Thanks so much for the cards and letters, and calls, everyone! Recovery has been good, but slow. I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow, and since I’ve been running a slight fever tonight, and have some new redness in my skin, I’m thinking they’ll put me right back on antibiotics, which I finished a few days ago.
I am like my Dad, and have a hard time just relaxing in bed for too long, unless something really good is on tv. Even then, I’m not a big tv watcher, but at the moment can’t focus well enough to read the rest of a favorite memoir I’ve been re-reading, “Growing Up” by Russell Baker.
But the tv which has been keeping me still this weekend, has been the new Sherlock Holmes series that stars Benedict Cumberbatch at Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson.
I’ve also been laughing at a marathon of the Addams family. Gotta love Morticia and Gomez, but have discovered that some with Lurch as the main character are the funniest.

Last night, Kathy and her family were over and after dinner, the boys and I carved jack-o-lanterns. Isaac drew about 12 different ideas and chose to draw a storm trooper on his pumpkin. It had lots of nice details, and I’m sure he will correct me as to what he actually drew.
Blaine was amazed at it all and bent down to watch saying “oooooh!” and he helped me draw three large circles on his face. I will post photos tomorrow.

Then, after we had dinner, I went along to take the nephews trick-or-treating. Dan and Allie stopped by and went the rest of the way with the crew. Fun night!

Some new photos are up on my flickr stream, too:

amy’s flickr photos

Hope your Halloween was full of creepiness and candy, too!

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

Well, Saturday night was a good time. Went to Knickers Pub with Kathy and met up with a bunch of friends to celebrate Tim E’s birthday. Had a nice chat with Jake, who shouted me a drink (Thanks, mate!) and partied with Amy, Bonny, Colin, Jen, Brian, Felicia, and Tim’s various cousins. Had some hard cider and stopped myself at three because I’m not used to drinking like I used to.. fun night!

Progress on the painting for the wine label is going well. I’ll be mailing everything off to Philly tomorrow.

And the news on the health front is good. The genetic test result came back negative, so I do not carry the gene mutation that signals an increased chance of any more cancer returning. So now I can set a date for the left breast mastectomy when I go in for my next appointment in early September. One step at a time, but after I recover there will be treatments at the oncologist in Hanover. I am feeling fit, both physically and emotionally. Taking walks every day, cutting out soda, drinking more water and eating lots of fruits and veggies from the local fruit farm. Thanks to all who have written/called and want to visit sometime. I’ll be sure to be in touch! And I’m looking forward to a dinner out with my Mother and a good neighborhood friend, who we haven’t talked to in forever, sometime soon!

Then there was the sad news of my Uncle Donny, who had been in the hospital after several strokes, unexpectedly passing away. The family is getting together for a service this Saturday. I wrote a bit about him on my flickr stream. The pictures can be viewed once you click on the link I posted below, and scroll through a little while, till you see black and white pictures from the 50s of three little guys in bow ties. He was such a funny person, and will be missed greatly, especially by his brothers who were always pretty close.

There was a scare Wednesday, too, when my dad was admitted to the hospital after he became clammy and unresponsive at work. They did an ekg and heart catheterization, but found nothing wrong. Stress could have been a part of it, and possibly some unhealthy eating the night before. But they gave him some different meds and he took a couple days off work. He was doing really well today, getting around fine, and he took me out to lunch.

So, there were ups and downs this week, but I’ve been having fun planning what kind of hairstyle I want and playing vinyl records of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, especially one of my favorites, Oklaholma. Been scanning old family photos and taking pictures for flickr, writing once more in my paper journal and planning ideas for the near and distant future that will not be told until I have a grasp on them myself. But it’s all looking rosy right now. I’ll write something more interesting or fun next time. Tonight it was the general “Catch-up” to keep everyone informed and up-to-date. To view any of those recent flickr photos, just click on the right hand flickr icon with multiple pictures, or go here:

amy’s flickr photostream

Tomorrow (Friday August 27) is Blaine’s second Birthday! Cannot believe how he has grown. We’ll party next week. He’s my special buddy. Of course, I love Isaac to pieces, and all the cute and wonderful things he does (big first grader! yay!) but Blaine and I just always had a special bond. I miss him and I just saw him a few days ago! Pretty soon I’ll post some pictures of the boys on flickr, too, from the other night. Bathtime fun! Wheee!

Speaking of which, I’m off to relax in the bath.. couldn’t tell you the last time I did that. I miss that big old tub from Wonga Park, and how I’d have a whole set up with the window looking into the garden, and a cool drink, maybe a book that never got read and Norah Jones crooning away…

But that was a lifetime ago… and there is plenty here to make it a different retreat, just as relaxing!
And I’m quite ready for it!

Till next time,
Much love, Amy

Back to work!
Finishing the piece for the (no name) Art Group which is supporting Philabundance this year. I have never felt as fulfilled doing my artwork as when I worked with this group in 2007, painting a memory portrait for a lovely girl named Tabitha at the El Shedai foster home in Uganda. Thanks to Sherry for all the work she’s done and continues to do, organizing it all, drumming up support, and also contributing her own work. I love being part of this team and helping others through my art. I think it’s important to think about the bigger picture, especially at times when I feel too self-absorbed. I know my cancer diagnosis is a legitimate reason to focus on myself right now, but if I am feeling well enough, physically and mentally to do artwork anyway, then I’m so happy to be able to do it for this kind of cause. It really is something I want to continue throughout my life!

Please go here for more information: (no name) Art Group

I will post some snaps of the process once everything is completed.

You Might Consider Reading This Book:
“The Road From Coorain” by Jill Ker Conway

Even though I started reading it in the mid 90s, and started more than once, because it is quite dry in places (similar to my experience w/ reading Out of Africa ), and before living in Australia was even a concept in my mind, I’ve finally finished Jill Ker Conway’s “clear-sighted memoir of growing up Australian”, “The Road From Coorain”, and oh the reward of exhilaration & emotion of finishing it! It taught me about a part of Australia that I knew nothing about and pleasantly reminded me of all that I did. I came back to finish this book knowing so much of the vernacular that, astutely, was not always explained, and the usual Aussie expressions and how they would sound rolling off the tongue, whether “properly”, bordering on an English accent, or broad and common, or with the dialect of an experienced self-described “blackfellah” from the bush. I could see the land and the people. I knew the heartache and narrowing tunnel of a long drought. The same class system and expectations of what it means to be Australian are still visible, decades later. It is beautifully crafted, even though there are a few places that I had to push through. There is warmth, wit, and tragedy. And oh, I cried!
But, I have to tell you, I consider this book to be one of the most rewarding I’ve ever read, not only for it’s content and beautifully crafted passages, rich with imagery, but also because of the last sentence. Perhaps it is because I have been there, because I am emotionally invested, and that I feel a connection with the spirit in which it is written, but I believe it contains the best last sentence of a book that I’ve ever read. I’ve never felt that way before, even with any of my favorite books. Finishing this memoir was a long-anticipated achievement and an emotionally rewarding trip. This isn’t necessarily among my top 5 reads, but if not, it’s hovering near there. And no matter what you’ve experienced of Australia, if anything, it will take you on a journey of the human dramas, loves, losses, excitements, unexpected twists, hopes and triumphs we all experience in a lifetime.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Switching gears…

As for my health, still feeling sore and tender from the surgery. The antibiotics are slowly clearing up the infection and I’m making plans to get tested, in Hershey, to see if I carry a “cancer gene”. This will help me make a decision on how drastic my next surgery will be, perhaps help my siblings, should they want to know if there is a possibility that they carry it, and just help with research in general, so that somewhere down the line, it might help save more lives. I will be seeing an oncologist, in Hanover, for a first appointment on August 5. The plan is, that while I undergo chemo and radiation treatments, I will live most of the time with my Sister and her family, so that she can drive me to and from appointments, and so that, during the day, I will be with someone. She lives in Hanover, which is a 40 minute drive from Dallastown. I can’t thank her enough for all that she has already done for me, over and above what I would ask of anyone. Kathy has provided countless rides, anticipated my needs before I knew them myself, has done research on my behalf and has not treated me any differently, which is a relief. We still give each other a hard time, and still act silly, or bitch about what’s bothering us and I doubt she knows just how much it means to me to have her in my life. And, right behind her are tons of family and friends, and I really, truly, could not have made it this far without your love.
xo Amy