I would only actually remember to drink everything!

Gerard collects all my drinks like this before every meal.

And the last thing for today... In my devotions or something else I was reading yesterday I ran across this Scripture passage that really struck me, so I thought I'd share it with you. No matter what the circumstances, I know that this is true:

I know that  I will live to see

the Lord's goodness in this present life.

Trust in the Lord.

Have faith, do not despair.

Trust in the Lord.

Psalm 27: 13, 14

Grandsons at the Barbershop

Posted by Gerard:

Just received some more photos of the boys at the barbershop. Here they are:

Oscar getting his hair cut on a motorcycle

Charlie in the train

Oscar all finished and roaring to go

Spring is in the Air!

Today it felt like spring. The snow on the roof was melting enough to send this tiny stream of water down through the downspout.

Gerard hauled a lawn chair out of winter storage and we sat on the front porch soaking up the warm sun. It felt so wonderfully soothing after the freezing weather we've been having!.  

Wearing the sun hat to protect myself from the sun since my skin is extra sensitive from the chemo. 

So here we are, both basking in the warmth of the sun while sitting right next to the piles of snow.Weather like today's just revives the soul!

Saturday Afternoon Visit from Hannah and Mark

Co-posted by Gerard and Ellie:

Ellie was able to come home from the hospital on Friday. We arrived home around 2 pm and settled in for a nap after an hour. Four hours later (7 pm) Ellie awoke in the dark thinking it was morning. She was so disoriented with the time, which was very confusing for her.  We ate, talked, watched some TV and back in bed at normal time trying to get her into her back into the right time orientation.

Saturday morning we did grocery shopping, laundry, baked some muffins, watered plants, went for an hour's walk, had lunch, talked with Alida, then had a nap. Back into the familiar home routine!

Later in the afternoon we got a visit from Hannah and Mark. We talked and cuddled her and generally enjoyed our time together.

Hannah cuddling with Opa and Bear

Hannah spent her time exploring the entire main floor and then went downstairs to play in the playroom, mainly set up for visits from grandchildren. 

Hannah in playroom squeezing raccoon's nose

Trying the rocking chair

Later we enjoyed a pizza and salad meal together before Mark and Hannah headed back home.

Thank you Mark for the visit!

Third Day at Sunnybrook

Post from Gerard:

Yesterday was an eventful day at Sunnybrook Hospital. Ellie did not sleep well Monday night so she was emotionally fragile on Tuesday. That day she had a PIC line inserted, a shot of chemo into her spine and a full bag of chemo intravenously (took over 4 hours). She was shot by the end of day. Fortunately, she had a sleeping pill and had a good night's rest. This morning she was a different person; she was rested, was talkative and had energy. When I left her yesterday she was in tears. Today, she was happy and was going to make some phone calls. Wonderful what a restful night and some steroids will do for a person.

A cheerful Ellie in her hospital bed

When I arrived this afternoon Ellie was in the lounge where the chaplain hosts an afternoon tea for staff, patients and visitors. What a pick-me-up for all. Later Henry and Melanie dropped in for a visit with us downstairs in the cafeteria. Melanie showed us short videos of Oscar and Charlie getting haircuts; Oscar was on a motorcycle and Charlie in a train; funny the gimmicks used these days.

Charlie getting haircut; see motorcycle for Oscar on left

So today was a great day. Tomorrow another day to flush out the chemo and then home on Friday or Saturday depending on the level of chemo left in her bloodstream. End of round 2. Ellie will have to avoid crowds for the next week and a half. She will have to avoid anyone who is sick. Enough about what's coming up. This day was a great day. PTL.   

Greetings from my Hospital Bed!

Here I sit on my hospital bed at Sunnybrook Hospital.  My room mate is fast asleep, but I'm still settling into the hospital routine and into my little space here.  Gerard and I got here earlier this evening.  I hadn't actually expected to go in today. We just found out this afternoon that they had a bed for me today so we scrambled around to pack and get here on time.

I'm hooked up to an IV of fluid to prepare my system for tomorrow's chemo. Well, Just wanted to give you a quick update to let you know I'm here.  It's 10:50 pm. Time to get some sleep. Good night!