9 Moons Ago

It’s been a while! Thought I’d let everyone know that things are going well, as far as my health. The recovery process is slow, but steady. Chemo is the next item on the agenda, but that will be after the holidays. Right now everything is still healing up, and some muscles are still tight and there is some numbness, so I’m just doing my best to be patient and do the gentle stretches, massage, and warm compresses, etc. on a daily basis. Not feeling sick at all, but being careful with lifting and such…

Thanksgiving was nice. It was just going to be Mom, Dad and I for dinner, and then Dan and Allie stopping in for dessert, but Kathy and Zach surprised us and came right before we sat down to eat! They brought a lovely bouquet of fall flowers for Mumsy and a good time was had by all! The kids were up at Zach’s parents, and had a grand time. Black Friday shopping was done by several family members, but I didn’t miss it one bit!

There is still no tree up here, no candles in the window and no lights on the house, but it’s been a crazy year, so we’re all moving a little more slowly right now. The hutch is decorated though, and gifts have been bought and wrapped. The sewing machine and painting supplies are out… I’ve started playing piano again and the Christmas CDs are in rotation, though not constantly. So we’re easing into the spirit gently..

One thing that kicked us into the mood was the annual Sheerer open house last Saturday! Such a pretty home, and filled with loved ones. It was so good to see everyone and catch up again! Great food and fun company.

There are more pictures of everything on my flickr photostream:
amy’s flickr stream

Tomorrow morning, Dad goes in for surgery. He’s having a stent put in his leg, in preparation for future knee surgery, which he’s needed for a long while now. Mom will be home tomorrow to help with that, and tomorrow evening, she and I are going to see Isaac in a school performance.

Working on cards, letters and gifts and it’s been fun. If you want a card, and you don’t think I’ve got your address, just email me!
Hope everyone is enjoying safe and fun holidays!

Just a brief entry to express my enormous gratitude to my family and friends who have helped make this whole week, before my surgery tomorrow morning, less stressful and so much fun! Thanks for the overwhelming support I’ve gotten from everyone, since my diagnosis of breast cancer in early June, while we are at it!

I’ve been getting emails, letters, flowers, cards and phone calls from all over. To those of you who’ve written or tried to contact me in the past months, I have been sketchy with staying in touch, but I am thinking of you for sure, and glad for your continued thoughts and prayers. There will be plenty of time for me to use my new stationery in November! He he.

This past Sunday, I thought my Mother and Dad & I were going out to eat with my Sister and her boys at a favorite restaurant. When we got there, I saw Kathy inside right away, standing up and holding Blaine, and then I noticed EVERYONE. They shouted “Surprise!” and I definitely was surprised! Two tables full of family and friends, almost 30 people all wearing pink in some way or another, with candy, balloons, gifts and a cake!
Thought it was great when my Uncle Barry came over and said, “Well, I’m wearing red, which is related to pink” and he pointed out the “Oklahoma” logo across the front, saying “I also wore Oklahoma, because you’re going to be O.K.!”
I received cards, some lovely journals, a beautiful drawing from my cousin’s daughters, Lexie and Abby, the softest cozy pink socks and a box of gummy bears, which I shared with the kids till their food was ready. Other friends who couldn’t be there helped in planning it, and because it was short notice and a small place, not everyone was invited, but we’ll have to have another party, down the line!

I was not expecting this in the least! You got me good, guys! Such a big thanks to my Sister, who thought of it and organized everything, as a spur of the moment thought just a week beforehand! Our crew took up two thirds of the small dining room!

As for the surgery, I’ve only been anxious in the last couple of day, but mostly have been distracted with all the emails, letters, cards and visits from the people who make my life wonderful! Thank you ALL, near and far, for such incredible fun, joy and love!

So, yep, tomorrow at 6am I’ll be in the hospital, but knowing just how many people are supporting me (multiply the number from my party, oh, about ten thousand or so! :-D) will make things that much easier! And, as I told my Mother, couldn’t have planned a better month for this, October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Some pictures from the party, taken by family and friends:

Thanks everybody! Lots and lots of love, Amy

Eating an orange and having an iced coffee for breakfast. With a slice of cold pizza and a kosher dill pickle.

Playing with cars, trucks, tractors, a bunny, turtles and a stuffed wombat officially named “Brownie” with this fellow:

Good, good talks on the phone with wonderful family and friends who are welcoming me home and itchin’ to see me once again.

A blissful nap on the downstairs sofa, under a cozy blanket, while corny, but sweet, words of wisdom spouted from the mouth of Beaver’s Dad while the tv murmured in the background.

Helping my sister to set the table and my Mom to cook dinner for the family. Creating a centerpiece, getting out the candles, making dip and pouring ice cubes and water into a frosted green glass pitcher. One of the things that really feels like “home” to me is this very ritual.

Getting a round of laughter from the family, after telling my Dad, at the dinner table, that he’s “successfully raised 3 smart-alecs”, though I was censoring myself just a bit there.

A generous, and pretty, bag of gifties from “Sr. Chrissy” including a wonderful fleece blanket, red socks, lotion, bath poof and 4 pristine mad libs books! Whooo! Bring it on!

Having cinnamon stick tea out of delicate flowered china tea cups with my sister and friends, while sporting my new black and red “Optimus Prime” tattoo on the inside of my forearm. Thanks, Ike! I look so hardcore I’m thinking of making it permanent. It has flames and everything!

Playing the Charlie Brown Theme on the piano at the request of my 3 year old nephew because it’s “his favorite song” and also, conveniently, to help stall his departure for his home and bed tonight.

Stepping outside to put Isaac in his car-seat and both of us, along with my sister, Kathy, looking up at the clear crescent moon in night sky and relishing the overdue feeling of the crisp air creeping through my thin shirt into my bones once more, after a long, hot, baking summer. I love that Isaac looks for the moon just as I do, and has since he was a baby. I also love the flash of difference between feeling lovely heat on my face when outside in the daytime back in Melbourne, and the black night pressing a chill into my skin here at home in Pennsylvania.

Unloading a lot of complicated feelings and “memories and dust” to my Mother, brother and future sister-in-law and having them all be loving & supportive and offering the blessed gift of their listening, more than that of their advice.

Getting my comedy and news, rolled up into one, while watching the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Right now, that’s where I’ll get a lot of my current events..eventually I’ll be able to work up to the newspapers.
And the comedy? Well, fellas -and ladies..who never seem to get enough credit on that show-… it’s pure comedic GOLD.
The WEEKLY cobbled-together International “Daily Show”, which was shown in Oz, pales in comparison. They need to work on that, big-time! It should be shown weekly, not WEAKLY.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow too..it’s an un-written story as of yet! I really hope my tattoo lasts for the whole week though! I may have to cover it with gauze and tape when I take a shower!

God, it’s so good to be back in the U.S.A.! I’ve missed you guys!

Well, got the rest of the house-sitting pictures up for y’all. Things are flying for us.. can YOU believe it’s the middle of January already?! We can’t!

No lizards in this batch, I promise, Chhavy! Just Boids.

A few weeks ago I gave meself a new look, which I’d been contemplating for at least half a year. I have not had bangs (aka a fringe) since before I was a teenager. (We won’t count that brief early-1990′s fling with the fluffed-up wispy bangs that complimented my frizzy poodle perm. Blergh.)

Better self-portraits another time. I haven’t had much of a chance for photo ops!

I need a photo opportunity. I want a shot at redemption. Don’t want to end up a cartoon, in a cartoon graveyard. Bone digger, bone digger. Dogs in the moonlight. Far away in my well-lit room…
-P Simon.

Things are very good here. It’s so nice to be located near all our dearest folk -on this half of the world, anyway!

p.s. HAPPY B-DAY SARAH! Woot-woot!