Gift in a Jar Recipes, Jar Recipes, Jar Mixes

Gift in a Jar Recipes, Jar Recipes, Jar Mixes

Gathering Wind or losing wind???

Who knows???  I believe only God knows that.  Yesterday, no cancer in my brain, thus far, just spinal cord, back, and problems.  Sometimes its easier to just sleep sitting up....  I am continuing my Radiation at this point.  4 weeks or so?  Not sure. 

My daughter will stay til Thursday June 3rd.  She said she would come back as soon as they want hospice.  I would rather she be here to help out as much as possible.  As far as that's concerned, I'd rather my family just be my hospice workers :).  Don't know how they feel like that.....  I do have a husband that's a nurse, plus Anita who is a Certified nursing assistant....what more could you ask?

I do know I'm tired.  7 yrs has just been so very long, and I have so may things I want to do, but will never get to do. 

Need to do some more sewing, some more talking to my kids/grandkids.  I think I want the most for them is to know how very much I have loved them over the years.  Somehow or another, God has given me a wonderful family, and I would never want to hurt them. 

You know, in the past 7 yrs, God has really emerged more & more in my life.  Maybe its because of Him, I have  less fear?  Nope, I am not so brave as to say I don't need Him, But with Him, I believe I will be OK.

Keep me in your prayers, today, and everyday.  Add me to your Rosary.  As I say my daily prayers, I am adding you.

Love-n-Blessings-PAX CHRISTI

New post
Pax Christi!

A whilwind has come!

With my last post, they said nothing was found on abd scan, so I went to radiologist guys....I KNEW something wasn't right.  On the 13th I went back to the Radiologist, and they were worried, but couldn't  figure out where the pain was coming from.  They wanted to order a MRI of my back, but ins said "no".  I was Dr Gian on the 18th, and he said I would have one, and rescheduled it for Fri.  On Thurs the Radiologists office called and said we would do it then.  So, My daughter & I went on up to the office for my MRI.  I was in loads of pain, and has to do it in stretches.    Results were immediate...not good.My left Plural space was 4/4 full of fluid, the cancer was 50% leaning against my spinal cord, and if we had not found this, I would be paralyzed within a week or so.  The cancer is basically all throughout my L side.

 On Friday, I had my plural space drained of almost 1000 cc fluid, had radiation tx, and will be continuing-for now.  I am having an MRI of my brain on Tues, today.  IF the cancer has progressed that far, well,  I'm not sure if I am going to keep fighting at that point.  God gives us all a stopping point, and I always knew when I would reach mine.  I will leave all in God's hands, and completely in His Will.

Not easy, but He has given me extra time.  I have had 7+ wonderful yrs with my husband & kids since dx. I pray I have used that time well.

I need to sign off, now.  Off to see the good Doc Gian, and then, radiation, then MRI, then.....well, I'll let you know.  Pray for me?

April Showers Bring May Flowers

....except in Tennessee!  Cold one day, hot one day, rainy the other,  No consistancy here!

I am done with Radiation, and to newer  & better things.  I had a abd scan for abd pain, I find out what the verdict is, today.  I think I need loads of prayers! I have been through so much!

Now, though for some flowers! Anita & my sweet grandkids are here, They are perfect, as you can imagine,  They have grown & matured, and I LOVE them.  I plan on spending time to just sew for them.We have been good willing shopping 3 times, so far, so I'm sue we will come out with some nice outfits for the. and they're babies!  Of course, have I mentioned they were perfect?


We are planning on making soap, together, as well as sewing, pictures, and just having fun.  Of all the things in the world, having your kids home, after being gone for a year, is the greatest gift God had given me.

I will get some pics up, shortly.

Pax Christi!

Viewpoints 2010 Customer Survey - Zoomerang Online Survey Results

Viewpoints 2010 Customer Survey - Zoomerang Online Survey Results

Long days.......

I know we are officially in the winter months, but I am so ready to be into spring!  When you start the day with radiation, it seems to all go downhill from there.  PLUS, the sunshine has been rare this year.

The doc said we won't know how the radiation is going for a few weeks, yet...and of course my 5 weeks of radiation became 7 weeks.  Please pray they don't add more!!  I really would like to be done.  On top of everything else, I forgot to get my blood work done, today.  I had to block one of my cards, seems my number may have been stolen.  Going to the bank, tomorrow.  Michael's computer died, today, and after talking with my son, he reformatted the whole thing, and we added the computer to our prayer list!  Now we all know spring will bring about better times!

Please Pray for my grandson, Blake, seems he may have some kind of virus.  He is such a sweet child, and in TN, every time you miss a day of school, you need a doc's note...poor Christina has been to their office more than once in the past few weeks.

Pax Christi!

A place to post pictures....

I know I have had a computer now for .....10 or 11 years, I believe...but as time marches on, they get more stuff on them, and I have to remember more! You would never believe the number of passwords I have forgotten, or websites I have misplaced.  I AM getting better, though!

If you will pop over to Flickr, you will see some of my designs.  I plan on putting more up there, as soon as I can find them.....its hard when you have to rely on hubby to transfer things from his computer.................

Had another round of radiation, today....I really wish it were over.  Now, its nowhere as bad as chemo, but it has its own drawbacks.  I do pray this is it for awhile.

Time Marches on.....

Somewhere along the line, early on, I was told my life expectancy was around 3 yrs.  Now, I didn't know that & I have beaten those odds, so far. (4 extra years!) God has allowed me this time to grow closer to him, as well as working on whatever He wants me to do.  I try to do as He wants, and I truly keep Him in mind when I do things.  Now, I'm so not perfect, but I do try to do as He wants.  I've had brain scans(I do have a brain-but they never said it worked) I will be starting radiation for the first time this Thursday.  Tomorrow and Wed I will be going up there for prep, and whatever else I need to do.  I did have surgery under my (L) arm about 2 yrs ago, and since then it seems to be growing faster.  I did a trial at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center from this last April til Oct.  The trial did help, but by Dec, I could feel the return of the masses in the same areas.  We think its just growing faster, and maybe with the radiation we could slow it down.  Need prayers of course!


Michael did take me to see Tajci, a wonderful Christian singer from Croatia. I had seen her once before, last year at a woman's convention, and was very happy Michael got to hear her.

Another more than wonderful thing has also happened.  On Feb 13th 2010 Michael and I made our first promises to be accepted into the Dominican family!  When I was young, my deepest desire was to be a nurse, and a nun.  Well, I did become a nurse in 1982, which was a very happy spot in my life.  I cannot become a nun, but I am so happy God has allowed me to be part of the Dominican family!  There are times in our lives, I think, we all see as our happiest times, and this rates even above becoming a nurse.  Christina and the boys were there, as well as April and Wyatt.  They all got to witness a very happy time for us.

April is starting to really get excited about Easter, and Easter Vigil.  I do believe she will see becoming Catholic as a high point in her life, and I am so excited for her!

And time to sign off.  Here is a cute little bib for a little boy I embroidered a while back.    PAX CHRISTI!

The roller coaster ride called cancer....and a new home

After the 18 months of relaxing...a little...and praying...a lot, IT came back again.  I started back on Gemzar, which didn't work as well as it did the first time. During that time, my port stopped working and had clotted off.  I  went in hospital for a quickie new port, and found blood clots-ended up in ICU for a day on ATP and an angioplasty, along with new port.  Stayed on gemzar until June, took a few weeks off and after scans, started on Navalbine,.  That was absolutely NO FUN.  The Navalbine was working, but I felt terrible!  In Aug, while still on Navalbine, we moved to Columbia.  Here I was, sick from the Navalbine, and trying to move.  Luckily, Anita & Dan, as well as Christina & Jamey helped.  We also had my grandchildren, Tiffany & Richie with us.  The bad thing was....we had to spend a week in a hotel because the house wasn't ready.  Mike got a job, and I just felt terrible most of the time.

We found a Church fairly quickly, as there was only one in Columbia.  Mike had promised he would go with me, and make a real effort to understand more about the Church.  In fact, he joined RCIA!  I knew there were no promises, but I did know that at least he was looking into things.  I prayed all during RCIA, and actually, I felt Michael was really starting to like it.  I loved it, and felt at home right away.  I knew I would miss St Luke, but I also knew when God asks you to move on, that's what He means.  St Catherine in Columbia is a bigger Church, but just as nice and friendly as St Luke. It was like a family extension, and I, again, knew I was at home.

I made an Altar Cloth for St Luke Catholic Church.  It did turn out nice :)

Life......

It seems so much has happened in the past 7 years, but sometimes I feel like I'm standing still.  7 Yrs ago, I felt a 'lump' in my (L) breast.  I shrugged it off as a probable cyst, there is no known breast cancer in my family!!  I finally went to the doc, who totally freaked out and had me get a rush mammogram, which took 2 days.  I had an apt set up with the surgeon within the week, and he did a biopsy.  Well, the lump wasn't a lump, but a 9cm x 10cm mass.  He sent me to TN Oncology, and to Dr. Gian.  That next week was filled with scans, tests, pet scan, and more tests.  I also had a port inserted, which I am still very glad of.  When I went back to the office to receive my first chemo, what he told me, totally shocked me, and I remember very little from that time, on...

I had stage 4   her2+++ breast cancer. Seems it had not only been in my breast, but had moved on to my lymph nodes and liver. The chemo he was going to have to start me on was going to be much stronger than we thought at first.

I did do chemo, that day, and was off 3 weeks, and did the next treatment.  It was like that for about 4 months.  I then started on herceptin, and prayed the nightmare would somehow be over.  It wasn't because I had  lymph nodes under my left arm which were just not wanting to behave.  In Jan, we found a small growth.  Dr Gian sent me to the radiologist, who was not wanting to do anything at that point.  He felt he wasn't sure it was a growth, or maybe just a reaction of some sort, and wanted to wait 3 mos.

3 mos later, after a PET scan, we realized it was misbehaving lymph nodes, and back on chemo, again.  I stayed on chemo until around August, and we felt that just maybe we were being given a chance for a remission....& I was!

I actually got a break for about 18 months, and although I knew it could pop up at any time, for 18 months I was almost normal!

Here is where I'll take a small break.  I was baptized Catholic, and went to a Catholic Church as a small child.  After my mom was divorced, since she was brought up Lutheran, we mostly went to Lutheran Churches, or as we got older, just different ones.  All that time I went to Church, I always felt something 'missing' and never knew what it was.  After being dx'd with breast cancer, I felt a very strong urge to go back...back to a Catholic Church.  During that 18 month remission, I did go back.  I wasn't sure how Michael would feel, but I knew I had to be obedient to God, and I knew this was God calling me back home.

I took RCIA at ST Luke Catholic Church in Smyrna.   My daughter, at that time, also decided she wanted to become Catholic, and all her children, which at that time was 3...Timmy, Anna, Austin.  She was at that time recovering from her divorce from Sean, and this became a healing time for her, also.

We both worked hard to get everything done, and we were admitted into the Church Easter Vigil, 2005.  That whole time I never had a relapse.  That whole time both my daughter and I were given a chance to grow closer to God, and closer to each other.

 
I did this picture of Jesus as a gift to one of our new friends we met in RCIA.

Soap & More soap

Yesterday, my husband helped me make soap...2 batches of it!  We should have enough to last for awhile, or hopefully we can sell some.  I enjoy making it!  We added oatmeal, and a really light fragrance & no color, this time.  I'm now making all the scraps into laundry soap for my daughter & myself.

My left side of my back has been really hurting, not sure if its from the chemo or the cancer. Morphine is helping, but it seems its not enough at the moment.  I really need prayers. 

April seems to be doing well in school, but has already experienced her first heartbreak.  We all thought he was a really nice person, but realized he just wasn't who he seemed to be.  We have kept him in our prayers, and pray he comes to really know Jesus, and the truely forgiving nature He has

Pray also for Dee, my very good friend.  She is in the hospital in ILL, and not really sure waht all is going on.

I am thinking about making some chemo hats this week, or early next.  We are making our first promises for the Dominican Laity on Feb 13th, and I just can't go bald.  Debating on the wig, but its hot & uncomfortable, so a cap that ties in the back could be really cute!

Blesssings to ALL!

Memories

Well, after chemo, and the temp staying in bed for days, time to sew, again.

I made this in memory of my Grandma.  I do have something to remember her by :)

Taken from the Clayton Register, Elkader, Iowa

Hazel Helen Sylvester, 91


Hazel Helen Sylvester, 91, of Elkader, formerly of the Littleport and Strawberry Point areas, died Saturday, January 2, 2010, at Central Community Hospital in Elkader.

Funeral services will be held 11 a. m. Wednesday, January 6, in Hope Lutheran Church, Littleport, with The Rev. Lin Reichstadter officiating. Burial will follow in Union Cemetery, rural Littleport.

The casket bearers: were Jon Sylvester, Jeff Sylvester, Joe Sylvester, Daniel Sylvester, Rod Sylvester, Phillip Yeager, David Yeager, Patrick Yeager, Roger Sylvester Jr., Nick Sylvester, Steve Sylvester, Randy McGinty and John McGinty.

Friends called from 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, January 5, at Leonard Funeral Home in Elkader, and after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.

She was born March 6, 1918, in rural Guttenberg, to Charles and Augusta (Ball) Putzier. She was baptized by The Rev. Braun in Guttenberg. She attended school in Volga Township, Clayton County and Elkport.

Hazel was united in marriage to Dale Sylvester on February 14, 1935, in Galena, Ill. They lived in various places as Dale worked road construction. After the fall work was finished they moved to his parents' home near Littleport. Their first son, Dale Jr. was born October 27, 1935, in Volga Township.

The couple farmed Hazel's mother's farm for one year, and at this time their daughter, Dorothy was born on December 27, 1936. They then moved to the Greg Debes farm in Cox Creek Township until purchasing the Merrit Nading farm near Littleport. On December 17, 1938, their son Larry was born and October 5, 1940, their son Roger was born. Three years later on April 18, 1943, a daughter Mary Lee was born and on January 18, 1946, their son Owen came along.

Hazel was a hard worker and all went well until she had serious surgery in 1947. The family always worked together.

Dale and Hazel retired to Strawberry Point. Hazel worked in several homes as well as cleaning the post office in Strawberry Point. They took several trips to see family; and enjoyed a big trip to Greece to see their son Roger and family.

Survivors include her children, Dale Sylvester, Strawberry Point, Dorothy McGinty, Franklin, Tenn., Larry (Connie) Sylvester, Elkader, Roger (Fofy) Sylvester, Beaver Creek, Ohio, Mary Lee Yeager, Littleton, Colo. and Owen (Susan) Sylvester, Elkport; 23 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Berdina Putzier, Strawberry Point; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, in 1996; two brothers, Howard and Carl Putzier; two sisters, Mildred Corson and Florence Cueno; and a grandson, Daryl Yeager.

Posted on January 6, 2010

Hazel Sylvester

*THESE PICS WERE ALL TAKEN 2 YRS AGO, WHEN I WAS HOME.  *  SUMMER 2008

My grandmother, 2 yrs ago.  She still knew who we were, and she still remembered things,  We would talk, laugh, and have fun.

                                  A pic of her and my grandfather taken several yrs ago.  He was the love of her life

Grandma, mom, and all of Anits's kids

5 Generations of Women.

Mom (Dorothy),[72];  Grandma (Hazel),[90];  me (Denise)[52];

Anna Honey-Lynn Bird,[9];  Anita Marie Moore-(Bird)Wentworth,[31]; Samantha Wentworth [2]

ALSO shown are St Lucy Gabriella Shupe (the doxie in Anna's arms.)

Today

Just got home from chemo, and feel wiped out. Just want to lie down. Which I will, shortly. I am on ixempra every 3 weeks. Pray it works, and I can be rid of this...but as always, God's Will be done.

I received a very delightful & unexpected phone call last night. One of our foster kids called! Tyler!! We had him off & on for maybe a year? Anyway, it was delightful to hear from him. He did give me sad news, his mom was in a motorcycle accident last summer, and died. We became close & she was a good mom. Her kids adored her. We just lost contact over time... something I am going to work on so it won't happen.It was so good to hear from him!

For my grandma, Hazel, my sil, Betty, and Marlene, a dear friend:

God our Father,


Your power brings us to birth,

Your providence guides our lives,

and by Your command we return to dust.



Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,

their lives change but do not end.

I pray in hope for my family,

relatives and friends,

and for all the dead known to You alone.



In company with Christ,

Who died and now lives,

may they rejoice in Your kingdom,

where all our tears are wiped away.

Unite us together again in one family,

to sing Your praise forever and ever.



Amen.

2009 in a nutshell

I have been out for awhile, not thinking much about blogging, but its time to start. So, 2009 in a nutshell...then on with 2010!
January-February: Came in with a bang. I was back on Chemo, AGAIN, for a golf ball size mass under my left arm. It just didn't want to go away for some reason, and I was already sick of chemo. (Now all of this chemo business began in Feb 2003, when I was dx'd stage 4 Her2+ Breast Cancer) The rest of Jan was Doc apts, as well as playing with my babies (Lucy, Desi, & Mojo) I believe it was about this time Lucy got pregnant. Prayed they were Desi's puppies!!

March: Still on Chemo. Its working, but not as well as I would have hoped. I am still up running around, though :). April came down from Vancouver, Wa to visit for a week. She loved it & Wyatt did, too. They ended up moving here in August! Lucy had 5 babies on March 30th. 4 girls & 1 boy. we kept one for Wyatt, Sandy. The others were gone fairy quick! But no more for Lucy. She had to be fixed so I wouldn't stress as much.

April: Anthony & Blake became Catholic!!! I am so very proud of them. They did very well. I pray they live their life as they should. Of course, this was one of my many 'Proud moments.' The end of the month I went with Gail to a Woman's meeting for Church in Clarksville. I enjoyed it. Tagci sang for us the first night. She was beautiful!

May: I started a new chemo regiment after being sent to Sarah Cannon Cancer Center for a trial. I believe it was a Phase 1 trial. That meant much driving back & forth to Nashville, as well as scans & blood work...loads of them both! I did make it to a first annual SpringFest held by the Church in Shelbyville. Now that was fun! Plan on going again this year, too.

June-Aug: In all reality, my days were mostly filled with some sewing, and resting. Chemo seems to wear on me, until I just wear out completely. I have good days, but most are filled with naps :). After much prayer, I did decide to work on joining the Dominican Laity. 6 months of just a questioning-type stage, and I can make my first promises.

This brings us up to Aug-Sept, which is when I started this blog. I stopped chemo in Oct, and was told I was in Remission. Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with all the kids and felt pretty good. Made several batches of soap, which everyone loves....wish I could sell them, now....and continued my classes with the Laity.

Cliff & Tabatha moved out right after Thanksgiving to Murfreesboro. Tab had a job that was there and a long trip back & forth.

December: Dec 1st I saw Dr Gian. All was OK, and he again used the remission word. sounded nice, but I had had so many setbacks I was still a bit worried. Around the 9th, I had some left sided pain, and couldn't figure out what it was...well, I found this hard spot, and knew what it was. I called Dr Gian on the 8th, made an appointment for the 16th...had scans on the 18th, and saw him again on the 22nd. Verdict: Cancer, 3 spots, left side. I would be starting chemo, again on the 3th of Jan.
Christmas came & I found out Cliff & Tabatha were wanting to move back to Ohio. Talk about a shock! So between the chem, and my son, I was just a tab stressed. Right after Christmas, I found out they had put my grandmother in the hospital, and she wasn't eating. So, sometimes things do come in 3's....