A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

We had such a nice weekend! On Friday Gerry and I went to watch the Mets play the Marlins here in Florida. We had a good time and YEA! the Mets won! The next day we flew to Atlanta to spend a few days with Alison, Michael and Avi. We stayed until Monday evening. Avi gets cuter (if that is possible) each day. I love to watch his parents with him....they are so cute together.

We took Avi to the pool on Sunday. He loves the water, even though it was a bit cold. We had a good time playing with Avi, especially Gerry.

There was one down spot, though. Alison gave me a bottle of breast milk to give to Avi at bedtime. He was NOT happy about my giving it to him. He is going through "stranger anxiety." he is fine with me when he is up and playing, but I guess because bedtime is so much his parents "thing" he didn't want any part of me. I tried but I do understand, and finally Alison came in and put him to bed. It's not worth upsetting him. I know that most babies go through this at this age. It was hard to leave them, but we'll see the kids again for Father's Day weekend.

Keeping Busy

Today Rusty and Tiemann, my two dogs, went in for grooming. Tiemann is a maltese. He gets a short haircut and the works. Rusty, my dachshund, gets a bath, nail clipping and tooth brushing. While they were there, I met my friend Melinda for lunch at Too Jays. It just opened in Boynton Beach. I love their whitefish salad. We had a really nice visit. After that I hung around the mall, browsing, looking for sandals (didn't see any that I either liked or that I wanted to pay a fortune for). I DID find a wrought iron 'thing' to hang on the wall, in Kirkland. It's off white, with rust spots, very Hemingway-esque....I know that when Gerry sees it he will think it needs paining. I want to hang it next to the distressed bookcase in the living room.

Then I ventured to JC Penney, where I never go. They had a sale - buy one, get the second for 99 cents. Who would have thought?....I found a cute pair of denim capri jeans, cuffed, that actually fit me. So I bought two pair.

Then it was off to pick up 'the boys' at Pet Smart groomers. I have had a $50 voucher that I won last summer, for a certain brand of dog food. I couldn't find anyone who carried the food, but Pet Smart had the treats (by Old Mother Hubbard). Since the voucher is up May 31, I had to use it. I bought LOTS of treats, figuring I would share it with my grandpuppies. When I got to the register, the cashier said that this voucher was a rebate...I had to make the purchase and then submit he register receipt for the rebate. Fine, I said. Well, when I got home, I saw that it was actually a rebate FOR THE STORE!! Now I have to go back this week and have them credit my charge card and then THEY can apply for the rebate. As I was going in and out of the store several times, I saw the Humane Society with a few dogs. They are there every week, hoping to get the dogs adopted. I wasn't worried, for beside my two, we are taking my daughter's two maltese to live with us in June (4 little dogs...ok, shoot me NOW!). Then I recognized one of the dogs with the Humane Society folk...I had seen her on TV. This poor little pit bull with the sweetest face was in the news last week...a horrible, rotten, no good kid had cut off both of it's ears...all the way to the head. I get sick to my stomach just thinking of it. It's a good thing I have no room for any more animals, for my heart went out to this little dog and I would have wanted to take her home - she really was so sweet. So, as I pushed my cart out, loaded with bags of doggie treats, I stopped and gave the woman from the HS one of the big bags, plus a few dollars donation. And then I cried as I took my purchase to the car.
The rest of the afternoon I spent "futzing" around the house. Actually, I had to UNDO a boo-boo. Yesterday I tried to install another AOL onto Gerry's computer - he has his account on his laptop, and I wanted my own account on there as well, for when we travel. When I installed it, my account went right over his! EGAD! So I called AOL today and was told that because he has used up so much space on his computer (he has movies downloaded onto it) there was no room for 2 AOL's. The repair was easy...I just installed it again, and his account went over mine. WHEW! Then I put the disc into my MAC laptop and was able to upgrade the AOL I use on the MAC...from 5.0 to MAC 10.3. Now it's time to watch Desperate Housewives. Think I'll have a little ice cream, too!

I received a wonderful Mother's Day gift from Avi (and his parents) - an apron that Alison embroidered on...Grandma Jody...with a note from Avi saying that it's to wear when we make chocolate chip cookies. I can't wait!In The Meantime...
Some nice things happening: after going to root for the NY Mets against the FL Marlins on May 25th, we fly the next day to GA to see Alison, Michael and Avi for three days. I can't wait. I miss them so much. I wish I could move there as they want us to, but we can't at this time. Avi is changing every day and doing so many new things and I am not seeing it first hand, so I have to get there, if only for a few days. The following week, school ends and then Gerry and I are taking a road trip up north. We will spend two days in Ocala with my younger daughter Becca and her husband Phil. Then we'll drive north, spending a night on the road, and ending up in CT at my brother Jon's house. That weekend we are going with Gerry's brother and wife to Mohegan Sun Casino for a night. On the 10th I am going to my niece's dance recital. She is 16 and a great dancer, and she is even thinking of going to a college with a good dance program. I'll spend a few days seeing friends, then join Gerry, Jon and my mom (who will also be in CT for 10 days) at a Yankee game (have to use tix that we have from a rained out game). From the game Ger and I will drive to Atlanta to spend Father's Day weekend and a few days more with Alison, Michael and Avi, pick up their two little dogs who are coming to live in our house (ok, so I'll need intense therapy after that - or maybe before, for agreeing to take them), and then home. I just hope we don't have to leave a day or two after that for Texas....SIGH!...my life's SO busy, isn't it?

On My Own (temporarily)

This weekend Gerry flew to Cincinatti to visit with his friend Dave. Gerry looks and feels pretty good, so they decided to have a golf visit. He called today, very pleased with himself....he completed 18 holes of golf - tired, but he did it. Tomorrow they will play again at the country club that Dave works at. I am really happy that Gerry is doing so well. Next weekend we are flying to Atlanta and Gerry is bringing his tennis racket, to hit the ball around with Michael.

So I've been single this weekend and enjoyed myself. Friday I had a much needed massage. I was getting them once a month but have only had one since December. It was SO relaxing, especially since this time I didn't talk to Sarina all the way through it. She and I were both quiet and I almost fell asleep, it was so good, The rest of the evening I just chilled. Saturday morning I took the assessment test for the National Board Certification (for educators). It was the final leg of the torturous program I went through this year. I definitely know I did not pass this test. It wasn't hard...I just don't THINK in the terminology that you need to express in answering the questions...I just TEACH!
Then I drove to the mall to pick up Mom, who was hanging out there for the morning, and to get a gift certificate for my friend's whose anniversary celebration we were going to that afternoon (they love the movies as much as Gerry and I do).
Later on Mom and I joined my dear friends Lily and Pete at the Embassy Suites hotel in Deerfield Beach and relaxed by the pool. Lily had surprised Pete by securing a room (really a one bedroom apartment) for the night. We were joined by another friend who I had not seen in almost a year (she worked with us but moved away last summer). Some more relaxing and then we changed and drove to Little Havana, a really good Cuban restaurant, and met Olivia and her hubby George. Olivia was my principal for 10 years here in Florida, but was moved to another school last year. I have transferred and will be joining her, Lily and others who went with them, when school resumes next year (August). After a wonderful dinner and lots of good conversation, we went back to Lily and Pete's for more visiting. It was a really nice day all around.

Pretty

Our plantation shutters were installed today. I am so thrilled. They are beautiful. Gerry was so delighted that he ordered them for the remaining two windows in the room. It gives the room a whole new look (and finally, no one can see in from outside).

Knitting Again...Finally!

I had SO much time on my hands in TX, so...I knitted. I made a sweater for Gerry's expected grandniece, third daughter of Danny and Kristen. I loved the sweater, which I had seen made up in greens, but when the LYS didn't have the colors I wanted, I bought pink, baby multi and white for a girl. It's not blocked and doesn't have buttons, but you can see how cute it is. The pattern is Plymouth Design Studio's 3 color Baby Cardigan & Hat Set. I used the yarn called for: Plymouth Dreambaby DK - 2 balls each of pink & baby ombre (not the real color name), and one of white. After starting it, they got in the greens, so I am making it for Avi. I decided to make the next size up and it seems HUGE! Guess he'll wear it when he is 4. For Avi's sweater I am using 2 balls each of moss, pale green and cream.

I also completed a sweater for Avi and the same for my friend Debbie's grandson Samuel. It is a baby pullover by Knitting Pure & Simple, using Plymouth Colorspun worsted weight yarn, encore # 7991 Blue Tweed.

Update on Gerry

When I last wrote about Gerry's medical situation I noted that he had been to Texas and they found another tumor. Yup, it was a 5 cm melanoma in his pelvis. After seeing his oncologist we called the dr. in TX and set up a date for surgery. A week or so later Gerry was having discomfort. The TX dr suggested that Gerry get an ultrasound. The test showed that in 3 weeks the tumor grew to 5.7 cm (note: the scans last October were clear...no tumors). We flew to Houston to MD Anderson on April 10th. The scans the next day showed that the tumor was now 6.5 cm. Guess this is what they meant when they said that stage 4 melanoma almost always comes back and usually does so with a vengeance! Gerry had surgery on April 16th. It took over 5 hours. They not only removed the tumor,but his appendix and gall bladder as well, as they were both infiltrated. The drs once again said they thought that they got it all. We stayed in Houston for two weeks, coming home on April 25th. The doctors, nurses and everyone were just fabulous there. I will continue to sing the praises of MD Anderson forever. They treat their clients and caregivers with the utmost respect, concern, dignity and make a bad situation bearable. Do you know, they even have ROOM SERVICE in the hospital? The patient is given a diet (clear liquids, regular food, etc) and a menu. When the patient wants to eat, they call room service anytime up until 9:30 PM and request their food, and it is brought up by servers in waiter's uniforms, and no tipping allowed. The patient doesn't have to adhere to hospital schedule for their meals. When the dr. told Gerry he could begin eating regular food instead of liquids (as he sat there with a tray of broth, jello, tea and apple juice in front of him), Gerry called RS and ordered TWO entrees (poor boy had not eaten in a week)...and no one batted an eyelash. As a "guest" I was able to order as well, only I had to pay, but the cost was nominal and the food was really good. I didn't do so until Gerry began eating, not wanting to eat "real food" while he drank his (so until then I ate in the cafeteria...also good food).

One day there was a knock on the door and these two walked in.

They said they were his "Doctors" - one was Dr. Feel Good (don't remember the other). They are volunteers and were so cute.

Gerry is feeling good, just tired. The staples that held the incision closed were removed two weeks after surgery. His surgeon gave me a tool so that I could remove the staples, even showed me how, but Gerry would have none of that. He had his internist do it (hmmm, do you think he didn't trust me to be gentle?). We have to go back to Texas but we don't know when. Gerry signed on to be part of a clinical trial that is going on, but we don't know if he will be a candidate until the tumor is processed. They took some of his blood and part of the tumor they removed and do something to it to try to make a vaccine to use against his own melanoma. Pretty cool, huh? So if he IS a candidate, we will have to fly to TX and stay a few weeks as he begins the regimen (and from what I've read, it's not pleasant). If he is not a candidate, we have to go there anyway for 2 - 3 days for scans and to meet with the medical team to discuss further treatments. We should know by the end of May.